The Office of Clinical and Community Health Research (OCCHR) was created in 2008 as part of the Endowed Health Services Research Center (EHSRC) to support and facilitate research initiatives that address health disparities in disadvantaged communities served by our School of Medicine (SoM) in primary care setting. The OCCHR is organized into three main working units:
Research Development and Infrastructure
Office of Clinical and Community Health Research
Personnel:
Our team is highly trained with extensive experience in epidemiological and clinical research, and certified in a) Good Clinical Practices, b) Health Information Privacy and Security, c) Human Research, d) Biosafety Complete Training Series, and CPR, among other certifications, as applicable.
Our basic research personnel include epidemiologists, project coordinators, nurses, and research administrators.
Facilities:
- Exam room
- Certified equipment for vital signs and phlebotomy
- Centrifuge and freezer
- Office space for other study procedures
- Conference room
- Refrigerator
It is strategically located at the University of Puerto Rico’s Dr. Federico Trilla Hospital, in Carolina; a main primary care facility of the UPR-SoM provides an opportunity for the development of research initiatives involving data from patients visiting the emergency room, hospitalized, or receiving services at the outpatient clinics.
Database repository and information sharing
The Cardiovascular Surveillance Database was established to improve the existing infrastructure and increase resources available to clinicians and researchers to understand better health disparities associated with cardiovascular conditions in Puerto Rico. This project collects sociodemographic, clinical, and outcome data of hospitalized patients with myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and stroke in selected hospitals in Puerto Rico. Currently, the data is available for 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017. Variables collected include demographic data, clinical presentation, acute management, procedures and medications, length of stay, hospital complications, and in-hospital mortality.
The database contains more than 22,500 medical records reviewed. It is available for students, residents, clinicians, and researchers interested in studying health disparities in cardiovascular conditions.
Contact us for more information about this database.