U1246 SPHERE
The methodS in Patient-centered outcomes & HEalth ResEarch (SPHERE – UMR 1246) research unit is a two-site inter-regional research unit jointly accredited by the University of Nantes, the University of Tours and the INSERM.
We aim at developing, validating, and applying methods in a pluridisciplinary perspective to address a variety of challenges encountered in health research and decision making, taking into account both individuals’ environments and perceptions.
The SPHERE research program is currently developed in the framework of the “personome” concept introduced by Ziegelstein in 2015 (Ziegelstein RC. Personomics. JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Jun;175(6):888-9) which advocates that individuals should be considered both in terms of their social and family environment and their own personality, health beliefs, and experience of illness.
Our scientific objectives
Our scientific objectives aim to strengthen the development of methods for patient-centered health research in a multidisciplinary perspective involving biostatistics, public health, clinical disciplines (addictology, dermatology, general medicine, nephrology), pharmacology and human and social science disciplines (health psychology, health economics and sociology).
Our research
Our project is based on 3 axes which are part of a methodological continuum to address
several challenges related to the development of methods for :
Axis DEVICE
the DEfinition, construction, Validation and Implementation of Core outcomes sets, standardized quEstionnaires and tools for clinical practice
Axis PRACMATIC
from Planification to implementation: ReseArCh on Methods for cluster rAndomized TrIals and Complex interventions
Axis QUANQUAL
Data analysis and interpretation of experiences and behaviors in health using QUANtitative, QUALitative or mixed methods