Barcelona School of Economics

Mindfulness meditation does not make people more present-biased

One essential aspect of mindfulness practice is to help people focus on the present moment. Although this present-focused attention has been linked to several positive outcomes, it also raises the possibility that mindfulness could increase present bias, with potentially negative...

Returns to Caring? Health and Well‐Being Effects of Subsidized Long‐Term Care

ABSTRACT We estimate the health and well‐being effects of subsidized access to long‐term care (LTC). Our analysis exploits the staggered implementation of Spain's 2007 System of Autonomy and Care for Dependent People (SAAD), which expanded publicly funded and universal LTC subsid...

Economic evaluation of adaptation interventions to reduce the adverse health effects of temperature extremes: a systematic review

Abstract Background Extreme heat and cold cause substantial morbidity, productivity, mortality, and wellbeing losses, yet economic evidence on adaptation remains fragmented. This systematic review synthesised full economic evaluations of adaptation interventions addressing the ad...

Smart power limits: Designing shortage mechanisms for extreme events

As shortages of resources like water and electricity due to extreme weather events become more frequent, high prices alone may fail to curb demand, making shortages more common. We examine a power limit policy for residential electricity households that rations electricity consum...

Integrating road safety and environmental impact via telematics: Modeling traffic accident risk using vehicle emissions

Abstract High‐emission private vehicles disproportionately contribute to urban air pollution and road accidents, both major public health threats and leading causes of death among young adults. Balancing individual driving behavior with collective environmental responsibility nec...

Emergency Department-Based Screening and Linkage-to-Care for Hepatitis B, C, and D in a Referral Hospital in Barcelona, Spain: Reduction in Hepatitis C Prevalence After Five Years

Background: Emergency Department (ED) viral hepatitis screening programs typically report short-term outcomes. We evaluated the medium-term impact of an ED-based screening for Hepatitis C (HCV), Hepatitis B (HBV), and Hepatitis D (HDV) viruses. Methods: Prospective opportunistic...

Sharing the Burden: The Impacts of Pharmacy Sector Reforms on the Labor Market for Pharmacists in Portugal

ABSTRACT During the 2010 crisis, the Portuguese government enacted several reforms to its prescription drug reimbursement system. As a result, value added per pharmacist in pharmacies fell by a third. We use longitudinal records from Quadros de Pessoal (QP), merged with collectiv...