Fwd: SAVE THE DATE - MEPS-HC Data Users’ Workshop - September 19, 2017

​ SAVE THE DATE AHRQ will be conducting a one-day hands-on MEPS-HC Data Users' Workshop in Rockville, MD, on September 19, 2017. This workshop will consist of lectures designed to provide a general overview of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) https://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/ along with lectures on MEPS-HC survey design, health care utilization, expenditures, medical conditions; and statistical issues and challenges researchers face while analyzing MEPS-HC data. There will also be time allotted for the hands-on experience to participants. The participants will apply the knowledge gained from the morning lectures and work with programmers and analysts on MEPS data in the afternoon.  They will learn how to identify and assemble variables to build a data file to answer their research questions. Sample SAS as well as STATA exercises will be demonstrated. Participants are asked to bring their own laptops with their choice of software preloaded on it. We will provide the digital version of the exercises (SAS & STATA) and slides to the attendees. During the Hands-on session, participants will have opportunity to talk to programmers individually for answering their specific research questions and there will be time allotted for open discussion. The workshop is offered free of charge. A full program description, registration form, and logistical information will be available by mid-July on the Workshops & Events page of the MEPS Web site at: http://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/about_meps/workshops_events.jsp. For any other questions, please e-mail workshopinfo@ahrq.hhs.gov. AHRQ will also offer a one-day workshop on the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) on the same day as the MEPS workshop. Registration for the HCUP workshop will open by late July.  Information will be available on http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/.   Participants may not register for both workshops, as they will be given concurrently.  For questions about the HCUP workshop, please email hcup@ahrq.gov.

New publication from Emily Tarleton and friends

Congratulations to Emily Tarleton and her collaborators Ben Littenberg, Charlie MacLean, Amanda Kennedy and Chris Daley on the publication of this study in PLOS One:

Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial 
Tarleton EK, Littenberg B, MacLean CD, Kennedy AG, Daley C (2017) Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial. PLOS ONE 12(6): e0180067. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180067

Peter Durda, PhD

Congratulations to Peter Durda on the successful defense of his thesis today. Peter made a fine presentation and handled himself very well in the question period. He may now rightly style himself "Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical and Translational Science."

I, and all our faculty, are very proud of him - good work, Dr. Durda!

Ben Littenberg

2017 UVM Health Network Safety & Value Grant Awards

This new award comes with $50,000 over two years to cover project costs, in addition to in-kind support from the Jeffords Institute for Quality in the form of project management, research and data analytics expertise. Two awards were announced this week, including:

Opioids at Discharge – Assessing and Improving Opioid Prescribing Practices, led by surgical resident Mayo Fujii, MD, MS, and including Charles MacLean, MDCM, Professor of Medicine.

Congratulations!