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His latest book is Reproduction and Succession: Studies in Anthropology, Law, and Society,published by Transaction. A collection of essays, The Challenge of Anthropology: Old Encounters and New Excursions,is forthcoming from the same publisher.     

Valuing environmental losses: What promise does the right measure hold?

This paper is concerned with the implications of a disparity between payment- and compensation-based measures of economic loss, examined in the context of contingent valuation survey methods. We first argue that a measure based on individuals' compensation demanded (CD), rather than their willingness to pay (WTP), is appropriate when losses are proposed and that disparities between WTP and CD measures often are real rather than artifactual. We then point out some of the problems involved in estimating CD measures, relate these to several hypotheses about people's behavior, and conclude that they present a formidable challenge to the accurate estimation of welfare losses. Finally, several guidelines are proposed regarding the use and further development of compensation-based measures of economic value.     

A validation study for duct tape end matches

Fracture matches are considered to be the strongest association achievable in forensic examinations of glass, metal, wood, plastic, paint, tape, and other trace evidence. Despite being fairly routine examinations, few publications exist to support their admissibility in court. This study was designed, using duct tape as the fractured medium, to determine the validity and error rate associated with conducting end match (fracture match) examinations on this material. Five test designs, which varied either the source roll of tape or manner of separation (torn or cut) from the roll, were administered to four analysts with instructions to examine the assigned test sets for end matches. If an end match was not identified by the initial analyst, the entire test set was independently evaluated by the remaining three analysts. Results indicated that while tape grade did not hinder end match identification, the manner of separation could affect results.     

Modeling eligibility under national systems of compensation for treatment injury

How can different schemes of compensation for treatment injury be evaluated? This article offers an empirical approach to assessment based on the simulation of alternative models of eligibility using real-world data. It draws on information about adverse events generated from a representative survey of public hospital admissions in New Zealand and classifies these under a range of eligibility criteria for different possible compensation systems. These are then evaluated according to a number of policy design considerations, using variables available from the New Zealand study.     

Psychosocial treatment in the 21st century

Over the past 50 years, psychosocial treatment has played an increasingly prominent role in helping persons with mental illness live in communities rather than in institutions. This paper briefly reviews evidence for and discusses three forms of treatment-assertive community treatment, supported employment, and cognitive behavior treatment-which have been studied extensively and are widely accepted as effective interventions. Forces are discussed that have shaped these and other psychosocial treatment over the past five decades. Despite the accumulated evidence, many questions remain about the cost-effectiveness and applicability of these treatments in specific populations and service environments. The development of these and other treatments has been, and continues to be, shaped by concerns about rising health care costs, a heightened emphasis on evidence-based treatment and by consumers taking a more active role in determining the services, and outcomes that are most helpful to them.     

Protecting Medicare services: trials of a peer review scheme

The Professional Services Review Scheme, established in 1994 under Pt VAA of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cth), is a unique attempt to apply peer standards to review of Medicare services. This article examines the evolution of the scheme in the light of extensive litigation.     

Death at high altitude in the hypobaric chamber

A small number of accidental and suicidal deaths have occurred in the hypobaric, or high altitude, chamber. A case of an unusual suicide in a hypobaric chamber is presented. The changes that resulted from decompression and hypoxia are discussed.