Sam Sheps MSc, MD, FRCP

Sam Sheps MSc, MD, FRCP

Director, WRTC

Professor, School of Population and Public Health
Director, MSc/PhD Program
University of British Columbia
Email: Sam.sheps@ubc.ca

Areas of Specialty

• Clinical Epidemiology as a basic and applied science in medical research and clinical decision making: Developed Faculty of Medicine wide residency training program in clinical epidemiology and critical appraisal.
• Organization and delivery of child health services.
• Changing pattern of incidence and prevalence of infant mortality and handicapping conditions among children in B.C.  Health Policy Research – particularly utilization management and procedure variation and appropriateness of health care utilization.
• Development and implementation of a health service research training program in collaboration with the University of Manitoba.

Current Research Projects

• The incidence of changing trends in birthweight-specific infant mortality in B.C. 1952-89.
• Utilization of long term care by the elderly using the B.C. health linked database.
• Impact of educational influentials on management of whiplash injuries by physicians – using linked data to assess diagnostic test use and clinical interventions.
• Surgical waitlists: Determinants in BC, development and evaluation of priority tools. ‚Ä®Effect of downsizing acute care hospital capacity in B.C.
• High uses of health services.  Issues of continuity of care.  Epidemiology of medical error.