Economic evidence to inform substance use disorder (SUD), hepatitis C (HCV), and HIV treatment decisions is vitally important in today?s rapidly evolving healthcare system. The overall aim of CHERISH (Center for Health Economics of TReatment Interventions for Substance Use Disorder, HCV, and HIV) is to develop and disseminate economic evidence that informs substance use treatment policy and HCV and HIV care of substance users, and to increase the impact of this research by addressing the needs of integrated healthcare system providers and payers. No single institution has the critical mass of researchers to accomplish this task alone. We have, therefore, assembled a team of outstanding researchers with diverse expertise and perspectives across several world-class institutions, many of whom have extensive histories of previous successful collaborations with one another. The proposed Center will include 5 Cores: a Methodology Core located at Weill Cornell Medical College, an HCV and HIV Core located at Boston Medical Center, a Dissemination and Policy Core located at the University of Pennsylvania Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics (LDI), and a Pilot Grant and Training Core and an Administrative Core both located at Weill Cornell Medical College. The Center will also have an external Policy Advisory Board (supported by the Policy and Dissemination Core) and an external Center Advisory Board (supported by the Administrative Core). The Administrative Core?s specific aims are 1) to provide scientific and programmatic leadership that ensures efficient and successful coordination and integration of activities across Center Cores, and 2) to use technology to facilitate productive communication across locations and disciplines and self-evaluation of progress towards meeting Core and Center objectives. The Administrative Core will convene monthly cross- Core leadership meetings and maintain a schedule of frequent face-to-face interactions throughout the year that will rotate among Core locations. The Administrative Core will be innovative in the way that it uses web- based technologies to support formal and informal research interactions that cross locations and disciplines. These strategies and technologies will include a website/portal, a listserv and wiki, and hosting and managing telecommunications, file-sharing and file storage platforms. The Administrative Core will use a structured management process, supported by an administrative tracking system, to monitor and evaluate the Center?s progress towards meeting its objectives. These activities will support a highly productive and interactive environment in which the Center will promote synergy among researchers and institutions that will enhance existing research projects and develop of a new cohort of investigators with the skills needed to conduct SUD economic research that will have an impact on SUD, HCV, and HIV treatment policy.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 93 publications
