Community, Health Outcomes & Intervention Research (CHOIR) Program
The Community, Health Outcomes & Intervention Research Program (CHOIR) of The Saban Research Institute works to promote the health and wellbeing of children, adolescents, and families. In an urban, densely populated area such as Los Angeles, there are numerous opportunities to reduce health disparities and address threats to the health of children and adolescents. CHOIR seeks to prevent illness, injury, and other threats to health by conducting innovative research, implementing effective interventions, and working to ensure that all children receive the high-quality healthcare that they need.
Research plays a critical role in understanding why some children are at greater risk for poorer health than others and how best to intervene. CHOIR’s interdisciplinary, collaborative, applied research is aimed at:
- Preventing childhood and lifelong health problems
- Promoting healthy development
- Reducing disparities in children’s health associated with socioeconomic status, health coverage and insurance, access to care, race/ethnicity and immigration status
- Restoring function and preventing disability among children with special needs
- Ensuring the delivery of high-quality care
It is vital to the mission of CHOIR that our research findings be available to a range of key community stakeholder groups, such as policymakers, healthcare providers, advocacy groups, the media and, of course, parents and families. A strong focus at CHOIR, therefore, is on community translation and communication of research findings, so that the information we generate can be put to use in the community.
Research Areas
Recent Program Accomplishments
Child & Adolescent Health & Development
Research in this area is focused on understanding the causes of poor birth outcomes and how these outcomes influence childhood growth and development. Additionally, research focuses on developing diagnostic tools and interventions for a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. Developing tools for early diagnosis and intervention can result in effective, personalized plans of care to restore function and prevent disability.
- Maternal and Child Health Indicators
- Autism Diagnosis & Intervention Research
Prevention & Health Promotion
Research in this area is focused on understanding the leading causes of sickness and injury among young people in Los Angeles, which include diabetes, obesity, HIV, drug use, and violence. By contributing to an understanding of why, where, and how often these conditions and behaviors occur, findings from this research will inform new preventive interventions and public policy. Our studies are designed to fill important gaps in knowledge about the lives of young people, in order to support improved health and well-being within the diverse populations of Los Angeles.
- Diabetes/Obesity Prevention & Community Assessment
- Healthy Young Men’s Study
- African American Young Men’s Study
- Asian Young Men’s Study
- Prescription Drug Use Among High Risk Youth
- Youth Gangs - Drug Use, Sexual Behavior & Violence
- School Emergency Preparedness
Intervention Research & Evaluation
Research in this area is focused on the design, implementation, and evaluation of prevention and health promotion interventions within hospital, clinic, school, and community settings. The program is engaged in developing new interventions, based on the results of our community-based research projects, as well as adapting already-proven interventions for the unique populations of Los Angeles.
- Evaluation of Farmer’s Markets in East and South Los Angeles
- HIV Prevention in Primary Care Settings
- Young Men’s Adult Identity Mentoring
- Adolescent Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Research
- Packaging of Proven HIV Behavioral Interventions for Minority Youth
Improving Quality of Care
Health services and health outcomes research aims to reduce health disparities and improve the quality of care delivered to children and their families. For example, research focuses on understanding the ways our patients navigate the healthcare system and identifying any barriers to access that they experience. Through this effort to understand quality of care from the patient’s point of view, we are better able to meet the diverse needs of the children and families who come to our hospital.
- Access to Care for Children with Special Needs
- Quality Improvement for Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease
- Cancer Surveillance & Linkages to Care
- Mental Health Patient Navigators
- Chronic Care Disease Management
- Modern Genetic Testing in the Pediatric Care Environment
- Establishing an Ethical Framework for Critical Care Genetics
Health Policy & Community Translation
Research in this area focuses on the translation and dissemination of study findings to community-based organizations, policy makers, government agencies, public health personnel, and healthcare workers, so that the information we generate can be put to use in the community. We engage diverse community partners to inform the development of research, interpret findings and support a more efficient translation of knowledge gained into efforts to improve the health and well-being of children and adolescents.
- Increasing Access to Care Among Children with Special Needs
- Community Translation for HIV Prevention
- Dissemination through the Center for Community Translation
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