RAND Research Topic: Health Care Quality 2012-05-25T23:12:09Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/health-care-quality.html Helping Hospitals Deliver Better Care: A New Toolkit for Quality Improvement http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9669.html May 25, 2012 May 25, 2012 A team from RAND and the University HealthSystem Consortium developed a toolkit to help hospitals enhance their quality improvement efforts using quality indicators from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Postmenopausal osteoporosis management: A review of the evidence to inform the development of quality indicators http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1247.html May 9, 2012 May 9, 2012 The report work aims to inform the development of quality indicators for postmenopausal osteoporosis management in Europe. Patient Experience of Care in the Safety Net: Current Efforts and Challenges http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120074.html Apr 1, 2012 Apr 1, 2012 Tailored measurement and quality improvement resources, coupled with policy mandates to give all patients a voice, would improve the quality of patient-centered care in safety-net organizations. Survey Results Show That Adults Are Willing to Pay Higher Insurance Premiums for Generous Coverage of Specialty Drugs http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120092.html Apr 1, 2012 Apr 1, 2012 This study estimated how healthy people value insurance coverage of specialty drugs, defined as high-cost drugs that treat cancer and other serious health conditions like multiple sclerosis, by quantifying willingness to pay via a survey. Consumers' and Providers' Responses to Public Cost Reports, and How to Raise the Likelihood of Achieving Desired Results http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120080.html Apr 1, 2012 Apr 1, 2012 Public reporting of health care costs is intended to motivate consumers to choose lower cost providers, and motivate providers to lower costs to retain market share. Measures should be chosen based on which pathway policymakers intend to influence. Focus on Health Information Technology http://www.rand.org/pubs/corporate_pubs/CP639z4-2012-03.html Mar 30, 2012 Mar 30, 2012 For nearly a decade, RAND researchers have studied how health information technology (HIT) stands to change health care. Using Patient Surveys to Rate Hospitals http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/03/22/NYT.html Mar 22, 2012 Mar 22, 2012 Hospitals that perform better on the survey tend to do better on clinical measures, have fewer readmissions within 30 days and have lower risk-adjusted mortality, write Marc Elliott and Alan Zaslavsky. Ways to Improve Health Care Provider 'Report Cards' http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120051.html Mar 5, 2012 Mar 5, 2012 As health care reform expands the use of "report cards" to grade health care providers, greater attention to reporting methods may be needed to assure the quality of such efforts. Ways to Improve Health Care Provider 'Report Cards' http://www.rand.org/news/press/2012/03/05.html Mar 5, 2012 Mar 5, 2012 As health care reform expands the use of "report cards" to grade health care providers, greater attention to reporting methods may be needed to assure the quality of such efforts. Rasch Analysis in the Development of a Simplified Version of the National Eye Institute Visual-Function Questionnaire-25 for Utility Estimation http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120056.html Mar 1, 2012 Mar 1, 2012 This study developed a vision-targeted health state classification system based on the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25). Are There Differences in the Medicare Experiences of Beneficiaries in Puerto Rico Compared with Those in the U.S. Mainland? http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120036.html Mar 1, 2012 Mar 1, 2012 The authors compare the experiences of elderly Medicare beneficiaries in Puerto Rico with their English-preferring and Spanish-preferring Medicare counterparts in the U.S. mainland. Sources of Regional Variation in Medicare Part D Drug Spending http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120031.html Feb 1, 2012 Feb 1, 2012 Regional variation in Medicare Part D spending for prescription drugs results largely from differences in the cost of drugs selected rather than prescription volume. Pay-for-performance Programs to Reduce Racial/Ethnic Disparities: What Might Different Designs Achieve? http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120046.html Feb 1, 2012 Feb 1, 2012 We used patient-level quality scores from the Hospital Quality Alliance and ranked hospitals by overall quality and by racial/ethnic disparities and modeled the effects of different pay-for-performance designs on national disparity scores. Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Patterns of Evolving Care During the First Treatment Episode http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120025.html Feb 1, 2012 Feb 1, 2012 This study sought to better understand factors associated with different patterns of treatment among children starting treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Comparative Effectiveness of Oxaliplatin Vs Non-Oxaliplatin-Containing Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage III Colon Cancer http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120024.html Feb 1, 2012 Feb 1, 2012 The addition of oxaliplatin to 5-FU appears to be associated with better survival among patients receiving adjuvant colon cancer treatment in the community. Cost Implications of ACGME's 2011 Changes to Resident Duty Hours and the Training Environment http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120081.html Feb 1, 2012 Feb 1, 2012 Examines net costs to teaching hospitals and cost-effectiveness to society across a range of hypothetical changes in preventable adverse events (PAEs). Implementation of an Electronic Referral System for Outpatient Specialty Care http://www.rand.org/pubs/reprints/RP1433.html Jan 27, 2012 Jan 27, 2012 Reports the results of interviews with primary care providers and specialist reviewers about the implementation of eReferral, an electronic referral system that creates direct communication between referring and specialty providers. Preventing emergency readmissions to hospital: A scoping review http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1198.html Jan 25, 2012 Jan 25, 2012 The study reports on the evidence and potential for use of 'emergency readmissions within 28 days of discharge from hospital' as an indicator within the NHS Outcomes Framework, drawing on a rapid review of systematic reviews. AHRQ Toolkit by RAND and UHC Aids Hospital Efforts to Improve Quality and Safety http://www.rand.orghttp://www.ahrq.gov/qual/qitoolkit/.html Jan 24, 2012 Jan 24, 2012 The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a free toolkit designed to guide hospitals in using the AHRQ Patient Safety Indicators and Inpatient Quality Indicators to improve hospital performance. A RAND Health team, in partnership with UHC, developed and field-tested the toolkit. Understanding Ethnic and Other Socio-Demographic Differences in Patient Experience of Primary Care: Evidence from the English General Practice Patient Survey http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120002.html Jan 1, 2012 Jan 1, 2012 This study examined whether low scores of ethnic minority and other socio-demographic groups reflect their concentration in poorly performing primary care practices, and whether any remaining differences are consistent across practices.