Developing Healthcare Safety Research (SHEPheRD)

As of October 2016, CDC awarded 35 organizations across the United States the opportunity to develop and conduct research and innovative prevention projects related to safety in healthcare settings. This significant opportunity allows CDC to request research and other collaborative proposals from these organizations over the next 5 years to find innovative approaches to preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antibiotic resistance across the healthcare spectrum.

These organizations bring a diverse set of skills to the research field. They include traditional public health partners, academic partners, healthcare systems, and veterinary schools, as well as organizations with special expertise in healthcare surveillance technology and laboratories that can perform advanced molecular testing. In addition, CDC will accept research proposals focused on exploring the link between animal health and human antibiotic resistance, and preventing HAIs in international low and middle income settings.

Examples of collaborative projects might include:

• Development and implementation of HAI research protocols and pilot studies.
• Advancement of surveillance and health IT systems related to antibiotic resistance and HAIs.
• Lab analysis of pathogens (germs) and microbial communities (germs that share a common living space) to provide information to inform prevention strategies.
• Implementation of innovative prevention strategies in acute and long-term care facilities, including nursing homes and outpatient care facilities.

This expanded opportunity for research and prevention is funded through a mechanism known as the Safety and Healthcare Epidemiology Prevention Research Development (SHEPheRD) Program, and is managed by the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion.