Digital Commons Network^™

Prescription Drug Recalls On Florida’S Medicaid Preferred Drug List

Florida Public Health Review

No abstract provided.

Computational Techniques For Spatial Logistic Regression With Large Datasets, Christopher J. Paciorek, Louise Ryan

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

In epidemiological work, outcomes are frequently non-normal, sample sizes may be large, and effects are often small. To relate health outcomes to geographic risk factors, fast and powerful methods for fitting spatial models, particularly for non-normal data, are required. We focus on binary outcomes, with the risk surface a smooth function of space. We compare penalized likelihood models, including the penalized quasi-likelihood (PQL) approach, and Bayesian models based on fit, speed, and ease of implementation.

A Bayesian model using a spectral basis representation of the spatial surface provides the best tradeoff of sensitivity and specificity in simulations, detecting real spatial …

Estimation And Projection Of Indicence And Prevalence Based On Doubly Truncated Data With Application To Pharmacoepidemiological Databases, Henrik Stovring, Mei-Cheng Wang

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

Incidences of disease are of primary interest in any epidemiological analysis of disease spread in general populations. Ordinary estimates obtained from follow-up of an initially non-diseased cohort are costly, and so such estimates are not routinely available. In contrast, routine registers exist for many diseases with data on all detected cases within a given calendar time period, but lacking information on non-diseased. In the present work we show how this type of data supplemented with data on the past birth process can be analyzed to yield age specific incidence estimates as well as lifetime prevalence. A non-parametric model is studied …

Is The Number Of Sick Persons In A Cohort Constant Over Time?, Paula Diehr, Ann Derleth, Anne Newman, Liming Cai

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Objectives: To estimate the number of persons in a cohort who are sick, over time.

Methods: We calculated the number of sick persons in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), a cohort study of older adults followed up to 14 years, using eight definitions of “healthy” and “sick”. We projected the number in each health state over time for a birth cohort.

Results: The number of sick persons in CHS was approximately constant for 14 years, for all definitions of “sick”. The estimated number of sick persons in the birth cohort was approximately constant from ages 55-75, after which it decreased. …

People Living With, Not Dying From Disease: Patient Empowerment Through Anti-Retroviral Therapy And Possibilities For Social Change, Xin Wei Ngiam

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In South Africa today, it is estimated that there are 6.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS, at least half a million of whom require urgent treatment. On the continent of Africa as a whole the numbers are even more startling. Unfortunately, although the South African government has now committed itself to rolling out anti-retroviral therapy through the public healthcare system, progress has been slower than expected. Yet in numerous sites around South Africa, rollout centres have been established successfully, even in the most rural parts of the country. These programmes rely on existing community initiatives, community health workers and volunteers, …

A Preliminary Test Of A Student-Centered Intervention On Increasing Physical Activity In Underserved Adolescents, Dawn K. Wilson, Alexandra E. Evans, Joel Williams, Gary Mixon, John R. Sirard, Russell R. Pate

Faculty Publications

Background - Previous studies have shown that choice and self-initiated behavior changes are important for increasing intrinsic motivation and physical activity (PA), however, little of this research has focused on underserved adolescents.

Purpose - This study examined the effects of a 4-week student-centered intervention on increasing PA in underserved adolescents.

Methods - Twenty-eight students in the intervention school were matched (on race, percentage on free or reduced-price lunch program, gender, and age) with 20 students from another school who served as the comparison group (30 girls, 18 boys; ages 10-12 years; 83% African American; 83% on free or reduced-price lunch). …

El Vih En La Ciudad De Buenos Aires: Obstáculos En El Acceso Al Tratamiento En El Sector Público, Erica Tai-Le Bliss

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The focus of my research is the access to HIV treatment in the public health sector in Buenos Aires. HIV testing and treatment are guaranteed, by law, financed completely by the government for patients in the public health sector who do not have any private insurance or social work insurance plan. Over three quarters of the registered cases of HIV are patients in the public sector. Although health care is free in the Capital, many patients don’t take HIV tests, seek treatment or eventually stop taking their medication. To investigate the motivations of the patients, I interviewed three sectors that …

The Relationship Between Leisure-Time Physical Activity And The Metabolic Syndrome: An Examination Of Nhanes Iii, 1988-1994, Katrina D. Dubose, Cheryl L. Addy, Barbara E. Ainsworth, Gregory A. Hand, J. Larry Durstine

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of African-American And White Racial Classification In A Surveillance, Epidemiology, And End Results Cancer Registry, Diva A. Patel, Alicia Knowles, Ann G. Schwartz, Kendra Schwartz

FMPHS Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study evaluated the validity of registry-reported race for individuals who participated in research studies conducted since 1980 through the Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System (MDCSS), a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program registry.

Methods: 5329 individuals who self-identified as African American or White and were classified in the MDCSS registry as African American or White were included. Self-identified and registry-reported race were compared, and associations between demographics and racial misclassification were examined.

Results: Most self-identified African Americans and Whites were correctly classified (sensitivity= 98.5%, specificity=99.7%). Males were two times more likely to be misclassified than females [odds …

Comparative Effectiveness Of Total Population Versus Disease-Specific Neural Network Models In Predicting Medical Costs, Albert G. Crawford, Joseph P. Fuhr Jr., Janice Clarke, Brandon Hubbs

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

The objective of this research was to compare the accuracy of two types of neural networks in identifying individuals at risk for high medical costs for three chronic conditions. Two neural network models—a population model and three disease-specific models—were compared regarding effectiveness predicting high costs. Subjects included 33,908 health plan members with diabetes, 19,264 with asthma, and 2,605 with cardiac conditions. For model development/testing, only members with 24 months of continuous enrollment were included. Models were developed to predict probability of high costs in 2000 (top 15% of distribution) based on 1999 claims factors. After validation, models were applied to …

Recruitment And Retention Of Emergency Medical Technicians: A Qualitative Study, P. Daniel Patterson, Janice C. Probst, Katherine H. Leith, Sara J. Corwin, M. Paige Powell

Faculty Publications

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are critical to out-of-hospital care, but maintaining staff can be difficult. The study objective was to identify factors that contribute to recruitment and retention of EMTs and paramedics. Information was drawn from three focus groups of EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and EMT-Paramedic personnel recruited from participants at an annual conference. Thoughts and feelings of EMTs and paramedics were investigated using eight questions designed to explore entry into emergency medical services, what it is like to be an EMT or paramedic, and the EMT educational process. Data were analyzed at the group level for common themes using NVivo. For …

The Silence Around Them: Aids Ngos, Scaling Up And Aids Fatigue In University Students, Carolyn Holmes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

HIV/AIDS is undoubtedly one of the most talked about aspects of the political scene in South Africa. This epidemic is expected to ravage the South African population, wholly changing the country’s demographic landscape. The most infected and affected generation is also the first generation to come of age in the democracy for which their parents fought. In this study, the author examines the attitudes and opinions of students within the aforementioned generation; current students at the Howard College Campus of the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban. Largely, the students were found to be apathetic and overexposed to NGO’s campaigns …

Abortion: The Reality For Women Of Praia Grande, Anna Tawse

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Under Brazilian law, abortions are prohibited in all cases except for pregnancies resulting from rape or sexual violence and pregnancies which present possible death or harm to the mother. Upon a closer look, however, it is obvious that regardless of the illegality, Brazilian women are getting abortions. In light of this, I conducted a research project to uncover more about the reality that Brazilian women, specifically located in Praia Grande (a small community on Ilha de Mare off the coast of Salvador), face given the simultaneous existence of the two situations listed above (which I refer to as the “abortion …

Editorial Board

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Medical Futures Forum 2005: The Health Policy Implications Of Evidence-Based Medicine, Christopher N. Sciamanna

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

Events And Opportunities

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

Is There A Doctor 'In The Suite'? Nurse Practitioners' Services And A Reimbursement Dilemma, Jane F. Herling

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

Development Of A Scale To Measure Nutritional Literacy, James J. Diamond

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

Note: The Nutritional Literacy Scale can be found here:

http://jdc.jefferson.edu/nls/1/

Alleviating Pain: From Policy To Practice, Etienne J. Phipps

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

Will Health Literacy Research And Initiatives End The Confusion?, Christopher N. Sciamanna, Nicole M. Cobb

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

A Population-Based Longitudinal Healthcare Database In The Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy: A Resource For Planning And Research, Daniel Z. Louis, Elaine J. Yuen, Vittorio Maio, Carol Rabinowitz, Mary Robeson, Kenneth D. Smith, Joseph S. Gonnella

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

Revitalization Of An Emergency Department, David Grossman

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

Veteran's Administration National Center For Patient Safety Comes To Philadelphia, Christopher N. Sciamanna

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

Pennsylvania Begins Big Step Forward On Electronic Health Records, Patient Safety: Consortium Starts Work On E-Health Infrastructure To Be Tied Into National Efforts

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

Letter To The Editor: On The Value Of Value-Based Purchasing, John Greene

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

Letter To The Editor: The Value Of Value-Based Purchasing, Robert A. Greene

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

New Publications From The Department Of Health Policy

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

From The Editor: Trilogy Of Woe, David B. Nash

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.

Editorial Board

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

New Publications From The Department Of Health Policy

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract available.