Journal of health and human services administration
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J Health Hum Serv Adm · Jan 2008
Mental health services availability and admission of the seriously mentally ill from the emergency department.
This study used a cross-sectional, multiple logistic regression design to examine the relationship between mental health service availability and the admission of 111,527 seriously mentally ill (SMI) patients from the emergency department (ED) in New York State in 2002. The study found that SMI patients were admitted from the ED in counties that were mental health professional shortage areas and in counties with less long-term inpatient psychiatric days. Contrary to expectations, counties with community mental health centers (CMHCs) had more admissions than counties without CMHCs. The results support prior research that indicates the need for more specialized mental health services for the SMI, including more psychiatric beds.
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J Health Hum Serv Adm · Jan 2008
Advance directives for health care among older community residents.
Advance directives (ADs) for healthcare are useful planning tools for older people. In addition, the utilization of ADs is important for health and human services planners, administrators, and policy makers to understand because whether or not people have an AD, and what types of ADs they have can dramatically influence the treatment trajectories and the well-being of older people who can longer make decisions for themselves. ⋯ More than half of those interviewed had a living will, two-fifths had a durable power of attorney for healthcare, and one-third had both ADs. Older age and higher levels of education were consistently associated with having ADs.