Sarah Cannon - July 08, 2015

Outcomes Research at Sarah Cannon

As a result of vast improvements in technology and an incredible amount of patient data that is now available, Sarah Cannon is able to improve outcomes like never before through advanced analytics. Sarah Cannon's Health Economics & Outcomes Research program exists to transform the patient experience and increase value in healthcare through innovation by utilizing today's data to improve tomorrow's outcomes.

"Health Economics and Outcomes Research has the ability to provide valuable insight regarding patient outcomes resulting in enhanced clinical pathways, truly personalized medicine and improved quality all while driving down healthcare costs," said Erika Frazier, MBA CCRP, Director of Health Economics & Outcomes Research at Sarah Cannon.

Outcomes research seeks to measure and evaluate the effects of patient care throughout the care continuum, resulting in the identification of the most effective treatment options. Outcomes research encompasses safety, effectiveness, efficiency, and is patient centered.

Three main areas of focus are:

  • Pharmacoeconomics - Evaluating the overall value of pharmaceutical health care products, services and programs.
  • Comparative Clinical Effectiveness - Comparing clinical effectiveness and new treatments against the standard of care and evaluating risks vs. benefits.
  • Health-related Quality of Life - Measuring the effects of chronic illness and treatments types as well as focusing on the impact health status has on quality of life.

The ability to transform real-world data by utilizing predictive analytics is the key in turning data into actionable improvements for the patient. The success of outcomes research is dependent on large, reliable data sets and Sarah Cannon has established the Sarah Cannon Outcomes Registry to obtain data from diagnosis through survivorship.

"Data registries, such as the Sarah Cannon Outcomes Registry, are far more comprehensive than they were a decade ago, allowing researchers access to extensive and valuable data that was previously non-existent. We are now able to accurately measure and aggregate the data to help us understand the relationship between treatments and the human biology," said Frazier. "Given that 96 percent of healthcare data come from hospitals treating patients not on clinical trials, it allows researchers to evaluate how various therapies and treatments affect patients in real world settings, rather than in clinical trials that often have optimal conditions."