Kathleen Thomas

Professor Kathleen Thomas is a faculty member in the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on validating self-reported health outcomes for vulnerable populations, particularly youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Her primary research areas include:

• Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research
• Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
• Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Assessment Methodologies
• Quality of Life Metrics in Healthcare
• Health Services Research for IDD Populations

Thomas recently presented groundbreaking findings at a Congressional Briefing funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), demonstrating that youth aged 11-27 with IDD can reliably self-report health outcomes with significant correlation to parental assessments. This research directly addresses Congress's 2019 mandate to expand PCORI's portfolio for IDD populations.

Her current work leverages baseline data from North Carolina county surveys to develop interventions improving health outcomes for youth with IDD and their caregivers. Supported by PCORI following Congressional reauthorization, this research bridges policy gaps in inclusive healthcare assessment methodologies.