June 13, 2008
HMO Research Network creates sustainable infrastructure to support collaboration
Seattle—The HMO Research Network (HMORN) recently announced three key steps it has taken to develop infrastructure for becoming the nation's premier resource of population-based health and health care research. Each step is intended to advance the HMORN's clinical research agenda and contribute to its mission of improving the nation's health.
The HMORN is a consortium of 15 member research centers, each integrated into a health care delivery system with a defined population of enrollees. HMORN researchers have collaborated on multi-center research since 1994, setting new standards for efficiently pooling standardized data across these large and diverse populations.
At its June meeting, the HMORN Board of Governors approved a comprehensive financial model, based on direct assessment of member centers, that will for the first time provide centralized support for Network activities, including data standardization and warehousing, communications, strategic projects, and administration.
"This commitment recognizes the durability and success of the original HMORN vision during its first 14 years," said Dr. Joe Selby, current Chairperson of the Board of Governors. "It ensures that the HMORN will continue to grow and be able to meet the increasing need for high-quality, population-based epidemiologic and health services research."
The Board also ratified a Network-wide approach for managing Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes when multiple institutions are involved in minimal-risk, "database-only" research studies with no direct intervention or contact with study participants. The new policy allows principal investigators (PIs) to create and submit a single application to IRBs at each involved site. After initial approval at each site, a single IRB (usually at the PI's institution) will oversee study progress. This process removes the need to create separate applications for each participating site, and is expected to dramatically reduce administrative burdens without compromising study participants' protection.
In addition, the Board approved a new policy on access to health and medical data through the HMORN's Virtual Data Warehouse (VDW), a vital research utility that facilitates rapid data acquisition and sharing while ensuring local control and stewardship. The policy is designed to preserve data privacy and security—as well as the autonomy of each network member—while responding to transformative changes in health information technology and the need for greater responsiveness and efficiency in today's "rapid-cycle" research environment. The new policy distinguishes levels of access to data and sets a standardized approach for granting permission at various levels. It governs data access by researchers both within and outside the HMORN.
About the HMO Research Network
The HMORN is a consortium of 15 organizations with formal, recognized research capabilities. Each is embedded in an integrated health care system. Sites span the United States from Honolulu to Boston. With unparalleled geographic and population diversity, the HMORN is uniquely capable of addressing the most pressing issues in health research. For more information, contact Dr. Eric B. Larson, chair elect of the HMORN Board of Governors and executive director of Group Health Center for Health Studies, at larson.e@ghc.org.
Group Health Center for Health Studies
Founded in 1947, Group Health Cooperative is a Seattle-based, consumer-governed, nonprofit health care system. The Group Health Center for Health Studies is Group Health’s research institute. For 25 years, the Center has conducted nonproprietary public-interest research on preventing, diagnosing, and treating major health problems. Government and private research grants provide its main funding.