Infectious Disease Research
We combine real-world data and extensive therapeutic expertise to showcase the clinical and economic value of our clients' ID therapies.
Proven research expertise
The Optum® HEOR ID research team has designed and conducted studies to support products for HIV, hepatitis, other viral and bacterial infections and vaccine-preventable diseases, leading to numerous conference presentations and publications in top clinical journals.
Researchers on the ID team have a broad range of backgrounds and expertise, including HEOR, epidemiology, geriatrics, pharmacy benefit management, biostatistics, public health and basic science research.
Research topics and capabilities
Recent research projects include HIV treatment patterns and trends, vaccines uptake and effectiveness, hepatitis B and C burden, and characteristics of bacterial infections.
HIV treatment patterns and trends
- Lines of antiretroviral therapies (ARTs)
- ART initiation, switching and persistence
- Real-world ART first-line regimens relative to treatment guidelines
- ART adherence and burden of nonadherence
- Treatment failure and intolerability-associated events
- Quality of life among patients who switched due to side effects of ARTs
Hepatitis B and C
- Pill burden, adherence and discontinuation
- Comorbidities, concomitant medication use and potential drug-drug interactions
- Comparison of expected versus observed treatment duration
- Rate of sustained virologic response (SVR) following treatment
- Liver disease progression by genotype
- Screening rates and provider practice pattern changes over time
Vaccines
- Autism occurrence by MMR vaccine status, including linkage of infants to parents/siblings
- Incidence and burden of vaccine-preventable diseases: herpes zoster, pertussis, rotavirus, influenza, pneumococcal disease, invasive meningococcal disease
- Vaccine uptake and compliance
Bacterial infections
- Patterns of care and antibiotic treatment pathways
- Prevalence of antibiotic resistance
- Patient characteristics, clinical outcomes and economic outcomes by antibiotic class
- Post-surgical infection rate among patients with implantable devices