Introduction

The Childhood Asthma Research and Education (CARE) Network was established in 1999 by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).  Five clinical centers and a data coordinating center were selected to participate in this research network.

Since asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease in the U.S., the CARE Network was established to evaluate treatments for children with asthma.  Over the next five years, the CARE Network will conduct several studies for children with asthma and share their findings with the health care community.

	Clinical Centers Denver: National Jewish Medical & Research Center Madison: University of Wisconsin San Diego: University of California Kaiser Permanente California St. Louis: Washington University Tucson: University of Arizona Satellite Centers Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Milwaukee: Center for Urban Population Health		Data Coordinating Center Hershey: Penn State University
			NIH Funding Agency Bethesda, MD: NHLBI

Responsibilities of the Steering Committee include the following:

1. identifying important research questions
2. selecting topics for investigation
3. designing and developing protocols
4. facilitating the conduct and monitoring of protocols
5. participating in the analysis and interpretation of data
6. preparing manuscripts
7. assuring timely reporting of study results to the scientific community

Prior to implementation, an protocol must be approved by its Protocol Review Committee (PRC). The PRC consists of clinical scientists, basic scientists, and biostatisticians who are not associated with any other network activity. After a protocol has been approved, patients are recruited, enrolled, and monitored at the five Clinical Centers. The DCC provides overall scientific, data management, and administrative coordination during the progress of the trial. The Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) is another independent committee whose function is to oversee ongoing trials. The DSMB is empowered to stop a clinical trial for any reason concerning safety and/or efficacy, and it also reviews the final outcomes of the study.