Health Care Professionals

Medical professionals include doctors, nurses, hospice workers, emergency medical technicians, and other trained caregivers. RAND research has analyzed retention and job satisfaction among medical professionals, examined civilian and military health care education and training, and explored the impact of the many policies that affect physicians' and nurses' duties and performance.

Research conducted by: RAND Health; RAND Europe; RAND Arroyo Center; RAND National Security Research Division; RAND Project AIR FORCE

All Items (458)

Report

Analysis of research and education indicators to support designation of Academic Health Science Centres in England — May 2, 2013

To support the English Department of Health's Academic Health Science Centres competition in 2013, RAND Europe has analysed various types of publicly available data and quality assessments in the domains of medical research and health education.

Commentary

The Cost of Dementia: Who Will Pay? — Apr 30, 2013

Couple reviewing finances with an advisor

It is time for the government in partnership with industry to return to the drawing board to craft a plan that will provide protection for the more than 9 million people who will need care for dementia by 2040, writes Michael D. Hurd.

Commentary

Dementia's Growing Cost to Caregivers — Apr 29, 2013

Young woman and grandfather sitting hand in hand at table

At the rate that the U.S. population is aging, the total cost of dementia could reach half a trillion dollars a year by 2040. Those who care for impaired relatives and friends are acutely aware of the effects of dementia, and unfortunately they are all too familiar with its costs, writes Kathleen J. Mullen.

Report

Providing for the Casualties of War: The American Experience Through World War II — Apr 29, 2013

This history looks at how humanity has cared for its war casualties and veterans, from ancient times through the aftermath of World War II.

Journal Article

Impact of Socioeconomic Adjustment on Physicians' Relative Cost of Care — Apr 26, 2013

Ongoing efforts to profile physicians on their relative cost of care have been criticized because they do not account for differences in patients' socioeconomic status (SES).

Journal Article

Insomnia: Can't Sleep, Can't Get Diagnosed — Apr 15, 2013

insomnia

Insomnia is very common, but most of its sufferers don't receive a diagnosis or treatment. However, educating primary care providers and other professionals about insomnia can help.

Journal Article

Cost of Dementia Tops $157 Billion Annually in the United States — Apr 3, 2013

an elderly couple, man possibly with dementia

The monetary cost of dementia in the United States ranges from $157 billion to $215 billion annually, making the disease more costly to the nation than either heart disease or cancer. The greatest cost is associated with providing institutional and home-based long-term care rather than medical services.

Journal Article

The Nursing Workforce in an Era of Health Care Reform — Apr 1, 2013

Despite the projections of severe shortages made just 10 years ago, a combination of policy efforts, a responsive education system, private-sector initiatives, and the effects of the recession has led to unexpected growth in the nursing workforce.

Report

Helping Families Raise Healthy Children — Mar 19, 2013

parent with happy child

Simultaneous developmental delays among young children and depression among parents can create serious challenges for many families. However, results from the Helping Families Raise Healthy Children initiative suggest that aligning early intervention and behavioral health systems can help.

Research Brief

Improving Cross-System Care for Parental Depression and Early Childhood Developmental Delays — Mar 19, 2013

The Helping Families Raise Healthy Children initiative addressed depression among parents of children with early childhood developmental delays, aligning the early intervention and behavioral health systems with a focus on relationship-based care.

Commentary

A National Strategy for Supporting Military Caregivers — Mar 7, 2013

The act of caring for a veteran takes a physical, mental, and economic toll on caregivers and their families. Giving caregivers the skills and resources they need to cope and thrive should be as much a priority as giving veterans medical care.

News Release

Military Caregivers Aid Injured Warriors, but Little Is Known About Their Needs — Mar 7, 2013

Spouses, family members, and others who provide informal care to U.S. military members after they return home from conflict often toil long hours with little support, putting them at risk for physical, emotional, and financial harm.

Report

Military Caregivers Aid Injured Warriors, but Little Is Known About Their Needs — Mar 7, 2013

Spouses, family members, and others who provide informal care to U.S. military members after they return home from conflict often toil long hours with little support, putting them at risk for physical, emotional, and financial harm.

Journal Article

Measuring Client Perceptions of Motivational Interviewing: Factor Analysis of the Client Evaluation of Motivational Interviewing Scale — Mar 1, 2013

Motivational interviewing (MI) is an intervention approach that has solid evidence of efficacy with substance use disorders.

Journal Article

Nurse-Patient Ratios as a Patient Safety Strategy: A Systematic Review — Mar 1, 2013

A small percentage of patients die during hospitalization or shortly thereafter, and it is widely believed that more or better nursing care could prevent some of these deaths.

Journal Article

The Puzzle of Changing Relationships: Does Changing Relationships Between Healthcare Service Users and Providers Improve the Quality of Care? — Mar 1, 2013

This report aims to contribute to the understanding of how changing relationships impacts on the quality of care.

Report

Efforts to Reform Physician Payment by Tying Payment to Performance — Feb 14, 2013

pediatrician with patient and mother

Public and private sector purchasers are actively working to design value-based payment programs to achieve the goals of improved quality and more efficient use of health care resources. How these programs are designed is a complex undertaking and one that will determine the likelihood of their success.

Report

California Should Collect Physician Identifiers from Hospitals — Feb 7, 2013

California health regulators should begin collecting physician identifiers as part of their routine data collection efforts about the services provided at the state's hospitals. Such a move would help providers improve quality by aiding efforts to benchmark performance and reduce variations in the delivery of care.

News Release

California Should Collect Physician Identifiers from Hospitals — Feb 7, 2013

California health regulators should begin collecting physician identifiers as part of their routine data collection efforts about the services provided at the state's hospitals. Such a move would help providers improve quality by aiding efforts to benchmark performance and reduce variations in the delivery of care.

News Release

Shared Decision Making Between Patients and Doctors Will Require Investment by Health Systems — Feb 4, 2013

Health care providers are encouraged to implement “shared decision making” in which patients and doctors together choose the treatment that is best for each patient. However, doctors need more instruction on how to engage patients and better information systems to make sure patients know their options and receive individualized care.