Division of Prevention Research and Analytic Methods

As our name implies, DPRAM is dedicated to providing leadership to CDC in answering "what works, at what cost?" and to building CDC's capacity to conduct epidemiologic, economic, statistical, behavioral and evaluative studies. We are also committed to strengthening community-based research efforts in urban areas and to bringing evidence-based methodologies to CDC's recommendations and guidelines for public health interventions. The focus is to empower communities to implement effective interventions that meet their needs. Finally, we are committed to promoting and supporting effective partnerships for prevention among the principal players in our nation's health care delivery system.

DPRAM accomplishes this mission through its five components:

Community Preventive Services Guide Development Activity
The Community Preventive Services Guide Development Activity coordinates support to the Task Force on Community Preventive Services in the development of the Guide to Community Preventive Services (the Guide) . The Guide will summarize what is known about the effectiveness of population-based interventions for prevention and control of public health problems. The purpose of the Guide is to provide public health agencies and managed care organizations with information on the effectiveness of interventions for informed decision making.

Evaluation and Behavioral Science Methods Branch
In 1995, through a competitive cooperative agreement, CDC established Urban Centers' in three major cities with with disadvantaged populations (Seattle, Detroit, and New York City) in order to evaluate (in collaboration with health departments, community-based organizations, and academia) the effectiveness of interdisciplinary approaches to the underlying problems affecting the health of inner city populations. Utilizing the community participatory action research model, the community, in collaboration with the urban research center, decides the research focus and participates at every level of decision making. Early foci of research include asthma and violence.

Prevention Effectiveness Branch
The mission of the Prevention Effectiveness Branch (PEB) is to use scientific quantitative policy methods to fundamentally change and improve public health decision-making in such a way that public health and health care programs and policies deliver the greatest possible improvement in the health and quality of life of a given population for the expenditure made. Major activities supporting this mission include:

• Prevention Research Internship
• Prevention Effectiveness Fellowship
• Prevention Effectiveness Seminars/Training Courses
• Technical Assistance
• Prevention Effectiveness Work Group
• CDC-wide Economics Task Order Contract
• Advancement of new methods for prevention effectiveness research

Statistics and Epidemiology Branch
The Statistics and Epidemiology Branch plays a central role in CDC's developing expertise in emerging statistical and epidemiologic methods, a charge which emanated from the 1991 CDC Methods Retreat. This role includes responsibilities of statistical and epidemiologic consulting, collaboration, teaching and training; development, application and evaluation of statistical and epidemiologic methods; and coordination of statistical activities and capacity-building across CDC, a unique role within the agency. Major activities of the Branch include:

• Analytic Methods Seminars
• Analytic Methods Internship Program
• Cochrane Collaboration
• Technical Assistance
• CDC-wide Statistical and Epidemiologic Methods Task Order Contract
• CDC Statistical Advisory Group

Office of HealthCare Partnerships
The mission of the Office of HealthCare Partnerships (OHCP) is to promote and support effective CDC-wide partnerships for prevention with the principal players in our nation's health care delivery system, including managed care organizations, public and private purchasers of health care, public health agencies, accrediting organizations, researchers, consumers and others. Major priorities include:

• ensuring effective partnerships for prevention
• promoting a prevention focus in evolving regional and national systems of care
• facilitating CIO prevention efforts in the purchaser, provider, and quality arenas