Abstract
Background/Aims The HMO Cancer Research Network (CRN), continuously funded since 1999 through NCI cooperative agreements, provides support for cancer research in non-profit integrated health care delivery systems. Previously, the CRN included core research projects as a major activity. In its recent renewal, the CRN evolved into an infrastructure-only grant, with a major focus on promoting and facilitating collaborative cancer research in these settings.
Methods The CRN setting has characteristics that result collectively in a unique resource for epidemiologic and health services research. These include scientists with expertise in conducting public-domain cancer research in these settings; defined populations with a combined membership of ~8.5 million; clinical and administrative data systems that capture most aspects of care; archived biologic or biopsy specimens for many members; development and implementation of common data elements in the Virtual Data Warehouse (VDW) to support collaborative, multi-institutional research; and access to clinicians and administrators to facilitate translation of research findings to practice.
Results The CRN is led by a Steering Committee with scientists from each CRN institution with a smaller Executive Committee leadership team. With the latest renewal, CRN activities are being modified and enhanced in several areas: establishing an Informatics Core for continual improvement of the VDW’s data model and data elements for cancer research, and implementation of distributed query tools to facilitate preparatory-to-research inquiries and collaborative research studies; institutionalizing a CRN Scholars mentored career development program; continuing a Developmental and Pilot Studies Program; and implementing an Outreach and External Collaborations Core to facilitate research collaborations among CRN scientists, investigators at other institutions, and clinical and operations partners. In this renewal, the CRN has also established Scientific Working Groups (SWGs) to promote collaborative research in key areas: Prevention and Screening; Prognosis and Outcomes; Health Care Quality and Cost; and Communications and Dissemination. These Cores, Programs, and SWGs are co-led by scientists at CRN and affiliated institutions.
Conclusions The CRN enables and facilitates researchers’ development of innovative multi-site, multi-disciplinary cancer research projects in the integrated delivery system setting, and motivates continued evolution of the CRN institutions as the nation’s premier learning healthcare systems.
