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AUGUST 2007 HOT TOPICSHelping Working Parents Care for Chronically Ill Children
Working parents are more able to care for their chronically ill children when given greater access to federal and employer-provided time off from their jobs. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year to care for ill family members without the risk of being fired. However, RAND analysts surveying approximately 575 full-time–employed parents of chronically ill children in California and found than fewer than half of the parents qualified for benefits under the federal act. (This is consistent with national data. About half of all employees are not eligible for federal benefits because they do not meet all of the criteria: having worked at least 1,250 hours in the past 12 months, having worked for the same employer for at least 12 months, and working for an employer with at least 50 employees.) Only 30 percent of the California parents reported having employer-provided leave that could be used to care for ill family members, and just 15 percent reported having access to paid leave. Having paid leave would have made a difference to these parents. Almost half reported that at least once in the past year they could not miss work, even though their children needed them. More than 70 percent of the parents reported that they would have taken time off from work if they could have received at least some pay during that time. After the study was conducted, California implemented the Paid Family Leave Insurance program, which uses a statewide payroll tax to provide up to six weeks of partial pay for employees to care for ill family members. This first-in-the-nation paid family leave program is being closely watched as a potential model for other states and the federal government. RAND recommends evaluating the program. Read More »Trust Influences Response to Public Health Messages
In a bioterrorist or infectious disease emergency, the nation's public health system will be the first line of defense, and its effectiveness will require trust and cooperation from many diverse communities. Previous studies have shown that the African-American community fears discrimination in a public health emergency response. RAND conducted focus groups with 75 African Americans in Los Angeles County to help understand their reactions to information presented in escalating stages of a bioterrorism scenario. Honesty and consistency of information from public health officials were the components most frequently identified as determining trust or distrust. Honesty was most important when first hearing of a public health crisis; fiduciary responsibility and consistency were important upon confirmation of the crisis and the ensuing public health response. These findings can help public health officials design communications that enhance trust. Read the Fact Sheet »Lessons in Public Health Preparedness
As part of a project focused on examining public health preparedness in Georgia, RAND researchers collaborated with the Georgia Division of Public Health and the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University to conduct a series of public health preparedness tabletop exercises in health districts across Georgia. The exercises culminated with an exercise at the state level to examine the public health response to an intentional introduction of avian influenza to commercial poultry operations. The exercises reinforced a number of lessons already broadly appreciated, including the need to address workforce and surge capacity issues in the public health and health care sectors, and the need to successfully reach vulnerable populations (such as non-English speakers) during response efforts. They also identified issues less widely considered, including potential problems with incident management in large-scale events of long duration and coordination within and across responding organizations. Read the Fact Sheet »
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RAND Health conducts objective research on health, health behavior, and health policy. Access to all RAND Health research is available at www.rand.org/health/. The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world. Learn More »Copyright © 2007 RAND Corporation. 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401-3208. RAND® is a registered trademark. The RAND Health Congressional Newsletter is distributed on an opt-in basis only by visiting us at www.rand.org. We respect your privacy. If you do not wish to receive this periodic newsletter, please email ocr@rand.org or call (703) 413-1100 x5395. This newsletter is also available on the RAND Congressional web site » |
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