To improve health outcomes, clinicians and patients must have evidence-based information available to help them make informed decisions, the knowledge and skills to use this information, and positive attitudes about the value of using comparative effectiveness research (CER) in decision making....

Using data on elementary and middle school math and reading outcomes for Pennsylvania students, this working paper found that school value-added provides little useful information for comparing the general leadership skills of different principals when these comparisons include some principals...

This issue brief reviews the experience of Healthy Start programs in setting up case management programs, noting that outreach and advocacy were program strengths. In addition, including community lay workers as part of case management teams was feasible; these workers helped identify and enroll...

Provides a detailed look at the dynamics of children's health insurance coverage, as well as the relationship between Medicaid eligibility and insurance coverage, finding that Medicaid participation by eligible children with no other coverage was relatively high before welfare reform.

Available from Urban Institute as "Counting the Uninsured: A Review of the Literature" part of the Assessing the New Federalism project. (202) 857-8687.

This case study of four well-regarded managed care organizations found that they made numerous innovations to improve care delivery for elderly Medicare beneficiaries with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Using the flexibility provided by capitation, they added new services in 1) screening to...

Examines best practices in care coordination for Medicare beneficiaries with chronic illnesses and recommends design options for a congressionally mandated demonstration.

Presents information, collected by telephone between December 2000 and July 2001, on SCHIP and Medicaid eligibility and enrollment data systems in 23 states. State profiles provide useful background information for researchers who would like to use the data to study the SCHIP and Medicaid...