Bio: 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. Lemer 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.
Placement: Harvard University
Mentors: David Bates, M.D., M.Sc., Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health
Project: An Examination of Communication within Pediatric Medication Safety
Description: 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.