Multi-Center Research: the Pros and Cons of Conducting a Federally Funded Multi-Center Research Study
Terry A. Lennie, PhD, RN, College of Nursing, Univeristy of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
The purpose of this presentation is to describe the development and implementation of multicenter study funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research. Multicenter studies require considerable financial and human resources and therefore, are best suited for research studies that will be strengthened by the addition of multiple sites. A number of factors must be considered in deciding whether to conduct a multicenter study and in determining the feasibility of this type of study. In this presentation, the role of the principal investigator from developing the research question, to writing the grant, to implementing the protocol at each site will be described. The title of the study is “BMI, Nutrition, Inflammation, and Heart Failure Outcomes”. The purpose of the study is examine factors that may explain why overweight and obese patients with heart failure have better health outcomes than normal or underweight patients. These results are expected to challenge our understanding of the relationship between obesity and HF and revise our current recommendations that obese patients with heart failure should lose weight. Three sites, Kentucky, Indiana, and Georgia, are participating in the protocol. The following issues will be highlighted: 1) pros and cons of single vs. multicenter study; 2) challenges in writing a proposal for a multicenter study; 3) selling the need for a multicenter study to grant reviewers; 4) addressing reviewer concerns about implementing a protocol at multiple sites-learning from our mistakes; 4) strategies for smooth implementation of the protocol at multiple centers; and 5) keeping track of each site.