T. Michael Kashner, PhD, JD, MPH, is a senior health economist, a Professor of Psychiatry with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, and a Health Services Research and Development Career Scientist with the Department of Veterans Affairs. He has degrees in mathematics (Northwestern University), economics and medical care organization (University of Michigan), and law (Oklahoma City University). Focusing on cost-outcomes of mental health programs, he developed the Utilization and Cost Methodology (UAC) to measure the use and costs of health services from multiple, or ?hybrid,? sources of information including administrative files, medical records, and patient self-reports. Dr. Kashner also developed the declining-effects and cut-point models applied to assessing longitudinal health outcomes, utilization, and cost of care data. These powerful tools have been applied to evaluate new medical innovations for patients with chronic illness marked by recurring symptoms. Dr. Kashner also developed the Veterans Affairs Patient Health Insurance Survey (VAPHIS). Patterned after structured psychiatric clinical interviews, this instrument details pathways to help respondents identify source and type of insurance coverage. These survey and analytic tools have been applied, among others, to the 19-site Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP) assessing cost outcomes of medication treatment algorithms, the National Institute of Mental Health sponsored Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) assessing treatments for depression, and by the Department of Veterans Affairs Business Office forecasting first and third party collections from patients using federal health care facilities. Dr. Kashner has published in diverse journals including, among others, Archives General Psychiatry, Health Services Research, Medical Care, Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, Multivariate Clinical Research, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Economics of Neuroscience, Evaluation and Program Planning, Journal of Practical Psychiatry and Behavioral Health.
