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Public Health Systems Research 2009 Methods Meeting

PHSR Methods Meeting

July 1, 2009, Chicago, IL

This meeting is intended to provide an overview of current challenges related to analytic approaches in PHSR, and offer guidance on current best practice in PHSR methods. 

Agenda

8:00-8:30 Continental Breakfast

8:30-9:15 Welcome, Introduction, and Overview of Needs Assessment

  • Sharon Arnold, Ph.D.
  • Erin Holve, Ph.D.

Public Health Systems Research (PHSR) is an emerging discipline investigating the organization, delivery, and financing of public health services within complex public health networks. In the current public health climate, with increasing demands and decreasing funding, stakeholders are attempting to develop and improve accountability measures in order to make a stronger case for investments in public health. This landscape provides an opportunity for PHSR and its potential to contribute to a stronger evidence base.

Considered to be a subset of Health Services Research (HSR), PHSR borrows many of the methodologies from this well-established field. However, as may be expected in a new field of scientific inquiry, data gaps exist and methodological rigor may be lacking. This panel will include a presentation of a recent PHSR needs assessment and an exploration of the field’s potential policy agenda.

The focus of this panel is to overview current and future directions in PHSR, key research questions, and methods training needs that have been identified in the PHSR needs assessment.  

9:15-10:45 Relevant Questions & Data Challenges

This panel will consider current data that are available to answer major questions of interest in PHSR, and gaps in available information. Strengths and limitations of existing data sources will be discussed, as well as data availability, linked data, and funding for additional data collection and infrastructure building. 

  • F. Douglas Scutchfield, Policy Relevant Research Questions
  • Carolyn Leep, Primary Data Collection
  • Marsha Gold, Administrative Data
  • Linda Bilheimer, Discussant

10:45-11:00 Break

11:00- 12:30 Methodological Challenges in PHSR

This session will address two major analytic challenges in PHSR— quasi-experiments and system level units of analysis. It will also address measurement challenges in PHSR. The panel will address current methodologies and best practices in current research to address measurement and analysis of small samples, with specific discussion regarding the challenges of aggregating data from multiple sources. It will explore the need for quasi-experimental studies and barriers that exist. Suggested improvements to methods and data will be addressed.

  • Michael Stoto, Quasi-Experiments
  • David Grembowski, Units of Analysis in PHSR and Sample Size Issues
  • Rick Brown, Population Health Data
  • Bryan Dowd, Discussant  

12:30-1:00 Lunch

1:00-2:15 Challenges in PHSR: Controversies in Comparative Analysis

This session will illustrate current thinking about the benefits and challenges of conducting comparative analysis of public health systems. The panelists will address analytic aspects of comparative analysis that should be considered by PHSR researchers. Commentaries will reflect lessons learned by researchers who have attempted to conduct state, local, and national comparisons of public health systems.
  • Patrick Remington: Practical Issues in Comparative Analysis
  • Glen Mays: Challenges with Comparative Analysis
  • Wilhelmine Miller, Discussant

2:15 -2:30  Conclusions and Next Steps

2:30  Adjourn

This meeting was conducted in conjunction with the PHSR Interest Group Annual Meeting and AcademyHealth’s Annual Research Meeting in Chicago.
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