title: Use of Pooled State Administrative Data for Mental Health Services Research.
abstract: State systems are a rich, albeit challenging, laboratory for policy-relevant services research studies. State mental health authorities routinely devote resources to collect data for state planning and reporting purposes. However, these data are rarely used in cross-state comparisons to inform state or federal policy development. In 2008, in response to key recommendations from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Advisory Council's "The Road Ahead: Research Partnership to Transform Services," (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/advisory-boards-and-groups/namhc/reports/road-ahead.pdf), NIMH issued a request for applications (RFA) to support studies on the impact of state policy changes on access, cost, quality and outcomes of care for individuals with mental disorders. The purpose of the RFA was to bridge the divide between research and policy by encouraging research that used state administrative data across states, and to address significant state-defined health policy initiatives. Five projects involving eight states were selected through peer review for funding. Projects began in 2009 and were funded for 3 years. This report provides a brief description of the five projects, followed by an analysis of the impact, challenges, and lessons learned from these policy-partnered studies. We conclude by offering suggestions on ways to use state administrative data for informing state health policies, which is especially timely given national and state changes in the structure and financing of healthcare.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone School of Medicine, New York, USA. kimberly.hoagwood@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Kimberly Eaton
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hoagwood
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Essock
authors.affiliation: Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morrissey
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, USA.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Libby
authors.affiliation: New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), Albany, USA.
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Donahue
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Druss
authors.affiliation: New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), Albany, USA.|Bureau of Evidence Based Services & Implementation Science, NYS Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Finnerty
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frisman
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: Meera
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Narasimhan
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.|School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA.
authors.forename: Bradley D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: Office of the Vice President for Research, George Washington University, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wisdom
authors.affiliation: Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, Denver, USA.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zerzan
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual; D006291:Health Policy; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services; D009315:National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.); D012109:Research Support as Topic; D014481:United States
keywords: Mental health; Policy; States; Systems