RAND Health Marks 40 Years of Research and Analysis
We are marking our 40th anniversary throughout 2009 by highlighting 40 studies that reflect the breadth and scope of our work and have made the greatest contribution to shaping health care policy, advancing research, and improving health around the world.
Featured during December:
Health Services Utilization Study
More care isn't necessarily better care
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A short screening survey helps predict survival of vulnerable elders over the longer term
The Vulnerable Elders-13 Survey, which predicts functional decline and mortality of vulnerable elders over a 1-2 year interval, is also associated with death and decline over 4-5 years.
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More aging and health research
More quality of care research
Children already sexually active by the time parents breech topic
In a series of surveys with parents and their teenaged children, researchers found more than 40 percent of children had sexual intercourse before any discussion with their parents about sexually transmitted disease symptoms, condom use, choosing birth control, or what to do if a partner refuses a condom.
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More HIV, STDs, and sexual behavior research
More maternal, child, and adolescent health research
Using schools to help children recover after a disaster
School-based mental health counselors and administrators need greater organizational structure that supports school counselors and provides system-level support for services after a disaster.
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More maternal, child, and adolescent health research
More mental health research
More public health systems and preparedness research
Reducing obesity in middle-school students
Site visits offer a useful means to evaluate the implementation of school district obesity-related policies and develop interventions to translate school food policies into practice.
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More obesity and health research
More maternal, child, and adolescent health research
More public health research
Why do marijuana users drop out of high school?
The association between marijuana use and high school dropout status is unlikely to be due to its adverse effects on cognition, but instead involves parental and peer influences.
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More substance abuse research
More maternal, child, and adolescent health research
Improving the chances of success for low-income Latino youth
Latino young people living in a low-income housing complex identified self, family, and community as important facilitators of their success, although parents appeared to deemphasize community resources.
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More diversity and health research
More maternal, child, and adolescent health research
More public health research
A low-literacy medication education tool
Researchers developed and evaluated a tool to help low-literacy patients adhere to their medication regimens after discharge from the hospital.
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More diversity and health research
The growing phenomenon of retail clinics
This report presents information on the growing phenomenon of retail medical clinics, the types of patients they serve, the care they provide, and whether some common claims about retail clinics are supported by evidence.
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More health economics and financing research
What are hospitals doing to implement patient safety practices?
Part of an overall assessment of AHRQ's patient safety initiative examined what recommended patient safety practices hospitals are adopting.
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More quality of care research
Hospital consolidation means higher prices
Hospital consolidation may reduce costs by making hospitals more efficient but the savings are modest and don't usually result in lower prices.
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More health economics and financing research
Children in military families may suffer from more emotional and behavioral difficulties when compared to other American youths, with older children and girls struggling the most when a parent is deployed overseas.
Uninsured patients in California are unable to successfully obtain information about the cost of medical care at hospitals despite recent state legislation intended to improve price transparency.
