Kansas State University

During its first year of operation, the Center for Outcomes Research faculty have been busy working on several research projects and letting industry know about who we are and what we do.  Here are a few of the projects we have been working on:

Estimation of the Value of Health Care Plans in Dogs Based on Health Status
We estimated the economic value of health care plans in dogs that were presenting as (a) healthy, (b) with acute disease (e.g., hit by a car), (c) with chronic disease or (d) with both acute and chronic disease. We developed a decision tree which accounted for the conditional probability of dogs transitioning from one health status to another by year as well as average cost by health status and year. The results of this study permitted estimation of the break-even cost of health care plans by health status of dogs.

An Economic Comparison of the Value of Vaccines in the Treatment of a Disease in Dogs
We are currently developing a methodology to perform an economic comparison of three vaccines.

Estimating the Economic Impact of the Release of a Generic Product on the Market
We will be performing a Decision Tree and Budget Impact Analysis which will represent the impact the release of a generic product has on consumer decision making and economics. This will allow for mitigation of projected impacts prior to release of the generic product.

Bovine Respiratory Disease – Identification of Risk Factors to Better Classify Cattle into Risk Categories While Accounting for Cattle Heterogeneity
We have been developing a methodology to identify key risk factors which will better allow us to classify cattle into low, medium and high risk categories for BRD, which will allow more effective treatment and management of beef cattle in feedlots.

The K-State Research Showcase
On March 22, 2016. David Renter (Director of CORE), Roberta Hodges (Project Coordinator) and Elva Cha (CORE Faculty member) participated in the Industry Showcase held at Kansas State University. This event attracted collaborators, industry professionals and academics across Kansas, including the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor which comprises over half of the world’s animal health, diagnostics and pet food sales. The K-State Showcase attracted future collaborators and highlighted the need for future communication on what Outcomes Research is, its relevance and how it is applied, a key area of development.

The Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CORE) is partnering with the Banfield Applied Research and Knowledge (BARK) leadership team to identify a bright and motivated veterinary student to fill an open summer externship position with their BARK team in Portland, Oregon. BARK is responsible for generating new knowledge in support of evidence-based medicine by conducting population-based research on medical records produced in Banfield hospitals. This research extern would paid for 6-8 weeks (negotiable time frame) through their Student Job Program, and they will help find housing in Portland for the extern. The BARK team will provide mentorship and want a motivated student to fully engage in a project that extends their state of pet health program (focused on clients and the public) to be an informative resource for the veterinary profession. The project will lead to a product (vet report) that uses descriptive epidemiology and pet population health data to identify progress and opportunities to improve pet health and will be presented at national veterinary conferences. Students knowledge and interests in pet health, epidemiology/ population health management, electronic health data and applied clinical research will be given preference.

For more information, contact Dr. Renter at drenter@vet.ksu.edu.

The Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CORE) has put in place a great team of advisory council members that are well represented by industry and private practice (both large and small animal).  The advisory council volunteer their time, share their knowledge and support the mission and the efforts of the CORE.

The CORE Advisory Council met for the first time on November 20, 2015.  Dean Tammy Beckham and Dr. David Renter welcomed the group and updated them on the background, plans, vision and progress for the CORE.  Opportunities and priorities for CORE were a big part of the day’s discussion.

Dr. Ralph Richardson, Chair of the CORE advisory council said, “It is exciting to see the impact that the CORE is already making on animal health and the veterinary profession.  I am impressed with the visionary leadership of Dr. Renter and the contributions of every member of the advisory council.  In this data-driven world, outcomes research and education play a vital role in how animal and human health decisions are made.  Kansas State University is well positioned for the future”

We would like to thank the Advisory Council members for their time and efforts!