TY - JOUR
T1 - Implementation of a nationwide health economic consultation service to assist substance use researchers
T2 - Lessons learned
AU - Murphy, Sean M.
AU - Leff, Jared A.
AU - Linas, Benjamin P.
AU - Morgan, Jake R.
AU - McCollister, Kathryn
AU - Schackman, Bruce R.
N1 - Funding Information:
Twelve of 25 completed consultations have been closed for at least 6 months. Preliminary data from follow-up surveys indicate that 6 of the research projects supported by consultations resulted in grant submissions, with 4 grants awarded. Three of the awarded grants were funded by NIDA, and one was a Developmental Award from a Center for AIDS Research funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Of the remaining grants submitted, one was not selected for funding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the other is currently under review by NIDA. Further, one consultation resulted in a peer-reviewed publication, and one of the consultations that culminated in a funded grant also resulted in a conference proceeding. Four of the grant submissions, including 3 of the awarded grants and the published manuscript, led to further collaborations with CHERISH investigators or Research Affiliates beyond the consultation itself.
Funding Information:
This study was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (P30DA040500). The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies or the US government.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 The Authors. Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2018/4/3
Y1 - 2018/4/3
N2 - Background: Health economic evaluation findings assist stakeholders in improving the quality, availability, scalability, and sustainability of evidence-based services, and in maximizing the efficiency of service delivery. The Center for Health Economics of Treatment Interventions for Substance Use Disorders, HCV, and HIV (CHERISH) is a NIDA-funded multi-institutional center of excellence whose mission is to develop and disseminate health-economic research on healthcare utilization, health outcomes, and health-related behaviors that informs substance use disorder treatment policy, and HCV and HIV care of people who use substances. Methods: We designed a consultation service that is free to researchers whose work aligns with CHERISH's mission. The service includes up to six hours of consulting time. After prospective consultees submit their request online, they receive a screening call from the consultation service director, who connects them with a consultant with relevant expertise. Consultees and consultants complete web-based evaluations following the consultation; consultees also complete a six-month follow-up. We report on the status of the service from its inception in July 2015 through June 2017. Results: We have received 28 consultation requests (54% Early Stage Investigators, 57% MD or equivalent, 28% PhD, 61% women) on projects typically related to planning a study or grant application (93%); 71% were HIV/AIDS-related. Leading topics included cost-effectiveness (43%), statistical-analysis/econometrics (36%), cost (32%), cost-benefit (21%), and quality-of-life (18%). All consultees were satisfied with their overall experience, and felt that consultation expectations and objectives were clearly defined and the consultant's expertise was matched appropriately with their needs. Results were similar for consultants, who spent a median of 3 hours on consultations. Conclusions: There is a need for health-economic methodological guidance among substance use, HCV, and HIV researchers. Lessons learned pertain to the feasibility of service provision, the need to implement systems to measure and improve service value, and strategies for service promotion.
AB - Background: Health economic evaluation findings assist stakeholders in improving the quality, availability, scalability, and sustainability of evidence-based services, and in maximizing the efficiency of service delivery. The Center for Health Economics of Treatment Interventions for Substance Use Disorders, HCV, and HIV (CHERISH) is a NIDA-funded multi-institutional center of excellence whose mission is to develop and disseminate health-economic research on healthcare utilization, health outcomes, and health-related behaviors that informs substance use disorder treatment policy, and HCV and HIV care of people who use substances. Methods: We designed a consultation service that is free to researchers whose work aligns with CHERISH's mission. The service includes up to six hours of consulting time. After prospective consultees submit their request online, they receive a screening call from the consultation service director, who connects them with a consultant with relevant expertise. Consultees and consultants complete web-based evaluations following the consultation; consultees also complete a six-month follow-up. We report on the status of the service from its inception in July 2015 through June 2017. Results: We have received 28 consultation requests (54% Early Stage Investigators, 57% MD or equivalent, 28% PhD, 61% women) on projects typically related to planning a study or grant application (93%); 71% were HIV/AIDS-related. Leading topics included cost-effectiveness (43%), statistical-analysis/econometrics (36%), cost (32%), cost-benefit (21%), and quality-of-life (18%). All consultees were satisfied with their overall experience, and felt that consultation expectations and objectives were clearly defined and the consultant's expertise was matched appropriately with their needs. Results were similar for consultants, who spent a median of 3 hours on consultations. Conclusions: There is a need for health-economic methodological guidance among substance use, HCV, and HIV researchers. Lessons learned pertain to the feasibility of service provision, the need to implement systems to measure and improve service value, and strategies for service promotion.
KW - HCV
KW - HIV
KW - economic evaluation
KW - health economics
KW - health services research
KW - opioid use disorder
KW - substance use disorders
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U2 - 10.1080/08897077.2018.1449173
DO - 10.1080/08897077.2018.1449173
M3 - Article
C2 - 29558284
AN - SCOPUS:85057716157
VL - 39
SP - 185
EP - 189
JO - Substance Abuse
JF - Substance Abuse
SN - 0889-7077
IS - 2
ER -