External Research

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External Research

December 16, 2025

External researchers rely on FAIR Health data and publications for a broad array of studies featured in prominent journals and reports. This year’s external research included studies from JAMA Health Forum, Current Atherosclerosis Reports and Health Economic Review, among others. Topics included healthcare pricing, the COVID-19 pandemic, GLP-1 drugs and virtual healthcare.

External research came in two basic forms: studies making direct use of FAIR Health’s aggregated, de-identified data, and research citing FAIR Health’s own data studies. FAIR Health remains strenuously neutral as to the points of view or conclusions expressed in the various published studies listed below.

Direct Use of FAIR Health Data

Deepak A. Kapoor, Mark Camel, David Eagle et al., “Physician Practice Affiliation Drives Site of Care Cost Differentials: An Opportunity to Reduce Healthcare Expenditures,” Journal of Market Access & Health Policy 13, no. 3 (July 24, 2025): 36.
The authors studied the relationship among provider affiliation model, site of care and cost of care for selected high-volume procedures in procedure-intensive specialties for Medicare and commercial insurance. FAIR Health data were used to identify specific procedures for inclusion in the study and to provide information about commercial reimbursement for these procedures.

Fredric Blavin and John Holahan, “Potential Factors Associated with Commercial-to-Medicare Relative Prices at the Substate Level,” JAMA Health Forum 6, no. 7 (July 3, 2025): e251640.
The Urban Institute-affiliated authors assessed geographic variation in commercial prices relative to Medicare rates for hospital and professional services at the state and substate levels. They analyzed aggregated, de-identified data from the FAIR Health repository.

Citations of FAIR Health Data Studies

Margareth Crisóstomo Portela, Claudia Caminha Escosteguy, Sheyla Maria Lemos Lima et al., “Healthcare Gaps and Inequities Following Hospitalisation for COVID-19 in Brazil’s Universal Healthcare System: A Patient-Engaged Survey of Long COVID Healthcare Needs, Use and Barriers,” International Journal for Equity in Health 24, no. 275 (October 14, 2025).
This article studied healthcare needs, use and access barriers related to long COVID up to 24 months following COVID-19 hospitalization. A FAIR Health white paper on post-COVID conditions was cited.

Margareth Crisóstomo Portela, Sheyla Maria Lemos Lima, Claudia Caminha Escosteguy et al., “Long COVID in the Population of COVID-19 Hospitalized Patients Discharged from SUS’ Hospitals in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil: A Patient-Engaged Cohort Survey Study,” BMC Infectious Diseases 25, no. 1232 (October 3, 2025).
This study estimated the prevalence of long COVID among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and discharged in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil. The authors cited a FAIR Health white paper on post-COVID conditions.

Morteza Tahamipour Zarandi and Kimia Haghbandeh, “Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Quarantine Policy During the Outbreak of the Covid-19 Virus in Iran,” Health Economics Review 15, no. 67 (August 4, 2025).
This study provided a cost-benefit analysis of Iran’s quarantine policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, including its economic impact, public health outcomes and overall effectiveness. The study cited a FAIR Health brief on the projected economic impact of COVID-19.

Kyle Sheth, Stephanie Kim, Laura Porterfield, Salim S. Virani, Shikha Wadhwani and Elizabeth M. Vaughan, “The Expanding Scope of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: Six Uses Beyond Diabetes,” Current Atherosclerosis Reports 27, no. 76 (July 30, 2025).
This article summarized emerging and established evidence on the use of GLP-1 drugs for indications beyond type 2 diabetes. FAIR Health’s white paper on obesity and GLP-1 drugs was cited.

Sara A. Alsalamah, Shada AlSalamah, Hessah A. Alsalamah, Haytham A. Sheerah, Kurt Luther and Chang-Tien Lu, “Virtual Healthcare Bot (VHC-Bot): A Person-Centered AI Chatbot for Transforming Patient Care and Healthcare Workforce Dynamics,” Network Modeling Analysis in Health Informatics and Bioinformatics 14, no. 48 (June 17, 2025).
This article introduced VHC-Bot, an artificial intelligence-driven, person-centered care, virtual healthcare platform. FAIR Health’s Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker was cited.

Sabiha Quddus, Moises Marin, Caroline Hardy and Kristy Piccinini, Colorado Hospitals Could Have Faced Millions in Annual Losses Under Rate-Setting Bill, FTI Consulting, June 2025.
With support from the Denver National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the authors conducted a statewide analysis of reimbursements to Colorado hospitals to estimate the effects of a proposed rate-setting bill on provider payments. The study cited a FAIR Health white paper on in-network and out-of-network utilization and pricing.

Enrique Fernández-Vilas, Juan R. Coca, Juan José Labora González and Marcos Inglesias Carrera, “The Sociology of Suicide After COVID-19: Assessment of the Spanish Case,” Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 5 (May 1, 2025): 606.
The authors examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide rates in Spain. A FAIR Health white paper on post-COVID conditions was cited.