Research

An evaluation of two models of primary care for older adults with complex health needs.

Our Team: Jennifer Perloff (Dual Principal Investigator), Karen Donelan (Co-Investigator), Mike Vetter (Project Director), Carie Michael (Project Manager),  Kathy Cook (Program Administrator), Benjamin Koethe (Research Assistant)

Colleagues: Christine Ritchie (Dual Principal Investigator), Steve Bartels (Co-Investigator), Jocelyn Carter (Co-Investigator), Kathryn Corelli (Co-Investigator), and team.

Partners: Massachusetts General Brigham, AtriumHealth Wake Forest Baptist, BaylorScott & White, Griffin Health, Indiana University, Vanderbilt University

Contract awarded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

A stepped wedge comparison of delirium prevention protocols among hospitalized older adults.

Our Team: Karen Donelan (Stakeholder Engagement Core Leader), Carie Michael (Project Director), Bella Cameron (Research Assistant)

Colleagues: Sharon Inouye (Dual Principal Investigator), Phil Vlisides (Dual Principal Investigator), Eva Schmitt (Overall Project Director), and team.

Partners: Hebrew SeniorLife Marcus Institute For Aging Research, Allegheny General Hospital, Maine Medical Center, Saddleback Memorial Hospital, Meriter Hospital, University of Michigan Hospital, Hospital of the University of Pensylvania, University of Utah Hospital

Contract Awarded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

An examination of gendered barriers to healthy aging in the US.

Related events include the Brandeis Forum on Long Term Services and Supports: Personal Crises, Private Payments, Social Policy.

Our Team: Christine Bishop, Karen Donelan, Jennifer Perloff, Melissa Brown

Grant awarded by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation.

Clinician perspectives on factors affecting implementation of dementia-friendly prescribing practices.

Our Team: Jennifer Perloff, Masami Tabata-Kelly¹

Colleagues: Lorella Palazzo², Linda Kiel², Michael Parchman³, Robert Penfold².

Partners: ¹Center for Surgery and Public Health, Mass General Brigham; ²Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute; ³Community Health Worker Coalition for Migrants & Refugees.

Funded by the National Institute on Aging.

Published in Journal of General Internal Medicine.

A collection of resources designed to provide information about policies and empirical indicators across four domains: Public Health, Healthcare Delivery, Social Welfare and Economics.

Our Team: Rajan Sonik (Principal Investigator), Kimberley Nicholson (Research Associate), Bianca Porneala (Senior Statistical Programmer), Natalie Moresco (Senior Statistical Programmer), Bella Cameron (Research Assistant), Onyx Allen (Graduate Research Assistant), Maya Stantchev (Undergraduate Research Assistant), Sydney Duncan (Atkins Fellow).

Partners: Cambridge Health Alliance, AltaMed Health Services.

Grants awarded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the National Institute of Nursing Research.

An investigation into the health and health equity impacts of fluctuating SNAP benefits resulting from the implementation and rollback of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Our Team: Rajan Sonik (Principal Investigator).

Partners: Altamed Health Services Corporation.

Grant awarded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

An inquiry into the connection between SNAP access, health outcomes, and patterns of healthcare utilization with an eye toward racial, ethnic, and disability equity. 

Our Team: Rajan Sonik (Principal Investigator).

Partners: Altamed Health Services Corporation.

Grant awarded by the National Institutes of Health.

A study of primary care providers' perceptions of and openness to engaging patients around past experiences of bias and discrimination in healthcare settings.

Our Team: Rajan Sonik

Colleagues: Dharma Cortes, Ana Progovac, Frederick Lu, Esther Lee and team.

Partners: Harvard Medical School, Cambridge Health Alliance Health Equity Lab, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, and team.

Contract awarded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

Published in Health Services Research.

An analysis of the role of legal aid organizations in identifying health-related social needs.

Our Team: Rajan Sonik

Colleagues: Breena Taira, Sorto Gerson.

Partners: UCLA Medical Center; Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County.

Grants awarded by California Health Care Foundation, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and National Institute of Nursing Research.

Published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

An examination of TB testing and treatment pathways in households with sentinel patients.

Our Team: Cynthia Tschampl

Colleagues: Jeffrey Campbell, Meredith Brooks, Jessica Haberer, Rachel Epstein, and team.

Partners: Boston Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School.

Published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

A pilot of risk readiness tools in primary care offices owned by nurse practitioners.

An assessment of a federal incentive program addressing healthcare professional shortage areas.

A qualitative investigation into perceptions of pharmacy access to methadone medication  among opioid treatment program leadership, pharmacy administrators, policymakers, and insurers.

Our Team: Cynthia Tschampl (Dual PI), Traci Green (Dual PI, IBH).

Colleagues: Maureen Stewart, Sage Feltus, Jeffrey Bratberg.

Partners: Boston University, University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy.

Funded by Pew Charitable Trusts, Brandeis-Harvard Center to Improve System Performance of Substance Use Disorder Treatment.

Published in Health Affairs.

A research community promoting relationship-based task integration. RCC programs include Relating Across Difference, a coaching protocol for clinical units.

An inquiry into the role of interdisciplinary undergraduate education in shaping the physician workforce.

Our Team: Darren Zinner.

Colleagues: Victoria Lesser.

Partners: Norton College of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Published in Journal of General Internal Medicine.

A study examining how mental health care use changed under Affordable Care Act provisions in the state of California.

A comparison of approaches to increasing utilization of cost-effective cardiac care.

Our Team: Donald Shapard, Jiaye Shen.

Colleagues: Blair Yant, Deborah Denkmann, Patrick Savage, Robin Collier,  Bryan Katz, Philip Ades, Diann Gaalema.

Primary Partner: University of Vermont

Additional Partner: University of Texas Medical Branch

Grant awarded by National Institutes of Health.

Published in Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention

A cost-effectiveness study of dengue fever prevention in 11 target cities in Colombia.

Our Team: Donald Shepard (Principal Investigator), Yara A. Halasa-Rappel, Samantha R. Lee.

Colleagues:  Carlos William Rincon Perez, Arturo Harker Roa.

Partners: University of the Andes.

Funded by Wellcome Trust via Monash University's World Mosquito Program; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Published in PLos One.

An examination of the economic and health implications of expanding HPV vaccination coverage in Russia.

Our Team: Daria Nefedova, Shiji Valsan, Donald Shepard. This publication evolved from course papers written by Nefedva and Valsan while earning Master's degrees at the Heller School.

Published in Public Health Challenges.

An evaluation of procurement, operations, service delivery, and other expenses tied to establishing an augmented vaccine program in geographically challenging areas. 

Our Team: Shafik Sekitto,  Ismail Ndalami Salihu¹, Donald Shepard. This publication evolved from course papers written by Sekitto and Salihu while earning Master's degrees at the Heller School.

Colleagues: Benjamin Mari Aya¹, Ahmed Rufai Garba¹, Sulaiman Etamesor¹, Binta Aduke Ismail¹, Adaugo Nneoma Chidubem², Mohammed Yahaya³.

Partners: ¹National Primary Health Care Development Agency, ²Sydani Group, ³Usmani Danfodiyo University.

A qualitative investigation into factors shaping the feasibility of an ED-based response to the widespread underuse of opioid use disorder treatment.

Dominic Hodgkin, Cindy Parks Thomas, Margot T. Davis (IBH), Jennifer J. Wicks (IBH), Constance M. Horgan (IBH).

Colleagues: Shelly F. Greenfield^1,2, Zachary F. Meisel³

Partners: ¹Harvard Medical School, ²Mclean Psychiatric Hospital; ³University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.