Lori Uscher-Pines

Photo of Lori Uscher-Pines
Senior Policy Researcher; Research Quality Assurance Manager
Washington Office

Education

Ph.D. in health policy and management, Johns Hopkins University; M.Sc. in international relations/security studies, London School of Economics; B.A. in international relations, University of Pennsylvania

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Lori Uscher-Pines is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. She is also the research quality assurance manager for RAND Social and Economic Well-Being. Her research interests include telehealth, maternal and child health, mixed methods research, and emergency preparedness. Her current projects include assessing the impact of various forms of telehealth such as telemental health and telestroke on quality and access to care. She is also conducting an evaluation of the implementation of telehealth programs in safety net settings and conducting a digital trial evaluating the effectiveness of virtual breastfeeding support via mobile app. She is a mixed methods researcher who has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications.

Uscher-Pines earned her Ph.D. in health policy and management from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and her M.Sc. in international relations from the London School of Economics. Before coming to RAND, Uscher-Pines completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, National Center for Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response. 

Research Focus

Commentary

  • A doctor calls a patient using a landline, photo by SDI Productions/Getty Images

    The Doctor Will Call Me Maybe: The Uncertain Future of Audio-Only Visits and Why We Need Them to Address Disparities

    Audio-only health care visits have been instrumental in maintaining access to care during the pandemic. Despite this, coverage for audio-only visits is likely temporary. Devaluing and prematurely casting off a key telemedicine modality could mean the difference between a needed doctor visit and no visit at all.

    Mar 12, 2021 Health Affairs

  • Man talking with his doctor online, photo by fizkes/Getty Images

    Moving on from Telehealth-by-Desperation: What Will Make Telehealth Stick

    During the COVID-19 pandemic telehealth has helped to maintain continuity of care for millions of Americans, preserve personal protective equipment, and facilitate social distancing. But that does not mean that telehealth will be embraced by patients and providers in the long run.

    Aug 18, 2020 Health Affairs Blog

  • Mother on a video call with doctor with sick teenage son, photo by Courtney Hale/Getty Images

    Coronavirus, Telemedicine, and Dustbusters

    Telemedicine has been with us for decades. And yet it hasn't transformed health care in the way that ATMs have transformed banking or cordless vacuums have transformed household cleaning. But the coronavirus pandemic could forever change how telemedicine is used.

    Mar 16, 2020 The RAND Blog

  • Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as China tries to contain an outbreak of coronavirus, Changsha, Hunan province, February 4, 2020, photo by Stringer/Reuters

    Coronavirus Outbreak Intensifies: Q&A with RAND Experts

    Cases of the coronavirus have now spread to several dozens of countries, infecting thousands and thousands of people across the globe. With concerns about the disease rising, we asked a group of RAND researchers to answer a wide range of questions about the crisis.

    Mar 5, 2020

  • Mother breastfeeding at home

    Parental Leave Would Cause a Boom in Breastfeeding

    Doctors recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life. This provides health benefits to both mother and child and saves health care costs. Paid maternity leave can boost breastfeeding rates, but few U.S. firms offer it.

    Apr 17, 2017 The Hill

  • A doctor and a patient holding a telehealth session involving x-ray results and a blood pressure reading

    Telehealth Alone Won't Increase Health Care Access for the Underserved

    Telehealth can bring care into communities that have limited access to providers or facilities. But it must be integrated into a well-functioning system that can address the added needs that telehealth generates.

    Dec 16, 2016 Health Affairs Blog

  • doctor wearing mask with baby patient

    Are County Masking Requirements the Future of Influenza Prevention?

    If it doesn't seem that state laws as currently written can help increase the number of health care workers vaccinated against influenza, then what can? There is evidence that imposing consequences for vaccination refusal, including the requirement to wear a surgical mask, can help.

    Nov 20, 2013 The RAND Blog

  • emergency sign

    Applying What Works to Reduce Non-Urgent Emergency Department Use

    It is likely that communities with low rates of non-urgent ED use not only have better access to primary care, but patients who are educated about appropriate care seeking and convenient alternatives for acute care, writes Lori Uscher-Pines.

    May 22, 2013 The RAND Blog

  • Emergency preparedness checklist and supplies

    Why Aren't Americans Listening to Disaster Preparedness Messages?

    Given the recent spate of highly publicized disasters, why don't more Americans pay attention to the advice of public health officials? The messages they are getting are largely based on unverified assumptions, not hard evidence. Equally concerning, these assumptions may inadvertently hinder preparedness.

    Jun 29, 2012 The RAND Blog

Publications

Multimedia