Center for Health Services Research Update

What is the Center for Health Services Research? The Center for Health Services Research (CHSR) is a center under the Office of the Vice President for Research that focuses on advancing research on health care access, quality, and efficiency. Over the past couple of years, it informally used the moniker “Center for Health Services Research, Implementation Science, and Policy” (CHRISP). Because the name was not formally changed under university bylaws, and because many would say that HSR includes implementation science and policy, we are using the term CHSR. However, you can rest assured that the CHSR will continue to promote research on health policy and implementation science. In fact, the CHSR is working closely with the CCTS’s recently established Center for Implementation, Dissemination and Evidence-based Research (CIDER).  Some of you may also recall a time when the CHSR was focused on quality improvement efforts within the university health care system. With consultation from an internal advisory group and in collaboration with the CCTS, today’s CHSR is a re-envisioned campus-wide effort intended to:   

1. Facilitate high-impact HSR 
2. Convene health services researchers, including faculty, staff, and students 
3. Increase the volume and reach of HSR 
4. Support education and training programs related to HSR 
5. Disseminate HSR findings to decision-makers in industry and government  

Who can participate in Center for Health Services Research activities?  
Faculty, staff, and students who conduct or study HSR or are interested in learning more about HSR are welcome to participate in our seminars, magnet group meetings, and other activities. After all, HSR is interdisciplinary and includes economics, epidemiology, geography, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, political science, psychology, and sociology, among others.   

 
What does the Center for Health Services Research offer? 

1. Collegial and Professional Development. The CHSR will continue to hold regular research seminars.  We are also considering informal magnet/affinity group meetings of persons interested in more specific subfields, such as health economics, outcomes research, and implementation science.
2. Grant Proposal Development. To help facilitate the successful submission of grant applications, the CHSR is planning to create a peer feedback program for investigators submitting applications to the NIH, PCORI, AHRQ, or other federal entities. The CHSR is also planning to sponsor or co-sponsor pilot grants, with the likely contingency that the grant be submitted through the CHSR to help cover its funding of pilot grants. 
3. Grant Submissions. Thanks to UK’s implementation of Project GATeWAY, investigators may now submit grants through the CHSR. The CHSR will receive a portion of F&A returns, which it will then use to support future pilot studies and other investigator needs. Please do not hesitate to contact me at chsr.email@uky.edu regarding submitting your proposals through the CHSR. 
4. Shared Research Services. The CHSR is considering offering shared research services, such as grant editing, data analysis, survey data collection, and research project management. Because the CHSR has a limited budget, some of these services will likely have to be paid for on a fee-for-service basis or through another financial arrangement, such as paying for a portion of a faculty or staff member’s time. Persons needing immediate assistance with project management or grant editing may contact me at chsr.email@uky.edu to discuss options. Persons interested in research support specific to dissemination and implementation may also contact the CIDER here.

If you are interested in being a CHSR member, please complete this RedCap survey, which also includes some brief questions about the potential services that would benefit your research.