https://www.mathematica.org/rss/blog-rss-feeds/evidence-in-action-cire-blogEvidence in Action blog by CIREen{55D0D44E-A97C-45C7-9DEF-D94703DCD776}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/life-coaching-at-oakland-unite-a-promising-strategy-for-helping-young-people-involvedThe latest episode of On the Evidence focuses on a youth violence reduction strategy that Mathematica is evaluating.Wed, 13 May 2020 13:05:00 Z{B17D7CA5-3BBF-4654-9BED-D70BE659CEB1}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/supporting-families-to-foster-childrens-safety-and-well-beingFor National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Mathematica researcher Debra Strong and Elaine Stedt, the director of the Office on Child Abuse Neglect, share how the Regional Partnership Grant program is improving the safety, permanency, and well-being of children affected by adults’ substance abuse.Thu, 30 Apr 2020 04:00:00 Z{C03ED364-96EE-4A4A-B1CE-FC505FC39130}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/helping-states-manage-booming-unemployment-insurance-claims-lessons-from-the-great-recessionCongress passed the largest economic stimulus package in our nation’s history, one of several ways Congress is helping America weather the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:04:00 Z{388F5D2E-A592-42D2-84D1-69E43A7CB76E}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/using-rapid-cycle-evaluation-to-inform-policy-decision-makingThis video depicts how a program improvement approach—known as Rapid-Cycle Evaluation—can provide administrators with evidence about what works to improve services.Tue, 17 Mar 2020 12:58:00 Z{5FF2A242-98D1-4624-AA1F-DE23B9DE89BA}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/using-leading-and-lagging-indicators-for-medicaid-and-chip-quality-improvementMedicaid and CHIP quality improvement often focuses on the big picture, but to be confident that new efforts will lead to improvement, we also need quality measures that can be captured earlier.Thu, 12 Mar 2020 12:35:27 Z{A095D0D2-0850-410A-AFCA-D862B42A76E8}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/10-ways-to-extend-the-reach-of-your-workWe can’t expect policymakers, program administrators, and practitioners to stumble upon new evidence (let alone slog their way through multiple field-specific academic journals). As an evidence community, we have to do more to show them the way to research-based insights.Wed, 12 Feb 2020 18:13:25 Z{40062EEE-BE72-474E-944F-1E968C887616}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/what-the-next-generation-of-policy-researchers-is-studyingOn this episode of On the Evidence, we feature six short interviews with the 2019 summer fellows about the research questions they pursued and what they have learned so far.Wed, 29 Jan 2020 15:54:00 Z{AC63BF21-2977-4096-95E4-8FF6BA8870B8}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/the-most-comprehensive-study-of-soda-taxes-to-date-can-tell-us-a-lot-about-consumption-pricesFor this episode of On the Evidence, we spoke with the principal investigators for the project: Dave Jones, an associate director in the Health Unit at Mathematica, and Dave Frisvold, an associate professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Iowa.Wed, 18 Dec 2019 19:11:00 Z{58EAC192-8036-4FCE-84B3-4E47B6D42067}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/the-journey-to-becoming-data-drivenToo many conversations about the promise of using data to drive decisions lead with new steps, new requirements, new resource needs, and new expectations that are simply out of reach for too many. It doesn’t have to be that way.Thu, 24 Oct 2019 01:39:00 Z{1D295936-BE6D-4CFE-9575-CFE545C8445F}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/the-complex-relationship-between-changing-work-schedules-child-care-and-child-well-beingOn this episode of On the Evidence, we talk about a report that looks at the complicated relationships among nonstandard or changing work schedules, the availability of child care for those schedules, and child well-being. Our guests are Angela Rachidi and Russell Sykes, who coauthored the report.Wed, 25 Sep 2019 16:22:00 Z{89D576A9-95AD-49AE-B550-984EFD905DA4}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/how-can-we-help-workers-with-medical-conditions-stay-employedIn this episode of On the Evidence, University of Rhode Island's Annette Bourbonniere, Webility Corporation's Jennifer Christian, and Mathematica's Yonatan Ben-Shalom discuss research on workers who miss work because of an injury or illness and how to help them remain in the labor force.Wed, 11 Sep 2019 14:27:00 Z{257EA535-32AD-4275-A499-0B00FB84E82D}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/partnering-with-states-to-help-navigate-medicaid-solutionsPaul Messino offers insights on challenges states face as they implement health payment and delivery system reforms and the ways that Mathematica applies methods expertise, deep policy knowledge, and understanding of state contexts to help navigate to better outcomes.Fri, 16 Aug 2019 13:02:00 Z{08EC4C9D-BD15-4C64-8F4C-13379BD5CD30}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/what-doctors-need-to-fulfill-the-promise-of-electronic-health-recordsIn this episode of On the Evidence, Genna Cohen and Llew Brown, who research and work with electronic health records (EHRs) at Mathematica, discuss challenges in adopting EHRs as well as what to do about them.Wed, 14 Aug 2019 18:05:00 Z{3E91384E-E7F5-48B7-9D18-F6215A39F60B}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/proactive-holistic-and-risk-based-plotting-course-for-program-integrity-in-state-medicaid-agenciesBy using an enterprise risk management approach, state Medicaid agencies can meet new federal program integrity requirements, serve more clients, improve the quality of care, and contain costs.Mon, 12 Aug 2019 16:02:00 Z{454F8328-FEBC-46C6-831F-54FEA351CF3C}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/siloed-incomplete-and-neglected-the-trouble-with-state-administrative-data-and-what-to-do-about-itIn this week’s episode of On the Evidence, Mathematica’s Beth Weigensberg talks about an article she co-authored describing findings from a 2013 needs assessment on the challenges state agencies faced in using their data to inform their programs.Wed, 17 Jul 2019 18:57:00 Z{1041B05A-13F4-4151-8AC0-840474C19A87}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/qualitative-methods-the-added-value-of-non-numerical-dataResearchers from EDI Group and Mathematica discuss the added value of qualitative methods and spotlight how a mixed-method approach is providing important insights about how well reading and community engagement programs are serving young children and their parents in Nicaragua.Tue, 16 Jul 2019 04:00:00 Z{627AF7A9-70CD-46A2-9C0E-0F1D9C0816CE}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/multiple-measures-are-for-principal-evaluation-too-using-teacher-surveys-to-better-understandEvaluating the performance of school principals can be challenging. As we noted in previous posts, principals’ roles are complex and multi-faceted.Mon, 08 Jul 2019 11:00:00 Z{971C7FF1-2C9D-48E8-9405-A8D1E47D7907}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/federal-efforts-to-overhaul-the-way-we-pay-for-primary-care-explainedIn this episode of On the Evidence, Jeffrey Ballou, Eugene Rich, and Julie Schilz, three primary care experts from Mathematica, explain the latest push by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to change primary care through new payment models.Wed, 19 Jun 2019 13:16:00 Z{363222A8-0E7A-4588-A480-3BE7020065BE}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/supporting-the-fatherhood-journeyThe birth of my son changed everything about my world. In the days and months leading up to his birth, I worried about whether I would be a good dad. The year before, my own father had passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was my best friend, and someone I looked up to for everything.Thu, 13 Jun 2019 16:28:00 Z{9646A4C4-E0A2-4A57-B19C-6178A8E134D9}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/taking-note-of-our-work-to-address-the-opioid-epidemicMathematica Senior Statistician Aparna Keshaviah recently sat down with a writer for the Environmental Monitor, an online magazine published by Fondriest Environmental. The interview focused on a promising technique that uses municipal wastewater testing to track opioid use. Fri, 07 Jun 2019 17:02:28 Z{89BB0005-3A0E-4B76-A9D7-94507481DCB1}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/it-shouldnt-read-like-a-crime-novel-lessons-from-a-project-to-summarize-useful-research-for-policeIn this week’s episode of On the Evidence, we discuss with Rebecca Neusteter, Policing Program Director at the Vera Institute of Justice, what she has learned about translating, packaging, and sharing the latest research on policing.Wed, 05 Jun 2019 12:59:00 Z{6265446A-40D1-44B9-ABFF-57089CDBEDE0}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/to-promote-better-care-for-patients-health-insurers-need-a-new-way-to-measure-valuePayers should reimburse clinicians for improving patients’ health, but they also need to encourage the use of evidence-based practices to ensure the quality, efficiency, and comprehensiveness of care.Thu, 23 May 2019 17:02:56 Z{57E4C3C3-F231-4ABB-B00B-52198A158428}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/to-help-philadelphias-workforce-this-nonprofit-had-to-take-a-look-at-itself-firstIn this episode of On the Evidence, we take a look at early efforts to redesign and streamline the daily operations of the city’s workforce system, starting with a cash assistance program for work-ready adults called the Employment, Advancement and Retention Network.Wed, 22 May 2019 19:47:00 Z{9F1B4341-849B-4D57-8E91-4AB117755DD3}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/useful-lessons-about-work-requirements-in-government-benefit-programsThe federal government and some states are increasingly looking toward work requirements in benefit programs as a way to increase employment among populations with limited income.Thu, 25 Apr 2019 15:22:00 Z{733D6DF7-7D89-414C-8F09-05BCD55E8976}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/how-to-guide-on-using-evidence-in-city-policymakingOn this episode of On the Evidence, J.B. Wogan spoke with Katherine Klosek, director of applied research at the Center for Government Excellence (GovEx) at Johns Hopkins University, about the roadmap and the state of evidence-based policymaking in cities.Wed, 13 Mar 2019 19:02:00 Z{0A071818-7C80-41DE-BF77-92AA017A7297}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/two-companies-cut-from-the-same-clothLast fall, we brought the EDI Group into the Mathematica family to help global change makers reimagine the way they collect and use data.Fri, 01 Mar 2019 05:00:00 Z{997D915C-7F4A-4E10-B45C-E5586992C6CC}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/how-a-county-agency-engaged-more-clients-in-its-employment-assistance-programFor this episode of On the Evidence, J.B. Wogan spoke with Jonathan McCay about his work with the Adams County, Colorado, Department of Human Services as well as an issue brief he coauthored with staff from Adams Works. You can read an edited excerpt of the interview in the following transcript.Wed, 27 Feb 2019 18:01:00 Z{A43B4452-A3CB-480D-B421-3BD11BD2120E}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/what-if-more-local-governments-invested-in-outcomesIn October 2018, Andrew Kleine spoke with Mathematica’s J.B. Wogan and Matt Stagner about outcome budgeting, collective impact models, pay-for-success financing, and why so few governments currently use outcome budgeting. Read an edited excerpt of the interview and listen to the podcast.Tue, 12 Feb 2019 05:00:00 Z{03B208BB-7984-4F8D-BC39-E2605D9625E8}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/the-challenges-and-opportunities-for-collecting-survey-data-in-sub-saharan-africaSenior Fellow Sarah Hughes discusses how methods and fieldwork training for local data collectors, mobile device usage, and the expansion of communication networks in sub-Saharan Africa are opportunities that researchers can leverage to overcome survey data collection challenges in the region.Mon, 04 Feb 2019 17:50:00 Z{B8535C40-EA96-48B7-BD53-70C9728665B7}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/targeted-treatment-addressing-the-complex-needs-of-high-need-high-cost-patientsGiven that a growing number of health care delivery organizations are taking on increased financial responsibility for their patients’ health outcomes, it is important to better understand how to improve the quality of care for high-need, high-cost patients and best use health care resources.Wed, 16 Jan 2019 13:42:00 Z{79B0F776-2AC3-4C10-801D-B2F723C2EFE6}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/a-chance-to-rethink-health-careHow might three of the nation’s largest private-sector employers pioneer long-overdue changes to health care? The move itself indicates that the partners are confident they can disrupt the status quo and create a new ecosystem of care for their employees.Tue, 08 Jan 2019 05:00:00 Z{1E8DB253-7D5C-4DD8-B614-39B37A009430}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/mips-rewards-are-too-small-and-thats-okayThe pay-for-performance program for clinicians who treat Medicare patients has a problem: the incentives it offers to promote better and cheaper care are too small to accomplish that goal, a situation that will likely persist over time for many practices.Thu, 13 Dec 2018 18:29:51 Z{35F15A22-8DA2-4816-99F2-50F68E419983}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/the-role-of-evidence-in-the-opioid-epidemicAt a time when leaders are looking at ways to best address the Opioid epidemic, Mathematica can provide a foundation—built on evidence and data—to ensure that resources are well spent and decisions are well informed.Thu, 25 Oct 2018 15:29:00 Z{4914B81F-5F0F-40ED-9797-B917F5EBE7E2}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/end-of-the-drought-new-measures-for-assessing-the-quality-of-managed-long-term-services-and-supportsAfter a long dry spell, the well of quality measures has begun to fill with metrics to judge the extent to which Medicaid managed care plans deliver high quality long-term services and supports to older adults and people with disabilities.Fri, 12 Oct 2018 19:12:00 Z{540B373D-95F2-48AF-AA36-E19F957D0B47}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/charter-school-research-has-a-long-way-to-go-to-inform-policy-and-practiceFor now, policymakers and journalists should recognize that the research on the effectiveness of charter schools is far from definitive. Anyone who tells them otherwise should be viewed with skepticism.Wed, 26 Sep 2018 04:00:00 Z{0A7C0E16-8BF5-42EF-91D1-B8977B81A201}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/making-evidence-matter-tips-for-researchersWith today’s policymakers grappling with increasingly complex, high-stakes problems, here are a few tips for how researchers can provide accessible, objective, and trustworthy evidence to inform decision making when it counts most.Fri, 20 Jul 2018 04:00:00 Z{55C8537B-1578-4F0A-AA41-194FB1E93C66}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/swimming-upstream-in-medicaid-delivery-reform-waters-to-improve-downstream-outcomesDoes making upstream investments that help Medicaid enrollees and people without insurance get timely primary and preventive care help to avoid more costly and often unnecessary care in hospitals and emergency rooms downstream? Tue, 10 Jul 2018 19:22:00 Z{A28C35F5-2E2C-4325-A7AF-EE2647FE8E80}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/experts-sarah-avellar-and-quinn-moore-on-healthy-marriage-and-responsible-fatherhood-programsHealthy family relationships can improve the quality of a child’s life. Recognizing this idea, Congress has since 2006 authorized funding for Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood services, which provide support for healthy adult and parent–child relationships.Thu, 28 Jun 2018 15:50:00 Z{948BF0CC-DE4A-4F46-AE9A-2D0543BA38E9}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/akira-bell-talks-about-the-strategic-role-o-the-chief-information-officerMathematica's Akira Bell discusses how chief information officers in technologically sophisticated organizations provide strategic solutions that address dynamic business needs. Wed, 06 Jun 2018 13:28:00 Z{88461882-2815-4BFE-92C0-4F3A0D11261E}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/what-we-know-and-dont-know-about-access-to-long-term-services-and-supports-programsPerspectives on how providers are responding to value-based purchasing, what challenges they face, and how to better support providers to achieve success as additional reforms are underway.Wed, 30 May 2018 14:53:00 Z{D3089944-59A6-4206-A3D9-FDAA97FD72B0}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/recognizing-the-value-of-primary-care-in-our-health-system-the-cpc-initiative-gives-primary-careJulie Schilz, who leads private sector health offerings and business development at Mathematica Policy Research, offers editorial comments on the findings from Mathematica’s Comprehensive Primary Care evaluation.Wed, 23 May 2018 17:22:00 Z{3DA0DE36-86D9-445B-A74E-53F744240C9D}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/family-matters-the-role-of-home-visits-in-childrens-learningChildren’s academic performance hinges largely on parents’ involvement and engagement with their children’s education. Visits by teachers to children’s homes to meet with parents enable teachers and parents to create connections that can help foster parent involvement in their children’s education.Mon, 21 May 2018 14:19:00 Z{FB4AAFEE-E20F-4DC1-A84C-15D1D4F387EC}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/lessons-from-medicare-on-coordinating-care-for-children-with-special-health-care-needsMany children enrolled in Medicaid have special health care needs.Tue, 17 Apr 2018 17:39:00 Z{E8C684FA-6CAE-4BBD-8284-D5B443390E36}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/our-principles-and-our-approach-helped-set-us-apart-reflections-on-40-years-at-mathematicaMathematica turns 50 this year, and for 40 of those years, I have been fortunate to have been part of this amazing mission-driven organization.Tue, 06 Feb 2018 20:21:16 Z{1D8E80A5-FA66-44CF-84F1-8EC9C1F192E2}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/dataween-november-2017Behind the scenes at Dataween, an innovative new approach to help governors’ offices, state member-based associations, and other stakeholders get the most out of available data tools.Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:14:00 Z{FC5E3D1B-0975-4A68-BEC0-B06B68A23D08}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/one-on-one-with-katharine-abrahamTo better understand the Commission for Evidence-Based Policymaking final report and explore the very important question of what comes next, we invited co-chair Katharine Abraham to visit Mathematica’s DC office for a conversation with our own Sheena McConnell.Fri, 13 Oct 2017 14:00:01 Z{EA49C09C-B190-4B22-9EFD-997F014B510D}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/the-true-promise-of-evidence-based-policymaking-decker-october-2017The final report from the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking certainly speaks to what’s possible when we as a nation demonstrate a true commitment to this approach. But it also speaks to something much more foundational about the relationship between citizens and their government.Wed, 04 Oct 2017 17:26:00 Z{C38E9EA9-DD90-4CA7-9B19-D745B8D1040B}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/back-to-school-cire-blog-roberts-august-2017We go “back to school” on some of Mathematica’s top downloads and most popular education resources from 2017 to reflect on what we know about how, where, and why children learn best and what we can do to improve education at scale. Wed, 30 Aug 2017 17:48:00 Z{5C32912D-8B8E-47F4-A786-F5247CE7D883}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/looking-at-cms-research-designs-in-a-new-context-june-2017In a new Health Affairs Blog post, Thomas Grannemann and Randall Brown argue that factorial experiments are the best prospect for producing definitive evidence on future alternative payment models.Mon, 05 Jun 2017 14:22:00 Z{09E4119D-3BDC-4F0E-81C6-9A7B8FD6A5F6}https://www.mathematica.org/en/blogs/evidence-in-action-roundup-may-2017News and notes from the intersection of research and public policy. Not endorsements...just food for thought. Wed, 31 May 2017 19:35:00 Z