Conditional time-dependent nonparametric estimators with an application to healthcare production function

ABSTRACT

By using the probabilistic framework of production efficiency, the paper develops time-dependent conditional efficiency estimators performing a non-parametric frontier analysis. Specifically, by applying both full and quantile (robust) time-dependent conditional estimators, it models the dynamic effect of health expenditure on countries’ technological change and technological catch-up levels. The results from the application reveal that the effect of per capita health expenditure on countries’ technological change and technological catch-up is nonlinear and is subject to countries’ specific income levels.     

重大公共卫生事件中应如何作为:来自医学人类学哈佛学派的启示

聚焦人类学者在针对重大公共卫生事件的跨学科研究中应该有何作为这一议题,通过借鉴来自医学人类学哈佛学派的民族志洞见和研究经验,为当下2019新型冠状病毒疫情危机中所进行的田野观察和分析,以期获得灵感和启示,并探索有可行性和操作性的研究策略和方法。     

高校心理健康教育内容论略

根据社会形势对人才提出的新要求,结合大学生的身心特点和心理现状,高校的心理健康教育,应着力于心理健康知识、心理调适方法和心理疾病的防治等方面。     

论现行大学生体质检测方法的科学性

本文通过回顾我国大学生体质检测标准的发展历程,对新颁布的大学生体质监测方法和标准的科学性进行技术分析,在此基础上,对新的体质检测方法的进一步深层次的应用进行探索。     

制约学校体育实施健康教育的诸因素分析

本文主要对影响学校体育实施健康教育的因素进行了分类研究 ,为学校体育实施健康教育提供科学的参考依据。     

未成年人犯罪案件审查起诉方式的改革

未成年人犯罪案件有其特殊性 ,而我国现行的刑法、刑事诉讼法对此几乎没有给予适当的关注 ,这不利于依法保护未成年人合法权益 ,不利于减少未成年人犯罪。当前 ,一些地方进行的对未成年人犯罪案件暂缓起诉的改革探索是有益的。建议我国立法机关对此充分重视 ,为未成年人犯罪案件设立有关特别的刑事诉讼程序。     

对我国普通高校学生心理健康问题的调研

运用反映人类心理健康状况的CES-D、SAS和SCL-90自评量表的测试结果表明,我国普通高校学生的心理健康状况不容乐观,20.4%的大学生有轻度心理障碍,8.6%的学生有中度心理障碍,3.2%的学生患有心理疾病,这应当引起学校教育的高度重视和全社会的广泛关注。     

A Risk-Based Method for Modeling Traffic Fatalities

We describe a risk-based analytical framework for estimating traffic fatalities that combines the probability of a crash and the probability of fatality in the event of a crash. As an illustrative application, we use the methodology to explore the role of vehicle mix and vehicle prevalence on long-run fatality trends for a range of transportation growth scenarios that may be relevant to developing societies. We assume crash rates between different road users are proportional to their roadway use and estimate case fatality ratios (CFRs) for the different vehicle-vehicle and vehicle-pedestrian combinations. We find that in the absence of road safety interventions, the historical trend of initially rising and then falling fatalities observed in industrialized nations occurred only if motorization was through car ownership. In all other cases studied (scenarios dominated by scooter use, bus use, and mixed use), traffic fatalities rose monotonically. Fatalities per vehicle had a falling trend similar to that observed in historical data from industrialized nations. Regional adaptations of the model validated with local data can be used to evaluate the impacts of transportation planning and safety interventions, such as helmets, seat belts, and enforcement of traffic laws, on traffic fatalities.     

Dementia Problem Behavior and the Production of Informal Caregiving Services

Informal caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease spend a considerable amount of time providing care. In this paper, we use Grossman's health production and Becker's time allocation models to develop a model of informal care provision to elderly dementia patients. In our model, time inputs produce caregiving services, which provides utility to the caregiver, but reduces leisure. We assume that time is less productive of services on the margin as the disease progresses. In this framework, an increase in patients' disease severity does not necessarily increase informal caregiver time input. The cost of formal care establishes a reservation price for informal caregiving. When the costs of informal caregiving rise above this reservation level, the patient is institutionalized. We test empirically the effect of deterioration in the patients' condition, proxied by both disease severity and dementia problem behavior, on informal caregiving time. We find that dementia-related problem behaviors and functional limitations significantly increase inputs of informal caregiving time. Patients' problem behavior exerts a modifying effect on functional limitations, and patients' comorbidities have no effect on informal caregiving time.     

Effects of Medicaid managed care policies on mental health service use among a national probability sample of children in the child welfare system

Children in the child welfare system are dependent upon Medicaid to finance services for their considerable mental health needs. This study examines the effects of Medicaid policies on mental health service use among a national probability sample of children in the child welfare system. Data for this study came from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, the Caring for Children in Child Welfare study, and the Area Resource File. Weighted multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate effects of policy variables on children's use of mental health services, controlling for child-level covariates and county-level health resources. Children in counties with behavioral carve-outs under Medicaid managed care had lower odds of inpatient mental health service use. Medicaid managed care enrollment and variations in type of provider reimbursement did not affect use of mental health services. Older age, greater need for mental health services, and higher levels of caregiver education were associated with increased odds of service use. Restrictions on use of inpatient mental healthcare caused by behavioral carve-outs may disproportionately affect children in the child welfare system who have high rates of such use. Careful adoption of carve-outs is necessary to assure appropriate care for these children.