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.

• Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS):
  
  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 more than 80 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
  
  
• Transplant Projects:
  
  The transplant research group at Arbor Research served as the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) from October 2000 through December 2010. With a nationally eminent group of collaborators, we made the SRTR what it is today: one of the most highly respected and referenced registries in any field of medicine. Our commitment to transplant research and the transplant community remains strong, as we pursue a variety of new research endeavors that build on our scientific foundation in the field. We continue to provide key programming and analytical resources for the data coordinating centers for the A2ALL and RELIVE studies, two NIH-funded multicenter observational studies in organ transplantation.
  
  We continue research on our Kidney Waiting List Calculator and other calculators, where patients can find typical waiting times for deceased donor kidney transplants by hospital, and compare these to the national average for similar blood types and donor characteristics. We also continue exploration of issues related to the balance between transplant equity and utility.
  
  Information about our transplant-related research and publications can be found at www.ustransplant.org.
  
  
• Health Policy and Practice Projects (HP3):
  
  For over 20 years, members of the Arbor Research Collaborative for Health team have been supporting CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) through analytical work and clinical input to help health professionals, patients, and stakeholders in our healthcare system close quality gaps by turning promising new ideas into action. The assurance of high-quality medical care that is personalized, prevention-oriented, and patient-centered relies on evidence about the benefits and costs for each particular patient.
  
  Large gaps still exist between the CMS goals of high-quality care for every patient every time, and what our healthcare system delivers. Arbor Research evolved in response to the needs identified by CMS and the community for initiatives such as quality measures of performance and outcomes, value-based purchasing, and quality incentive payment plans. These initiatives fall under the Health Policy and Practice Projects (HP3), whose mission is to produce healthcare research that can inform policy and reduce gaps in quality care. Our current contracts with CMS, for which Arbor Research is the prime contractor, are listed below.
  
  
  • Evaluation of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Management Demonstration
    
    
  • Quality Incentive Payment (QIP), Task I and Task II
    
    
    • QIP Task I – Implementation Support for the Quality Incentive Payment of the ESRD Disease Management Demonstration
      
    • QIP Task II – Implementation and Support for an Advisory Board for the ESRD Bundled Case-Mix Adjusted Demonstration, Mandated by Section 623(e) of the Medicare Modernization Act
      
      
  • ESRD Measures Support
    
    
  • ESRD Quality Measures Specifications