Showing papers in "Medical Care in 1993"

The MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36): II. Psychometric and clinical tests of validity in measuring physical and mental health constructs.

Abstract: Cross-sectional data from the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) were analyzed to test the validity of the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scales as measures of physical and mental health constructs. Results from traditional psychometric and clinical tests of validity were compared. Principal

Potential for cancer related health services research using a linked Medicare-tumor registry database.

Abstract: The National Cancer Institute and the Health Care Financing Administration share a strong research interest in cancer costs, access to cancer prevention and treatment services, and cancer patient outcomes. To develop a database for such research, the two agencies have undertaken a collaborative effort to link Medicare Program data with the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database. The SEER Program is a system of 9 population-based tumor registries that collect standardized clinical information on cases diagnosed in separate, geographically defined areas covering approximately 10% of the US population. Using a deterministic matching algorithm, the records of 94% of SEER registry cases diagnosed at age 65 or older between 1973 to 1989, or more than 610,000 persons, were successfully linked with Medicare claims files. The resulting database, combining clinical characteristics with information on utilization and costs, will permit the investigation of the contribution of various patient and health care setting factors to treatment patterns, costs, and medical outcomes.

The importance of co-existent disease in the occurrence of postoperative complications and one-year recovery in patients undergoing total hip replacement. Comorbidity and outcomes after hip replacement.

Abstract: Co-existent or comorbid diseases are appreciated as prognostic factors in studies of quality and effectiveness of care when mortality is the end point. The need to measure and adjust for comorbidity in studies of postoperative hospital complications or long-term recovery from surgery has not been documented. In this study, we determined the impact of co-existent disease on post-operative complications and 1-year health-related quality of life in patients hospitalized for a total hip replacement. The study population consisted of a cohort of 356 patients who were hospitalized in four teaching hospitals in California and Massachusetts for a total hip replacement. Patients' medical records were reviewed to collect information regarding severity of illness, co-existent disease, and postoperative complications. The kind and amount of baseline preoperative co-existent disease was measured from medical record information at admission using a four level Index of co-existent Disease (ICED). Approximately 12 months after hospital discharge, 283 (80%) of the patients were surveyed by questionnaire. The presence and amount of co-existent disease were significant predictors of postoperative complications. The complication rates ranged from 3% to 41% between the lowest and highest levels of the ICED. Patients treated at the four study hospitals differed in functional outcomes 1 year after surgery. Functional outcomes were strongly related to ICED scores: patients in Level 4 ICED scored 26.8 points lower in instrumental activities of daily living than patients in Level 1. After controlling for gender, age, education, and marital status, ICED remained a significant predictor of functional status at 1 year. Furthermore, differences among hospitals in functional outcomes disappeared when the ICED was included in the model to adjust for patient characteristics at the time of surgery. A measure of co-existent disease was crucial in explaining differences among hospitals in recovery from total hip replacement patients.

Registries and Administrative Data: Organization and Accuracy

Abstract: In this article the organization and accuracy of the population registry and administrative data base in Manitoba, Canada are discussed. The overall data management strategy and a framework for analyzing the accuracy of such data are presented. The generally high quality of the Manitoba registry file (necessary to track individuals over time) and the hospital claims is supported by comparisons with other data sources. Hospital claims' main quality problems concern the reliability of certain secondary diagnoses and the level of aggregation necessary for reasonable agreement with other data collection methods (such as chart reviews). Finally, some of the research possibilities associated with population registries and administrative data are outlined.

A patient survey system to measure quality improvement: questionnaire reliability and validity.

Abstract: This study describes the results of a four-year research effort to develop inpatient and outpatient questionnaires that have sufficient validity and reliability to be used to measure patient perceptions of quality. As part of this effort, over 50,000 inpatients, emergency room patients, and ambulatory surgery patients from over 300 hospitals representing every US census region were surveyed. Separate questionnaires, called Quality of Care Monitors, were developed for inpatients and outpatients. The inpatient questionnaire consisted of 8 scales: Physician Care, Nursing Care, Medical Outcome, Courtesy, Food Service, Comfort and Cleanliness, Admissions/Billing, and Religious Care. The outpatient questionnaire had 7 scales: Physician Care, Nursing Care, Medical Outcome, Facility Characteristics, Waiting Time, Testing Services and Registration Process. The study found strong evidence of construct validity, predictive validity, and internal consistency for both questionnaires. Each questionnaire is capable of measuring separate dimensions of patient experience. A data bank developed from these questionnaires is currently accessed regularly by participating hospitals to assess quality improvement and to make benchmark comparisons with similar hospitals.

A causal model of health status and satisfaction with medical care.

Abstract: Patients with better health status have often been shown to be more satisfied with their medical care, but the causal factors in this relation have not been determined. In this study, a longitudinal assessment of these two constructs was undertaken in which older patients in a health maintenance organization were interviewed at baseline (N = 590) and again 1 year later (N = 526) about their health status and satisfaction with their medical care. Structural equation modeling using LISREL procedures revealed that the predominant direction of causation went from earlier self-perceived overall health and functional ability to later levels of satisfaction. There was no evidence for causal paths going from satisfaction to later health. In addition, a test of spuriousness indicated that for self-perceived overall health, the significant longitudinal path was unlikely to be explained by unmeasured confounding variables.

Development of screeners for depressive disorders and substance disorder history.

Abstract: If screeners are going to be widely incorporated in clinical care to increase the detection of common psychiatric disorders, they need to be brief, easy to score, and sensitive across diverse patient populations. Few screeners exist that meet these criteria. This problem is addressed in this study by identifying a subset of questions from the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS), which predicted simultaneously obtained DIS diagnoses. A two-item screener to detect depression or dysthymia within the last year and three-item screeners for lifetime drug disorders and alcohol disorders were tested in community residents, medical, and mental health patients. The sensitivity of the depression screener ranged between 83% and 94%. The sensitivity of the drug screener ranged between 91% and 94%, excluding one site with an extremely low prevalence of drug problems. The sensitivity of the alcohol screener ranged between 87% and 92%. Specificity for all three screeners exceeded 90% in community and medical samples, while being somewhat lower among mental health patients. These findings indicate that these brief screeners may be useful in a variety of epidemiologic studies to provide estimates of common psychiatric disorders when complete diagnostic interviews are not feasible. If further validation studies support these sensitivity and specificity estimates, these new instruments may also be valuable as initial brief screeners in a two-stage screening process to improve clinicians' recognition of common mental health problems that complicate case management and impair patient functioning.

Gender Differences in Practice Style: A Dutch Study of General Practitioners

Abstract: The differences between female and male general practitioners (GPs) were studied regarding three different factors: 1) Do female GPs see more female patients than their male colleagues in the same practice?; 2) Are female GPs confronted with different types of health problems from their male colleagues?; and 3) Do female GPs provide different services to their patients? Data from the Dutch National Study on Morbidity and Interventions in General Practice were used. All practices in this study with both female (n = 23) and male (n = 27) GPs were selected. This resulted in detailed data on 47,254 consultations, 62% of which were with female patients. The three research questions all received an affirmative response: 1) female patients tend to choose female general practitioners; 2) female GPs see different health problems from their male colleagues, and that is only partly because the patient so chooses; and 3) besides the expected differences in female-specific problems, there is a clear GP-gender effect in the presence of 'social' and 'metabolic' problems in the female GP's consultations. Some differences in the provision of services between male and female GPs occurred, with female GPs spending more time on their patients and having a stronger tendency to provide continuity of care. In addition to a gender effect (both physician and patient) a part-time effect in most issues studied was observed.

Influencing behavior of physicians ordering laboratory tests: a literature study.

Abstract: There are various reasons why physicians order laboratory tests. Earlier studies have shown that in many cases test-ordering behavior lacks efficiency, resulting in excessive laboratory utilization. Throughout the years various attempts have been made to improve this situation. This review, based on the literature of the past 20 years, gives a survey of interventions and their effectiveness. Various types of education are discussed: general, cost-control oriented and education by means of guidelines, protocols, decision support systems, and feedback (on test ordering or cost). The discussion addresses the quality and apparent restrictions of the studies, and provides possible causes of the widely varying, but mostly low success rates. The long-term effectiveness of interventions aiming at better laboratory ordering is rather unfavorable.

Effect of Prenatal and Infancy Nurse Home Visitation on Government Spending

Abstract: A completed series of reports on a randomized trial (N = 400) indicated that, in contrast to comparison services, prenatal and infancy nurse home visitation improved a wide range of maternal and child health outcomes among poor, unmarried, and teenaged women bearing first children in a semirural county in upstate New York. Eighty-nine percent of the sample was white, and all analyses focused on this group. In this article, an analysis of the net cost of the home-visitation program from the perspective of government spending is presented. The average per-family cost of the program in 1980 dollars was $3,246 for the sample as a whole, and $3,133 for low-income families. Treatment differences in government expenditures for Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Food Stamps, Medicaid, and Child Protective Services, minus tax revenues due to maternal employment (also expressed in 1980 dollars), were conceived as government savings. By the time the children were 4 years of age, government savings were $1,772 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -$557, $4,102) for the sample as a whole, and $3,498 (95% CI: $569, $6,427) for low-income families. Within 2 years after the program ended, after discounting, the net cost of the program (program costs minus savings) for the sample as a whole was $1,582 per family. For low-income families, the cost of the program was recovered with a dividend of $180 per family.

Using claims data for epidemiologic research. The concordance of claims-based criteria with the medical record and patient survey for identifying a hypertensive population

Abstract: In this study, a method was developed to identify health plan members with hypertension from insurance claims, using medical records and a patient survey for validation. A sample of 2,079 patients from two study sites with medical service or pharmacy claims indicating a diagnosis of essential hypertension were surveyed, and the medical records of 182 of the 1,275 survey respondents were reviewed. Where the criteria to identify hypertensive patients used both the medical and pharmacy claims, there was 96% agreement with either the medical record or the patient survey. Where the criteria relied on medical claims alone, the agreement rate decreased to 74% with the medical record and 64% with the patient survey. Where the criteria relied on the pharmacy claims alone, the agreement rate was 67% with the medical record and 75% with the patient survey. Combined evidence from medical service and pharmacy claims yielded a high level of agreement with alternative, more costly sources of data in identifying patients with essential hypertension. As it is more thoroughly investigated, claims data should become a more widely accepted resource for epidemiologic research.

Physician Satisfaction With Primary Care Office Visits

Abstract: To study encounter-specific physician satisfaction we collected exit questionnaires from patients and physicians following 550 primary care office visits. The physicians' questionnaire included 20 items pertaining to satisfaction with the visit, one of which was an assessment of global satisfaction. Using a boot-strap technique, we factor analyzed the satisfaction questions in 10 repeated samples. Four distinct dimensions of physician satisfaction emerged: satisfaction with the patient-physician relationship, with the data collection process, with the appropriateness of the use of time, and with the absence of excessive demands on the part of the patient. Each scale was found to be reliable; global satisfaction was most closely related to the relationship factor. Satisfaction with use of time and the adequacy of data collection tended to be stable for individual physicians across a range of patients whereas global satisfaction and satisfaction with the relationship and the demanding nature of the patient and were more variable, hence most unique to each encounter. This study of physician satisfaction represents an effort to incorporate knowledge about physicians' subjective experiences into a systematic understanding of the dynamics of the medical interview.

Discounting in the economic evaluation of health care interventions

Abstract: Do economic theories that underlie discounting have specific implications for program evaluation in health? In this study, both the contemporary practice and the theoretical foundations of discounting are reviewed. The social discount rate controversy is considered, and the two major concepts (i.e.,

How accurate are hospital discharge data for evaluating effectiveness of care

Abstract: Demand for quality of care data has led to publication of adjusted mortality rates of hospitals and physicians. Yet the accuracy of databases used for this purpose is questionable, raising the possibility that consumer-oriented profiles of providers could be misleading. A stratified random sample of

Physician gender bias in clinical decisionmaking: screening for cancer in primary care.

Abstract: There has been increasing interest in gender disparities in clinical decisionmaking. Few studies have examined this issue in nationally representative samples or focussed on primary care. In addition, few of the studies have examined the role of physician gender. The 1987 National Medical Expenditur

Predicting Psychosocial Risk in Patients With Breast Cancer

Abstract: Breast cancer is the most common neoplasm in North American women. The psychosocial impact of breast cancer has been extensively studied, and a number of investigators have attempted to characterize women who are at high risk for increased psychosocial morbidity. Although a detailed interview performed by a professional is the clinical standard for psychosocial assessment, such interviews are usually time-consuming and expensive, and thus are rarely performed. This study was designed to develop a strategy for the rapid identification of newly-diagnosed breast cancer patients at risk for psychosocial morbidity. A sample of 227 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients were interviewed systematically by a clinical social worker and were subsequently classified for risk of psychosocial distress in the year after diagnosis. In addition, these women completed a battery of standardized instruments designed to assess quality of life, rehabilitation needs and psychological distress. A logistic regression procedure was used to examine a wide range of variables for their ability to correctly classify the risk of psychosocial distress in this sample. The final model included the Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System (CARES) Psychosocial Summary Scale, the Karnofsky Performance Status score and age as the best predictors of psychosocial risk. Subsequently these three variables were used to construct a clinically usable risk prediction model. Additional research should be performed to validate this predictive model.

Explaining geographic variations. The enthusiasm hypothesis.

Abstract: The causes of geographic variations in the use of health care services continue to puzzle researchers. Some have proposed that physicians in geographic areas with high rates of use provide proportionally more unnecessary care than those in other areas. Available research does not support this hypothesis. Others contend that uncertainty about the effectiveness of health services leads physicians to differing conclusions about when to perform various services and is the primary cause of geographic variations. Available research also does not support this hypothesis. This article proposes a different explanation, i.e., the enthusiasm hypothesis. Currently, research data suggest that geographic differences in the use of health care services are caused by differences in the prevalence of physicians who are enthusiasts for particular services. This analysis explores the validity of the enthusiasm hypothesis using previously published data on carotid endarterectomy.

Health-related quality of life in persons with acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Abstract: Assessing health-related quality of life in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is extremely important, but most available scales are too long, contain items that are not relevant for such persons, or do not assess important signs and symptoms of HIV infection. This study presents a new set of scales for assessing the symptoms and functioning of persons infected with HIV and reports data on their reliability and validity collected in face-to-face interviews with 189 patients receiving primary care. This study also assesses the associations among systems, functional impairment, and global health assessments. The scales are easy to administer, are reliable, and serve as valid measures of quality of life. Fatigue, functional status, and average severity of all symptoms were the best predictors of overall perceived health status. Psychological well-being and perceived health status were the best predictors of overall perceived health status. Psychological well-being and perceived health status were the strongest correlates of life satisfaction. When assessing the health-related quality of life of persons infected with HIV, this study recommends utilizing a comprehensive set of measures that allows one to examine both discrete symptoms and the more diffuse impact of illness on functioning, mental health, and quality of life.

Health care CBA/CEA: an update on the growth and composition of the literature.

Abstract: Cost-benefit (CBA) and cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) are methods that enumerate the costs and consequences associated with health-related technologies, services, and programs. This article examines the trends in published CBA and CEA of personal health services from 1979 through 1990. It is based on a bibliography that was compiled to help address the immense need for information on the variation and effectiveness of medical practices, particularly as researchers expand their analysis to a study of the cost effectiveness of medical and surgical interventions, health care technologies, preventive practices, and other health programs. A systematic search was conducted for all articles under the heading "cost-benefit analysis" (which includes cost-effectiveness analysis) and "costs and cost analysis." Data sources included the MEDLARS (National Library of Medicine) database, other bibliographies in specialized areas, reference lists in key articles, and contacts with researchers in the field. All titles and abstracts were scanned to determine if the articles pertained to personal health services and if both costs and consequences were assessed. If both criteria were met, the article was included in the bibliography. This search resulted in 3,206 eligible CBA/CEA publications from 1979 through 1990. The publications were subdivided into two major categories: reports of studies and "other" publications, including reviews, descriptions of methodology, letters, and editorials. Reports of studies and "other" publications were classified into approximately 250 different topic areas. The studies were further classified by parameters, such as study type, publication vehicle, and medical function. This article describes the results of this classification and describes trends during 1979 to 1990 compared with 1966 to 1978. The classification of study reports and "other" publications into 250 topic areas is presented in Appendix A. The entire bibliography is reproduced in Appendix B. Detailed tables of findings are presented in Appendix C, and the results are illustrated graphically in Appendix D. Appendix E provides the coding scheme used in the bibliography's data base.

A smoking-cessation intervention for hospital patients.

Abstract: Many patients attempt to stop smoking during hospitalization, but most relapse after discharge This study developed and evaluated a brief smoking-cessation and relapse-prevention program for hospitalized smokers All hospitalized smokers (n = 1,119) were identified by questionnaire at hospital admission and then received either usual care or usual care plus a hospital-based smoking-cessation intervention regardless of interest in stopping smoking Intervention components included a 20-minute bedside counseling session, a 12-minute videotape, a variety of self-help materials, and a follow-up telephone call Special attention was given to techniques for preventing relapse after hospital discharge Defining ex-smokers as those who reported no tobacco use at both 3- and 12-month follow-up assessments, and counting those lost to follow-up as smokers, the intervention increased the proportion of patients who quit smoking by one half (92% vs 135%, P < 005) These results demonstrate the efficacy of a brief in-hospital intervention and suggest that relapse-prevention efforts are needed to convert temporary cessation during hospitalization into long-term abstinence

Determinants of children's health care use: An investigation of psychosocial factors.

Abstract: Factors related to the amount of health care used by 5− to 11-year-old children in a health maintenance organization (HMO) were investigated using a comprehensive multivariate model that assessed the contribution of child health need, mental health, and social functioning; maternal mental health, so

Measuring physicians' tolerance for ambiguity and its relationship to their reported practices regarding genetic testing.

Abstract: Despite uncertainties in medicine, attempts to study physicians' tolerance for uncertainty have been few, and limited by the measurement instruments available. This paper describes development of a modified tolerance for ambiguity (TFA) scale, and correlates it with several physician characteristics and reported behaviors. Eighteen TFA items were included in a national survey of physicians' knowledge and attitudes about genetic testing. Sixty-five percent (n = 1,140) of 1,759 obstetricians, pediatricians, internists, family practitioners, and psychiatrists responded. After psychometric analyses, the scale was reduced to 7 items, demonstrating an acceptable reliability (Cronbach's alpha = .75). TFA was higher among psychiatrists than other specialties, among those who were older when they graduated from medical school, and among those willing to offer a new low-cost, accurate predictive test when none of their colleagues do. TFA was lower among those who indicated that attendance at religious services was important, among those who would make a recommendation to their patients regarding pregnancy termination after prenatal diagnosis, and among those who would withhold negative genetic test results. Future research is needed on the scale itself, and to assess factors affecting TFA, such as its susceptibility to modification, and its potential association with clinical practice in other areas of medicine that are characterized by ambiguity.

Evaluating hospital discharge planning : a randomized clinical trial

Abstract: To select patients for early discharge planning, a randomized clinical trial evaluated a protocol that used risk factors identified upon hospital admission. The goal of the study was to determine if intervention with high-risk patients could reduce the need for hospital admission or skilled care. Of 13,255 patients screened, 835 study participants were identified as "at risk" for frequent health care resource use. Half of the high-risk patients were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 417) and received discharge planning from day 3 of their hospital stay, while the control group (n = 418) received discharge planning only if there was a written physician request. Those patients receiving early, systematic discharge planning experienced an increased likelihood of successful return to home after hospital admission and a decreased chance of unscheduled readmission for the 9-month study period. Length of the index hospital stay was not affected by early planning, however. The major clinical implication is the potential for discharge planners to decrease the need for, and use of, health care resources after hospital admission.

The role of expectations in patients' reports of post-operative outcomes and improvement following therapy.

Abstract: Outcomes research typically focuses on the technical capabilities associated with treatment that predicts patients' post-therapy outcomes adjusting for health-related factors. Research on the ability of placebo therapy to alter outcomes suggests that a patient's expectations about therapy can also influence outcomes. Few studies have examined the effects of expectations and their implications for assessing outcomes. This study followed 348 patients who had surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Four hypotheses are tested: whether positive expectations about improvement influence: 1) patients' postoperative reports of symptoms; 2) their belief that they have improved; 3) their overall health after treatment; and 4) whether these effects persist during the year following treatment. Using step-wise regression to control for sociodemographic and clinical factors, we found positive expectations did not appear to strongly influence a patient's report of postoperative symptoms or their overall health. However, we found strong support for positive expectations increasing the likelihood of reporting they felt better after surgery, even after controlling for symptom changes. This effect persisted throughout the postoperative year. We conclude that positive expectations result in a more optimistic view of improvement after surgery rather than altering reports of outcomes or health.

Disease-specific versus generic measurement of health-related quality of life in insulin-dependent diabetic patients

Abstract: The health-related quality of life of 170 adult insulin-dependent diabetic patients was measured cross-sectionally to compare a disease-specific instrument, Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL) questionnaire, and two generic instruments, the Duke Health Profile (DUKE) and the General Health Perceptions Questionnaire (GHP). The generic measures provided as much or more information about health-related quality of life as the disease-specific instrument. This was demonstrated both by comparison of the DQOL with the DUKE and GHP and by comparison of the disease-specific with the generic components of a modified version of the DQOL. Patients with the diabetic complication of nephropathy had increased worry over their health and lower general health perceptions. Neither the duration of diabetes nor the intensity of insulin therapy, however, was found to have a statistically significant effect on any of the health-related quality of life scores. Nondiabetic factors, such as the comorbidity, nondiabetic medications, marital status, social relationships, and family arguments were found to be predictors of health-related quality of life more often than the diabetic factors duration of diabetes, complications, and intensity of insulin therapy. These analyses suggest the clinical value of using generic questionnaires to measure health-related quality of life and psychosocial factors to identify nondiabetic problems that might respond to intervention, thereby potentially enhancing the effect of diabetes-specific therapy.

Physician frustration in communicating with patients

Abstract: In this study, the nature of practicing physicians' "frustrating" visits was explored and a guide to help physicians identify problems in communicating with patients was developed. The study included 1,076 practicing physicians who attended a voluntary workshop on physician-patient communication. The physicians were from multiple specialties and diverse work settings geographically dispersed throughout the United States. The method included development of a preliminary item pool (descriptions of frustrating patients and occasions) by experienced physicians and teachers of medical communication, additions/deletions/revisions of items within the pool, empirical analyses to reduce redundancy and group-like items, and construct validation of the final 25-item questionnaire. Factor analysis was used to identify subscales. Physicians most often attributed communication problems to the patient rather than to their own limitations. Seven types of communication problems (subscales) were identified, including: 1) lack of trust/agreement, 2) too many problems, 3) feeling distressed, 4) lack of understanding, 5) lack of adherence, 6) demanding/controlling patient, and 7) special problems. Primary care physicians reported greater problems than specialists on four subscales. Physicians practicing in health maintenance organizations reported greater problems than physicians in fee-for-service practice on five subscales. Seven sources of frustration physicians experience in their work with patients were identified. Understanding these frustrations will allow physicians to reflect on their own experiences and potentially improve the quality of their patient visits.

The Importance of Patient Preferences in the Measurement of Health Care Satisfaction

Abstract: The idea that patients will be more satisfied with health care services that are delivered to meet their preferences is central to the concept of health care marketing. Health care providers increasingly use market segmentation and target marketing to optimize the fit between their services and the consumers who receive them. This study evaluates one model for incorporation of patient preferences into the measurement of satisfaction. Using multiple regression analysis, evaluations of three dimensions of health care satisfaction, interpersonal care, technical quality, access to care accounted for 63% of the variance in overall satisfaction. Inclusion of preferences, defined as importance ranks of each dimension, did not improve ability to predict satisfaction. Four preference segments were identified: interpersonal care seekers, access/quality seekers, access seekers and quality seekers. These four subgroups differed significantly on a number of sociodemographic, health status and health service use characteristics but no significant differences were found in satisfaction between preference segments. Patient satisfaction can best be measured as quality evaluations of dimensions without regard to preferences. In considering the merits of market segmentation and target marketing, alternative satisfaction models that link preferences to health care satisfaction or the possibility that preference targeting does not lead to greater satisfaction should be evaluated.

Do Patients' Evaluations of a Future Health State Change When They Actually Enter That State?

Abstract: Fundamental to using utilities for future health states for clinical decision analysis is the assumption that the utilities are stable The purpose of this study was to determine if cancer patients' prior evaluations of a treatment-induced health state remain stable when they later experience that s

Self-care responses to symptoms by older people. A health diary study of illness behavior.

Abstract: Although studies of illness behavior have concentrated on utilization of formal services, recent research has highlighted the importance of lay care. In this article, patterns of self-treatment of symptoms among a sample of older people living in community settings are explored. Data were collected through personal interviews and health diaries completed by a probability sample of 667 elderly people. A majority of respondents managed most symptoms on their own. A decision to take no action was a common response to a number of symptoms. Prescription and over-the-counter medications were the most frequently reported intervention strategies. Multivariate analyses affirmed the importance of both symptom interpretation and symptom experience on lay treatment decisions. Causal attributions and prior experience with symptoms exhibited a less consistent impact on lay care strategies. Whether people ignore or treat symptoms appears to have less to do with their familiarity and causal explanation than with whether or not the symptom causes them pain or discomfort, whether it interferes with their desired activities, or whether they think it might be indicative of a serious decision.

Variations in the outcomes of care provided in Pennsylvania nursing homes. Facility and environmental correlates.

Abstract: This research study utilizes indicators from federal and state surveys to evaluate variation in outcomes in 438 Medicare certified skilled nursing care facilities in Pennsylvania. First, a standardization function adjusting for patient characteristics known to influence outcomes was developed and estimated. The relationships between organizational and environmental characteristics and the chosen outcome indicators (i.e., differences between the actual and expected rate of mortality, pressure ulcers, urethral catheterization and physical restraints) were then analyzed by weighted least squares regression. Results suggest considerable interfacility variation in rates for these outcome indicators. A portion of this variation is significantly attributable to resident characteristics (P < or = 0.05). However, variation in outcomes in Pennsylvania facilities is also associated with facility characteristics (e.g., size and for-profit status), and environmental characteristics (e.g., per capita income and bed supply). Implications for nursing home management and policy are considered.