HRA researchers partnered with the Korean Community Center of the East Bay on a Korean Health Needs Assessment (KoNA) study. For the last 2 years, HRA’s Susan Ivey, Winston Tseng, and others on the research team produced a Bay Area report and 7 policy briefs covering issues of LEP/health literacy, mental health, tobacco, intimate partner violence, civic engagement, cardiovascular disease, and women's health. The documents are available online from the kcceb website (see full description).

In 2007, the California Department of Managed Health Care and the Deans of the UC Berkeley and UCLA Schools of Public Health started the Right Care Initiative to improve patient health outcomes by catalyzing adoption of evidence-based practices. This is a metrics-based public-private partnership that is possible due to the Office of the Patient Advocate's public reporting of performance-based data and generous sponsorships, contracts, grants, and charitable donations in support of the Right Care research team. The Right Care Initiative is a collaboration of government, academia, health plans, medical groups, and patient organizations.

HRA worked with the California Department of Insurance to rewrite, update, and redesign five informational booklets for consumers, using health literacy best practices to improve readability and usability. The booklets cover topics of health insurance, auto insurance, earthquake insurance, safer driving for seniors, and annuities for seniors.

HRA desarrolló y probó materiales lingüísticamente adecuadas sobre medicamentos con receta para Consumer Reports Health Best Buy Drugs™, una página web gratuita de servicio público. Como parte de un proyecto en marcha (ahora [now]), hemos creado 12 (doce) hojas de datos y varios folletos basados en las mejores prácticas en educación para la salud. Se puede enlazar a las diferentes versiones en español de estas hojas de datos o descargarlas como PDF a continuación.

HRA developed and tested clear language materials on prescription drugs for Consumer Reports Health Best Buy Drugs™, a free public service website. A variety of fact sheets and brochures, in English and Spanish, are now available to the public.

"Healthy Steps in Silicon Valley" is an easy-to-read and easy-to-use guide to help people 50 and older become more active in their daily lives. The guide models a wide range of physical activities in the home and in the community. It also addresses many other aspects of health, including home safety and fall prevention, stress, and depression. It lists local fitness programs, community services, and health and social resources. Health Research for Action developed the guide with The Health Trust of Silicon Valley and with extensive formative and evaluative research with intended users.

Every year, the California Children and Families Commission (First 5) distributes over 500,000 copies of a groundbreaking Parents Kit. Our job was to evaluate the kit's success, and we produced the Executive Summary of the Long-term Evaluation Results for the Parents Kit.

Health Research for Action studied the kit's short- and long-term impact on parents. Through a longitudinal survey of parents, and interviews and focus groups with providers, we showed that:

Want to be a better health communicator? Health Research for Action created these user-friendly tip sheets to help you craft more effective health communications.

This is the report on the first year of the Medi-Cal Access Project. HRA conducted formative research to better understand how seniors and people with disabilities who have Medi-Cal make decisions about health care and what additional information might help them make more informed choices. The project worked closely with a 24-person Advisory Group.