Earl A. Palmer papers
Scope and Contents
This collection includes a range of administrative materials, research data and audio-visual resources, scholarly output from Dr. Palmer and his colleagues, and correspondence from throughout Palmer’s career. The collection dates from 1965-2009, with the bulk of items created between 1980 and 2005. The majority of the materials are from his time at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and most relate to the Multicenter Trial of Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity (CRYO-ROP).
The trial had 4 phases with these approximate dates: Phase I: 1985 March-1989 April; Phase II: 1989 June-1994 May; Phase III: 1994 June-1999 May; Phase IV: 1999 June-2003 June.
Series 1, "Research Study Materials," contains approximately 8,000 35mm color photography slides of close-up images of eyes. Based on other information in this collection, it seems probable that the slides show images of eyes with different stages of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). There are audio-visual resources (VHS and U-matic videocassettes, DVDs, and CD-Rs) in this series that relate to ROP, OHSU, and other aspects of Palmer’s work. Most of this series contains administrative materials concerning the operations of CRYO-ROP and other ROP-related research. This includes grant application paperwork, manuals of procedures (MOPs), and examples of the kind of planning and logistical documents needed for a national study of this scale. There is also a small subseries of Palmer’s work files that are not related to ROP but involve his work with various professional organizations. with various professional organizations.
Series 2, "Research Outputs" consists of published journal articles by members of the Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity Cooperative Group, often with multiple drafts and feedback from the editorial committee. The series also includes book chapters written by Palmer, data charts, and presentation materials.
Series 3, “Correspondence,” is primarily made up of letters, memoranda, and printed emails that have to do with ROP research and the coordination of CRYO-ROP. An attempt has been made to maintain the titles as they appeared on folders, but some folders were not labeled, and some may have been labeled by someone without knowledge of how Palmer had originally arranged items . The small subseries of correspondence not directly related to ROP was in its own section with little descriptive information other than the year.
Dates
- Creation: approximately 1965-2009
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1983-2005
Creator
- Palmer, Earl A. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Some materials in this collection may be restricted due to the presence of protected health information (PHI) or other confidential material. Please contact Historical Collections & Archives for more details regarding access.
Conditions Governing Use
OHSU Historical Collections & Archives (HC&A) is the owner of the original materials and digitized images in our collections, however, the collection may contain materials for which copyright is not held. Patrons are responsible for determining the appropriate use or reuse of materials. Consult with HC&A to determine if we can provide permission for use.
Biographical Note
Earl Alfred Palmer, M.D. (b. 1940), an emeritus professor of ophthalmology and pediatrics, worked at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) from 1979 until retiring in 2010. During his time at OHSU, he held several positions including Chief of Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology Services at OHSU’s Casey Eye Institute and Director of the Oregon Elks Children’s Eye Clinic. Dr. Palmer also served as President of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus from 1996 to 1997 and participated in many other professional organizations and journal editorial boards throughout his career.
The Multicenter Trial of Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity known as CRYO-ROP was conceived of by Dr. Palmer, who also acted as the study’s director. CRYO-ROP was a cooperative trial to evaluate cryotherapy’s long-term effectiveness in treating retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). ROP is a condition that affects the eyes of premature infants when the vessels that supply blood to the retinas are not fully developed at the time of birth and begin to grow abnormally. This abnormal growth can distort and detach the retina, causing visual impairment or blindness. Twenty-three centers across the United States participated in the trial funded by the National Eye Institute and National Institutes of Health. The medical staff at these centers set out to determine the effects of cryotherapy on the 291 infants enrolled in the study who received regular follow-up examinations at their local study centers to assess the long-term effects of the treatment on visual acuity and eye health. The last phase of eye examinations took place around 2002 when the 198 remaining eligible participants were 15 years old. The findings were documented in the last paper “15-year Outcomes Following Threshold Retinopathy of Prematurity: Final Results from the Multicenter Trial of Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity” published in Archives of Ophthalmology in 2005.
Along with his role as director, Dr. Palmer served as chairman of the CRYO-ROP national headquarters and was also the principal investigator of the study center in Portland, OR. He was a member of the Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity Cooperative Group which was the group responsible for writing and editing over 50 journal articles that resulted from this 20-year effort. Palmer and this team also presented their findings at various national and international conferences. In addition to cryotherapy treatment, these researchers also investigated other approaches to ROP and published many related journal articles. See the acronym index in this finding aid for a list of other subjects this group researched. Members of the CRYO-ROP Cooperative Group include, but are not limited to, Barry R. Davis, M.D., Ph.D.; Graham E. Quinn, M.D.; Velma Dobson, Ph.D.; John T. Flynn, M.D.; Robert J. Hardy, Ph.D.; Michale Msall, M.D.; Dale Phelps, M.D.; Cynthia L. Phillips, B.S.; Michael X. Repka, M.D.; David B. Schaffer, M.D.; Gail Summers, M.D.; and Betty Tung, M.S.
Extent
25 Linear Feet (46 document boxes, 1 flat box of audio-visual materials, 1 flat-file)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Earl A. Palmer, M.D., Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University, was one of the leading researchers in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) which can cause blindness in children. He helped design and direct a large-scale study on the use of cryotherapy to treat ROP in which researchers tracked the participating infants for 15 years. His work led to the creation and collection of much of this material, including administrative materials, audio-visual resources, scholarly output from Dr. Palmer and his colleagues, and correspondence from throughout Palmer’s career.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into three main series: I. Research Study Materials and Administration, II. Research Outputs, and III. Correspondence.
Due to the original order of this collection, there is some overlap between the series. Various pieces of correspondence can be found throughout all three series. Similarly, research outputs and publications may appear outside of series II.
Acronym index
Acronyms that refer to various studies related to Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP):
- --Duplicates of correspondence, manuals of procedures, grant applications --When multiple drafts and edits of manuscripts were present, a sample of drafts was taken and some were deaccessioned --Conference materials, travel authorizations and reimbursement forms --Certificates for completing continuing education --Certification lists for each study center --Correspondence regarding permissions to use CRYO-ROP materials (sample taken) --Correspondence about videotape sales, use of slides --Budget documents --Subcontractor documents for CRYO-ROP study centers --Consortium agreement --Correspondence with contract analyst --Invoices for 15-year exams
- Title
- Guide to the Earl A. Palmer papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Amy Wagner
- Date
- 2011
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Oregon Health & Science University, Historical Collections & Archives Repository