About Kathleen Fairman, MA, PhD

Kathleen Fairman is an experienced investigator who has authored or coauthored numerous peer-reviewed articles, including more than 85 Medline-indexed publications. Dr. Fairman teaches classes and seminars on research methods, analytic protocols, appropriate use of "big data" for research purposes, opinion surveys on complex clinical and health policy issues, and systems of documentation to facilitate accurate evidence. She currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Midwestern University College of Pharmacy and as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

In 2013, Dr. Fairman’s practical guidebook for producing high-quality research evidence, Health Care Research Done Right, received an American Medical Writers Association Medical Book Award as the best book for nonphysician health care professionals published in 2012. Previously, the book was named a finalist in the Indie Book Awards, the largest nonprofit book awards program for independent or self-published authors and publishers. Described by reviewers as "a unique and welcome breath of fresh air" and "research made fun," the book shares vital insights about why health care research methods—those seemingly mundane study details that are sometimes overlooked—matter deeply to the welfare of patients and families served by the medical care system.

Prior to her tenure at Midwestern University, Dr. Fairman was Vice President of Research at the Pharmacy Benefits Management Institute and Artemetrx Specialty Drug Solutions. As the Associate Editor and Senior Methodology Reviewer for the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy (JMCP) from 2006 to 2012, she highlighted the importance of achieving excellence in health care research and provided practical tools and tips to make excellent work achievable. Her previous work also includes oversight of numerous research projects as a principal investigator, design of an automated system that categorized health plan billing data into clinically meaningful service groupings for research analysis, and development of a workshop curriculum to train clinical staff in practical techniques for research design and analysis. Her experience in the managed Medicaid sector includes rate calculation and negotiation, budget monitoring, and policy evaluation analytics.

In addition to her awards for Health Care Research Done Right, Dr. Fairman was a co-recipient of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's "Award for Excellence" for the best article published in JMCP in both 2003 and 2004, and received an honorable mention in the same competition in 2009. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wellesley College, she earned both Sociology Departmental Honors and Durant Scholar (magna cum laude) status while working more than half-time in hospitals to earn her way through college. She holds a Master's Degree in Sociology from Arizona State University, with concentrations in multivariate statistics and survey research methods, and a PhD in Health Psychology from Walden University.

"Fairman understands how to make
information sing.”

Health Care Research Done Right

High Quality and Efficiency—You Can Have Both!

Are you a health care researcher or student who is long on objectives but short on time? Do you think that you have to choose between “doing it fast” and “doing it right”? Or do you use health care research information but feel unsure about whether it is accurate? This book was designed with your needs in mind. Written in an entertaining style by an experienced journal editor and methodologist, the book is a wealth of practical tips that one reviewer has called “a unique and welcome breath of fresh air.” Learn how to:

• Plan your research well at the start to avoid problems later in the process

• Organize data files to improve accuracy and
save time

• Avoid common mathematical mistakes

• Use health care claims databases effectively by understanding their strengths and limitations

• Conduct a survey that yields valuable information

• Write a publishable article

• Respond appropriately to peer reviewer comments even when they are incorrect

• Assess the quality of research evidence...
and more!