Journal of general internal medicine
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Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) has been the recommended treatment for early-stage breast cancer since 1990 yet many women still do not receive this procedure. ⋯ AAPI women, especially those who are foreign born, are less likely to receive BCS than non-Hispanic white women. Of particular concern, differences in BCS use among foreign-born and U.S.-born AAPI women and non-Hispanic white women have persisted over time. These differences may reflect inequities in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer for AAPI women, particularly those born abroad.
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To determine the effect of an out-of-hours primary care physician (PCP) cooperative on the caseload at the emergency department (ED) and to study characteristics of patients utilizing out-of-hours care. ⋯ In the city of Maastricht, the Netherlands, the PCP cooperative reduced the use of hospital emergency care during out-of-hours care.
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Ethnic diversity among physicians may be linked to improved access and quality of care for minorities. Academic medical institutions are challenged to increase representation of ethnic minorities among health professionals. ⋯ Soliciting input from faculty provides tangible ideas regarding interventions to improve an institution's diversity climate.
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During congressional debate over the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, much attention was focused on nominal benefit design. Relatively little attention was paid to details about how plans would operate, such as the design of drug formularies. ⋯ We encourage the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop standardized tools to provide physicians and patients with up-to-date and easily accessible information about covered drugs on each plan's formulary (perhaps via a central website) and a national set of easy-to-follow procedures for reconsideration and appeals. Such efforts should reduce administrative burden and better allow physicians to help patients obtain needed medications.
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To compare the utilization of health care resources and patterns of chronic disease care by patients of medical residents and patients of their attending physicians. ⋯ Our results indicate that residents' patients had higher costs than attendings' patients, but the differences would have been seriously overestimated without adjustment. We conclude that it costs about 7% more for residents to manage patients than for attendings. On the ambulatory side, the larger number of procedures and consults ordered for residents' patients appears to drive the higher costs.