HealthPros currently has 11 Fellows.

Below you will find a  link to a short description of each (PhD) research project. Now the project is almost coming to an end, we asked all fellows to prepare a short video explaining their work in HealthPros. You will also find the links to those video's below.

ESR 1- Erica Barbazza, MSc, BHSc Short project description Short video on findings		ESR 3- Pinar Kara, MSc Short project description Short video on findings		ESR 4- Mekha Mathews   Short project description Short video on findings		ESR 5- Nicolas Larrain, MBA, MSc Short project description Short video on findings
ESR 6- Kendall Jamieson Gilmore, MSc Short project description Short video on findings		ESR 7- Damir Ivankovic, MD, MBA Short project description Short video on findings		ESR 8- Óscar Brito Fernandes, M.Sc., M.Ed. Short project description Short video on findings		ESR 10-Sophie Wang, MSc Short project description Short video on findings
ESR 11-Bernardo Meza-Torres MSc. Short project description Short video on findings		ESR 12- Claire Wilmington, MSc Short project description Short video on findings		ESR 13- Mircha Poldrugovac, MSc, MD Short project description Short video on findings		Associated fellow- Véronique Bos, BSc MA Short project description  Short video on findings

ESR 3- Pinar Kara, MSc

Composite measures for quality of health care for patients with chronic conditions: are we comparing apples and pears?

Host:

Prof. J. Mainz / Prof. S.P. Johnsen

Centre of Clinical Health Services Research

Aalborg Psychiatric Hospital – Aalborg University Hospital

Denmark

Duration: 36 months

Pinar will: 1) Develop and evaluate composite measures for quality of care of patients with stroke, heart failure and chronic obstructive lung disease. 2) Implement selected composite measures in clinical practice.

Background

Insight into the performance of a healthcare system requires scientifically sound conceptual frameworks (e.g. the Dutch Healthcare Performance Report by the RIVM or the Canadian Health System Performance framework by CIHI). The use of these frameworks depends on their use and relevance to resolve contemporary health policy challenges. Frameworks are often populated with large amounts of indicators and policy makers are asking for smaller numbers of composite measures that are valid and reliable to support their decision making. The project will focus on the validity, reliability and actionability of compound indicators on the quality of health care for patients with chronic conditions.

Approach 

The PhD candidate will develop and evaluate composite measures of the quality of care for patients with stroke, heart failure and chronic obstructive lung disease, and implement selected composite measures for clinical quality improvement to reach better outcomes for chronically ill patients. Different composite measures of quality of care will be computed and the effect of using different composite measures on hospital rankings will be determined. Qualitative and quantitative data will be used from Danish health care registries, that can be linked unambiguously using the unique 10-digit civil registration number, which all Danish citizens receive upon birth or immigration. The researcher will test the -in Denmark- developed and validated composite measures in the Italian regional healthcare system.

ESR 1- Erica Barbazza, MSc, BHSc

Transferability of actionable performance indicators: Making performance indicators work

Short video on the findings during HealthPros

Host:

Prof. Dr. Niek Klazinga / Dr. Dionne Kringos

Academic Medical Centre of the University of Amsterdam

Department of Public Health

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

www.amc.nl

Duration: 48 months

Erica will develop state of the art methods to enhance fitness for use of healthcare performance indicators for different purposes.

Background

Insight into the performance of a healthcare system as a whole or specific parts, such as the primary care system, requires scientifically sound conceptual frameworks (e.g. the Dutch Healthcare Performance Report by the RIVM or the Canadian Health System Performance framework by CIHI). The use of indicators populating these frameworks depends on their practical use and relevance to resolve contemporary health policy challenges. Good-quality studies are needed to improve the balance of current indicator sets to optimize use and realization of impact. Recent studies found that quality indicators on patient safety, medication prescribing, mental healthcare and patient experiences are reported least often in national performance frameworks. Similarly, it is advocated to develop (patient reported) outcome measures relevant to patients, clinicians, system managers and policy makers. Factors potentially hampering the shift from performance measurement towards performance management include the administrative burden and overall costs, data linkage problems, privacy issues, and a lack of skills to translate healthcare services data into actionable knowledge. Apart from reliability and validity, actionability is a crucial component for indicators to make them work.

Approach 

The PhD candidate will identify the characteristics of healthcare performance indicators used in Europe and Canada as well as the conditions in which they are used (e.g. specific purposes for healthcare performance measurement) and factors that are likely to contribute to their actionability and the extent this has led to measurable results for balancing between improving the health of populations, delivering quality care for individuals, and containing costs. Hence emphasis lies on the (international) transferability of actionable indicators for various purposes as part of health system performance.

 ESR 4- Mekha Mathews

Optimising the use of routine health databases for personalised risk profiling stimulating patient engagement

Host:

Prof Simon de Lusignan/Prof. Fabrizio Carinci

University of Surrey

Guildford, UK

Duration: 36 months

The studies will explore feasibility and expandability of a risk profiling model using data available from the existing national databases for improved person-centred care and direct patient activation. The results will help identifying the optimal data granularity required to exchange information and use the method in a valid and secure way internationally.

Background

Person-centred care implies making the right decisions using the best available evidence in the context of the individual subject. Modern health care is reshaping the role of the physician at the crossroads of a complex framework of rapid technological development and higher expectations of individuals, but multiple sources do not necessarily translate into effective decisions. Risk profiling can help both the physician and the patient agreeing informed directions and trigger the right processes for patient-centred care. The use of routine health databases, albeit promising, has been relatively limited in real world conditions.

This project will allow identifying new standards for risk profiling, using large scale clinical databases to take into account different populations within and across countries for potential everyday use.

Approach

A series of studies will investigate the potential of large routine health databases for different types of personalised risk profiling of patients to be used routinely for shared-decision making in a clinical setting. Risk profile algorithms will build on statistical models taking into account multiple characteristics collected from the existing databases, including clinical parameters (e.g. vascular complications of lower extremities in diabetes), behavioral factors (e.g. compliance to treatment and patient activation) and socioeconomic conditions. The PhD candidate will benefit from direct access to relevant databases managed by established networks e.g. the RCGP database, the nationwide Scottish database (SCI-FI), the Danish quality registries and diabetes-related data sources managed by centres of the EUBIROD network and OptiMedis.