Urban Institute

About: Urban Institute is a nonprofit organization based out in Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Medicaid & Population. The organization has 927 authors who have published 2330 publications receiving 86426 citations.

Changing supply and earning patterns of the mental health workforce.

Abstract: The authors examine recent trends in the supply and earnings of various mental health providers from 1989 to 1995. The makeup of the mental health workforce is fundamentally different now than a decade ago. The number and earnings of psychiatrists have been relatively flat. The number of psychologists increased by 24%, with their earnings rising rapidly in the 1980s, and remaining level since 1990. The number of clinically trained social workers increased by 87% over the same period, and the number of advanced practice nurses certified in mental health specialties almost doubled, with the earnings of these master's-level providers increasing steadily over the period described. These trends are discussed in the context of major changes in the financing and delivery of mental health care.

Perspective: Who Pays For Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance?

Abstract: The question of who pays for employer-sponsored health insurance has been debated for decades, with economists holding fast to the theory that workers pay through lower wages, and noneconomists by and large responding that employers pay. The answer to this question has substantial policy implications, some of which are alluded to briefly in the paper by Mark Pauly and colleagues in this volume. 1 Here I discuss what the literature says about the incidence of payments for employersponsored health insurance, the gaps that remain in our understanding of this issue, and the implications of these matters for current health policy debates. The Economic Literature Because workers who are more highly compensated tend to prefer part of their compensation in health insurance, simple analyses that do not take into account the selection of workers into particular jobs generally will find that health insurance is associated with higher wages. 2 Studies that do take selection effects into account tend to find a negative relationship between wages and employer-sponsored insurance. Including controls for both workers’ and employers’ characteristics seems also to be a key component of successful empirical studies. I briefly review here the published literature that most carefully addresses the complex identification issues involved. 3 n Health insurance and wages. In a study of public school districts, Randall Eberts and Joe Stone found that an additional dollar of health benefits was associated with an eightythree-cent reduction in teachers’ salaries. 4 In another paper Stephen Woodbury defined fringe benefits in two different ways when exploring substitutions between wages and nonwage benefits: health insurance plus life insurance; and pensions, health insurance, and life insurance. While he found greater substitutability under the second definition, he also found relative ease of substitution between wages and health/life insurance. 5

Introduction: Problem-Solving Courts

Abstract: Problem-solving courts have become a significant feature of the U.S. justice system, and their popularity appears to be growing internationally with courts under way or in development in countries such as Australia and Great Britain. Drug courts are the most visible type of problem-solving court, but other varieties are beginning to take hold. Mental health courts, domestic violence courts, and community-based courts among others are beginning to handle a considerable portion of the legal workload in many jurisdictions. Criminal law violations as well as neighborhood conflicts and interpersonal disputes are increasingly being referred to problem-solving courts rather than to traditional criminal or civil courts.

The Reallocation of Labour and the Lifecycle of Firms

Abstract: This paper uses a unique US panel dataset of firms and workers toinvestigate the relationship between the firm's lifecycle and the reallocation of labour. We distinguish labour reallocation associated with job reallocation, and reallocation of workers over a fixed configuration of jobs. We find that firms at the beginning and end of their lifecycles contribute disproportionately to labour market lows, with sorting between firms particularly important among young firms, whereas sorting within firms is moreimportant among mature firms. We also find that high churning lows are associated with a lower probability of a young firm surviving.

Hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion for extremity soft tissue sarcomas: systematic review of clinical efficacy and quality assessment of reported trials.

Abstract: Background and Objectives: Extremity soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are managed with radiotherapy and limb-sparing surgery however aggressive or recurrent cases require amputation Hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (HILP) has been proposed as an alternative Our aim was to systematically review phase II HILP trials, assess tumor response, limb salvage (LS), and quality of scientific publications on this technique Methods: We conducted a literature search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane Library) and clinical trial registries for phase II HILP trials on non-resectable extremity STS Outcomes of interest were complete response (CR), partial response (PR), and LS rates Quality of published trials was assessed using a quality checklist Results: Of 518 patients across 12 studies, 408 had some response (CR or PR), and 428 had the limb spared Median CR, PR, and LS rates were 31%, 535%, and 825%, respectively Median Wieberdink loco-regional toxicity rates were 38%, 455%, 17%, 1%, and 0% for levels 1–5, respectively No trial fulfilled either all ideal or essential quality criteria Seven trials did not include statistical methodology Conclusion: HILP seems effective in treating advanced extremity STS However, poor publication quality hinders results validity Technical and methodological standardization, well-designed, multi-institutional trials are warranted J Surg Oncol 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc