Alexander, G. Caleb
Institution: University of Chicago
Grant Title: An
RCT to Decrease Out-of-Pocket Prescription Costs
Grant Number: K08 HS15699
Duration: 5
years (2006-2011)
Total Award: $620,730
Project Description: This randomized trial will
develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention designed
to assist patients and physicians in safely reducing patients' out-of-pocket
prescription costs. The project has five aims:
- Assess the impact of a
patient empowerment and physician education intervention of patients'
out-of-pocket costs.
- Assess the impact of a patient empowerment and
physician educational intervention on patients' medication appropriateness,
quality of life, and cost burden.
- Examine effect of a patient empowerment
and physician education intervention on the frequency of discussions about
out-of-pocket prescription costs Examine how changes in patients'
out-of-pocket costs are achieved.
- Explore barriers preventing enhanced
effectiveness of the interventions.
Career Goals: The grantee is an Instructor
in the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago. Dr. Alexander
would like to become a nationally respected health services researcher who
examines policy-relevant questions at the intersection of bioethics, public
policy, and clinical medicine. He intends to creatively combine methodologies
from each of these fields in ways that yield important insights on problems of
health care quality with a focus on prescription utilization and the
patient-physician relationship.
Progress to Date: The grantee has developed several multi-modal intervention materials to empower patients and educate physicians. Dr. Alexander has undertaken a series of studies using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to examine how various strategies that physicians may use to assist patients burdened by costs actually impact their costs.
Future Plans: Dr. Alexander will conduct the trial and analyze data during the upcoming year. He will continue with his academic work associated with his proposed career development plan.
Highlights and Specific Accomplishments:
-
Faculty Member, Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program.
-
Faculty Member, MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics.
K-Generated Publications:
Alexander GC, Zhang J, Basu A. Characteristics of patients receiving pharmaceutical samples and association between sample receipt and out-of-pocket prescription costs. Medical Care 2008; 46:394-402.
Yin W, Basu A, Zhang J, Rabbani A, Meltzer D, Alexander GC. The effect of Medicare Part D prescription benefit on drug utilization and expenditures. Annals of Internal Medicine 2008; 148:169-77.
Rabbani A, Alexander GC. Out-of-pocket and total costs of fixed dose combination antihypertensives and their components. American Journal of Hypertension 2008; 21(5):509-13.
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