Internal and Collaborative Research
Toward an Information Infrastructure
By 2007, it is estimated that the US will spend more than $2 trillion on health care. This figure will represent 16% of the GDP. If we, as a nation, hope to have confidence that this money will be properly spent on the health of the nation, we must develop and support a standardized methodology for quality/cost measurement and reporting.
Recommendation 9 of the IOM report "Crossing the Quality Chasm," states:
"Congress, the executive branch, leaders of health care organizations, public and private purchasers, and health informatics associations and vendors should make a renewed national commitment to building an information infrastructure to support health care delivery, consumer health, quality measurement and improvement, public accountability, clinical and health services research, and clinical education. This commitment should lead to the elimination of most handwritten clinical data by the end of the decade."
Answering this call requires the collection of substantial amounts of comprehensive patient-level data to support research into validated measures of outcomes, quality, safety and cost. Organizing high-quality data of this type is highly resources intensive and technically difficult. As a result, researchers must either rely on data collected for other purposes or must spend tremendous amounts of money to create a specialized dataset to suit their needs. Burdened by the exorbitant costs of data collection and standardization, whole areas of inquiry are stymied.
The IHM Network
If quality of care research is to meet the increasing needs of the health care system, it is necessary to organize data into a common format that supports the development of valid care metrics and risk adjustment algorithms by academic centers and government agencies.
Such data would support advanced research on the development of quality/cost metrics at the clinical level and would support the development of an ongoing reporting system for use in pricing, purchasing and evaluation. The aim is not to duplicate existing efforts such as HEDIS, HCUP and CAHPS, but to develop the next generation of data for health research.
To answer this call, the Institute has focused its mission on working among hospitals that use a common health care information system (Meditech) that is highly standardized and therefore well suited for population-based analysis. By developing a data network among Meditech hospitals, IHM is able to extract and format high quality data that is timely, clinically accurate and actionable.
Research Affiliates Program
IHM is affiliated with leading public health and health services researchers across the country and has formal Research Affiliations with Boston University School of Public Health and MGH Institute of Health Professions. Harvard School of Public Health faculty members populate our scientific and ethics advisory boards.
By making high quality, de-identified data available for health services researchers, IHM hopes to advance the science of health care quality and management. By drawing researchers together with practitioners in hospitals, IHM hopes to help researchers develop more specifically actionable analyses while also expanding the knowledge base available to hospital practitioners.
IHM expects to add other schools of public health, clinical research institutions, and operating foundations as research affiliates as resources permit.
Should your institution wish to investigate the possibility of becoming an IHM Research Affiliate, please click here.
Informatics Seminars
The Institute conducts half and full day seminars for officers and directors of regulatory, philanthropic, academic, and commercial enterprises. Developed through a collaboration of its Research Affiliates, Institute Seminars focus on fundamental research using large data systems; strategic applications of operational data; ethical issues of stored inpatient data; practice pattern variability and measurement of quality; financial insight and implications for reimbursement.
Seminars are conducted each month at the Institute's facilities in Burlington, Massachusetts. Information on cost and arrangements are available by contacting the Institute directly.
Visiting Scholars Program
Through its research grant program, the Institute for Health Metrics provides support for individuals and institutions across the country and around the world to promote scholarship in health services research and measurement methodology. Funding for individuals includes nonresidential grants to support scholars around the country, as well as residential fellowships at the Institute. Applications will be accepted beginning in March, 2004.
Grants for Residential Scholars provide support for scholars at the Institute in Burlington, and are awarded as follows: Grants for established scholars or scientists working on projects related to a specific theme. (The theme for the 2005 awards is "Measuring the Measurements.") Applications are welcome from researchers of all nationalities who are working in clinical care research, epidemiology, biostatistics, healthcare informatics, and health policy.
Residential Scholars are in residence for eight months (from October 2006 through May 2007). The grant includes a salary-replacement stipend up to a maximum of $75,000, office space, research assistance, and health benefits.
To find out more about our visiting scholar program please contact IHM.