Policy Sprints

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Policymakers across the public and private sectors depend on responsive, evidence-based solutions to address urgent questions around health and healthcare quality, access, cost, and equity. IHPI launched Policy Sprints in the spring of 2018 to provide policymakers and stakeholders with timely and rigorous evidence to inform health policy and practice. Policy Sprint teams undertake rapid analyses to address important health policy questions, create products, such as policy briefs, to inform ongoing decision-making at the local, state, or national level, and engage with key policy audiences.

CURRENT PROJECTS

 

Health Equity Theme (launched Spring 2022)

Imbalanced scale

Communicated Bias and Its Downstream Effects on Racial Inequities in Pain Treatment in the Emergency Department 

This project will examine how health provider biases, such as pain-related stigma and racial discrimination, may be driving health inequities. The team will measure potentially stigmatizing language used in triage notes for patients presenting to the emergency department with pain-related concerns, then determine whether differences in triage note language are associated with differences in health outcomes by race/ethnicity.

Red sickle cells

Leveraging Population-Based Surveillance to Identify Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease Eligible for Expanded Benefits through Children’s Special Health Care Services

Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects over 100,000 Americans, most of whom are racial and ethnic minorities. Much of SCD’s morbidity can be avoided with preventive services, however, individuals with SCD frequently experience barriers to these services. The U-M team, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), will implement population-based surveillance to identify adults with SCD in Michigan who are now eligible to receive coverage for care due to a recent expansion of a state health services program. 

A car traveling from MI to Chicago

Potential Impact of an Abortion Ban in Michigan on Driving Distance for Services

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, returning jurisdiction over the regulation of abortion to the states. This project assessed the driving distance between each Michigan county and the closest abortion clinic if abortion remains legal and in the potential scenario of an abortion ban being enacted in Michigan.

  • Project lead: Lauren Owens, M.D., M.P.H., Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School
  • Resulting publication: IHPI Policy Brief (October 2022)
Pills

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Timely Treatment Initiation Following Emergency Department Visits for Non-Fatal Opioid Overdose

Buprenorphine, a medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) that substantially decreases fatal overdose risk, remains widely underused. Moreover, little is known about buprenorphine treatment among the 38% of low-income adults with OUD covered by Medicaid. This project will analyze racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of buprenorphine among Medicaid enrollees to inform targeted interventions focused on improving equity of buprenorphine treatment.

 

    PAST PROJECTS & OUTCOMES

     

    COVID-19 Projects 
     

    A therapist on a computer screen

    Behavioral Health Provider Experiences with Telehealth in Michigan during COVID-19 

    In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state policy changes were enacted to expand access to behavioral health telehealth services. This project examined providers' perspectives on telehealth policy changes, identifying barriers and assessing their perceptions of how telehealth use aided their work. 

    COVID test

    COVID-19 Testing Scale-Up: Key Issues and Considerations for Michigan Policymakers

    Diagnostic testing has been critical to the COVID-19 public health response and associated economic recovery. This project identified bottlenecks within the COVID-19 diagnostic supply chain and provided operational and policy recommendations for effectively scaling up coronavirus testing to reopen the economy safely.

      Teacher checking student's temp, wearing masks

      Plans for School Attendance and Support for COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Measures

      This policy sprint surveyed parents and guardians of school-aged children in Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio to better understand their perspectives on sending children back to school and support for COVID-19 risk mitigation strategies during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

      Doc on computer and hospital

      Telehealth Use in Michigan During COVID-19: Variation in Primary Care Telehealth Adoption and Its Impact on Emergency Department Use and Hospitalizations

      The COVID-19 pandemic prompted many clinics across the U.S. to significantly reduce in-person visits and shift rapidly to telemedicine. This project assessed if variability in primary care providers’ uptake of telehealth was associated with rates of acute care use among their patients. 

      Projects on Various Topics
       

      Tornado and hurricane

      After the Storm: The Health Impacts of Weather and Climate-Related Disasters on Older Adults in the U.S.

      Deaths attributable to disasters are poorly understood and official mortality estimates have traditionally taken only direct causes into account, rather than considering contributing factors associated with a disaster that led to death. This project analyzed all-cause mortality in older adults after three major U.S. hurricanes.

      Heart transplant and multiple hospitals

      Examining Equity in Access to Heart Transplantation After 2018 Policy Changes

      This project assessed potential unintended consequences to recent changes to the heart transplant allocation system that may incentivize physicians to use high-risk, expensive, “status modifying” therapies that increase the likelihood of heart transplant receipt by increasing a patient’s apparent acuity.

      Heart

      Expanding Access to Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)

      This project estimated the impact of proposed changes to the Medicare National Coverage Determination for reimbursement of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive therapy for treating aortic stenosis, the most common heart valve disease.

      A bottle of opioids next to a clipboard with a checklist

      Opioid Prescribing Limits for Acute Pain

      Opioid prescribing limits are an important component of the policy response to the U.S. opioid epidemic. This project highlighted design and implementation challenges of these emerging policies to regulate opioid prescribing and provided insight into how to minimize potential unintended effects.

      A woman holding pregnant belly

      Redesigning Prenatal Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic

      Rates of maternal morbidity and mortality are on the rise in the U.S., resulting in an urgent need for new approaches to provide higher-value maternity care. This project identified key components of successful international prenatal care delivery models to inform state and federal policy discussions on improving prenatal care in the U.S.

      A woman holding a small child

      Short-Term Health Plans: State Options to Support the Health of Moms and Babies 

      New regulations are increasing access to short-term health plans, which are required to cover essential health benefits such as contraceptive and maternity coverage. This policy sprint explored the potential effects of these policies on women’s health, summarizing potential policy options that states may consider undertaking.

      A present next to a medical bill

      Surprise Billing in Elective Surgery and Ground and Air Ambulance Transportation

      Surprise medical bills are common in healthcare, arising when a patient chooses an in-network provider and facility but ends up receiving care from an out-of-network provider on the care team. This policy sprint examined the extent of out-of-network billing in surgical care and in ground and air ambulance transportation.

      Tobacco 21 in Michigan: New Evidence and Policy Considerations

      No smoking sign and decrease arrow

      This project examined the potential impact of Tobacco 21 policies, which aim to raise the minimum legal tobacco sales age to 21, on the health and well-being of Michigan residents, in addition to assessing potential tax revenue implications.

      Health Savings Account icon

      Use of Health Savings Accounts to Save for Health Care Expenses

      Health savings accounts (HSAs) have been a centerpiece of federal health reform proposals. However, little is known about consumer behaviors and HSAs. This project identified which high-deductible health plan enrollees were more likely to have an HSA and why consumers forego opportunities to contribute to their accounts. 

      A hospital building

      Voluntary Alternative Payment Models: Examining the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model

      Alternative payment models (APMs) aim to use financial incentives to improve value in health care. This policy sprint aimed to understand which hospitals dropped out of one APM – the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model -- after it transitioned from a mandatory to a voluntary program. 

      • Project lead: Lena Chen, M.D., M.S., Internal Medicine, Medical School
      Staff Contact
      Sarah Wang
      Sarah Wang, M.P.H.
      Policy Engagement Program Manager
      sjraby@umich.edu