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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

PubMed1982

Making physiotherapy more accessible: open access for general practitioners to a physiotherapy department.

Open access to a physiotherapy outpatient department of a district general hospital was offered to general practitioners to whom domiciliary physiotherapy was already available. The effects of the new service have been monitored. Delays are reduced and consultants economise on time spent in merely confirming need for physiotherapy. Policies determining treatment, placing emphasis on prevention and self-help rather than prolonged treatment, are adhered to equally well by physiotherapists whether patients are referred directly or indirectly. It had proved unnecessary to restrict access to physiotherapy by insisting that general practitioners refer all patients first to consultant clinics. General practitioners have been sufficiently selective in referral and physiotherapists sufficiently economical in selecting treatment and determining its duration for the service to remain within the limits of available resources.

Back Pain↗

PubMed2004

Inequality of access to surgical specialty health care: why children with government-funded insurance have less access than those with private insurance in Southern California.

OBJECTIVE: More than 25 million children in the United States are dependent on federal and state medical insurance programs for their health care needs. In California, 3.25 million children depend on Medi-Cal for their health insurance. In Southern California alone, the figure is as high as 1.81 million. However, 9.30 million children nationally and 1.55 million in California have no health insurance. Various public policies that would increase enrollment in these programs are being discussed to address this problem. However, before their implementation, it is important to understand what impact such policies would have on the actual delivery of health care to this patient population. In California, 2 predominant health care delivery models exist for Medi-Cal: a fee-for-service (so-called regular or straight Medi-Cal) and a managed care plan. One third of the children in Medi-Cal in the state are enrolled in the fee-for-service plan with the remainder in the managed care plan, whereas in Southern California, this figure is slightly lower at 28% in the fee-for-service plan. The objective of this study was to determine the number of otolaryngologists in Southern California who would offer a new patient appointment for an evaluation for tonsillectomy for a child with commercial insurance versus government-funded (Medi-Cal) insurance through direct contact with the physician and to determine whether the surgeon would offer to perform the procedure or refer the patient to another institution and to identify the specific reason(s) for any disparity in access to health care. METHODS: A written questionnaire was sent via regular mail to 303 otolaryngologists in the Southern California area in 2003. RESULTS: A total of 100 fully completed questionnaires were received. Ninety-seven surgeons would offer an office appointment to a child with commercial insurance as compared with only 27 for a child with Medi-Cal. Of those 27 surgeons, 8 would then refer the child to another physician to perform the surgery, and only 19 would actually offer to perform surgery, if indicated. Reasons provided for not offering an office appointment or surgery for the child with Medi-Cal include excessive paperwork and/or administrative burdens (96%), low monetary reimbursement for the surgery (92%), and low monetary reimbursement for the office visit (87%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a tremendous inequality of access to surgical specialty health care for children with government-funded insurance when compared with those with commercial insurance in Southern California. Physicians indicate that this disparity is related to excessive administrative burdens and low monetary reimbursement. The implications of our findings on public health care policies are discussed.

California↗

PubMed2001

The GLBT Health Access Project: a state-funded effort to improve access to care.

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Health Access Project is a unique public-private collaboration working to eliminate barriers to health care for the GLBT community, foster development of comprehensive, culturally appropriate health promotion policies and health care services for GLBT people and their families, and expand appropriate data collection on GLBT health. Funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the project developed community standards of practice for provision of quality health care services to GLBT clients. A health access training curriculum was developed and technical assistance was offered to health care providers implementing the standards, which cover personnel, clients' rights, intake and assessment, service delivery and planning, confidentiality, and community outreach and health promotion. Training participants (324 individuals from 89 agencies) reported positive though not statistically significant changes in attitude.

Community Health Planning↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A commentary on "Securing Access to Health Care." Ethics Commission access report urges adequate care for all.

Society has a moral obligation to provide adequate access to health care for all, concludes the President's Commission for te Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavorial Research in its report Securing Access to Health Care. Though the federal government's involvement is not necessary if private forces are able to achieve equity in health care delivery, the government bears the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that society fulfills its obligations. Meeting these objectives will require changes in the country's political and economic systems, which traditionally have not emphasized subordinating the individual good to the common good. The needs of the poor must take priority even at risk of burdening the advantaged. The commission recognizes that it is irresponsible to advocate equity without acknowledging the need to control costs. Greater equity can be attained only if changes in health care management practices are adopted and if decisions regarding resource use are based on social goals. Thus placing the needs of the poor first may mean a commitment to use less high-cost treatment. The report presents an opportunity to promote a more just health care policy. Catholic health care facilities, for example, can be made models of institutions that have met the needs of the poor, and they can become social justice advocates for government policies that benefit the poor and the disadvantaged.

Catholicism↗

PubMed2001

[Access to care, access to rights, and health education: stakes of the global management fo patients].

Together with primary care physicians, the public health clinic of the Max Fourestier Hospital (Nanterre, France) initiated a pilot experience within the framework of its access to health care network (ADES). In addition to full access to traditional health care, patients who agree to participate in this unique network benefit from a medical and social risk screening and prevention program. This program is proposed to all patients who, by definition, have one or more medical or social risk factors. At each visit, targeted history taking and the physical exam can lead to individualized propositions for a global approach to screening and prevention, whatever the initial reason for consulting. In addition, patients who require permanent care benefit from the dose link between the medical care and social care teams. Over the last year, this experience has involved 3430 consultations in a polyvalent clinic that has provided global care including health education and screening for health risks. Our analysis of the medical and ethical issues involved points out the importance of a global approach to health care.

Ethics, Medical↗

PubMed1993

Multicenter comparison of conventional venoarterial access versus venovenous double-lumen catheter access in newborn infants undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

A multicenter trial was designed to compare standard venoarterial (VA) access versus single-catheter, venovenous access using the double-lumen catheter (VV-DLC) for newborns with respiratory failure undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Twenty-seven ECMO centers participated, each submitting data from the center's most recent VA cases, and data from VV-DLC cases completed upon entering the study. Data from 135 VA ECMO cases and 108 VV-DLC cases were submitted. All diagnoses resulting in neonatal respiratory failure were submitted, including patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (24 patients VA bypass, 11 patients VV-DLC bypass). Overall survival in patients undergoing VA bypass was 87%, while survival in patients undergoing VV-DLC bypass was 95%. Eleven patients required conversion from VV-DLC bypass to VA bypass because of insufficient support--10 of these patients survived (91% survival). Average bypass time for newborns undergoing VA bypass was 132 +/- 7.4 hours versus 100 +/- 5.1 hours for those undergoing VV-DLC bypass. Neurologic complications were more common in the VA bypass patients, although the VV patients were more stable. Hemorrhagic, cardiopulmonary, and mechanical complications, other than kinking of the DLC, occurred with approximately equal frequency in each group. In conclusion, in newborns with adequate cardiac function, venovenous ECMO using the DLC can provide the same level of support as conventional VA ECMO, without ligation of the carotid artery.

Carotid Artery, Common↗

PubMed1999

Design of a case control etiologic study of sarcoidosis (ACCESS). ACCESS Research Group.

Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous disorder of unknown cause, characterized by activation of T-lymphocytes and macrophages. A Case Control Etiologic Study of Sarcoidosis (ACCESS) is a multicenter study designed to determine the etiology of sarcoidosis. The study organization includes 10 Clinical Centers, a Clinical Coordinating Center, specialized Core Laboratories, a Central Specimen Repository, and a Project Office at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. In addition to etiology, ACCESS will examine the socioeconomic status and clinical course of patients with sarcoidosis. We propose to enroll 720 newly diagnosed cases of sarcoidosis and compare them to 720 age, sex, and race matched controls and follow the first 240 cases for two years. Leads to the etiology of sarcoidosis have come from diverse sources: in clinical laboratory investigations, alveolitis has been found to precede granulomatous inflammation; in case control studies, familial aggregation has been identified; and in case reports, recurrence of granulomatous inflammation has been observed after lung transplantation. We describe the rationale for the study design based on genetic, environmental, infectious, and immune dysregulation hypotheses and the methods used for selecting controls. The cause may not prove to be a single, known exposure. Interactions of exposures with genetic predispositions would have important implications for our understanding of immune responses as well as the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Central vascular access devices in oncology and hematology considered from a different point of view: how do patients experience their vascular access ports?

BACKGROUND: Oncology patients require long-term vascular access, but the subjective experience of having a port in daily life is not well studied. METHODS: In a prospective study, patients at an outpatient clinic filled out a questionnaire. INSTRUMENT: The questionnaire consisted of four questions. RESULTS: The top three reported benefits of having a port were (1) no more peripheral venipunctures, (2) greater convenience, and (3) arms left free for activities of daily living. Patients disliked the visibility of ports and complained about site soreness. CONCLUSIONS: Good nursing care includes the ability to provide optimal care and maintenance of the vascular access device, but understanding the patients' point of view is an added value.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1978

Surgical access: the access-line concept.

Adequacy of surgical access is determined by the position of the access line and not by the size of the flap as commonly believed. The case for small flaps in surgery is strongly argued for.

Humans↗

PubMed2003

Ins and outs of enteral access: part 2--long term access--esophagostomy and gastrostomy.

Access techniques for long-term enteral nutrition (over 4 to 6 weeks) includes cervical esophagostomy and pharyngostomy, gastrostomy, and jejunostomy. Cervical esophagostomy and pharyngostomy are rarely used since the advent of better long-term enteral access techniques that are easier to care for and have fewer complications; they are briefly reviewed only for historical completeness and to condemn their use. The different techniques of gastrostomy tube insertion and their indications, contraindications, advantages, and disadvantages are discussed. Part III (to be published in a later issue) of this series will review feeding jejunostomy.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Axillary artery to iliac vein vascular access using an externally supported prosthetic graft. A new procedure for the recalcitrant secondary access patient.

The axillary artery-iliac vein graft using externally supported PTFE is a viable option for this difficult patient group. It is capable of functioning well for up to 12 months. Most importantly, despite numerous prior access procedures, the axillary artery and iliac vein in each case were amenable to the procedure. Critical technical points include the use of externally splinted PTFE grafts, avoidance of crossing joints, and angling of the graft in the direction of the iliac vein at that anastomosis. The lack of thrombosis or infection to date, coupled with successful dialysis in every patient, suggests that this is one more option that can be used in the difficult secondary access patient.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Patient-Centered Access to Secure Systems Online (PCASSO): a secure approach to clinical data access via the World Wide Web.

The Internet's World-Wide Web (WWW) provides an appealing medium for the communication of health related information due to its ease of use and growing popularity. But current technologies for communicating data between WWW clients and servers are systematically vulnerable to certain types of security threats. Prominent among these threats are "Trojan horse" programs running on client workstations, which perform some useful and known function for a user, while breaching security via background functions that are not apparent to the user. The Patient-Centered Access to Secure Systems Online (PCASSO) project of SAIC and UCSD is a research, development and evaluation project to exploit state-of-the-art security and WWW technology for health care. PCASSO is designed to provide secure access to clinical data for healthcare providers and their patients using the Internet. PCASSO will be evaluated for both safety and effectiveness, and may provide a model for secure communications via public data networks.

Computer Communication Networks↗

PubMed2004

Ability to pay and geographical proximity influence access to liver transplantation even in a system with universal access.

Ireland, in common with many countries, has a mixed private and public health care system. Concern has been expressed that this system may lead to inequity in access to medical treatment. To investigate this concern, all contacts and first admissions to the national liver transplant unit were identified between April 1, 2000, and March 31, 2002. The effects of private health insurance and area of residence on the likelihood of receiving a liver transplant were assessed. A total of 202 patients were admitted. Forty-three patients from this cohort received a liver transplant (21.3%). Of patients with private health insurance, 17 of 50 (34.0%) were transplanted, compared with 26 of 152 (17.1%) without private health insurance (relative risk [RR] = 1.99; 95% CI, 1.18-3.35; P = .01). For residents of the Eastern (close to the liver transplant unit), patients with private health insurance were no more likely to be transplanted (RR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.35-2.54; P = 1.0), whereas for residents of other areas, patients with private insurance were 3 times more likely to receive a transplant than those without health insurance (RR = 3.11; 95% CI, 1.59-6.08; P = .001). Patients living outside the Eastern region without private health insurance were only half as likely as all other patient types combined to receive a transplant (RR = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.29-0.92; P = .02). In this study the possession of private health insurance appeared to increase the chances of receiving a liver transplant. Patients without private health insurance living distant from the liver transplant unit appeared particularly disadvantaged. In conclusion, these findings suggest significant inequity in liver transplant allocation in Ireland and deserve further assessment.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

MIG ACCESS: a population-based, nationwide, comparative survey of access to care in migraine in France.

A national control-matched survey was conducted in France to evaluate the access of migraineurs to health care. A validated IHS criteria-based diagnostic procedure for screening was conducted in adults drawn from a sample of 6,000 households. A group of 650 subjects fulfilling the IHS criteria for migraine were matched by sex, age and activity status with a group of non-headache, non-migraine controls. Response rates were 87% and 82% for the migraineurs and the controls, respectively. The comparability of the groups was demonstrated by the absence of statistical differences between either respondents versus non-respondents or migraineurs versus controls for sex, age and occupation. The 3-month prevalence of migraine was estimated at 13% (95% CI: 12-14). The health care consumption of migraineurs was not higher than that of the controls. Migraineurs rarely consult for headaches and seem to content themselves with their routine analgesic treatment. They believe, however, that improvement in their condition is possible and discuss this with their physicians. This ambivalent attitude mainly reflects a fatalistic outlet which may constitute the major obstacle of an improved management of migraine.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A community expands access to health care: the case of access health in Michigan.

Access Health, a Michigan-based "three-share plan," is viewed as a successful community-based approach to expanding health benefits in the workplace. It was the stimulus for recently proposed legislation to federally fund similar plans nationally. The program evolved with the support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Its sustained viability is attributable in part to the creative use of a state statute to draw down federal Medicaid disproportionate-share hospital (DSH) funds. Although it faces obstacles common to programs of its type, the program's greatest financial vulnerability rests on the uncertain continued availability of the monies it uses to subsidize the program.

Community Participation↗

PubMed1999

Access to care for the uninsured: is access to a physician enough?

OBJECTIVES: This study examined a private-sector, statewide program (Kentucky Physicians Care) of care for uninsured indigent persons regarding provision of preventive services. METHODS: A survey was conducted of a stratified random sample of 2509 Kentucky adults (811 with private insurance, 849 Medicaid recipients, 849 Kentucky Physicians Care recipients). RESULTS: The Kentucky Physicians Care group had significantly lower rates of receipt of preventive services. Of the individuals in this group, 52% cited cost as the primary reason for not receiving mammography, and 38% had not filled prescribed medicines in the previous year. CONCLUSIONS: Providing free access to physicians fills important needs but is not sufficient for many uninsured patients to receive necessary preventive services.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Electronic access to care system: improving patient's access to clinical information through an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system and Web portal.

Our clinical providers spend an estimated four hours weekly answering phone messages from patients. Our nurses spend five to ten hours weekly on returning phone calls. Most of this time is spent conveying recent clinical results, reviewing with patients the discharge instructions such as consults or studies ordered during the office visits, and handling patients' requests for medication renewals. Over time this will lead to greater patients' dissatisfaction because of lengthy waiting time and lack of timely access to their medical information. This would also lead to greater nursing and providers' dissatisfaction because of unreasonable work load.

Access to Information↗

PubMed2006

Improving access to evidence-based acute stroke services: development and evaluation of a health systems model to address equity of access issues.

Level 1 evidence for management of patients with stroke in a dedicated Stroke Care Unit (SCU) demonstrates improved outcomes by about 20%. It has been estimated that 21% of Australian hospitals provide an SCU and that these SCUs are mainly located in either metropolitan sites and/or in hospitals with more than 300 beds. To address equity issues related to access to SCUs, the National Stroke Foundation and the Australian Government undertook the National Stroke Units Program. One program outcome was the development of a conceptual model of acute stroke service delivery. The development process and initial evaluation of the model are described. Use of the model to increase capacity within the health care system to treat stroke is discussed.

Acute Disease↗