Professor and Robert H. Smith Dean's Chair of Information Systems Decision, Operations and Information Technologies Department

Phone: (301) 405-3121
Fax: (301) 405-8655
Email: ragarwal@rhsmith.umd.edu

About Me

I am a Professor, and the Robert H. Smith Dean's Chair of Information Systems, at the Smith School. I also founded, and am the Director of the Center for Health Information and Decision Systems (CHIDS). CHIDS, established in 2005, was the first research center within a business school to study the use and application of information technology in healthcare. More information about CHIDS is available at (www.rhsmith.umd.edu/chids).

My current research is focused on understanding how information technology can be used to alleviate cost and quality challenges in healthcare, and with identifying mechanisms through which IT can be successfully incorporated into healthcare routines. I also study privacy issues and other impediments and vulnerabilities in a digital society. I am working on several funded research projects for major corporations, hospitals, and state and federal agencies. My research is funded by the FDA, the District of Columbia Primary Care Association, and NIH/AHRQ.

Other current research projects include online social networks, Health 2.0, and online search. I continue my work on technological innovation, adoption, diffusion and use.

What's New

Research

  • "Online Physician Ratings by Patients: The First Look at a Changing National Landscape," Journal of Medical Internet Research, in press, (with G. Gao, J. McCullough, R. Agarwal, and A.K. Jha).
  • "Information Technology and Voluntary Quality Disclosure by Hospitals," Decision Support Systems, in press, (with C. M. Angst, R. Agarwal, G. Gao, J. Khuntia, and J. McCullough).
  • "Effects of Individual Self-Protection, Industry Self-Regulation, and Government Regulation on Privacy Concerns: A Study of Location-Based Services", Information Systems Research, in press, (with X. Xu, H-H. Teo, B. Tan, and R. Agarwal).
  • "Digitizing Healthcare: The Ability and Motivation of Physician Practices and Their Adoption of Electronic Health Record Systems", Information Systems Research, in press, (with A. Mishra, R. Agarwal, C. L. Anderson, C.M. Angst).
  • "The Digitization of Healthcare: Boundary Risks, Emotion, and Consumer Willingness to Disclose Personal Health Information", Information Systems Research, (with C. L. Anderson, R. Agarwal).

Recent Grants

  • Co-Investigator, "Modeling and Optimizing Intensive-Care Unit Performance," research grant, Lockheed Martin, 2011-2012.
  • Principal Investigator, Air Force Medical System/CTSA Collaboration Workshop, AFMS, 2011.
  • Co-Investigator, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT HIE Challenge Grant, Department of Health and Human Services, 2011-2012.
  • Co-Investigator, Economic Modeling of ICU Operations, Lockheed Martin Corporation, 2011.
  • Co-Investigator, University of Maryland and NSF Advance Grant Program, 2011.
  • Co-Investigator, "Development Methods from Other Industries to Inform the Development of Consumer Health IT," AHRQ, 2010-2012.
  • Co-Investigator. "Usability Toolkit for Electronic Health Records," AHRQ, 2010-2012.
  • Co-Investigator, "Development of a Model Electronic Health Record for Children," AHRQ, 2010-2012.
  • Principal Investigator, "Documenting Public Private Partnership Value," FDA, 2009-2011.
  • Principal Investigator, "Developing a Cardiology Specific Electronic Health Record," Maryland Industrial Partnerships Grant, 2009-2010.
  • Principal Investigator, "Evaluation of the District of Columbia Regional Health Information Organization, DC Department of Health," 2009-2011.

Recent Awards

  • Fellow of the Association of Information Systems, 2011.
  • University of Maryland Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award, 2011-2012.
  • Best Paper Award at Information Systems Research, 2009 for "Marketspace or Marketplace? Online Information Search and Channel Outcomes in Auto Retailing" (with S. Gosain, J. Kuruzovich, and S. Viswanathan).

Presentations

  • G. Gao, B. Greenwood, J. McCullough, and R. Agarwal, "The Digital Soapbox: The Information Value of Online Physician Ratings," Conference on Information Systems and Technology, INFORMS, Charlotte, NC, November 11-12, 2011.
  • J. Khuntia, R. Agarwal, S. Mithas, and O. Lin, "How Economic and Institutional Factors Affect Electronic Medical Records Adoption," Conference on Information Systems and Technology, INFORMS, Austin, TX, November 6-7, 2010.
  • M. Lin, S. Viswanathan, and R. Agarwal, "An Empirical Study of Contractual Relations in Online Software Outsourcing," The Sixth Symposium on Statistical Challenges in Ecommerce (SCECR 2010), Austin, TX, June 2010.
  • P. E. Manicone, Z. Waldman, R. J. Kern, M. Sharron, S. Basu, J. Goh, G. Gao, R. Agarwal, B. Jacobs, "Physician Documentation Quality: A Comparison of the Electronic and Paper Medical Records for Completeness and Readability in a Tertiary Care Pediatric Medical Center", Pediatrics Academic Societies’ Annual Meeting, Vancouver, May 1-4, 2010.
  • "Unpacking the Health IT adoption paradox", Workshop on Information Systems Economics (WISE), 2009 (with G. Gao, J. McCullough, C. Angst).
  • "Online doctor ratings: meaning and application," International Health Economics Association Conference (iHEA), 2009 (with G. Gao, and J. McCullough).
  • "Health IT's impact on hospital efficiency and quality", International Health Economics Association Conference (iHEA), 2009 (with J.M. Goh and G. Gao).