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Press Release Date: June 25, 1997
The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research today announced
funding for five new research projects designed to improve
health outcomes, patient satisfaction and overall quality of
care.
"Consistent with the Department of Health and Human Services'
and Secretary Shalala's commitment to quality of care, these
studies will provide important measures to help physicians
and other providers assess patients' well-being and improve
outcomes of care," said AHCPR Administrator John M. Eisenberg,
M.D.
AHCPR has awarded a total of $1.19 million for the first
year of the projects. The newly funded projects are:
-
Quality of Well-Being Scale Revision Project.
(Grant No.: HS09170). Principal investigator:
Robert M. Kaplan, Ph.D., University of California,
San Diego, La Jolla, Calif. Project period: 1997-2000.
First year funding: $231,035.
This study will expand the application and usefulness
of the Quality of Well-Being (QWB) Scale, a widely used
health status measure that helps determine the quality
of life. Specifically, the project will eliminate two
barriers that have prevented the QWB from being used
as widely as other measures: the fact that it could not
be self-administered and did not offer a profile of outcomes.
The QWB is one of the most useful scales for cost-effectiveness
studies. It also is considered to be more sensitive to
small changes in functional status than other similar
scales.
-
Medical Intervention Effectiveness and Outcomes
in COPD. (Grant No.: HS08774). Principal investigator:
David R. Carter, M.S., Ph.D., University of Texas Health
Center, Tyler, Texas. Project period: 1997-2000. First
year funding: $241,888.
This project will determine how variations in exercise
training reduce mortality and increase the quality of life
for patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD). This study has the potential to decrease
disability and health care utilization while improving
quality of life through exercise. Documenting these benefits
could provide the needed justification for including exercise
as part of a standard of care for COPD patients.
-
Statistical Inference for Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.
(Grant No.: HS09514). Principal investigator:
Joseph Gardiner, Ph.D., Michigan State University, East
Lansing, Mich. Project period: 1997-2000. First year
funding: $198,162.
This research will develop and test new statistical procedures
for cost-effectiveness analyses. The research plan will
address the development of models that reflect accurately
the experience of patients in sustained and changing states
of health. The results could have immediate application
to a number of other studies, especially given the variations
in the cost of medical procedures, drugs and devices.
-
Severity of Lower Respiratory Tract Illness in
Infants. (Grant No.: HS09062). Principal investigator:
Kenneth M. McConnochie, M.D., M.P.H., University of Rochester
School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, N.Y. Project
period: 1997-2000. First year funding: $269,144.
This study will develop a predictive measure of lower-respiratory
tract infections in infants that could serve as a guide
to which infants should be hospitalized. Lower-respiratory
tract illness (LRI) is the most common reason infants are
hospitalized after the neonatal period. LRI costs about
$700 million annually.
-
Patient-Centered, Computer-Assisted Quality Improvement.
(Grant No.: HS08823). Principal investigator:
Lisa E. Harris, M.D., Indiana University, Indianapolis,
Ind. Project period: 1997-1998. First year funding: $253,556.
This project will extend the techniques of computer-generated
reminders to improving patient satisfaction and outcomes
of care. It will also conduct a randomized controlled trial
testing the effect on patient outcomes of a patient-centered,
computer-assisted intervention targeted toward physicians
and nurses.
For additional information, contact AHCPR Public Affairs:
Salina V. Prasad, (301) 427-1864 (SPrasad@ahrq.gov).
5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857