Harkness Project Title: An Examination of Communication within Pediatric Medication Safety
Mentor: David Bates, M.D.
Placement: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard School of Public Health
Biography at time of Harkness Fellowship: Claire Lemer, M.B.B.S., a 2004-05 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy, studied medicine at Trinity Hall College, Cambridge prior to moving to University College London. She was awarded distinctions in both medicine and surgery and finished magna cum laude. As a doctor, she has worked as a pediatrician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, St George’s Hospital, and the Whittington Hospital. Her subspecialty rotations have included cardiology, renal medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, and neonatology. On returning to the U.K., she will continue her fellowship in general pediatrics in combination with a part-time M.Sc. in international health policy at the London School of Economics. Stebbing is also planning to submit her thesis for the degree of M.D. at the University of London, based on the research she has carried out during her Harkness Fellowship. She aims to pursue a career in general pediatrics in association with research and health policy work.
Project: Claire Lemer had two projects related to pediatric medication safety. In the first, she investigated the advice given to patients and their parents regarding prescriptions and side effects, and the impact that this has on adverse events. For this project, she used data from a cohort study of 1,783 pediatric patients seen at six office practices over a two month period. For her second project, she examined the way that safety and medical errors in pediatrics are covered by the media, and the effect it has in shaping the views of patients and providers. She conducted an analysis of media coverage of pediatric medication errors and adverse drug events in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Career Activity Since Fellowship
- Registrar in Pediatrics, Barnet Chase Farm Hospital
- Operations Manager, North Middlesex University Hospital
- McKinsey Hospital Institute Fellow, McKinsey and Company, 2009
- Clinical Advisor to the Chief Medical Officer for England, 2006
- Medical Officer to the WHO Patient Safety, 2006
Current Position: Consultant in General Paediatrics and Service Transformation , Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (Updated 1/2014)
E-Mail: [email protected]
Selected Publications
Lemer C, Cheung CR, Viner R, Wolfe I. Health policy research: successes and challenges. Arch Dis Child. 2014 Oct 3. pii: archdischild-2014-306042.
Lemer C, Cheung R, Davies S. Research to improve outcomes for children andyoung people with long-term conditions. Arch Dis Child. 2014 Apr;99(4):303-4.
Davies SC, Lemer C, Strelitz J, Weil L. Our children deserve better: prevention pays. Lancet. 2013 Oct 26;382(9902):1383-4.
Cheung CR, Lemer C. Using data to improve care. Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed.2013 Dec;98(6):224-9.
Lemer C and Moss F.Patient Safety and Junior Doctors are we missing the obvious? Quality and Safety in Health Care 2013;22:8–10.
Butros E, Chang P, Ward T, Yu C, Lemer C, Bicknell C and Warren O. Knowledge and opinions of undergraduate medical students on NHS structure, medical management and leadership: defining the structure of curriculum improvement. Int J of Clin Leadership 2012:17:131-8.
Spector JM, Agrawal P, Khodhany B, Lipsitz S, Lashoher A, Dzieken G, Bahl R, Merialdi M, Mathai M, Lemer C, Gawande G. Improving Quality of Care for Maternal and Newborn Health: Prospective Pilot Study of the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist Program PLoS ONE 7(4).
Banerjee A, Stanton E, Lemer C, Marshall M. “What can quality improvement learn from evidence-based medicine?” J R Soc Med. 2012 Feb;105(2):55-9.
Stanton E, Lemer C. “The third wave of leadership: the power of we,” International Journal of Clinical Leadership 2011; 17(1):49-51.
Noble DJ, Lemer C, Stanton E. “What has change management in industry got to do with improving patient safety?” Postgrad Med J. 2011 May;87(1027):345-8.
Ellis B, Rutter P, Greaves F, Noble D and Lemer C. New Models in Clinical Leadership: The Chief Medical Officer Clinical Leadership Scheme. Int J Clin Lead 2011;17:1-6.
Stanton E, Lemer C, Marshall M. “Editorial: An evolution of professionalism,” J R Soc M 48 ed 2011: 104: 48–49.Noble D, Greaves F, Lemer C, Fletcher M, Donaldson D: Finding the Achilles Heels in Healthcare Journal of RSM 2010 103 40-41.
Walton M, Woodward H, Van Staalduinen S, Lemer C, Greaves F, Noble D, Ellis B, Donaldson L, Barraclough B: The World Health Organization (WHO) Patient Safety Curriculum Guide for Medical Schools. Qual. Saf Health Care 2010 19;542-546. Stanton E, Lemer C: Networking for healthcare reform. JR Soc Med 2010; 103 345-346.
Lemer C, Bates DW, Yoon C, Keohane C, Fitzmaurice G, Kaushaul R. “The role of advice in administration medication errors in the paediatric ambulatory setting.” Journal of Patient Safety 2009; 5(3):168-175.
Woodward HI, Mytton OT, Lemer C, Yardley IE, Ellis B, Rutter PD, Greaves FEC, Noble D, Kelley E, Wu AW: What Have We Learned About Interventions to Reduce Medical Errors? Annual Review of Public Health 2009.
Stanton E., Lemer C., Mountford J., eds. Clinical Leadership: Bridging the divide. Quay Books, 2009.
McCay L, Lemer C, Wu AW: Laboratory Safety and the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety Clinica Chimica Acta 404 2009 6-11.
Lemer C, Bates DW, Yoon C, Keohane C, Fitzmaurice G, Kaushaul R. “The role of advice in administration medication errors in the paediatric ambulatory setting.” Journal of Patient Safety 2009; 5(3):168-175.
Stebbing C, Jaffe A. “The Role of Communication in Paediatric Medication Safety,” Archives of Disease in Childhood 2007; 92(5): 440-45.
Stebbing C, Jacklin A, Barber N, Bates DW. “A Comparison of the US and UK Inpatient Medication Systems: Implications for Patient Safety IT and Automation,” European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy Practice 2006; 12(4).
Stebbing C, Kaushal R, Bates DW. “Pediatric Medication Safety and the Media: What Does the Public See?” Pediatrics 2006; 117(6):1907-14.