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Special Report

Vision and Creation of the American Heart Association Pharmaceutical Roundtable Outcomes Research Centers

Eric D. Peterson, MD, MPH; John A. Spertus, MD, MPH; David J. Cohen, MD, MSc; Mark A. Hlatky, MD; Alan S. Go, MD; Barbara G. Vickrey, MD, MPH; Jeffrey L. Saver, MD and Patricia C. Hinton, MA, MS

From the Duke Outcomes Research Center, Duke Clinical Research Institute (E.D.P.), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC; Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute-University of Missouri Outcomes Research Center (J.A.S., D.J.C.), Kansas City; Stanford University–Kaiser Permanente Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Center (M.A.H.), Stanford University School of Medicine, Calif; the Division of Research (A.S.G.), Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, Oakland; Los Angeles Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Research Center (B.G.V., J.L.S.), University of California, Los Angeles; and the American Heart Association (P.C.H.), Dallas, Tex.

Correspondence to Eric Peterson, MD, MPH, Duke Clinical Research Institute, 2400 Pratt Street, Durham, NC 27705. E-mail peter016{at}mc.duke.edu

Background— The field of outcomes research seeks to define optimal treatment in practice and to promote the rapid full adoption of efficacious therapies into routine clinical care. The American Heart Association (AHA) formed the AHA Pharmaceutical Roundtable (PRT) Outcomes Research Centers Network to accelerate attainment of these goals. Participating centers were intended to carry out state-of-the-art outcomes research in cardiovascular disease and stroke, to train the next generation of investigators, and to support the formation of a collaborative research network.

Program— After a competitive application process, 4 AHA PRT Outcomes Research Centers were selected: Duke Clinical Research Institute; Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute; Stanford University–Kaiser Permanente of Northern California; and University of California, Los Angeles. Each center proposed between 1 and 3 projects organized around a single theme in cardiovascular disease or stroke. Additionally, each center will select and train up to 6 postdoctoral fellows over the next 4 years, and will participate in cross-collaborative activities among the centers.

Conclusions— The AHA PRT Outcomes Research Centers Network is designed to further strengthen the field of cardiovascular disease and stroke outcomes research by fostering innovative research, supporting high quality training, and encouraging center-to-center collaborations.

Key Words: coronary disease • stroke • statistics • mortality

Guest Editor for this article was Eric R. Bates, MD.