As a health care researcher and someone who lives daily with multiple sclerosis, I navigate the healthcare system from two perspectives: as a professional dedicated to advancing health care research and as a patient seeking effective, safe, patient-centered care. These two realities converge powerfully in my role as co-chair for the Patient and Consumer Preferences and Needs theme at the upcoming AcademyHealth 2025 Annual Research Meeting in Minneapolis this June. This theme is all about ensuring that the evidence we generate truly addresses the needs and experiences of people interacting with health care. Furthermore, this year’s conference theme of “Valuable Evidence. Vibrant Community. Vital Conversations” represents the importance of ARM now, more than ever, in the face of attacks on research funding, the academic community, and the core principles of many institutions.
Planning the sessions for this critical theme for the last two years, this year alongside my co-chair Jessica Mittler, PhD, has been a deeply rewarding process. Through three sessions this year, we aimed to curate a wide-ranging program that brings together thoughtful, well-designed research with the lived experiences that shape health care utilization and outcomes. For anyone passionate about centering health care around the individual, these sessions offer critical insights.
Below are a few highlights from each theme that I am particularly excited about:
Understanding How Decisions Are Made: Utilization, Decisions, and Financial Burden
For individuals managing chronic and acute emergent conditions, the interplay of utilization, treatment decision-making, and financial burden can be a constant reality. So often, research focuses on system-level factors, but health care decisions are fundamentally personal. This session, chaired by Amanda Davis, MPH, delves into this complexity. Scheduled for Saturday, June 7, from 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM CT in Mezzanine 100 CD, it explores the varied nature of consumer decision-making. Presentations touch on rural hospital bypass among commercially-insured patients, shared decision making in cardiology from patient and provider perspectives, and the affordability of Affordable Care Act insurance.
Navigating the Cutting Edge: Emerging Topics: GLP-1s, AI, Substance Use Disorder
Health care is constantly evolving, with new treatments and technologies being developed and introduced, as well public health challenges emerging rapidly. This session, chaired by Betsy Cliff, PhD, tackles some of the most pressing and emerging “hot” topics. Taking place on Sunday, June 8, from 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM CT in Auditorium Room 3, it explores a diverse range of issues. We'll hear about cultural and cost barriers affecting the utilization and access of blockbuster, in-the-news diabetes drugs, specifically GLP-1s. The session also addresses a less talked-about issue of substance use disorder (SUD) in maternal health, examining maternal health provider needs and preferences for continuing medical education on identification and treatment. A topic of increasing relevance, especially for those of us with complex conditions who interact frequently with the system, is the emerging expectations patients have for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health care.
Influencing Individual Change: Behavior Change and Consumer Decision-making
How can we effectively support patients and consumers in making choices that lead to improved health? This session, held on Tuesday, June 10, from 10:15 AM – 11:30 AM CT in Room 101 F, presents a wide array of approaches to understand and influence consumer behaviors. It will explore the "ripple effect" of health and wellness coaching on U.S. military veterans' engagement, methods for incentivizing patient choice of shoppable, lower-price laboratory providers, the administrative burdens and inequities associated with COBRA, and strategies for reducing diabetes risk through interventions like text messages targeting autonomous motivation. Understanding the drivers of behavior and decision-making is crucial for designing interventions that work in the real world.
A Prime Opportunity: The Poster Session
Beyond the podium sessions, don't miss the Poster Session dedicated to Patient and Consumer Preferences and Needs. This is scheduled for Sunday, June 8, from 5:15 PM – 6:30 PM CT in Exhibit Hall B. Poster sessions offer an invaluable opportunity to engage directly with researchers in a casual one-on-one setting, and explore a wide array of findings, all while networking with peers passionate about patient-centered research.
The Patient and Consumer Preferences and Needs theme underscores the principle that health care research must ultimately serve the people it aims to help. By exploring utilization patterns, emerging trends, and the complexities of behavior change, we can build a health care system that is not only effective but also responsive, equitable, and truly patient-centered. I look forward to these vital conversations at the upcoming ARM! Plan your conference experience by exploring the agenda here. Register to join us this June 7-10 here.