Bobby Warren, MPS
Bobby is a clinical research coordinator with the Center. Previously, he worked as a research technician with the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network (DICON). We asked him about the studies he has worked on and the value of strong data management skills.
1. You’ve worked in the lab on several DICON projects. Can you tell us about one of the studies you were a part of?
One of the more exciting studies I have been a part of was the Antimicrobial Scrub Contamination and Transmission (ASCOT) Trial. We compared two antimicrobial-impregnated scrubs to a control to determine their efficacy. We accomplished this by taking microbiological samples of the scrubs, the environment and the patient before and after the nurse’s shift. Unfortunately, there was no significant difference between the scrubs, however, we did learn that the environment is a crucial source of healthcare-provider clothing contamination.
2. You have a background in informatics and data management. How can data help make the clinical lab more efficient and effective?
Data in the form of metrics can help it run smoother and better! Keeping track of what works, what doesn’t and what we can do to change that is key to the success of any organization and is even more important in the clinical lab.
3. Artificial intelligence seems to be showing up everywhere lately. Do you have any thoughts on how it can improve healthcare, particularly in infectious diseases?
I think AI can definitely help by double checking behind clinicians and giving prompts when the standard of care is deviated from, but I think that medicine is an art as much as a science and that some questions should only be answered by a group of humans. However, I think AI will be extremely helpful in improving public heath monitoring such as outbreak detection!
4. We are excited that you’ll now be a clinical research coordinator with the group! What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
I am most looking forward to working on big picture research that has giant implications for the near future by joining the battle against MDRO’s and the overuse of antibiotics.