Resources Repository
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ArticlePublication 2022Hospital Closures amid COVID-19
The recent trend of hospital closures in the US has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, …
The recent trend of hospital closures in the US has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, as hospitals have experienced financial hardship from reduced patient volume and elective surgery cases, as well as the thin financial margins for treating patients with COVID-19. This trend of hospital closures is concerning for patients, healthcare providers, and policymakers. This current opinion piece describes the challenges caused by hospital closures and discusses what policymakers should know based on the existing…
Operations Research | North America | Health Systems | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2020Data-Driven Management of Post-Transplant Medications
Organ-transplanted patients typically receive high amounts of immunosuppressive drugs as a mechanism to reduce their …
Organ-transplanted patients typically receive high amounts of immunosuppressive drugs as a mechanism to reduce their risk of organ rejection. However, because of the diabetogenic effect of these drugs, this practice exposes them to a greater risk of new-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT), and hence, becoming insulin dependent. This study develops effective medication management strategies to address the common conundrum of balancing the risk of organ rejection versus that of NODAT. The article presents a robust…
Operations Research | North America | Mathematical Models | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2021Employee Health Plans Powered by Analytics
This article describes a business model for the employee health plans of large firms to …
This article describes a business model for the employee health plans of large firms to bypass insurers and instead use direct contracts with hospitals which have been designated as centers of excellence. The authors propose methods of machine learning and data analytics to identify efficient and effective delivery systems, with the ultimate goal of improving health care quality.
Operations Research | North America | Health Systems -
ArticlePublication 2021BMI-Related Healthcare Costs in the U.S.
This paper estimates continuous body mass index (BMI) related health care expenditures using data from …
This paper estimates continuous body mass index (BMI) related health care expenditures using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) 2011-2016, adjusting BMI for self-report bias and controlling for potential confounding between BMI and medical expenditures. Costs are reported in $US 2019. The analysis found a J-shaped curve of medical expenditures by BMI, with higher costs for females and the lowest expenditures occurring at a BMI of 20.5 for adult females and 23.5 for…
Costing Methods | North America | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk -
ArticlePublication 2014Evaluation of FDA Benefit-Cost Analysis of Graphic Warning Labels
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is required to do a regulatory impact analysis assessing …
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is required to do a regulatory impact analysis assessing the costs and benefits of its tobacco products and other regulations. This paper provides a critical review of the approach the FDA used in its proposed and final graphic warning label rule, and includes recommendations on how to improve the analysis in ways that account for the differences between tobacco use and consumption of most consumer products. To date, FDA…
Costing Methods | North America | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Chronic Disease/Risk | Policy/Regulation | Government/Law | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2015Three Interventions That Reduce Childhood Obesity
Policy makers seeking to reduce childhood obesity must prioritize investment in treatment and primary prevention. …
Policy makers seeking to reduce childhood obesity must prioritize investment in treatment and primary prevention. The authors estimated the cost-effectiveness of seven interventions high on the obesity policy agenda: (1) a sugar-sweetened beverage excise tax, (2) elimination of the tax subsidy for advertising unhealthy food to children, (3) restaurant menu calorie labeling, (4) nutrition standards for school meals, (5) nutrition standards for all other food and beverages sold in schools, (6) improved early care and…
Costing Methods | North America | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Child/Nutrition | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Clinical Care | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2015Population Health Model (POHEM): An Overview
This paper provides an overview of the rationale, methodology and applications of the Population Health …
This paper provides an overview of the rationale, methodology and applications of the Population Health Model (POHEM). POHEM is a health microsimulation model, developed at Statistics Canada in the early 1990s. The authors describe that POHEM draws together rich multivariate data from a wide range of sources to simulate the lifecycle of the Canadian population, specifically focusing on aspects of health. The model dynamically simulates individuals’ disease states, risk factors, and health determinants, in order…
Costing Methods | North America | Evidence Synthesis | Mathematical Models | Microsimulation | Calibration/Validation | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Clinical Care | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2014Cost of a Primary Care-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention
This study evaluated the cost of a primary care-based obesity prevention intervention (High Five for …
This study evaluated the cost of a primary care-based obesity prevention intervention (High Five for Kids) for children ages 2-6 years, compared to usual care. U.S. pediatric guidelines recommend that childhood obesity counseling be done in primary care settings. The clinical trial aimed to modify children’s nutrition and TV viewing habits through a motivational interviewing intervention. The authors assessed the visit-related costs for children enrolled in the trial, and found that the mean costs for…
Costing Methods | North America | Decision Analysis | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Clinical Care | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine