Cardiovascular Outcomes Research
The Division of Cardiology at the University of Colorado and its affiliated institutions have a robust and growing national presence in Cardiovascular Quality of Care and Outcomes Research, now boasting the one of the largest groups in the country dedicated to the study of cardiovascular quality and patient outcomes. As a result, there is substantial Divisional strength in the assessment of health care quality, interventions to improve quality of care and patient outcomes, clinical registry development and research, patient health status assessment, and observational study methodology.
Based at the Denver Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC), John Rumsfeld, MD, PhD is the Acting Director of Cardiology for the Veterans Health Administration, and Chief Science Officer for the American College of Cardiology (ACC) National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR). Also at the VAMC, Michael Ho, MD, PhD, is supported by a VA MERIT award to study multimodal interventions to improve depression in patients with heart failure and medication adherence in patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome. Paul Varosy, MD, has a VA career development award (CDA) supporting the evaluation of ICD use in the veteran population and longitudinal outcomes. Thomas Maddox, MD, MS, has a VA CDA to assess risk factor modification in patients with coronary artery disease. Thomas Tsai, MD, MSc, evaluates the prevalence and outcomes of peripheral vascular interventions.
Edward Havranek, MD, Frederick Masoudi, MD MSPH, and Pamela Peterson, MD, MSPH are based at Denver Health Medical Center. Dr. Havranek is a co-investigator on a grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to study differences and disparities in primary prevention in Latinos at risk for cardiovascular diseases (LUCHAR) and is interested in how social networks affect health. Dr. Masoudi is the principal investigator for the ACC NCDR ICD Registry Longitudinal Study. Dr. Peterson was recently awarded a 5-year grant from AHRQ to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of defibrillator therapy among broad populations of patients.
Based out of the University of Colorado Hospital, Stacie Daugherty, MD, MSPH, is supported by a K08 award from the NHLBI to study the fundamental mechanisms of gender disparities among patients with cardiovascular disease; Larry Allen, MD, MHS, collaborates with Kaiser Permanente to investigate potential interventions for reducing rehospitalization and improving prognostic communication among patients with symptomatic heart failure.
The cardiovascular outcomes investigators in the Division have strong local and national collaborative relationships. Locally, the group is closely allied with the Colorado Health Outcomes Program (COHO) and Colorado Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Research (KPCO-IHR). These local relationships have expanded the scope of investigation within the Division. Drs. Havranek, Masoudi, and Rumsfeld are founding members of the multi-center Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Consortium (CORC), which has successfully designed two national registries of patients with cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, Drs. Havranek, Masoudi, Ho and Rumsfeld all serve in leadership roles for Quality of Care and Outcomes Research for the American Heart Association.
To foster improved collaboration and community among the multiple Cardiovascular Outcomes Researchers from across the Denver area as well as national collaborations, the Colorado Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Consortium (C-COR) was established in 2000. 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. CCOR’s strengths include: 1) regional and national collaborative partnerships, 2) success in research program development, and 3) a strong record of training and mentorship. Overall, CCOR investigators have had over 130 Federal or foundation grants, published over 650 peer-reviewed articles, and contributed to over 40 scientific statements.