Archives of family medicine
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To determine the prevalence of advance directives and do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders in nursing homes and to measure the effect of the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) and patient characteristics on these prevalences. ⋯ Enactment of the PSDA reflects increased interest in documentation of advance directives. However, in many nursing facilities, the prevalence of advance directives and DNR orders is relatively low. A greater commitment will be required by providers, residents, and their proxies if we are to change this reality.
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To evaluate the effectiveness of various screening tests for detecting genital human papillomavirus (HPV) in a community-based population and to determine the prevalence of cervical lesions on colposcopically directed biopsies in patients found to have HPV by any screening test. ⋯ Human papillomavirus as detected by PCR analysis was present in 20.3% of women in our population and was often one of the higher-risk types (16 or 18). A positive PCR analysis was predictive of cervical disease on colposcopic biopsy. The ViraPap test, Papanicolaou test, and clinical examination were insensitive measures for detecting HPV-related lesions in this population.
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Graduate Medical Education (GME) payments through the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) represent the largest portion of federal funding in direct support of training for health professionals. Whatever the benefits of these funds, they clearly have not served as a positive factor in addressing the emerging shortfall of generalist physicians. Therefore, a variety of options are being discussed for restructuring the incentives associated with HCFA GME funds. ⋯ These compromise approaches have their own administrative and political liabilities as well. Revisions in current HCFA GME payments may be preferable as a first step, but more comprehensive approaches involving all payor financing with mechanisms that reconnect medical school training with primary care practice will likely be required to ensure efficient and effective reform. Such major shifts in the federal funding of GME will not be quick in coming, however, and will doubtless be characterized by a compromise of policy effectiveness with political feasibility.
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To evaluate whether health habits, self-reported health status, and communication with physicians play a role in the known altered health care utilization patterns of deaf and hard-of-hearing persons. ⋯ Deaf and hard-of-hearing persons report a lower subjective health status and higher physician utilization, as well as substantial communication difficulties with physicians. They also report better health-related behaviors, namely less use of tobacco and alcohol. The use of interpreters did not decrease physician utilization or improve the understanding of physicians by these persons. Overall, our results underscore the fact that deaf and hard-of-hearing persons constitute a minority population that experiences considerable difficulties in the patient-physician relationship.