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The Arbor Research Collaborative for Health conducts major studies in epidemiology and public health. Many of these studies focus on chronic disease and end-stage organ failure. They require expertise in biostatistical analysis, clinical practice, management and integration of large data sets, economics, and public policy.

• The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR): The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients contract was awarded to Arbor Research by the Health Resources and Services Administration in October 2000 following a national competition.

  The SRTR is mandated to perform the analyses that measure the efficiency and fairness of transplantation. The research agenda of the SRTR includes evaluation of the process by which patients gain access to transplant waiting lists, analysis of patient outcomes while on a waiting list, evaluation of the allocation of the limited organs, and evaluation of patient outcomes following transplantation. In addition, the SRTR is charged with assessing and monitoring the quality of the data collected by the OPTN and assessing OPO performance.

  The research findings of the SRTR are available to patients, their families, clinicians and the transplant community, the public, and the government. General transplant-related information as well as OPO- (Organ Procurement Organization) and transplant center-specific statistics can be found at www.ustransplant.org, the official web site of the SRTR.

• DOPPS (Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study): The DOPPS is a prospective cohort study of hemodialysis practices based on the collection of observational longitudinal data for a random sample of patients from a representative and random sample of units in 12 countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States). Data collection for the study has been on-going since 1996 and has yielded detailed data on more than 38,000 patients in over 900 dialysis facilties. DOPPS investigations focus on determining which dialysis practices are associated with the best patient outcomes, with the primary goal of improving patient longevity, quality of life, and other outcomes. With over 75 peer-reviewed publications in print or in press, the DOPPS continues to provide numerous important findings that are relevant for patients and practicing clinicians alike. The DOPPS is supported by research grants from Amgen and Kirin Pharma, without restrictions on publications.
  For more information visit DOPPS site at www.dopps.org

• ESRD Managed Care Demonstration Evaluation: The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS, formerly HCFA) has funded a demonstration project which allowed patients with End Stage Renal Disease the option of enrolling in one of the Medicare managed care plans selected to participate (The "Demonstration"). Also funded by CMS, the evaluation project explores the impact of this demonstration on ESRD patient costs, outcomes, and service delivery in a real-world setting. The Lewin Group in Falls Church, VA is the prime contractor for the evaluation project and Arbor Research is a subcontractor, with collaboration from researchers at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC). The demonstration sites (Kaiser Permanente in California and Health Options Inc. in Florida) enrolled over 1,500 patients from 1998 through 2001.

  For more details on the demonstration, go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/default.asp. The evaluation was originally scheduled to end in May 2002, but will likely continue for another 1-2 years. A Report to Congress summarizing the findings of the evaluators has been submitted. Once this report has been approved, publication of these results will be forthcoming.

• CMS Advisory Board on the Demonstration of a Bundled Case-Mix Adjusted Payment System for ESRD Services: advises and makes recommendations on the establishment and operation of a demonstration project to test the use of a fully case-mix adjusted payment system for ESRD services on issues including:

  • Drugs, biologicals, and clinical laboratory tests to be bundled into the demonstration payment rate
  • Method and approach to be used for the patient characteristics to be included in the fully case-mix adjusted demonstration payment system
  • How payment for bundled services provided by non-demonstration providers should be handled for beneficiaries participating in the demonstration
  • The feasibility of providing financial incentives and penalties to plans operating under the demonstration that meet or fail to meet applicable quility standards
  • The specific quality standards to be utilized
  • The feasibility of using disease management techniques to improve quality and patient satisfaction and reduce costs of care for the beneficiaries participating in the demonstration
  • Selection criteria for demonstration organization

  For more detail on the demostration, go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/FACA/09_AdvisoryBoardontheDemoofPaymentSystemfor(ESRD)Services.asp