Highlights:

New Web Site for Urologic Outcomes Research Now Online

Researchers at UCLA launched a new web site today to help inform the public about the impact of urologic diseases on the American public.

The site, which can be accessed at www.udaonline.net, is part of the Urologic Diseases in America (UDA) project, which seeks to increase the general understanding of the burden of urologic diseases in both human and financial terms.

The UDA project began in 2001 when researchers from UCLA and RAND Health received a $6.9 million grant to spearhead a first-of-its-kind study to document the impact of urologic diseases on the public. The study resulted in the UDA Compendium, a comprehensive guide to the risk factors, prevalence, treatment types and utilization trends for urologic diseases affecting men, women and children. "The study focuses on urologic cancers of the prostate, bladder, testicular and kidney, but also examines high-profile disorders such as male sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence," said Dr. Christopher Saigal, UCLA Associate Professor of Urology and UDA Co-Principal Investigator.

Renewed through 2012 for an additional $9.25 million, the UCLA team has launched a new website that includes an interactive version of the Compendium that allows users to access data from hundreds of tables and charts to customize their own charts, figures, and tables for presentation.

"This is an innovative web site that provides access to data that hasn't been gathered in one location before," said Dr. Mark Litwin, UCLA Professor of Urology and Health Services, who is principal investigator on the eleven-year study. "The information is easy to access, user-friendly and is open to anyone who wants to use it. It is the premier site for epidemiological information on urologic diseases."

UDA is sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health.