The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s 2008 state data provide information about health care quality, including strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.
Snaphots summarize health care quality in three dimensions: type of care (preventive, acute and chronic care), setting of care (hospitals, ambulatory, nursing homes and home health care) and by clinical areas (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, maternal and child health and respiratory disease).
“The State Snapshots are an invaluable resource for state officials, health care providers and purchasers to help them better understand the extent of health care quality and disparities in their states,” said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. “With this information, they can take the necessary steps to improve health care quality and address persistent gaps in access to health care.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is also releasing state-by-state reports on the health care status quo. The reports are available at www.HealthReform.gov.
See how Wisconsin measures up!
http://statesnapshots.ahrq.gov/snaps08/index.jsp
Friday, June 26, 2009
Many Young Adults = No Health Insurance, No Doctor, No Concern
Released: Thu 25-Jun-2009, 20:00 ET by Newswise:
"Approximately 5 million adults age 19 to 23 in the United States had no health insurance in 2006 for the entire year and 30 percent of them said they didn’t think it was worth the cost, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The analysis by the federal agency found that 46 percent (2.2 million) of uninsured young adults worked full time and 26 percent (1.3 million) worked part time. Some 81 percent of the 5 million young adults who were uninsured through all of 2006 were not full-time students.
The report by AHRQ also shows that in 2006:
• Young adults who were uninsured for the entire year were only about half as likely as those who had insurance part of the year to have a usual source of care, such as a family doctor (36 percent vs. 70 percent). • More than two-thirds of young adults without insurance for the entire year did not see a doctor. • Young men were more likely than young women to be uninsured all year (30 percent vs. 18 percent).
AHRQ, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, improves the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. The data in this AHRQ News and Numbers summary are taken from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a detailed source of information on the health services used by Americans, the frequency with which they are used, the cost of those services, and how they are paid. "
For more information, go to Characteristics of Uninsured Young Adults:
Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population 19-23 years of age, 2006
(http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/st246/stat246.pdf).
"Approximately 5 million adults age 19 to 23 in the United States had no health insurance in 2006 for the entire year and 30 percent of them said they didn’t think it was worth the cost, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The analysis by the federal agency found that 46 percent (2.2 million) of uninsured young adults worked full time and 26 percent (1.3 million) worked part time. Some 81 percent of the 5 million young adults who were uninsured through all of 2006 were not full-time students.
The report by AHRQ also shows that in 2006:
• Young adults who were uninsured for the entire year were only about half as likely as those who had insurance part of the year to have a usual source of care, such as a family doctor (36 percent vs. 70 percent). • More than two-thirds of young adults without insurance for the entire year did not see a doctor. • Young men were more likely than young women to be uninsured all year (30 percent vs. 18 percent).
AHRQ, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, improves the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. The data in this AHRQ News and Numbers summary are taken from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a detailed source of information on the health services used by Americans, the frequency with which they are used, the cost of those services, and how they are paid. "
For more information, go to Characteristics of Uninsured Young Adults:
Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population 19-23 years of age, 2006
(http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/st246/stat246.pdf).
MLA Releases Health Information Literacy Tutorial
From MLA-FOCUS 06/25/2009:
MLA is happy to announce the availability of a free web-based health information literacy tutorial, " Prescription for Information: Addressing Health Information Literacy ," developed by Gail Kouame, Consumer Health Coordinator, National Network of Libraries of Medicine Pacific Northwest Region, for MLA's Health Information Literacy (HIL) Research Project.
The tutorial is for health care providers and emphasizes the importance of health literacy and the challenges patients face in understanding medical terminology. It also helps participants recognize the impact that low health literacy has on patient care and learn about health information resources and strategies available to them and their patients. The tutorial also describes health literacy services provided by medical librarians.
The "Prescription for Information" tutorial is based upon the health information literacy curriculum, "Putting Information into Health Literacy," developed by Sabrina Kurtz-Rossi for the MLA HIL project. The project was funded under NLM contract HHSN276200663511/NO1-LM-6-3511 with coprincipal investigators Jean Pugh Shipman, AHIP, FMLA, and Carla J. Funk, CAE.
MLA is happy to announce the availability of a free web-based health information literacy tutorial, " Prescription for Information: Addressing Health Information Literacy ," developed by Gail Kouame, Consumer Health Coordinator, National Network of Libraries of Medicine Pacific Northwest Region, for MLA's Health Information Literacy (HIL) Research Project.
The tutorial is for health care providers and emphasizes the importance of health literacy and the challenges patients face in understanding medical terminology. It also helps participants recognize the impact that low health literacy has on patient care and learn about health information resources and strategies available to them and their patients. The tutorial also describes health literacy services provided by medical librarians.
The "Prescription for Information" tutorial is based upon the health information literacy curriculum, "Putting Information into Health Literacy," developed by Sabrina Kurtz-Rossi for the MLA HIL project. The project was funded under NLM contract HHSN276200663511/NO1-LM-6-3511 with coprincipal investigators Jean Pugh Shipman, AHIP, FMLA, and Carla J. Funk, CAE.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
United We Serve Initiative
June 16, 2009
Today, in a video message, President Obama unveiled United We Serve - a sustained effort to expand the size and impact of volunteer efforts in addressing tough challenges facing the nation.
The initiative, which will be led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, officially kicks off on June 22, and runs for 81 days through a new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11.
To make it easy to get involved, the President is urging Americans to visit the Corporation's web site, Serve.gov, where visitors can search for local volunteer opportunities, recruit volunteers by posting their organization's projects, or get ideas for creating their own projects with friends, families, and neighbors.
During this summer, the President is renewing his call to all Americans to identify needs in their communities, engage in meaningful service to create change - and stay engaged long after September. The President's call focuses on four key areas where everyone can make an impact in their community: energy and the environment, health care, education and community renewal.
Please go to Serve.gov today to view the President's video, and get started on your summer of service.
In Service, Nicola GorenActing CEOCorporation for National and Community Service
Today, in a video message, President Obama unveiled United We Serve - a sustained effort to expand the size and impact of volunteer efforts in addressing tough challenges facing the nation.
The initiative, which will be led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, officially kicks off on June 22, and runs for 81 days through a new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11.
To make it easy to get involved, the President is urging Americans to visit the Corporation's web site, Serve.gov, where visitors can search for local volunteer opportunities, recruit volunteers by posting their organization's projects, or get ideas for creating their own projects with friends, families, and neighbors.
During this summer, the President is renewing his call to all Americans to identify needs in their communities, engage in meaningful service to create change - and stay engaged long after September. The President's call focuses on four key areas where everyone can make an impact in their community: energy and the environment, health care, education and community renewal.
Please go to Serve.gov today to view the President's video, and get started on your summer of service.
In Service, Nicola GorenActing CEOCorporation for National and Community Service
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Social Life of Health Information - Pew Report
Jun 11, 2009
The Social Life of Health Information, by Susannah Fox, Sydney Jones
Americans’ pursuit of health takes place within a widening network of both online and offline sources. The findings in this report come from a national phone survey done by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project in partnership with the California HealthCare Foundation. Some 2,253 adults, age 18 and older, were interviewed in December 2008 about the social impact of the internet on health care. The interviews were conducted in English or Spanish and included 502 cell-phone interviews.
Read more in full report at:
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/8-The-Social-Life-of-Health-Information.aspx
The Social Life of Health Information, by Susannah Fox, Sydney Jones
Americans’ pursuit of health takes place within a widening network of both online and offline sources. The findings in this report come from a national phone survey done by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project in partnership with the California HealthCare Foundation. Some 2,253 adults, age 18 and older, were interviewed in December 2008 about the social impact of the internet on health care. The interviews were conducted in English or Spanish and included 502 cell-phone interviews.
Findings:
- 61% of American adults look online for health information.
- American adults continue to turn to traditional sources of health information, even as many of them deepen their engagement with the online world.
- The social life of health information is robust.
- A majority of e-patients access user-generated health information.
- Social networking sites are used only sparingly for health queries and updates.
- Online health inquiries have an impact on decisions or actions and there are clearly more positive experiences than negative ones.
- Internet users report a surge of interest in information about exercise and fitness.
- Change is coming, whether through the spread of wireless devices or generational shifts.
Read more in full report at:
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/8-The-Social-Life-of-Health-Information.aspx
Monday, June 1, 2009
Search Clouds in MedlinePlus
What are people searching in MedlinePlus? The search clouds will tell the story!
Search clouds, added to MedlinePlus in both English and Spanish versions in April 2009, display the top 100 searches and are updated daily. The search terms appear in alphabetical order, with the font size representing the relative search frequency. The bigger the term, the more often it is searched by people who visit MedlinePlus. A term's exact ranking is found by placing the cursor over the term. Clicking on the term within the cloud will initiate a MedlinePlus search.
Spanish and English clouds are unique and may show different search terms and different search frequencies.
The clouds are linked from the MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en español homepages.
http://medlineplus.gov/
http://medlineplus.gov/spanish/
Search clouds, added to MedlinePlus in both English and Spanish versions in April 2009, display the top 100 searches and are updated daily. The search terms appear in alphabetical order, with the font size representing the relative search frequency. The bigger the term, the more often it is searched by people who visit MedlinePlus. A term's exact ranking is found by placing the cursor over the term. Clicking on the term within the cloud will initiate a MedlinePlus search.
Spanish and English clouds are unique and may show different search terms and different search frequencies.
The clouds are linked from the MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en español homepages.
http://medlineplus.gov/
http://medlineplus.gov/spanish/
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