New partnership will allow Cummings Institute researchers to share findings on integrated health care September 9, 2016

The Cummings Institute will now be able to share its research findings in integrated health care with the industry, thanks to a new agreement with the University of New Mexico Institutional Review Board (IRB).

The partnership will ensure Cummings Institute researchers comply with federal regulations and ethical standards for the safety and protection of human subjects as well as data quality and integrity. Many journals and conferences require IRB approval as a condition of publication or presentation of research.

“We are excited by the prospect of sharing how integrated care techniques are changing the way health care professionals treat their patients,” says Cara English, the director of the Cummings Institute. “Our partnership will ensure that we are conducting research in the highest ethical manner with serious protections in place for all participants.”

The University of New Mexico IRB will perform reviews of Cummings Institute research, consult with staff on how to protect human subjects and monitor research projects for compliance with federal regulations, policies and procedures.

“The University of New Mexico’s Human Research Protections Program is working toward national accreditation and is increasing its collaboration and support of the research efforts of outside organizations,” says Linda Petree, director of UNM’s Office of the Institutional Review Board. “We are pleased to provide our support and guidance to the Cummings Institute.”

The UNM-Cummings Institute partnership will allow researchers like DBH candidate Jackson Williams to conduct research on the non-medicinal treatment of sleep disorders, among incarcerated youth suffering PTSD and anxiety, and then share his findings in journals and at conferences.

The Cummings Institute, founded in 2014, works to improve the quality of health care in the U.S. and around the world by educating students on the importance of integrated care, which blends behavioral health care with general practice or primary care for the treatment of the whole patient. Students are encouraged to research and incorporate evidence-based interventions into their own practices.