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Public health refers to social, cultural, economic, and geographic conditions that affect a population's well-being. To assist local, national, and international health agencies and organizations, RAND conducts research on public health issues including disaster preparedness and recovery; surveillance, prevention, and management of infectious disease outbreaks; screening for and prevention of chronic diseases; and ways to strengthen the public health infrastructure.

Essay
Insomnia: The Multibillion-Dollar Problem Sapping World Productivity
From the doctor's office to the office at work, good sleep is often overlooked as a key part of well-being. We pay for that. Chronic insomnia is associated with an average loss in workplace productivity of 45–54 days, resulting in estimated annual losses in GDP of more than $200 billion.
Sep 8, 2023
Project
Informing the Gun Policy Debate
RAND's Gun Policy in America initiative provides information on what scientific research can tell us about the effects of gun laws. Our goal is to establish a shared set of facts that will improve public discussions and support the development of fair and effective gun policies.
Jan 10, 2023

Explore Public Health

Blog
'Israel's 9/11,' Promoting the 988 Hotline, the Future of Space: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on why the Oct. 7 attack wasn't Israel's 9/11, humanity's future approach to space, the pressing need to ensure more people know about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and more.
Nov 17, 2023
Commentary
How Do We Stop Relying on 911 to Handle Mental Health Crises?
Almost half of Americans are afraid that 911 is not a safe option to call for someone undergoing a behavioral health problem—and with good reason. Broader advertising and outreach about the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is necessary. People simply can't call what they don't know about.
Nov 15, 2023
Report
Making Sense of Pathogen Surveillance
Pathogen surveillance—collecting and sharing data about infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance—informs key public health decisions. What pathogen surveillance initiatives exist currently? And what are the main challenges they face?
Nov 15, 2023
Journal Article
Overcoming the Challenges of Using Automated Technologies for Public Health Evidence Synthesis
This study outlines the challenges associated with the adoption of automated technologies to conduct evidence reviews within the public health sector, and the potential solutions and actions that can be taken to mitigate these.
Nov 13, 2023
Journal Article
A Qualitative Investigation of Preparedness for the Launch of 988: Implications for the Continuum of Emergency Mental Health Care
On July 16, 2022, the 988 mental health crisis hotline launched nationwide. We conducted 15 qualitative interviews with state and local mental health program directors representing 10 states to explore planning for 988.
Oct 25, 2023
Journal Article
National Travel Distances for Emergency Care
The paper examines the travel time/distance between a patient’s actual home address and the ED they visited and how these distances/times vary by hospital and patient characteristics using geocoded data from 50 hospital-based EDs from across the US.
Oct 4, 2023
Multimedia
Can South Korea Help the World Beat the Next Pandemic?
How can South Korea turn its COVID-19 control success into a successful soft-power asset for health diplomacy? The RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy hosted a webinar discussion to promote the sharing of innovative ideas and best practices.
Sep 29, 2023
Report
Syndromic Surveillance 2.0: Emerging Global Surveillance Strategies for Infectious Disease Epidemics
To aid in the detection of emerging epidemics and pandemics, researchers investigate the effectiveness of the newest syndromic surveillance strategies — those designed to identify outbreaks before clinical data are available.
Sep 27, 2023
Journal Article
Exploring Which Patients Use Their Closest Emergency Departments Using Geocoded Data
Each year, roughly 20% of U.S. adults visit an emergency department (ED). Examining ED use, Fewer than half of patients visited the closest ED. Patients who chose a farther ED sought higher-rated hospitals and reported more favorable experiences.
Sep 18, 2023
Journal Article
Building Bridges Toward Common Goals: A Call for Greater Collaboration Between Public Health and Integrative, Complementary and Traditional Health Providers
Diverse partnerships can be difficult to maintain, but the application of equitable processes may aid their success. In the face of highly complex public health challenges, partnerships with ICTHP are critical.
Sep 15, 2023
Tool
Strategies to Mitigate the Risks to National Critical Functions Generated by Climate Change
This interactive tool presents climate adaptation strategies identified for each National Critical Function that are capable of mitigating the risks posed by various climate drivers—drought, extreme cold or heat, flooding, sea-level rise, severe storm systems, tropical cyclones and hurricanes, and wildfires.
Sep 13, 2023
Commentary
Pandemics Don't Really End—They Echo
Pandemics have always frayed the social fabric, disrupted economies, deepened social divides, and intensified prejudices, leaving behind psychological scars—all of which have lasting political repercussions. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be felt long after the last rapid test comes back positive.
Aug 28, 2023
Dissertation
The Role of a State Public Health Initiative in Shaping Provider Knowledge, Beliefs and Practices: A Mixed Methods Study of a Cytomegalovirus Prevention Program
Explores the impact of Utah's public health education intervention to increase pregnancy care provider awareness of congenital cytomegalovirus preventative hygiene measures, knowledge, and counseling behaviors.
Aug 21, 2023
Journal Article
Evaluation of the PATH-SAFE Programme: Introduction
An introduction to the PATH-SAFE programme evaluation, which outlines its background, aims, and risks. The evaluation will help delivery partners manage PATH-SAFE and assess its impact on foodborne pathogen and antimicrobial resistance surveillance.
Aug 9, 2023
Report
The Impact of State Voting Processes in the 2020 Election
To safely conduct the 2020 general election amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many states changed their voting laws by implementing automatic voter registration, removing excuse requirements for absentee ballots, and expanding early voting. How did these changes affect voter turnout and choice of voting method?
Jul 31, 2023
Journal Article
Changes in US Hospital Financial Performance During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
COVID-19 led to significant hospital operational changes, impacting financial performance. 80% of 4,223 U.S. hospitals received emergency funds, with 16.3% experiencing financial distress (46.3% excluding relief funds). Hospitals with more Hispanic patients faced higher distress.
Jul 21, 2023
Journal Article
The Stability of Influenza Vaccination Behavior Over Time: A Longitudinal Analysis of Individuals Across 8 Years
U.S. adults completed multiple surveys about influenza vaccinations over an 8 year period. Findings indicate that individuals with only a weak tendency to vaccinate or not to vaccinate are mostly likely to be impacted by interventions.
Jul 19, 2023
Journal Article
National Preparedness for 988: The New Mental Health Emergency Hotline in the United States
A national survey of health directors examined 988 preparedness. Counties with majority Hispanic/Latinx individuals were less likely to report adequate preparedness, highlighting components of the crisis care system that require greater investments.
Jul 14, 2023
Journal Article
Disparities in Perinatal and Emergency Care Receipt Among Women With Perinatal Opioid Use Disorder in Medicaid, 2007 to 2012
This study aimed to better understand receipt of perinatal and emergency care among women with perinatal opioid use disorder (OUD) and explore variation by race/ethnicity.
Jul 14, 2023

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Shannon Walsh

Ph.D. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

Shannon Walsh is a Ph.D. student in the Technology Applications and Implications stream at Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at RAND. Her research interests include health equity, biotechnology, emerging technology, and generative AI. She has an M.S. in digital…
Mary Avriette

Assistant Policy Researcher and Ph.D. Candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School

M. Avriette is a Ph.D. student in the Research, Analysis, and Design stream at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at RAND. She is an active-duty veterinarian in the U.S. Army. Her research interests include national security, developing-nation economics, zoonoses…

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