Survey of Real-World Research Workforce, Training, and Education: Report from the DIA Real-World Outcomes Task Force

The demand for real-world research (RWR) from many stakeholders has resulted in an increasing need for well-trained professionals who understand how to perform and evaluate RWR and to interpret the results of such data. The Drug Information Association (DIA) Real World Outcomes Task Force (RWOTF) developed a survey to explore North American workforce and training needs in RWR for DIA’s constituencies. The primary goals of the project were to assess current and future capacity to perform and interpret real-world outcome studies and identify the educational needs and the potential role of DIA in the RWR arena. The survey confirmed that the use of RWR is growing, and identified key barriers to using RWR. Organizational needs for RWR are increasing and a well-trained workforce to perform or use RWR is critical. However, the current workforce is not considered sufficient and there appear to be significant gaps in available training programs. There are clear opportunities for organizations like DIA to help meet the demand for training and education.