Data Analytics Projects

At the backbone of CDM's collective work, much has involved data analytics. From it's inception in 1987, CDM has gathered data for multiple projects. CDM policy, data, and public health experts provide objective research, data management, and analytic solutions to inform evidence-based decision-making. Our team includes qualified, senior staff experienced in all phases of data collection and with deep expertise in assessing policy and conducting qualitative, quantitative, and survey research. Projects inform health care policy, substance use and mental health, and population health initiatives aimed at improving health for at-risk and disenfranchised populations. See below for examples of our current work.

Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) (2001 to Present). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

CDM developed and supports the Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) for the APIS provides user-searchable web access to authoritative, detailed, and comparable quantitative and qualitative analyses of alcohol- and marijuana-related policies in the United States at both state and federal levels. To support APIS, we integrate data from multiple sources and maintain a data warehouse on alcohol and marijuana policies to facilitate reporting and analytics. Most recently, CDM developed two new APIS resources to document policies adopted by a number of states during the COVID-19 pandemic that affect the availability of alcohol. The Digest of State Alcohol-Related Laws During the COVID-19 Emergency provides capsule narratives of state-level restrictions on sales of alcoholic beverages. CDM updates the Digest and dataset regularly, providing continuous coverage of these policies to enable broad use of the data.

Trajectories Outcomes of Teens that Ride with Impaired Drivers and Drive While Impaired (2016 to 2023). NIAAA, NIH, HHS.

CDM is collaborating with Yale University to conduct surveys and interviews with participants (ages 26-27) in the NEXT Generation Health Study (NEXT) about how riding with a driver who is under the influence of alcohol or marijuana (RWI) and/or driving under the influence of alcohol or marijuana (DWI) affects emerging adulthood outcomes in the context of peer, family, school, and environmental influences. These quantitative and qualitative results will inform the use of system dynamics modeling to build an explanatory model for observed outcome differences according to RWI/DWI trajectory classes.

Adolescent Bariatric Surgery: Psychosocial Health and Risk Across Ten Years (2019 to 2021). National Institute on Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH, HHS.

CDM is collaborating with the University of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for their controlled longitudinal observational study of 10-year outcomes for adolescent patients with severe obesity who previously underwent bariatric surgery. Outcomes of specific interest focus on public health priorities of young adulthood - including mental health, high risk behaviors, competence and quality of life - considered in the context of weight loss and weight status to inform clinical practice guidelines for this specific age group and vulnerable population. CDM is recruiting NEXT Plus young adults, providing survey and interview data, and coordinating clinical and psychological assessments for a control group to be compared to the patients of the same age who underwent bariatric surgery.

CDM policy, data, and public health experts provide objective research, data management, and analytic solutions to inform evidence-based decision-making.
Support for the Division of Workplace Programs (DWP) (1993 to Present). Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, HHS).

CDM has provided Federal Drug-Free Workplace Program support services to the HHS office responsible for regulatory and policy oversight under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71, Section 503 for more than 25 years. The Division of Workplace Programs (DWP) has been delegated the primary major responsibilities for the scientific and technical integrity of federal employees’ drug test results and for key regulatory processes. DWP also has major responsibilities for the program, policy, and procedural integrity of the Federal Drug-Free Workplace Program, all of which have been, and continue to be, supported by CDM. As primary reviewers and negotiators of federal agency drug-free workplace plans, CDM has acquired and developed an in-depth knowledge of the program and its authorities, references, and oversight processes.

Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board Research Study HB1480 (2021-2022).

After thousands of alcohol establishments had gone out of business due to the pandemic, the Washington legislature passed HB 1480, which allows for alcohol takeout, curbside, and delivery as well as outdoor service for authorized alcohol licensees interested in embracing these privileges to improve revenue. To assist the State of Washington determine if outcome conditions changed between pre-and post- (and during) COVID periods and what licensee activities are or may be associated with HB 1480, CDM is conducting a qualitative and quantitative study using pre-COVID data (before closures went into effect) and post-COVID data (after businesses returned to mostly regular operation) aiming to allow for conclusions regarding HB 1480’s impact on restaurant recovery and on public health impacts such as underage drinking, alcohol-related health outcomes, or traffic incidents. We will also facilitate linkages between various data sources. This study, mandated by the legislature, will add specific evidence to the knowledge base and inform the State on future policy decisions, such as pursuing a more permanent statute.