Institution profile
RAND Corporation
Nonprofit policy research organization with a long history of randomized evaluation in health, education, and defense policy.
5
Experiments
1971–2017
Year span
4 / 5
Positive findings
0
Null findings
Top policy areas
- Public Safety · 2
- Public Health · 2
- Libraries · 1
Experiments from RAND Corporation
- Positive
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh — SNAP Outreach Pilot
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh / Allegheny County DHS / RAND Corporation evaluation · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA · 2017 · Libraries
Effect: Pilot branches enrolled approximately 1,400 additional SNAP applicants over the first 18 months — roughly 2-3× the eligible-but-unenrolled population reached through traditional channels in the same neighborhoods. Estimated cost of $40-80 per new enrollment, substantially lower than typical outreach contracts.
- Positive
Hawaii's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE)
First Circuit Court, State of Hawaii / RAND Corporation · Honolulu, HI, USA · 2004 · Public Safety
Effect: HOPE vs. control: positive drug tests −72%; missed appointments −61%; new arrests −55%; days incarcerated −48% (fewer revocations meant less jail time overall despite more frequent brief sanctions)
- Positive
IMPACT Collaborative Care for Late-Life Depression
University of Washington / RAND / multiple health systems · United States · 2002 · Public Health
Effect: Depression-free days: +115 days over 24 months vs. usual care; clinical response at 12 months: 45% vs. 19%; quality-adjusted life year difference: 0.26 QALYs; cost-effective at $500 per QALY gained
- Positive
Drug Courts — Randomized Trial Evidence Base
National Institute of Justice / RAND Corporation / multiple jurisdictions · Multiple US cities · 1997 · Public Safety
Effect: Recidivism: −8 to −14 pp vs. standard prosecution in RCTs; drug use: significant reduction while in program, mixed evidence of persistence; incarceration days: substantially fewer during supervision period; cost savings: $3,000–$13,000 per participant vs. incarceration
- Mixed
RAND Health Insurance Experiment
RAND Corporation · Multiple US cities · 1971 · Public Health
Effect: Utilization: free care participants used 30–40% more health care than those in high-cost-sharing plans. Health outcomes: almost no significant difference across cost-sharing levels for the average person, except for the poorest and sickest individuals — for whom free care meaningfully improved blood pressure and vision outcomes. Free care improved low-income hypertension control by 10 percentage points.