Completed Research: Health and Healthcare

  • Elderly patient waiting for a doctor in hospital, photo by pongmoji/Adobe Stock

    How, and how much, do migrants use UK health services?

    30 Mar 2020

    Recent arrivals to the UK use the NHS significantly less than the UK-born population, though the difference narrows when adjusted for age and self-assessed health. However, more work is needed to provide insights to policy makers on migrant use of the NHS, their health needs, and the quality of health care received.

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

    Improving early cancer diagnosis interventions

    02 Mar 2020

    Explorations of how commissioners of healthcare services and Cancer Alliances in England and Northern Ireland make decisions at a local level are helping to inform Cancer Research UK’s work to support early cancer diagnosis locally, thereby improving cancer outcomes.

  • A doctor with lightbulb in hand, symbolizing an innovative idea, photo by natali_mis/Adobe Stock

    Innovation for improved NHS healthcare

    27 Jan 2020

    The UK's NHS is under pressure to meet the growing and changing demand for services with limited resources. Innovations may provide opportunities to respond creatively and effectively to growing health demands.

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

    Understanding the UK's pregnancy research needs and priorities

    14 Jan 2020

    A review of the research needs and expenditure on pregnancy in the UK found that £51 million is invested in pregnancy research each year. By contrast, the NHS spends £5.8 billion on pregnancy-related care each year and in 2018/19 litigation claims totalled £2.5 billion.

  • mosquito sucking blood

    Economic benefits of malaria control

    09 Jan 2020

    Investing in malaria vaccination for children in sub-Saharan Africa not only helps in reducing malaria cases and deaths, it could also have long term macroeconomic benefits according to an economic model researchers developed.

  • Orange ribbon raising awareness of leukemia, kidney cancer, multiple sclerosis, photo by Chinnapong/Adobe Stock

    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.

  • Woman jogging in a park, photo by Konstantin Postumitenko/Adobe Stock

    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.

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

    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.

  • Medicine Bottles Behind Pills Spilling From Fallen Bottle

    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.

  • British money surrounded by pills, tablets and capsules

    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.

  • Nurse typing on computer with male doctor

    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.

  • Lazy man on the couch watching TV

    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.

  • Women wearing pink for breast cancer and putting their hands together

    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.

  • Tablet pc with healthcare mobile apps, and medical objects on a desk

    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.

  • 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.

  • Elderly man unloading the dishwasher

    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.

  • Chemotherapy medication

    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.

  • Bright idea concept with light bulb

    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.

  • Innovation concept with augmented reality

    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.

  • Dance4Life participants

    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.

  • Pregnant woman with hands on belly

    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.

  • Participants in a Q Lab discussion at the Barbican

    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 Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) logo

    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.

  • Group of business people at the office making an active break and stretching ther bodies

    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.

  • Caregiver with woman in wheelchair

    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.