Design and Evaluation Core

Core B AIMS: Design and Evaluation

Aim 1. To facilitate practice, program, and policy research by leveraging existing local, regional, and national databases to improve decision-making for diabetes prevention and management. Rationale: Survey, health record, and administrative data can provide rich population-based information on disease burden, costs of care, healthcare utilization, disease severity/co-morbidities, provider behaviors, quality of care, and health impacts of guidelines, programs, and policies. GCDTR and CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation have played an integral role in generating national reports, highlighting gaps and opportunities to achieve care goals in the continuum of diabetes care. However, there is substantial variation across geographic regions and disparate groups. Core B will guide research efforts to address health impact and improve health outcomes for all. Key Core B activities that support this aim include:
• Leveraging and purchasing local (e.g., health systems), regional (e.g., PCORnet partnerships), and national (e.g., surveys and claims) databases for translation and health impact research.
• Developing pathways, procedures, and training opportunities to enable ethical access and use of data.
• Guiding users on data and variables that permit the study and advancement of health for all.

Aim 2. To assist investigators in designing and evaluating effective patient-centered prevention and care strategies that can improve outcomes for people with or at risk of diabetes. Rationale: Translating research findings into effective, accessible, and affordable real-life diabetes interventions for a diverse US population requires tailored approaches. Key Core B activities that support this aim include:
• Offering networking opportunities (with the Enrichment Program) for investigators to collaborate with health system, community (Core C), and regional (Regional Core) partners to generate project ideas.
• Facilitating access to expertise and mentored experiences in study design and methods (e.g., adaptive trials, multi-component interventions, pragmatic trials, causal inference, comparative effectiveness).
• Leveraging access to data analytics support, courses, and other resources.
• Expanding the pipeline of diabetes investigators via a student intern program.

Aim 3. To assist investigators in translating diabetes prevention and management innovations through dissemination and implementation avenues locally, regionally, and nationally. Rationale: Research is useful to identify gaps in access, prevention, and care, but is not always easy to interpret or operationalize in real-world settings. Core B will support the translation of quantitative, qualitative, and economic data into applicable information and tools. Key Core B activities that support this aim include:
• Facilitating familiarity and use of implementation science frameworks that can help promote application of prevention and management interventions in practice, programs, and policies.
• Systematically link pilot projects (with the Pilot and Feasibility Program) with translation opportunities.
• Link diabetes translation investigators to Emory’s Network for Evaluation and Implementation Science. Impacts: Through facilitating more and higher quality translation research across a diverse network of experts and stakeholders, Core B is poised to promote health for all, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and sustainable implementation of diabetes prevention and management services across Georgia and the Southeast.

Grant Number: 5P30DK111024-10
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Mohammed Ali