title: Needs Assessment for Research Use of High-Throughput Sequencing at a Large Academic Medical Center.
abstract: Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) methods are driving profound changes in biomedical research, with a growing impact on patient care. Many academic medical centers are evaluating potential models to prepare for the rapid increase in NGS information needs. This study sought to investigate (1) how and where sequencing data is generated and analyzed, (2) research objectives and goals for NGS, (3) workforce capacity and unmet needs, (4) storage capacity and unmet needs, (5) available and anticipated funding resources, and (6) future challenges. As a precursor to informed decision making at our institution, we undertook a systematic needs assessment of investigators using survey methods. We recruited 331 investigators from over 60 departments and divisions at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Health Sciences and had 140 respondents, or a 42% response rate. Results suggest that both sequencing and analysis bottlenecks currently exist. Significant educational needs were identified, including both investigator-focused needs, such as selection of NGS methods suitable for specific research objectives, and program-focused needs, such as support for training an analytic workforce. The absence of centralized infrastructure was identified as an important institutional gap. Key principles for organizations managing this change were formulated based on the survey responses. This needs assessment provides an in-depth case study which may be useful to other academic medical centers as they identify and plan for future needs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geskin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Legowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America; University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Anish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chakka
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America; University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Uma R
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Chandran
authors.affiliation: Institute for Personalized Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America; Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: M Michael
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Barmada
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America; University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: LaFramboise
authors.affiliation: Institute for Personalized Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America; University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America; Institute for Personalized Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Rebecca S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Jacobson
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce