Addressing Public Health Challenges by Expanding Data Access

Mathematica’s Health Data Innovation Lab is supporting the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) signature research program, Health Data for Action (HD4A), by supplying five of the program’s 2024 grantees with data sets critical to studying pressing health issues.

The HD4A program, managed by AcademyHealth, makes valuable data from various data owners available to researchers to answer important research questions. These data sets include electronic health record (EHR) and clinical data, claims and encounter data, and transparency in coverage data. Mathematica’s Health Data Innovation Lab will serve as one of the conduits to these data, supporting grants related to reproductive health, Medicaid and Medicare, price transparency, and violent injuries.

“Access to quality data is essential to advance health care policy and innovation,” said Karen Schneider, principal researcher at Mathematica. “Yet, research can be hampered by the high cost and steep learning curve associated with accessing and analyzing data. We are thrilled that Mathematica’s data and technical expertise can reduce these barriers and help grantees address such important issues.”

Specifically, Mathematica will provide data sets directly or in partnership with other organizations to the following 2024 awarded grants:

• Examining the Contribution of Air Pollution to Disparities in Pregnancy Morbidity
• Association of Continuous Medicaid Eligibility During COVID-19 with Postpartum Coverage and Health Care Use
• Understanding Medical & Social Service Use Among Individuals with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Enrolled in Medicaid HCBS Waivers
• Examining Negotiated Rates for Behavioral Health and Primary Care Providers
• Identification, Precursors, and Outcomes of Firearm Injuries in Real-World Data

Grantees will have access to aggregate Medicaid data and health care pricing data provided through Mathematica’s price transparency database. In addition, through Mathematica’s partnership with Truveta, grantees will have access to complete, timely, representative, and artificial intelligence-enabled EHR data from about 20 health systems encompassing more than 86 million people, more than 20,000 hospitals and clinics, and all 50 states.

The Health Data Innovation Lab operates at the intersection of data and policy expertise to connect health care industry professionals with world-class data scientists, social scientists, and technologists to advance innovation, improve operations, and meet ambitious goals.

Visit AcademyHealth’s website to learn more about these projects and others supported by the Health Data for Action program.