20 New Research Projects to Participate in Health Data for Action Initiative
Academy Health says that 20 new projects will benefit from the EHR and claims data sources provided through Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Data for Action (HD4A) initiative to tackle issues such as reproductive health, payment reform, chronic disease treatment, and healthcare cost transparency.
HD4A is designed to reduce barriers to accessing valuable health data by researchers.
In a blog post, Academy Health described sveral examples of the new project types. Researchers at Boston College will use the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) patient claims data to analyze the impacts of legislative restrictions on abortion care on fertility and maternal morbidity outcomes.
Two research teams will leverage the New Jersey Integrated Population Health Data (NJ iPHD) Project to examine the trends in fatal and nonfatal opioid-related overdoses among pregnant and postpartum women and assess the impacts of obstetric unit closures on maternal and infant health in New Jersey.
Grantees will also use EHR data to examine disparities in maternal health outcomes. Two teams will utilize data provided from the Nebraska Healthcare Collaborative and Truveta to study postpartum care disparities in women with gestational diabetes and disparities in pregnancy morbidity due to air pollution, respectively.
In a statement, Larra Petersen-Lukenda, COO of Nebraska Healthcare Collaborative and Midwest Institute for Community Health (MICH), said, “We are excited to be part of the Health Data for Action initiative. Access to current, longitudinal health data and advanced tools enables our partners to understand the impacts of health disparities better and make informed decisions that directly benefit our communities. By focusing on postpartum care and other critical health challenges, we can shape more effective policies and health interventions, ensuring equitable care for all.”
Researchers at Brown University will use Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Analytic Files (TAF) data to study the association of continuous Medicaid eligibility during COVID-19 with postpartum coverage and healthcare use.
A team from Duke University will study the effects of price transparency on private equity acquisitions and health care prices using data offered by Serif Health in combination with Colorado all-payer claims data. The Virginia Center for Health Innovation aims to inform Medicaid policies by examining negotiated rates across payers and providers of behavioral health and primary care services in Virginia using Mathematica Health Data Innovation Lab data in combination with Virginia all-payer claims data.
