Building a database with the U.S. Army to assess the effects of health assets on illness, expenditures and health

This grant supports a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Army to explore, on a large scale, the influence of psychological and physical health assets on illness, health care utilization and health care expenditures. This project is enabled by an Army initiative that is integrating 30 different datasets, including data on the health, illness, health care utilization and psychological fitness of all active-duty personnel -- currently 1.1 million people. The project will also create the infrastructure for a civilian-military collaboration that will enable researchers outside the military to analyze the dataset and to explore issues related to traditional health-risk factors. Deliverables will include: 40 proof-of-concept, cross-sectional analyses for the relationship of key health assets and health-risk factors to key utilization variables; 40 proof-of-concept longitudinal analyses for the relationship of health assets and health-risk factors as predictors of illness and utilization; establishment of a civilian-military steering committee to oversee the analyses and develop protocols, processes and resources to enable external researchers to use the database; initiation of at least five external research projects in each of Project Years 3 and 4; and a plan for sustainability.

Grant Details

Amount Awarded $4,214,969.00

Awarded on: 8/1/2011

Time frame: 8/15/2011 - 8/14/2015

Grant Number: 68709