Outcomes Research

Our faculty have a concerted and long-standing interest in renal epidemiology and outcomes research. Faculty from the Division have held leadership roles in the United States Renal Data System (USRDS)
and in the Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (KECC) at the University of Michigan. The coordinating center for the USRDS was based at The University of Michigan from 1995 through 1999. Since that time, faculty at the KECC continue to carry out cutting edge epidemiology and outcomes research that shapes the practice of nephrology particularly as it applies to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and pre-ESRD care.

The faculty in the 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 includes many current and past Division faculty members and manages many projects, 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.

Faculty involved in outcomes research: