Bio: Christopher Millett, M.Sc., M.Phil., FFPH, Ph.D., a 2008-09 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice, is a consultant in public health at Imperial College. Prior to this role, he held positions as a specialist trainee in public health for the London NHS Public Health Training Program, and as honorary research fellow in the Health Services Research Unit at University College London, School of Public Policy. Millett's research interests include access to preventative care, tobacco policy, and equity in chronic disease management programs. He has written over 25 peer-reviewed journal articles, with publications in PLoS Medicine, Journal of General Internal Medicine, Canadian Medical Association Journal, Tobacco Control, and the International Journal of Obesity. He holds a Ph.D. from Imperial College, London, master's degrees in health psychology and medicine from City University and University College London, respectively, and is a fellow of the U.K. Faculty of Public Health, Royal College of Physicians.
Placement: University of California
Mentors: Andrew Bindman, M.D.
Project: Impact of Pay for Performance Programs on Health Disparities in Chronic Disease Management
Description: Christopher Millett evaluated the impact of pay-for-performance (P4P) on health care disparities, especially in relation to chronic disease management. Disparities may widen if financial incentives encourage providers to "cherry pick" healthier patients or exclude those not achieving targets from public reporting mechanisms. Using data sources from California, Millett focused on how P4P impacts disparities in Medicaid, and also identified which groups of beneficiaries are excluded from performance reporting.