Commentary from RAND Health Care Researchers

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Are a Vicious Cycle for Veterans
Sep 15, 2020

It is not uncommon to see a co-occurrence of PTSD and heavy use of substances, which can rise to the level of a substance use disorder. It may be necessary to challenge how the needs of veterans are addressed to remove barriers to care that make treating these co-occurring disorders simultaneously so difficult.
Telemedicine
What Telemedicine Needs to Succeed Beyond COVID-19
Sep 2, 2020

Virtual doctor visits have become part of the new normal. Since the first COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, Medicare and other payers have relaxed their rules to make it easier for patients to connect to care. But without permanent policy changes, physicians may not continue telemedicine services.
Epidemiology
Do Children Really Transmit COVID-19 Less Than Adults? The Evidence Is Questionable
Aug 31, 2020

The theory that children are unlikely to contract or spread COVID-19 may feel reassuring, but it's based on flawed science. Until more is known, adopting aggressive strategies to limit viral spread in schools is the best way to keep students and teachers safe.
Educational Institutions
To Reopen Schools Safely, Prepare for New COVID-19 Test Capabilities
Aug 28, 2020

Safely reopening K–12 schools for in-person instruction requires complicated protocols ranging from symptom monitoring to physical distancing, as well as containment of transmission in the community. State policymakers and school leaders could begin planning now to draft, pilot, and evaluate protocols for reopening schools that incorporate rapid testing.
Public Health Preparedness
A Stable Blood Supply Is Critical in the COVID-19 Era
Aug 27, 2020

Millions of lives depend on the U.S. blood supply. But no one knows exactly how much blood is in the system at any given time, or whether it's enough to meet demand. The federal government has no way to collect that data, and hospitals don't share it with each other. What can be done to strengthen the system?
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
It's Going to Be the Vaccination, Stupid!
Aug 21, 2020

The increasingly positive news on COVID-19 vaccine development is also bringing growing alarm over whether Americans will trust these vaccines when they become available. While we were clearly not prepared for this virus, we now need to understand how we are going to roll out any proven vaccine.
Health Information Privacy
Mobile Health Surveillance Is Here to Stay. How Do We Protect Privacy?
Aug 20, 2020

Mobile phone surveillance can augment public health interventions to manage COVID-19 and might help countries prepare for the next outbreak. But these programs collect sensitive health and behavior data. That raises significant risks to personal privacy and civil liberties.
Telemedicine
Moving on from Telehealth-by-Desperation: What Will Make Telehealth Stick
Aug 18, 2020

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.
Gender Equity in the Workplace
The Link Between Workplace Diversity and the Gender Pay Gap
Aug 15, 2020

Many factors explain the gender earnings gap, including workplace biases, differences in how credit is attributed, and differences in how men and women negotiate. But another factor could influence the pay women receive: the number of men in their workplace.
Vaccination
Who Would Benefit from a Successful Chinese COVID-19 Vaccine?
Aug 12, 2020

China, one of the world's largest producers of vaccines, could be among the first to produce one for COVID-19. If that happens, then would China be able to produce sufficient doses for domestic use? And which other countries would likely benefit?
Health Care Reform
Out of the Ashes: Forging the Post-Pandemic U.S. Health System
Jul 31, 2020

With shifting insights, new problems, and exacerbation of old problems revealed by the pandemic, innovative solutions in the U.S. health system are being adopted where rapid change would normally have been rare. There is both an opportunity and a responsibility to assess how these changes are working and where they can improve health, reduce inequity, and save money.
Incarceration
An Uncertain Future for Jail Reform in Los Angeles
Jul 21, 2020

There is momentum in Los Angeles County to do the difficult work of criminal justice reform. This will take considerable investments of time and resources, as well as a commitment to implementing new strategies and evaluating their effectiveness along the way.
Work-Family Conflicts
Back to School: Working Parents Will Need Help from Employers
Jul 17, 2020

Reopening schools would provide much-needed child care for parents who need to work, help feed 30 million U.S. children, and prevent further inequitable learning losses. But it also means exposing more kids to the virus. How can families and employers prepare for the disruptions that lie ahead?
Macroeconomics
Balancing Public Health and Economic Effects of Physical Distancing: Q&A with Jonathan Welburn
Jul 13, 2020

Jonathan Welburn, an operations researcher at RAND, has spent years studying how economic shocks ripple outward like a contagion through the economy. He recently helped develop an online tool that policymakers can use to manage the health and economic effects of COVID-19 interventions.
Patient-Centered Care
Patients Should Have a Role in Deciding the Value of Medicines
Jul 10, 2020

Patients, their family members, and the general public have historically been excluded from contributing to health care value assessment models. But methods for including patient voices in research are far less complicated or demanding than some researchers believe they will be.
Community Resilience
Stress Accumulates in Marginalized Communities, Generation After Generation
Jul 8, 2020

Psychologists and biologists have known for years that prolonged stress is toxic to the human body. A better understanding of how stress builds in communities—and the burden it puts on them—can lead to more effective policies to address it.
Domestic Violence
Preventing Homelessness Among Survivors of Domestic Abuse
Jul 2, 2020

Without assistance, domestic violence survivors are more likely to be forced into homelessness. Now could be the time to invest in programs that help victims—before a second wave of COVID-19 cases pushes more families into unsafe environments.
Health Care Payment Approaches
Why States' 'Netflix Model' Prescription Drug Arrangements Are No Silver Bullet
Jul 1, 2020

Despite the buzz and catchy notion that subscription models are "Netflix for drugs," it's hard to come up with a theoretical case that supports subscription models over traditional price negotiation between payers and manufacturers over a per-dose or per-unit price.
Health Care Services Capacity
COVID Could Surge Anywhere. This Tool Helps Hospitals Prepare
Jul 1, 2020

The number of new coronavirus cases is growing in most states. As the pandemic continues to strain U.S. health care systems, a tool developed by RAND researchers can help hospitals prepare for the worst.
Substance Use Harm Reduction
Revoking the 'License to Drink': Emerging Evidence on Mandatory Sobriety
Jun 29, 2020

After counties in South Dakota implemented a 24/7 sobriety program, repeat arrests for impaired driving decreased in the counties by an average of 12%. North Dakota implemented a similar program and also saw decreases in impaired driving. Can the same results be achieved outside of the Dakotas?

Browse all Health and Health Care Commentary

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Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Planning for the Rising Costs of Dementia

Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research

Commentary from RAND Health Care Researchers

PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Are a Vicious Cycle for Veterans

What Telemedicine Needs to Succeed Beyond COVID-19

Do Children Really Transmit COVID-19 Less Than Adults? The Evidence Is Questionable

To Reopen Schools Safely, Prepare for New COVID-19 Test Capabilities

A Stable Blood Supply Is Critical in the COVID-19 Era

It's Going to Be the Vaccination, Stupid!

Mobile Health Surveillance Is Here to Stay. How Do We Protect Privacy?

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

The Link Between Workplace Diversity and the Gender Pay Gap

Who Would Benefit from a Successful Chinese COVID-19 Vaccine?

Out of the Ashes: Forging the Post-Pandemic U.S. Health System

An Uncertain Future for Jail Reform in Los Angeles

Back to School: Working Parents Will Need Help from Employers

Balancing Public Health and Economic Effects of Physical Distancing: Q&A with Jonathan Welburn

Patients Should Have a Role in Deciding the Value of Medicines

Stress Accumulates in Marginalized Communities, Generation After Generation

Preventing Homelessness Among Survivors of Domestic Abuse

Why States' 'Netflix Model' Prescription Drug Arrangements Are No Silver Bullet

COVID Could Surge Anywhere. This Tool Helps Hospitals Prepare

Revoking the 'License to Drink': Emerging Evidence on Mandatory Sobriety

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