Health Information Technology Research Briefs

2012

Flattening the Trajectory of Health Care Spending: Facilitate High-Value Innovation — 2012

Health information technology has not achieved its full potential, but its benefits should grow over time. Because health care is largely regulated at the state level, the states can play a valuable role as "laboratories" for innovative policies.

2011

How Should Drugs be Identified in Electronic Prescribing Systems? — 2011

RxNorm has potential to improve how medications are represented in e-prescribing transactions.

Will Adoption of Electronic Health Records Improve Quality in U.S. Hospitals? — 2011

Shares findings on the potential effects of electronic health records (EHRs) on health care quality, based on analysis of extensive data from 2003 and 2006 on EHR adoption, hospital characteristics, and hospital quality in nearly 2,100 hospitals.

2009

Electronic Health Records are Associated with Higher Quality in Primary Care Practices — 2009

Demonstrating a link between use of electronic health records in community-based primary care practices and higher-quality care, this study encourages prioritization of such technologies and their advanced functionalities.

Improving Mass Delivery of Antiretroviral Therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa — 2009

Provides a summary of strategies for making access to antiretroviral therapy widespread, sustainable, more cost-effective, and efficient, while still providing quality care in sub-Saharan Africa.

2008

Identity Crisis? Approaches to Patient Identification in a National Health Information Network — 2008

This research brief summarizes an analysis and comparison of two methods of patient identification — statistical matching and unique patient identifier — on error rates, operational efficiency, costs, and privacy and security issues.

A National Health Information Network -- What Are the Real Privacy Issues? — 2008

This fact sheet summarizes research suggesting that there are basic privacy issues that need to be resolved in the implementation of a national health information network.

2006

Global Technology Revolution 2020: Technology Trends and Cross-Country Variation — 2006

This research brief examines how technology changes -- in economic development, health, environmental quality, and military power -- will play out differently across the globe.

Measuring the Quality of Cancer Care: The National Initiative for Cancer Care Quality (NICCQ) — 2006

This research brief describes the development and testing of a prototypical cancer-care quality monitoring system, the National Initiative for Cancer Care Quality (NICCQ), for breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

2005

Electronic Prescribing Systems: Making It Safer to Take Your Medicine? — 2005

RAND Health researchers convened an expert panel that created a set of 60 recommendations for electronic prescribing systems.

Future Health and Medical Care Spending of the Elderly: Implications for Medicare — 2005

A team of economists and physicians explored how changes in medical technology, disease, and disability would affect health care spending for the population age 65 and older.

Health Information Technology: Can HIT Lower Costs and Improve Quality? — 2005

RAND researchers have estimated the potential costs and benefits of widespread adoption of Health Information Technology (HIT).