Ajit Appari, PhD, MTech, BTech

Research Interests

Statement: Generate rigorous empirical evidence using data-driven research to help (1) enhance the role of information technology (IT) in improving health care delivery, and (2) understand the drivers of utilization and quality of health care delivery to priority population including people with [multiple] chronic conditions, women, and elderly population.

Focus Areas and Context: Quality and Value of Health Care, Healthcare Analytics, Economics of Health IT and Information Security, Healthcare Management, Socioeconomic Determinants, Multiple Chronic Conditions, Working-Age Adults, Medicare/Medicaid Population; Acute Care, Pos-Acute Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Providers and Organizations.

Methodologies Used: Advanced Statistical Methods (Explanatory Modeling and Prediction Modeling), Dimensionality Reduction Techniques, Causal Modeling, Generalized Linear Models, Big Data (administrative claims; aggregates at individual, organization, and area levels).

My research seeks to generate rigorous empirical evidence base to help: enhance the role of information technology (a.k.a. electronic health record system and other IT infrastructure) in improving health care delivery, and; eliminating the socioeconomic disparity of health care delivery, especially for priority populations. Towards this, I pursue research in two related areas: [a] the economics of information technology (IT) investments; and [b] the economics of healthcare delivery.

The first theme is focused on the value and risk of information technology, including the value impact of health IT specifically in terms of process quality, patient safety, and efficiency of healthcare delivery; [post dissertation work] health information privacy/security risks and regulatory compliance (e.g., HIPAA); and [dissertation work] quantification of risk factors.
The second theme is focused on the socioeconomics of health and healthcare delivery [post dissertation] and examines the roles of individual/community level socioeconomic determinants, (inter)organizational, and market factors in understanding the disparity/variations in healthcare utilization, provider performance, and individual health behavior for the people with multiple chronic conditions, and the providers (ambulatory, hospitals, and long-term care settings) delivering care to such population. Furthermore, this stream of research aims to develop prediction models for select clinical and health outcomes in the health IT-enabled environment to improve health care delivery for priority populations.

I have published my research in several leading scholarly journals including Health Services Research (the flagship journal of AcademyHealth), Journal of Health and Social Behavior (the flagship journal of the American Sociological Association), JAMIA- Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (the flagship journal of AMIA), International Journal of Medical Informatics, American Journal of Managed Care, Journal of Systems and Software, and IEEE Software.

My research received the 2013 Best Abstract Award from the Health IT interest group of AcademyHealth for the paper titled “Health Information Technology and Hospital Performance on Imaging-Use Measures”; and my article titled “Medication Administration Quality and Health Information Technology: A National Study of U.S. Hospitals” was selected for the 2012 Editor’s Choice honor by JAMIA.

Publications:

[ *: student collaborator; †: Dissertation/Thesis students; §: myself as senior author and responsible for study design, manuscript writing, and revision support]

See Google Scholar Profile for the extent of my research impact

Peer-Reviewed Journals

Appari A, Johnson ME, Anthony DL. (2018) “Health IT and Inappropriate Utilization of Outpatient Imaging: A Cross-sectional Study of US Hospitals." International Journal of Medical Informatics, 109: 87-95. {Impact Factor: 3.210}
Abbass I*, Revere FL, Jordan M, Appari A§. (2017) “Medication Nonadherence: The Role of Cost, Community and Individual Factors,” Health Services Research, 55(2): 1511-1533. {Impact Factor:3.089; Flagship Journal, AcademyHealth}.
Appari A, Johnson ME, Anthony DL. (2014) “Information Technology and Patient Safety: Evidence from National Data,” American Journal of Managed Care, 20(Special Issue 17): eSP39–eSP47. {Impact Factor:1.657}.
Anthony DL, Appari A, Johnson ME. (2014) “Institutionalizing Compliance: Strategies, Environments, and Competing Logics in the U.S. Healthcare,” Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 55 (1): 108-124. {Impact Factor:3.000; Flagship Journal, the American Sociological Association}.
Appari A, Johnson ME, Anthony DL. (2013) “Meaningful Use of EHR Systems and Process Quality of Care: A Panel Data Analysis of US Acute-Care Hospitals,” Health Services Research, 48(2–part1): 354–75 [Lead article]. {Impact Factor:3.089; Flagship Journal, AcademyHealth}. One of the top downloaded article in 2013 from HSR website.
Appari A, Carian EK*, Johnson ME, Anthony DL. (2012) “Medication Administration Quality and Health Information Technology: A National Study of US Hospitals,” JAMIA, 19(3): 360–367 [recognized as Editor’s Choice of article]. {Impact Factor:3.698; Flagship Journal, the American Medical Informatics Association}.
Appari A, Johnson ME. (2010) “Information Security Risk and Privacy in Healthcare: Current State of Research,” International Journal of Internet and Enterprise Management , 6(4): 279–314. Most read & cited article for the journal
Benaroch M, Appari A. (2011) “Pricing E-Service Quality Risk in Financial Services,” Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 10(5): 534–544. {Impact Factor:1.954}.download from here
Benaroch M, Appari A. (2010) "Financial Pricing of Software Development Risk Factors," IEEE Software, 27(5): 65–73. {Impact Factor:2.190; Flagship Journal Magazine of IEEE Computer Society}. download from here.
Appari A, Benaroch M. (2010) “Monetary Pricing of Software Development Risks: A Method and Empirical Illustration,” Journal of Systems and Software, 83(11): 2098–2107. {Impact Factor:2.444}. download from here

Other Publications:

Anthony DL, Appari A, Johnson ME. (2014) “Policy Brief: Why Hospitals Comply With Federal Regulation and What Does It Mean For Variation in the U.S. Health Care System?” Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 55 (1): 107. {Impact Factor:3.000; Flagship Journal, the American Sociological Association}
Appari A. (2006) "Bridging the Gap between IT Managers and Business Managers," review of the book “Return on Software: Maximizing the Return on Your Software Investment,” by Steve Tockey, in IEEE Software 23(5): 100-101. {Impact Factor:2.190; Flagship Journal Magazine of IEEE Computer Society}

Research In Progress:

Manuscripts Under Review/ Modification for Journal Submissions

Appari A., Ukhanova M.† “Patterns of Multiple Chronic Conditions in Working-Age Adults and their Association with Individual Factors and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Factors.”
Appari A., Ding X. “EHR Meaningful Use and Organizational Performance: Moderating Effects of Patient Safety Culture in US Hospitals.”
Ukhanova M†, Appari A. "Associations of Polypharmacy Status with Continuity of Care and Physician-Specialty Mix Among Working-Age Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions."
Gabriel M.H., Atkins D., Appari A., Maresca M., Cortelyou-Ward K., Rotarius T., Pereira V. “Examining the Relationship between Innovative Payment Models and Hospital Readmission Rates.” .
Chaudhry MT†, Appari A. “Diffusion of Robotic Cholecystectomy in US Hospitals: A Time Trend Analysis of National Inpatient Samples from 2010 to 2015.”
Chaudhry MT†, Appari A. “Hospital Cost Effectiveness of Robotic Cholecystectomy Versus Laparoscopic and Open Cholecystectomy in US Hospitals.”
Chaudhry MT†, Appari A. “Quality Outcomes Comparison of Robotic Cholecystectomy Versus Laparoscopic and Open Cholecystectomy in US Hospitals: A National Study from 2010 to 2014.”

Research Studies In Progress :

Appari A., Johnson ME. “Effects of EHR Use and Information Security Controls on Time-Sensitive Emergency Care Process Quality at US Hospitals.” [New Project].
Appari A. “Sluggishness of Nursing Facilities in Resolving Payment Denial Related Noncompliance: Implications of Institutional, Upper Echelon and Market Factors.”
Appari A. “Meaningful Use of Health IT and Emergency Department Performance on Wait Time and Length of Visit.”
Appari A. “Organizational Structure, Market Factors, and Outcomes Quality in Home Health Care: A Longitudinal Study.”
Appari A., “A Natural Experiment of the HITECH Act’s Impact on Reducing Utilization and Spending Disparities among Older Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions.” [New Project]
Appari A. “Spending and Readmissions for Multiple Chronic Conditions in Vulnerable Populations: Results from County–level Panel Data Analysis.”

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