The National Institute for Health Care Reform (NIHCR) contracted with the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) between 2009 and 2013 to conduct health policy research and analyses to improve the organization, financing and delivery of health care in the United States. HSC ceased operations on Dec. 31, 2013, after merging with Mathematica Policy Research, which assumed the HSC contract to complete NIHCR projects. Beginning in 2014, NIHCR has contracted with Altarum Institute’s Center for Sustainable Health Spending and others, with a focus on research to improve health in Detroit.

Ann S. O’Malley

Documents & Publications

Title	Date
Interspecialty Communication Supported by Health Information Technology Associated with Lower Hospitalization Rates for Ambulatory Care-Sensitive Conditions Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Background: Practice tools, such as health information technology (HIT), can potentially support care processes, such as communication between health care providers, and influence care for so-called ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs). Good outpatient care can potentially prevent the need for hospitalization of patients with ACSCs. To date, associations between primary care…	May 15, 2015
After-Hours Access to Primary Care Practices Linked with Lower Emergency Department Use and Less Unmet Medical Need Health Affairs, Web First One goal of the Affordable Care Act is to improve patients’ access to primary care and the coordination of that care. An important ingredient in achieving that goal is ensuring that patients have access to their primary care practice outside of regular business hours. This analysis of the 2010 Health…	December 12, 2012
Policy Options to Encourage Patient-Physician Shared Decision Making NIHCR Policy Analysis No. 5 Major discrepancies exist between patient preferences and the medical care they receive for many common conditions. Shared decision making (SDM) is a process where a patient and clinician faced with more than one medically acceptable treatment option jointly decide which option is best based on current evidence and the patient’s…	September 20, 2011
Rising Hospital Employment of Physicians: Better Quality, Higher Costs? HSC Issue Brief No. 136 In a quest to gain market share, hospital employment of physicians has accelerated in recent years to shore up referral bases and capture admissions, according to the Center for Studying Health System Change’s (HSC) 2010 site visits to 12 nationally representative metropolitan communities. Stagnant reimbursement rates, coupled with the rising…	August 18, 2011
Greenville & Spartanburg: Surging Hospital Employment of Physicians Poses Opportunities and Challenges Community Report No. 6 In July 2010, a team of researchers from the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC), as part of the Community Tracking Study (CTS), visited the Greenville-Spartanburg metropolitan area to study how health care is organized, financed and delivered in that community. Researchers interviewed more than 45 health care leaders,…	February 24, 2011
Northern New Jersey Health Care Market Reflects Urban-Suburban Contrasts Community Report No. 4 In May 2010, a team of researchers from the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC), as part of the Community Tracking Study (CTS), visited the northern New Jersey metropolitan area to study how health care is organized, financed and delivered in that community. Researchers interviewed more than 40 health…	December 24, 2010