Rochester Epidemiology Project

The Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) is a unique records-linkage research infrastructure that has existed since 1966, and allows for population-based medical research in Olmsted County, Minnesota. The project has been continually funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1966. Specifically, the REP links together medical diagnosis and procedure information across all medical providers in the county. The project is a collaboration between Olmsted Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, and Rochester Family Medicine Clinic.
History.
The REP was originally funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences in 1966 under the direction of Dr. Leonard T. Kurland, a neurologist who started his career at the NIH and moved to Olmsted County, Minnesota when he realized the great benefit to medical research that a population-based record linkage system could have. Dr. Kurland considered Olmsted County an optimal location for such a population-based research infrastructure because the county is relatively isolated from other metropolitan centers, almost all medical care is received within the county, and all medical specialties are available to county residents. More recently, the study funding source changed to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, and as of July 2010 the REP is funded by the National Institute on Aging. In September 2016, the REP celebrated 50 years of continuous NIH funding.
The Population.
The REP includes the medical records of all persons who have ever lived in Olmsted County, Minnesota between January 1, 1966 and the present, and who have given permission for their medical information to be used for research. Those persons comprise more than 500,000 unique individuals and more than 6 million person years of follow-up through 2010. Historically, the Olmsted County population is less racially diverse than the US as a whole; however, it has been found to be similar to the state of Minnesota and surrounding states (Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota).
Scientific Contributions.
The REP has contributed significantly to the understanding of many diseases, including epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, dementia and Alzheimer's Disease, heart failure, stroke, multiple myeloma, and many others. Since its inception, the REP has supported more than 2,600 peer-reviewed scientific publications spanning almost every field of medicine.