Report
Mindfulness Meditation for the Treatment of Tobacco Use: A Systematic Review
RAND researchers conducted a systematic review that synthesized evidence from trials of mindfulness meditation interventions to provide estimates of their efficacy and safety for treating tobacco use.
Jan 31, 2017
Journal Article
Efficacy of Mindfulness Meditation for Smoking Cessation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
This review synthesizes randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of mindfulness meditation (MM) interventions for smoking cessation.
Jan 23, 2017
Journal Article
Diagnosis of Gout: A Systematic Review in Support of an American College of Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline
Various clinical algorithms show promise for providing at least a provisional gout diagnosis in patients who present with signs of early-stage disease; such patients are most likely to be seen in primary, urgent, and emergency care settings.
Nov 30, 2016
Journal Article
Hyaluronic Acid Injection Therapy for Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Concordant Efficacy and Conflicting Serious Adverse Events in Two Systematic Reviews
A lack of standards for reporting and synthesizing adverse events associated with common treatments can lead to conflicting conclusions about the balance of their benefits and harms.
Nov 28, 2016
Journal Article
Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Chronic pain patients increasingly seek treatment through mindfulness meditation. This study aims to synthesize evidence on efficacy and safety of mindfulness meditation interventions for the treatment of chronic pain in adults.
Oct 7, 2016
Report
Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review
RAND researchers conducted a systematic review that synthesized evidence from trials of mindfulness meditation interventions to provide estimates of their efficacy and safety in alleviating chronic pain.
Oct 4, 2016
Report
TRICARE Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Benefit: Comparison with Medicaid and Commercial Benefits
This study compared the Applied Behavior Analysis benefit provided by TRICARE as an early intervention for autism spectrum disorder with similar benefits in Medicaid and commercial health insurance plans.
Jan 11, 2016
Research Brief
U.S. Vaccines Deemed Extremely Safe, with Serious Side Effects Rare Among Children
RAND researchers systematically reviewed scientific studies on routine vaccines recommended for children age 6 and younger in the United States and found that vaccines are very safe overall, and serious side effects are extremely rare.
Aug 8, 2014
Journal Article
Safety of Vaccines Used for Routine Immunization of US Children: A Systematic Review
This study systematically reviewed the literature on the safety of routine vaccines recommended for children in the United States.
Jul 2, 2014
Journal Article
Safety of Vaccines Used for Routine Immunization in the United States
This report conducts a systematic review of the literature on the safety of vaccines recommended for routine immunization of children, adolescents, and adults in the United States.
Jul 1, 2014
Journal Article
Reporting of Context and Implementation in Studies of Global Health Interventions: A Pilot Study
We performed a pilot study to assess the current state of reporting of context and implementation in studies of global health interventions.
May 1, 2014
Journal Article
A Proposed Approach May Help Systematic Reviews Retain Needed Expertise While Minimizing Bias from Nonfinancial Conflicts of Interest
We sought to create practical guidance on ensuring adequate clinical or content expertise while maintaining independence of judgment on systematic review teams.
2014
Journal Article
A Surveillance System to Assess the Need for Updating Systematic Reviews
This report describes the development and initial results of a surveillance system to assess produced by the Agency for Research and Quality (AHRQ) Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Program.
Nov 1, 2013
Journal Article
A Comparison of Frameworks Evaluating Evidence for Global Health Interventions
Evidence-based decision-making is critical to informing policy in global health interventions and programs.
Jul 1, 2013
Journal Article
Bariatric Surgery for Weight Loss and Glycemic Control in Nonmorbidly Obese Adults with Diabetes: A Systematic Review
Bariatric surgery is beneficial in persons with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or greater with obesity-related comorbidities. There is interest in using these procedures in persons with lower BMI and diabetes.
Jun 1, 2013
Journal Article
Bariatric Surgery and Nonsurgical Therapy in Adults with Metabolic Conditions and a Body Mass Index of 30.0 to 34.9 Kg/M²
Reviews the scientific evidence on efficacy, safety, and comparative effectiveness of various types of bariatric surgery for treating adult patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 to 34.9 kg/m² and diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).
May 31, 2013
Journal Article
Bariatric Surgery and Nonsurgical Therapy in Adults with Metabolic Conditions and a Body Mass Index of 30.0 to 34.9 Kg/M²: Executive Summary
Compares the weight loss and glucose control outcomes of bariatric surgery with nonsurgical therapy in the two RCTs that directly compared these in patients with diabetes for only those patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 to 34.9 kg/m2.
May 31, 2013
Journal Article
Surveillance and Identification of Signals for Updating Systematic Reviews: Implementation and Early Experience
The question of how to determine when a systematic review needs to be updated is of considerable importance. Developing and implementing a surveillance process for quickly identifying Comparative Effectiveness Reviews (CERs) in need of updating.
2013
Journal Article
Nonmedical Interventions for Children with ASD: Recommended Guidelines and Further Research Needs
The creation of treatment guidelines and recommendations for future research represents an effort by leading experts to improve access to services for children with ASDs while acknowledging that the research evidence has many gaps.
Nov 1, 2012
Journal Article
Updating Comparative Effectiveness Reviews: Current Efforts in AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program
Comparative effectiveness reviews need to be regularly updated as new evidence is produced. Lack of attention to updating may lead to outdated and sometimes misleading conclusions that compromise health care and policy decisions.
Nov 1, 2011
Journal Article
Off-label Use of Atypical Antipsychotics: An Update
The authors performed a systematic review on the efficacy and safety of atypical antipsychotic drugs for use in conditions lacking FDA approval.
Sep 1, 2011
Journal Article
Efficacy and Comparative Effectiveness of Atypical Antipsychotic Medications for Off-Label Uses in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
A systematic review on the efficacy and safety of atypical antipsychotic medications for use in conditions lacking approval for labeling and marketing by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Sep 1, 2011
Research Brief
Preventing Obesity and Its Consequences: Highlights of RAND Health Research
Summarizes key RAND studies on the causes of obesity, its economic and health consequences, and potential strategies for prevention, including work on health care costs, junk food, food deserts, school meals, and proximity of parks.
Aug 3, 2011
Journal Article
Empirical Evidence of Associations Between Trial Quality and Effect Size
Examines the empirical evidence for associations between a set of proposed quality criteria and estimates of effect sizes in randomized controlled trials across a variety of clinical fields and to explore variables potentially influencing the association.
Jun 1, 2011
Journal Article
Development Quality Criteria to Evaluate Nontherapeutic Studies of Incidence, Prevalence, or Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases: Pilot Study of New Checklists
This article reports results from a systematic literature review designed to develop two checklists for the quality of observational studies of incidence or risk factors of diseases.
Jun 1, 2011
Journal Article
Depression and Medication Adherence in the Treatment of Chronic Diseases in the United States: A Meta-Analysis
This analysis provides evidence that depression is associated with poor adherence to medication across a range of chronic diseases.
May 1, 2011
Draft
Prevalence, Natural History, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Food Allergy: A Systematic Review of the Evidence
Reviews the available evidence on the prevalence, diagnosis, management, and prevention of food allergies.
Aug 10, 2010
Research Brief
Diagnosing and Treating Food Allergies: The State of the Research
A systematic review of food allergy research found that the prevalence of food allergy in the United States appears to be between 1 and 10 percent, but estimates remain questionable because of poor reliability of the tests used for allergy diagnosis.
Jun 8, 2010
Journal Article
A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of a Proposed National Falls Prevention Program
This systematic review found that paying for a fall prevention program to increase the use of evidence-based interventions would be a cost-effective use of Medicare dollars.
2010
Journal Article
Diagnosing and Managing Common Food Allergies: A Systematic Review
This systematic review of scientific knowledge on food allergies found that evidence for the prevalence and management of food allergy is limited by a lack of uniform criteria for making a diagnosis.
2010
Journal Article
Costs and Benefits of Health Information Technology: New Trends from the Literature
To understand what is new in health information technology (IT), the authors updated a systematic review of health IT with studies published during 2004-2007. From 4,683 titles, 179 met inclusion criteria. They identified a proliferation of patient-focused applications although little formal evaluation in this area; more descriptions of commercial electronic health records (EHRs) and health IT systems designed to run independently from EHRs; and proportionately fewer relevant studies from the health IT leaders. Accelerating the adoption of health IT will require greater public-private partnerships, new policies to address the misalignment of financial incentives, and a more robust evidence base regarding IT implementation.
2009
Journal Article
Pregnancy and Fertility Following Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review
Rates of many adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes may be lower in women who become pregnant after having had bariatric surgery compared with rates in pregnant women who are obese; however, further data are needed from rigorously designed studies.
Nov 19, 2008
Journal Article
The Effectiveness of Covering Smoking Cessation Services for Medicare Beneficiaries
Examined whether reimbursement for Provider Counseling, Pharmacotherapies, and a telephone Quitline increase smoking cessation relative to Usual Care. A telephone Quitline in conjunction with low-cost Pharmacotherapy was found to be the most effective means of reducing smoking in the elderly.
2008
Journal Article
Evidence for Improving Palliative Care at the End of Life: A Systematic Review
Assesses evidence about interventions to improve palliative and end-of-life care.
2008
Journal Article
Systematic Review: Comparative Effectiveness of Treatments to Prevent Fractures in Men and Women with Low Bone Density or Osteoporosis
Compares the benefits in fracture reduction and the harms from adverse events of various therapies for osteoporosis.
2008
Journal Article
Antiretroviral (ARV) Drug Resistance in the Developing World
Describes prevalence of antiretroviral resistance in the developing world, focusing on treatment naive populations, resistance consequences of regimes to prevent mother-to-child transmission, and the relationship of medication adherence to resistance.
2007
Journal Article
Efficacy and Comparative Effectiveness of Off-Label Use of Atypical Antipsychotics: Executive Summary
Aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone are FDA approved antipsychotics for treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
2007
Journal Article
A Systematic Review of Measures of End-of-Life Care and Its Outcomes
In general, most measures have not undergone rigorous development and testing.
2007
Journal Article
Use of Medicare Summary Notice Inserts to Generate Interest in the Medicare Stop Smoking Program
This recruitment method is highly recommended as a cost-effective way to reach the senior population.
2007
Journal Article
Drug Class Review on Antiepileptic Drugs in Bipolar Mood Disorder, Neuropathic Pain, and Fibromyalgia: Final Report
Compare the effectiveness and adverse event profiles of AEDs in the treatment of bipolar mood disorder, neuropathic pain, and fibromyalgia.
2006
Journal Article
Is Conventional Wisdom Wrong? Coverage for Substance Abuse Treatment Under Medicaid Managed Care
Conventional wisdom suggests that coverage for substance abuse treatment under Medicaid is generally poor.
2006
Journal Article
Managing Medicaid Behavioral Health Care: Findings of a National Survey in the Year 2000
Although Medicaid is the primary payer for public mental health systems, relatively little is known about managed care arrangements at the health plan level.
2006
Journal Article
Systematic Review: Impact of Health Information Technology on Quality, Efficiency, and Costs of Medical Care
Experts consider health information technology key to improving efficiency and quality of health care.
2006
Research Brief
Some Prescription Diet Drugs Promote Weight Loss
To assess the effectiveness and safety of prescription weight-loss medications, researchers at the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center analyzed 78 published studies of the most popular diet drugs.
Nov 25, 2005
Research Brief
Weight Loss Surgery is More Effective Than Diet and Exercise in Helping Severely Obese People Lose Weight
With a reported rise in the number of procedures -- and complications -- researchers at the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center examined the effectiveness and risks of weight loss surgery by analyzing nearly 150 published studies.
Nov 25, 2005
Journal Article
Meta-analysis: Pharmacologic Treatment of Obesity
In response to the increase in obesity, pharmacologic treatments for weight loss have become more numerous and more commonly used.
2005
Journal Article
Meta-analysis: Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs for Older Adults
Authors assess the effectiveness and essential components of self-management programs for hypertension, osteoarthritis, and diabetes mellitus.
2005
Journal Article
Meta-analysis: Surgical Treatment of Obesity
Controversy exists regarding the effectiveness of surgery for weight loss and the resulting improvement in health-related outcomes.
2005
Journal Article
Methodological Approaches for a Systematic Review of End-of-Life Care
Relates challenges in performing a systematic review of end-of-life care and outcomes, and describes methods used to define the scope, search the literature, develop exclusion/inclusion criteria, incorporate types of articles, and synthesize results.
2005
Journal Article
Psychiatric Effects of Ephedra Use: An Analysis of Food and Drug Administration Reports of Adverse Events
Clinicians should be aware that serious psychiatric symptoms could be associated with ephedra use.
2005
Journal Article
Psychiatric Symptoms Associated with Ephedra Use
Describes psychiatric adverse events occurring after ingestion of dietary supplements containing herbal ephedra.
2005
Periodical
RAND Review: Vol. 29, No. 3, Fall 2005
Outlines the wisdom of bearing the up-front costs for publicly funded high-quality early childhood intervention programs so that society can reap the plentiful returns over time; also reviews energy security, obesity, and national security issues.
2005
Journal Article
End-of-life Care and Outcomes: Prepared by Southern California Evidence-based Practice Center RAND Corporation ; Principal Investigators, Karl Lorenz ... [Et] Al.]
This report addresses the following key questions: 1. What outcome variables are valid indicators of the quality of the end-of-life experience for the dying person and for the surviving loved ones? 2. What patient, family, and health care system factors are associated with better or worse outcomes at end of life?
2004
Journal Article
Interventions for the Prevention of Falls in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Clinical Trials
To assess the relative effectiveness of interventions to prevent falls in older adults to either a usual care group or control group.
2004
Journal Article
Pharmacological and Surgical Treatment of Obesity
Sibutramine, orlistat, phentermine, diethylpropion (probably), bupropion, fluoxetine, and topiramate all promote weight loss.
2004
Journal Article
Smoking-cessation Interventions by Type of Provider: A Meta-Analysis
To synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of smoking-cessation interventions by type of provider.
2004
Journal Article
Ephedra and Ephedrine for Weight Loss and Athletic Performance Enhancement: Clinical Efficacy and Side Effects
This research addresses questions regarding the safety and efficacy of herbal ephedra and ephedrine for weight loss and athletic performance through a comprehensive literature review and synthesis of evidence.
Feb 1, 2003
Report
Chronic Disease Self Management for Diabetes, Osteoarthritis, Post-Myocardial Infarction Care, and Hypertension
Investigates the characteristics particular to chronic disease self-management programs that may be most responsible for their effectiveness.
2003
Journal Article
Efficacy and Safety of Ephedra and Ephedrine for Weight Loss and Athletic Performance: A Meta-Analysis
Ephedra and ephedrine sometimes are used for weight loss or enhanced athletic performance, but efficacy and safety of these compounds are uncertain.
2003
Journal Article
Efficacy of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Beta-Blockers in the Management of Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction According to Race, Gender and Diabetic Status: A Meta-Analysis of Major Clinical Trials
Women with asymptomatic LV systolic dysfunction may not achieve a mortality benefit when treated with ACE inhibitors.
2003
Research Brief
Ephedra: Is It Worth the Risk?
Products that contain the herb ephedra have been promoted and used in the United States since the 1980s to increase weight loss and enhance athletic performance. Yet despite manufacturers' claims, little research has been done to assess whether the products are safe, and the research studies that have been done have been too small to allow any firm conclusions to be drawn.
2003
Testimony
Ephedra: Is It Worth the Risk?
Testimony submitted for the record by the authors for the New York State Senate Committee on Consumer Protection on May 30, 2003.
2003
Report
Exercise Programs for Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Reports the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials of the effects of exercise on health and related outcomes for seniors.
2003
Report
Falls Prevention Interventions in the Medicare Population
Reviews the effectiveness of interventions that can be used to prevent falls among persons age 65 or older.
2003
Report
Health Risk Appraisals and Medicare
Reviews the effectiveness of Health Risk Appraisals among the Medicare population for a number of variables, including exercise habits, use of cancer screenings, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, health status, and psychological state.
2003
Report
Interventions that Increase the Utilization of Medicare-Funded Preventive Services for Persons Age 65 and Older
Reviews the evidence for effectiveness of the screening/vaccination programs currently covered by Medicare: influenza and pneumonia vaccinations, screening mammography, cervical smear cytology, and colon cancer screening.
2003
Report
Interventions to Promote Smoking Cessation in the Medicare Population
Reviews the effectiveness of interventions used to promote smoking cessation among persons age 65 or older.
2003
Journal Article
Pharmacologic Management of Heart Failure and Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction: Effect in Female, Black, and Diabetic Patients, and Cost-Effectiveness
The basis for this report is formed from clinical and policy questions about heart failure mortality benefits and subpopulations.
2003
Periodical
RAND Review: Vol. 27, No. 1, Spring 2003
Examines the debate regarding the safety and efficacy of ephedra; also covers contrasting lessons from different educational interventions, a "systems approach" to counterterrorism, domestic abuse, public health, and genetic manipulation.
2003
Journal Article
Interventions That Increase Use of Adult Immunization and Cancer Screening Services: A Meta-Analysis
On the relative effectiveness of the diverse approaches used to promote preventive care activities, such as cancer screening and adult immunization.
2002
Journal Article
Mass Mailings Have Little Effect on Utilization of Influenza Vaccine Among Medicare Beneficiaries
The authors reviewed studies of mass mailings designed to increase utilization of influenza vaccine among Medicare beneficiaries.
2002
Journal Article
Correlates of Outpatient Drug Treatment Drop-Out Among Methamphetamine Users
Explores correlates of retention among the 2.337 MA users entering public outpatient treatment programs in California from Jan. 1, 1994-Sep. 30, 1997
2000
Journal Article
Residential Treatment of Methamphetamine Users: Correlates of Drop-Out from California Alcohol and Drug Data System (CADDS), 1994-1997
This paper explores correlates of retention among 2,570 methamphetamine users entering public residential treatment programs in California.
2000
Journal Article
Matching Clients' Needs with Drug Treatment Services
Whether matching drug treatment services with client needs improved outcomes for clients participated in community-based drug treatment programs.
1999
Journal Article
Validity of Self-Report of Drug Use Among STD Patients, ER Patients, and Arrestees
This paper examines the validity of self-report of drug use in several important high-risk samples by comparing survey answers with urinalysis results
1999