Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research

Minneapolis Va Medical Center, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Minneapolis Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research (CCDOR) was established in 1998. Its mission is to enhance (through research, education, dissemination and implementation activities) the delivery and accessibility of high quality, cost-effective health care to optimize clinical, psychosocial, and functional outcomes for Veterans with chronic disease. Over the past several years, CCDOR has focused its research agenda on three chronic problems facing Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan: Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and substance use disorders (including tobacco). The primary goal for our 2014-2018 COIN strategic plan, and the focus of our recently funded Collaborative Research to Enhance and Advance Transformation and Excellence program (CREATE), is to improve outcomes for Veterans with PTSD through enhanced delivery and uptake of evidence-based treatments. CCDOR's 2014-2018 strategic plan also includes two other areas of focused partnered research: The first is Cancer Prevention and Screening. CCDOR has been a VA research leader in the area of Cancer Prevention and Screening, with a focus on tobacco cessation, prostate cancer and colon cancer. Our plans for the next five years include developing and testing interventions to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use in Veterans and to optimize the appropriate use of screening for colon and prostate cancer (including decreasing rates of inappropriate screening). An emerging area of strength for CCDOR, and the focus of our third goal, is Management of Chronic Pain. In particular, CCDOR investigators are testing interventions to improve functional outcomes for Veterans with chronic pain, with an emphasis on reducing harms associated with opioid therapy and improving access to effective non-opioid pain therapies for Veterans. We expect this to be an area of continued growth during the 2014-2018 funding period. Finally, the strategic plan includes three additional goals: supporting high impact VA-centric outcomes research in other areas of expertise; increasing research capacity across VA; and maintaining an efficient infrastructure and supportive culture that will enable CCDOR to meet its research goals.