Journal of health care for the poor and underserved
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J Health Care Poor Underserved · Nov 2010
Preventing opiate overdose deaths: examining objections to take-home naloxone.
Opiate overdose persists as a major public health problem, contributing to significant morbidity and mortality among opiate users globally. Opiate overdose can be reversed by the timely administration of naloxone. ⋯ Objections to distributing naloxone to non-medical personnel persist despite a lack of scientific evidence. Here we respond to some common objections to naloxone distribution and their implications.
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J Health Care Poor Underserved · May 2010
Comparative StudyBehavioral health services use among heads of homeless and housed poor families.
This study compares the use of and cost for behavioral health services among heads of homeless and housed poor families. ⋯ Greater use of behavioral health services by heads of homeless families may reflect greater severity of disorders or a greater likelihood to seek treatment relative to what has been suggested by previous research.
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J Health Care Poor Underserved · May 2010
A qualitative evaluation of a health literacy intervention to improve medication adherence for underserved pharmacy patients.
To evaluate the implementation of a health literacy intervention to improve medication adherence among patients in an inner-city health system. ⋯ Successful health literacy interventions require tools that are easy to comprehend, accessible, and personalized to the special needs and interests of the target population. Moreover, providers must be well-trained, and adequate resources must be provided to assure the fidelity of the intervention's implementation.
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J Health Care Poor Underserved · May 2010
Racial and ethnic disparities within and between hospitals for inpatient quality of care: an examination of patient-level Hospital Quality Alliance measures.
Little is known about whether disparities occur within or between hospitals for national Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) measures. ⋯ Adjusting for between-hospital quality differences accounted for a large proportion of the disparities. Where disparities exist, the primary cause may be that minorities are more likely to receive care in lower-performing hospitals. Policies to reduce disparities should include targeting resources to facilities serving a high percentage of minority patients.