RACIAL DISPARITIES – Education Level Tied Closely to Incidence of Diabetes Among Whites and Hispanics But Not Blacks, Study Finds
In a 1997 to 2002 investigation, researchers from Columbia University and University of Michigan found a strong inverse relationship between educational attainment and diabetes prevalence. This relationship was present among study participants who were non-Hispanic White and Hispanic, but not among those who were non-Hispanic Black. It was also stronger among females than males. The study population consisted of 187,233 participants and was based on self-reported diabetes among adults 18 … Read More
SAFETY-NET HOSPITALS – Survey Finds Safety-Net Hospitals’ “Medical Home” Programs to be Effective in Improving Care and Reducing Costs
A 2008 survey by the National Association of Public Hospitals of 46 “medical home” programs initiated by its members revealed significant patient-care improvements that included improved care coordination and a resultant reduction in emergency department (ED) utilization, per-patient cost, and hospitalizations. In addition, the various medical home programs were found to decrease inpatient days, increase the number of appropriate primary care visits, and increase patient appointment … Read More
PREVENTIVE CARE – In General, Telephone Reminders Have Muted Effect on Adolescent Immunizations and Preventive Visits in an Urban Population
A research team from University of Rochester and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study which showed that telephone reminders had a limited impact on urban adolescents’ rates of immunization and health care visits. Intervention participants were 11 to 14 years of age, including 1,496 study group adolescents and 1,510 control group adolescents. The study was carried out at two urban private practices, a hospital-based clinic and a neighborhood health center in … Read More
ACCESS – Physicians Found to be Less Likely to Accept Poor Blacks Versus Whites Into Their Practices
A research team from the University of Oregon and New York University investigated factors affecting the likelihood of urban physicians accepting Medicaid coverage at their practice. The analysis revealed that “physicians are more likely to participate in Medicaid in counties whose poor are white and in areas that are racially integrated.” Researchers utilized data from the 2000/2001 Community Tracking Study Physician Survey and the 2000 U.S. Census. The 9,178 study participants were … Read More
Featured Articles
AMBULATORY CARE CENTERS – Ambulatory Surgical Centers Found to Have High Rates of Infection Control Lapses
In a new study published in the June 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a research team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered widespread lapses in the infection control procedures at 68 ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) in Maryland, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. The centers were surveyed between June and October of 2008. As background, the authors note that the use of ASCs has increased dramatically. Between 2001 and 2008, the number of ASCs certified by Medicaid has more than doubled, with the current number exceeding 5,000. In 2007 … [Read More...]
UNINSURED – Study Finds Uninsured More Likely to Die From Trauma When Compared to Insured Patients
A research team from the University of Buffalo has compared outcomes among trauma patients by insurance status and race. The most significant, and perhaps most surprising, finding was that uninsured patients were more likely to succumb to their traumatic injuries than those patients with insurance. In fact, this difference existed, irrespective of the type of insurance, including Medicaid. Race was also an independent factor responsible for differences in outcomes. Nearly 200,000 patients from 649 different facilities were followed after suffering injuries from auto accidents and … [Read More...]
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT – Emergency Department Asthma Clinic Improves Many Outcomes in a Pediatric Population
In a 2002-2004 study involving children with recurrent visits to an urban emergency department (ED) for asthma treatment, researchers “found that a single follow-up visit to a comprehensive ED-based asthma clinic resulted in significant and clinically relevant improvements in care and outcomes in a high-morbidity pediatric population.” Investigators from George Washington University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine studied 488 participants who were predominately African-American with 62% reporting that the ED was their usual source of treatment for asthma. Children in the … [Read More...]
