In late 2012 Optum and Mayo Clinic came together to form OptumLabs, an open, collaborative research and innovation center, dedicated to improving patient care and patient value through data-driven health care research, leading-edge data science and strong partner collaboration. 

Since that time, approximately 150 collaborative projects have led to peer-reviewed publication, a critical step towards evidence-based practice improvements. Most of these leverage the real world data available in the OptumLabs Data Warehouse.

Recently OptumLabs Chief Scientific Officer William Crown, Ph.D., connected with research collaborator David Kent, M.D., director of the Predictive Analytics and Comparative Effectiveness (PACE) Center at Tufts Medical Center and the Clinical and Translational Science Graduate Program at Tufts University, to share perspectives on the use of real world evidence based on their extensive experience working with data from both clinical trials and real-world data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse.

Among others, they highlighted two Mayo-led studies in their discussion, a clinical trial examining the comparative effectiveness of cardiac ablation or medication to treat atrial fibrillation. (Read related news release.) The other was an observational study, using the OptumLabs Data Warehouse, and conducted in parallel to the clinical trial. (Read related news release.)

You can read their whole discussion in the OptumLabs spotlight, as they explore:

• The Real World Evidence landscape
• Benefits of Real World Evidence
• Real World Evidence and clinical trials
• Data quality and opportunities
• What lies ahead for use of Real World Evidence?

###

Tags: About, atrial fibrillation, big data, Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, clinical trials, OptumLabs, research