Jeffrey H. Silber

Current Courses

• EPID580 - Outcomes Research

  This course is divided into two main parts. The first part addresses issues related to the measurement of quality in health care. Included is a review of theclassical structure-process-outcome quality paradigm. The paradigm's strengths and limitations are addressed. This part especially focuses on outcome measure of quality and examines the validity of alternative measures. The second part deals with observational, or quasi-experimental, research studies. It addresses the advantages and limitations of alternative designs, and covers the role of clinical risk adjustment in observational studies of medical interventions. It focuses on the problem of selection bias, and reviews recent methods for dealing with this bias, such as instrumental variables. Prerequisite: Introductory course in statistics including regression methods. Permission of instructor if prerequistion is not met.

  EPID580401

• HPR 580 - Outcomes Research

  This course is divided into two main parts. The first part addresses issues related to the measurement of quality in health care. Included is a review of theclassical structure-process-outcome quality paradigm. The paradigm's strengths and limitations are addressed. This part especially focuses on outcome measure of quality and examines the validity of alternative measures. The second part deals with observational, or quasi-experimental, research studies. It addresses the advantages and limitations of alternative designs, and covers the role of clinical risk adjustment in observational studies of medical interventions. It focuses on the problem of selection bias, and reviews recent methods for dealing with this bias, such as instrumental variables. Prerequisite: Introductory course in statistics including regression methods. Permission of instructor if prerequistion is not met.

  HPR 580401

Past Courses

• BIBB399 - INDEPENDENT RESEARCH

  Individual research of an experimental nature with a member of the standing faculty leading to a written paper. The grade is based primarily on a serious term paper describing original research carried out by the student. Students must submit a proposal prior to registering. During the semester, students must attend two seminars to discuss planning and independent research project, ethical concerns in research and writing a scientific paper. Attendance at the meetings is mandatory. Students doing more than one credit of independent study will be required to present a poster at the annual BBB Symposium.

• BIBB499 - ADV INDEPENDENT RESEARCH

  Continuation of BIBB 399 research. Students will be required to give an oral presentation of their research at the annual BBB symposium Honors Seminar and attend weekly seminars.

• EPID580 - OUTCOMES RESEARCH

  This course is divided into two main parts. The first part addresses issues related to the measurement of quality in health care. Included is a review of theclassical structure-process-outcome quality paradigm. The paradigm's strengths and limitations are addressed. This part especially focuses on outcome measure of quality and examines the validity of alternative measures. The second part deals with observational, or quasi-experimental, research studies. It addresses the advantages and limitations of alternative designs, and covers the role of clinical risk adjustment in observational studies of medical interventions. It focuses on the problem of selection bias, and reviews recent methods for dealing with this bias, such as instrumental variables. Prerequisite: Introductory course in statistics including regression methods. Permission of instructor if prerequistion is not met.

• EPID610 - TUTORIAL IN EPI RESEARCH

  This is a tutorial given by each student's advisor. Advisor and student meet weekly. Topics include: discussion and review of epidemiologic concepts and principles, guided readings in the epidemiology of a specific health area, and the development of the research protocol.

• EPID900 - MASTER'S THESIS

  These are a series of tutorial sessions conducted by the student's advisor, which are to support the student's efforts in developing a research protocol, designing a designing a research project, and completing the study.

• HCMG899 - INDEPENDENT STUDY

  Arranged with members of the Faculty of the Health Care Systems Department. For further information contact the Department office, Room 204, Colonial Penn Center, 3641 Locust Walk, 898-6861.

• HCMG900 - PROSEMINAR IN HE

  This course is intended to provide entering doctoral students with information on the variety of health economics models, methods, topics, and publication outlets valued and used by faculty in the HCMG doctoral program and outside of it. The course has two main parts: the first, to acquaint students with theoretical modeling tools used frequently by health economists. This part of the course involves a number of lectures coupled with students' presentations from the health economics, management and operations research community at Penn on a research method or strategy they have found helpful and they think is important for all doctoral students to know.

• HPR 580 - OUTCOMES RESEARCH

  This course is divided into two main parts. The first part addresses issues related to the measurement of quality in health care. Included is a review of theclassical structure-process-outcome quality paradigm. The paradigm's strengths and limitations are addressed. This part especially focuses on outcome measure of quality and examines the validity of alternative measures. The second part deals with observational, or quasi-experimental, research studies. It addresses the advantages and limitations of alternative designs, and covers the role of clinical risk adjustment in observational studies of medical interventions. It focuses on the problem of selection bias, and reviews recent methods for dealing with this bias, such as instrumental variables. Prerequisite: Introductory course in statistics including regression methods. Permission of instructor if prerequistion is not met.

• HPR 799 - INDEPENDENT STUDY

  This course is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to gain or enhance knowledge and to explore an area of interest related to health policy research under the guidance of a faculty member. Prerequisite: Permission of Program Director and Faculty Member.

• HPR 951 - HPR THESIS I

  Each student completes a mentored research project that includes a thesis proposal and a thesis committee and results in a publishable scholarly product. Prerequisite: Course only open to Masters of Science in Health Policy Research students.

• HPR 952 - HPR THESIS II

  Each student completes a mentored research project that includes a thesis proposal and a thesis committee and results in a publishable scholarly product. Prerequisite: Course only open to Masters of Science in Health Policy Research students.

• NURS900 - DIRECTED STUDY

  Must be arranged with the written permission of the sponsoring faculty member prior to registration.

• Nancy Abramson Wolfson Endowed Chair of Health Services Research, 2013
• AcademyHealth Article-of-the-Year, 2011
• AcademyHealth Abstract-of-the-Year, 2007
• The Hummeler Research Prize (Article-of-the-Year), Joseph Stokes, Jr. Research Institute, 2003
• AcademyHealth (formerly Association for Health Services Research) Article-of-the-Year, 2003
• Samuel P. Martin Health Services Research Award, 2000
• Ethel Brown Foerderer Fund for Excellence Award, 1997

• Check Up: Breast cancer: Why blacks fare worse, Philadelphia Inquirer - 08/25/2013
• Study finds why black women less likely to survive breast cancer, CBS News - 07/24/2013
• Health at diagnosis may drive breast cancer survival gap, Reuters - 07/23/2013
• Black-White Divide Persists in Breast Cancer, New York Times - 07/23/2013
• Failure and Rescue, The New Yorker - 10/07/2012
• How aggressive is your hospital?, New York Times - 02/03/2011
• What and where is the “waste” in health care?, The Incidental Economist - 01/12/2011
• Children’s hospitals may face financial hardship, Pittsburgh Business Times - 03/08/1999

Knowledge @ Wharton

• Grading Hospital Quality with a Level Playing Field, Knowledge @ Wharton - 05/20/2014