Using BIG DATA to Improve the Lives of Americans with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
We intend to conduct the first nationwide population-based characterization of Americans with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The University of Michigan, through its Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation, recently acquired a database of over 56 million Americans (Clinformatics/ OptumInsight). The database contains over 1 million individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus – to our knowledge, the largest research database on type 1 diabetes in the world. Yet, no one is using this information to study Type I diabetes (yet). We want the University of Michigan to be the first. We will be applying for NIDDK funds for analyses but, in the interim, request seed grant funding to cut the files and take an initial look at the depth of the data across medical/laboratory/pharmaceutical variables.
Our SPECIFIC AIM is to provide Americans with population-based figures regarding the incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus across age ranges, gender, race, education, family income, regions of the country, and provider characteristics when first diagnosed. This information is currently unknown. Our LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE is to generate a robust research team who will utilize this BIG DATA source to answer clinically-relevant questions such as, “What are the triggers of hospitalization in children and adults with type 1 diabetes?” “What is the optimal frequency of clinical visits that result in better patient outcomes (increased survival, fewer hospital visits, lower complication rates)?”