Journal of general internal medicine
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Comparative Study
Quality of ambulatory care for women and men in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System.
Gender differences in inpatient quality of care are well known. However, whether men and women receive equivalent ambulatory care is less well understood. ⋯ In this large national health care system that predominantly serves men, the quality of ambulatory care is equivalent for women and men on numerous measures.
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Little guidance is available for health care providers who try to communicate with patients and their families in a culturally sensitive way about end-of-life care. ⋯ The groups differed broadly in their preferences for both the content and structure of end-of-life discussions and on the values that influence those preferences. Further research is necessary to help practitioners engage in culturally sensitive end-of-life discussions with patients and their families by considering varying preferences for the goals of end-of-life care communication.