Research Institute for Health Outcomes

Providing high quality care in an environment of escalating health care costs and shrinking financial resources will be one of the most significant challenges facing global economies in this century. Health care professionals and decision makers must assess interventions based on their comparative benefits and harms in an effort to design strategies that optimize the outcomes of treatment decisions in their patients. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Economic Stimulus Bill) allocated $1.1 billion in funding for comparative effectiveness research. With this national emphasis on comparative effectiveness research, health outcomes studies can have a major impact on future health care in the United States. Comparative effectiveness research is important for optimizing patient health outcomes, controlling health care costs, defining and refining standards of care, making effective clinical and business decisions, as well as developing and marketing health care products and services.

The Research Institute for Health Outcomes (RIHO) was founded in 2006 to utilize interdepartmental teams of faculty, with methodological and clinical expertise, to research and disseminate findings in the areas of health outcomes, comparative effectiveness, pharmacoeconomics and health-technology assessment. Outcomes research is a type of study that measures the results of various medical interventions and options, including drug treatments, therapies, healthcare services and diagnostic tools, in actual clinical practice situations. The results of outcomes research, which consider clinical, safety, humanistic and economic outcomes, can guide health care decision makers in selecting and utilizing the most appropriate treatment strategies to optimize patient care. The RIHO is also dedicated to support the academic mission of the college in the advancement of health care through education, training and research.

RIHO MISSION

• To utilize teams of interdepartmental faculty, students and other collaborators to conduct and disseminate scientifically-sound, value-driven, patient-centered research in health outcomes (clinical, humanistic, safety or economic), with an emphasis on the role of pharmaceutical products, pharmacy services and diagnostic tools.
• To employ a variety of resources and services located within the college, or in collaborating institutions, to support the outcomes research mission of the institute.
• To train and support undergraduate and graduate students, including post-doctoral fellows, to promote the advancement of future health outcomes research.

RIHO VISION

RIHO PRIMARY GOALS

• Conduct and publicly disseminate research findings on clinical, safety, humanistic and cost outcomes.
• Foster consulting collaborations between ACPHS-RIHO and external organizations.
• Provide education and training activities to advance future health outcomes research.

RIHO ACTIVITIES

RESEARCH

• Assembling interdepartmental teams of faculty and students to conduct intramural and extramural research, optimizing health outcomes and costs of pharmaceutical products, pharmacy services or diagnostics.
• Disseminating and publishing findings in a variety of national and international outlets to advance knowledge inform decision-makers and improve patient care by optimizing patient outcomes.
• Partnering and contracting with organizations to conduct focused health outcomes and pharmacoeconomic research. Organizations may include health care providers, health insurance companies, pharmaceutical and device manufacturers, foundations as well as government agencies, professional associations and experiential education sites.

TEACHING

• Educating students, the public, peers and decision-makers through professional presentations and publications, seminars and symposia, as well as graduate level courses in health outcomes research.

SERVICE

• Supporting and encouraging student involvement in health outcome and pharmacoeconomic research, at the professional, graduate and post-graduate (residency and fellowship) levels, through external gifts, grants and contracts.
• Providing health outcomes research and related services to other healthcare organizations and policy making groups.

OUTREACH

• Collaborating with other health care related entities to optimize patient outcomes and support health outcomes research.
• Fostering relationships with other organizations to promote and advance education in patient focused health outcomes research.

RIHO EXPERTISE

RIHO and ACPHS faculty has demonstrated expertise in the following areas:

• Creating and analyzing economic decision models and simulation of the effects of medical interventions, diagnostic tests or health policy decisions.
• Analyzing large secondary health care claims databases.
• Collecting and analyzing therapeutic outcomes from medical chart reviews.
• Conducting evaluations of health service use patterns.
• Evaluating clinically oriented pharmacy services and targeted disease management programs.
• Conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of published studies to summarize therapeutic effectiveness of new and existing medical technologies.
• Evaluating adherence to clinical treatment guidelines.
• Utilizing a variety of data sources to estimate treatment related costs.

COLLABORATIONS/AFFILIATIONS

ACPHS faculty and RIHO staff have current affiliations with many area health care organizations and various clinical practice sites. The RIHO staff is also collaborating with the following organizations:

• ACPHS Pharmaceutical Research Institute (PRI)
• Thomson Healthcare Marketscan Database
• Upstate New York Translational Research Network (UNYTRN)
• New York State Department of Health
• NYS Task Force on Industry-Higher Education Partnerships
• Health Information Xchange New York (HIXNY)
• Island Peer Review Organization (IPRO)
• Capital District Physicians Health Plan (CDPHP)
• MVP Healthcare (MVP)
• University at Albany School of Public Health (UA-SPH)
• Union Graduate College (UGC)
• Stratton Veterans Administration Medical Center
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
• Albany Medical Center Hospital

Faculty

• Leon E. Cosler, Ph.D., Director - Represents and promotes the Institute outside the ACPHS college community and identifies potential areas of research, education or contractual projects. The director assists in the establishment of collaborative relationships and ensures timely progress of Institute activities, and also conducts health outcomes research.
• Patrick D. Meek. Pharm.D., MSPH, Assistant Director – In addition to conducting outcomes related research, the Assistant Director is responsible for the identification, assembly and coordination of the external advisory committee. This committee consists of regional and national experts in the field of health outcomes and comparative effectiveness research, who advise the RIHO and assist in identifying national needs and potential sources of funding for Institute activities.
• David M. Kile, M.S., Administrative Director – Responsible for the development and maintenance of the RIHO operational plan, objectives and budget, as well as the Health Outcomes Research graduate degree program. The administrative director oversees the identification of possible funding opportunities, planning, implementation and evaluation of the RIHO’s programs and services and also manages external relationships with a variety of stakeholders.

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