Warren Robak
@warrenrobak.bsky.social
Communicator for the nonprofit research organization RAND. Mostly health care, gun policy and other domestic issues. Based near the Pacific Ocean. I try to be civil.
New survey shows use of #GLP-1 weight loss drugs like #Ozempic is most common among American women aged 50 to 64. Nearly 14% of Americans have used the drugs. bit.ly/4mrEiCz
New Weight Loss Drugs: How Many Americans Have Used Them?
Nearly 12 percent of Americans have used GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. This includes about one-fifth of women between the ages of 50 and 64. Fourteen percent of Americans say they are interested in usi...
bit.ly
August 6, 2025 at 7:00 PM
New survey shows use of #GLP-1 weight loss drugs like #Ozempic is most common among American women aged 50 to 64. Nearly 14% of Americans have used the drugs. bit.ly/4mrEiCz
A new study finds that 11% of American adults reported illicit opioid use within the past 12 months and 7.5% reported use of illicitly produced fentanyl. bit.ly/4m7fUGX @davidpowell.bsky.social
Americans' Use of Illicit Opioids Is Higher Than Previous Reported
More Americans use illicit opioids such as fentanyl than previously estimated, highlighting the need for better methods to understand the depths of the opioid crisis.
bit.ly
May 9, 2025 at 3:12 PM
A new study finds that 11% of American adults reported illicit opioid use within the past 12 months and 7.5% reported use of illicitly produced fentanyl. bit.ly/4m7fUGX @davidpowell.bsky.social
Three-year, prosecutor-led resentencing program in California resulted in a modest number of people being resentenced; improvements needed to speed review of more cases.
bit.ly/418vR68
bit.ly/418vR68
California Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing Project Yields Modest Progress; Efforts Needed to Increase Number of Cases Reviewed
A three-year effort to encourage California prosecutors to reconsider the sentences given to some people in state prison has resulted in a modest number of people being resentenced, but improvements a...
bit.ly
February 19, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Three-year, prosecutor-led resentencing program in California resulted in a modest number of people being resentenced; improvements needed to speed review of more cases.
bit.ly/418vR68
bit.ly/418vR68
Typical cost of developing new drugs may be lower than generally believed, with a few ultra-costly medications skewing public discussions about pharmaceutical R&D. Median cost may be a better benchmark than the average cost.
bit.ly/4gWvr9y
bit.ly/4gWvr9y
Typical cost of developing new pharmaceuticals is skewed by high-cost outliers
The pharmaceutical industry argues that lower prices will have catastrophic effects on research and development, while other suggest that curbing drug prices will result in only modest cuts in the num...
bit.ly
January 7, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Typical cost of developing new drugs may be lower than generally believed, with a few ultra-costly medications skewing public discussions about pharmaceutical R&D. Median cost may be a better benchmark than the average cost.
bit.ly/4gWvr9y
bit.ly/4gWvr9y
Study finds that in five states over nearly a decade, #hospitals have increased how frequently they document patients as needing the highest intensity care, which has led to hospitals receiving billions in extra payments. #upcoding bit.ly/3D0U3iz
Two-Thirds of the Growth in High Intensity Hospital Stays Not Explained by Changes in Patient Demographics or Pre-Existing Comorbidities
In five states over nearly a decade, hospitals have increased how frequently they document patients as needing the highest intensity care, which has led to hospitals receiving billions in extra paymen...
bit.ly
December 3, 2024 at 9:24 PM
Study finds that in five states over nearly a decade, #hospitals have increased how frequently they document patients as needing the highest intensity care, which has led to hospitals receiving billions in extra payments. #upcoding bit.ly/3D0U3iz
Risk of developing #dementia strongly predicted by a person’s cognitive ability, functional limitations and physical health 20 years before onset of the illness, new research finds. #Alzheimer bit.ly/3ZiiXS7
Identifying Early Predictors of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in a Large Nationally Representative U.S. Sample
In this report, the authors evaluate the predictive power of 181 potential risk factors for dementia and cognitive impairment using validated probabilistic measures from the U.S. Health and Retirement...
bit.ly
December 3, 2024 at 8:16 PM
Risk of developing #dementia strongly predicted by a person’s cognitive ability, functional limitations and physical health 20 years before onset of the illness, new research finds. #Alzheimer bit.ly/3ZiiXS7
Reposted by Warren Robak
The usual suspects are out there yelling "There are 23 million government workers! Fire most of them!" No awareness that most work for local governments, and most of *them* are schoolteachers. Federal employment hasn't grown since the 1950s
November 23, 2024 at 2:06 PM
The usual suspects are out there yelling "There are 23 million government workers! Fire most of them!" No awareness that most work for local governments, and most of *them* are schoolteachers. Federal employment hasn't grown since the 1950s
Construction #apprenticeships will fail to meet project needs, making the housing crisis worse, RAND analysis warns. Action is needed to meet labor demand by investing in more capacity and addressing high noncompletion rates. #housing bit.ly/4hUe36f
Construction Apprenticeships and the U.S. Housing Crisis
Apprenticeship enrollment has been increasing—but not enough to meet anticipated construction labor demand. Whether through expanding apprenticeship or through other efforts, rebuilding the U.S. const...
bit.ly
November 19, 2024 at 3:08 PM
Construction #apprenticeships will fail to meet project needs, making the housing crisis worse, RAND analysis warns. Action is needed to meet labor demand by investing in more capacity and addressing high noncompletion rates. #housing bit.ly/4hUe36f