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Clinical Database Specialist - Career Profile |
Career OverviewA clinical database specialist is responsible for working with the various research projects within the hospital, long-term care facility or research facility to manage, maintain and develop appropriate databases and data retrieval systems. In addition the clinical database specialist may be required to train, monitor and evaluate various data entry staff as well as validate information entered on both a routine and non-routine bases to ensure accuracy.
The clinical database specialist’s responsibilities included ensuring that all management, governmental and agencies reports are produced according to written standards, protocol and regulations governing the research. The clinical database specialist must be able to communicate with all the various stakeholders and regulatory bodies to strictly follow all regulations and guidelines both for data management as well as validation of accuracy.
The clinical database specialist must have extensive knowledge in database development and data entry procedures. In addition they should be able to develop methods to test for validity as well as maintain high standards for accuracy. Good communication skills both written and oral are essential for a clinical database specialist.
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Career RequirementsThe minimum requirement for a clinical database specialist is a Bachelors degree in clinical informatics, biostatistics, healthcare management or other related field. Most jobs require a Masters level degree in the same areas for management positions. Some hospitals require a clinical degree in addition to experience in informatics.
In addition the clinical database specialist should be experienced in clinical procedures, statistical analysis and problem solving skills. Most clinical database specialist positions require at least two years of experience in the clinical or biomedical informatics field.
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Job OutlookAs with all biomedical and medical jobs there is a steady increase in the demand for trained individuals. Since clinical database specialists must incorporate both computer skills and medical knowledge the demand for trained individuals is increasing faster in this area than in some of the more direct patient care positions in medicine.
It is predicted that increasing numbers of research hospitals and long-term care facilities will open in the next 10 years across the United States. This, in turn, will further increase the demand for trained clinical database specialists within these new facilities.
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Career TrackAn experienced clinical database specialist with at least five years experience and some background in business management or hospital administration or management has options to move into a chief information officer position or to act as a consultant to other, smaller hospitals, long-term care and research facilities.
In addition there are IT management positions that may be suitable to an experienced clinical database specialist. For those individuals considering management positions in the future a Masters level degree is highly desirable.
Some clinical database specialists move into the actual development of software and the development of new databases and management systems in the private sector.
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CompensationA bachelor level clinical database specialist can expect to earn between $25,000 and $32,000 per year. The salary range will vary depending on experience and the size of the facility. A Masters level clinical database specialist in a larger hospital with supervisory or management responsibilities can earn $60,000 or more per year.
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