Building a virtual cancer research organization.

BACKGROUND: The Cancer Research Network (CRN) comprises the National Cancer Institute and 11 nonprofit research centers affiliated with integrated health care delivery systems. The CRN, a public/private partnership, fosters multisite collaborative research on cancer prevention, screening, treatment, survival, and palliation in diverse populations. METHODS: The CRN's success hinges on producing innovative cancer research that likely would not have been developed by scientists working individually, and then translating those findings into clinical practice within multiple population laboratories. The CRN is a collaborative virtual research organization characterized by user-defined sharing among scientists and health care providers of data files as well as direct access to researchers, computers, software, data, research participants, and other resources. The CRN's research management Web site fosters a high-functioning virtual scientific community by publishing standardized data definitions, file specifications, and computer programs to support merging and analyzing data from multiple health care systems. RESULTS: Seven major types of standardized data files developed to date include demographics, health plan eligibility, tumor registry, inpatient and ambulatory utilization, medication dispensing, laboratory tests, and imaging procedures; more will follow. Data standardization avoids rework, increases multisite data integrity, increases data security, generates shorter times from initial proposal concept to submission, and stimulates more frequent collaborations among scientists across multiple institutions. CONCLUSIONS: The CRN research management Web site and associated standardized data files and procedures represent a quasi-public resource, and the CRN stands ready to collaborate with researchers from outside institutions in developing and conducting innovative public domain research.

Risk of myocardial infarction with combination antihypertensive regimens including a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker in hypertensive diabetics.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to determine if there was an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in a high-risk hypertensive diabetic managed care population receiving combination antihypertensive therapy including a dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium channel blocker (CCB). METHODS: A retrospective, population-based, case-control study design was used to determine the risk of MI versus the prescribed antihypertensive drug regimen. During 1997-1999, 6,096 diabetics with hypertension were identified. After exclusions, there were 131.high-risk. study patients who suffered an MI during the study period. These were compared to an equally matched sample. High-risk patients were defined as those with a medical history of previous MI, angina pectoris or ischemic heart disease, or those who had undergone a coronary artery bypass graft and/or angioplasty procedure. Patients were then assigned to Group I cases and controls (DHP use) and Group II cases and controls (no DHP use). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were determined for the independent variables and antihypertensive drug regimens. Logistical regression analysis was used to model age, ethnicity, and potential risk factors to identify any differences among calcium channel blockers. RESULTS: After adjusting for age and gender, the OR for an MI in patients on a combination DHP regimen was 0.75 (95% CI, 0.44, 1.29). The OR for other regimens ranged from 0.52 to 1.16, with no significant difference between antihypertensive drug classes. In comparison to nondihydropyridines (NDHPs), the OR for DHPs was 1.38 (95% CI, 0.54, 3.54), but it was determined to not be statistically different ( P=0.5065). CONCLUSION: No increase in risk of MI could be determined with the use of a combination antihypertensive regimen including a DHP CCB when compared to other antihypertensive drugs in a matched high-risk population of patients with hypertension and diabetes. Choice of antihypertensive drug regimen may be less important than strategies that focus on achieving optimal disease outcomes to reduce the incidence of MI and hospitalization and lower health care costs in this high-risk population in managed care.

Delivery of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation in a managed care organization.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess referral and enrollment rates for postdischarge outpatient cardiac rehabilitation in a managed care organization. METHODS: A prospective cohort study investigated Atlanta area managed care members, age 30 years or older, hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization during 1997-1999. Postdischarge cardiology medical records were abstracted for evidence of postdischarge visits; counseling on diet, weight, or exercise; and referral to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation. Enrollment in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation was confirmed by chart abstraction. Referral and enrollment rates were estimated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Of the 945 hospitalized patients, 783 remained alive and enrolled in the managed care organization 12 months after discharge. Of these 783 patients, 73.8% had at least one postdischarge cardiologist visit. Among these, 24.4% were referred by a cardiologist to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation, and 7.1% enrolled. Enrollment was significantly higher among patients with a documented referral than among patients not referred (P <.05). Patients 65 years of age or older were significantly less likely than younger patients to be referred to cardiac rehabilitation and enroll (P<.05). Of the patients with a postdischarge cardiologist visit, 31.5% received counseling on diet, weight, or exercise. The men and the patients with a body mass index of at least 30 were more likely to receive this counseling than women and those with body mass index less than 30 (P <.05). CONCLUSIONS: The low rates of referral and enrollment for postdischarge outpatient cardiac rehabilitation in this managed care population are consistent with rates observed at academic medical centers. Despite demonstrated benefits after acute coronary events, outpatient cardiac rehabilitation remains underused.

Administrative data as a tool for arthritis surveillance: estimating prevalence and utilization of services.

The public health burden of arthritis and related conditions is incompletely described by commonly used public health surveillance systems. We examined the potential of administrative data as a supplement. The administrative data sources we used underestimated the prevalence of arthritis and overestimated service utilization for persons with arthritis when data from only one year were used. The use of five year's data doubled the prevalence estimate and reduced the service utilization estimate by half. The demographics of the population covered by administrative data also influence the prevalence estimate. Administrative data may usefully supplement routine public health surveillance systems but must be used with caution.