Barbara “Basia” Andraka-Christou and her team will study a decade’s worth of state laws, insurance claims data and more to understand how state law requirements for emergency departments affect overdose patients.
Funded by a five-year, $3.5 million NIH grant, Andraka-Christou is collaborating with University of Michigan health economist and multiple principal investigator Thuy Nguyen on this legal epidemiology project. Using policy surveillance and difference-in-difference analyses, they’ll assess how state emergency department laws affect patient health outcomes. The findings could inform broader development, refinement and implementation of similar policies, ultimately improving care for people experiencing overdose and helping prevent future overdoses.