RDAC

Project Summary (RDAC) Clinical experts providing care in safety-net systems frequently operate in low-resource settings, without an analytics team to conduct analyses that could improve the quality of care, improve patient safety, and reduce costs. Yet the insights these dedicated experts have about system improvements are limitless, if only they had resources such as time, analytics training, and data resources to implement interventions and test hypotheses using the most rigorous research methods. This application for the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University’s Research Data Analysis Core (RDAC) will address important gaps in research applications for clinical and research scientists that build on the insights they have developed during their work in these systems. The RDAC will be the hub of rigorous research activities for LHS Scholars in the Center and will be the location where Scholars will be able to practice and expand the skills learned in courses and where mentorship activities will come to fruition. Scholars will participate in several projects through the RDAC, including a chance to serve as an apprentice to an on-going project and a chance to lead a project in a protected community of Scholars, giving Scholars the chance to practice the tools and approaches for conducting rigorous research. The RDAC will bring together the advanced analysis capabilities of ASU’s Center for Health Information and Research (CHiR) with experienced CER/PCOR researchers, data scientists, health economists, and biostatisticians. Barriers to implementation and dissemination of timely and impactful research projects to improve the knowledge base of treatment options for safety net systems will be achieved by the RDAC through the following specific aims: (1) curate and maintain a rich data repository, comprising health care claims, encounters, and clinical data, to support high-quality CER/PCOR research; (2) Improve access for LHS Scholars to use and analyze high-quality clinical and non-clinical data to conduct impactful and rigorous CER/PCOR research.; (3) develop and deploy a dissemination strategy to promote rapid uptake of CER/PCOR findings among relevant stakeholders in the local research and clinical community and nationwide. By achieving these three aims, the RDAC will help create a new generation of research Scholars who are addressing the most important topics in health equity among populations that have not been well-served by the nation’s health care system. 1