Closing the Quality Gap in Pediatric Healthcare

Speaker:
Associate Prof Alex Kemper
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
School of Medicine, Duke University

Host:
Prof David Bruce Matchar
Director, Health Services & Systems Research Program
Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School

Date:
Wednesday , 7 March 2012

Time:
12.00 PM — 1.00 PM
(Light refreshments will be served at 11.30 AM)

Venue:
Amphitheatre, Level 2
Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School
8 College Road, Singapore 169857
(opposite Singapore General Hospital, Block 6/7)

Contact Person:
Ms Laura Woo, Duke-NUS Research Affairs Department
Tel: 6601 2387 or Email: laura.woo@duke-nus.edu.sg 

Synopsis: 
Health care systems often fail to provide high-quality care. This is especially true for children and adolescents, who also depend on their families for the receipt of care. The United States Institute of Medicine has identified that health care should be safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. The objective of this seminar will be to use examples related to common screening services, including vision screening and newborn screening, and chronic illness management, including asthma management and obesity treatment, to illustrate how these gaps can be identified and addressed. The seminar will conclude with recommendations for a sustainable approach to the development of quality improvement initiatives based on ongoing work in the United States.

Biography:
Alex R. Kemper, MD, MPH, MS, is a general pediatrician and health services researcher whose major research focus is in the delivery of screening services for children. After his pediatric residency training at Duke University, Dr. Kemper completed combined fellowship programs in health services research, medical informatics, and preventive medicine at the University of North Carolina. Over this period he earned Masters Degrees in both epidemiology and biomedical engineering. In 2000, Dr. Kemper joined the faculty at the University of Michigan. During the next six years, Dr. Kemper developed an active research program evaluating lead poisoning prevention strategies, screening for vision and hearing impairment, and the detection of genetic conditions in early childhood. In 2006, Dr. Kemper returned to Duke University to lead a new Program on Pediatric Health Services Research. Since then, Dr. Kemper has continued to work on issues related to screening, with a focus on newborn screening. Dr. Kemper also serves as Assistant Editor for Pediatrics, for which he oversees a new section on quality improvement.