Population-specific differences in access to quality health care, whether caused by gender, race, geography, environment, or other factors, can affect individual and community health. RAND research aims to understand the causes of—and thereby reduce disparities in—health outcomes, access, and care at the individual, community, and international levels.
Journal Article
Perceptions of discrimination based on race/ethnicity and Medicaid insurance are prevalent and are associated with substantially lower CAHPS reports and ratings of care. Practices must develop and implement strategies to reduce perceived discrimination among patients.
Journal Article
Despite high levels of depression among persons living with HIV (PLWHIV), little research has investigated the relationship of depression to work status and income in PLWHIV in sub-Saharan Africa, which was the focus of this analysis.
News Release
A decade of unprecedented efforts in Arkansas has cut cigarette use by nearly one-third and reduced incidence of tobacco-related illnesses such as heart attacks and stroke. To maintain the gains it has made, Arkansas should continue its financial commitment of devoting the tobacco settlement funds to public health programs.
Report
A decade of unprecedented efforts in Arkansas has cut cigarette use by nearly one-third and reduced incidence of tobacco-related illnesses such as heart attacks and stroke. To maintain the gains it has made, Arkansas should continue its financial commitment of devoting the tobacco settlement funds to public health programs.
Report
This summary of the external evaluation of Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Commission activities looks at program implementation and changes in health outcomes associated with seven health-related programs funded by the Master Settlement Agreement over the past decade.
Journal Article
Ambulance diversions disproportionately affect minority patients.
Journal Article
It has long been known that despite well-documented improvements in longevity for most Americans, alarming disparities persist among racial groups and between the well-educated and those with less education.
Journal Article
Interventions that address potentially detrimental consequences of low socioeconomic status and adverse school environments may help reduce racial and ethnic differences in child health.
Journal Article
This study of condom use among homeless youth in Los Angeles County found that a broad range of individual, relationship, and contexual factors play a role in condom use.
Commentary
We will be more successful at stemming the growing tide of obesity and improving our own health if everyone accepts their share of responsibility for the obesity epidemic, write Chloe E. Bird and Tamara Dubowitz.
Report
Antiretroviral (ARV) treatment has transformed HIV from a death sentence to a chronic condition, allowing patients to live longer and healthier lives. Options for reducing costs of ARV medications should be explored in order to allow more people to receive treatment.
Journal Article
Policies targeting socioeconomically disadvantaged groups and those without insurance may be needed to reduce disparities in access to appropriate eye care.
Journal Article
Using a subsample of respondents to the 2005 Los Angeles County health survey, the authors examined the relationship between perceptions of the seriousness of HIV/AIDS in one's community and HIV testing.
Commentary
The $15 co-pay a mother is expected to cover represents half of a full week's food costs under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's "thrifty" food plan for her 6-year-old, write Art Kellermann and Robin Weinick.
Blog
A patient safety event is any event or action that could lead to a worse outcome for a patient, from bedsores to post-operative respiratory failure.
Journal Article
Physician organizations (POs)—independent practice associations and medical groups—located in lower socioeconomic status (SES) areas may score poorly in pay-for-performance (P4P) programs.
Project
PHRESH Plus explores whether making parks, playgrounds, and trails—“green space”—safer and more accessible could impact the health neighborhood residents.
Journal Article
Post menopausal women living in neighborhoods with higher socioeconomic status and more supermarkets have lower body mass and lower blood pressure.
Journal Article
This study examines how characterization of risk may change when susceptibility is explicitly considered in policy development; in particular we examine the process used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for lead.
Journal Article
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.
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