Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Health Service Utilization And Poor Health Reporting In Asthma Patients, Joshua G. Behr, Rafael Diaz, Muge Akpinar-Elci

VMASC Publications

The management and treatment of adult asthma has been associated with utilization of health services. Objectives: First, to investigate the likelihood of health service utilization, including primary care, emergency department, and hospital stays, among persons diagnosed with an asthma condition relative to those that do not have an asthma condition. Second, to examine the likelihood of poor physical health among asthma respondents relative to those that do not have an asthma condition. Third, to demonstrate that these relationships vary with frequency of utilization. Fourth, to discuss the magnitude of differences in frequent utilization between asthma and non-asthma respondents. Data …

Framework For Classifying Compliance And Medical Immediacy Among Low-Acuity Presentations At An Urban Trauma Center, Joshua G. Behr, Rafael Diaz, Barry Knapp, Cynthia Kratzke

VMASC Publications

Background: This research offers two exploratory frameworks for medical regimen compliance and medical immediacy. The first classifies compliance awareness, compliance mitigation, and financial limitation for those patients that exhibit nonadherence with a medical regimen. The second classifies medical immediacy and characterizes avoidable utilization.

Methods: Representative sampling of adult patients presenting at an emergency department (62,000/ppy) triaged as low acuity; emergency department physician assessment of noncompliance with medical regimen for those patients with a complaint related to a chronic condition; and emergency department physician assessment of medical immediacy and avoidable utilization.

Results: Physicians report 48.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) 43.5% to …