The Mid-South Clinical Data Research Network (CDRN) http://midsouthcdrn.mc.vanderbilt.edu led by Vanderbilt University’s Russell Rothman M.D is one of eleven clinical data research networks in the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet) www.pcornet.org.
Just recently, a second round of funding for Phase II for $8.5 million was approved for Mid-South CDRN by PCORI’s Board of Governors for a three year project. Populations covered by the network include the underserved, rural, urban, individuals with rare disorders, children, geriatric, minority, disabled, and other vulnerable populations in the South.
By harnessing EHRs, information technology, and a robust support infrastructure, the networks conduct clinical studies and do comparative effectiveness research involving millions of patients. This is helping patients with conditions ranging from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer to sickle cell anemia, sleep apnea, autism, and arthritis.
Initially in 2014, $6.9 million PCORI was awarded to the Mid-South CDRN to partner with the Vanderbilt Health System www.vanderbilthealth.com, the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network (VHAN) http://hr.vanderbilt.edu/bdenefits/vanderbilt-affiliates, and Greenway Health www.greenwayhealth.com, a national EHR company.
Phase II funding will go a step further and enable the network to partner with the Carolinas Collaborative www.healthsciencessc.org/collaborative.asp that includes Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Medical University of South Carolina, and Health Sciences South Carolina. In addition, Mid-South CDRN will continue to collaborate closely with four NIH funded Clinical and Translational Science Awards and Institute sites in the network
Today, the Med-South CDRN network of academic and community hospitals, primary care and specialty practices, and community health centers in rural and urban areas now encompasses more than 9 million patients in the Southeast plus 14 million patients nationally through Greenway Health.
In addition, the funding provided for Phase II, will enable Dr. Rothman to advance population health research. He is leading the development of Vanderbilt’s research efforts in population health research and working closely with research and clinical leadership across VHAN.
Dr. Rothman has plans to expand research in such areas involving the transition of care, expansion of patient-centered medical homes, chronic disease management activities, development of novel informatics approaches to improve population level management, and testing of novel payment models that use pay-for-performance, and bundled payments.