Skip to section navigation
Skip to page content

RAND > Topics >

Health Literacy

Journal Article

Antibiotics Prescribed as Often During Telemedicine Appointments as In-Person Visits

Patients treated for acute respiratory infections by a doctor on a telephone or live video are as likely to be prescribed an antibiotic as those treated in person. However, patients treated virtually are more often prescribed a broad-spectrum antibiotic, which is concerning because overuse of the drugs increases costs and contributes to antibiotic resistance.

Mar 28, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Perceived Risk of Avian Influenza and Urbanization in Northern Vietnam

Backyard poultry raisers in urban, peri-urban, and rural settings in north Vietnam tend to perceive the highest risk of bird flu in settings where they do not live, which may decrease precautions they take to manage and prevent disease.

Mar 16, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Prevalence and Correlates of Use of Safer Conception Methods in a Prospective Cohort of Ugandan HIV-affected Couples with Fertility Intentions

Among a sample of Ugandan couples with an HIV-positive partner who hope to conceive, about one-third used a "safer" conception method such as timed unprotected intercourse to reduce HIV transmission, but only about half were aware of such methods.

Mar 16, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Drivers of Health as a Shared Value: Mindset, Expectations, Sense of Community and Civic Engagement

A shared understanding of health as a cultural value is key to achieving an equitable health system and a culture of health.

Nov 28, 2016
News Release

News Release

Knowledge About Health Insurance and Finance Linked to Higher Rates of Health Coverage

Policies and programs aiming to reduce the numbers of uninsured should take into account the financial literacy and health insurance knowledge of the groups they are trying to reach.

Nov 17, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Implementation of Care Management: An Analysis of Recent AHRQ Research

Care management is a team-based, patient-centered approach aimed at helping patients manage medical conditions more effectively.

Nov 17, 2016
Essay

Science and the Healing Arts

Americans spend billions of dollars out of pocket seeking relief from chronic conditions in alternative schools of health, such as acupuncture or chiropractic. What would it take to more fully integrate such practices into the mainstream?

Apr 29, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Estimating Second Order Probability Beliefs from Subjective Survival Data

Based on subjective survival probability questions in the Health and Retirement Study HRS, we use an econometric model to estimate the determinants of individual-level uncertainty about personal longevity.

Apr 4, 2016
Research Brief

Advancing Complementary and Alternative Medicine Professions: Practitioners Face Many Policy Hurdles to Finding Their Place in Mainstream Medicine

The policy challenges associated with coverage, licensure, scope of practice, institutional privileges, and research may prevent complementary and alternative medicine professionals from practicing to the full extent of their capabilities.

Feb 8, 2016
Research Brief

Connecting Consumers to Care

The Affordable Care Act has reduced the number of uninsured; an emerging challenge is to help the newly insured choose coverage wisely and use it to access primary care and preventive services.

Dec 4, 2015
Report

Policy Implications of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Definitions

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treats the whole person, but political definitions of CAM have focused only on treatment methods. Policies that impact patient access and care need to consider the full scope of CAM professions.

Oct 2, 2015
Report

Antimicrobial stewardship: The effectiveness of educational interventions to change risk-related behaviours in the general population: A systematic review

A systematic review of the evidence of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness on changing the public's risk related behaviour pertaining to antimicrobial use to inform a NICE public health guideline aimed at delaying antimicrobial resistance.

Sep 30, 2015
News Release

News Release

More Work Needed to Engage Consumers After Enrolling in Health Insurance Plans

Enrolling in an insurance plan under the ACA is only the first step for consumers to be actively engaged in their health care. Low health literacy continues to be a barrier and many consumers still struggle with the complexity of health insurance terminology.

Jul 29, 2015
Report

Helping the Newly Insured Under the Affordable Care Act

Enrolling in an insurance plan under the ACA is only the first step for consumers to be actively engaged in their health care. Low health literacy continues to be a barrier, and many consumers still struggle with the complexity of health insurance terminology.

Jun 30, 2015
Commentary

Open Enrollment, Take 2: What Matters for the ACA Marketplace?

As the Affordable Care Act's second open-enrollment period draws to its February 15 close, relatively few of the millions of Americans eligible to switch plans have revisited their options. What actions can be taken to ensure that people know they have the right to a new choice each year?

Feb 11, 2015
Commentary

RAND Helps to Develop From Coverage to Care, a New CMS Initiative

Health coverage is a means to an end: the aim is to help more Americans use their coverage to access routine primary care and preventive services. For many of the newly insured, however, the leap between obtaining insurance and establishing a regular source of care is substantial.

Jul 29, 2014
Commentary

Have You Estimated Your Cardiovascular Risk?

Research suggests that setting a baseline by getting an estimate of your individual cardiovascular risk can help you see more clearly what you have at stake and what you can do to improve your chances of a long and healthy life.

Jun 26, 2014
Blog

Many Americans Are Confused About the Affordable Care Act

In a nationally representative sample of more than 6,000 Americans, researchers found an acute lack of understanding among low-income people regarding finances in general, and health reform and health insurance in particular.

Mar 26, 2014
Research Brief

Research Brief

A Health Care Puzzler

An American Life Panel survey finds that a lack of knowledge about health reform and health insurance is especially acute among the poor, less educated, young, and females. This presents challenges for implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Mar 24, 2014
Commentary

The FDA Ban on Trans Fat Should Be Just the Beginning

Most people lack the information they need to judge or track the quantity and quality of the nutrients they consume. The FDA should take a disease prevention approach — as it is currently doing with trans fat — in promoting standards that address how all foods are prepared and served away from home.

Nov 26, 2013

1
2
3
Next