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GAO Report On Health Professions Education Programs [March 31, 2006] House Debate On Higher Education Act Reauthorization [March 30, 2006] The Effect Of Population Aging On Future Hospital Demand [March 29, 2006] Research Showing How To Improve Care For Heart Failure Rarely Reforms Services Or Shapes Policy [March 28, 2006] A Profile Of Older Americans And Their Caregivers [March 27, 2006] Healthcare Opinion Leaders Survey: Assessing Congress's Health Priorities [March 24, 2006] New Initiative Launched To Improve Quality By Supporting Workers On The Front Lines Of Health And Health Care [March 23, 2006] Navigating The Terrain Between Research And Practice [March 22, 2006] New Web-Based Tool For States To Measure Performance On Quality Of Health Care [March 21, 2006] Match Day For Medical Students [March 20, 2006] Americans Fail To Receive Needed Care [March 17, 2006] Senate Votes To Add $7 Billion For Programs Including Health Workforce [March 16, 2006] HEA Extension Approved By House Of Representatives [March 15, 2006] Campaign Launched On Benefits Of Higher Education To Society [March 14, 2006] Census Report On Aging [March 13, 2006] Therapy Caps Explained [March 10, 2006] Higher Education Act Reauthorization [March 9, 2006] Health Disparities Research Plan Of The NIH [March 8, 2006] The Future Of Dental Hygiene [March 7, 2006] Changes Involving The Respiratory Therapy Workforce [March 6, 2006] Paths To Degree Completion From High School Through College [March 3, 2006] Health Status Of Immigrants In Relation To Length Of U.S. Stay [March 2, 2006] Congress Lifts Restrictions On Online Education [March 1, 2006] Federal Budget And Health Policy Tutorial [February 28, 2006] AAMC Taskforce To Examine Health Industry Influence On Medical Education [February 27, 2006] Health "Report Cards" May Overestimate Quality Of Care [February 24, 2006] Medicare At Forty [February 23, 2006] Transcripts And Webcasts From National Health Policy Conference Available [February 22, 2006] The State Of 50+ America 2006 [February 21, 2006] Genomics And Population Health [February 20, 2006] Draft Report On Clinical Doctorate Available For Comment [February 17, 2006] Hospitals Collect Patients' Race, Ethnicity And Language Data, But Few Hospitals Use The Data To Improve Quality of Care [February 16, 2006] AHRQ Conference Call For Abstracts [February 15, 2006] Why Do Health Care Costs Continue To Rise? [February 14, 2006] Resource Available For Adoption Of Health Information Technology [February 13, 2006] Improving Quality Through Patient Feedback [February 10, 2006] Many Pell Grant-Eligible Students Fail To Apply for Financial Aid [February 9, 2006] Alternative To Therapy Cap Passes In House of Representatives [february 8, 2006] Dentists File Lawsuit Against Non-Dentists [February 7, 2006] Bush Administration FY 2007 Budget Proposal Would Wipe Out Title VII Programs [February 6, 2006] Ayurvedic Medicine [February 3, 2006] RWJF To Address Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Health Care [February 2, 2006] Effects Of Budget Cuts On Bureau Of Health Professions Staff [February 1, 2006] GAO Report On Health Professions Education Programs A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the watchdog and investigative arm of Congress, sheds additional light on Title VII and Title VII programs. It indicates that the Health Resources and Services Administration, the unit responsible for carrying out these programs, has published performance goals for Titles VII and Title VIII activities, but cannot fully assess effectiveness because the goals do not apply to all the health professions education programs and the data for tracking progress are problematic. The GAO report notes that HRSA has published few recent national workforce projections. Regular assessment of future health workforce supply and demand is recognized as being key to setting policies as the nation's health care needs change. GAO recommends that HRSA develop a strategy and time frames to update and publish national health professions workforce projections regularly. A copy of the GAO report may be accessed by clicking: http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-55 House Debate On Higher Education Act Reauthorization The House is continuing debate today on the The College Access and Opportunity Act (H.R. 609), the bill that reauthorizes the Higher Education Act (HEA). Yesterday's discussion, which focused on proposed amendments to the bill, proceeded along partisan lines after the House Rules Committee allowed only 14 amendments to be offered for debate. Of the amendments offered, one by Rep. Dan Burton (R - IN) would require institutions receiving HEA funding for international education to report any donations they received from foreign sources to a public database. The amendment, which was strongly opposed by the higher education community, was defeated by a vote of 306-120. House deliberations are scheduled to conclude today with a vote on the legislation. The Effect Of Population Aging On Future Hospital Demand The results of a study that examines how the aging population will affect demand for inpatient hospital care are available in Health Affairs . According to the study, the aging population's effect on inpatient care will be relatively small over the next decade, while local population trends and advances in medical technology will be more important factors. Inpatient services are expected to increase by 64.8% between 2005 and 2015, however, population aging accounts for only 7.6% of the increase. The document may be accessed by clicking Research Showing How To Improve Care For Heart Failure Rarely Reforms Services Or Shapes Policy Many patients suffering from chronic heart failure do not benefit from research demonstrating how to improve their care because the research rarely finds its way into routine clinical practice in the United States, according to a RAND Corporation study issued today. Among 16 U.S.-based research projects that outlined ways to improve the health of patients with heart failure, only two continued providing those innovative services to their own patients, even after demonstrating substantial improvements, according the study published in the March edition of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society . Even when the federal Medicare program initiated an effort to improve care for chronic heart failure, lawmakers directed the program to use methods that had not been tested through careful clinical trials, according to the study. Chronic heart failure affects about 5 million people in the United States. A Profile Of Older Americans And Their Caregivers A report posted on the website of The Urban Institute earlier this month notes that f rail older adults are one of the most vulnerable groups in the nation. Disproportionately female, widowed, and in their 80s and 90s, most older persons with disabilities living outside of nursing homes have little education and limited financial resources. Given the scarcity of public financing for home-based care, about three-quarters of frail older persons receiving assistance rely exclusively on unpaid caregivers. Yet, providing help to these older Americans can be a substantial burden on spouses, children, and friends. As a result, some frail older adults do not receive the help they need. As the population ages, the demands on government and families will only intensify and put more older people at risk. This report uses data from the 2002 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to profile older Americans and their caregivers. Focusing on the group age 65 and older who are not in nursing homes, the study examines frail older adults and the subgroup with severe disabilities. Those defined as frail have difficulty with at least one personal care activity or other activity related to independent living; the severely disabled are unable to complete three or more personal care activities. Personal care activities include bathing, dressing, and getting in and out of bed. Other activities related to independent living include shopping for groceries and taking medications. The community-based disabled population is sizeable. In 2002, about 8.7 million individuals age 65 and older living at home, or 26.5 percent of the population, reported some type of disability that limited their ability to perform basic personal activities or live independently. About 6.1 percent, or 2.0 million were severely disabled. By comparison, about 1.4 million older persons lived in nursing homes in 2002. For additional information, click http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/311284_older_americans.pdf Healthcare Opinion Leaders Survey: Assessing Congress's Health Priorities The Commonwealth Fund Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of The Commonwealth Fund, with responses from a broad group of over 250 opinion leaders in health policy and innovators in health care delivery and finance. This was the seventh in a series of bimonthly surveys designed to highlight leaders' perspectives on the most effective and timely health policy issues facing the nation. The survey focused on health policy priorities for Congress over the next five years. Some questions were repeated from two previous surveys, conducted in December 2004 and February 2005. Leaders report that expanding coverage to the uninsured is unquestionably the top priority for Congress to address. This is the top priority for a large majority of leaders from academic/research institutions, health care delivery, and government/labor/advocacy, whereas leaders from business/insurance/other health care industry rank it a close second to increased use of information technology to improve the quality and safety of care, which is the second-highest priority for panelists from the other sectors. These leaders overall think that enacting reforms to moderate the rising costs of medical care for the nation needs to be the third priority on Congress's five-year to-do list. New Initiative Launched To Improve Quality By Supporting Workers On The Front Lines Of Health And Health Care A new national initiative, Jobs to Careers: Promoting Work-Based Learning for Quality Care, was launched today to support the needs of workers delivering direct health care and services (people such as medical assistants, health educators, laboratory technicians, substance abuse counselors and home health aides), their employers, and the people they serve. Jobs to Careers , a program established by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), in collaboration with The Hitachi Foundation, will support partnerships of employers and educational institutions to advance and reward the skill and career development of incumbent frontline workers. Frontline workers practice in settings such as acute care hospitals, long-term care institutions, behavioral and community health clinics, and public and community health organizations. They provide their patients and clients with preventive and early intervention services, chronic illness management strategies, and long-term and post-hospitalization rehabilitative care. For more information, click http://www.jtcp.org/ . Navigating The Terrain Between Research And Practice Thanks to medical advances, today there are many more treatment options for patients with chronic conditions, including diabetes, than in the past. Still, clinical research is often difficult to translate to the considerably messier world of primary care practice. Much traditional research simply does not apply to the "real world," where patients' limited English proficiency or health clinics' limited resources, for example, can influence the effectiveness of a given intervention. Enter the field of "translational research," which seeks to bridge the worlds of clinical research and public health. Such studies attempt to implement reproducible interventions involving a broad range of patients, providers, and settings, while at the same time enabling rigorous evaluation of the intervention's reach and effectiveness. In "Navigating the Terrain Between Research and Practice: A Collaborative Research Network (CRN) Case Study in Diabetes Research” (Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, Jan./Feb. 2006), Margaret A. Handley et al explore the trade-offs inherent in translational research through a case study of the Improving Diabetes Efforts Across Language and Literacy (IDEALL) Project. Major funding for the study was provided by The Commonwealth Fund and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. For additional information, click http://www.jabfm.org/cgi/content/abstract/19/1/85 . New Web-Based Tool For States To Measure Performance On Quality Of Health Care The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released a new interactive Web-based tool for States to use in measuring health care quality. The new State Snapshot Web tool is based on the 2005 National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR) and the 2005 National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR), originally released on January 9, and provides quick and easy access to the many measures and tables of the NHQR from each State's perspective. The State Snapshot tool provides a multitude of valuable information for each individual State, including: Match Day For Medical Students Last week, 15,000 upcoming graduates of U.S. medical schools participated in "Match Day" and learn where they will spend their years of residency training. Conducted annually by the NRMP, the Match uses a computer algorithm to align the preferences of applicants with the preferences of residency programs, in order to fill the available training positions at U.S. teaching hospitals. The Match has a very high success rate — 93.7 percent of U.S. medical school seniors matched to a first-year residency position. Of those students, 84.6 percent matched to one of their top three program choices. Americans Fail To Receive Needed Care Americans received about 55 percent of the recommended medical care they need, regardless of their race, sex, income, or where they live, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Published in the March 16 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, , the study also revealed that blacks and Hispanics fared better than whites on routine medical care and that women were more likely to receive preventive medical care. The study, billed as the largest and most comprehensive examination conducted of health care quality in the United States, found that while some disparities in care do exist they are small relative to the gap between the medical care individuals need and what they are actually receiving. The study's findings add new information to the ongoing debate over race and disparities in health care treatment. Insurance status had no real effect on the quality of care provided, the authors noted. When all patients have equal access to medical care, disparities in care according to race or ethnic group are often reduced or even reversed, they said. Findings of the report include:
Senate Votes To Add $7 Billion For Programs Including Health Workforce By a vote of 73-27, the Senate today voted to approve an amendment offered by Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chair and ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The amendment, which was co-sponsored by 27 additional senators, adds $7 billion to the budget for education, biomedical research, and workforce programs. If the $7 billion addition survives a future budget conference with the House, the funds could be used by appropriators to reverse cuts and increase funding for programs such as Pell Grants, the Perkins Loan Program, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, and Talent Search, and other key student aid programs. The additional funding could also provide increases for the National Institutes of Health. The Specter/Harkin amendment came a day after the narrow defeat of an amendment sponsored by Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), Susan M. Collins (R-ME), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) to boost student aid funding by $6.3 billion. Specifically, the amendment sought to raise the maximum Pell Grant award to $4,500, restore cuts to other student aid programs, and increase funding for Perkins vocational education and job training. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 50-50, with some senators withholding support in anticipation of the Specter/Harkin amendment. The higher education community supported and worked actively on behalf of both of these amendments. The House Budget Committee is expected to markup its version of the fiscal year 2007 budget resolution on March 29. HEA Extension Approved By House Of Representatives The House of Representatives approved a three-month extension of the Higher Education Act (HEA), a law that authorizes programs and activities of the U.S. Department of Education that assist students to attend institutions of higher education. The primary focus of the HEA is student aid, in the form of grants, loans, and work-study assistance. The extension (H.R. 4911), approved yesterday by unanimous consent, would last through June 30, 2006. The current extension expires March 31. The HEA reauthorization bill (H.R. 609) could be considered by the full House as early as the end of this month. The Senate is expected to bring up the measure under unanimous consent soon. Campaign Launched On Benefits Of Higher Education To Society The American Council on Education (ACE), along with nearly 400 colleges and universities across the country and through generous support from corporate partners, launched a national public outreach campaign designed to raise awareness about higher education's critical role in the future of our country. Solutions for Our Future is a multi-year effort aimed at establishing a dialogue with local communities and policy makers about the broad societal benefits of higher education. The campaign has three primary goals: (1) increase awareness of the public benefits of higher education; (2) enable every campus to do its part in meeting the nation's needs for higher education; and (3) make higher education a public policy priority. The campaign will utilize national television, radio and newspaper advertisements, an interactive web site (www.solutionsforourfuture.org ), and grassroots participation of member. Older U.S. residents are living longer, healthier lives with fewer disabilities, according to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau. For the study, titled "65+ in the United States: 2005," researchers from the Census Bureau and the National Institute on Aging compiled population data from Census surveys and other federal sources, including CDC, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Medicare claims. About 80 percent of seniors have at least one chronic health condition and 50 percent have at least two. Arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory disorders are some of the leading causes of activity limitations among older people. Disability among the older population is declining. Studies over the past two decades have revealed substantial declines in the rates of disability and functional limitation. The report may be accessed by clicking http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p23-209.pdf The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the long awaited details on the therapy cap exception process. There are three different sets of instructions (transmittals) outlining the cap exception process and documentation requirements. There will be two types of exceptions: automatic exceptions and manual exceptions. The transmittals may be accessed by clicking http://www.aota.org/nonmembers/area17/docs/R46BP.pdf http://www.aota.org/nonmembers/area17/docs/R139PI.pdf http://www.aota.org/nonmembers/area17/docs/R853CP.pdf The CMS also has issued explanatory materials on the exception process that may be accessed by clicking http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedlearnMattersArticles/downloads/MM4364.pdf http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/release.asp?Counter=1782 Higher Education Act Reauthorization On February 28, 2006, the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee (HELP) issued its report on S. 1614. The HELP Committee reported S. 1614 out of committee on November 17, 2005, but it did not release an accompanying report at the time. The HEW Committee reported H.R. 609 on September 22, 2005. Because S. 1614 and H.R. 609 have been reported by the relevant committees, both bills are available for floor action. At this time, neither the House nor the Senate has scheduled floor action on their respective bills. In accordance with the Second Higher Education Extension Act of 2005, the HEA is set to expire on March 31, 2006. Congress likely will pass another extension of the law, but it seems doubtful that it will have completed comprehensive reauthorization by that date. On February 16, 2006, Representative Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA) introduced H.R. 4795, a bill to amend HEA provisions related to accreditation. The bill focuses on due process, accreditation standards related to institutional governance and state accreditors. On February 16, 2006, Representative Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA) introduced H.R. 4795, a bill to amend HEA provisions related to accreditation. The bill focuses on due process, accreditation standards related to institutional governance and state accreditors. A comparison of current law to H.R. 4795, H.R. 609 and S. 1614 may be accessed by clicking http://www.chea.org/Government/HEAUpdate/docs/HEAUpdate29_Chart.pdf Health Disparities Research Plan Of The NIH The health of racial and ethnic minorities, poor persons, and other disadvantaged groups in the United States is worse than the health of the overall population. National concerns for these differences, termed health disparities and the associated excess mortality and morbidity have been expressed as a high priority in national health status reviews, including Healthy People 2000 and 2010. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) ranks this issue third among its top five priorities. The NIH Strategic Research Plan and Budget to Reduce and Ultimately Eliminate Health Disparities is intended to provide an overarching structure and coordination for such research being conducted by various NIH institutes and centers. Examining the Health Disparities Research Plan of the National Institutes of Health: Unfinished Business assesses how well the plan provides needed guidance and recommends ways to improve oversight and coordination of these research efforts. The report may be accessed by clicking http://darwin.nap.edu/books/0309101212/html/ . Three years ago, a selected group of dental hygienists met to establish what the future would hold for their profession if it were determined by those in the field. The result is Dental Hygiene: Focus on Advancing the Profession. The report, which was released officially at the annual session, takes a progressive stance with controversial statements and recommendations, such as:
The report may be accessed by clicking http://www.adha.org/downloads/ADHA_Focus_Report.pdf . Changes Involving The Respiratory Therapy Workforce A new Human Resources Study is available from the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) and results show significant changes not only in the number of respiratory therapists nationwide, but also in salaries, vacancies, educational levels, demographics, credentialing, and other key areas of the profession. Directors of respiratory therapy services in acute and long-term care hospitals, top managers of durable medical equipment (DME) companies, and directors of accredited respiratory therapy education programs completed the surveys. The Association also worked closely with industrial partners, hospital chains, state licensing boards, and AARC state societies in carrying out the survey. Here are some of the major bullet points from the study:
A more complete summary of the 2005 Human Resource Study will be in the April issue of AARC Times . Paths To Degree Completion From High School Through CollegeA recent report from the Department of Education investigates what aspects of “formal schooling” help a student complete their bachelor's degree and argues that measuring college graduation rates with old formulas that look at institutions rather than individuals does not give an accurate picture of who eventually obtains a degree in an increasingly nontraditional postsecondary environment. The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion from High School Through College follows a nationally representative group of students for twelve years beginning in 1988—when they were in eighth grade—through high school and into college and asks what contributed toward their earning a bachelor's degree by their mid-20s. As the authors emphasize, the focus is not on access to higher education or persistence while enrolled in college, but rather about ‘the completion of academic credentials—the culmination of opportunity, guidance, choice, effort, and commitment.” The report may be accessed by clicking Health Status Of Immigrants In Relation To Length Of U.S. Stay A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC indicates that there are significant differences in physical health status and mental health status among U.S.-born and foreign-born adults. Foreign-born adults enjoy considerable advantages over their U.S.-born counterparts for many health measures despite limited access to health care and unfavorable sociodemographic characteristics. Differences in the impact of length of stay in the United States on immigrant health suggest that the role of acculturation in understanding immigrant health is complex and may differ for various race/ethnicity groups. Non-Hispanic black and Hispanic adults, regardless of nativity, were more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Asian adults. However, non-Hispanic black and Hispanic immigrant adults were significantly less likely to be obese than their U.S.-born counterparts. Hispanic immigrants were more likely to be obese the longer they lived in the United States. Foreign-born non-Hispanic black and Hispanic immigrant adults experienced fewer symptoms of serious psychological distress compared with their U.S.-born counterparts. The report may be accessed by clicking http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ad/ad369.pdf . Congress Lifts Restrictions On Online Education An article in today's edition of the New York Times reports that colleges no longer will be required to deliver at least half their courses on a campus instead of online to qualify for federal student aid. That change is expected to be of enormous value to the commercial education industry. Although both for-profit colleges and traditional ones have expanded their Internet and online offerings in recent years, only a few dozen universities are fully Internet-based, and most of them are for-profit ones. The provision is just one sign of how an industry that once had a dubious reputation has gained new influence, with well-connected friends in the government and many Congressional Republicans sympathetic to their entrepreneurial ethic. The Bush administration supported lifting the restriction on online education as a way to reach nontraditional students. Nonprofit universities and colleges opposed such a broad change, with some academics saying there was no proof that online education was effective. But for-profit colleges sought the rollback avidly. Federal Budget And Health Policy Tutorial Tim Westmoreland, visiting professor of law at Georgetown University and former counsel to the House Subcommittee on Health and the Environment, narrated a Kaiser Family Foundation slide tutorial on the federal budget policy and how it affects health policy. The tutorial may be accessed by clicking http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials_index.asp#FederalBudget AAMC Taskforce To Examine Health Industry Influence On Medical Education At its February meeting, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC's) Executive Council examined the recommendations published in last month's Journal of the American Medical Association aimed at minimizing the potentially adverse impact of gifts and other blandishments from drug and medical device makers on the missions of academic medical centers. The council responded favorably to the thrust of these recommendations and voted unanimously to form a high-level task force to build on the association's previous work to provide guidance on managing conflicts of interest. The task force will be charged to 1) examine, especially, the current interactions that drug and device makers have with the educational mission of medical schools and teaching hospitals, and 2) bring forth recommendations expeditiously for implementing safeguards to ensure that industry marketing efforts do not undermine the objectivity of educational programs or otherwise bias the evidence-based decision making of physicians. Health "Report Cards" May Overestimate Quality Of Care Methods commonly used to create medical “report cards” that grade the quality of care provided by doctors and hospitals may be resulting in grades that are too high, according to a new RAND Corporation study. The study examined care provided to a group of vulnerable older patients. Researchers using information from claims filed to receive payment and other administrative records to assess the quality of medical care found that the patients received 83 percent of the recommended care. But when researchers graded the care using a broader set of standards after examining medical records — used less often for medical report cards — they found that same group of seniors received just 55 percent of the recommended care. The findings of the study, published in the February edition of Medical Care, add support to recommendations for creating computerized medical records. Such records could make it easier to incorporate detailed medical information into the routine creation of medical report cards. In "Medicare at Forty," (Health Care Financing Review, Winter 2005–06), Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis and Senior Program Officer Sara R. Collins look back at Medicare's successes, describe its challenges as health care costs rise and waves of baby boomers face retirement, and suggest policy options to ensure health and financial security for all Americans. The document may be accessed by clicking Transcripts And Webcasts From National Health Policy Conference Available The 2006 National Health Policy Conference, sponsored by AcademyHealth and Health Affairs, brought together leading experts from the administration, academia, and health industry to share their insights on critical health care issues confronting policy-makers. Among the topics addressed are: Consumer-driven health plans, Medicare coverage, malpractice reform, prescription drug discount cards and the congressional health policy agenda. Compared with a decade ago, the state of 50+ America seems to have improved, but AARP’s third annual “report card” on the quality of life of midlife and older Americans finds that the picture has become less favorable and the outlook more bleak during the most recent year. While moderately positive change occurred in more than half of the economic indicators in the past year, change in the health indicators has been generally negative. Age 50+ Americans thus appear to be doing better financially, but feeling worse; other social measures also were more negative than positive. Individuals are being required to take more responsibility for their own retirement, traditional pensions are in decline even as overall coverage inches up, retiree health benefits are being reduced or eliminated, the stock market is stagnant and, although they were turned back in 2005, threats to partially privatize Social Security are likely to resurface. As a result, the future remains uncertain. The 2006 report examines the status of age 50+ Americans’ economic, health and social well-being, and includes a special section on housing and how people are responding to the current housing landscape. The report may be accessed by clicking http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/fifty_plus_2006.pdf. Genomics And Population Health The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report entitled "Genomics and Population Health 2005." It may be accessed by clicking http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/activities/ogdp/2005.htm Draft Report On Clinical Doctorate Available For Comment The Higher Learning Commission's Task Force on the Professional Doctorate has posted a working draft of its report and recommendations. As part of its process, the Task Force is seeking comments from other constituencies with an interest in this important matter. The Task Force will reconvene via teleconference on March 7 and will decide whether it wishes to change this report in any way to reflect the issues raised by others. Comments may be submitted by email to scrow@hlcommission.org . The report may be downloaded from the Commission's website at http://www.ncahlc.org/index.php Hospitals Collect Patients' Race, Ethnicity And Language Data, But Few Hospitals Use The Data To Improve Quality of Care A recent study reveals that the majority of U.S. hospitals collect accurate information about their patients' race, ethnicity, and language preference, but few are using the data to improve the quality of health care that is delivered to patients. The study was conducted by the National Public Health and Hospital Institute (NPHHI) with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Among the study's findings: Most hospitals are collecting data about the race, ethnicity, and language preference of their patients. In fact, more than three-quarters (78.4 percent) of non-federal acute care hospitals in the United States collect information on the race of their patients and one-half collect information on patient ethnicity (50.4 percent) and language (50.2 percent). Teaching hospitals are most likely to collect such data: 85.8 percent of teaching hospitals indicate that they collect information on race and 59.2 percent collect information on ethnicity. Few hospitals are using collected data to improve the quality of health care their patients receive. NPHHI asked hospitals that collect race and ethnicity data whether they used the information to assess and compare quality of care, utilization of health services, health outcomes, or patient satisfaction across their different patient populations. Overall, less than one in five (20 percent) hospitals that collect this information uses it for any of these purposes. The most common barrier for those hospitals that do not collect racial, ethnic, and/or language data is the sense that the data are not important. More than one-half of the hospitals that do not collect this information said they did not collect it because there was no need to. Hospitals that do not collect such data are more likely than those hospitals that do to view information technology, funding, and legal limitations as barriers to data collection. The report may be accessed by clicking http://www.naph.org/Template.cfm?Section=Publications&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=6334 AHRQ Conference Call For Abstracts The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently issued a “Call for Abstracts” for the Translating Research into Practice and Policy (TRIPP) 2006 Conference. The event will be held in Washington, DC on July 10-12, 2006. The deadline for submitting abstracts is March 3, 2006 . Abstracts are being solicited for the following nine conference session categories for both concurrent paper sessions and poster presentations (both quantitative and qualitative research will be considered ): Organizational Transformation, Translating Research into Guidelines and Policies, TRIPP through Partnerships/Networking, Quality Indicators/Measures to Promote TRIPP, Cost-effectiveness and Other Economic Factors in TRIPP, Health Information Technology, The Role of Patients and Health Literacy in TRIPP, Health Disparities, and Mass Media. Additional information may be accessed by clicking http://www.ahcpr.gov/about/tripcall06.htm Why Do Health Care Costs Continue To Rise? Do health care costs continue to rise because, among other reasons, the public has a perception that such care is free? Allan Hubbard, Director of the National Economic Council at the White House, expressed his opinion on such matters recently. The transcript of a discussion with him can be accessed by clicking Resource Available For Adoption Of Health Information Technology The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has launched a new suite of "learning resources" designed to help health care providers adopt health information technologies quickly and effectively. The step represents a new phase for the AHRQ National Resource Center on Health Information Technology as the Agency acts rapidly to convey the lessons learned through AHRQ-funded projects and other sources. The new resources can be accessed by clicking http://www.healthit.ahrq.gov . Improving Quality Through Patient Feedback Patient survey data can be valuable in planning quality improvement initiatives, but only if physician practices, hospitals, and other providers understand how to use this information effectively. A new Commonwealth Fund-supported study captures health professionals' experiences using patient feedback. For additional information, click http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=355711 Many Pell Grant-Eligible Students Fail To Apply for Financial Aid An updated analysis by the American Council on Education (ACE) finds that an estimated 1.5 million students who were likely eligible to receive Pell Grants in the 2003-04 academic year missed out on the assistance because they did not apply for financial aid. That figure is up significantly from 850,000 when ACE first examined the number of students who did not complete the aid application for the 1999-2000 academic year. Missed Opportunities Revisited: New Information on Students Who Do Not Apply for Financial Aid analyzes data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) produced by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. ACE's Center for Policy Analysis produced the issue brief. In 2003-04, 28 percent of the lowest-income independent students did not file a FAFSA compared to 24 percent in 1999-2000. The issue brief may be accessed by clicking Alternative To Therapy Cap Passes In House of Representatives An alternative to the therapy cap in The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (S. 1932) recently passed the House of Representatives. The bill includes a one-year solution to the cap on Medicare Part B outpatient occupational therapy services, as well as other changes in Medicare and Medicaid. It must be signed by the President in order to become law. The budget bill will make the following changes for 2006: Medicare beneficiaries who reach the cap ($1,740 for 2006) can apply for additional services. Medicare must determine if the additional therapy applied for is medically necessary and then approve or deny the services. An answer must be provided within 10 days, or the additional therapy is considered approved. Medicare must implement improvements in the use of CPT codes to assure that only appropriate therapy is provided. Dentists File Lawsuit Against Non-Dentists The American Dental Association (ADA), the Alaska Dental Society (ADS) and several individual dentists filed a lawsuit last week in state Superior Court, seeking to stop the unlicensed practice of dentistry and dental surgery by non-dentists. The complaint asks the court to declare the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and its dental health aide therapists (DHATs) in violation of state dental licensing laws. DHATs receive only 18 to 24 months training in a foreign dental school, and generally have only a high school education or its equivalent. The procedures at issue include extracting and drilling teeth and performing root canal-like surgery on primary teeth—surgical procedures for which the skills of fully trained, licensed dentists are absolutely essential. “I want to make it clear that the ADA supports every other aspect of the dental health aide program, said Robert M. Brandjord, D.D.S., ADA president. “That means we support education, prevention, oral health literacy programs, water fluoridation, sealant programs, nutrition programs, literally anything and everything that helps prevent dental disease. “All of us in the dental community regret terribly that the situation has deteriorated to the point of litigation. But we cannot and will not stand by while non-dentists perform irreversible dental surgery on Alaska Natives and others, procedures that other Americans receive only from fully trained, licensed dentists who operate under the safety and accountability standards set by state dental boards.” A copy of the lawsuit may be accessed by clicking Bush Administration FY 2007 Budget Proposal Would Wipe Out Title VII Programs The Section 755 Allied Health Grants Program and all except one other program under Title VII of the Public Health Service Act would be eliminated if Congress accepts the budget proposal for FY 2007 that was released today by the Bush Administration. A PART (Program Assessment Rating Tool) assessment found that, after 40 years of funding, Title VII health professions programs have not demonstrated an impact on placing health professionals in underserved areas. Based on this determination, the budget proposes the elimination of most general health professions grants, a reduction of $99 million, to direct resources to activities that are capable of placing health care providers in medically underserved communities. Overall, the request for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the parent agency that administers these programs, is $6.4 billion, a net decrease of $252 million from the FY 2006 level. The budget maintains support for nursing programs and provides $10 million for scholarships for disadvantaged students, the only Title VII program that would be funded. For additional information, click http://www.hhs.gov/budget/07budget/2007BudgetInBrief.pdf . Ayurvedic medicine is a whole medical system that began and developed in India. Today, its therapies are used around the world, including the United States. Immigration results in a constant flow of new persons to our shores. Accompanying them is a set a belief about the origins and treatment of disease. An increased interest in complementary and alternative medicine also is characteristic of many patients in the United States. Information about this type of health care can be accessed from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine by clicking http://nccam.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2006_winter/ayurveda.htm . RWJF To Address Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Health Care In an effort to improve the quality of health care for all Americans, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is working towards identifying and implementing real-world solutions to eliminating the gaps in care experienced by patients from racial and ethnic minority populations. As part of this effort, RWJF has released a call for proposals for its new program Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change . The three-year, $5 million program is a research and tracking initiative, which will focus on evaluating approaches already underway in the field to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Approximately 25 grants will be made over the course of this three-year period. While the existence of racial and ethnic disparities in health care is well documented, there is a shortage of practical and effective solutions. Finding Answers seeks to address this challenge by funding evaluations of efforts that target the treatment of cardiovascular disease, depression and diabetes. These three diseases were selected because the racial and ethnic disparities are significant and there is general consensus about the right way to care for these illnesses. Finding Answers is looking for successful interventions that attack different causes of disparities. Provider organizations such as medical groups, hospitals, community health centers as well as health plans and employers, community organizations and academic institutions are encouraged to learn more about the call for proposals. Interventions spanning the range from organization-wide quality improvement initiatives to initiatives aimed at individual providers and patients are eligible for funding. Six to eight grants will be awarded in October 2006 ranging between $50,000 and $300,000. The Finding Answers Call for Proposals is available online at the RWJF Web site, www.rwjf.org . Brief proposals are due by March 16, 2006. Potential applicants should contact the program at (866) 344-9800 or visit www.SolvingDisparities.org for more information. Effects Of Budget Cuts On Bureau Of Health Professions Staff HRSA Administrator Betty Duke assured Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr) employees at an all-hands meeting in January that no one will be laid off as a result of cuts in the Bureau's Fiscal Year 2006 budget. "There's still plenty of work to do in the Bureau and throughout the agency," she said. "You may not be doing what you are now, but you will have a job at HRSA." The Bureau's FY 2005 budget of $882 million is expected to drop to about $738 million. BHPr programs whose budgets were eliminated in 2006 include Health Education and Training Centers, Geriatric Programs, and the Quentin N. Burdick Program for Rural Interdisciplinary Training. Other programs such as the Section 755 Allied Health Grants Program underwent severe budget reductions. Duke urged BHPr employees to see the upcoming changes as opportunities for growth by learning new skills and doing new tasks. New appointments introduce new people and places and give a chance to tackle challenges, which would never be faced otherwise, she said. Duke told employees she will consult with them and keep them informed as the restructuring process gains strength in the months to come. "We will get through this together as a team," she told employees. "I'm not going anywhere." |
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