Concentration in Health Services Research & Policy
The concentration in Health Services Research and Policy provides a firm grounding in public health principles, research and evaluation methods, policy analysis, and numerous content areas related to health and health services delivery. The program at Johns Hopkins is one of the oldest and most respected of its type in the nation.
The health care systems in the U.S. and other nations are under extreme pressure. Costs are rising, quality and outcomes are not optimal, many vulnerable groups have inadequate access, and programs and technologies are often poorly implemented. There is a great need for doctorally-prepared researchers and policy analysts to address these issues within public and private organizations and to lead health care reform in the U.S. and globally.
In this concentration, students acquire the conceptual and methodological tools needed to conduct research, program evaluation and policy analysis and synthesis to advance the state of knowledge. The curriculum emphasizes the following areas: public and private sector health insurance and financing, organizations for the delivery of health care, methodologies for measuring and improving quality and safety of medical care, methods to measure personal and population health status, methods for assessing the impact of government health care policy on individuals and populations, and comparative effectiveness methods for assessing the impact of technology and treatments on patient outcomes. The concentration places emphasis on special need populations, such as children, older populations, minorities and persons with high burden diseases and disabilities.
The development of research and analysis methods, as well as content knowledge is also stressed. In addition to careers in academia, the program prepares students for leadership careers as health services researchers and health care policy analysts working in public or private agencies or organizations. There are many research opportunities within research centers of the Department and elsewhere within the Johns Hopkins University and Health System. Also the Baltimore-Washington area is the home to the largest concentration of public and private health services research and health care policy analysis organizations in the world. Formal and informal relationship with these agencies, including research practicas, thesis collaborations and part-time employment are encouraged and facilitated.
Faculty
- Gerard Anderson, PhD (Concentration Director)
- Renan Castillo, PhD, MS
- Emmanuel Drabo, PhD, MA
- Sydney Dy, MD, MSc
- Chanee Fabius, PhD
- Darrell Gaskin, PhD
- Hadi Kharrazi, MD, PhD
- Judith Kasper, PhD
- Jill Marsteller, PhD, MPP
- Laura Morlock, PhD
- Lauren Nicholas, PhD
- Lisa Reider, PhD
- Jonathan Weiner, DrPH
- Jennifer Wolff, PhD, MHS
- Albert Wu, MD, MPH
Sample Graduates
Below is a list of recent graduates’ current positions and dissertation titles for the PhD Concentration in Health Services Research and Policy.
| Graduate Name | Current Position | Dissertation Title |
|---|---|---|
| Winnie Chi (2016) | Associate Research Director: HealthCore Inc | Individuals' preferences for decision-making and experiences with treatment burden in the context of multimorbidity and dementia among older adults in the U.S. |
| Rachael Zuckerman (2016) | Program Analyst: HHS Office of Healthcare Finance Policy | The role of public transportation in access to care for older adults in the United States |
| Julia Baller (2015) | Health Researcher: Mathematica Policy Research | Financing school-based health services for children with disabilities: The intersection between Medicaid and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act |
| Joy L. Lee (2015) | Assistant Professor of Medicine: Indiana University School of Medicine | Doctor, can I have your e-mail? A multi-method examination of patient-provider electronic communication in primary care |
| Eva DuGoff (2014) | Assistant Professor: Department of Health Services Administration, University of Maryland, College Park | Care coordination in older adults with multiple chronic conditions |
| Elizabeth Pfoh (2014) | Associate Staff: Cleveland Clinic | The value of measuring quality of primary care using patient-reported depression collected through electronic health records |
| Eva Chang (2013) | Research Public Health Analyst: RTI International | Access to care among Asian Americans: Assessing determinants of usual source of care |
| Tracy Mroz (2013) | Assistant Professor: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington | Medicare utilization incentives for rehabilitation therapy in home health: Relationships between agency factors, therapy provision, and outcomes of care |
| Tanjala Purnell (2012) | Assistant Professor of Surgery and Epidemiology: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine | Examining barriers to live donor kidney transplantation among racial-ethnic minorities in the United States: Opportunities for policy interventions |
| Hsien Seow (2009) | Associate Professor: McMaster University’s Department of Oncology | The use of end-of-life homecare services in Ontario, Canada: Is it associated with using less acute care services in late life? |