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The Eastern Pediatric Surgery Network: Creation and implementation of a comprehensive clinical research collaborative
Cornelia L Griggs1, Alyssa Stetson1, Aaron M Lipskar2
1Division of Pediatric Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Insights
The Eastern Pediatric Surgery Network was established to enhance multi-institutional clinical research in pediatric surgery. This collaborative model has successfully produced numerous studies and publications, demonstrating its effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Clinical Research
- Healthcare Collaboration
Background:
- Multi-institutional research consortia are increasingly forming in North American pediatric surgery.
- Establishing robust academic infrastructure is crucial for evidence-based clinical research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the creation and implementation of the Eastern Pediatric Surgery Network (EPSN).
- To highlight the organizational structure and operational pillars of the EPSN.
- To share experiences that may inform the establishment of similar consortia in other medical fields.
Main Methods:
- Established a vision statement and governance rules in 2020 among thirteen academic pediatric surgery divisions.
- Organized the consortium around four pillars: data ownership, horizontal leadership, mandatory participation, and a broad research portfolio.
- Expanded participation to 24 medical centers over five years.
Main Results:
- Successfully expanded research projects with participation from 24 medical centers.
- Presented 28 abstracts at national conferences.
- Published 12 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals despite limited extramural funding.
Conclusions:
- The Eastern Pediatric Surgery Network demonstrates a successful model for multi-institutional pediatric surgery research.
- The consortium's structure and collaborative approach facilitate high-quality clinical studies.
- Sharing this experience can guide the development of similar research infrastructures in various medical specialties.
Abstract:
Over the past decade, several multi-institutional research consortia have formed within the North American pediatric surgical community. In this article, we describe our experience with the creation and implementation of the Eastern Pediatric Surgery Network, a large and comprehensive research consortium designed to produce a wide array of high-quality clinical studies within our subspecialty. In 2020, a vision statement and rules of governance were established at thirteen academic pediatric surgery divisions in the eastern United States. The research consortium was organized based on four major pillars, namely legal ownership of aggregate data, horizontal leadership structure, mandatory participation in adopted studies, and a broad research portfolio that encompasses the full breath of the specialty. Over the past five years, the number of research projects has dramatically expanded over time and includes participation from 24 different medical centers. Despite a lack of dedicated sponsored extramural support for most projects, there have been 28 abstracts presented at national conferences and 12 manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals. It is our hope that sharing our experience with creating this organization can help to inform others interested in establishing the academic infrastructure to engage in multi-institutional, evidence-based clinical research in other medical specialties and beyond.
