RAND Health Newsletter
The RAND Health Newsletter is a monthly update that features recent research from RAND Health.
Contents of January 2008 RAND Health newsletter:
- Live operators crucial for public health department disease-reporting hotlines
- Consumers could buy yearly 'Drug Licenses' as new way to pay for prescriptions
- Washington, D.C., announces first comprehensive health assessment
- Maintaining military medical skills during peacetime
- Estimating the value of water-use efficiency in the intermountain West
- The improvement journeys of leading hospitals in Europe and the United States
- RAND work among top ten health policy stories of 2007
- Project CHOICE pilot program shows results
- January RAND Health Congressional Newsletter
- Recent research highlights and fact sheets from RAND Health
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Live operators crucial for public health department disease-reporting hotlines
Public health departments that staff disease-reporting hotlines with live operators at all times are more likely to meet federal guidelines designed to help stop the spread of infectious diseases. -
Consumers could buy yearly 'Drug Licenses' as new way to pay for prescriptions
Changing the way consumers pay for prescription drugs so that the system more closely resembles paying for cell phones or computer software could increase drug use without altering patients' out-of-pocket spending, health plan costs or drug company profits. -
Washington, D.C., announces first comprehensive health assessment
A new Working Paper, Assessing Health and Health Care in the District of Columbia, provides detailed analysis of the health status and health care delivery system in D.C. The RAND report will serve as a blueprint for building and supporting a comprehensive care system in the District.
News release at District of Columbia 
Read report (PDF 4.2 MB) -
Maintaining military medical skills during peacetime
This study explores a model in which active-duty medical personnel would be assigned to civilian settings during peacetime in an effort to maintain the medical skills necessary for deployment. It focuses on civilian receptiveness to proposed arrangements and identifying potential barriers and concerns. -
Estimating the value of water-use efficiency in the intermountain West
Using long-run avoided costs and environmental and recreational benefits is important to recognizing the value of water-use efficiency programs. Using short-run avoided costs leads to the conclusion that many programs are not cost-effective. -
The improvement journeys of leading hospitals in Europe and the United States
In-depth case studies from seven leading hospitals reveal the factors and processes that could enable healthcare organizations in the U.S. and Europe to achieve and sustain high-quality services for clients. -
RAND work among top ten health policy stories of 2007
The Commonwealth Fund ranks among its top 10 health policy stories of 2007 a reform proposal that Medicare should pay hospitals based on performance. This proposed reform was developed on the basis of a CMS/RAND study led by RAND researchers Melony Sorbero and Cheryl Damberg.Read more at The Commonwealth Fund (see item #9) Visit CMS 
Read study (PDF-7.4 KB) More health economics -
Project CHOICE pilot program shows results
Project CHOICE is a voluntary, after-school alcohol and marijuana intervention for middle school youth. Findings from an evaluation of the Project CHOICE pilot intervention show that even brief voluntary interventions by a small number of students can improve both individual and school-wide substance abuse outcomes. -
January RAND Health Congressional Newsletter
The January RAND Health Congressional newsletter discusses the effectiveness of disease management programs, the impact of state insurance mandates and consumer-directed health plans on small businesses, and the links between work and teen tobacco use. Recent research highlights and fact sheets from RAND Health
Citation: Dausey DJ, Chandra A, Schaefer AG, Bahney B, Haviland A, Zakowski S, Lurie N. American Journal of Public Health, [Epub Jan 2 2008].
Citation: Goldman DP, Jena AB, Philipson T, Sun E. Health Affairs, 27, no. 1 (2008): 122-129.
Citation: Eibner C. Maintaining Military Medical Skills During Peacetime: Outlining and Assessing a New Approach, RAND. Document MG-638-OSD, 2008.
Citation: Groves DG, Griffin J, Hajiamiri S. Estimating the Value of Water-Use Efficiency in the Intermountain West, RAND. Document TR-504-HF, 2008.
Citation: Bate P, Mendel P, Robert G. Organizing for Quality: The Improvement Journeys of Leading Hospitals in Europe and the United States, Radcliffe Publishing, 2008.
Citation: D'Amico EJ, Edelen MO. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Vol. 21, No. 4, Dec 2007, pp. 592-598.
Housekeeping
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Mary Vaiana, Communications Director of RAND Health, can be reached at Mary_Vaiana@rand.org.
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