Research Briefs from RAND Health - 2010

Analysis of the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) — 2010

Using the COMPARE microsimulation model, estimates proposed health care reform legislation's effects on the number of uninsured, the costs to the federal government and the nation, revenues from penalty payments, and consumers' health care spending.

Analysis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) — 2010

Using the COMPARE microsimulation model, estimates the effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) on the number of uninsured, the costs to the federal government and the nation, and consumers' health care spending.

Are Adolescents Talking with Their Parents About Sex Before Becoming Sexually Active? — 2010

Examines parent-child discussions of sexual behavior. Finds consistency in the timing and content of such discussions; however, many parents and children do not discuss key topics, such as birth control, before adolescents become sexually active.

The Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Programs: The Impact of One State's Investment in the Health of its Residents — 2010

Summarizes results of RAND's evaluation of the progress and impact of Arkansas' antismoking and health programs established with its share of tobacco settlement funds.

Cost and Health Consequences of Air Pollution in California — 2010

Examines how California's failure to meet federal air quality standards has affected hospitalizations and insurers' costs.

Coverage, Spending, and Consumer Financial Risk: How Do the Recent House and Senate Health Care Bills Compare? — 2010

Compares how two health care reform bills, HR. 3962 and H.R. 3590, passed by the U.S. House and Senate, respectively, in late 2009 compare on a variety of projections made using the RAND COMPARE microsimulation model.

Diagnosing and Treating Food Allergies: The State of the Research — 2010

A systematic review of food allergy research found that the prevalence of food allergy in the United States appears to be between 1 and 10 percent, but estimates remain questionable because of poor reliability of the tests used for allergy diagnosis.

The Effects of Multiple Anxiety Disorders on Patient Functioning and Well-Being — 2010

Compares differences in functioning for patients with one or more anxiety disorders. There were few differences in functioning for patients with only one anxiety disorder. The burden of disability grew as the number of anxiety disorders increased.

Health Care on Aisle 7: The Growing Phenomenon of Retail Clinics — 2010

Presents information on the growing phenomenon of retail medical clinics, the types of patients they serve and the types of care they provide, and whether some common claims about retail clinics are supported by evidence.

How Can Faith-Based Organizations Help Address the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Central America? — 2010

Describes the role that faith-based organizations play in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras and how this role might be expanded.

How Can Faith-Based Organizations Help Address the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Central America? (Spanish translation) — 2010

Describes the role that faith-based organizations play in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras and how this role might be expanded.

How Will the Affordable Care Act Affect Employee Health Coverage at Small Businesses? — 2010

Finds that the Affordable Care Act will increase the percentage of employers that offer health coverage to workers: from 57 percent to 80 percent for firms with 50 or fewer workers, and from 90 percent to 98 percent for firms with 51 to 100 workers.

Improving the Quality of Care for Dementia — 2010

Results of a pilot program in RAND Health's Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders-2 project indicate that quality indicators for dementia care are improved when primary care practices are coupled with links to local Alzheimer's Association chapters.

The Influence of Personal, Family, and School Factors on Early Adolescent Substance Use — 2010

This study of middle school students in Southern California found that racial and ethnic variations in substance use among young adolescents are influenced by individual, family and school factors.

Is Physician Cost Profiling Ready for Prime Time? — 2010

Physician cost profiling is intended to identify physicians with lower spending patterns, but RAND analysts found that common profiling methods result in 22 percent of physicians being assigned to the wrong cost category in a two-tier system.

Is There a Shortage of Anesthesia Providers in the United States? — 2010

Analysis of labor market trends suggests that the United States is experiencing a shortage of anesthesiology providers.

Lessons Learned from Disaster Case Management in Louisiana — 2010

Louisiana implemented a disaster case management pilot program five years after the 2005 hurricanes. Challenges in client identification, interagency communication, and invoice approval led to delays; half the expected number of cases were opened.

Perceived Effects of Paid Family Leave Among Parents of Children with Special Health Care Needs: California's Experience — 2010

California's Paid Family Leave Insurance program, the first of its kind, has not increased the percentage of parents who took leave to care for a sick child. Fewer than 15 percent of parents who were qualified for the program knew about it.

Post-Katrina Project Demonstrates a Rapid, Participatory Assessment of Health Care and Develops a Partnership for Post-Disaster Recovery in New Orleans — 2010

Stakeholders in communities in which health care access was disrupted by Hurricane Katrina were engaged in an assessment of health priorities, as well as in data interpretation and plan design, to produce a sustainable community-academic partnership.

Private Sector Participation and Health System Performance in Sub-Saharan Africa — 2010

Researchers analyzed data on child and maternal health care use from 34 sub-Saharan African countries to examine the association between the degree of private sector participation in the health care system and outcomes related to access and equity.

A "Quiet Revolution" in Nephrology: Challenges and Opportunities for Advancing the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease — 2010

Shares results of a study examining changes in nephrology as it evolves from a focus on end-stage renal disease to the treatment of all stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Earlier stages of CKD progression can be slowed, halted, or even reversed.

RAND COMPARE Analysis of President Obama's Proposal for Health Reform — 2010

Compares President Obama's Proposal for Health Reform, the U.S. House and Senate health care reform bills, and the status quo on changes in number of uninsured and government and national costs, as estimated by the RAND COMPARE microsimulation model.

Studies' Estimates of PTSD Prevalence Rates for Returning Service Members Vary Widely — 2010

Summarizes analyses of existing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) studies for war zone veterans, finding that the prevalence estimates vary widely and are linked to the use of different PTSD diagnostic definitions and divergent study samples.

The Teen Depression Awareness Project: Building an Evidence Base for Improving Teen Depression Care — 2010

Presents findings from the Teen Depression Awareness Project, which explored how depression affects teens, the factors that influence teens' readiness to seek treatment for depression, and the barriers that teens and parents face when seeking care.

Where Do Americans Get Acute Care? Not at Their Doctor's Office — 2010

Less than half of acute care visits in the United States involve a patient's personal physician. Emergency physicians, who comprise only 4 percent of doctors, handle 28 percent of all acute care encounters and nearly all after-hours and weekend care.