RAND Health Newsletter
The RAND Health Newsletter is a monthly update that features recent research from RAND Health.
Contents of January 2007 RAND Health newsletter:
- Hillestad paper on electronic health records was the most-read Health Affairs online paper in 2006
- Nearly half of California hospitals unprepared to meet deadlines for seismic safety
- Latino teens experiencing dating violence are unlikely to seek help from adults
- Unsolicited comments from surveys reveal additional, useful patient-care data
- Lower-income African American neighborhoods have higher densities of liquor stores and bars
- Monitoring teen television viewing limits exposure to sexually explicit content
- Needle exchange programs must offer more testing services
- Combination of symptoms and lab values can distinguish interstitial cystitis from other bladder conditions in women
- Aledort article was noted as one of the 100 most influential in AIDs/HIV research for 2006
- January RAND Health Congressional Newsletter
- Recent research highlights and fact sheets from RAND Health
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Hillestad paper on electronic health records was the most-read Health Affairs online paper in 2006
"Can Electronic Medical Record Systems Transform Healthcare? Potential Health Benefits, Savings, and Costs," which was published in Health Affairs in September 2005, was the most-read online of any paper in Health Affairs in 2006 with 40,263 hits. Counting the 36,969 hits for 2005, the paper was read roughly 77,232 times. -
Nearly half of California hospitals unprepared to meet deadlines for seismic safety
Many California state hospitals will have trouble meeting the near and long-term legal deadlines for becoming earthquake-safe. The law was established to ensure that hospitals would remain operational following a significant earthquake, but financing the construction upgrades could double the original cost estimate. -
Latino teens experiencing dating violence are unlikely to seek help from adults
Latino teens' attitudes about dating violence were explored through surveys and focus groups. Although teens are more likely to seek help from other teens than to confide in formal support networks (health professionals) or other adults, peers are reluctant to intervene in dating violence situations.
Read abstract 
More diversity and health research More violence and health research -
Unsolicited comments from surveys reveal additional, useful patient-care data
Previously unused data can be used to understand survey findings and enhance patient care. Unsolicited comments written on forced-choice surveys were categorized and grouped, revealing feasible and useful information about patient concerns and needs. The data used in this study came from men undergoing care for prostate cancer who were responding to health-related quality of life questions.Read abstractMore quality of care research More informatics and technology research -
Lower-income African American neighborhoods have higher densities of liquor stores and bars
Census data and sociodemographic information from over 9,000 zip codes reveal that lower-income African Americans tend to reside in areas. This is particularly true for African Americans who live in lower-income areas.Read abstract 
More diversity and health research More research on neighborhood influences
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Monitoring teen television viewing limits exposure to sexually explicit content
Adolescents who spend more time watching television unsupervised by adults watch programs with heavier sexual content, particularly when the television viewing occurs in their bedrooms.Read abstract More adolescent health research More sexual behavior research
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Needle exchange programs must offer more testing services
HIV and HCV (hepatitis C virus) needle exchange programs need to increase testing services for both viruses. Efforts are needed to increase use of such programs, because not all clients participate in programs where such testing is available.Read abstract More HIV, STD, and sexual behavior research More public health research -
Combination of symptoms and lab values can distinguish interstitial cystitis from other bladder conditions in women
The symptoms of interstitial cystitis are difficult to distinguish from those of painful bladder syndrome and other conditions in women, increasing the difficulty in selecting appropriate treatments. A systematic literature review of over 2,680 titles has identified clustered symptom patterns that may be helpful for diagnosis and treatment. -
Aledort article was noted as one of the 100 most influential in AIDs/HIV research for 2006
Julia Aledort's article "Reducing the Burden of HIV/AIDS in Infants: The Contribution of Improved Diagnostics," published in a special issue of Nature in December, 2006, was one of the 100 most influential publications in the AIDS and HIV research field for the year. Publications were scored based on the number of visitors to Ion Channel, an AIDS and HIV research portal, who read the article. -
January RAND Health Congressional Newsletter
January's newsletter features a study on the disparities in care for HIV patients and a study on the effects of solitary use of alcohol and marijuana by adolescents. It also provides a fact sheet on the amount of public funding spent on health care for undocumented immigrants. Recent research highlights and fact sheets from RAND Health
Should ART Be Part of a Population Policy Mix? Assessing the Demographic Impact of Assisted Reproductive Technologies, RB-9200
Reviewing the Returns of Research: Capturing Payback From Funding by the Arthritis Research Campaign, RB-9199
Measuring the Benefits from Research, RB-9202
Discrete Choice Modelling: Methods for Understanding Why People Make the Choices That They Do, RB-9204
Vaccinating Residents and Staff Can Reduce Influenza Outbreaks in Nursing Homes, RB-9227
Citation: Meade C, Kulick J. Does Solitary Substance Use Increase Adolescents' Risk for Poor Psychosocial and Behavioral Outcomes? A 9-Year Longitudinal Study Comparing Solitary and Social Users, RAND Corporation, LRP-20061224, 2006.
Citation: Ocampo BW, Shelley G, Jaycox LH. Latino Teens Talk about Help-Seeking and Help-Giving in Relation to Dating Violence, Violence Against Women, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2007, pp. 172-189.
Citation: Maliski SL, Litwin MS. Unsolicited Written Comments: An Untapped Data Source, Oncology Nursing Forum, Vol. 34, No. 1, 2007, pp. 142-147.
Citation: Romley JA, Cohen D, Ringel J, Sturm R. Alcohol and Environmental Justice: The Density of Liquor Stores and Bars in Urban Neighborhoods in the United States, Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Vol. 68, No 1, Jan 2007, pp. 48-55.
Citation: Kim JL, Collins RL, Kanouse DE, Elliott MN, Berry SH, Hunter SB, Miu A, Kunkel D. Sexual Readiness, Household Policies, and Other Predictors of Adolescents' Exposure to Sexual Content in Mainstream Entertainment Television Media Psychology, Vol. 8, No. 4, Dec 2006, pp. 449-471.
Citation: Heinzerling KG, Kral AH, Flynn NM, Anderson RL, Scott A, Gilbert ML, Asch SM, Bluthenthal RN. Human Immunodeficiency Virus And Hepatitis C Virus Testing Services At Syringe Exchange Programs: Availability And Outcomes, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment [Epub Jan 9 2007].
Citation: Bogart LM, Berry SH, Clemens JQ. Symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis, Painful Bladder Syndrome, and Similar Diseases in Women: A Systematic Review, The Journal of Urology, Vol. 177, No. 2, Feb 2007, pp. 450-456.
Citation: Aledort JE, Ronald A, Le Blancq SM, Ridzon R, Landay A, Rafael ME, Shea MV, Safrit J, Peeling RW, Hellmann N, Mwaba P, Holmes K, Wilfert C. Reducing the Burden of HIV/AIDS in Infants: The Contribution of Improved Diagnostics, Nature, Vol. S1 (Dec 2006)
Housekeeping
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Mary Vaiana, Communications Director of RAND Health, can be reached at Mary_Vaiana@rand.org.
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