CHOICES will provide a variety of services to support investigators interested in the domains of health care delivery and economic systems.

After an initial consultation to determine project feasibility and appropriateness of CHOICES involvement, we can help with the following:

  • Develop the Idea
    • Identify data and funding sources
    • Evaluate alternative methodologies
    • Plan the design and analysis
    • Calculate the sample size
    • Develop a timeline

       

  • Obtain Funding
    • Select appropriate funding sources
    • Develop portions of grant applications

       

  • Design the Study
    • Determine appropriate methods
    • Plan analysis and sample size
    • Design instruments and databases
    • Manage databases
    • Analyze data and test hypotheses

       

  • Disseminate the Results
    • Identify presentation venues
    • Write abstracts
    • Develop presentations
    • Write or review manuscripts

 
   
To facilitate collaboration and to foster relationships, resulting in an increase in the quality and quantity of health services research undertaken in the University of Michigan Health System.
   
Several of the projects CHOICES has been involved with have generated a great deal of local, regional, national, and even international media attention. Among these, an Intel Corporation-funded study evaluating e-mail and web use among physicians has resulted in several local and national news stories. With Dr. Steven Katz (CHOICES Co-Director) serving as Principal Investigator and Cheryl Moyer (CHOICES Senior Research Associate) serving as Project Manager, this study examines patient-physician communication via e-mail and the web through the use of specially designed triage systems. During the past year it was featured by more than 15 different media groups including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the American Medical News, Forbes Magazine and a number of online healthcare business magazines.

Dr. Katz, Mohammed Kabeto (CHOICES Research Associate), and colleagues at the University of Michigan published a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) about patterns of care giving and care receiving among the disabled elderly. This study, the main findings of which suggest that disabled elderly women receive about one-third fewer hours of home care than their male counterparts, was featured in several local and national media outlets. These include: the Ann Arbor News, the University Record, WAAM radio, BioMedicina, Reuters News Service, National Public Radio, cnn.com, and Dr.Koop.com.

Kenneth Langa, Department of Internal Medicine, Dr. Katz and Mohammed Kabeto published a study in the journal Medical Care which found that unmarried people age 70 and older who live with their adult children receive about 40 hours a week of paid home care, compared with 26 hours received by unmarried elders who were equally disabled and lived alone. This study was highlighted by Michigan Radio, National Public Radio, CBS HealthWatch, and the Associated Press.

In his role as a member of the Technical Review Panel on the Medicare Trustee Reports, Michael Chernew (CHOICES Core Faculty) appeared in the New York Times, discussing the evaluation of methods used to assess the fiscal solvency of the Medicare trust funds.

CHOICES Co-Director Mark Fendrick and UM-Health System director Gilbert S. Omenn published a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine that found that Americans could live longer lives if more people got the recommended daily level of folic acid and vitamin B12 in middle age and beyond from inexpensive multivitamins. The results of this study were picked up by several media outlets, including the Ann Arbor News, the University Record, Michigan Public Radio, CBS Healthwatch.com, ReutersHealth (online news service of Reuters newswire), WDIV TV, and WebMD.

 
   
With so many changes occurring in health care organizations, we can sometimes forget about why we are here: to deliver the highest quality medical care at the lowest possible cost to patients. CHOICES is all about improving patient care. Our multidisciplinary team supports research that evaluates the ways we deliver health care by considering health outcomes deeply important to patients: not only life expectancy but also outcomes related to the quality of those precious years, such as physical pain and disability, mental distress, and social role functioning. Another important "patient-centered" outcome is the cost of medical care, because in the end patients pay the bill whether directly out of their pocket or through insurance premiums or taxes.

As we enter our fourth year, how well have we succeeded at improving patient-centered health services research? Our website and annual report document several components of success in academic productivity. First, we have reached a critical mass of truly gifted and dedicated staff. Second, we have trail-blazed a multidisciplinary research unit across departments in the medical center. The foundation of our core support remains the visionary collaboration of the Department of Internal Medicine and the Zuidema Program for Outcomes Research in Surgery. But we have also received additional support from other departments and programs including the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program and the departments of Radiology, Family Medicine, Otolaryngology, and Vascular Surgery. Finally, our activities report shows a solid track record in the "currency" of academic performance: grants submitted and received, articles published, and research and teaching presentations made.

But what excites us most is how our research questions address the important patient-centered issues of our time: What effects do new surgical procedures have on patient quality of life? What are the cost and outcomes consequences of new ways to evaluate and treat cardiac problems such as valve disease and heart failure? What is the cost-effectiveness of ways to prevent or delay the onset of cardiac disease? What is the best way to integrate electronic communication between physicians and their patients to improve the quality of care? How do the elderly cope with disability in the community and what are ways to improve quality of life for them and their families? How can we improve the quality of the treatment decision making process for women with breast cancer? These questions are all about improving the quality and efficiency of patient care at the University of Michigan and in the community.

There are many exciting new initiatives in the works that will increase the national prominence of the University of Michigan as a center of health services research excellence. We at CHOICES are proud to be a part of this mission and we will continue to keep our eye on the prize: the patient.
 
    CHOICES
University of Michigan
3A00 North Ingalls Building
Ann Arbor MI   48109-0409
Phone: 734-936-INFO   Fax: 734-763-1485
choices@umich.edu