Collaborative HIV/AIDS Policy Research Centers

In March 2012, CHRP awarded grants totaling $4.2 million over four years to support two Collaborative HIV/AIDS Policy Research Centers: The California HIV/AIDS Policy Center, which is a collaboration between the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), and The AIDS Policy Research Center, which is a collaboration between the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies at the University of California, San Francisco (CAPS) and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF). The UCLA/APLA policy center includes the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center and Charles Drew University as subcontracting partners, while the CAPS/SFAF policy center includes Project Inform as a subcontracting partner.

The Collaborative HIV/AIDS Policy Research Center Awards support multi-disciplinary teams of investigators working in partnership with providers, consumers, advocates, and policymakers to conduct policy-relevant research. The awards support policy research that addresses important and timely research questions and strengthen local, state, and national capacity to enact HIV-relevant policy that is informed by objective and rigorously conducted research.

These awards support both Longer-Term Policy Research Studies and Rapid Response Research Studies. The Longer-Term Policy Research Studies are in-depth studies conducted by a multi-disciplinary team of investigators. The Rapid Response Research Studies respond to policy issues in a two week to six-month time period.

Examples of Longer-Term Policy Research Studies proposed by the California HIV/AIDS Policy Center include:

  1. An analysis of Medi-Cal/Medicare data sets to examine:
    • Factors associated with access to care
    • Cost of HIV care
    • Quality of care
    • Impact of Medi-Cal cost-saving measures on access, cost, and quality of care.
  2. A study of how the allocation of public resources for HIV in California has changed over time.
  3. The projected impact of a potential loss in Ryan White and AIDS Drug Assistance Program funding on the health of undocumented Californians, and the subsequent public cost of HIV care and any increased HIV transmission.

California HIV/AIDS Policy Center Abstract

Examples of Longer-Term Policy Research Studies proposed by The AIDS Policy Research Center include:

  1. A cross-site evaluation of the effectiveness of CHRP's Patient Centered-Medical Home Initiative* at enhancing:
    • Coordination and quality of care
    • Patient engagement and satisfaction
    • Health outcomes
    • Cost-effectiveness
  2. An examination of the effects of health care reform on access to HIV primary care.

The AIDS Policy Research Center Abstract

Both Centers are jointly sponsoring the Policy Research Advisory Committee (PRAC), which includes service providers, consumers, advocates, and policymakers. The PRAC provides a venue for in-depth discussion of policy research, including identifying and prioritizing Rapid Response Studies, disseminating findings, and evaluating the impact of the policy studies.

*In 2010, CHRP awarded $6.4 million over three years to five HIV/AIDS health care provider organizations to study models for Patient-Centered Medical Homes to provide coordinated, high quality, client-centered services.