Health and Healthcare Research

RAND Europe's growing health and healthcare portfolio brings together a multidisciplinary team with backgrounds in public health, health services research, clinical medicine, economics, psychology and systems design.

We work in close partnership with The Health Improvement Studies Institute (THIS) to help generate practical, actionable evidence that can support sustainable improvements in healthcare service provision and long-term patient benefit. The Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research (CCHSR) is also a key collaborator.

Featured Research

  • Group of people providing input

    15 Feb 2019

    Enabling public contributions to health research

    Patient and public involvement (PPI) in health research can take place at different levels and across stages of a research cycle. Despite challenges, the growing focus on and increased commitment to PPI over the past decade has revealed some key enabling mechanisms and rewards.

Selected Research

  • Young woman sitting home in a chair by the window with cup of hot coffee, photo by ladysuzi/Adobe Stock

    Exploring the link between nature and mental health

    21 May 2019

    Researchers found emerging evidence of the positive association between being in a natural environment or engaging with nature-based interventions on the one hand, and improvement in mental health on the other.

  • Objects useful in emergency situations such as natural disasters, photo by photka/Adobe Stock

    Strategic surveillance for food safety

    14 May 2019

    Because the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) needed an approach to strategic surveillance, researchers designed an approach to strategic surveillance as well as an effective approach to selecting and prioritising topics and improving communication and coordination.

  • Recovery freeway exit sign

    Evaluation of drug and alcohol "payment by results" pilots

    03 May 2019

    Eight drug and alcohol recovery PbR pilots were evaluated to assess whether this new funding approach can stimulate the market to provide different services in these areas and encourage development of more effective recovery programmes.

  • Mother waking child in morning, photo by Evgeny Atamanenko/Adobe Stock

    What are the impacts of the indoor environment on child health?

    26 Apr 2019

    Researchers are exploring the impact of poor indoor climate — such as damp, mould and excess cold — on child health, to help inform policymakers of the potential benefits of renovating inadequate housing and to provide wider evidence to the public on the importance of living in a healthy home.

  • Woman in wheelchair and her caregiver look out over a river, photo by sleddogtwo/Getty Images

    Understanding the societal burden of disease progression in multiple sclerosis

    23 Apr 2019

    Researchers are evaluating the patient, carer, and societal impacts of disease progression in MS, as well as the challenges and opportunities that may help reduce the burden of disease progression.

  • Female GP working on a computer, photo by sturti/Getty Images

    Understanding decisions about early cancer diagnosis interventions

    15 Apr 2019

    Cancer Research UK has asked RAND Europe to help them improve their understanding of how commissioners of healthcare services and Cancer Alliances make decisions at a local level about early diagnosis interventions for cancer.

  • Pregnant woman visiting doctor for checkup, photo by Halfpoint/Adobe Stock

    Understanding the UK's pregnancy research needs and priorities

    25 Mar 2019

    The Department of Health’s Chief Medical Officer recommended a review of the research needs and expenditure on pregnancy in the UK. This study aims to generate a sound evidence base on UK pregnancy research needs and priorities, and how that compares to the current funding landscape.

  • Seniors playing cards in a retirement home

    Better evaluations can support the needs of older people in the UK

    25 Mar 2019

    Researchers explored how to improve the evaluation and evaluability of services for older people in the UK and made several recommendations for different stakeholder groups, including commissioners, evaluators, service providers, and national policymakers in NGOs and government.