Health/care Disparities Research Program

Mission Statement:

The Health/care Disparities Research Program fosters the conduct of high quality research to understand and alleviate inequities in health care, and to ensure the provision of exceptional health care without exception. The program also facilitates the training of a new generation of health care equity researchers. Program faculty are intellectual advocates for and leaders of health equity research both locally – within our own institution and city – and nationally. The Program is dedicated to understanding and addressing disparities in health and health care.

Affiliations:

Section of General Internal Medicine

Research group Profiles:

Nancy Kressin, PhD

Amresh Hanchate, PhD

Christine Gunn, PhD

Lisa Marks, Research Project Manager

Grand Rounds:

We occasionally host speakers about current disparities issues. Check the Grand Rounds page for the list of past speakers and topics (when possible, we will also post a recording of their talk and their slides).

Click here for our Grand Rounds Page

Current Projects:

National Estimates for Inpatient Care, Outcomes & Hospital Effect among Hispanics

Principal Investigator: Amresh Hanchate
Sponsor: NIH/NIMHD

Insurance Instability and Disparities in Chronic Disease Outcomes

Principal Investigators: Nancy Kressin, Boston Medical Center and Karen Freund, Tufts Medical Center
Sponsor: NIH/NIMHD

Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Due to Ambulance Diversion

Principal Investigators: Amresh Hanchate and James Feldman (Emergency Medicine)
Sponsor: NIH/NHLBI

Unintended Consequences: Medicare Performance Programs and Health Disparities

Principal Investigators: Amresh Hanchate
Sponsor: NIH/NIMHD

Understanding Dense Breast Notifications and Their Effects on Women

Principal Investigator: Nancy Kressin
Sponsor: NIH/NHLBI

Completed Projects:

Center for Health Insurance Reform, Cardiovascular Outcomes, and Disparities

Principal Investigator: Nancy Kressin (Center PI)
Project #1 “The Effects of Massachusetts Health Reform on Cardiovascular Outcomes and Disparities” PIs: Karen Lasser & Amresh Hanchate
Project #2 “Understanding Preventable Hospitalizations” PI: Danny McCormick
Sponsor: NIH/NHLBI

Massachusetts Health Disparities Monitoring System

Principal Investigators: Nancy Kressin & Bill Adams (Pediatrics)
Sponsor: NIH/NHLBI

The Effects of Massachusetts Healthcare Reform on Access to Care and Disparities

Principal Investigator: Amresh Hanchate and Karen Lasser
Sponsor: Rx Foundation (Cambridge MA)

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Incidence and Inpatient Outcomes of Acute Stroke

Principal Investigator: Amresh Hanchate
Sponsor: NIH/NINDS

Primary Care-based Patient Navigation to Promote Smoking Cessation Treatment

Principal Investigator: Karen Lasser
Sponsor: BU Department of Medicine

Topics of Interest for Disparities Research:

Hypertension Care
Pediatric oral health care
Medication Adherence
Patient Navigation
Effects of the Massachusetts Health Reform
Health economics