Our faculty have a concerted and long-standing interest in renal epidemiology and outcomes research, with many of our faculty serving as active members and leaders in the U-M Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (UM-KECC) and the Arbor Research Collaborative for Health.
U-M Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center
The University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (UM-KECC) is an interdisciplinary research group drawing from experts in Biostatistics, Cardiovascular Medicine, Epidemiology, Gastroenterology, Health Management and Policy, Internal Medicine, Nephrology, and Surgery, among others. Founded in 1993, the UM-KECC carries out research in epidemiology, public policy, economics, outcomes relating to end-stage renal disease, chronic kidney disease, kidney dialysis, and organ transplantation.
The mission of the UM-KECC is to promote health, improve clinical practice and patient outcomes, optimize resource utilization, and inform public policy regarding organ failure and organ transplantation through high-quality research, advances in biostatistics, and post-graduate education and training.
Led by Jonathan Segal, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Nephrology, the UM-KECC consists of over 60 staff members and 33 faculty investigators. Our projects are funded by multiple government and private sources, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Renal Research Institute, Department of Veterans Affairs, and American Society of Transplant Surgeons.
Arbor Research Collaborative for Health
The faculty in the U-M KECC interact closely with the Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, which is a not-for-profit research organization that conducts large health outcomes research studies. This organization manages several research projects that are national and global in scope, foremost of which is the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS). This project is an on-going observational study of hemodialysis patients in twelve countries, seeking to identify dialysis practices that contribute to improved mortality rates, hospitalization rates, health related quality of life, and vascular access outcomes.
