AN NBER PUBLICATION
ISSUE: No. 2, June 2018
The Bulletin on Aging & Health
Influenza, a highly contagious viral infection, is a major public health hazard. Influenza and pneumonia (which may occur in severe cases of influenza) are among the top ten causes of death in the U.S. Even less severe cases of influenza can affect worker productivity and require substantial health care resources, while in utero exposure to influenza is associated with an increased risk of serious health problems later in life.
Traditional options for...
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Traffic congestion is a serious problem in many cities around the world. While concerns about the effects of traffic on commute times, fuel consumption, and business activity often dominate the discussion, there is growing interest in the health effects of congestion.
In Congestion Pricing, Air Pollution, and Children's Health (NBER Working Paper No. 24410), researchers Emilia Simeonova, Janet Currie, Peter Nilsson, and Reed Walker examine the effects of...
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Emergency departments (EDs) face the complex challenge of serving patients who arrive with a wide array of problems, some life-threatening. ED nurses and physicians must quickly decide which patients must be seen immediately and which can wait. They must also decide which diagnostic tests and procedures to perform in the ED, as well as when to admit a patient to the hospital and when to send them back home.
Long ED wait times are an increasing focus of...