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The Humana Institute engenders groundbreaking research spanning health services research, translational research, quality improvement, safety, population health, community-based participatory research and social determinants of health.

Our researchers integrate social, economic and medical data to drive evidence-based practices and test the efficacy of new health care models in real-world settings. The end goal is for a safer, more effective, equitable and patient-centered health care system.

Partnering with Humana, offers researchers access to the company’s rich claims data warehouses, which contain over 13 million unique records in Medicare, Medicaid and Employer-sponsored insurance products. They house medical, behavioral and pharmacy files across different health care settings, including inpatient, outpatient and physician offices.

Humana also has a national network of primary care clinics that offer innovative, value-based payment models. These resources allow us to collaboratively engage in research that refines care delivery models and informs the practice of value-based care.

For More Information about Humana Institute research projects, please contact Lola Adepoju, research director at oadepoju@uh.edu or 713-743-9706.

Studies/Programs in Progress


Project

Description

Contact/PI

Food Insecurity Methods Study

Humana’s Bold Goal and Humana Healthcare Research teams collaborated with the University of Houston, Honors College on an observational study to evaluate clinician willingness to screen for social needs such as food insecurity and observed screening and referral clinic processes among select clinician practices in Houston, Texas.

 Dr. Dan Price

Using Artificial Intelligence to Predict High-Cost Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes*

This study develops a a modified Diabetes Complication Severity Index (DCSI) Progression Tool, which identifies individuals with diabetes at high risk for accumulating complications, by testing and validating four versions of a Diabetes High Cost Prediction Model (support vector machines, learning using privileged information, random forests, and deep learning)

Dr. Winston Liaw

Integrated Clinical Pharmacist: Program Description*

Assessment of the role and impact on outcomes of a clinical pharmacist embedded into a senior-focused primary care practice*

Dr. Hua Chen

Intergenerational Linkages: Fighting Loneliness in the era of COVID-19 and Beyond

This study refines existing matching technology on intergenerational linkage to address social isolation and loneliness among older adults. Students are matched with seniors based on common interests and common ground to develop lasting and fruitful relationships between generations.

Dr. Omolola Adepoju

Safety of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case for non-professional healthcare workers

Health home nurses, community health workers and other paraprofessionals who care for patients in non-institutionalized settings are vulnerable to contacting the virus. Project uses surveys to examine CHWs response to the pandemic.

Dr. Kendra Smith

Health-Related Social Needs Among Medicare Advantage Members with Mental Illnes

This study combines social needs data from the Accountable Health Communities (AHC) survey with medical claims data from a large payer to 1) elucidate associations between the combinations of health-related social needs and mental illness among older adults, and 2)capture the incremental effect of an additional health-related social needs among those with mental illness.

Dr. Lechauncy Woodard

The University of Houston Medical-Legal Partnership: Improving Health by Addressing Health-Harming Legal Need

This study examines the relationship between Health-Harming Legal Need (HHLNs) and Chronic Disease Control, Utilization, and Healthy Days.

Dr. Winston Liaw

The impact of food/nutrition specific financial supplements on health and health equity among older adults

Humana’s value based payment initiative aims to address key factors in particular: Food insecurity (inconsistent access to nutritious food), social isolation (lack of interaction with other people), loneliness (feeling of being alone), and housing instability (lack of stable housing). The model offers providers tools and resources to identify and address those social determinants, and will provide compensation for enhanced care coordination centered on three program components — patient screenings; documentation of assessment findings; and connecting the patient to appropriate resources. This study assesses the impact of food/nutrition specific financial supplements on healthcare utilization patterns and member experience.

Dr. Omolola Adepoju