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OBJECTIVES: Individuals living in group homes during the COVID-19 pandemic faced unique challenges and health risks related to living in shared spaces. This study aimed to assess the experiences of living and working in a group home during the pandemic and to explore the role of the built environment. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted longitudinal working groups with group home residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities and serious mental illness, group home staff, and families/caregivers of residents from December 2020 through December 2022. Common themes highlighting ways in which group home residents, staff, and caregivers perceived the built environment to impact living in a group home during the COVID-19 pandemic were identified. RESULTS: Resonant themes centered around increased risk of COVID-19 infection, ad hoc spatial adaptations for infection control, space-related challenges due to isolation and quarantine requirements, and limited access to public spaces. CONCLUSION: Group home residents and staff experienced multiple health and wellness challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic related to their surrounding built environment. Mechanisms to engage group home residents in modifications of their built environment may improve the effectiveness of infection control policies while acknowledging individual autonomy.
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BACKGROUND: Down syndrome (DS) has a unique medical and psychological profile that could impact how health is defined on three dimensions: physical, social and mental well-being. METHODS: In 2021, we presented our proposed conceptual model to three expert panels, four focus groups of parents of individuals with DS age 0-21 years and four focus groups of individuals with DS age 13-21 years through videoconferencing technology. Participants gave feedback and discussed the concept of health in DS. RESULTS: Feedback from participants resulted in iterative refinement of our model, retaining the three dimensions of health, and modifying constructs within those dimensions. Experts and parents agreed that individuals with DS have unique health concerns that necessitate the creation and validation of a syndrome-specific health model. We present key themes that we identified and a final conceptual model of health for individuals with DS. CONCLUSION: Health in DS is a multi-dimensional, multi-construct model focused on relevant constructs of causal and effect indicators. This conceptual model can be used in future research to develop a syndrome-specific measure of health status.
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Síndrome de Down , Humanos , Recién Nacido , Lactante , Preescolar , Niño , Adolescente , Adulto Joven , Adulto , Síndrome de Down/psicología , Padres , Grupos FocalesAsunto(s)
Proteínas/genética , Porcinos/genética , Proteína Relacionada con Agouti , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Secuencia de Bases , Bovinos , Humanos , Péptidos y Proteínas de Señalización Intercelular , Ratones , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Proteínas/química , Homología de Secuencia de Aminoácido , Especificidad de la EspecieRESUMEN
PURPOSE: This study examined commonalities and differences in the experiences and challenges of White, Black, and Hispanic informal caregivers in New York, NY. DESIGN AND METHODS: A randomly selected representative cross-section of 2,241 households was contacted through telephone interviews. Complete data were available for 380 eligible participants, who were classified as White (n = 164), Black (n = 129) and Hispanic (n = 87). Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine differences in caregiving intensity, reported difficulty with providing care, and having unmet needs with care provision. RESULTS: Over 70% of caregivers had no help from formal caregivers, even though over 80% had been providing care for at least 1 year, and 40% had been providing this care for 20 or more hr per week. Compared with White caregivers, Black caregivers were more likely to provide higher intensity care, to report having unmet needs with care provision, and to experience increased religiosity since becoming caregivers, but were less likely to report difficulty with providing care. Hispanic caregivers were more likely than White caregivers to have help from formal caregivers and to experience increased religiosity since becoming caregivers. IMPLICATIONS: Although many similarities exist in the experiences and challenges of informal caregivers, gaining insight from different populations of family caregivers would help program planners, policy makers, and formal caregivers to develop and implement culturally sensitive programs and policies that are supportive of the needs of these caregivers in their ever-expanding roles. Future efforts also should focus on exploring the potentially significant role that community resources, in particular, religious institutions, could play in providing outreach and support to racial/ethnic minority caregivers.
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Negro o Afroamericano/estadística & datos numéricos , Cuidadores/estadística & datos numéricos , Necesidades y Demandas de Servicios de Salud , Hispánicos o Latinos/estadística & datos numéricos , Atención Domiciliaria de Salud , Población Blanca/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Análisis Multivariante , Ciudad de Nueva YorkRESUMEN
Interest is resurging in the problems relating to the quality of patient care. This paper provides a comparative perspective on this issue from a five-country physician survey conducted in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States in 2000. Physicians in all five countries reported a recent decline in quality of care and concerns with how hospitals address medical errors. Physicians in four countries expressed serious concerns about shortages of medical specialists and inadequate facilities. U.S. physicians reported problems caused by patients' inability to pay for prescription drugs and medical care. Asked about efforts to improve quality of care in the future, physicians indicated support for electronic medical records, electronic prescribing, and initiatives to reduce medical errors.
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Actitud del Personal de Salud , Atención a la Salud/normas , Médicos/psicología , Calidad de la Atención de Salud , Australia , Canadá , Países Desarrollados , Humanos , Nueva Zelanda , Calidad de la Atención de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Reino Unido , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
Informal and unpaid care is an integral feature of the U.S. health care system for the nation's sick, disabled, frail, and terminally ill. Much of what we know about caregiving is based on interviews with caregivers and, in some cases, care recipients. Prior studies have either not been based on a nationally representative sample or have collected very little information about non-caregivers. This study, using the Commonwealth Fund 1998 Survey of Women's Health, uses a nationally representative sample of caregivers and non-caregivers to examine the health impact of providing informal and unpaid care, focusing primarily on women. Our findings indicate that caregivers experience double jeopardy. They are significantly more likely to be in poor health and to have experienced problems getting needed care. These findings suggest that it is time to explore alternative or complements to informal caregiving. They underscore the need to find more equitable ways to share caregiving costs and risk, and provide support to assist those who currently provide care.
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Cuidadores , Estado de Salud , Salud de la Mujer , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Femenino , Encuestas Epidemiológicas , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
This paper reports 1999 survey results on the population age sixty-five and older in five nations--Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The majority of respondents were generally satisfied with the quality, affordability, and availability of health services in their nations. In many measures of access to and cost of care, the United States looks much like the other nations surveyed. However, as the elderly view their health systems, the direction they have taken in recent years with respect to caring for the elderly, and the future affordability of care in old age, U.S. respondents tended to be more pessimistic than were those in other nations.
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Países Desarrollados , Servicios de Salud para Ancianos/economía , Cobertura Universal del Seguro de Salud , Anciano , Recolección de Datos , Femenino , Encuestas de Atención de la Salud , Política de Salud , Servicios de Salud para Ancianos/organización & administración , Servicios de Salud para Ancianos/normas , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To assess disparities in access to health care, financial burden of medical bills and perceived quality of care between those with above average incomes and those with below average incomes in five nations and to examine the relationship inequities in care experiences to health insurance coverage. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of a random survey of adults in 1998. SUBJECTS: 5059 adults ages 18 and over in five English-speaking countries: Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States (approximately 1000 per country). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Failure to receive needed care, difficulty getting care, waiting for elective surgery, problems paying medical bills, failure to fill prescriptions due to cost, perceived quality of medical care received and of most recent doctor visit. RESULTS: There were two to three-fold differences between those with above and below average incomes on measures of access to care in the US, Australia and New Zealand. In Britain and Canada indicators of access of to care were similar for the two income groups. Problems paying medical bills were most prevalent in the US, yet significant differences by income also existed in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Those with below average incomes were more likely to have not filled a prescription due to cost in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US, with gaps by income most severe in the US. Ratings of quality of doctor visit were significantly different for the two income groups in the US, but not other countries. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis finds striking differences among countries in the relative equity of health care experiences. In general, care experiences are more unequal in three countries such as the US, Australia and New Zealand where systems have relatively greater reliance on private health insurance and markets. Greater inequality in care experiences is also associated with more divided public opinion regarding the need for system reform and the direction of recent policy changes. In Canada and Britain where care experiences are more equal of the health system are similar across income groups. Reliance on private insurance and patient user fees appears to lead to more divided views of the overall health system as well as inequity in access to care.
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Encuestas de Atención de la Salud , Política de Salud/economía , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Seguro de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Actitud Frente a la Salud , Australia , Canadá , Seguro de Costos Compartidos , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud/economía , Estado de Salud , Humanos , Renta/clasificación , Nueva Zelanda , Calidad de la Atención de Salud , Justicia Social , Reino Unido , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
CONTEXT: Changes in the healthcare marketplace have begun to test the nature and adequacy of health insurance. The complex nature of insurance is driving us away from the notion that there are 2 distinct groups - the insured and the uninsured - toward an idea that insurance is best represented along a continuum, from the very well insured to the chronically uninsured, with a wide range of quality of coverage in between. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the experiences of insured adults as they try to get needed healthcare and balance the payment for these services against other basic needs. DESIGN: Using data from the Commonwealth Fund 1999 Survey of Workers' Health Insurance, the study analyzes the cost and access problems of insured adults by a number of different variables including income, plan satisfaction, health status, and insurance stability. RESULTS: Bivariate results indicate that insured adults with low incomes and those reporting fair or poor health are more likely to experience problems getting and paying for healthcare. These groups are also more likely to have problems paying for basic living expenses. CONCLUSIONS: The most essential notion of insurance is that it will provide protection against financial risk and assurance that we can get healthcare services when we are sick. Yet, we find substantial proportions of low- and modest-income, insured adults who struggle to afford insurance premiums; we also find that their insurance plans do not provide them with either access to care when needed or financial protection from the cost of that care.
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Renta , Seguro de Salud/economía , Adulto , Asignación de Costos , Costos y Análisis de Costo/estadística & datos numéricos , Planes de Asistencia Médica para Empleados/economía , Planes de Asistencia Médica para Empleados/normas , Encuestas de Atención de la Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Necesidades y Demandas de Servicios de Salud/economía , Necesidades y Demandas de Servicios de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Indicadores de Salud , Humanos , Seguro de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Programas Controlados de Atención en Salud/economía , Programas Controlados de Atención en Salud/normas , Estados UnidosAsunto(s)
Política de Salud , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud , Cobertura del Seguro , Australia , Canadá , Comportamiento del Consumidor , Seguro de Costos Compartidos , Costos de la Atención en Salud , Reforma de la Atención de Salud , Política de Salud/economía , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Renta , Cobertura del Seguro/economía , Cobertura del Seguro/estadística & datos numéricos , Nueva Zelanda , Pobreza , Calidad de la Atención de Salud , Justicia Social , Reino Unido , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
Many nations have undergone changes in health care financing and services. The public notices policy changes in health care and frequently bears new and unexpected costs or barriers to care unwillingly. This paper presents data from surveys of about 1,000 adults conducted during April-June 1998 in each of five countries--Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States--to measure public satisfaction with health care. In no nation is a majority content with the health care system. Different systems pose different problems: In systems with universal coverage, dissatisfaction is with the level of funding and administration, including queues. In the United States, the public is primarily concerned with financial access.
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Actitud Frente a la Salud , Comportamiento del Consumidor/estadística & datos numéricos , Atención a la Salud , Reforma de la Atención de Salud , Opinión Pública , Adulto , Australia , Canadá , Costos de la Atención en Salud , Política de Salud , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud , Humanos , Entrevistas como Asunto , Nueva Zelanda , Calidad de la Atención de Salud , Reino Unido , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
Variations in physician practice style, within and between countries, account for much of the differences in the utilization of scarce health care resources. Practice style differences are particularly important at the end of life, when a substantial amount of resources are consumed. We use a hypothetical case of a severely ill elderly patient to identify factors associated with aggressive treatment and to test whether physicians in the US practice differently from their counterparts in other countries. Data come from a random sample of practicing physicians in three industrialized countries, the United States, Canada and Germany (N = 1369). Although the case stated that the chance of survival of the patient was low, 73% of all physicians selected the aggressive treatment. Physicians from the United States were the most aggressive (86%), followed by Germany (68%) and Canada (61%). Practicing in the United States was the strongest predictor of aggressiveness in the multiple linear logistic regression; German and Canadian physicians were one fourth as likely to use aggressive treatment. Specialty training, older age and being a resident all increased the likelihood of selecting the more aggressive treatment. The fear of being sued for malpractice and income did not have an effect on treatment decisions.
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Comparación Transcultural , Ética Médica , Programas Nacionales de Salud , Pautas de la Práctica en Medicina , Adulto , Anciano , Canadá , Femenino , Alemania , Asignación de Recursos para la Atención de Salud , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Filosofía Médica , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
Little is known about physicians' exposure to managed care techniques that affect clinical practice. In 1995, we conducted a survey of 2,003 U.S. physicians asking them about their share of patients subject to a variety of managed care techniques. Nationally, 24% of physicians received some form of capitation payment for their patients. The two most widely used techniques were utilization review (UR), applied to an average of 59% of patients, and discounted fees, applied to an average of 38% of patients. Although UR was common, ultimate denial rates of coverage were very low: at most 3% for the types of care studied. Use of managed care techniques varied more within states than between states. Conventional measures of HMO market penetration revealed little about how managed care affects physicians.
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Capitación/estadística & datos numéricos , Programas Controlados de Atención en Salud/organización & administración , Médicos/economía , Revisión de Utilización de Recursos/estadística & datos numéricos , Recolección de Datos , Honorarios Médicos , Humanos , Cobertura del Seguro , Programas Controlados de Atención en Salud/economía , Programas Controlados de Atención en Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Atención al Paciente/economía , Atención al Paciente/normas , Médicos/estadística & datos numéricos , Guías de Práctica Clínica como Asunto , Negativa al Tratamiento , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
The transformation of the medical marketplace has major implications for the physician workforce. Findings are reported here from national surveys of physicians, hospitals, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and medical group practices conducted in 1995 to measure the impact of those changes. Physicians in higher HMO penetration states were more likely to report serious problems with several aspects of medical practice and patient care and were more likely to perceived oversupply in their specialty areas and changes in their practice arrangements. Some divergence is noted in views of supply between physicians and those that employ them. The majority of physicians would still recommend medicine and their specialty as a career.
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Actitud del Personal de Salud , Sector de Atención de Salud/tendencias , Programas Controlados de Atención en Salud , Médicos/psicología , Educación Médica , Femenino , Humanos , Satisfacción en el Trabajo , Masculino , Programas Controlados de Atención en Salud/organización & administración , Médicos/provisión & distribución , Atención Primaria de Salud , Estados Unidos , Recursos HumanosRESUMEN
We present data on patients' experiences with access to and cost and quality of health services in the United States, Canada, and Germany. In general, patients report favorably about their care. U.S. respondents report more problems with access to care, even controlling for the severe problems of the uninsured. Differences in managed care versus fee-for-service plans in the United States mirror some of the problems observed in international comparisons--access to specialists and tests and waiting times for and quality of some services. Different cost containment strategies have measurable effects on patients' perspectives, particularly among patients who are sicker.