Methods and Measurements

Methods and Measurements

Advancing innovative research to improve the delivery of cancer-related care to improve health for individuals and populations is HDRP’s mission. A core part of this mission involves incorporating methods and measurements that promotes multi-pronged techniques to strengthen research skills to inform work critical for improving cancer care delivery. To ensure that researchers are well-informed about the science and relevant outcomes, HDRP supports and facilitates training, courses, workshops, as well as measurement systems to optimize healthcare delivery for cancer care.

Multilevel Intervention Training Institute (MLTI)

NCI DCCPS’s Multilevel Intervention Training Institute (MLTI) presents a curriculum of advanced methods and measurement techniques to strengthen research skills. MLTI emphasizes cancer healthcare delivery which occurs in a multilevel system and encourage multilevel interventions that address at least three levels of the multilayer system (e.g., the individual, the team of healthcare providers, the healthcare organization, or the community where the organization is located). As such, these interventions target and report outcomes on the three sources of health behavior influence that may ultimately result in improved patient and population outcomes.

Cluster Randomized Designs in Cancer Care Delivery Research

HDRP hosted a short course that addresses the rationale for using clustered randomized designs, specific design issues, the randomization process, sample size calculations, analytical methods, ethical considerations, practical issues in managing these trials, and trial reporting and interpretation.

Rapid Cycle Research

Rapid cycle research can be defined as a rigorous approach to conducting interventional research that seeks ways to maximize the timeliness and efficiency of the process for generating answers to questions of practical interest and actionable use. Conducting rigorous and rapid studies are critical for improving cancer care delivery. Current approaches for conducting rapid cycle research leverage iterative study designs, such as Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) and Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST). Additional components of rapid cycle research include proximal primary outcomes, partnerships, context, data sources, and rigor. These components are critical for optimizing research in cancer care delivery and generating answers to guide decision-makers in how best to improve care delivery.

Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE®)

The NCI’s PRO-CTCAE is a patient-reported outcome (PRO) measurement system developed to capture and evaluate symptomatic toxicity in patients on cancer clinical trials. It was developed to complement clinician-graded Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) standard toxicity reporting to assess symptomatic adverse events reported by patients and to improve the precision and reproducibility of adverse event reporting. PRO-CTCAE has become the standard for patient-reported toxicity in cancer clinical trials around the world.