A general internist, Fisher's early research focused on the promise and pitfalls of using of large databases, such as vital records, census data, and Medicare claims to study health care.
The landmark research was cited by Peter R. Orszag as President Barack Obama's administration crafted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
[4][5][6][7][8][9] In the mid-2000s, as consensus emerged that health costs were rising at an unsustainable rate and that fragmented, poorly coordinated care was a major problem, Fisher proposed a new payment and delivery model to encourage groups of physicians, with or without hospitals, to focus on improving quality and avoiding unnecessary expenditures.
[10][11][12] Fisher then worked with a small group of researchers and policy advocates, including Mark McClellan, to refine the design of the model and estimate the potential impact on spending.
[15] Fisher's ongoing research is focused on evaluating how current delivery and payment system reforms contribute to improving the quality and cost of health care.
He and investigators from the Dartmouth Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, are examining the market and organizational factors that are associated with better health care—and with the successful formation of ACOs and other innovative models of care delivery.