NUCORE

Northwestern University Center on Outcomes Research and Education (NUCORE) is an approved Northwestern University recharge center for a broad range of mission-related activities. This provides a core for non-investigator-initiated work in collaboration with individual clinicians, research groups, federally sponsored investigators and for-profit firms in clinical research.

Through NUCORE, the Department of Medical Social Sciences can expand the use of clinical/health measures and deepen societal understanding of treatment-related and disease-related outcomes. We believe that through collaboration with other scientists, we can enhance their work and refine our tools for more meaningful science. NUCORE offers consultation, analysis and training on outcomes research and informatics. Our consultative services include the following:

Outcomes Measurement

With a specific focus on patient-reported outcome and performance measurement, we advise and support collaborators in the creation, selection and appropriate use of health outcome and clinical assessment tools in outcomes research and clinical trials.

• Provide qualitative, statistical and psychometric analysis services for patient-reported outcome and performance measures.
• Develop new questionnaires or evaluate language translations and content prioritization of existing questionnaires for the most meaningful results.

Outcomes Study Design

• Provide direction on protocols, study design and analysis for scientists designing an outcomes research project or clinical trial.
• Assist with state-of-the-science methods and instrumentation, including an analytic plans and advanced psychometric approaches.

Informatics Research and Implementation

• Advise on the customization of specific electronic health record environments to incorporate the department's measurements and data capture tools.
• Support clients with software programming, platform deployment, application user training and support, and application customization.

HealthMeasures Curation and Distribution

• Curate and distribute PROMIS® (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System®), Neuro-QoL, ASCQ-Me, and NIH Toolbox® (Emotional Health) measures under the HealthMeasures name.
• License non-English translations of HealthMeasures tools for use in public and private sectors.
• License the HealthMeasures Application Programming Interface (API) for use in clinical research and clinical practice.

Please contact us at mssnucore@northwestern.edu for more information.