August 2017 Edition
 
Meeting the growing demand for policy-relevant evidence

We are living in a transformative era in health policy, as the debate about the future of our healthcare system continues to churn. For those of us engaged in health policy research and analysis, the brisk pace of decision making around the issues we focus on may seem daunting. Yet the need for effective decisions makes the work we do more essential than ever.

IHPI seeks to enhance the strength and impact of your research and expertise to improve practice and policy. As the demand for policy-relevant evidence continues to grow, we continue to pursue novel opportunities to meet the pressing need for information expressed by policymakers, providers, and patients alike, and to do so more swiftly. In a recent interview on bridging the gap between policy and patients , I addressed these and other trends in health services research and health policy, including the growth in mixed-methods research, implementation science, big data, and our role in precision health.

We and our colleagues across the country and around the world are moving toward more rapid-cycle data analysis and dissemination to help policymakers understand the potential consequences of health policy decisions and their impact on communities and individuals. Sharing our findings through social media is helping us connect and collaborate in more relevant and timely ways with our many audiences, and bridge the gaps that may otherwise exist.

Continuing to strengthen our partnerships with policymakers and other stakeholders helps us hone our understanding of the most critical and appropriate issues that frame our research; likewise, as those stakeholders come to better understand our expertise, they can more effectively implement the evidence we provide for more targeted solutions to the problems they are working to solve. Our Clinician Scholars Program is preparing the next generation of health services researchers to become agents for positive change in health policy.

Our Impact Accelerator staff is available to help you disseminate your results with greater vigor, connect you with relevant stakeholders, and share tips and resources to improve the impact of the work you do every day. Our persistent challenge during these times of change is to ensure we continue to produce high-quality, policy-relevant evidence, and share this information in the most timely and effective ways with stakeholders.  

John Z. Ayanian, M.D., M.P.P.
 
MICHR recognizes faculty for outstanding mentoring

Four IHPI members are among those honored with the 2017 Distinguished Clinical and Translational Research Mentor Award for their significant contributions to the research environment at U-M.

Vanessa Dalton, M.D., M.P.H., professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Mariel Lavieri, Ph.D., M.S., associate professor in industrial and operations engineering, Lori Pierce, M.D., professor of radiation oncology, and  Sanjay Saint, M.D., M.P.H., professor of internal medicine, are recognized for fostering the intellectual, creative, scholarly, and professional growth of their students, fellows, and trainees in the areas of clinical and translational health and research.

READ MORE
 
 
New CDC funding for U-M injury center probes solutions to injuries

A $2.5 million award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will allow the U-M Injury Center to continue its research over the next two years. The center is one of only 10 nationwide funded by the CDC that focuses on creating cutting-edge injury science and initiatives to prevent injuries.

Rebecca Cunningham, M.D. , director of the c enter and professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, noted, "We aim to reduce injury by publishing innovative research, translating research into practice, disseminating that information into actionable findings for our communities and educating our fellow practitioners and policymakers."

 
Cunningham
 
 
Mody awarded AHRQ R01 for preventing UTIs in post-acute care in nursing homes

Lona Mody, M.D., M.Sc., professor of internal medicine, was awarded an R01 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to examine and develop an integrated system within nursing homes to prevent infections, reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use, reduce transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms, and enhance patient safety.

Her proposal includes testing the effectiveness of an integrated UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) prevention program in reducing catheter-associated and non-catheter-associated UTIs, inappropriate antibiotic use in certain patients, and UTI-related hospitalizations.
 
Mody
 
 
Saint inducted into the Royal College of Physicians

Sanjay Saint, M.D., M.P.H., the George Dock Professor of internal medicine, was recently inducted as an international honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in London, England.

Fellowship of the RCP London is a prestigious accolade held by some of the most innovative and exceptional physicians in the world.
 
Saint
 
 
CHOP offers new resources for research and grant writing

The Center for Healthcare Outcomes & Policy has compiled a list of resources that members and fellows may find useful in their research and grant writing. Two great resources are highlighted below:

IHPI Code Library
Access  user-written programs (link is external) (SAS, Stata, R) for common routines, tips and tricks, tables, figures, and more! 

Health Services Research Slack Team
In addition to the Code Library, this accompanying  Slack team (link is external) promotes communication and collaboration on all topics related to data analysis. Follow  these instructions to sign up and get started (@umich.edu or @med.umich.edu email is required). 

For questions about access to these resources, contact Tedi Engler.
 
 
CSCAR and IHPI Data/Methods Hub partner to add additional summer statistical consulting

James Henderson, Ph.D., statistician, Consulting for Statistics, Computing and Analytics Research (CSCAR), will have open hours each Thursday at NCRC for statistical consulting for IHPI members and their associated staff.

Faculty and staff can schedule time by visiting the CSCAR website or calling 734-764-7828 from 9:00 a.m. ---  5:00 p.m. through the end of August.

Topics of consultation include health services research using claims data such as Truven, to software support for: R, C/C++, Shell scripting, formulation of research aims and development of plans for data collection and analysis, data visualization, data mining, and more.
 
 
 
 
John Marshall, Ph.D., M.A., M.F.A.
Associate Professor, Art and Design

"Design is a process by which aesthetic, cultural, social, technical and economic potential is imagined and then translated to give order to objects, environments and activities. My graduate students and I are particularly interested in opportunities to bring and share our human-centered design methods to clinical settings. Designers have a lot to offer: we can help our partners establish patient-centered goals and needs, develop coherent visions for change, facilitate participation with different stakeholders, prototype iterative experiments aimed at organizational change, and draw upon a large toolbox of different methods to address wicked problems."

VIEW PROFILE
 
  EVENTS
 
 

Date: September 28, 2017
Time: 4:00 p.m. --- 5:00 p.m.
Location: North Campus Research Complex (NCRC), Building 10, Research Auditorium
Speakers: Preeti Malani, M.D., M.S.J., M.S., professor of internal medicine, Medical School
Reception: A reception will follow the presentation, from 5:00 p.m. --- 6:00 p.m. in the Auditorium Lobby ---- all are welcome.
WEBSITE

This seminar is an opportunity for IHPI members and others to learn about a new poll that IHPI launched in spring 2017, with support from AARP and Michigan Medicine. The presentation will include the poll's latest findings about sleep, dental health and prescription drug use among older Americans. It will also provide an overview of the poll's methodology, dissemination and ramifications, and describe opportunities for IHPI members to inform future questions and use poll data in their research.
 
 
AcademyHealth Webinar: Measuring Low-Value Care---- Priorities for Patient-Centered Metrics

Date: September 5, 2017
Time: 1:00 p.m. --- 2:30 p.m.
Featured Panelist: Eve Kerr, M.D., M.P.H., professor of internal medicine, Medical School
WEBINAR REGISTRATION

Identifying low-value care is a necessary condition for reducing provision of such care to patients. AcademyHealth, in partnership with the ABIM Foundation, has developed a set of priorities through engagement of multi-stakeholder groups to develop, test, and use measures of low-value care that are sensitive to patient's values. This webinar will encompass discussion of the rationale and scope of the project, the prioritization methods, and implications of the prioritization endeavors for low-value care measurement. Participants will have an opportunity to weigh in, share their experiences, and ask panelists questions to help inform their work.
 
 

Date: September 18 --- 20, 2017
Location: Michigan League
WEBSITE

SAVIR is a professional organization that provides leadership and fosters excellence in the science of violence and injury prevention. The 2017 conference will be devoted to the theme of innovations in preventing injury and violence.

Who should attend: Researchers, medical and public health practitioners, policymakers, students, early professionals, research staff, and other stakeholders. The agenda will appeal to all sectors and professional levels of injury and violence prevention research and practice.

What to expect: This three-day conference (including pre-conference workshops) will cover topics ranging from the opioid epidemic to youth violence to transportation safety to older adult falls, and much more. Plenary sessions, workshops, symposia, flash science, and poster presentations...all will be designed to provide an invigorating learning experience.
 
 

Medication take-back event: Spread the word!

Date: September 30, 2017
Time: 10:00 a.m. --- 2:00 p.m.
Location: Pioneer High School Parking Lot, 601 W Stadium Blvd (Main Street entrance)

The Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network (Michigan-OPEN) is partnering with hospitals, community organizations, and police departments around the state to host a medication take-back event in several locations on Saturday, September 30. The Washtenaw County event in Ann Arbor is made possible by Michigan Medicine's Department of Anesthesiology and the Ann Arbor Police Department. These events give people the opportunity to dispose of unused, unwanted, or expired medications safely and without cost. Watch for announcements of other take-back locations throughout the state.

Contact Kristin Bennett with questions about the Ann Arbor event.
 
 
10th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health

Date: December 4 --- 6, 2017

The Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health (D&I), co-hosted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and AcademyHealth will take place December 4 --- 6, 2017 in Arlington, VA. This year's theme, A Decade of Progress and the Path Forward, will reflect on the accomplishments of and challenges to the field, and will focus on opportunities ahead.
 
 
 
MLibrary @NCRC

Highlighted resource:  Peterson Kaiser Health System Tracker
Provides up-to-date tracking of U.S. healthcare spending, quality of care, access, and health and well-being. Contains charts, dashboards, and an interactive health spending explorer using data from the National Health Expenditure Account.

Interested in learning more?
Contact MLibrary.
Visit: Building 18, Room G018
View Health Management and Policy Guide.
 
 
Apply for undergraduate research assistants through UROP

Clinical and research faculty, research investigators, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars who will be on campus from September 2017 through April 2018 are eligible to apply for student assistance through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program.

The UROP office provides a list of approved projects and interested students contact the researcher directly. As the researcher, you decide whom you want to interview and to whom you want to offer a position. There is no financial cost to you, and supplemental funding of $500 --- $800 per project is available for student-related research costs.
 
 
IHPI and MICHR team up to help early career faculty with K-award writing workshops

Date: November 14, 28, and December 12
Time:: 5:30 p.m. --- 8:00 p.m.
Registration is now open, and space is limited! Register by October 20 (required)
WEBSITE

This structured, three-part workshop is designed to assist early career faculty and fellows who are preparing competitive career development grant applications (NIH K and VA CDA) for a 2018 submission. As a participant, you will exchange drafts of sections of your proposal and receive peer critique and feedback from senior faculty experienced in NIH study section thinking. IHPI faculty will lead health services-focused breakout sessions.
 
 
2018 IHPI R01 Boot Camp: Application available soon!

IHPI is once again sponsoring an R01 Boot Camp program in conjunction with the Medical School's Mentored Research Academy: R01 Boot Camp. The IHPI Boot Camp will accommodate 8 --- 10 early career faculty and will be open to all assistant professors who are IHPI members, regardless of the school or college in which they are appointed. (NOTE: IHPI early career faculty with appointments in the Medical School may choose to apply to either the IHPI Boot Camp or Medical School Boot Camp, whose application is available now). The IHPI application will be available in Competition Space before the end of August and will be open through mid-October.

Visit the IHPI Boot Camp webpage for the latest information and for the direct application link when it becomes available. Contact Wendy Lombard for more information.
 
 
 
Hospital admissions for older adults increased for weeks after natural disaster

Older adults may still be checking into hospitals for weeks after a natural disaster, past the expected three days of anticipated injuries and health issues, reveals a new University of Michigan study led by Sue Anne Bell , Ph.D., M.S.N., FNP-BC, clinical associate professor of health behavior and biological sciences at the School of Nursing.

The study found that in the 30 days after a rash of tornadoes swept through the U.S. Southeast and Midwest in 2011, hospital admissions for adults 65 and older rose an average of 4 percent in the swatch of affected zip codes in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee.


 
Bell
 
Improving quality of life measures in Huntington disease

 
Noelle Carlozzi, Ph.D., associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, was recently interviewed by Research Features for her work on Huntington Disease quality of life measures. In the interview, Carlozzi reinforces how well-being is a critical aspect in Huntington disease, and discusses how her research aims to develop new health-related quality of life patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures specifically for individuals with the illness.

READ MORE
 
 
On the horizon: Precision disease management for Crohn's disease

Crohn's Disease (CD), estimated to affect nearly 1 million people across North America, can cause a range of debilitating symptoms, including abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and potentially permanent structural damage to the intestine.

Effective treatments are widely available to provide some relief from these symptoms and prevent serious complications. However, not everyone with CD will benefit from these treatments, which also carry the risk of potentially serious side effects, and can be extremely expensive.

Now, a team led by Ryan Stidham, M.D., M.Sc., assistant professor of gastroenterology, is developing a computer-based tool that could quickly assess readily available data to help provide a more customized individual treatment plan for anyone with a Crohn's diagnosis, even those living at a great distance from specialty care, and at low cost.

 
Stidham
 
 
MORE NEWS


Design thinking for doctors and nurses ( New York Times ---- Lee}
CVS moves deeper into doctors' turf ( The Wall Street Journal ---- Fendrick)
Small change, big consequences ----  partial Medicaid expansions under the ACA
( The New England Journal of Medicine ---- Bagley)
ERs can improve population health in rural areas
( American College of Emergency Physicians ---- Greenwood-Ericksen)
How Obamacare saved Detroit ( Vox ---- Ayanian, Udow-Phillips)
How cardiac ICU patient composition is changing over time
( Michigan Health Lab ---- Sjoding)
 
  FUNDING
 
 
 
Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine offering pilot grant funding for work related to palliative medicine

Submission Deadline: September, 1, 2017

This RFA provides funding for University of Michigan clinical or research faculty performing pilot and exploratory research studies whose purpose is to test interventions, develop research methodologies, and explore novel areas in palliative care of patients with serious illness (all ages) and their families. Proposals should include a clearly defined plan for how the results of the project will help the researcher develop larger, extramurally funded research projects. Investigators are highly encouraged to partner with members of the Palliative Care Program.

Questions: Contact Maria Silveira, M.D., M.A., M.P.H., 734-276-8103.
 
 
New Faculty Orientation to Corporate & Foundation Relations
Date: October 9, 2017
Time: 3:00 p.m. --- 5:00 p.m.
Location: Danto Auditorium, U-M Cardiovascular Center

The Michigan Medicine Office of Corporate & Foundation Relations encourages any faculty member who has been at Michigan for less than three years to attend this program, which will emphasize foundation grants, and will include a faculty panel describing the impact that foundation awards had on their early career and offering advice for prospective applicants to prestigious foundations supporting early career researchers.

Faculty are asked to RSVP for this event with Maryann Fardig.
 
 
ABOUT IHPI

The Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation is committed to improving the quality, safety, equity, and affordability of healthcare services

To carry out our ambitious mission, our efforts are focused in four areas:

  • Evaluating the impact of healthcare reforms
  • Improving the health of communities
  • Promoting greater value in healthcare
  • Innovating in IT and healthcare delivery

SUPPORT IHPI

If you are interested in supporting health services and health policy research at the University of Michigan, click here.

Inside IHPI is published monthly by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation.
 
CONTACT US

U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation
North Campus Research Complex (NCRC)
2800 Plymouth Road, Building 16
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Eileen Kostanecki
IHPI Government & External Relations Director
ekostan@umich.edu
202-554-0578

Christina Camilli-Whisenhunt
IHPI Communications Manager
camillic@umich.edu

Kara Gavin
IHPI Research & Policy Media Relations Manager
 
Lauren Hutchens
IHPI Communications Specialist

Mark Lubin
IHPI Communications Coordinator