Application & Review Process
1. Specific Aims: Each researcher must submit a specific aims page. LTC Data Cooperative reviews
within three business days to ensure the proposal is eligible and feasible.
2. Full Application:
If eligible, researchers are invited to submit a full application. Once
researchers send a full application, they receive a response to whether
their application is complete, or whether further revisions are
recommended,
within five business days.
a. A full application requires a Plain Language Abstract.
Instructions are available here.
If approved, future publications based on LTC Data Cooperative data
must align with the study objectives, design, and key measures and
outcomes described in the Plain Language Abstract, per the
Publications Policy.
3. Application Review:
Once application revision is complete, research applications either
proceed (a) to the Research Review Committee for a decision of a letter
of support or (b) to the provider community comment period, as described
in further detail below.
a. If a researcher is requesting a
Letter of Support, and no access to data until a later date, then the
LTC Data Cooperative Research Review Committee reviews the Plain
Language Abstract to make a determination within seven business days on
whether to provide a letter of support . Please note once the researcher
is ready to move forward with their application (i.e. after receiving
funding or if researcher wishes to proceed without funding), their
application will then be sent to the provider community comment period
and full review and decision by the LTC Data Cooperative Research Review
Committee, as outlined below.
b. If a researcher is requesting
data access, their Plain Language Abstract will undergo a provider
community comment period (five business days), followed by a review and
decision by the LTC Data Cooperative Research Review Committee within seven business days.
Please allow for 20 business days to
complete the LTC Data Cooperative application review process. Upon
approval, Institutional Review Board review of your study protocol is
required prior to entering into a Data Use Agreement (DUA) and
subsequent onboarding to use the data.
Linking with CMS Data
For
approved research studies, electronic health record (EHR) data can be
linked with Medicare claims and other data from the Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services (CMS) at no cost via the NIA Data LINKAGE Program.
If
a researcher is requesting access to CMS-EHR linked data, they will be
directed to submit a DUA request with NIA LINKAGE after completing the
LTC Data Cooperative application review process, receiving approval, and
signing the LTC Data Cooperative’s DUA.