Timothy J. Beebe, Ph.D.

Timothy J. Beebe, Ph.D., has a special interest and substantial experience in developing and testing health measures and evaluating new data collection methods. His research interests also include health care policy, racial and ethnic disparities in health care, and general clinical outcome assessment.

Much of Dr. Beebe's work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and other organizations.

Dr. Beebe currently serves as chair of the Division of Health Care Policy and Research and director of the Survey Research Center, both part of the Department of Health Sciences Research. He is also scientific director of the Health Care Delivery Research Program in the Mayo Clinic Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery and affiliated with both the Cancer Center and the Center for Translational Science Activities.

Focus areas

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) authorization and survey nonresponse bias
• Validity of self-reported behavior in surveys (e.g., colorectal cancer screening behavior, illicit drug use, etc.)
• Collection of biomeasure data (e.g., blood, weight, DNA, etc.) in population-based surveys
• Incorporating patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) into clinical practice in an efficient, consistent and effective manner
• Barriers to health care among racially and culturally diverse populations

Significance to patient care

While Dr. Beebe is not directly involved in patient care activities, the research in which he participates leads to a better understanding of how best to ascertain the perspectives of patients in the delivery and evaluation of health care.

His work will also help inform patient-centered approaches to health care delivery that address social, cultural and behavioral barriers to care across diverse populations.

Professional highlights

• Adjunct Associate Professor, Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 2005-present
• Director of Curriculum, Education Resources, Center for Translational Science Activities, Mayo Clinic, 2009-present
• Editor, Data Analysis, Statistics, and Modeling Section, BMC Medical Research Methodology, 2011-present
• Chair, Special Emphasis Panel, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), 2012