Research Briefs

Since 1967, Penn's Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI) has been the leading university institute dedicated to data-driven, policy-focused research that improves our nation’s health and health care. LDI’s Research Briefs provide a succinct summary of key findings and policy implications of new studies conducted by LDI’s Senior Fellows. They are produced by LDI’s policy team.

 

 

 

 

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 69
  • Publication
    Affirmative Action Bans and Health Risk Behaviors
    (2019-07-19) Venkataramani, Atheendar S.; Cook, Erin; O'Brien, Rourke L.; Kawachi, Ichiro; Jena, Anupam B.; Tsai, Alexander C.
    College affirmative action bans were associated with higher rates of smoking and drinking in underrepresented minority 11th and 12th graders, and these students continued to smoke at higher rates into young adulthood. Policymakers should consider unintended public health consequences of proposals, such as affirmative action bans, that may limit socioeconomic opportunities.
  • Publication
    Lower Health Care Use Among Elderly Patients Residing with Another Adult
    (2019-06-11) Carlin, Caroline; David, Guy
  • Publication
    Contributors to Post-Injury Mental Health In Urban Black Men With Serious Injuries
    (2019-06-05) Richmond, Therese S.; Wiebe, Douglas J.; Reilly, Patrick M.; Rich, John; Shults, Justine; Kassam-Adams, Nancy
  • Publication
    Health Inequity in the United States: A Primer
    (2020-01-06) Escarce, José
    By any measure, the United States has a level of health inequity rarely seen among developed nations. The roots of this inequity are deep and complex, and are a function of differences in income, education, race and segregation, and place. In this primer, we provide an overview of these distinctly American problems, and discuss programs and policies that might promote greater health equity in the population.
  • Publication
    Evaluating A State Opioid Prescribing Limit and Electronic Medical Record Alert
    (2019-10-11) Lowenstein, Margaret; Hossain, Erik; Yang, Wei; Perrone, Jeanmarie; Neuman, Mark D.; Ashburn, Michael; Delgado, M. Kit
    Because long-term opioid use has been linked to the length and strength of an initial prescription, 33 states, Medicare, and some private insurers have set limits on the duration of new opioid prescriptions. In May 2017, New Jersey implemented a statewide 5-day limit on new opioid prescriptions and Penn Medicine implemented an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) alert to notify prescribers when a prescription exceeded the limit and provide compliant prescription orders. This study compared outcomes in Penn Medicine outpatient practices in New Jersey with its practices in Pennsylvania not subject to the law. Outcomes included total opioid dose and number of tablets per prescription as well as rates of prescription refills, health care visits, and telephone calls within 30 days to account for potential unintended consequences.
  • Publication
    Effect of a Decision Aid on Access to Total Knee Replacement for Black Patients With Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Randomized Clinical Trial
    (2016-12-08) Ibrahim, Said A; Blum, Marissa; Lee, Gwo-Chin; Mooar, Pekka; Medvedeva, Elina; Collier, Aliya; Richardson, Diane
    Key Findings: An educational video on the risks and benefits of total knee replacement increased the rate of surgery among black patients, in a clinical trial of an intervention that could reduce known racial disparities in treatment of osteoarthritis.
  • Publication
    Effects of Autism Spectrum Disorder Insurance Mandates on the Treated Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder
    (2016-07-25) Mandell, David S; Marcus, Steven C; Barry, Colleen L; Xie, Ming; Epstein, Andrew J; Shea, Kathleen; Mullan, Katherine
    Key Findings: State mandates requiring commercial health plans to cover services for children with autism spectrum disorder increased the number of children diagnosed with the disorder. However, diagnosis rates remain much lower than community estimates, suggesting that many commercially insured children with ASD remain undiagnosed or are insured through public plans.
  • Publication
    Effect of Financial Incentives to Physicians, Patients, or Both on Lipid Levels: A Randomized Clinical Trial
    (2016-01-15) Asch, David A; Troxel, Andrea B; Stewart, Walter F; Sequist, Thomas D; Jones, James B; Hirsch, AnneMarie G; Hoffer, Karen; Zhu, Jingsan; Wang, Wenli; Hodolfski, Amanda; Frasch, Antoinette B; Weiner, Mark G; Finnerty, Darra D; Volpp, Kevin G; Rosenthal, Meredith B; Gangemi, Kelsey
    Can financial incentives be used to reduce cholesterol levels in high-risk patients? This randomized trial says modest reductions can be achieved only by targeting incentives to both patients and physicians, not to one or the other.
  • Publication
    Increasing the Value of Health Care: The Role of Nurses
    (2015-10-15) Lindrooth, Richard C; Yakusheva, Olga; Fairman, Julie A; Naylor, Mary D; Pauly, Mark V
    Increasing health care value has become a central objective of payment policies, insurance design and purchasing, and patient and provider decision-making. The word “value” appeared in the title of seven sections of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and earlier this year CMS set a goal of having 50 percent of reimbursement based on value. This brief reviews nurses’ contribution to value, highlighting evidence published by researchers in the Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative (INQRI), an 8-year program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It also looks at interventions designed to address outcomes targeted by ACA- or Medicare-related payment policies.
  • Publication
    Household Monthly Alcohol Purchases After Washington's Privatization of Liquor
    (2019-11-18) Barnett, Sarah Beth L.; Coe, Norma B; Harris, Jeffrey R.; Basu, Anirban
    Thirteen states limit alcohol purchases to state-run stores. Washington was among these states until 2011, when voters passed Initiative 1183, which privatized liquor sales and imposed taxes and fees on them. As a result, the number of retail sites increased dramatically, and the cost of liquor went up. The authors compared the amount of alcohol purchased by households in Washington metropolitan areas to the amount purchased by households in 10 states that retained monopoly control of alcohol sales, before and after privatization.