Health care spending falls at the end of life
The intensity of treatment, and therefore health care costs, declines with age in most countries.
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More aging and health research
The power of personal networks
Binge drinking and drug use are more likely among homeless women whose personal networks include heavy alcohol users and drug users, respectively.
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More substance abuse research
Homelessness among children
In a classroom of twenty-eight 5th-grade students, two will have been homeless at some point in their lives and experience emotional, behavioral, and developmental problems as a result.
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More research on maternal and adolescent health
Patients report poorer experiences in Medicare Advantage
Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (managed care plans) have less favorable care experiences but are more likely to receive preventive services.
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More quality of care research
Would a "fat tax" work?
A "fat tax" on foods such as soft drinks, sweet, or snack foods has little effect on weight in the short term, but might result in weight reduction over several decades.
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More overweight and obesity research
Health insurance makes you fat
Having health insurance, either public or private, increases body mass index and obesity.
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More overweight and obesity research
What should comparative effectiveness research focus on?
The billion dollars that the stimulus bill allocates for comparative effectiveness research should focus on identifying procedures, devices, and drugs that would reduce cost but not diminish health and that could be implemented rapidly.
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More on health economics
How quickly can public health departments warn us about a public health emergency?
Most state health departments provided online information to their communities within 24 hours of the DHHS warning about the HiNI influenza , but only one quarter of smaller local health departments could do so.
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More public health research
Community demographics affect access to health care
The characteristics of the local population, including language and nativity, play an important role in access to health care among U.S. Hispanics.
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More neighborhood influences on health research
Geographic information system tools could help medical care and public health move in the same direction
GIS tools could integrate and display diverse data from many sources, improving communication and coordination between medical and public health professionals.
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More informatics and technology research
From time to time RAND Health likes to highlight special honors that our staff have received in acknowledgment of their outstanding contributions to their fields.
2009 Medal of Freedom Recipients
Pedro José Greer, Jr, was awarded the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom. The award was given, in part, due to Greer's work with the Camillus health Concern, an agency providing medical care to over 10,000 homeless and low-income patients annually. Greer sits on the RAND Health Advisory Board.
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