Health Services Research and Health Policy

Health Informatics

Westat researchers employ a variety of health informatics approaches to leverage routinely collected health care data to improve health outcomes. Our researchers utilize established and emerging data interoperability standards, such as HL7 and FHIR, to aid data integration to support disease surveillance and health care outcomes. We use health care terminology systems, such as SNOMED CT, ICD-10-CM, and CPT, to extract semantic meaning from data and derive reliable measures.

Innovative Health Care Delivery

Westat offers expertise in innovative health care delivery models and value-based care intended to improve the quality of care and reduce costs. We conduct evaluations of alternative payment models in the areas of maternal and child health, accountable care, opioid use disorder, and prescription drugs. In addition, we provide monitoring and compliance services in support of innovative health care delivery models and value-based care programs focusing on primary care and kidney disease, and lead learning collaboratives to share best practices and innovations among various provider types.

Patient Safety and Experience

Westat conducts innovative research on patient safety and patients’ experiences with health care, which are both fundamental to ensuring the quality of care. We have developed and administered multimode surveys of provider and staff perceptions of patient safety, workforce safety, and diagnostic safety and patient experience surveys for various health care settings. Our research has included environmental scans, in-depth interviews, and focus groups with providers, staff, and patients. We link patient safety and patient experience data to other quality measures, conduct psychometric analysis and complex statistical modeling, produce benchmarking and feedback reports, and develop infographics and dashboards of results. We develop resources and promote and disseminate research findings and tools that health care organizations and researchers can use to improve patient safety and patient experience.

Quality Measurement

Westat has a team of highly experienced quality measurement scientists, including health services researchers, clinicians, policy and regulatory experts, statisticians, data analysts, survey methodologists, and psychometricians. We use innovative, evidence-based, and patient-centered approaches to span all phases of the quality measurement lifecycle, ranging from measure conceptualization through development, specification, testing, implementation, endorsement, public reporting, and analysis. We are experienced in developing and analyzing quality measures (e.g., those derived from surveys, claims, and EHRs) related to health care quality, safety, and experience of care from the perspectives of patients, caregivers, and providers.