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Primary Care

Primary care providers are often the first point of contact for patients attempting to navigate a complex health care delivery system and seeking referrals to specialists. RAND has explored the increasing use of emergency departments as a primary care setting, the influence of primary care on health care spending, shared decisionmaking between patients and primary care providers, the emergence of retail health clinics, and more.

Research Brief

Research Brief

Investing in the Future of Health Care: A Strategic Assessment of Federally Funded Health Services Research and Primary Care Research

Health services research and primary care research portfolios funded by agencies have distinct focus areas, and most overlap is complementary, but there are gaps in research, driven by the complexity and pace of change in the U.S. health system.

Jul 7, 2020
Report

Health Services and Primary Care Research Study: Comprehensive Report

This report provides an independent assessment of the breadth, scope, and impact of health services and primary care research funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from FYs 2012 to 2018.

Jun 30, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Eight Priorities for Improving Primary Care Access Management in Healthcare Organizations: Results of a Modified Delphi Stakeholder Panel

The panel achieved consensus on definitions of optimal access and access management, on eight urgent and important priorities for guiding access management improvement, and on 1–3 recommendations per priority. Each recommendation is supported by referenced, panel-approved suggestions for implementation.

Feb 12, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Adolescents with Better Mental Health Have Less Problem Alcohol Use Six Months Later

Addressing mental health in primary care may be important for decreasing alcohol problems in adolescents.

Sep 19, 2019
Report

Report

Evaluation of California's Global Payment Program: Final Report

The Global Payment Program seeks to improve health care for California's uninsured by using federal funds to make prospective payments for inpatient, outpatient, and nontraditional services. This report presents the final evaluation of the program.

Aug 22, 2019
Report

Identifying Safety-Net Resources at Health Centers to Prevent Infectious Disease Transmission Resulting from the Opioid Epidemic

This study highlights factors that affect Community Health Centers' ability to reduce infectious disease transmission related to the opioid epidemic.

Jun 18, 2019
Journal Article

Primary Care Spending in the Fee-for-Service Medicare Population

Primary care spending represents a small percentage -- less than 3% -- of total fee-for-service Medicare spending, though it varies substantially across populations and states.

Apr 17, 2019
News Release

Primary Care Services Account for a Small Share of Medicare Spending

Care provided by primary care practitioners accounts for a small fraction of total spending among Medicare beneficiaries. Depending on the definition used, primary care spending represents 2.12% to 4.88% of total medical and prescription spending by Parts A, B and D of the Medicare program.

Apr 15, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Predictors of Treatment Initiation for Alcohol Use Disorders in Primary Care

This study suggests that either treatment may not be delivered equitably or that patient preference may be an important factor in determining who gets what treatment.

Mar 7, 2019
Report

Practice Expenses Associated with Comprehensive Primary Care Capabilities

To help the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reimburse primary care practices for investing in "comprehensive primary care" capabilities, the authors developed and piloted a method for estimating related practice expenses.

Nov 15, 2018
Report

Evaluation of the Global Payment Program: Midpoint Report

The Global Payment Program seeks to improve health care for California's uninsured by providing funds for both traditional and non-traditional services, settings, and providers. This is the report of the midpoint evaluation of the program.

Sep 7, 2018
Report

Recommendations for Improving Access to Primary Care

Access to primary care is critical for ensuring population health. Evidence-based priorities can help health care organizations improve access and access management.

Sep 5, 2018
Multimedia

Improving Access to Opioid Addiction Treatment

Treatment for opioid addiction and other substance use disorders often exists apart from primary care. It's also difficult to access and under-resourced. In response to these challenges, RAND's Katherine Watkins developed an innovative approach to addiction treatment through primary care settings.

Sep 1, 2018
Journal Article

Sustaining Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Primary Care: A Mixed Methods Study

Access to external funding and staff support are two important factors for the sustainability of substance use disorder treatment provision within primary care clinics.

Aug 24, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Evaluation of Physicians' Communication Skills From Multiple Perspectives

A divergence between physician and patient expectations of communication practices may be common in primary care.

Aug 23, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Impact of Medicaid Policy on the Oral Health of Publicly Insured Children

State policies that support non-dental primary care providers' application of fluoride varnish treatment were associated with improvements in oral health for young children with public insurance.

Aug 21, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Rural And Nonrural Primary Care Physician Practices Increasingly Rely On Nurse Practitioners

Data from 2008-2016 show that both rural and non-rural primary care practices increasingly involve nurse practitioners (NPs) to deliver care.

Jul 6, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Hospital-Based Quality Measures for Pediatric Mental Health Care

The study developed new pediatric mental health care quality measures and used them to identify sex and race disparities and substantial hospital variation.

Jul 3, 2018
Journal Article

Opening School-Based Health Clinics Can Lower Teacher Health Costs

Opening onsite health clinics to provide comprehensive primary care to teachers and their families can lower a school district's health care costs and decrease teacher absenteeism.

Jul 3, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Patient Predictors of Substance Use Disorder Treatment Initiation in Primary Care

Primary care clinics are opportune settings for the delivery of substance use disorder treatment, but little is known about which patients initiate treatment in these settings.

Jun 28, 2018

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RAND Topic:
Primary Care

Research conducted by

RAND Health Care