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AboutNews

Mohsen Sadatsafavi

I am an epidemiologist and a health outcomes researcher by training. I apply health outcomes research and epidemiological methods in respiratory diseases, namely asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). I lead the Respiratory Evaluation Sciences Program (RESP) within UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. RESP is a comprehensive epidemiology/outcomes research program in respiratory medicine with the aim of improving patient outcomes and the efficiency of health care delivery through evidence-informed decision making at all levels of care. To achieve this goal, RESP uses innovative techniques in health economics and outcomes research.

A main feature of RESP is its dual focus: it generates new knowledge on the extent of the burden, gaps in care, and 'real world' effectiveness of treatments (Theme 1, Burden of Disease and Observational Effectiveness Research); it also concentrates on economic evaluations that translate such knowledge into policy-relevant, actionable messages (Theme 2, Evaluation). Together, these synergistic themes complete a logical pathway that answers the key questions: 'How big is the problem?', 'What are the options to tackle the problem?', and, 'What option provides the best health and economic return on investment?'. Integrated Knowledge Translation activities based on a Policy-Practice-Research partnership ensure that our research results in meaningful improvements in patient care and outcomes.

My currently-funded projects are:

  • Evaluation Platform in COPD (EPIC): EPIC is a CIHR-funded (with additional funding from the Canadian Respiratory Research Network and Genome Canada) with the aim of creating a comprehensive epidemiologic and decision-analytic model for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Canada.
  • Natural history and patterns of medication use in asthma: This project, sponsored by an arm's length research contract with AstraZeneca Canada, harnesses population-based administrative health databases of British Columbia to update our estimates of the recent trends in medication use in asthma. The emphasis of this project is on the use of short-acting beta agonists and systemic corticosteroids and how their pattern of use is evolving in patients with asthma.
  • Developing e-health tools for Precision Medicine in COPD: This CIHR-funded project aims at developing and validating prediction tools for precision disease management for COPD, and implementing such tools as Web Apps to be freely accessible to the patient and care provider community.

Please click here to view my pertinent publications.