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Diane M. Dewar

Diane M. Dewar, Ph.D.

Associate Professor Department of Health Policy, Management and Behavior
& Department of Economics

Address:
Department of Health Policy, Management and Behavior
School of Public Health
University at Albany
One University Place
Room 159
Rensselaer, NY 12144-3456

Phone:

Fax:

E-mail:

HOW DID YOU BEGIN YOUR CAREER IN PUBLIC HEALTH?

"In graduate school, I became interested in the health care sector due to its large share of the domestic economy and the significant variation among segments of the population who have access to quality health care. I also acquired a strong background in the health economies of U.S. and Canada, through teaching and research positions in academia, insurance firms and in public health agencies."

WHY ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH?

“I not only learn more about why the world works the way it does, but the results from my research can better contribute to an ever changing health care system. The ultimate goal of my work is to provide usable answers and information to relevant policy makers and administrators in order to effect change.”

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO DO OUTSTANDING RESEARCH IN YOUR FIELD?

“I find the interdisciplinary nature of my work exciting. I assure that new information on the most pressing health care issues I address is disseminated quickly to those most interested in the field, while having a strong impact in the scholarly community.”

Education:

Ph.D. University at Albany, State University of New York , Economics, 1993 Primary Fields: Health Economics, Public Finance
Secondary Fields: Econometrics, Labor Economics
B.A. University at Albany, State University of New York, Economics (with honors),1982

Research Areas:

Health Insurance, Health Services Utilization, Economic Evaluations of Critical Care Services, End of Life Care

Professor Dewar's work focuses primarily on how public policy shapes the organization and financing of health services, and how the divisions by persons and providers about health service utilization are then influenced by these policy changes. In addition to the utilization of health services, her work concerns issues regarding efficiency, cost, and equity in the health system. She is primarily interested in the influence health policy has on health insurance coverage and access to health services among vulnerable populations such as the poor, the elderly, and the chronically ill.

Currently, most of her research is on the impacts of managed care and the competitive hospital financing system on the optimal use of high-cost medical technology in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home-health settings among the seriously ill elderly. Another major research interest is in the cost-benefit analysis of public policies, such as policies affecting private health insurance coverage, or the coordination of services at the end of life.

Teaching Focus:

Professor Dewar teaches courses in health policy and health economics, and frequently lectures in other courses offered through the School of Public Health. She focuses on real-world application of health policy and analysis viewed through economic paradigms, by drawing on her previous professional appointments in research and academe in both the U.S. and Canada. She also includes the integration of theory and practice in policy analysis and evaluation through the incorporation of field experiences in her courses and invited lectures by leading professionals in the health care sector.

Courses Frequently Taught:

HPM 511/ECO 511 : Economic Analysis
HPM 635: Economic Evaluation Methods
SPH 381/ECO 381: The Economics of Health Care
SPH 310: Key US Policy Issues: A Comparative Approach

Selected Publications:

Shih, A; Dewar, D.; Hartman, T. (2007) Medicare's Quality Improvement Organization Program value in nursing homes. Health Care Financing Review, (Spring).

Dewar, D. (2006). Health economics. In Encyclopedia of Epidemiology. McNutt, L-A, ed. Sage Publishers.

Dewar D. (2006). Economic evaluations. In Encyclopedia of Epidemiology. McNutt, L-A, ed. Sage Publishers.

Dewar, D. and L. Zeltman-Smith. (2005). A single payer health care system: Is it feasible in the U.S.? Review of Social Economy, 57(1), 20-31.

Dewar, D. (2004). End of life care: a study among respiratory care patients. Quarterly Journal of Cost and Quality, 10(3), 37-45.

Dewar, D., Lambrinos, J. (2003). The impact of managed care and competitive hospital reimbursements on survival for patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation with and without tracheostomy. Critical Care Medicine,31, 118-126.

McNutt LA, Carlson BE, Dewar D., Lombardo R . (2002). Health care costs associated with partner violence. In Proceedings of the Medical Care and Domestic Violence. 2002 Conference, Dallas Texas.

Dewar, D., Lambrinos, J. and Smith, T. (2001). Cost-effectiveness analysis of prolonged mechanical ventilation with tracheostomy under a regulated and competitive hospital reimbursement regimes: An episode of care approach. Chest,117, 223-229.

Dewar, D., (2001). Utilizing high cost life-saving technology among the aged: are the benefits worth the costs? In Social Economy of Health Care, in the Advances in Social Economics Series. Davis, J.B., ed. Routledge Publishers.

Dewar, D., (2000). Gender impacts on health insurance coverage: Findings for unmarried full-time employees. Women’s Health Issues, 10(5), 1-10.

Dewar, D., and Lambrinos, J. (2000) Does managed care more efficiently allocate resources to older patients in critical care settings? Quarterly Journal of Cost and Quality, 6(2), 19-26;37.

Dewar, D., Lambrinos, J.; Mallick, R.; and Zhong, Y. (2000). A cost-benefit analysis of mechanical ventilation: An examination of DRG 475. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care,16(1), 148-164.

Dewar, D., Lambrinos, J.; and Mallick, R. (2000) Are the benefits received worth the payments for patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy discharged under DRG 483? Critical Care International, 10(5), 12-15.

Dewar, D., Kurek, C.; Lambrinos, J.; Cohen, I.L.; and Zhong, Y. (1999) Patterns in costs and outcomes for patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation undergoing tracheostomy: An analysis of discharges under Diagnosis-Related Group 483 in New York State during 1992-1996. Critical Care Medicine, 27(12), 2640-2647.

Dewar, D.; Kurek, C.; Lambrinos, J.; Booth, F.V.McL.; and Cohen, I.L. (1998) Clinical and economic outcomes of mechanically ventilated patients in New York State: Analysis of 10,473 cases under DRG 475. CHEST, 114, 214-222.

Dewar, D. (1998) Do those with more formal education have better health insurance opportunities? Economics of Education Review, 17(3), 267-77.

Dewar, D. (1997) Medical technology acquisition in the United States and Canada: Where are we going? Review of Social Economy, Fall, 55(3), 359-378.

Book Contracts:

Dewar, D. Essentials of Health Economics, under contract with Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Forthcoming in Spring 2009.

Dewar, D. Essentials of Health Economics Workbook, under contract with Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Manuscript due to publisher in Spring 2009.

Recent Refereed Papers Presented at Scholarly Conferences:

Dewar,D.; Weller, W.; McGinnis, S.; De A. Who cares? The role of informal caregivers on utilization of preventive services among the frail elderly. Presented at a session sponsored by the Gerontological Section, Annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, Boston, MA, 2006 .

Dewar, D.; Lambrinos, J. Cost-shifting among patients with mechanical ventilation under competitive hospital reimbursement regimes. Presented at a session sponsored by the Health Economics Committee, Annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC., 2004

McGinnis, S.; Dewar, D.; Dill, M.; and Weller, W. Utilization of informal and formal care by older adults. Presented at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Washington, D.C., 2004.

Dewar,D; Lambrinos,J. Gender differences in end of life care among the elderly with respiratory diagnoses in critical care settings. Presented at session sponsored by the Gerontological Health Section, Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, San Francisco, CA, 2003.

Dewar,D; Lambrinos,J. Impacts of hospital reimbursement changes on end of life care for the patients in critical care settings. Presented at session sponsored by the Gerontological Health Section, Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, San Francisco, CA, 2003.

McNutt LA.; Carlson BE; Dewar D; Lombardo R . Health care costs associated with partner violence. Medical Care and Domestic Violence 2002 Conference, Dallas, TX, 2002.

Dewar,D; Lambrinos,J. Gender differences in end of life care in critical care settings. Presented at session sponsored by the Gerontological Health Section, Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Philadelphia, PA, 2002.

Dewar,D; Lambrinos,J. Impacts of Delivery System Changes on Hospital Length of Stay and Discharge patterns among the Critically Ill. Presented at session sponsored by the Medical Care Section, Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Philadelphia, PA, 2002.

Dewar, D.; Lambrinos, J.; Lu, M. Impacts of managed care and competitive reimbursements on hospital resource utilization for the critically ill. Presented at session sponsored by the Health Economics Committee of the Medical Care Section, Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Atlanta, GA, 2001.

Dewar, D. and Hafner, J-P. Survival analysis of patients undergoing mechanical ventilation with tracheostomy in New York State 1992-1996: Does Managed Care Influence Outcome for DRG 483? Presented at session sponsored by the Medical Care Section, Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Atlanta, GA, 2001.

Dewar, D.; Lu, M.; Dickson, K. Gender differences in critical care resource utilization and health outcomes among the elderly. Presented at session sponsored by the Gerontological Section, Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Atlanta, GA, 2001.

Dewar, D. Overview of health and policy implications of critical care utilization among elderly women.Presented at Susan B. Anthony Award for Excellence in Research on Older Women and Public Health symposium sponsored by Aetna and the Gerontological Section, Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Atlanta, GA, 2001.

Dewar, D. Has health insurance coverage changed for women? Findings for single full-time employees. Presented at session sponsored by the Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession, Allied Social Science Association annual meeting, Boston, MA, 2000.

Dewar, D.; Lambrinos, J.; Kurek, C.; Hafner, J-P. Does managed care more efficiently allocate resources for higher risk patients? An analysis of resources utilized for mechanically ventilated patients with tracheostomy. Presented at session sponsored by the Health Economics Research Organization, Allied Social Science Association annual meeting, Boston, MA, 2000.

Dewar, D.; Lambrinos, J. Impacts of managed care and competitive reimbursements of outcomes for the seriously ill elderly. Presented at session sponsored by the Gerontological section, Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Boston, MA, 2000.

Dewar, D; Roy, A.; Gallati, R.; Perry, P.; Maloney, J. Estimating the cost of providing outpatient chemical dependency treatment services in New York State. Presented at the Association for Health Services Research annual meeting, Los Angeles, CA, 2000.

Current Externally Funded Research:

Role: Co-PI (C Hageman PI)
Project: The Efficiency of Enhanced Care Coordination Plans
Source: Foundation for Long Term Care
Time Period: August 2008-July 2010
Total Funding: $650,000

Role: Director of Economic Evaluation (DellaPenna, PI)
Project: An Integrated Coordinated Care Program for Frail Elderly
Source: Kaiser Permanente
Time Period: June 1, 2003-May 31, 2007
Total Funding: $650,000

Role: Co-PI (Szebenyi, PI)
Project: Cost-Effectiveness of Home-Based Primary Care for Frail Elders
Source: Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation
Time Period: June 1, 2006-May 31, 2008
Total Funding: $850,000

Role: Co-Investigator and Advisory Board Member (Strogatz, PI)
Project: Prevention Center for Chronic Illness Source: CDC
Time Period: October 1, 2002- September 30, 2009
Total Funding:$1,376,099

Role: Consultant ( DuMont, PI)
Project: (2006-Mu-MU-0002) A randomized trial of Healthy Families New York (HFNY: Does it prevent child maltreatment)
Source: NIJ
Time Period: September 13, 2006- September 12, 2009
Total Funding: $648,056.

Awards:

Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Academic Service (2007)

University at Albany Award for Excellence in Academic Service (2007)

Appointed Chair, National Scientific Review Panel, American Association Of University Women Educational Foundation's Fellowship Award , 2004-2006.

Appointed Panelist, American Association of University Women Educational Foundation's National Fellowship Award Reviewer Panel, 2000-2006.

Appointed Panelist, Health Care Quality and Effectiveness Research Study Group, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2005-2012)

Appointed Member, Scientific Review Committee, American Society for Health Economics, (2004-present).

Appointed Panelist, Health Care Quality and Effectiveness Research Study Group, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2005-2009).

Appointed Chair, National Scientific Review Panel, American Association of University Women Educational Foundation’s Fellowship Award , 2004-2006.

Appointed Panelist,American Association of University Women Educational Foundation’s National Fellowship Award Reviewer Panel, 2000-2006.

Appointed Panelist, Grant Program under Special Emphasis Panel Hit Implementation Grant, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, (2004).

Commendation, Annals of Internal Medicine, for excellence as a reviewer, 2002.

Commendation, the American College of Chest Physicians andCHEST, for excellence as a reviewer, 2002.

Member, Delta Omega, the Public Health Honorary Society, Alpha Gamma Chapter, Inducted 2001.

2001 Aetna Susan B. Anthony Award for Excellence in Research on Older Women and Public Health, (Honorable Mention) Sponsored by Aetna and the Gerontological Section of the American Public Health Association.

William R. Waters Research Award, Association for Social Economics, January 2000.

Innovation Fund for Teaching Award, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1996-1997.