Completed Research: Health and Healthcare

Understanding the societal burden of disease progression in multiple sclerosis
19 Nov 2019
MS is associated with high economic costs to society that go beyond the costs to the healthcare system, but researchers found limited evidence on the impact of disease progression on patients, carers, and society as a whole.
Improving physical activity would have global economic benefits
06 Nov 2019
Significant barriers exist to creating enduring change in physical activity, but societies would be healthier and global GDP could increase as much as $760 billion by 2050 if everyone increased their physical activity.
Indoor environment can impact child health
10 Oct 2019
In the EU, 26 million children under age 15 are exposed to household damp, noise, darkness and cold, which is associated with poorer health outcomes. Eliminating children’s exposure to household damp and mould could save $62 billion over the next 40 years.
Evaluating the European Medicines Agency Fee System
07 Oct 2019
The EMA fee system is generally efficient and effective, but it is not cost-based at a granular level and not always flexible, and over time it has become increasingly complex. Additionally the EMA relies on both industry fees and EU and EEA budget contributions to meet the costs of all its activities.
Exploring NHS and Social Care Funding Options
07 Oct 2019
Research on different health and social care funding models assessed the popularity of different funding approaches among the UK public. Previous research examined other countries' funding schemes and found there is no single, commonly preferred solution to achieving sustainable revenues.
How does UK public health research contribute to clinical guidelines?
24 Sep 2019
The UK makes an important contribution to public health research, as measured by citations in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence public health guidelines. However, the extent to which public health guidelines reflect practice at the local authority level is less clear.
Updating the 'Vitality Age' Calculator
26 Jun 2019
The Vitality Age Calculator is an online tool that gives users a ‘snapshot’ of their overall health based on lifestyle choices and clinical factors. RAND Europe helped to update the calculator's methodology and use of available data.
Societal impacts of treating breast cancer early
11 Jun 2019
Treating breast cancer early does not prevent its recurrence, but doing so can have implications for future research, policy, and practice. Researchers explored the evidence base on the broader health, societal and economic impacts from early breast cancer treatment and the wider costs to society of the progression of breast cancer.
Benchmarking deployment of eHealth among European GPs
30 May 2019
RAND Europe and partners measured the use of ICT and eHealth applications by primary care physicians in the EU 28 Member States and Norway, compared the results with a 2013 study, and analysed the main drivers of change and factors that can enhance or inhibit the role and use of technologies within health care.
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.
Evaluation of the Southwark and Lambeth Integrated Care Older People's Programme
22 Mar 2019
Researchers assessed changes in hospital utilisation following implementation of case management interventions in two boroughs of south London, in comparison to similar populations elsewhere. They found that the additional investment made through the programme cost more than it saved, possibly through the identification of unmet need.
Making outcome-based payment a reality in the NHS: Phase 1
21 Feb 2019
Researchers assessed a new approach to paying for cancer drugs in England’s National Health Service based on achieved outcomes. Their findings may help to improve patient access to medicines and ensure value for the NHS.
How to translate research and drive innovation
13 Dec 2018
To ensure the continued excellence of the UK’s research and innovation (R&I) base, the existence and continuity of funding is key. Additionally, numerous interacting conditions are needed to translate research and stimulate innovation, but there is no ‘magic formula’ for these conditions to be implemented.
Measuring the distribution of benefits of research and innovation
13 Dec 2018
Economic analyses offer a compelling case for the benefits that research and innovation (R&I) can deliver, but R&I also offers numerous benefits that are either not easily monetised or not well understood. These include benefits to culture, public engagement, social cohesion and the environment.
Evaluation suggests next steps for Dance4Life
21 Nov 2018
Dance4life, an international youth initiative to raise awareness and promote prevention of HIV/AIDS, developed and piloted a new programme and implementation model. An evaluation of the pilot found many successes but also areas where improvements could be made.
Additional metrics can help Tommy's measure their impact
18 Sep 2018
Because of its growth, the UK charity Tommy’s is developing a new strategy for their spending on efforts to reduce stillbirth, preterm birth, and miscarriages. Researchers examined the metrics Tommy's currently uses and suggested additional metrics to measure the impact of the charity's work.
Evaluating the Q Improvement Lab
14 Sep 2018
RAND Europe and the University of Cambridge tested whether the Q Improvement Lab approach could become an effective, valuable way of developing ideas or interventions to support positive change at multiple levels of the health and care system.
Eastern AHSN Transformation Support Unit Shows Positive Impact
03 Aug 2018
Stakeholders and 'customers' say the Eastern Academic Health Science Network's TSU—which helps implement innovative solutions to challenges faced by health and care providers—has supported them with their pilots and network building. An evaluation provides recommendations for further improvements.
Research identifies promising practices in health and wellbeing at work
25 Jul 2018
Many health and wellbeing interventions are available to UK employers. Researchers graded them against Nesta standards and developed case studies of the most promising practices that support policy and organisational decision making.
Investigating Social Impact Bonds for Health and Social Care
20 Jul 2018
Health and social care services in five SIB-funded projects were more flexibly provided than in similar non-SIB projects, but it is unclear whether this resulted in better client outcomes. Attribution of outcomes to the SIB-financed intervention should be prioritised in the future.
Updating an Evaluation of Grant Peer Review in the Health Sciences
15 Jun 2018
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research asked RAND Europe to update the 2009 study on grant peer review to provide a more widely applicable source of evidence around the strengths and weaknesses of peer review for grant funding assessment.
Calculating the Economic Returns of Musculoskeletal Research
26 Jan 2018
A team of researchers from RAND Europe, King’s College London and HERG estimated the health and economic benefits of UK investment in medical research into musculoskeletal disease (MSD). Their best estimate of the internal rate of return from MSD-related research was 7%, which is similar to the 9% for cardiovascular disease and 10% for cancer research.
SBRI Healthcare Programme Helps Small Businesses Innovate for NHS
30 Oct 2017
The SBRI Healthcare programme is viewed as providing effective support for small companies to develop innovations that address NHS needs. Because some businesses have asked for more support taking innovations to the NHS, Academic Health Science Networks need clear guidance about how they could support SBRI-supported companies.
Transforming Urgent and Emergency Care through Vanguards
16 Oct 2017
Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) vanguards have driven progress concerning the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of UEC services but there are still challenges for long-term impact.
'Telephone First' Not a Panacea for GPs
06 Oct 2017
GPs can deal with many patients' problems on the phone, but the ‘telephone first’ approach does not suit all patients or practices. It is not a ‘silver-bullet’ for meeting demand and would not necessarily save money or reduce secondary care utilisation.