Publication-of-the-Year Award

In order to accommodate the growing and diversifying health services research and health policy fields, the AcademyHealth Article-of-the-Year Award has undergone a review by leaders in the field. The new award, the Publication-of-the-Year Award recognizes the best and most relevant, scientific work that the fields of health services research and health policy have produced and published in the prior calendar year. Publications may present, analyze, and comment on new data, or may synthesize and analyze data that have already been collected. Publications may include books, articles in academic publications, white papers or reports issued by researchers and a wide variety of methodologies are encouraged for nomination. As the health services research and health policy field has changed, AcademyHealth encourages researchers from all employment settings to submit their work, such as individuals employed within health systems, at government agencies, non-profit think tanks, policy organizations or independent research companies.  Nominations representing minority-serving institutions and individuals and teams from minoritized and historically excluded groups are encouraged. 

The award will be presented at the 2025 Annual Research Meeting and a representative of the publication team will receive complimentary registration and lodging for one night to the conference. 

Nomination Timeline

The 2025 nomination period will open in late January. 

Eligibility and Nomination Criteria

• Single publications as well as collections of publications resulting from a single study are eligible for the award.  
• Special consideration will be given to publications that produce new insights and have the potential to change current thinking.  
  • Variety of Methods Encouraged but not limited to: 
    • Quantitative 
    • Mixed Methods
    • Community-based participatory research 
    • Narrative analysis and other qualitative methods 
    • Data science and analytics, e.g., machine learning and data visualization
• Publications must have been published between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024.  
• Nominations must include a copy of the publication(s). 
• Self-nominations are accepted.  
• Nominators must be members of AcademyHealth. 
• Publications will be scored on the importance of key issue/focus, advancement of knowledge in the field, new insights and relevance to current issues in healthcare and health policy.   
• Include a cover letter up to 300-words outlining why this publication reflects the best scientific work the fields of health services research and health policy have produced and published in the prior calendar year and how the publication has contributed to the field.   
  • For publications that have not been published in a peer reviewed journal, please describe the quality assurance process applied to the publication by your organization and how it assesses scientific rigor. 
• Letters of support are optional but strongly encouraged for self-nominations. (optional)  

Review Criteria

• Publication considers a timely and relevant health services research or health policy issue.
• Publication advances the field’s ability to address an issue, methodology, data set, or intervention affecting health care cost, quality, access, and/or health equity.
• Publication provides new insights, through innovation, novelty or building upon an existing body of knowledge. 
• Publication is likely to inform decision-making.

More Information

• Current and Past Awardees
• Selection Committee

For awards related questions, please contact Troi Jones.

2024 Recipient

Changes in Hospital Adverse Events and Patient Outcomes Associated with Private Equity Acquisition

Sneha Kannan, M.D., M.S.

Research Fellow, Department of Health Care Policy - Harvard Medical School

Dr. Kannan is a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Health Care Policy and a physician i... Read Bio

Co-author
 

Zirui Song, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Health Care Policy and Medicine - Harvard Medical School

Zirui Song, M.D., Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Health Care Policy and Medicine at Harvard Medical School... Read Bio

Honorable Mention
Timothy Tyler Brown, Ph.D., M.A.
University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health