Health Care Program Evaluation

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How Hospitals Could Step in to Help Manage GP Practices

The supply of doctors in primary care, known as 'GPs' in the UK, is falling behind a growing demand for their services, as GPs leave general practice in large numbers. One way to help struggling GP practices could be vertical integration—combining health care organizations operating at different stages along the patient pathway.

Manbinder Sidhu, Jon Sussex

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Is Los Angeles County Successfully Creating a Youth Movement Around Mental Health Issues?

A new community engagement campaign called WhyWeRise seeks to increase awareness of mental health access as a civil rights issue and increase civic engagement. The campaign reached its target audience—people aged 14 to 24—and showed signs of changing attitudes toward mental illness.

Rebecca L. Collins

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Mental Health, Gun Policy, Teen Vaping: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on helping kids cope with trauma, a new research initiative on guns in America, increasing mental health awareness in L.A., and more.

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Anti-Drug Education: Time for a New Bumper Sticker

Effective drug prevention in America could start by helping school districts adopt programs that work. These evidence-based programs can teach children to make wise and responsible decisions about drugs, and they won't break the bank.

Matthew Chinman

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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.

Lori Uscher-Pines, Ateev Mehrotra

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What If Being a Leader in Public Health Is About More Than Just Health?

Public health leaders should be able to articulate the business case for their work and should have the skills to work with others outside the health sector. Schools could help by preparing students to think beyond the traditional boundaries of public health.

Linnea Warren May @LinneaKWMay, Jennifer Sloan

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Is America's Crisis 'System' in Crisis?

The United States has made life-saving progress on crisis support for veterans. Now other suicide prevention services need help. Progress made by the VA could provide a blueprint for improving suicide prevention services for all Americans.

Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand

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Making Prevention a Priority

A bill legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes in Vermont has a strong possibility of passing. Lawmakers and communities should focus on putting in place drug prevention programs aimed at young people, considering that their marijuana use is higher in Vermont than the national average.

Matthew Chinman

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U.S. Needs to Improve Community-Based Drug, Alcohol Prevention

As familiar as Americans are with the problems of youth drug and alcohol abuse, we are not identifying all the potential solutions. While observers criticize overemphasis in U.S. policy on enforcement and scant resources devoted to treatment, the focus on these approaches often ignores a key piece of the puzzle: prevention.

Matthew Chinman, Joie D. Acosta, et al.

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Wellness Now, Value Later

Wellness programs do in fact reduce health risks, like smoking and obesity, write Soeren Mattke and Kristin Van Busum. But resulting cost savings could not be detected, especially when compared to the costs of the programs.

Soeren Mattke, Kristin R. Van Busum

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Research Is a Fundamental Component of Suicide Prevention

While our research has taught us many things about suicide prevention we think additional research is critically needed in two areas, writes Rajeev Ramchand. The first is gun control. The second area is the quality of behavioral health care available to those who need it.

Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand

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Getting To Outcomes: Improvement of Prevention Capacity Unveiled at a Summit of Maine Officials and Stakeholders

Community-based practitioners can improve their programs using Getting To Outcomes®, a toolkit, training, and onsite-support package which enhances their ability to prevent drug and alcohol use among youth.

Matthew Chinman, Joie D. Acosta, et al.

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'Implementation Science' May Help Providers Adopt New Treatments Despite Real-World Constraints

A new field called implementation science addresses the issue of how to best support providers to take up new, research-proven treatments and implement them well. A RAND study will test how well Boys & Girls Clubs carry out a program proven to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, with and without an intervention called Getting To Outcomes.

Matthew Chinman, Joie D. Acosta, et al.