The Center for Health Systems Research (CHSR) at Denver Health was established to carry out patient-centered outcomes research in a safety-net health care system. Safety net healthcare systems, such as Denver Health’s clinics and hospital, treat the underserved, underinsured and uninsured, many of whom are members of racial and ethnic minority groups.
CHSR’s efforts focus on questions most relevant to safety net providers. How can high quality care be delivered in the context of the resource constraints unique to the safety net? What are the sources of health disparities, and what can be done about them? How can barriers to care such as homelessness, substance abuse and mental illness be surmounted? While our work is centered in the safety net, we believe that what we learn there can provide lessons about efficiency and inclusiveness from which the entire healthcare system can benefit.
CHSR was established with grant funds awarded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) HS022143. AHRQ’s mission is to produce evidence to make health care safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable, and to work with the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and other partners to make sure that the evidence is understood and used.
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
CHSR strongly believes in taking a patient-centered approach to health services research. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) answers questions that matter the most to patients. Examples include development of tools that help patients make informed decisions about care and studies that report things such as quality of life as their most important outcomes.
To learn more about PCOR, please visit the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute website.
Health Services Research
Health Services Research is a scientific field that investigates how factors such as healthcare cost, delivery, accessibility, socioeconomics and education affect patient health and quality of life, with the goal of reorganizing care to account for those factors.
Comparative Effectiveness Research
Comparative effectiveness research compares the clinical effectiveness, outcomes, risks and benefits of two or more medical interventions.