323724
A rigorous system to evaluate the health impacts of California programs and policies using big data and optimized analyses
Monday, November 2, 2015
: 12:30 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.
Dana Goin, BS,
Division of Epidemiology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Jessica Galin, BS,
Division of Epidemiology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Large-scale policies and programs have a substantial influence on population health. However, post-implementation health effects are rarely assessed. We demonstrate a rigorous and cost efficient system that can be applied to evaluate the post-implementation effects of policies and programs on a wide range of health outcomes. We compiled a large database of administrative health data, including all births, deaths, emergency department visits, and inpatient hospitalizations between 2005 and the present in California. We also developed a web-based simulation generator to allow investigators to identify the optimal study design and analysis to estimate the health effects of a program or policy, given program characteristics, type of data available, and potential biases. We demonstrate the software, and provide an example of how insights gained from the simulator can be applied to the database to study the impacts of a violence prevention program. Overall, the database is a rich, cost efficient source of health information that greatly diminishes the need to mobilize a new study each time a policy or program must be evaluated. Further, the user-friendly simulator offers a rigorous quantitative assessment of which specific design and analysis combination is best to answer the scientific question of interest. This system has the potential to greatly improve the accessibility and rigor of studies of the health effects of policies and programs.
Learning Areas:
Biostatistics, economics
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Epidemiology
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Identify two reasons that the health impacts of large-scale programs and policies are rarely assessed.
Identify three ways that our database and simulation generator help address these issues for the state of California.
Describe how you would use our database and simulation generator to evaluate the health impacts of an economic development project in California.
Keyword(s): Evaluation, Public Policy
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have received substantial training in epidemiological and biostatistical methods, particularly those related to the use of simulation for conducting rigorous statistical analyses.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
