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CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

“National Survey of Vice-Presidents of Materials Management in U.S. Hospitals & Health Systems ”
Funded by The National Science Foundation and its Center for Health Management Research (CHMR).
Principal Investigator: Lawton R. Burns. Please contact Dr. Burns directly for preliminary survey results.

“Wharton Program on Pharmaceutical Policy, Economics, and Management”
Funded by Merck.
Principal Investigator: Patricia M. Danzon.

“How Can Organizational Change Lead to Improved Organizational Performance in the Health Care Industry?”
Funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Principal Investigator: Lawton R. Burns.

“Research Issues in Measuring the Effect of Plans to Improve Employee Health on Firm Profits and Productivity”
Funded by Merck.
Principal Investigator: Mark V. Pauly.

“Best Practices in Buyer-Supplier Contracting.”
Funded by Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems.
Principal Investigator: Lawton R. Burns..

“Physician Selection of Medical Devices”
Funded by Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems (JJHCS) and DePuy.
Principal Investigator: Lawton R. Burns.

“National Survey of Hospitals’ Use of Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs).”
Funded by Owens & Minor.
Principal Investigator: Lawton R. Burns..

“Trends in the Global Pharmaceutical Outsourcing Market.”
Funded by IBM Global Services and Cardinal Health.
Principal Investigator: Lawton R. Burns.

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“Wharton Program on Pharmaceutical Policy, Economics, and Management”
Principal Investigator: Patricia M. Danzon.

1. Entry, scale, and competition in pharmaceutical R & D
   a. Efficiency of the market for biotech-pharma deals ?
   b. Do horizontal mergers enhance research productivity ?
   c. Does regulation drive out competition ?
   d. Do “Me-Too” drugs stimulate competition ?
2. Impact of health care financing and reimbursement policies on pharmaceuticals
   a. Impact of insurance plan design on use of new drugs ?
   b. Interaction on patient cost-sharing and managed care guidelines/limits on use of new drugs ?
   c. Effect of triple tier co-payment structures on use of generic, preferred brand, and non-preferred brand drugs ?

“Why Doesn’t Organizational Restructuring Lead to Improved Organizational Performance?”
Principal Investigator: Lawton R. Burns.

1. Develop conceptual model of how fundamental change within organizations occurs. How are core capabilities within healthcare firms created? What capabilities are required to translate changes in structure into changes in performance?
2. Conduct case studies regarding how fundamental change within firms takes place. Identify the core capabilities and processes needed to sustain fundamental change. Case Studies: Intermountain Health Care, Hill Physicians Medical Group, Humana, South Jersey Health System.

“Research Issues in Measuring the Effect of Plans to Improve Employee Health on Firm Profits and Productivity”
Principal Investigator: Mark V. Pauly.

1. Specify analytical, normative, and behavioral models of the measurement and incidence of productivity effects.
2. Interview employers of various firms to understand their beliefs about the consequences of reduced workplace absences.
3. Review existing databases and specify the sources and forms of feasible new kinds of data collection strategies that will permit elaboration of the empirical tests proposed above.
4. Perform some pilot empirical studies to exemplify these analyses.

“Best Practices in Buyer-Supplier Contracting.”
Principal Investigator: Lawton R. Burns.

1. Survey multiple buyers of pharmaceuticals and medical devices: integrated delivery networks (IDNs), group purchasing organizations (GPOs), pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)
2. Is the contract always about “price”?
3. Assess friction points in contract negotiation and management
4. Outline improvements that can be made in contracting

“Physician Selection of Medical Devices”
Principal Investigator: Lawton R. Burns.

1. Model the decisions by orthopedists regarding which manufacturers of medical implants they choose and what criteria they utilize in making this choice.
2. Conduct national survey of orthopedists in the U.S., and on-site interviews at hospitals with high orthopedics volume

“National Survey of Hospitals’ Use of Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs).”
Principal Investigator: Lawton R. Burns.

1. Assess how Vice Presidents for Materials Management in hospitals view their GPOs and the value-added of various GPO services and activities.
2. Estimate the percentage of total hospital supply spend routed through materials management departments and GPO contracts
3. Assess the degree of centralization in materials management activities across hospitals within integrated delivery networks (IDNs)

“Trends in the Global Pharmaceutical Outsourcing Market.”
Principal Investigator: Lawton R. Burns.

1. Analyze the market structure and current developments in outsourced services for the global life sciences industry - - specifically contract manufacturing and drug delivery technologies. Focus on bulk drug manufacturing, finished dose form, and drug packaging.
2. Assess the growing role of pharmaceutical wholesalers as venture capitalists to the biotechnology industry.