Methods and Health Informatics Core

PROJECT SUMMARY: Methods and Health Informatics Core The overall goal of our BIGDATA Methods and Health Informatics (MHI) Core is to support rigorous and efficient research especially related to type 3 and type 4 translation research. Our CCCR’s selection of the sub-theme of generalizable, patient-centered research and community engagement, recognizing the need for improved approaches in chronic conditions including rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). We recognize that translating research into clinical care and community settings is key for improving outcomes of patients with RMDs. We propose to achieve this by offering services in pragmatic study design including optimization trial designs, data capture that is simpler, faster, and less costly, and state-of-the-art data analysis. Our proposed MHI Core has gathered a multidisciplinary team with expertise in biostatistics, clinical informatics, machine learning including natural language processing, epidemiology, software development, and implementation science. Our expertise in offering optimization trial designs within the Multiphase Optimization Strategy such as Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trials will facilitate development of patient-centered scalable and sustainable interventions that can support RMD research. We have amassed a breath of software tools to support data capture in different settings and data resources to embed research into routine care as well as to scale infrastructure nationally to foster real-world evidence generation. To this end, the MHI Core will support the new Dissemination, Implementation for Community Engagement (DICE) Resource Core with tools that enhance recruitment (focused on a broad array of study types) and support pragmatic effectiveness and implementation science studies. MHI Core’s focus is to advance the NIAMS research mission and the ongoing/ future investigations of the BIGDATA user base via the following specific aims: Specific Aim 1: To support the selection and implementation of study designs for BIGDATA investigators pursuing NIAMS-related research (Study Design); Specific Aim 2: To expand the range of data sources available to RMD researchers and provide electronic data capture support for their studies (Data Capture and Data Engineering); and Specific Aim 3: To provide data analysis consultation and support for studies related to NIAMS-related research (Data Analysis). We are uniquely prepared and strongly committed to scientific rigor, innovation, and development of new knowledge and translational techniques clinically relevant to the NIAMS mission. Our strengths in study design and rigorous state-of-the-art analysis coupled with the data capture and data engineering software, and data resources we already support will enable our investigator base to foster knowledge that is generalizable and helps the goal of generalizable, patient-centered research.