This issue of RAND Health Quarterly highlights military and Veterans' health policy research: Farmer, Hosek, and Adamson summarize three major studies that examine the health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. These studies were spurred by the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014. In military health, three studies identify suicide risk factors and response strategies for Army leaders, analyze care for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression provided by the military health system, and identify gaps in the support landscape for the mental health needs of veterans in the Detroit area.
In mental health research, a study on programs presented by the California Mental Health Services Authority analyzed the use of student mental health online resources. From RAND Europe, a study on global mental health research maps funding from 2009 through 2014 and considers challenges and opportunities for the future.
In health care delivery, quality, and patient safety, this issue includes a study by Concannon and colleagues describing the views of purchasers, payers, and industry stakeholders on comparative effectiveness research. Baird, Baird, and Vesely examine the distribution and availability of dental care providers in Pennsylvania. Another study analyzes health breakthroughs to identify potentially transferrable lessons for dementia treatment.
In health policy and economics, three studies examine innovation: Mattke, Liu, and Orr explore how the Affordable Care Act will affect medical device innovation, and two studies focus on innovation and health in the UK. Another study evaluates the impact of arthritis, cardiovascular, and mental health research to identify recommendations for policymakers and research funders. In addition, a study by Fremont and colleagues describes the use of indirect estimation methods to estimate racial/ethnic populations in health care records, which often lack such data, to monitor health care utilization and reduce disparities in care.
Andrew W. Mulcahy, Ph.D., M.P.P., Editor