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RAND advances understanding of health and health behaviors, and examines how the organization and financing of care affect costs, quality, and access. Our body of research includes innovative studies of health insurance, health care reform, and health information technology, as well as obesity, substance abuse, and PTSD. RAND findings also help inform policies that aim to improve the health of seniors and the care they receive.

Report

Many Detainees with Mental Illness Could Be Safely Diverted to Community Care

Jan 7, 2020

In June 2019, more than 5,500 people in Los Angeles County jails were in mental health housing units and/or were taking psychotropic medications. Based on legal and clinical factors, 61 percent of these individuals were likely eligible for release into community-based treatment.
Essay

Giving Patients a Voice in Medical Guidelines

Dec 31, 2019

Clinical guidelines are the user manuals of modern medicine. They can dictate insurance coverage and help hospitals set quality standards. Yet they often lack the perspective of those who care the most about good treatment: patients and their caregivers. Researchers are working to change that.

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Blog

Australia's Fires, Artificial Intelligence, Fentanyl: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on Australia's devastating fires, how artificial intelligence could manipulate the masses, the fentanyl crisis, and more.

Jan 24, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Payment for Services Rendered: Updating Medicare's Valuation of Procedures

Medicare appears to be overpaying surgeons for post-operative care associated many medical procedures. Federal officials should incorporate ways to more objectively measure the amount of postoperative care surgeons provide to patients

Jan 24, 2020
News Release

Medicare Surgical Payments Should Be Updated to Reflect Postoperative Care That Is Actually Provided

Medicare appears to be overpaying surgeons for many medical procedures. Federal officials should incorporate ways to more objectively measure the amount of postoperative care surgeons provide to patients.

Jan 22, 2020
Commentary

Australia's Fires: Respond Now, but Also Measure Toll on People for the Future

As an Australian, Melissa Finucane has watched with anguish as massive bushfires devastated wide swaths of her home country. As a researcher who studies community resilience, she can't help but think of how much blood, sweat, tears, and money will be required to recover.

Jan 20, 2020
Testimony

Testimony

Addressing the U.S. Opioid Crisis: Using an Integrated Systems-Based Approach: Addendum

Document submitted January 21, 2020, as an addendum to testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Opioids on December 17, 2019.

Jan 20, 2020
Blog

U.S.-Turkish Relations, Airports, Opioids: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the future of the U.S.-Turkish partnership, helping America's commercial airports meet rising demand, the opioid crisis, and more.

Jan 17, 2020
Dissertation

Dissertation

Physician Professional Satisfaction, Job Role and Income in the United States

Three papers covering different aspects of physicians' working lives: factors related to professional satisfaction; perceptions about administrative work; and physician job roles; and an analysis of sex differences in income.

Jan 14, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Medicaid Coverage Expansions and Liability Insurance

This article offers some of the first rigorous evidence regarding the impacts of health coverage expansions targeting the low-income population on use of the tort system, as proxied by insurance payouts.

Jan 14, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Motivational Interviewing and Culture for Urban Native American Youth (MICUNAY): A Randomized Controlled Trial

Urban Native American teens may benefit from culturally centered programs. No differences found between MICUNAY + Community Wellness Gatherings (CWGs) and CWGs only.

Jan 14, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Patterns of Alternative Tobacco Product Use Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Findings suggest efforts to reduce the use of tobacco products among youth experiencing homelessness should focus on the combined use of these products and screen for substance use disorder and housing stability to include those that need help the most.

Jan 14, 2020
Report

Report

Relationships between the economy and national security: Analysis and considerations for economic security policy in the Netherlands

This study examines the relationship between the economy and national security in the Netherlands, with a focus on the characteristics and performance of the Dutch economy and the consequences of this for its national security.

Jan 14, 2020
News Release

The NHS Spends Significantly Less on Pregnancy-Related Research Compared with Other Health Conditions

The National Health Service spends significantly less on pregnancy-related research compared with other health conditions. Funding for pregnancy research totaled £255 million from 2013 to 2017, or about £51 million a year. As pregnancy care costs the NHS £5.8 billion annually, this means that for every £1 spent on pregnancy care, less than 1 penny is spent on research.

Jan 14, 2020
Essay

Fentanyl: The Most Dangerous Illegal Drug in America

America's fentanyl crisis is unlike previous drug epidemics and is likely to get worse. Deaths involving it and other synthetic opioids have surged from around 3,000 in 2013 to more than 30,000 in 2018. Solving the problem requires innovative approaches and unprecedented resources.

Jan 13, 2020
Commentary

Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace

Much of the mental health support provided by employers focuses on individual staff members, but it is equally important to consider how an organization itself may need to change to effectively support employees. If an organization is serious about improving staff mental health, assessing the working culture honestly and implementing appropriate changes could be one necessary step.

Jan 13, 2020
Report

Report

Pregnancy research review: Policy report

This study presents a review of UK pregnancy research needs and priorities, comparing this to current research expenditure and setting the findings in the context of NHS costs related to pregnancy.

Jan 13, 2020
Blog

Ink Tank: At RAND, Tattoos Sometimes Reflect the Research

Three RAND experts and one Pardee RAND student explain how their tattoos reflect their research on the problems Marines face, end-of-life care, migration-related issues, and the changing needs of the labor force.

Jan 10, 2020
Blog

Iran, Mental Health and Jail, Russia: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on Iran and Iraq following the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, supporting those experiencing mental illness in jails, Russia's hostile measures, and more.

Jan 10, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Exploring the Use of a General Equilibrium Method to Assess the Value of a Malaria Vaccine: An Application to Ghana

A general equilibrium method was used to quantify the potential impact of a malaria vaccination on the wider economy, using Ghana as an example. Results suggest investing in improving childhood health by vaccinating could have macroeconomic benefits.

Jan 9, 2020
Journal Article

Growth and Distribution of Buprenorphine-Waivered Providers in the United States, 2007–2017

This study sheds light on the distribution of buprenorphine-waivered prescribers over the past decade. Growth has been rapid in communities affected by the opioid crisis, but slower in rural communities, and those with lower levels of education.

Jan 8, 2020

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RAND Topic:
Health, Health Care, and Aging

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