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Cooperative Studies Program (CSP)
Overview
In the 1940s, when 10,000 veterans suffered from tuberculosis, researchers enrolled
them in VA studies to evaluate drugs for treating the disease. Thus, the first Cooperative
Study was born. Since then, this effort, now known as the Cooperative Studies Program
(CSP), has grown to become a major clinical research activity that, as one of its goals,
encourages and supports VA investigators to conduct clinical research and data collection
across selected research facilities.
Today CSP uncovers definitive findings that have a direct impact on veterans' clinical
care. These multi-center study efforts provide a resource to the VA health care
community and beyond. Moreover, the size and scope of the Veterans Health Administration
makes it an exceptional laboratory for conducting such large scale clinical trials.
CSP itself has a structure that provides the framework for clinical trials. The Program
allows for flexible proposal development by investigators that is supported by an
extensive network of professional biostatisticians, health economists, pharmacists,
programmers, administrators, and support staff within CSP.
CSP is made up of:
- five Coordinating Centers,
- a Clinical Research Pharmacy,
- four Epidemiological Research and Information Centers,
- and a Health Economics Resource Center.
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Mission
CSP aims to:
- conduct clinical research on health issues that are vital to our nation's veterans;
- define research results that establish new standards of care and improve veterans' health;
- improve the efficiency of the VA health care system; and
- improve the health of the population as a whole.
With this mission in mind, the CSP can organize research involving multiple medical
centers within VHA and reap greater benefits than can be achieved from a single site
study.
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Coordinating Centers and the Clinical Research Pharmacy
The Coordinating Centers ensure that large clinical trials are scientifically sound as
well as cost effective. The program's reach is extensive, with CSP annually overseeing
some 60 cooperative studies at any one time; these studies are usually conducted over a
5-year period. VA CSP Headquarters assigns studies to one of five Coordinating Centers,
which in turn provide statistical and methodological guidance to VA investigators
conducting clinical trials. These Coordinating Centers are at the following locations:
VA Medical Center, Hines, Illinois
Director: Domenic J. Reda, PhD
VA Medical Center, Palo Alto, California
Acting Director: Mark Holodniy, MD
VA Medical Center, Perry Point, Maryland
Director: Joseph F. Collins, ScD
VA Medical Center, West Haven, Connecticut
Director: Peter Peduzzi, PhD
VA Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts
Director: Louis Fiore, MD, MPH
A sixth center, unique to CSP, is the Clinical Research Pharmacy, located in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. If a study involves drugs or medical devices, the pharmacy center
provides input into the design of the study and is responsible for drug-related activities
such as developing the drug handling protocol, negotiating with pharmaceutical companies,
and packaging, distributing and accounting of drugs. The pharmacy contact information
follows.
VA Medical Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Director: Mike R. Sather, PhD, FASHP
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Epidemiological Research and Information Centers
Epidemiology-the study of the incidence, distribution and control of disease in a population -is well suited for exploring chronic diseases among various subgroups of veterans. The three Epidemiological Research and Information Centers (ERICs), link the epidemiology of medical care with actual clinical practice.
The primary mission of the Epidemiology Research and Information Centers is to enhance VA health care delivery by promoting VA-based population research and to convert those results into a format that VHA providers and administrators can apply to improve patient care.
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Health Economics Resource Center
Health Economics Resource Center (HERC) is a jointly funded effort at the Palo Alto VAMC between CSP & HSR&D that assists VA researchers in assessing the cost-effectiveness of medical care, evaluating the efficiency of VA programs and providers, and conducting high-quality health economics research.
Director: Paul Barnett, PhD
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Contact
For further information about the Cooperative Studies Program, please contact csp@va.gov or or visit the CSP website.
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