Edward J. Miech, EDD, EDM

Dr. Edward J. Miech is an implementation researcher with expertise in mixed-methods evaluations of facility-level interventions. In addition to his in-depth experience with qualitative research, he is a national expert in conducting research with Configurational Comparative Methods (including Qualitative Comparative Analysis), a mathematical approach to data analysis that uses Boolean algebra and set theory to analyze how specific combinations of conditions directly link to outcomes.

Dr. Miech has been a co-Investigator on multiple HSR&D research projects as well as the principal investigator of a national study that examined local efforts to improve inpatient stroke care at 11 VA Medical Centers over a three-year period. The RE-INSPIRE project was a prospective, longitudinal, mixed-methods study of context embedded in this larger randomized-controlled trial that focused on the influence of local context on the organization of acute stroke care.  This project involved capturing, organizing and analyzing large and complex datasets where Dr. Miech took the lead role in organizing a data infrastructure for a study database with over 150 participants and more than 300 interviews. 

Dr. Miech has special expertise in assessing how interventions, implementation strategies, and contexts combine to influence implementation success and sustainability.  As part of this work, he has pioneered a team-based approach for directly applying implementation science constructs to qualitative data, and then rigorously scoring those constructs using a digital, real-time secret ballot.  He has also developed two standardized, context-sensitive instruments:  one for assessing how local providers organize themselves to provide and improve care (across ten possible levels), and another that captures implementation-related developments from the perspective of local staff and implementation team members on an ongoing, prospective basis.

Homoya BJ, Damush TM, Sico JJ, Miech EJ, Arling GW, Myers LJ, Ferguson JB, Phipps MS, Cheng EM, Bravata DM. (2018). “Uncertainty as a Key Influence in the Decision to Admit Patients with Transient Ischemic Attack.” Journal of General Internal Medicine. 27, 1-9.

Cotner BA, Ottomanelli L, O'Connor DR, Njoh EN, Barnett SD, Miech EJ. (2018). “Quality of Life Outcomes for Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury Receiving Individual Placement and Support (IPS).” Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation. 24(4), 325-335.

Miech EJ, Rattray NA, Flanagan ME, Damschroder L, Schmid AA, Damush TM. (2018). “Inside Help: An Integrative Review of Champions in Healthcare-Related Implementation.” SAGE Open Medicine. 6: 2050312118773261.

Bravata DM, Lightner N, Yaggi HK, Miech EJ. (2018).  “An Economic Assessment of Four Approaches to the Diagnosis and Initial Treatment of Sleep Apnea: A Healthcare System Perspective.” Respiratory Care. 63(1), 50-61.

Flanagan ME, Plue L, Miller K, Schmid AA, Myers L, Graham G, Miech EJ, Williams LS, Damush TM. (2018). "A Qualitative Study of Clinical Champions in Context:  Clinical Champions Across Three Levels of Acute Care.” SAGE Open Medicine. 6: 2050312118792426.

Bravata DM, Myers LJ, Arling G, Miech EJ, Damush T, Sico JJ, Phipps MS, Zillich AJ, Yu Z, Reeves M, Williams LS. (2018). “Quality of care for veterans with transient ischemic attack and minor stroke.” JAMA Neurology. 75(4), 419-27.

Bravata DM, Sico J, Vaz Fragoso CA, Miech EJ, Matthias MS, Lampert R, Williams LS, Concato J, Ivan CS, Fleck JD, Tobias L, Austin C, Ferguson J, Radulescu R, Iannone L, Ofner S, Taylor S, Qin L, Won C, Yaggi HK. (2018). “Diagnosing and Treating Sleep Apnea in Patients with Acute Cerebrovascular Disease” Journal of the American Heart Association. 16: e008841.

Fry CM, Miech EJ. (2018). “Humble But Powerful: The Role of ‘Access to Information & Knowledge’ in Implementation Success in the RE-INSPIRE Study.” Proceedings of IMPRS. 1(1).

Yakovchenko V, Rogal SS, Miech EJ, Gonzalez R, Park A, Chartier M, Ross D, Chinman M, Morgan TR. (2018).  “Implementation Strategies Associated with Increased HCV Treatment: An Applied Use of Configurational Comparative Methods.” Hepatology. 68:300A-301A, Abstract 503.

Temple C, Cobia M, Gazi M, Hunter T, Miech E, Williams L, Lyerly M. (2018). “Reasons for Delayed Arrival among Veterans with Acute Ischemic Stroke.” Neurology. 90 (15 Supplement), P3.234.

Bravata DM, Myers LJ, Cheng E, Reeves M, Baye F, Yu Z, Damush T, Miech EJ, Sico J, Phipps M, Zillich A, Johanning J, Chaturvedi S, Austin C, Ferguson J, Maryfield B, Snow K, Ofner S, Graham G, Rhude R, Williams LS, Arling G. (2017).  “Development and Validation of Electronic Quality Measures to Assess Care for Patients with Transient Ischemic Attack and Minor Ischemic Stroke.” Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.10(9).

Damush TM, Miech EJ, Sico JJ, Phipps MS, Arling G, Ferguson J, Austin C, Myers L, Baye F, Luckhurst C, Keating AB, Moran E, Bravata DM. (2017). “Barriers and Facilitators to Provide Quality TIA Care in the Veterans Healthcare Administration.” Neurology. 89(24), 2422-2430.

Bravata DM, McClain V, Austin C, Ferguson J, Burrus N, Miech EJ, Matthias MS, Chumbler N, Ofner S, Foresman B, Sico J, Vaz Fragoso CA, Williams LS, Agarwal R, Concato J, Yaggi HK.  (2017).   “Diagnosing and Managing Sleep Apnea in Patients with Chronic Cerebrovascular Disease: A Randomized Trial of a Home-Based Strategy.” Sleep and Breathing. 21(3), 713-725.

Rattray N, Damush TM, Luckhurst CL, Bauer-Martinez C, Homoya BH, Miech EJ.  (2017). “Prime Movers: Advanced Practice Professionals in the Role of Stroke Coordinator.” Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. 29(7), 392-402.

Miech EJ, Damush TD, Rattray N, Myers J, Homoya B.  (2017). “The Participant-Reported Implementation Update and Score (PRIUS): a new method for capturing implementation-related developments over time.”  Abstract.  Proceedings from the 9th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation.  Implementation Science, 12 (Suppl 1):48.

Outcalt SD, Nicolaidis C, Bair, MJ, Myers LJ, Miech EJ, Matthias, MS. (2017). “A Qualitative Examination of Pain Centrality Among Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts.” Pain Medicine, 18(2), 211-219.

Arling PA, Miech EJ, Arling GW. (2017). "Improving Quality Improvement Collaboratives: Mixing Communication Media to Attain Multiple Measures of Success." Design, Development, and Integration of Reliable Electronic Healthcare Platforms. IGI Global: Hershey, PA. 243-254.

Homoya BH, Damush TM, Sico JJ, Miech EJ, Arling GW, Ferguson JB, Phipps MS, Cheng EM, Bravata DM. (2017). “Uncertainty: A Key Influence in the Decision to Admit Patients With Transient Ischemic Attack.” Stroke. 48:AWP320

Sico JJ, Miech EJ, Damush TM, Keating AB, Arling GW, Phipps MS, Bravata DM. (2017).“The Influence of Contextual Factors on Gaps in Hypertension Management for Veterans with TIA/Minor Stroke.” Stroke. 48:ATP206

Bravata D, Myers L, Reeves M, Cheng E, Baye F, Ofner S, Miech E, Damush E, Sico J, Zillich A,  Phipps M, Williams L, Chaturvedi S, Johanning J, Ferguson J, Yu Z, Arling G. (2017). “Processes of Care that are Associated With Reduced Risk of Recurrent Vascular Events Among Patients With a Transient Ischemic Attack and Minor Stroke.” Stroke. 48:A162

Chaturvedi S, Ofner S, Baye F, Myers LJ, Phipps M, Sico JJ, Damush T, Miech E, Reeves M, Johanning J, Williams LS. (2016). “Have Clinicians Adopted the Use of Brain MRI for Patients with TIA and Minor Stroke?” Neurology. 10-1212.

Miech EJ, Damush TD. (2016). “Applying the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research Constructs Directly to Qualitative Data: The Power of Implementation Science in Action.”  Abstract.  Proceedings of the 3rd Biennial Conference of the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) 2015: Advancing Efficient Methodologies Through Community Partnerships and Team Science.  Implementation Science. 11(Suppl 1):85.

Miech, EJ. (2016). “Pinpointing the specific elements of local context that matter most to implementation outcomes: Findings from qualitative comparative analysis in the RE-inspire study of VA acute stroke care” Abstract. Proceedings of the 8th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation.  Implementation Science. 11(Suppl 2):100.

Miech, EJ. (2016). “The GO Score: A New Context-Sensitive Instrument to Measure Group Organization Level for Providing and Improving Care.” Abstract. Proceedings of the 8th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation.  Implementation Science. 11(Suppl 2):100.

Koo BB, Bravata DM, Tobias LA, Mackey JS, Miech EJ, Matthias MS, Stahl SM, Sico JJ, Vaz Fragoso CA, Williams LS, Lampert R, Qin L, Yaggi HK. (2016) “Observational Study of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Wake-Up Stroke:  The SLEEP TIGHT Study” Cerebrovascular Diseases. 41(5-6):233-41.

Damush TM, Miech EJ, Phipps M, Sico J, Arling G, Myers L, Austin C, Ferguson J, Williams LS, Bravata DM. (2016). Abstract TP402: “Stroke Nurse Coordinators: Role in Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) Care in the National Veterans Health Administration.” Stroke. 47(Suppl 1):ATP402.

Stahl SM, Yaggi HK, Taylor S, Qin L, Ivan CS, Austin C, Ferguson J, Radulescu R, Tobias L, Sico J, Vaz Fragoso CA, Williams LS, Lampert R, Miech EJ, Matthias MS, Kapoor J, Bravata DM. (2015). “Infarct Location and Sleep Apnea: Evaluating the Potential Association In Acute Ischemic Stroke.” Sleep Medicine. 16(10):1198-203.

Miech EJ, Bravata DM, Woodward-Hagg H.  (2015). “Evaluating Lean Implementation: Challenges in Developing a Research Agenda For Lean Enterprise Transformation in Healthcare.”  In Cetinkaya, S, Ryan, JK (Eds.) Proceedings of the 2015 Industrial and Systems Engineering Research Conference (p. 2172).

Abrahamson K, Miech EJ, Davila HW, Mueller C, Cooke V, Arling G. (2015). “Pay-For-Performance Policy and Data-Driven Decision Making Within Nursing Homes: A Qualitative Study.”  BMJ Quality & Safety. 24, 311-317.

Humbert A, Miech EJ. (2014). “Measuring Gains in the Clinical Reasoning of Medical Students: Longitudinal Results from a School-Wide Script Concordance Test.” Academic Medicine.  89(7), 1046-1050.

Arling PA, Abrahamson K, Miech EJ, Inui T, Arling GW.  (2014). “Communication and Effectiveness in a U.S. Nursing Home Quality Improvement Collaborative.”  Nursing and Health Sciences. 16(3), 291-7.

Matthias MS, Chumbler N, Bravata DM, Yaggi HK, Ferguson J, Austin C, McClain V, Dallas MI, Couch CD, Sico J, Fragoso C, Myers LJ, Burrus N, Miech EJ.  (2014). “Challenges and Motivating Factors Related to Positive Airway Pressure Therapy For Post-TIA and Stroke Patients.”  Behavioral Sleep Medicine. 12(2), 143-157.

Matthias MS, Miech EJ, Myers LJ, Sargent C, Bair MJ. (2014).  “A Qualitative Study of Chronic Pain in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans: ‘A Burden on My Soul.’”  Military Medicine. 179(1), 26-30.

Schmid AA, Yaggi HK, Burrus N, McClain V, Austin C, Ferguson J, Fragoso C, Sico JJ, Miech EJ, Matthias MS, Williams LS, Bravata DM.  (2013). “Circumstances and Consequences of Falls Among People with Chronic Stroke.” Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development. 50: 1277-1286.

Arling PA, Miech EJ, Arling GW.  (2013). “Comparing Electronic and Face-to-Face Communication in the Success of a Long-Term Care Quality Improvement Collaborative.”  International Journal of Reliable and Quality E-Healthcare. 2(1), 1-10.

Matthias MS, Miech EJ, Myers LJ, Sargent C, Bair MJ. (2012). “An Expanded View of Self-Management: Patients’ Experiences with Self-Management Education and Support in an Intervention for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain."  Pain Medicine. 13(8), 1018-1028.

Matthias MS, Miech EJ, Myers LJ, Sargent C, Bair MJ.  (2012). “‘There’s More to This Pain than Just Pain’:  How Patients’ Understanding of Pain Evolved During a Randomized Controlled Trial for Chronic Pain.” (2012). Journal of Pain.  13(6), 571-578.

Bravata DM, Ferguson J, Miech EJ, Agarwal R, McClain V, Austin C, Struve F, Foresman B, Li X, Wang Z, Williams LS, Dallas MI, Couch CD, Sico J, Fragoso C, Matthias MS, Chumbler N, Myers LJ, Burrus N, Dube A, French DD, Schmid AA, Concato J, Yaggi HK. (2012).   “Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea in Patients’ Homes: The Rationale and Methods of the VA ‘GoToSleep’ Randomized-Controlled Trial.”  Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.  8(1), 27-35.

Humbert A, Besinger B, Miech EJ. (2011). “Assessing Clinical Reasoning Skills in Scenarios of Uncertainty: Convergent Validity for a Script Concordance Test in an Emergency Medicine Clerkship and Residency.”  Academic Emergency Medicine. 18(6), 627-634.

Humbert A, Johnson MT, Miech EJ, Friedberg F, Grackin JA and Seidman PA.  (2011). “Assessment of Clinical Reasoning:  A Script Concordance Test Designed for Pre-Clinical Medical Students.”  Medical Teacher.  33(6), 472-477.

Schmid AA, Kapoor JR, Miech EJ, Kuehn D, Dallas MI, Kerns RD, Lo AC, Concato J, Phipps M, Couch CD, Moran E, Williams LS, Goble LA, Bravata DM. (2011). “A Multidisciplinary Stroke Clinic for the Outpatient Care of Veterans with Cerebrovascular Disease.” Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare. 2011(4), 111-118.

Miech EJ, Nave B, Mosteller F.  (2005). “The 20,000 Article Problem:  How A Structured Abstract Could Help Practitioners Sort Out Educational Research.”  Phi Delta Kappan, 86(5), 396-400.

Mosteller F, Nave B, Miech EJ.  (2004). “Why We Need A Structured Abstract in Education Research.”  Educational Researcher, 33(1), 29-34.

Miech EJ, Nave B, Mosteller F.  (2001). “Large-Scale Professional Development for Schoolteachers: Cases From Pittsburgh, New York City, and the National School Reform School Faculty.” New Directions for Evaluation, 90, 83-99.

Nave B, Miech EJ, Mosteller F.  (2000). “A Lapse in Standards: Linking Standards-Based Reform with Student Achievement.”  Phi Delta Kappan, 82(2), 128-133.

Nave B, Miech EJ, Mosteller F.  (2000). “Rare Design:  The Role of Field Trials in Evaluating School Practices.”  In Evaluation Models, Madaus G, Kellaghan, T (Eds.).  Boston: Kluwer-Nijhoff.

Hall I, Campbell CH, Miech EJ. (Eds.)  (1997). Class Acts:  Teachers Reflect on Their Own Classroom Practice.  Cambridge, MA:  Harvard Education Publishing Group.

Miech EJ, Nave B, Mosteller F.  (1997). On CALL:  A Review of Computer-Assisted Language Learning in U.S. Colleges and Universities.  In Educational Media and Technology Yearbook 1997, Branch RC, Minor BB (Eds.).  Englewood, CO:  Libraries Unlimited.

Miech EJ. (1996).“Education Resources on the Internet.” Editors’ Review, Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), 127-136.

Miech EJ.  (1995). “The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning.” Editors’ Review, Harvard Educational Review, 65(3), 504-513.