The HCDI shared resource core offers the following services:
Gateway services and consultation
The core provides a gateway for researchers who want to incorporate digital technology solutions into their work through a detailed consultation process.
Acquisition of product license and analytical expertise
Researchers will have access to various physical equipment and licenses, which helps researchers build, test, and launch technology-based health assessments and intervention tools.
The core can also conduct analyses of data collected from apps, sensors, and fitness trackers and develop analytic pipelines for such data. The team will also work with other units (such as VCU Massey Cancer Informatics Core) to provide metrics and analyses for defining analytic plans.
Qualtrics and Redcap services
The HCDI core team holds expertise in rapidly developing and designing survey assessments and measurements. The core can assist in designing and implementing Qualtrics and RedCap surveys. Qualtrics provide panels that can be representative with a variety of segregation sampling variables, providing the possibility for investigators to reach specific populations of interest. The core can assist with access to and designs of such panels.
Recruitment and retention solutions
The HCDI implements interventions using social media and text messaging platforms to enhance recruitment and retention of participants in clinical trials or observational cohorts. Core faculty also provide consultation on strategic communications between providers and patients.
Custom builds for new products and apps
HCDI provides new apps and web-based tools that can be used in a number of different projects, including investigator-initiated projects where readily available solutions are not in place.
Examples include, but not limited to:
- PiLR Health, a customizable ecological momentary assessment (EMA) app that can be utilized in many health-related studies and settings. More detail on their website here: https://pilrhealth.com/
- A new tablet app for decision making around lung cancer screening
- A smoking cessation app for African-American cancer patients
- An app for providers that has key information about cancer screening
Qualitative research methods
The HCDI core provides consultation on designs of qualitative research methods and offers solutions on collecting, managing, and analyzing qualitative data (e.g., doctor’s notes, social media comments) on a broad range of topics for primary and secondary analyses on text data.
Logo designs and infographics
The core can assist in designing and generating logos for researchers’ projects, laboratory resources, and institutes. As part of efforts for dissemination research outcomes, we also provide services and resources on generating graphical contents such as infographics.
Policy reports
The core provides consultation and assistance for researchers who are interested in developing and disseminating data-driven policy reports for policymakers and practitioners. With the goal of improving the lives of people and health outcomes, the core strives to offer support to enable data to be optimally used in generating policy reports, which contribute to disseminating scientific evidence to the broader audience.
EQUIPMENT
The HCDI core will provide researchers with:
- Computing equipment
- Specialized software licenses
- Smart phones and personalized mobile devices (e.g., Tablets)
- Sensors and wearable monitors for testing and measurement (e.g., ActiGraph)
- Server space
