Current research seeks to identify opportunities to improve quality of health care and patient outcomes and when feasible, evaluate promising quality improvement interventions. Previous research includes studies of medical effectiveness and patient outcomes for individuals with specific medical (e.g., asthma), surgical (cataract surgery), and psychiatric (e.g., schizophrenia) conditions. Studies have examined conformance with evidence-based treatment from the perspectives of providers, consumers/patients, and the health system. A current study is evaluating an intervention with schizophrenia patients using a web-based tool for patients to compare their care to evidence-based standards and empower them to discuss quality with their therapist. Another intervention has evaluated the Hospital at Home which provides acute level hospital care in the home to elderly with common medical problems (e.g., CHF, pneumonia) instead of admission to the acute care hospital. The focus of these interventions is on improving patient outcomes and improving the efficiency of the health care system. Has contributed to the literature on the impact of managed care and payments systems on access to care, quality, utilization, and cost. A co-developer of the widely used ACG (Adjusted Clinical Groups) case mix adjustment. Has developed methods for measuring provider continuity, needs and unmet needs for care, and measures of the timeliness of care. Has a particular interest in the role of routine management information systems (MIS) as source of data for evaluating the effectiveness and cost of health care. This includes work on the integration of outcomes management systems with existing MIS in managed care settings.

Medical effectiveness, evidence-based medicine, patient outcomes, integration of outcomes management systems, managed care, access to care, effectiveness of systems of care, quality profiling, healthcare management information systems (MIS)

Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honorary (1967)

The Outstanding Graduating Engineer in the College of Mines and Engineering of the University of Arizona (1968)

Delta Omega, Public Health Honorary (1984)

President, Association for Health Services Research (1988)

Elected, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences (1993)

American Public Health Association - Mental Health Section Award (1994)

Elected Association for Health Services Research -Distinguished Fellow (1996)

Pronovost PJ, Thompson DA, Holzmueller CG, Lubomski LH, Dorman T, Dickman F, Fahey M, Steinwachs DM, Engineer L, Sexton JB, Wu AW, Morlock LL, Toward Learning from Patient Safety Reporting Systems. J Crit Care, Dec 2006; 21(4):305-315

Friedman SM, Steinwachs DM, Temkin-Greener H, Mukamel DB. Informal Caregivers and the Risk of Nursing Home Admission Among Individuals Enrolled in the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. Gerontologist, Aug 2006; 46(4): 456-63.

Daumit Gl, Pronovost PJ, Anthony CB, Guallar E, Steinwachs DM, Ford DE. Adverse Events During Medical and Surgical Hospitalization for Persons with Schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry, Mar 2006; 63:267-272.

Leff G, Burton L, Mader SL, Naughton B, Furl J, Clark R, Greenough WB, Guido S, Steinwachs D, Burton JR. Satisfaction with Hospital at Home Care. J Amer Geriatrics Soc 2006; 54:1355-1363.

Lehman AF, Kreyenbuhl J, Buchanan RW, Dickerson FB, Dixon LB, Goldberg R, Freen-Paden LD, Tenhula WN, Boerescu D, Tek C, Sandson N,

Steinwachs DM. The Schizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT): Updated Treatment Recommendations 2003. Schizophrenia Bull., 2004: 30(2): 193-217.

Wolfenden L, Diette GB, Skinner EA, Steinwachs DM, Wu AW. Missed Opportunities to Care for the Oldest Adults with Asthma. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2001; 163: A781.

Steinwachs DM, Collins-Nakai, RL, Cohn LH, Garson and Wolk MJ. The future of cardiology: utilization and costs of care. Journal of the American College of Cardiology March 15, 2000; 35(4): 1092-1099.

Rosenheck RA, Desai R, Steinwachs DM, Lehman AF. Benchmarking treatment of schizophrenia: a comparison of service delivery by the national government and by state and local providers. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 2000; 188(4):209-216.

Armenian HK and Steinwachs DM. Management of health services: Importance of epidemiology in the year 2000 and beyond. Epidemiologic Reviews 2000; 22(1):1-5.

Diette GB, Wu AW, Skinner EA, Markson L, Clark RD, McDonald RC, Healy JP, Huber M, Steinwachs DM. Treatment patterns among adult patients with asthma: Factors associated with overuse of inhaled â-agonists and underuse of inhaled corticosteroids. Archives of Internal Medicine 1999; 159:2697-2704.

Leff B, Burton L, Guido S, Greenough WB, Steinwachs DM, Burton JR. Home hospital program: a pilot study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 1999; 47:697-702.

Cooper-Patrick L, Gallo JJ, Powe NR, Steinwachs DM, Eaton WW, Ford DE. Mental health service utilization by African-Americans and Whites: The Baltimore epidemiologic catchment area follow-up. Medical Care 1999; 37(10):1034-1045.

Skinner EA, Steinwachs DM, Handley K, Lehman A, Fahey M, Lyles CA. Met and unmet needs for assistance and quality of life for people with severe and persistent mental disorders. Mental Health Services Research June 1999; 1(2):109-118.

Steinwachs DM and Greene BR. Building research capacity into a national physician database. J Ambulatory Care Management, 1997: Jan. 20(1): 28-36.