Terms of Reference – Medical Epidemiologist

1. Background:

The Ministry of Health and Wellness seeks to strengthen the capacity for analysis of surveillance data at the national level. This is in recognition of the increased availability of data and need for rational use of data to inform interventions. This includes the use of data generated via routine disease/event based and sentinel surveillance systems as well as the identification and harnessing of non-traditional data sources. It is apparent in light of recent outbreaks that a critical component of the national surveillance system is the ability to maintain capacity and remain resilient in the face of new public health threats. The system must therefore be able to maintain routine data management functions while responding to increased demand for useful information synthesized in the face of public health threats.

To this end, the Ministry of Health and Wellness is building a data science team capable of processing large volumes of routine and new or Big data in ways that meet the needs of various stakeholders. This includes building the capacity to develop and maintain resilient systems for timely data capture, processing and information synthesis and dissemination. The data science team will consist of existing staff with the addition of data scientists and other staff who will enhance the analytical capabilities at the national level and improve the capacity for data analysis and use at the subnational levels.

A Medical Epidemiologist will be recruited to enhance the capacity of the National Surveillance Team to examine HIV case data, review data needs, and perform and interpret results of data analysis. This medical professional will also liaise with relevant medical, public health and other stakeholders at all levels to obtain data and communicate information.

 

2. Objective(s):

• Improve timeliness of medical review of incoming surveillance data for HIV and other priority communicable diseases.
• Enhance efficiency of surveillance data collection, capture, analysis and interpretation.
• Enhance capacity at all levels for data use and usefulness.
• Integration of HIV-co-infection analysis.

 

3. Scope of Work:

• Clinical review of incoming case-based surveillance data.
• Coordinate collation of HIV and TB data at the national level.
• Review and revise variable lists and data collection tools for HIV and other priority disease surveillance data in light of programme and other reporting needs.
• Collaborate with relevant Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) stakeholders on Gap Analysis of the current systems’ structure and function (including Human Resource and Information Technology needs) to implement infrastructure and process improvement initiatives.
• Review reporting templates for national HIV reports.
• Review and revise reporting templates for national Tuberculosis Reports.
• Analyze surveillance data for HIV, Tuberculosis, and other Priority Communicable Diseases, including integrating analysis as appropriate and as required.
• Provide technical and clinical guidance to the field (Parish Medical Officers (Health) on case investigations as well as case management (clinical and public health) as appropriate.
• Work closely with data scientists, health informatics experts, and public health teams at the central and field levels to optimize data collection, transmission, collation, analysis, and use at all levels.
• Prepare HIV surveillance report templates for parish level.
• Collaborate with Parish Medical Officers (Health) to optimize data collection, analysis and use for decision making at the parish level.
• Participate in Parish and Regional HIV/STI and Epidemiology meetings.
• Prepare National HIV Epidemiology Reports.
• Prepare other National Epidemiology/Surveillance Technical Reports as needed.
• Design and execute scientific studies to elicit additional information.
• Communicate the results of findings of analysis findings through presentations, technical reports and publications.
• Perform any other related duties that may be assigned by the Medical Epidemiologist,
• Communicable Disease Surveillance.     

 

4. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Health and Wellness:

• The Ministry of Health and Wellness will provide access by the Medical Epidemiologist to the relevant data and hardware and software tools to facilitate completion of specified tasks. The Ministry will also provide guidance and feedback to ensure adequacy of work outputs.

 

5. Responsibility of the Contractor:

• The Contractor will ensure that (i) assigned tasks and regular duties are effectively carried out in accordance with the standards and principles of the Ministry of Health and Wellness (ii) support is provided to sub-national teams in a timely manner and (iii) confidentiality is maintained in the execution of duties.

 

6. Accountability and Reporting Systems:

• Services will be contracted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness. The Contractor will report to the Medical Epidemiologist, Communicable Disease Surveillance, and will also work with the Principal Medical Officer, National Epidemiologist.

 

7. Special Working Conditions:

• The incumbent will be required to, when needed, work outside of regular Government of Jamaica working hours, in order to complete assigned tasks.

 

8. Deliverables:

     Table 1. Deliverables and due dates

No.	Deliverable	Due
1.	Detailed work plan.	Monthly.
2.	Work Plan Report.	Monthly.
3.	HIV Surveillance Variable List.	Within 3 weeks of assumption of duties.
4.	Data Analysis Plans for HIV and other Priority Communicable Diseases.	Within 3 months of assumption of duties.
5.	National HIV Epidemiology Reports.	Quarterly, Annually, and as needed.
6.	National Tuberculosis Reports.	Bi-annually and as needed.
7.	Revised Templates for parish level Epidemiology reports.	Annually.
8.	Site Visit/Field Reports Quarterly.	Quarterly.
9.	Other Ad Hoc Reports As needed.	As needed.

 

9. Eligibility Requirements:

The Contractor should have:

• A degree in Medicine from the current WHO’s World Directory of Medical Schools.
• Current license from and registration with the Medical Council of Jamaica.
• A graduate degree in Epidemiology, Public Health, Health Informatics, or other relevant discipline.
• Experience in leading aspects of case and outbreak investigations.
• Experience in developing and implementing systems for data collection, compilation, synthesis, extraction of information, and reporting.
• Proficiency in the use of spreadsheets such as MS Excel for data analysis.
• Experience in conducting research using the scientific method.
• Experience in writing technical reports, making presentations, and writing scientific papers an asset.
• Familiarity with Jamaica’s health system.
• Proficiency in the use of STATA, SPSS, R or other statistical packages for data analysis an asset.

 

10. Funding:

• The value of the contract is $11,986,800 per annum to be paid in monthly increments.
• Funding for the contracted service will be supported through the CDC Cooperative Agreement allocation to the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

 

11. Duration

• The duration of the contract will initially be one year.  The option for renewal will be subject to the availability of additional funds from the CDC over the five years of the Cooperative Agreement.