Research Areas:
The Institutes research agenda seeks to improve the care and management of illness and disability and to contribute meaningfully to enhancing individual and community health outcomes. The research is closely informed by clinical considerations, organizational and system issues and policy needs. The Institutes interdisciplinary faculty and other investigators participate in the following areas of research:

Insurance and Financing Studies analyze variations in the organization and financing of health services delivery and their impact on access, utilization, outcomes and costs. [ Project List ] Costs of health care Managed Care Medicare/Medicaid Pharmacotherapy Prescription drug plans Mental Health Services and Policy in the Criminal Justice System Research focuses on mental health services and interventions for persons with a mental illness who have encounters with the criminal justice system. [ Project List ] Arrest and precursors Community reintegration Court-based interventions Incarcerated women Juvenile justice Re-entry planning Recovery Sex offenses Methods and Evaluation Expertise is brought to bear on research projects to meet rigorous theoretical, methodological and statistical standards and is especially critical for studies that bridge traditional disciplinary boundaries. [ Project List ] Assessment/diagnosis Cost-effectiveness Mental health outcomes Quality of life Statistics Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes [ Project List ] Policy, Law, History and Professions Studies analyze the evolution and impact of illness and disease, health laws, policy and the health professions. [ Project List ] Health policy/reform Health Professions History of medicine/health policy Law/ mental health Mental health/criminal justice Tracking health system change Psychosocial Issues Studies focus on identifying the risk factors for illness and the components of effective approaches and interventions for quality of care. [ Project List ] Adherence Behaviorial risk factors Cultural issues Health behavior Health care utilization Self-assessment of health Social construction of mental illness Social risk factors Stigma Trust in health care Special Populations Studies focus on approaches to improve access and quality of care for vulnerable populations. [ Project List ] Adolescents AIDS/HIV Children Depression Disabilities Elderly Multicultural populations Nursing home residents Schizophrenia/other severe mental illness Substance abuse/other comorbidities Work force/employment State Health Policy Studies inform state health policymaking, monitor policy innovations and synthesize the complex interplay of social and cultural factors on health outcomes and policy. [ Project List ] Access to health care Health care performance measurement Long-term/elder care Pharmaceutical policy Racial/ethnic health disparities State health data/population surveys