Comparative Effectiveness Research & the Cochrane Eyes & Vision Group

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Eye diseases leading to visual impairment and blindness are an important source of morbidity, decrease the quality of life for people of all ages, and place a substantial burden on health care resources. Eye care professionals, who diagnose vision disorders and practice sight-saving treatments, rely on findings from comparative effectiveness research to make well-informed health care decisions. Despite the critical need for better information, there are few established infrastructures for performing eyes and vision systematic reviews in the US only one, the Cochrane Collaboration's Eyes and Vision Group. US Satellite (CEVG(gUS) is subject specific, sustainable, provides education and facilitates collaboration by allowing anyone to contribute, as long as the research is high quality. CEVG@US. which has been producing reviews since 1997. ensures important eyes and vision systematic review topics are prioritized, performed, disseminated, and kept up-to-date; it educates and builds a workforce that performs high quality systematic reviews; and provides a forum for US researchers to play an instrumental role in developing methods for comparative effectiveness research. Building on CEVG's previous experiences and achievements, the over-arching objective of this proposal is to serve as a coordinating center for comparative effectiveness research, and specifically Cochrane systematic reviews, in eyes and vision in the US. This role is comparable to that of a coordinating center for a clinical trial or clinical research network. Specifically, the aims are to 1) educate and build a sustainable vision science workforce in comparative effectiveness research; 2) identify targeted areas where evidence is needed; 3) prepare and keep up-to-date systematic reviews addressing targeted questions; 4) conduct research on methods to identify evidence gaps; 5) build a study-based, publicly available vision trials register; 6) conduct methodological research in systematic reviews; 7) disseminate the results of our research. The proposed research is served by the long standing infrastructure of the Cochrane Collaboration, and is led by a highly trained research team. RELEVANCE: By conducting and supporting comparative effectiveness research, training eyes and vision practitioners and researchers, disseminating health information, the outcome of the proposed work will have substantial impact on preventing or treating eye diseases and/or visual impairment, and improving the quality of life for people of all ages.