Patient Interaction Core (CCTS Research Nursing Unit)
The University of Utah Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Patient Interaction Core (PIC), a facility funded by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), of the National Institute of Health (NIH), provides investigators with the resources necessary to conduct patient-oriented studies.
The PIC seeks to provide an optimal setting for clinical research, by hosting investigators who receive funding from NIH, other federal, state and local agencies as well as by the private sector.
In addition, the PIC is also available for investigators to perform pilot studies which may result in future funding.
Aims of the PIC are:
1) Provide the needed nursing support, nutritional support, bed space, and expertise in specialized technical procedures for clinical investigators performing research studies on human subjects.
2) Evaluate applications for use of PIC support in order to ensure that the studies are scientifically justified and protective of subjects' safety and privacy.
3) Evaluate the performance of the Core and its services.
The PIC currently supports a wide range of adult and pediatric research studies that address important problems in nuerology, musculoskeletal disease, obesity, diabetes, infectious disease, dermatology, cancer and others. The PIC has special strengths in the analysis of heritable conditions.