JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Comparative Study
Prostate-specific antigen values at the time of prostate cancer diagnosis in African-American men.
To determine if African-American men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer (PC) have higher pretreatment serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values after adjustment for clinical stage, age, and tumor grade, and to determine if any difference detected is related to tumor volume difference. ⋯ As a group, African-American men with newly diagnosed PC have higher PSA values at initial diagnosis than white men. This PSA difference appears to be due to larger tumor volumes within clinical (TNM) stage categories among black patients. Elevated PSA value was a surrogate for larger tumor volume in this cohort of black men. This stage-for-stage tumor volume disparity even in an equal-access health care environment should prompt further study of screening behavior and/or biological differences of PC in the black population.
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To describe prevention activities and risk behavior in cities where human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was introduced into the local population of injecting drug users (IDUs), but where seroprevalence has nevertheless remained low (< 5%) during at least 5 years. ⋯ In low-seroprevalence areas, it appears possible to severely limit transmission of HIV among populations of IDUs, despite continuing risk behavior among a substantial proportion of the population. Pending further studies, the common prevention components (beginning early, community outreach, and access to sterile injection equipment) should be implemented wherever populations of IDUs are at risk for rapid spread of HIV.
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TennCare, the health care system reform plan implemented in Tennessee on January 1, 1994, was developed with the dual objectives of controlling the rapidly rising cost of the state's Medicaid program and extending health insurance coverage to most Tennesseans without access to employer-sponsored or other government-sponsored health insurance. Beneficiaries enroll in competing, state-chartered managed care organizations that are responsible for providing broad preventive, inpatient, and outpatient services and are reimbursed by the state on a capitation basis at a rate based on a statewide global budget for health care. The program initially proposed to enroll up to 1,775,000 citizens and was projected to result in a cumulative cost savings to Tennessee and the federal government of $7.2 billion by the end of the 5-year demonstration period. ⋯ At the end of its first year, more than 1.2 million citizens were enrolled, but the program incurred a $99 million deficit. Managed care organizations and hospitals have reported major financial problems, and constituency groups--especially those representing physicians--have attempted to block the program. Our objective is to describe the design and rationale of TennCare and discuss key issues the plan continues to face that may affect its long-term success.