Health Care Technology

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The Problems Facing VA Modernization Are Bigger Than Its Software Systems

The list of criticisms of the new Veterans Affairs electronic health record system, Oracle Cerner, is long. It's expensive, downtime has been high, and doctors' orders have gone missing, putting patient safety at risk. How did this implementation go so wrong? And what should be done now?

Shira H. Fischer @ShiraFischer

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Environmental Justice, Mental Health Care, Insomnia: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on environmental justice, access to mental health care, why America should stick with Europe. and more.

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A Potential Backslide in Mental Health Care for Millions of Americans

The expiration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency declaration will have broad-sweeping effects, and one of the most significant is little known: It could begin undoing the expansion of mental health care access for millions of Americans.

Ryan K. McBain @ryankmcbain

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RAND Experts on Veteran Mental Health Respond to the White House Mental Health Research Priorities

The White House identified eight research priorities to better manage America's current mental health crisis. RAND researchers highlight why each area is critical for veteran mental health and how RAND is contributing to address them.

Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand, Carrie M. Farmer @carriefarmer, et al.

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A Potential Russian Attack on NATO, China in the Arctic, Inflation: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how the West might respond in the case of a limited Russian attack on NATO, what China's Arctic ambitions mean to the United States, how inflation affects middle-class households, and more.

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Digital Health Products Miss a Massive and Crucial Piece of a Person's Health

Our health is heavily influenced by our surroundings—including the health of the people around us. For digital health companies to credibly claim to improve people's health, their next step could be an increased willingness to look beyond an individualized notion of health and to work with public health agencies.

Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung

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Informing the Debate About Telemedicine Reimbursement: What Do We Need to Know?

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. payers and policymakers broadly expanded payment for telemedicine services and relaxed many regulations. To decide the long-term fate of pandemic-era temporary telemedicine, policymakers should consider the effects of telemedicine on health care spending, patient outcomes, and health equity.

Ateev Mehrotra, Lori Uscher-Pines

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Dementia Rates, Deepfakes, Migrant Students: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the decline of dementia rates among Americans, the dangers of deepfakes, data privacy after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, and more.

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Tele-Palliative Care Among Underserved Patients: Considerations for Future Research to Ensure Equity for All Patients

Underserved patients have been historically marginalized in health care and may experience extensive barriers to palliative care. Telehealth may be a particularly promising mode of palliative care by engaging patients across long distances and facilitating access to existing palliative care resources.

Julia Bandini, Natalie Ernecoff, et al.

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Diversity in the Military, Telemedicine Abortion, China and Taiwan: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the benefits of increasing and maintaining diversity in the armed forces, the challenges of telemedicine abortion, whether Indo-Pacific countries are backing China or Taiwan, and more.

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Telemedicine Abortion? It's Not as Easy as It Sounds

The Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has providers and health advocates strategizing about how to provide more abortions where it is still legal. Expanding virtual medical visits is one popular idea. Policymakers and clinics could take steps to make telemedicine better understood, easier to use, and more equitable.

Zachary Predmore @zspredmore, Julia Rollison @Julia_Rollison

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Our New CEO, Algorithmic Bias, Equity in the Workplace: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on what RAND’s new president and CEO envisions for the future, addressing bias in health care algorithms, creating equitable change in the workplace, and more.

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Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion in Health Care Innovation: Considerations for Future Research, Policy, and Practice

For health care innovations to have the fairest and broadest possible benefit to society, efforts could be made to attend to all stages of the innovation pathway to identify opportunities to mitigate biases through diversity, equality, and inclusion.

Robert J. Romanelli, Sonja Marjanovic @SonjaCambs

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When IT Meets Medical Innovation: Regulatory and Policy Challenges for Software as a Medical Device

The demand for using software to improve health care, including software as a medical device (SaMD), is on the rise. Realizing the potential benefits of the growing demand for SaMD may require clearer and more-consistent regulation of patient safety and medical effectiveness.

Zuzanna Marciniak-Nuqui, Nick Fahy, et al.

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Gun Policy, China and Taiwan, Russian Propaganda: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on reducing America's unacceptably high rates of gun violence, what would happen if China “quarantines” Taiwan, and Russia's “firehose of falsehood.”