DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The 2010 Affordable Care Act created an unprecedented need for qualified researchers to carry out comparativeness effectiveness and patient centered outcomes research (CER/PCOR). This need cannot be met by existing training programs in the near future. While the generation and analysis of CER/ PCOR is crucial, the amount of data available already overwhelms our capacity to effectively synthesize it. As CER moves to the forefront of evidence used to inform healthcare decisions, there is an increasing need to ensure that these results are produced using the most reliable and rigorous methods. Thus, researchers need to be trained in the most recent methods, standards, and technologies. This proposal will build on our pioneering training effort in systematic review and meta-analysis and long history of teaching graduate courses in methods that now fall under the umbrella of CER and PCOR. We propose an innovative program to teach CER/PCOR methods focused on systematic review, along with cutting-edge computational and information technology focused on producing, interpreting, and utilizing evidence about best healthcare practices, using a combination of didactic, asynchronous, peer, and experiential methods. We expand upon the traditional CER workforce definition to include consumers and other non-traditional groups, such as payers (health plans), professional societies, patients and advocacy groups, commercial sector (pharmaceuticals), government agencies, policy makers, research funders, librarians, journalists, and legislators. Dr. Christopher Schmid will lead this training effort with the followng specific aims: 1. Create a unit within the Center for Evidence-based Medicine (CEBM) at Brown focused on the training and education of current and future CER researchers, including non-traditional groups and consumers. Develop innovative content that are freely accessible and use innovative delivery approaches for the education and training components requested in this RFA, including and not limited to rigorous assessment of the design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of results from observational studies, registries, and clinical trials, as well as te use of powerful and publicly available software tools to conduct reviews efficiently and reliably. 2. Create and maintain a peer learning network for methodologists, statisticians, and other researchers to exchange knowledge on advanced CER/PCOR analytic techniques, research methods, and best practices. 3. Develop and implement a customized experiential learning/fellowship program for individual researchers to receive direct experience and mentoring on using CER/PCOR methods. 4. Create an R25 program evaluation unit to provide feedback to learners and to the program, which will be used to refine the contents and format of the training. Assess the intermediate and long term outcomes of the education program, including its effects on CER/PCOR systematic reviews and original research and the scientific workforce.

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The 2010 Affordable Care Act has created an unprecedented need for qualified researchers to synthesize the large amount of information available to inform patient-centered decision making. We develop an innovative program to train researchers to increase the production and uptake of comparative effectiveness research.