Health Care in Clinical,
Economic and Human Terms

by David Von Behren

The goals of higher quality, lower costs and reasonable access to care are universally sought by patients, providers and payers. The Center for Health Outcomes and PharmacoEconomic Research is reaching those goals by teaching health care professionals the tools of health outcomes assessment. This assessment involves measuring the results of the interaction between a patient and the health care delivery system, monitoring those results over time, and managing the information gained to continually improve the process.

The program is the natural evolution of the Center for Pharmaceutical Economics, founded by J. Lyle Bootman, Ph.D., dean and professor at the UA College of Pharmacy. The new name reflects a broader vision for the Center and a dedication to linking clinical and outcomes researchers at the Arizona Health Sciences Center (AHSC) and at research institutions worldwide.

"By sharing health outcomes knowledge developed in the Center, the Colleges of Nursing, Medicine and Pharmacy, and the Arizona Prevention Center will serve as a catalyst for collaboration among public and private health care practitioners from across the state," says Dr. Bootman.

Beyond AHSC, the Center plans to teach Arizona health professionals outcomes tools, such as evaluating the impact of interventions and policies, documenting the efficacy of clinical therapies and practices, managing patient care and services and improving care-delivery systems and processes.

Broadening the knowledge of the Arizona health workforce by sharing outcomes assessment systems will ensure that all health care professionals are part of an interdisciplinary statewide program that continually works to improve health care from clinical, economic and human perspectives.

For more information about the Center, contact J. Lyle Bootman, Ph.D., executive director, at (520) 626-1657.

The Division of HIV Policy and Outcomes Research

The human devastation of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) touches every corner of the world, reaching all countries, races and socioeconomic levels. While individuals and families cope with the immediate human consequences of the disease, governments and health care organizations must face the staggering long-term economic and policy implications of the epidemic.

The Division of HIV Policy and Outcomes Research at the College of Pharmacy was established in 1997 to assist various health care stakeholders in making informed decisions regarding HIV/AIDS patient care. As part of the College's Center for Health Outcomes and Pharmaco- Economic Research, the Division's mission is to significantly advance the understanding of the relationships among health care policies, personal behavior (such as adherence to medication regimens), costs of care, and health outcomes.

"A greater understanding of these interrelationships can guide decision-making at the individual patient and health plan level as well as foster enlightened policy making from the community to the national level," says Stephen Joel Coons, Ph.D., director of the Division.

"Our overarching goal is to serve as
a catalyst for the development of
partnerships among other researchers, clinicians, health plans,
and program administrators."

AIDS was once the second leading cause of death among persons between the ages of 25 and 44 in the United States. However, in 1996, opportunistic illnesses and deaths related to AIDS declined for the first time since the emergence of the disease more than 15 years ago. The improvements in mortality and AIDS-free survival for those infected with HIV are largely due to the introduction of highly effective antiretroviral drug therapies.

These dramatic pharmaceutical breakthroughs have come with significant price tags. Current recommended therapy is three to four times more costly than standard therapy was three years ago. In a resource-constrained environment, the increased costs

associated with the treatment of HIV/AIDS have health care regulators, payers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, providers, advocacy groups and patients concerned about policy implications as well as payment for and access to quality care.
"We're starting our job locally, working alongside researchers from across The University of Arizona and with health care agencies and AIDS service organizations statewide," says Ruth Cherrick, M.P.H., assistant research scientist.
Evidence of the dedication of the Division can be seen in the number of organizations interested in participating in its advisory board, including the Arizona Department of Health Services, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the Pima and Maricopa County Health Departments, El Rio Special Immunology Clinic, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University Medical Center, Kino Community Hospital, Maricopa Integrated Health System, Arizona Department of Corrections, Arizona AIDS Policy Alliance, Phoenix Body Positive, and the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation.

For more information regarding the Division of HIV Policy and Outcomes Research, contact Ruth Cherrick, (520) 626-5364.