CORE--DATA, MEASURES, SYNTHESIS FACILITY

数据、测量和综合核心将作为该计划项目的智力中心，并将为五个组成项目的概念和方法整合提供主要场所。具体而言，核心的职能将包括：（1）促进项目领导人之间就保健市场概念化进行沟通和知识交流，包括市场定义和表征市场结构和安全网的措施;（2）提供一个分享信息和制定共同方法解决估计问题的场所;（3）处理数据库并构建将由多个组成项目使用的医疗保健市场结构和安全网的经验措施;（4）创建关于医疗保健市场、市场结构和安全网的上下文、市场层面数据库;（5）编写报告和手稿，总结和综合项目的发现。为确保实现核心小组的目标而采用的方法将包括：举行项目领导人会议;使用专门的支助人员，包括项目管理员、计算机程序员和研究助理，以执行核心小组的工作;使用在保健市场、管理式保健、和弱势群体，为组成项目的领导人提供建议，并帮助综合方案项目的工作。

The Data, Measures and Synthesis Core will serve as the intellectual center for the program project, and will provide the main locus for conceptual and methodological integration of the five component projects. Specifically, the functions of the core will include: (1) facilitating communication and intellectual exchange among the project leaders regarding the conceptualization of health care markets, including market definitions and measures for characterizing market structure and the safety net; (2) providing a locus for sharing information and developing common approaches to estimation problems; (3) processing data bases and constructing empirical measures of health care market structure and the safety net that will be used by more than one component project; (4) creating a library of contextual, market-level data on health care markets, market structure, and the safety net; and (5) producing reports and manuscripts that summarize and synthesize the findings of the program project. The methods used to make certain that the goals of the core are achieved will include meetings of the project leaders; use of dedicated support staff, including a project manager, computer programmer, and research assistant, to perform the work of the core; and use of external consultants with expertise in health care markets, managed care, and vulnerable populations to advise the component project leaders and help synthesize the work of the program project.