2012-05-25T23:21:40Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/united-states.html 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.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1207.html May 17, 2012 May 17, 2012

This report, by researchers from Partners HealthCare and the RAND Corporation, primarily describes the work associated with Task 4.8 of the Advancing Clinical Decision Support effort, a project intended to accelerate the effective use of computer-based clinical decision support (CDS) interventions to facilitate evidence-based clinical practice. Twenty-two CDS artifacts and 16 value sets were developed that cover the five CDS intervention types.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9667.html May 16, 2012 May 16, 2012

Vaccine-preventable diseases take a heavy toll on U.S. adults despite the widespread availability of vaccines. Office-based providers can do more to promote adult vaccinations but need clearer guidance and a better business case to offer them.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/15/RAND.html May 15, 2012 May 15, 2012

In considering foreign application to acquire U.S. companies, the United States needs to consider both risks as well as benefits in both defense and economic dimensions, write Charles Wolf, Jr., Brian Chow, Gregory Jones, and Scott Harold.

http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/2012/spring/publisher.html May 14, 2012 May 14, 2012

In the spring 2012 issue of RAND Review, RAND president Michael Rich writes, "Since its founding in 1970, PRGS has trained generations of policy leaders. ... The school exhorts students and faculty to 'be the answer' in addressing policy challenges in our communities and around the world."

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/11/RAND.html May 11, 2012 May 11, 2012

RAND President and CEO Michael Rich writes about how RAND computer models and empirical analyses are helping protect and restore the Louisiana coast.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/corporate_pubs/CP22-2012-04.html May 11, 2012 May 11, 2012

Stories discuss Iran's nuclear threat, social security for Mexico's aging population, programs to help veterans and their families, the costs of crime and the value of police officers, psychological operations in Afghanistan, the U.S. health insurance mandate, legal representation in murder cases, marijuana legalization, U.S. competitiveness in educational achievement, and Louisiana's plan for a sustainable coast.

http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/2012/spring/veterans.html May 11, 2012 May 11, 2012

Ten RAND authors highlight seven ways in which the United States can help to ensure that veterans and their families receive health care, employment and education opportunities, and other benefits.

http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/2012/spring/iran.html May 11, 2012 May 11, 2012

This <em>RAND Review</em> cover story recommends alternatives to military action that are more likely to dissuade Iran from producing, testing, and deploying nuclear weapons, while also promoting a more democratic and responsible Iranian regime.

http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/2012/spring/news2.html May 11, 2012 May 11, 2012

If the individual mandate requiring all Americans to have health insurance were eliminated, it would sharply reduce the number of people gaining coverage and slightly increase the cost for those who do buy policies through the new insurance exchanges.

http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/2012/spring/news4.html May 11, 2012 May 11, 2012

Marijuana legalization will be on the ballot in at least two U.S. states in November 2012, and it is the subject of serious debate in a growing number of countries. When it comes to understanding the consequences of legalization, the devil is in the details of how the regulatory regime is designed.

http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/2012/spring/news3.html May 11, 2012 May 11, 2012

An analysis of the outcomes for murder defendants who were represented either by public defenders or by appointed private counsel in Philadelphia raises important questions about the adequacy and fairness of the criminal justice system.

http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/2012/spring/perspectives.html May 11, 2012 May 11, 2012

Andreas Schleicher of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development provides a global perspective on what drives high-performing educational systems.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/testimonies/CT375.html May 9, 2012 May 9, 2012

Testimony presented before the California State Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee on May 9, 2012.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP369-1.html May 8, 2012 May 8, 2012

The fraction of American households that have no bank accounts has long been a concern for policymakers. Estimates from a nationally representative sample, RAND's American Life Panel, suggest that in 2011: 15.5 percent of the population is unbanked; socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals are more likely to be unbanked; unbanked respondents cite financial barriers and personal preference as reasons for not having a bank account.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/DB647.html May 1, 2012 May 1, 2012

This briefing uses existing statewide and county data to provide California early care and education quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) planners and other stakeholders with important information about some fundamentals of the proposed QRIS rating scheme that could inform California's QRIS design in advance of field-based pilot efforts.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1171.html Apr 30, 2012 Apr 30, 2012

Carnegie Learning's Cognitive Tutor Algebra I (CTAI) curriculum is a technology-based curriculum that combines classroom instruction with individualized instruction by a computer-based tutor. This report examines the cost of implementing CTAI and comparison algebra I curricula, including costs associated with textbooks and software, computers, and teacher training.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1216.html Apr 23, 2012 Apr 23, 2012

When enacting, implementing, and evaluating health care reform, policymakers should consider potential spillover effects on workers' compensation insurance. The experience of Massachusetts's heath care reform suggests that reform may reduce medical costs.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP363.html Apr 23, 2012 Apr 23, 2012

The authors look at four trade policy options for Japan and the United States. They evaluate each option for each country based on its impact on international relations and economic growth and its political and practical feasibility and conclude that the best option for both nations is to move forward cooperatively with the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

http://www.rand.org/labor/aging/research/projects/housing-price-risk.html Apr 17, 2012 Apr 17, 2012

Health outcomes may be related to financial status, including home ownership. A comparative analysis of housing price risk during economic downturns in different countries can help researchers better understand this relationship.