RAND: Features: Featured Research 2009-11-18T13:30:00Z Copyright (c) 2007-2008, The RAND Corporation Bricolage RAND Corporation urn:uuid:DD692316-4FF8-11DB-9EEF-35351D4D57CE Trimming U.S. Health Care Spending Will Require New Approaches in Designing, Adopting Strategies urn:uuid:88E14DFA-CF11-11DE-88AC-24C138788F35 2009-11-11T00:00:00Z 2009-11-11T00:00:00Z Curbing U.S. health care spending will likely require adopting an array of strategies and improving how promising strategies are moved into widespread use. The most promising option is changing the way providers are paid, but implementing such a system must overcome significant obstacles in order to be successful. Study of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Questions Assumptions Behind "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" urn:uuid:03FD79E8-CCB8-11DE-B3F4-24C138788F35 2009-11-09T00:00:00Z 2009-11-09T00:00:00Z A new survey of military personnel who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan found that having an openly gay or lesbian colleague in their unit had no significant impact on their unit's cohesion or readiness, questing the assumption underlying the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The Day After... in Jerusalem: A Strategic Planning Exercise on the Path to Middle East Peace urn:uuid:14C9375E-C587-11DE-A23B-11C138788F35 2009-11-06T00:00:00Z 2009-11-06T00:00:00Z Starting in 2008, the RAND Center for Middle East Public Policy conducted a series of exercises to help the new U.S. administration address the challenges of the Arab-Israeli conflict (and of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in particular) as a key component of the broader effort to secure stability in the Middle East. Ending Social Promotion Without Leaving Children Behind: The Case of New York City urn:uuid:9211247A-ADC1-11DE-8B90-3FC038788F35 2009-10-15T00:00:00Z 2009-10-15T00:00:00Z The New York City Department of Education's test-based promotion and retention policy, which identifies and provides support for struggling students, has demonstrated positive effects for student achievement in fifth grade that continue into seventh grade. Cincinnati Police Department Traffic Stops: Analyzing Racial Disparities urn:uuid:0AC5932E-AC2D-11DE-B428-3FC038788F35 2009-10-12T00:00:00Z 2009-10-12T00:00:00Z RAND has developed a fair, yet rigorous approach to analyzing traffic stop data for racial bias. Based on five years of data from the Cincinnati Police Department, the approach addresses bias in the decision to stop, flags officers with disparate stop patterns, and assesses bias in search and citation rates. Major Health Care Challenges Persist for D.C. Children Despite High Rates of Insurance Coverage urn:uuid:F12C46BE-A485-11DE-B6E1-26C138788F35 2009-10-08T00:00:00Z 2009-10-08T00:00:00Z Despite high rates of health insurance coverage among children in the District of Columbia, their access to health care is inadequate and poses a significant health problem—particularly for those who are publicly insured. Cyberdeterrence and Cyberwar urn:uuid:6E33D3EE-9EC2-11DE-B608-24C138788F35 2009-10-08T00:00:00Z 2009-10-08T00:00:00Z Rather than threatening to punish offenders, the U.S. must focus its efforts on defending critical civilian and military computer networks from cyber attack. How Have Deployments During the War on Terrorism Affected Reenlistment? urn:uuid:0FFF40C6-A3BB-11DE-82FF-24C138788F35 2009-10-07T00:00:00Z 2009-10-07T00:00:00Z Since 2006, the mounting burden of U.S. Army deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan has had a negative effect on reenlistment. Los Angeles Fast-Food Restaurant Ban Unlikely to Have Impact on Obesity urn:uuid:FB9EA530-B234-11DE-A7CC-41C038788F35 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z Restrictions on fast-food chain restaurants in South Los Angeles are not addressing the main differences between neighborhood food environments and are unlikely to improve the diet of residents or reduce obesity. Electronic Health Records Linked to Improved Quality in Primary Care Practices urn:uuid:EF752E94-B1F0-11DE-B9D8-41C038788F35 2009-10-05T00:00:00Z 2009-10-05T00:00:00Z Routine use of electronic health records may improve the quality of care provided in community-based primary care practices more than other common strategies intended to raise the quality of medical care. The Reform of Qatar University urn:uuid:A3762230-8835-11DE-8CB0-E20A39788F35 2009-10-05T00:00:00Z 2009-10-05T00:00:00Z In this summary of the efforts to reform Qatar University, the authors describe the motivation for reform, the design of the reform agenda, and the early stages of the implementation effort, with an eye toward identifying the challenges that remain. Living Conditions in Anbar Province in June 2008 urn:uuid:1740BDB4-93DB-11DE-9629-33C038788F35 2009-09-30T00:00:00Z 2009-09-30T00:00:00Z Effective counterinsurgency is dependent on understanding the local population. A survey of those living in Iraq's Anbar Province (once one of the country's most violent areas), reveals both the many improvements that have occurred, as well as the extent to which these Iraqis have suffered from the effects of war. Strategies Outlined to Test New Payment Models for Health Care urn:uuid:3C03EAC0-AD14-11DE-81C4-3FC038788F35 2009-09-29T00:00:00Z 2009-09-29T00:00:00Z A new study outlines methods that might be used to test a novel payment system for medical care that would provide doctors, hospitals and other health providers a set fee for treating an ailment such as hip replacement surgery. Integrating Civilian Agencies in Stability Operations urn:uuid:B089376C-8B25-11DE-9758-34C038788F35 2009-09-25T00:00:00Z 2009-09-25T00:00:00Z RAND Arroyo Center examined the question of how the Army can help make key civilian agencies more capable partners in stability, security, transition, and reconstruction operations. Even without much action at the national level, the Army can still improve civilian participation in these activities. More Support Is Needed to Integrate Nongovernmental Agencies in Human Recovery from Disasters urn:uuid:90D32E6A-A6A4-11DE-8348-26C138788F35 2009-09-23T11:00:00Z 2009-09-23T11:00:00Z Changing emergency planning rules to make nongovernmental organizations a key component of recovery efforts could get them involved earlier and speed the full recovery of communities after disaster strikes. Barriers to the Broad Dissemination of Creative Works in the Arab World urn:uuid:584F26E0-9C7A-11DE-8550-32C038788F35 2009-09-22T00:00:00Z 2009-09-22T00:00:00Z Many analysts have examined the media that violent extremists use to communicate their core messages. Far less research, however, has been devoted to the growing body of creative works produced by Arab authors and artists that counter the intellectual and ideological underpinnings of violent extremism. Improving the Energy Performance of Buildings: Learning from the European Union and Australia urn:uuid:58D1EB0C-9C7A-11DE-8550-32C038788F35 2009-09-21T00:00:00Z 2009-09-21T00:00:00Z The United States can become more energy efficient and create more "green" jobs by adopting some of the strategies used by the European Union and Australia to rate and disclose the performance of commercial and government-owned buildings. Lowering Salt Consumption Could Save U.S. Billions in Health Costs urn:uuid:6FF012B2-9EED-11DE-A4C9-24C138788F35 2009-09-11T00:00:00Z 2009-09-11T00:00:00Z Reducing Americans' average intake of sodium to the amount recommended by health officials could save the nation as much as $18 billion annually in avoided health care costs and improve the quality of life for millions of people. Recruiting Minorities: What Explains Recent Trends in the Army and Navy? urn:uuid:1A2C945C-926A-11DE-83D0-33C038788F35 2009-09-08T00:00:00Z 2009-09-08T00:00:00Z To address a decline in high-quality black enlistments in the U.S. Army and other minority trends across other service branches, the military may want to look at how it allocates its resources to such recruiting tools as bonuses, educational benefits and recruiters. Countering Piracy in the Modern Era urn:uuid:62229CA6-8E4C-11DE-97BA-33C038788F35 2009-09-03T00:00:00Z 2009-09-03T00:00:00Z RAND recently convened a group of experts from the U.S. government, allied partner nations, the maritime industry, and academic organizations to reconsider the underlying factors that drive maritime piracy in this century. This conference proceedings highlights the six major themes that animated much of the discussion.