The National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO), in collaboration with five BRIC-eligible states, proposes to create an Intermountain Consortium for Building Research Infrastructure and Capacity (ICBRIC). The ICBRIC would be formed through a collaborative arrangement among health data organizations in the states of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, The multi-state consortium would be supported by NAHDO's network of experts in policy (CHP) and Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research (PCOR). The goal of the proposed project is to improve the infrastructure and capacity of state partners in order to enhance their competitiveness for health services research grants by federal agencies and other funding organizations. The ICBRIC would be established a two-year period. The consortium's activities would be geared toward the attainment of the following objectives: (1) Formalize the organizational and operational structure of the consortium. (2) Develop strategies for enhancing the health services research skills of staff of consortium partners. (3) Identify opportunities for research in consortium partner states that are in congruence with national research priorities. (4) Develop a regional research plan that would serve as a demonstration project for the consortium partners. (5) Develop a research plan in each partner state. (6) Assess the feasibility of creating shared dataset among consortium partners to support the joint research agenda. (7) Develop standardized tools for used in health services research activities of consortium partners. (8) Implement joint regional research plan developed under Objective 4. (9) Implement state-specific research plans under Objective 5. Expected products rom the project would include standardized analytic tools, web-based clearinghouse and communications module, health quality indicators for the intermountain region, a research agenda for the intermountain region, and research agenda for each of the full partner states.
