Harvard's Ash Center to investigate role of data sharing in health outcomes

Jessica Kim Cohen -

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, a research center housed at the Cambridge, Mass.-based John F. Kennedy School of Management at Harvard University, unveiled a research effort focused on data sharing in healthcare Sept. 28.

The initiative, titled "The Project on Transparency and Technology for Better Health," will examine whether recent advances in data sharing and transparency have led to improved health outcomes. With funding from The Commonwealth Fund, researchers will analyze a series of case studies to identify what program characteristics improve patient engagement.

"With this project, we want to clarify the pathways between transparency and better health, understand how new technologies are helping patients reap the benefits of transparency and social connection," explained principal investigator Archon Fung, MD, the Ford Foundation professor of democracy and citizenship and academic dean at the Harvard Kennedy School.

The researchers will also consider how access to these engagement technologies influences health outcomes among disadvantaged populations. "We will explore whether these digital innovations are helping everybody or only the most tech-savvy among us," Dr. Fung added.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.