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InCHOIR, the International Center for Health Outcomes and Innovation Research,
is the only U.S. center to exclusively study surgical outcomes and related issues.
InCHOIR conducts research on how clinical programs and hospital research programs affect patients. Based on research results, InCHOIR then develops quality improvement programs that ensure continual improvement of all areas of the medical center, including clinical practices and development of medical technology.
InCHOIR's mission is threefold.
The first is clinical outcomes research. In addition to traditional clinical end points, such as mortality, we focus on patient preferences, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness.
Our second mission is to devise quality improvement programs on the basis of the data, and the third is to develop policy analysis of issues surrounding the development, introduction and use of medical technology.
Our staff numbers 15, and includes economists, health policy analysts, epidemiologists, computer programmers, auditors, statisticians and decision analysts.
To do our research, InCHOIR conducts clinical trials as well as other risk-adjusted studies of outcomes.
Our clinical trials and other studies stem from interaction with the Department's faculty. We may suggest inquiries based on current clinical work, or the surgeons may raise issues.
InCHOIR is currently involved in nearly 25 projects embracing cardiac, thoracic, vascular and orthopedic surgery, as well as health policy analyses.
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