AstraZeneca, HealthCore Partner on Health Outcomes Research

(WomensHealth.gov)

AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals and HealthCore Inc. in Wilmington, Delaware, said today they will collaborate on real-world studies to determine how to most effectively and economically treat disease. HealthCore Inc. is the clinical outcomes research subsidiary of the health insurance company WellPoint Inc.

The research is expected to include prospective and retrospective observational studies on disease states as well as comparative effectiveness research. The studies plan to analyze how medicines and treatments already on the market are working in a number of disease areas, particularly on chronic illnesses. The research also aims to provide insights into the types of new therapies most needed for treating and preventing disease.

The real-world evidence studies planned for the partnership will use observational data such as electronic medical records, claims information, and patient surveys. The companies say that examining data associated with the delivery of care can help assess treatment impact on hospital length of stay, readmissions, overall health status, cost of care, and other outcomes.

AstraZeneca and HealthCore will seek to expand the collaboration into a broader health care consortium with public and private organizations, with the goal of integrating community health information.

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