Policy analysis

Question 1

Suppose you have been asked to perform a policy analysis to project the impact of requiring hospitals to maintain a minimum nurse staffing ratio (for

example, a hospital has to have at least 1 nurse for every 5 patients). You want to project the impact on patient outcomes. €“ Describe the advantages

and limitations of one of the following papers as a source of estimates about the impact of nurse staffing levels on patient outcomes.

Here is the source:-
Aiken LH, Clarke SP, Sloane DM, Sochalski J, Silber JH. Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction.

Journal of the American Medical Association 2002;288:1987-1993

Question 2

A hospital has two units: surgery and medicine. The hospital implemented a program to reduce hospital-acquired infections in the surgery unit. Before

the program, the infection rate in the surgery unit was 30 per 1,000 patients. After the program, the infection rate was 20 per 1,000 patients.

Before the program, the infection rate in the medical unit was 10 per 1,000 patients. After, it was 5 per 1,000 patients. Calculate the difference-

in-difference estimate of the impact of the program on infection rates.

Question 3

State A implented a program to reduce smoking rates in 2005. State B did not. Using the data provided in the attached graph, calculate the

difference-in-difference estimate of the impact of the program.