Research
As all areas of public health have policies and programs that are implemented or supported across all levels of government, Health Policy and Management is engaged in research in many diverse areas. As a result, our department is focused on performing impactful research in public health policy and healthcare management that translates into policy and practice.
Focusing on Areas of Largest Impact
Public health works in many ways to influence the health of populations and individuals. One of the most popular models that describes how public health should work is the Socio-Ecological model, which describes various levels of impact on the health of populations. An illustration of this model developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) helps to visual the model at work.
Our department focuses on studying and implementing changes at the outside circles of this model, where the largest impacts can be made (Policy, Community and Organization).
Our Research Strengths
- Analytic methods for research
- Analyzing program and project management processes
- Applying social network analysis to networked structures and behavior in public health and healthcare
- Conducting community health needs assessments
- Evaluating emergency room utilization
- Impact of health insurance policy on coverage and access to care
- Implementation and evaluation of public health policy
- Improving healthcare access and outcomes for underserved populations
- Infrastructure issues in rural communities, with a focus on barriers to food access for vulnerable populations
- Policies affecting the social determinants of health, especially social and community development policies that result in health inequalities
- Policy process for built environment initiatives at the local level
- Understanding the impact of state and local economics