Collaboration to analyze local health in context of national data
The University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Center for Health Insights and clinical partner Truman Medical Centers are announcing a collaboration to conduct data-driven research using Cerner Health Facts® de-identified real-world data and other capabilities.
Few academic research centers in the world have access to this vast amount of medical data. The information will be used to identify new research opportunities and analyze local health in the context of national data. This analysis can inform decisions that support improved care, reduced health disparities and lower costs.
This collaboration marks the first time i2b2 — Informatics for Integrating Biology and Bedside, funded by the National Institutes of Health — and Health Facts have been used together to fuel research in the Kansas City area.
“The centerpiece of this partnership provides tools to accelerate clinical and translational research and ultimately provide better health outcomes,” said Lawrence Dreyfus, UMKC vice chancellor for Research and Economic Development. “We couldn’t be more excited about the prospects that this partnership holds for healthcare decisions that ultimately improve care and reduce costs.”
“This collaboration further shows TMC is Kansas City’s essential hospital; with our large, diverse patient base we offer a vast array of varying health data that few, if any, other hospitals in the area can offer,” said TMC President and Chief Executive Officer Charlie Shields. “The long-term goal is to provide all patients better care with better outcomes at a lower cost and TMC is thrilled to be a part of the future of data-driven healthcare.”
“Cerner’s mission is to contribute to the systematic improvement of health care delivery and the health of communities,” said Matthew Swindells, Cerner senior vice president for population health and global strategy. “We’re excited to work with two excellent academic and clinical institutions like Truman Medical Centers and UMKC to help make that mission a reality and contribute to improving the health of the people of Kansas City.”
Through this collaboration, UMKC will serve as a key collaborator as new types of data are added to Health Facts.
“I am thrilled that the Center for Health Insights can foster new collaborations between UMKC, Truman Medical Centers and Cerner,” said Mark Hoffman, director of the UMKC Center for Health Insights. “There is much more that these organizations can do together to promote research and help improve patient care in Kansas City.”