Innovative Research
Diagnostic and therapeutic innovations present important opportunities but also challenges to the health care delivery and financing system. The Berkeley Center for Health Technology (BCHT) promotes research and educational initiatives that foster the development, insurance coverage, appropriate use, and affordability of these medical technologies.
The research activities of the Center identify best industry practices and further the development of new practices through cooperative endeavors with technology firms, health insurance plans, and health care delivery organizations. The Center sponsors three types of research activities:
- Convening of cross-sector roundtables on public policy and the management of new technologies. These one-day invitational forums highlight areas of common concern and potential collaborative initiative, with results published as issue briefs.
- Case studies of best practices. BCHT staff conducts case studies of leading firms and publishes these as reports and in peer reviewed journals.
- Data-based analyses. These projects quantify the frequency, diversity, and impact of public policies and business strategies on the part of drug and device manufacturers, health insurers, hospital systems, and physician organizations.
Current Projects
Reference Pricing
Impact of Reference Pricing on Consumer Choice and Employer Spending for Diagnostic Tests
Impact of Reference Pricing on Surgical Complications and Costs
Impact of Expanded Reference Pricing Programs
National Price Variation and Potential for Spending Reductions
Diabetes Management
Using Mobile Health Technologies to Improve Patient Engagement in Diabetes
Payment Reform / Innovative Benefit Design
Impact of Physician-Hospital Consolidation on Costs and Quality of Care in California
Alternative Strategies for Improving Oncology Physician Payment
Re-Design of Coverage for High-Cost Specialty Drugs in the California Health Insurance Exchange
Collaboration with Health Affairs
Health Affairs is the nation's leading health policy journal. BCHT Director James Robinson has been a Contributing Editor since 2003 and served as its Editor-in-Chief from 2007 to 2008. The journal's February 2015 theme issue on biomedical innovation included two papers by Dr. Robinson.
Health Affairs devotes extensive coverage to medical devices, advanced imaging, diagnostics, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and other dimensions of health technology. The journal's November/December 2008 issue focused on The Price of Medical Technology. The September/October 2006 issue was entitled Biotech Drugs Come of Age and focused on biopharmaceuticals.
Dr. Robinson has published over 30 papers in Health Affairs over the past decade, including articles on insurer strategies for managing biopharmaceuticals and value purchasing of medical devices.