Outcomes and Effectiveness Research
The Division of Outcomes and Effectiveness Research studies areas of vital importance to current public health concerns. Recent divisional research has focused on such topics as the quality and outcome of care, the use of information technology in healthcare, economic modeling and cost-effectiveness, and bioterrorism preparedness planning. Many projects involve a combination of these themes; for example, exploring the effect of information technology advances on quality of care, or analyzing the combined concerns of quality of care and cost-effectiveness. Faculty and staff in the Division collaborate with each other as well as with other faculty members of the Department of Public Health, with other departments at Weill Cornell Medical College, and with medical colleges, governmental organizations, and health service organizations in the United States and abroad. This cross-collaboration enriches the complexity and reach of the research findings and their implications for local and global public health issues.
The Department has been very successful in obtaining funding for its groundbreaking research. One major initiative is the Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERT), a large project funded by the AHRQ that involves Weill Cornell Medical College, The Hospital for Special Surgery, and The Methodist Hospital. The grant funds research into the outcomes and cost effectiveness of medical devices and is being led by Department Chair Alvin Mushlin, M.D. Another large project funded by the AHRQ, Accelerating Change and Transformation in Organizations and Networks (ACTION), is a continuation of the recently completed Integrated Deliver System Research Network contract. ACTION will enable the Weill Cornell Medical College partnership to compete for funding for rapid-cycle research projects over a period of five years. Nathaniel Hupert, M.D., Assistant Professor of Public Health, is is heading the ACTION project.
