Why is rigorous population health research needed in critical care and perioperative medicine?
There are several factors that have contributed to the need for rigorous population health research in critical care and perioperative medicine:
- The evidence base is lacking for much of daily clinical practice, particularly when data from randomized-controlled clinical trials (RCT) are limited.
- Health care costs have skyrocketed, forcing stakeholders to consider the value of medical care. For example, critical care accounts for greater than one percent of the gross domestic product of the United States, and is expected to rise further.
- There has been a dramatic rise in the volume of health care data available, with a concurrent advancement in statistical techniques and computing capabilities.
- Advancing health equity in critical care and perioperative medicine is a priority.
- The results of observational clinical studies are sometimes biased, often due to poor methodologic rigor. This is especially relevant, as millions of dollars in research funding are poured into clinical trials that are based on preliminary observational data.
Why do we need a Critical Care and Perioperative Population Health Research Program at Duke Anesthesiology?
The unique nature of critical care and perioperative research requires a specialized group to conduct diverse research while applying a core set of foundational methods that can help to fill gaps in evidence and advance patient care. Because of the combination of world leaders with subject matter expertise in a variety of critical care and perioperative domains with methodologists that have expertise in population health research within Duke Anesthesiology, the CAPER Program harmonizes these areas. The CAPER Program organizes its strengths in a diverse variety of domains in critical care and perioperative medicine under a common methodologic framework.