Shih-Chuan Chou, MD, MPH

Dr. Chou’s research focuses on the impact of health insurance design—particularly High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs)—on emergency care utilization, patient outcomes, and healthcare costs. His work specifically examines how financial barriers influence clinical decision-making in acute care settings, with a special emphasis on patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and other cardiac conditions. Dr. Chou is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), to explore how HDHPs affect the evaluation, treatment, and outcomes of emergency department patients, including hospital admissions, advanced testing, and major cardiac events. In addition to his work on healthcare access and insurance, Dr. Chou is interested in how cost-sharing impacts patient-clinician decision-making in emergency care. His research aims to inform healthcare policy that improves the value of care while reducing the financial burden on patients. His studies have been published in high-impact journals, including the Journal of American Medical Association, Annals of Emergency Medicine, and Health Affairs, and he collaborates with experts across multiple disciplines to address critical health services issues.

Dr. Chou earned his medical degree and Master of Public Health from Tufts University School of Medicine, and he also holds a Master of Science from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He completed his clinical training at the Yale-New Haven Hospital and a health policy research fellowship at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. He is the recipient of the NIH K23 Career Development Award for his work on HDHPs and their impact on emergency cardiac care. Through his research and clinical practice, Dr. Chou is committed to improving both patient outcomes and healthcare policy in the U.S. emergency care system.