Outcomes and Health-Services Research
The Division of Cardiology at the University of Colorado and its affiliated institutions have a robust national presence in cardiovascular health-services research, boasting the one of the largest groups in the country dedicated to the study of cardiovascular care delivery, implementation science, and patient outcomes. As a result, there is substantial Divisional strength in and observational data analysis, clinical registry development, health care quality measurement, patient health status assessment, and interventions to improve care delivery and patient outcomes.
Colorado Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Group (CCOR) is a multidisciplinary group of cardiovascular outcomes researchers from the University of Colorado, Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, as well as Denver Health & Hospital Authority and Kaiser Permanente of Colorado. CCOR was established in 2000 to facilitate collaborative cardiovascular outcomes research across these institutions and to mentor junior faculty. With expertise in cardiology, internal medicine, geriatrics, emergency medicine, nursing, pharmacy, behavioral science, biostatistics, health services research, and economics, CCOR is equipped to design and conduct cutting-edge outcomes research of all sizes and complexity across the spectrum of cardiovascular disease. CCOR’s strengths include its 1) promotion of regional and national collaborative partnerships, 2) record of training and mentorship (including more than a dozen K awardees), 3) contributions to the methodologies, and 4) influence on public policy.
Adult and Child Center for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science (ACCORDS) supports local and national research related to “delivery science” encompassing implementation & dissemination research, comparative effectiveness, and patient-centered outcomes. It encompasses both a Child Program and an Adult Program which are fully integrated to share key administrative and research resources, with infrastructure support provided the Dean’s Office, University of Colorado School of Medicine. The main goals are to 1) conduct, catalyze and facilitate research into the effects of health care interventions on a broad array of patient outcomes in defined populations and 2) provide education in the conduct and evaluation of outcomes and delivery science research, the use of such research to improve patient care, and the design of health care systems. ACCORDS places particular emphasis on evaluations of interventions to reduce disparities in health and health care and strategies to improve quality of healthcare in real-world settings. Currently, 46 investigators, 25 research assistants, 12 biostatisticians/analysts, and 9 administrative and information technology personnel have office space with ACCORDS. Over 100 additional investigators interface with the program, primarily for consultation or to attend educational offerings. ACCORDS is organized into six programmatic areas: 1) Research Development; 2) Implementation and Dissemination Science; 3) Education; 4) Research Training; 5) Practice Transformation; 6) Community Engagement and Outreach. ACCORDS also has methodologic cores in Qualitative Science, Practice-based Research Networks (PBRNs), Biostatistics and Analysis, Shared Decision-making, and Health Informatics/mobile health. These cores provide support to the programmatic areas, as well as consultative and methodological support to all ACCORDS investigators. Many clinician scientists in the Division of Cardiology are members of ACCORDS. CCOR is housed within ACCORDS.