Research Briefs from RAND Health - 2004 & Older
2004
Classroom Drug Prevention Works — 2004
Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are in the nation's schools, sidetracking kids from getting a good education and from building a solid foundation for a productive, healthy life.
Developing Quality of Care Indicators for the Vulnerable Elderly: The ACOVE Project — 2004
RAND Health has collaborated with Pfizer, Inc. to create the first quality-of-care assessment system for older persons.
Does Watching Sex on Television Influence Teens’ Sexual Activity? — 2004
Two recent studies led by RAND Health behavioral scientist Rebecca Collins examined the impact of TV sex on teenagers' sexual beliefs and activities.
Gaps in Public Health Preparedness: Lessons Learned in California — 2004
Key findings: --The level of bioterrorism preparedness across California's jurisdictions is uneven, ranging from excellent to poor. --There are wide variations in every aspect of preparedness strategy, development, and implementation. --The system su...
Inside the Black Box of Managed Care Decisions: Understanding Patient Disputes over Coverage Denials — 2004
Is Patient Volume a Useful Quality Measure for Very Low Birthweight Infants? — 2004
The goal of the study was to assess how accurately patient volume predicts quality of care for VLBW infants and to compare volume with direct indicators, such as patient mortality.
Quality of Health Care Received by Older Adults — 2004
A team of experts from RAND Health has developed a system for measuring the quality of care delivered to the elderly and used the system to assess the quality of care given to a group of community-dwelling older adults who were members of a managed care plan.
Role of Doctors Critical in Effective Public Health — 2004
The RAND Corporation interviewed a diverse sample of individuals from Capitol Hill and from the Brentwood postal facility with the purpose of understanding in detail how these individuals responded to the advice of public health officials to take antibiotics for at least 60 days.
Saturated in Beer — 2004
To assess whether children as young as 9 are affected by beer advertising, a group of RAND researchers surveyed a large sample of Midwestern children in the 4th and 9th grades.
"Voltage Drops" in Children's Health Care: Barriers That Impede Children's Access to Quality Health Care — 2004
A study by RAND researchers identifies six areas in the pediatric health care system where major barriers -- termed "voltage drops" by several leading health services researchers -- lead to a breakdown in delivery of adequate quality care.
Will Public Health's Response to Terrorism Be Fair? — 2004
A severe public health crisis could require onerous or controversial control measures whose success will depend on the extent to which everyone cooperates.
2003
Ephedra: Is It Worth the Risk? — 2003
Products that contain the herb ephedra have been promoted and used in the United States since the 1980s to increase weight loss and enhance athletic performance. Yet despite manufacturers' claims, little research has been done to assess whether the products are safe, and the research studies that have been done have been too small to allow any firm conclusions to be drawn.
How Many Frozen Human Embryos Are Available for Research? — 2003
RAND researchers, together with the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) Working Group, have completed a project designed to inform the policy debate on embryonic stem cell research.
2002
After 9-11: Stress and Coping Across America — 2002
Events in recent years have taught us that individuals need not be present at a catastrophic event to experience stress symptoms.
Cost Sharing Cuts Employers' Drug Spending -- But Employees Don't Get the Savings — 2002
Do increased patient cost sharing and formulary restrictions reduce pharmaceutical use and costs?
Does Early Smoking Signal Later Problems? — 2002
Whereas earlier studies focused on older adolescents, we have examined the trajectory of smoking from the middle school years to the end of high school and have assessed the association between early smoking and other concurrent high-risk behaviors as well as later behaviors.
The Health Risks of Obesity: Worse Than Smoking, Drinking or Poverty — 2002
Obesity is the most serious problem. It is linked to a big increase in chronic health conditions and significantly higher health expenditures. And it affects more people than smoking, heavy drinking, or poverty.
How to Improve Childhood Asthma Outcomes: A Blueprint for Policy Action — 2002
This research brief describes work documented in MR-1330-RWJ and MR-1330/1-RWJ.
Improving Access to Drugs for Medicare Beneficiaries: Can State Law Help? — 2002
This research brief summarizes RAND Health research on pharmacy compliance with California's prescription drug discount program for Medicare beneficiaries.
Low Levels of Insurance Reimbursement Impede Access to Cochelar Implants — 2002
This research brief describes work documented in "Payment Under Public and Private Insurance and Access to Cochlear Implants," published in Archives of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Vol. 128, October 2002.
Report Cards for Health Care: Is Anyone Checking Them? — 2002
This research brief summarizes RAND research into health care reports cards and suggests how they may be made more user friendly.
Understanding the Sexual Behavior of Adolescents — 2002
As part of an ongoing program of research on risk behavior, Mark Schuster and his colleagues examined the range of adolescent sexual activity.
2001
Changing Views of Chiropractic ...and a National Reappraisal of Nontraditional Health Care — 2001
AMA policy now states that it is ethical for physicians not only to associate professionally with chiropractors but also to refer patients to them for diagnostic or therapeutic services.
Does Involuntary Outpatient Treatment Work? — 2001
California may be considering a proposal to expand existing statutes to include involuntary outpatient treatment, in which a court orders an individual to comply with a specific outpatient treatment regimen. Does involuntary outpatient treatment work?
Guns in the Family: Firearm Storage Patterns in U.S. Homes with Children — 2001
Analysis of data regarding firearm ownership and storage patterns found that of the families in the United States with children and firearms, fewer than half store their firearms unloaded, locked, and away from ammunition.
Health Maintenance Organizations and the Changing Physician Workforce — 2001
Found that the growth of managed care in the United States, particularly the growth of health maintenance organizations (HMOs), has had a profound effect on the practice location choices of both generalists and specialists.
Mental Health Care for Youth: Who Gets It? How Much Does It Cost? Who Pays? Where Does the Money Go? — 2001
A team of RAND researchers has assembled a current national picture of mental health costs and utilization for children ages 1-17.
2000
Access to HIV Care: Initial Results from the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study — 2000
The first study to demonstrate systemic, socioeconomic differences in access to HIV care across all regions of America.
Are People With Mental Illness Getting the Help They Need? New Findings About Parity Laws, Insurance Coverage, and Access to Care — 2000
In recent years, concerns about the adequacy of insurance benefits and quality of care for individuals with mental illness have led the majority of states and the federal government to require equal coverage for both mental health and medical conditions.
Extending Health Care Insurance to Specific Populations: Profile of RAND Work — 2000
In a series of studies, we have assessed the cost and consequences of various approaches to providing coverage for these groups (children, employees in small businesses, substance abusers, the uninsured, and the near-elderly).
Health Care Coverage for the Nation's Uninsured: Can We Get to Universal Coverage? — 2000
States vary substantially in the number of uninsured residents and in their population's health and access to care. As a consequence, effects of policies will vary across states. Many states may need federal assistance to expand access.
Helping Adolescents Resist Drugs — 2000
Project ALERT is based on the theory that adolescents turn to drugs because of perceived social norms, because media images and the influence of peers make drug use appear attractive, and because, being kids, they want to appear mature and independent.
Partners in Care: Hope for Those Who Struggle with Hope — 2000
This research brief describes work documented in the Partners in Care Program.
Tracking Changes in Behavioral Health Services: How Has Managed Care Changed Care? — 2000
RAND studies of managed care plans that had already implemented full parity showed that under comprehensively managed care -- today's dominant arrangement -- unlimited mental health benefits cost not much more than capped benefits.
1999
Caring for HIV Patients: Good News and Bad News — 1999
The bad news, however, is that one-half to two-thirds of American adults infected with HIV do not get regular care, and even fewer receive the most advanced anti-HIV therapy.
Introducing Managed Care in the Military Health System — 1999
CRI fundamentally changed the military health system; therefore, Congress required a demonstration to test the initiative's feasibility and cost-effectiveness before expanding it.
A Portrait of the HIV+ Population in America: Initial Results from the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study — 1999
This data, collected by an innovative method of probability sampling, also provides a national context for interpreting the results of previous studies based on non-representative samples.
Taking the Pulse of Health Care in America — 1999
Their review of nearly 50 studies published over the past decade suggests that quality varies substantially across physicians, hospitals, geographical locations, types of care, and age groups.
1998
Assessing the Appropriateness of Care: How Much Is Too Much? — 1998
Spiraling health care expenditures, which exceeded $1 trillion in 1996, have driven policymakers to explore a variety of economic incentives for reducing utilization and controlling costs.
Effects of Access to Post-Retirement Health Insurance on Retirement Behavior and Insurance Coverage — 1998
This research brief describes work documented in The Effect of Access to Post-Retirement Health Insurance on the Decision to Retire Early (RP-360); Health Insurance and Labor Market Transitions of Older Workers (DRU-1797); and Health Insurance and Retirement Behavior: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Survey (DRU-1798).
How Much Would Individual Insurance Premiums Cost Under Kassebaum-Kennedy? — 1998
The Health Insurance Association of America opposed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 that guarantees the right to convert a terminating group health insurance policy into an individual health insurance policy. A RAND study blunted arguments opposing the conversion provision.
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