The Outcomes and Economics Assessment Unit (OEAU) was founded in 2001 and is part of the Brown University School of Public Health’s Center for BioStatistics and Health Data Science. The OEAU is directed by Ilana F. Gareen Ph.D., an epidemiologist. Dr. Gareen is responsible for the design, collection, and analysis of patient-reported outcomes for clinical trials coordinated by the Center for BioStatistics and Health Data Science.

Patient-centered outcomes provide the patient perspective on the events that follow a diagnostic test. For instance, the use of a diagnostic test may lead to additional testing, changes in therapy, lifestyle, and similar types of outcomes. These may have a positive or negative effect on a patient’s quality of life, emotional well-being or economic status.

Most notably, OEAU research has provided a wealth of information on the American College of Radiology Imaging Network’s large screening trials, including the “National Lung Screening Trial” (NLST) and the “National CT Colonography Trial” (NCTCT). Publications have included analyses of the impact of lung screening on patient quality of life and anxiety, the cost-effectiveness of lung screening, patient preference and satisfaction with colonography as opposed to colonoscopy, and the cost-effectiveness of colonography compared with other screening modalities.