Center For Education and Research in Therapeutics

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DESCRIPTION (Provided by the Applicant): The University of Pennsylvania Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (PennCERT) proposes to reinforce and expand its infrastructure, while conducting research and educational programs to advance therapeutics in an even more focused way. The theme of the PennCERT will continue to be infectious diseases (anti-infective therapy) with the following new subthemes (i.e., areas of methodologic focus where we can be a resource for the whole CERT network): 1) pharmacoepidemiology, 2) patient safety, and 3) health information technology. In particular, we propose to: 1. Build on and enhance our research and educational center with its coordinated infrastructure; continue our active participation in the national CERTs program; continue our mini-grant program that funds studies addressing relevant therapeutic questions and pilot studies that support the development of R01 applications; and maintain an impressive series of data resources, accessible to investigators from the PennCERT and other CERTs. 2. Conduct research to improve the underlying evidence base for decisions about the use and effects of anti-infectives. 3. Implement and evaluate interventions aimed at improving the use of anti-infectives in outpatient and especially inpatient settings, locally, regionally, and nationally. 4. Conduct education in research methods, critical appraisal of the medical literature, and therapeutic decisionmaking targeting multiple audiences, including medical students, graduate medical trainees, and health care professionals. 5. Disseminate and translate the results of our work, including publications and presentations: i) for the scientific/professional community; ii) the FDA, AHRQ, other CERTs, etc.; and iii) the public, building on the well-developed dissemination program of the Leonard Davis Institute. New features of the current PennCERT application include new investigators (former PennCERT trainees who have now accepted positions as faculty); investigators added to strengthen our expertise in health economics, biomedical informatics, and spatial modeling; an increased focus on pediatrics, with faculty and a major project planned at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; an increased focus on research and education intended to develop, implement, and evaluate novel programs for translating evidence on optimal antimicrobial drug practices into everyday practice, particularly in hospital settings; four larger research projects, possible because of the increased resources now available; and an increased flexibility in choice of projects in future years, as earlier projects are completed.