Preventive Health Care

  • A man walks past the headquarters building at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, DC, May 23, 2014

    Commentary

    Improving the Experience of Veterans Seeking Mental Health and Substance Use Care

    Last week, President Obama signed a bill to overhaul care provided by the Veterans Health Administration. This is an important step, but attention to veterans' experiences receiving care, particularly veterans in need of mental health and substance use care, should be an essential component to ongoing efforts to improve quality.

    Aug 13, 2014

  • Medical staff put on protective gear before taking a sample from a suspected Ebola patient in Kenema, Sierra Leone, July 10, 2014

    Commentary

    Six Takeaways from the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa

    No amount of research can save those who've already perished from Ebola in West Africa, but our capacity to learn from such tragedies is a silver lining that has historically enhanced global resilience to disease. With that in mind, here are six key lessons from the outbreak.

    Aug 8, 2014

  • A pregnant woman in an exam room with a gynecologist and nurse

    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

  • Doctor talking to her male patient in her office

    Commentary

    The ACA's Opportunity to Improve Care for Substance Use Disorders

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will significantly increase coverage for the publicly funded treatment of substance use disorders. But in order to maximize the benefit to patients, families, and society, it's critical to invest in the development, validation, and use of performance measures.

    Jul 28, 2014

  • Stethoscope on woman's chest

    Commentary

    Should You Get Screened for Heart Disease?

    Many think of cardiovascular disease (CVD) primarily as a male problem. But one in three adult women has some form of CVD, which has killed more American women than men every year since 1984. Cardiovascular risk assessments can help women understand their current risk and health behaviors.

    Jul 24, 2014

  • Woman at a gym with a fitness trainer

    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

  • A child receives polio vaccination during an anti-polio campaign on the outskirts of Jalalabad, Afghanistan

    Commentary

    An Outbreak of Outbreaks

    Lately, stories about outbreaks seem to be spreading faster than the diseases themselves. An outbreak of measles in Ohio is just part of an 18-year high of U.S. cases. Meanwhile, polio continues to circulate in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria, while spreading to other countries.

    Jun 11, 2014

  • smart phone and smart watch with mobile heart rate app

    Commentary

    How Technology Can Help Save Health Care Dollars

    Devising methods to stimulate patients' use of computers, smart phones, and other technology to become more engaged in their health care could usher in an era in which better health is just a click or tap away.

    May 6, 2014

  • doctor comforting a depressed male patient

    Commentary

    Improving Physical Health Care for Adults with Serious Mental Illness

    A promising strategy for helping adults with serious mental illness gain access to appropriate primary and preventive medical services is to integrate those services into a setting in which the population already receives care.

    Apr 14, 2014

  • woman smoking an electronic cigarette

    Commentary

    Where There's Vapor, Is There Fire? We Need Evidence on E-Cigarettes

    Currently, evidence for the safety, harmfulness, utility, and addictiveness of e-cigarettes is lacking. The questions that research needs to answer, however, are clear as day—particularly since business is booming.

    Mar 4, 2014

  • A cashier in front of shelves full of cigarettes at a CVS store

    Blog

    CVS and the Effect of In-Store Tobacco Displays on Smokers

    CVS Caremark will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products at its CVS/pharmacy stores beginning Oct. 1. Though it stands to lose $2 billion dollars in annual revenue, CVS CEO Larry J. Merlo said that selling tobacco products is at odds with the company's mission of improving health outcomes.

    Feb 6, 2014

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    Blog

    Women's Heart Disease Awareness

    Friday is National Wear Red Day, when people are asked to wear red to raise awareness about the health risks women face from heart disease. Too little attention is devoted to preventing heart disease in women and improving the quality and outcomes of their care.

    Feb 5, 2014

  • doctor wearing mask with baby patient

    Commentary

    Are County Masking Requirements the Future of Influenza Prevention?

    If it doesn't seem that state laws as currently written can help increase the number of health care workers vaccinated against influenza, then what can? There is evidence that imposing consequences for vaccination refusal, including the requirement to wear a surgical mask, can help.

    Nov 20, 2013

  • overweight man getting his blood pressure checked

    Commentary

    What's in a Name? Calling Obesity a Disease Could Help Improve Chronic Disease Outcomes

    The American Medical Association officially designated obesity as a disease, hoping to help change the way doctors approach the issue with their patients, increase funding for research on effective treatments, spur insurers to cover prescription weight loss medications, and maybe even help de-stigmatize the condition.

    Oct 16, 2013

  • offering a cigarette from the pack on the street

    Commentary

    Big Tobacco vs. Tobacco Regulation and Control: An Even Match?

    Anti-tobacco policies that have clear scientific support will strengthen the FDA's regulatory position. While the evidence base is solid in this area, it needs to be much stronger and broader if the TCA is going to have any lasting success against the industry.

    Aug 26, 2013

  • Health and Wellness Expo organized by Los Angeles District's Federal Women's Committee and the Wellness Center, July 19, 2011.

    Commentary

    Wellness Now, Value Later

    Wellness programs do in fact reduce health risks, like smoking and obesity, write Soeren Mattke and Kristin Van Busum. But resulting cost savings could not be detected, especially when compared to the costs of the programs.

    Jul 2, 2013

  • nurse checking woman's heart with stethoscope

    Commentary

    Making Heart Disease a Women's Issue

    When it comes to women's health, cancer gets a good deal of the attention; somehow, it hasn't fully registered that so many of our mothers, sisters, friends and daughters are being affected by another, often silent killer, writes Chloe E. Bird.

    Mar 22, 2013

  • Vaccination in the arm

    Blog

    Health Care Personnel Could Be Key in Flu Prevention, Not Just Treatment

    More than a dozen hospital staffers in four states have been terminated for refusing flu shots in the midst of a fierce flu season. Yet only one-tenth of health care employers require their staff to be vaccinated.

    Jan 17, 2013

  • Doctor giving vaccination to woman in exam room

    Blog

    Health Care Providers May Be the Key to Improving Flu Vaccination Rates

    For vaccination to become a public health priority in the U.S., stakeholders must strengthen guidance for providers, which would make it easier for physicians to both assess vaccination needs and aid communication with patients about the efficacy and safety of vaccines.

    Dec 4, 2012

  • woman at grocery store checkout

    Commentary

    Is Candy at the Cash Register a Risk Factor for Obesity and Chronic Disease?

    Although placement is a factor that is right in front of our noses, we should consider treating it as a hidden risk factor, like carcinogens in water, because placement influences our food choices in a way that is largely automatic and out of our conscious control, write Deborah A. Cohen and Susan H. Babey.

    Oct 11, 2012

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