Letter from the Editor

This issue of RAND Health Quarterly includes two articles on military health. A team led by Carrie Farmer reviewed the evidence base for common approaches used in workplace psychological health programs and profiled U.S. Department of Homeland Security programs that address psychological health, peer support, and resilience. Another group of researchers led by Farmer examined how an integrated approach to purchasing health care in the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs could affect access, quality, and costs and identified general legislative, policy, and contractual challenges to implementing an integrated purchased care program.

In mental health, Eric Pedersen and colleagues reviewed and synthesized evidence of health care provider interventions to promote evidence-based treatment of depression across provider groups, care settings, and patient health. A team led by Lynsay Ayer evaluated New York City's Connections to Care program, which seeks to expand access to mental health support for low-income New Yorkers via a task shifting model.

In health promotion and disease prevention, Marco Hafner and others examined the use of incentives to increase physical activity and identified designs that work for health and wellness programs. Another team led by Hafner examined the potential link between organizational, personal, and health-related factors and employee engagement and how engagement is linked with the outcomes at the individual or organizational level.

In health policy and health economics, a team led by Mark Friedberg developed and piloted a method for estimating related practice expenses to help the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reimburse primary care practices for investing in comprehensive primary care capabilities. Another group of researchers led by Friedberg described how alternative payment models affect physicians, physicians' practices, and hospital systems in the United States.

In health care delivery, quality, and patient safety, Lori Uscher-Pines and Robert Rudin evaluated the Medical Alumni Volunteer Expert Network Project, which created a corps of experienced volunteer physicians to provide telehealth consults to providers in safety-net clinics.

Lisa S. Meredith, Ph.D., Editor