What are some easy research proposal topics that address current clinical gaps in internal medicine?

Easy Research Proposal Topics Addressing Clinical Gaps in Internal Medicine

High-Priority Research Areas Based on Current Evidence Gaps

Focus your research efforts on areas where clinical practice guidelines explicitly identify knowledge gaps, prioritizing topics that directly impact patient mortality, morbidity, and quality of life while remaining feasible for completion.

1. Multimorbidity and Polypharmacy Management

The most actionable research topic involves developing and testing deprescribing protocols for older adults with multiple chronic conditions. 1, 2

• Specific research question: Does a structured deprescribing protocol reduce adverse drug events and hospitalizations in patients ≥65 years with ≥5 chronic conditions taking ≥10 medications? 2
• This addresses a critical gap since most clinical trials exclude older adults with multimorbidity, yet this population represents the majority of internal medicine patients 2
• Use retrospective cohort design comparing outcomes before/after protocol implementation at your institution 3
• Leverage existing electronic health record data to minimize resource requirements 3

2. COPD Exacerbation Prevention Strategies

Comparative effectiveness research on different exacerbation prevention strategies addresses a major cost driver (50-75% of COPD costs) with direct quality of life impact. 1

• Specific research question: Does adding pulmonary rehabilitation to standard pharmacotherapy reduce exacerbation frequency compared to pharmacotherapy alone in moderate-to-severe COPD patients? 1
• Focus on patient-centered outcomes: exacerbation frequency, hospitalizations, quality of life scores, rather than purely physiological measures like FEV1 1
• Cross-sectional or retrospective cohort designs are feasible using existing patient registries 3

3. Fibromyalgia Treatment Response Predictors

Identifying patient characteristics that predict response to specific fibromyalgia therapies represents an explicitly stated research priority. 1

• Specific research question: Do baseline pain catastrophizing scores predict differential response to cognitive behavioral therapy versus duloxetine in fibromyalgia patients? 1
• This addresses the EULAR-identified gap: "Are there characteristics of patients with fibromyalgia that predict response to specific therapies?" 1
• Prospective observational study design comparing treatment outcomes stratified by baseline psychological profiles 1

4. Tobacco Cessation in Preoperative Cancer Patients

Research on optimal cessation strategies in time-constrained preoperative periods directly impacts surgical morbidity and mortality. 4

• Specific research question: Does intensive preoperative tobacco cessation counseling (weekly sessions) plus pharmacotherapy reduce postoperative complications compared to standard care in cancer patients scheduled for surgery within 4-8 weeks? 4
• This addresses the gap in managing withdrawal symptoms during chemotherapy and optimizing perioperative outcomes 4
• Randomized controlled trial or propensity-matched cohort design 4

5. Pain and Delirium Management in ICU Settings

Structured protocols for pain, agitation, and delirium management in intensive care represent high-impact research with clear outcome measures. 4

• Specific research question: Does implementation of a nurse-driven pain assessment protocol using validated scales reduce delirium incidence and ICU length of stay? 4
• Focus on reducing morbidity through improved symptom management 4
• Quality improvement study with pre-post intervention design 3

Methodological Recommendations for Success

Maximize Publication Probability

Utilize your institution's epidemiology/biostatistical core from project inception—this single factor increases publication success by 2-fold. 3

• Projects using biostatistical support achieved 55.3% publication rate versus significantly lower rates without support 3
• Choose mentors with established publication records (this triples publication success) 3
• Cross-sectional and retrospective cohort designs are most commonly published (75% of successful projects) 3

Structure Your Research Question Using PICO Format

Apply the PICO framework to create systematically answerable questions focused on therapy, diagnosis, or disease management. 4

• Population: Define specific inclusion/exclusion criteria
• Intervention: Specify the exact treatment/diagnostic approach
• Comparison: Identify the control or alternative intervention
• Outcome: Prioritize mortality, morbidity, quality of life over surrogate markers 4

Address Common Pitfalls

• Avoid excluding older adults with comorbidities—this creates research that doesn't reflect actual clinical practice 2
• Don't rely solely on physiological outcomes (e.g., FEV1, lab values)—include functional status, quality of life, healthcare utilization 1
• Lack of time is the primary barrier (cited by 65% of residents)—choose projects using existing data sources rather than prospective enrollment 3
• Ensure adequate statistical power—underpowered studies rarely achieve publication 3

Involve Stakeholders Early

Engage patients, clinicians, and other stakeholders when formulating research questions to ensure clinical relevance and reduce perceived burden. 4

• Use focus groups or surveys to gather perspectives on research priorities 1
• This increases the likelihood that findings will be implemented in practice 4

Research Design Considerations

Prioritize Feasibility

• Retrospective cohort studies using electronic health records minimize time burden and resource requirements 3
• Quality improvement projects with pre-post designs can generate publishable data while improving patient care 3
• Cross-sectional studies are completed faster than longitudinal designs (43.6% of successful projects used this design) 3

Focus on High-Impact Outcomes

Select outcomes that directly affect patient-centered care: mortality, hospitalizations, functional status, quality of life, healthcare costs. 1, 4

• Avoid purely mechanistic or physiological endpoints unless they clearly correlate with clinical outcomes 1
• Consider long-term follow-up when feasible to capture delayed effects 1