Research

Projects

Community Quality Collaboratives: With financial support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Center faculty members are studying the accomplishments and challenges of community quality collaboratives in the U.S. These collaboratives bring together purchasers, health plans, providers, consumer groups and state Medicaid agencies to develop initiatives for improving quality and containing heath care costs.

Hospital Community Benefits: In collaboration with faculty from the University of Michigan, Center faculty members are using financial reports that federally tax-exempt hospitals file with the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) to examine patterns among hospitals in the delivery of community benefits such as charity care and non-reimbursable services. At a time when hospitals are coming under increased scrutiny form the I.R.S., the study will seek to identify key hospital characteristics that are associated with the level and type of community benefits provided. The study will use the I.R.S. filings to examine unique measures of community benefits.

Prescription Drug Utilization: In collaboration with faculty at Harvard Medical School, Center faculty members are studying the impact of high deductible health plans on utilization of prescription drugs. This project will also include studies that seek to identify disparities in prescription drug utilization that extend beyond clinical considerations and insurance coverage.

Pay-for-Performance and Quality of Care: With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Center faculty members are testing the effectiveness of different ways to design and implement pay-for-performance programs for improving quality of care.

Evidence-based Prescribing for Psychiatric Conditions: Center faculty members are using data from the Department of Veterans Affairs to investigate factors influencing physician adherence to evidence-based protocols for prescribing antipsychotics and other psycho-pharmaceuticals.

Hospital Supply Chain: Center faculty members are studying hospital supply chain management.  This research is identifying best practices for managing hospital supply chains and the factors associated with supply chain management as a core competency for hospitals.

Quality Ratings: Center faculty members are examining the quality ratings that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services use for prescription drug plans participating in the Medicare Part D program.   One focus of the study is the influence of the socio-economic characteristics of a plan’s enrollees on its quality ratings for medication adherence.

Recent Papers

D. Mohr, and G. Young, “Slack Resources and the Quality of Primary Care,” Medical Care. 2012, 50: 203-209.

G. Young. “Multi-Stakeholder Regional Collaboratives Have Been Key Drivers of Public Reporting But Now Face Challenges” Health Affairs, 2012; 31: 578-584.

G. Young, H. Beckman and E. Baker. “Financial Incentives, Professional Values and Performance: A Study of Pay-for-Performance in a Professional Organization” Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2012, 33: 964-983.

D. Mohr, G. Young and J. Burgess, “Employee Turnover and Operational Performance: The Moderating Effect of Organizational Culture” Human Resource  Management Journal, 2012, 22: 216-233

D. Mohr, J. Benzer and G. Young “Provider Workload and Quality of Care in Primary Care Settings:  Moderating Role of Relational Climate” Medical Care, 2012: 51: 108–114.

J. Goren, M. Meterko, S. Williams, G. Young, E. Baker, C. Chou, A. Kilbourne and M. Bauer.  “Antipsychotic Prescribing Pathways, Polypharmacy, and Clozapine use in Schizophrenia” Psychiatric Services. In press.

T. Hoff. “Embracing a Diversified Future for US Primary Care” American Journal of Managed Care, 2013, 19: e9–e13.

C. Chou, A. Tulodo, E. Raver, C. Hsu, and G. Young.  “The Effect of Race and Health Insurance on Health Disparities: Results from the National Health Interview Survey 2010 Journal of Healthcare for the Poor and Underserved. In press.

G. Young, C. Chou, J. Alexander, S, Lee, E. Raver, K. Hong.  “Provision of Community Benefit Among Tax Exempt Hospitals: A National Study” New England Journal of Medicine, In press.