Current Projects and Related Databases
• Chronic Conditions Warehouse (CCW)
Monitoring Chronic Disease Care and Outcomes among Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries with Multiple Chronic Diseases
This study examines the relationship between overall disease burden and utilization of recommended drug therapies among beneficiaries with diabetes only, diabetes + COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), diabetes + COPD + depression.
• General Electric (GE) Centricity
Clinical and Economic Impact of Falls among Patients with Osteoporosis
The goal of this project is to investigate the impact of falls on health care utilization and spending among post-menopausal women with osteoporosis.
• i3 Innovus, PharMetrics and HealthCore
Linezolid vs Vancomycin Outcomes among MRSA Patients
The purpose of this study is to replicate prior analyses comparing linezolid versus vancomycin for MRSA patients by combining data from 3 administrative claims databases.
• MarketScan
Achieving Maximum Value from Prescription Drug Coverage of Chronically Ill Medicare Beneficiaries
The project has three aims: (1) to estimate the potential magnitude of cost offsets associated with optimal drug treatment regimens for common chronic diseases among beneficiaries enrolled in retiree health plans and stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs), (2) to compare realized to potential savings associated with the two types of drug coverage, and (3) to estimate the level of additional savings that could be obtained by adjusting drug cost sharing policies (reducing copays for high value drugs and eliminating the Part D doughnut hole).
Do Changes in "Pill Burden" Affect Adherence With Antihypertensives?
This study uses MarketScan data for a sample of elderly medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with hypertension and taking at least one antihypertensive medication.
State-by-State Use of Controlled Substances: A Pilot Study
This study looks at the use of controlled substances by examining MarketScan Medicare Coordination of Benefits for 2006 & 2007.
• Philips Healthcare
Adult ICU Demographics, Characteristics and Outcomes 2008
The primary objective of this study is to report the general characteristics of participating centers and all patients admitted to participating center ICUs in 2008 including location before ICU admission. Laboratory characteristics of all patients admitted to participating center ICUs in 2008 will also be reported. Types of treatments rendered to all patients admitted to participating center ICUs in 2008 will be studied. Further studies will provide estimates and variance in utilization metrics including length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, frequency of hemodialysis. Finally, this project will provide measurements of outcomes including mortality rates and discharge locations for this population.
• Primary Data (Collection through interviews)
Housing First Evaluation
The purpose of our interviews is to help the City of Baltimore, specifically Baltimore Homeless Services (BHS), fulfill their obligation to conduct an evaluation of the “Housing First” intervention to the chronically homeless, substance abusers and those individuals with serious mental illness in the City of Baltimore.
Collaborative Initiative to Ensure Optimal Inhaler Design and Use
Asthma is an important health problem in childen. Inhalers are the best way to give most asthma medicines. Spacers are plastic tubes that help medicine from an inhaler get to the lungs. Many childen do not take their asthma medicines regularly. Using inhalers or spacers incorrectly can worsen the effects of asthma. This study would like to examine why childen use their asthma medicines incorrectly or not at all.
• SEER-Medicare
Colorectal Cancer and Chemotherapy in the United States
The primpary study objective is to estimate the benefits and harms of colorectal cancer therapies when they are administered in routine clinical practice to a broader population, many of whom whould be excluded from a typical clinical trial.
Treatment and Survival Among Men Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer: An Examination of Newer Therapies
The objectives of this study are to conduct comparative effectiveness and simulation analysis of outcomes and treatment using SEER-Medicare and clinical trial data. In particular, the aims will address treatment patterns and survival benefits of novel therapies relevant for managing prostate cancer.
Treatment Patterns, Outcomes, and Costs across Various Cancer Sites (breast only)
In this study, the researchers propose to model breast cancer survival among women diagnosed with breast cancer using the SEER-Medicare linked data and compare survival rates among those treated aggressively with women who are not aggressively managed.
• United States Renal Data System (USRDS)
Response to Medicare Reimbursement Policy Change by Minority and All ESRD Patients
The objective of this study is to determine if the extension of Medicare coverage for immunosuppressant drugs impacted access to renal transplantation.
• Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Determinants of Nephrology Referral among Patients in the Veterans Health Administration; a Bayesian Network Analysis
To identify patient-level and provider-level factors related to nephrology subspecialty referral among outpatients with CKD in the Veterans Health Administration nationwide, using Bayesian Belief Networks.
Comparison of Early Versus Delayed Initiation of ESA in Veterans with Chronic Kidney Disease
The primary objective is to demonstrate the value of early treatment by comparing the value of initiating treatment when hemoglobin (Hgb) is such that Hgb<10 versus Hgb <11 on patient outcomes. The secondary objective is to determine what clinical care practice patterns are predictive of a consistent attainment of mean achieved Hgb.
Patterns of Hemoglobin Response to ESA Therapy
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) develop anemia as part of their disease process and are frequently under-treated with erythropoietic-stimulating agents (ESAs). There is variability in hemoglobin associated with anemia management of CKD. In this study, the practice patterns of initiating ESA will be explored by determining the ESA dose distribution at time of initiation and subsequently and the initiation of ESA dosing over time (over first 6 months of therapy).
Using a Structural Model Strategy to develop Robust Estimates of the Effects of Anemia and ESA Treatment on Mortality in Chronic Kidney Disease
The objective is to examine the inter-relations among anemia, co-morbidity, use of erythropoietic-stimulating agents (ESAs), and mortality in a large population with chronic kidney disease and cared for in a national organized health care system (the Veterans Health Administration, VHA)
Trends in Diagnostic Imaging and Gadolinium-Based Contrast Exposure among CKD Patients: Data from the Veterans Health Administration
The objectives are to examine secular trends in the utilization of Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) and iodinated contrast agents in VHA patients with chronic kidney disease from fiscal years 2002-2006, and to examine factors associated with GBCA utilization.