IUCRC Planning Grant Indiana University: Center for Population Health Analytics & Technology [CPHAT]

The US healthcare system is one of the largest sectors of the American economy. However, the industry is not designed to effectively address the social, technological, and health problems facing the nation. For example, addiction is among the leading cause of death and economic burden, but people with addiction often receive poor healthcare.

Healthcare is designed to deal with clinical problems, but social determinants are the largest drivers of costs and poor health. Healthcare organizations need analytic tools to help manage the needs and risks of entire populations. New technologies and scientific advancements are needed to improve national health and prosperity.

A partnership between Indiana University, The Ohio State University, and University of Florida, The Center for Population Health Analytics & Technology (CPHAT) will advance technologies, knowledge, and methods that improve health and wellbeing related to social determinants of health, population health analytics, and addiction. CPHAT will produce tools that support clinical and business decision making, models to identify and support high-risk populations, analytics that address health inequities, and interventions for addiction.

The Indiana University Site will particularly focus on developing novel measurement methods for social determinants for use in predictive modeling and risk stratification.

The CPHAT will have a positive impact on the well-being of individuals in society by improving the effectiveness and the equity of US health care. The CPHAT will partner with innovative industry members to develop the science and technology necessary to deal with the social and behavioral drivers of poor health. Population health is a dramatic departure from traditional approaches in that it specifically focuses on improving health outcomes and health equity for all individuals.

In addition, the CPHAT will further the NSF’s goal of increased partnership between academia and industry.

The CPHAT will maintain project repositories for the duration of the project period. Each university partner site will maintain individual and shared project repositories consistent with data sharing and usage agreements. A centrally-hosted project repository will include all CPHAT project results, publications, and related products.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.