title: The louisiana clinical data research network: leveraging regional and national resources to improve clinical research efficiency.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mapping of the human genome and technological advancements allowing storage and rapid retrieval of healthcare data have heralded a new phase in clinical medicine and have served as a catalyst for the advent of personalized medicine. The use of health information databases provides a unique opportunity to investigate questions of great complexity and real-world application in a way that is most useful in providing high quality, safe, and cost-effective clinical care to patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Louisiana Clinical Data Research Network (LACDRN) aims to streamline the workflow of multiinstitutional clinical studies and to dramatically expand the clinical research resources available to local investigators. The LACDRN contains health information for more than 1 million patients in Southeast Louisiana and is a rich resource for researchers to conduct retrospective or observational trials and to recruit patients for prospective studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The LACDRN is part of a large-scale initiative by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to create a national electronic health record network that enables the timely initiation and completion of comparative effectiveness research in a coordinated effort. For the first time, network research will be guided in part by input from patients and caregivers, increasing their engagement in the research process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The establishment of the LACDRN is a unique opportunity for clinicians to take part in an innovative national initiative designed to offer new clinical research options for patients and to carry out cutting-edge translational, clinical, and health services research.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Research, Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, LA.
authors.forename: Courtney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parke
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Research, Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, LA.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carton
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Research, Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, LA ; Academic Division-Research, Ochsner Health System and The University of Queensland School of Medicine, Ochsner Clinical School, New Orleans, LA.
authors.forename: Sohail
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rao
keywords: Clinical protocols; LACDRN; PCORI; PCORnet; comparative effectiveness research; research design