About the MedStar Healthcare Delivery Research Network
Since its inception, MedStar Healthcare Delivery Research Network has been the driving force behind how MedStar Health clinically re-engineers the delivery of care to achieve value, quality, and patient satisfaction. Thanks to MedStar Health’s commitment to providing the highest quality of patient care and goal of achieving zero harm, we have achieved exponential growth in healthcare delivery research and are home to a bench of nationally-recognized experts.
Through this work, MedStar Health, a real-world learning health system, has taken an active role in creating the future of healthcare. We focus on creating new knowledge about how to treat people, test and evaluate the latest innovations in healthcare delivery, and disseminate research to the rest of the nation.
Fast Facts
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10+
Investigators
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37+
Associates
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$8.5M
Annual research funding, including
56% of federal grants and awards
Selected as one of 13 prime organizations in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Accelerating Change and Transformation in Organizations and Networks (ACTION) network.
Selected as a learning health system to participate in the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s Health System Implementation Initiative.
Learn more about our work
We are proud that our research informs national standards of care, clinical guidelines, health system operational processes, and national healthcare policy. Learn more about our work.
MedStar Center for Health Equity Research
The MedStar Center for Health Equity Research is a multidisciplinary home for health equity research, scholarship, and community engagement. Established by the MedStar Health Research Institute, our team of investigators conducts collaborative research. It aims to empower, inform, and advance health equity for patients, families, communities, our health system, and beyond. Our mission is to develop the evidence base for creating an equitable healthcare system where everyone can achieve optimal health, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, or geographic location.
MedStar National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare
The MedStar Health National Center for Human Factors is dedicated to the scientific study of how humans interact within the healthcare environment and applying this knowledge to improve safety, quality, and efficiency. The Human Factors Center is organized into three areas of focus: research, advisory services, and education. Located in Washington, D.C., the Center was founded in 2010 within the MedStar Institute for Innovation and moved to its new organizational home in the MedStar Health Research Institute in 2020. The Center is the largest human factors team embedded in a healthcare system in the United States. It has published over 300 journal publications, received over $30m in external funding, and driven numerous clinical and policy improvements to advance care delivery.
Health Economics and Aging Research (H.E.A.R.) Institute
The Health Economics Aging Research (H.E.A.R.) Institute is MedStar Health’s dedicated applied research lab focused on innovation and developing best practices for geriatric healthcare delivery. Established to address the needs of aging patients and their family caregivers, the H.E.A.R. Institute is structured around high-priority, high-opportunity research goals that address the most pressing needs of geriatric health services:
- Engage researchers and clinicians in aging research related to cognitive health, chronic illness, home-based care, and the caregiving workforce.
- Conduct health services research in a variety of settings where care is provided (e.g., clinic, community, virtual, home), with a particular interest in examining health disparities and health economics.
- Disseminate research to scientists, clinicians, and policymakers to advance the industry’s standard of care for aging adults.
- Translate findings to improve care delivery at MedStar Health
MedStar Center for Diagnostic Systems Safety
Diagnostic errors are both frequent and harmful, resulting in substantial, preventable morbidity and mortality and excess healthcare costs while being among the most frequent reasons for medical malpractice claims. The MedStar Health Center for Diagnostic Systems Safety addresses diagnostic error using structured, evidence-based systems-engineering approaches to improve care quality, value, patient safety, patient experience, and overall health outcomes through research, education, and innovation.
Population Health Sciences
Population health focuses on not just the overall health of a population but also the process of improving clinical health outcomes. Many social determinants of health, such as poverty, education, and housing, impact health outcomes in a community. At MedStar Health Research Institute, we are bridging the fields of medicine, public health, and health policy by exploring and strengthening the connections between healthcare and factors that influence everyday health in our communities.
Implementation Science
MedStar Health Research Institute’s Implementation Science program aims to improve the uptake and utilization of evidence-based research and integrate it into real-world practice. The equitable delivery of these evidence-based interventions is a crucial aspect of this work. In addition to investigating the potential efficacy of health promotion interventions, we aim to understand how multi-level influences and context impact intervention utilization and identify strategies to increase evidence-based practice.
MedStar Institute for Quality and Safety
The MedStar Institute for Quality and Safety is a leader in the science, innovation, and discovery leading to better patient quality, experience, and safety of healthcare across the continuum of health care. Along with the MedStar Institute for Quality and Safety Patient and Family Advisors and MedStar Health partners, the institute designs, implements, and tests innovations to improve the future of health for all Americans.
MedStar Women and Children’s Research Network
The MedStar Health Women and Children’s Research Network is dedicated to improving health outcomes for women, infants, children, and families through innovative research, collaboration, and community involvement. By bringing together a diverse group of experts in fields such as obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, and behavioral health, we conduct impactful studies that address important health disparities, enhance access to essential care, and promote evidence-based practices.
Our goal is to integrate groundbreaking research into everyday healthcare, enhancing maternal and child health outcomes while enriching the experiences of patients and their families. Through strong partnerships with dedicated clinicians, passionate researchers, and committed community organizations, MedStar Health is proudly forging a future where every woman and child can thrive.
Community Research Network
MedStar Health’s Community Research team leads and supports clinical studies that address some of the most pressing health challenges affecting our communities, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), obesity, and wound care. With deep expertise in engaging diverse patient populations, we specialize in participant recruitment and retention, as well as the coordination of complex, multi-site clinical trials that advance evidence-based care across the region.
Contact us
If you are interested in collaborating or learning more about our work, please contact research@medstar.net.