Purpose: There is a growing consensus that quality of care for frail elders should include family and be evaluated in terms of patient-centered, family-focused care (PCFFC). Family caregivers are in a unique and sometimes sole position to evaluate such care. In the context of caring for physically frail elders, this study examined the extent to…

This article shows how health care delivery is related to cultural or human geography. This is accomplished by describing health care delivery in terms of 12 popular themes of cultural geography. (JDH)

A telephone survey of home care agencies and providers revealed a need for the following: evidence of the effectiveness of nurse practitioners in home care, regulatory and financial support for nurse practitioner home care, and development of home care agencies as clinical sites for training. (SK)

Individuals with mental retardation and their parents/guardians have long been neglected in health care research. In this study we used a qualitative methodology to describe the experiences adults with mental retardation and their parents/guardians have with the delivery of primary care services. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted…

Describes the "new health practitioners" such as physicians' assistants and nurse practitioners who perform health care traditionally done by physicians, considers their achievements during the past decade, and identifies eight issues which may influence these practitioners in the next ten years. (MF)

A two-week workshop was held by the United Nations Children Fund and the World Health Organization for planners of training in primary health care (PHC) to increase their ability to plan effectively for PHC training. The emphasis was on placing training within the national context and ensuring that people would be trained to meet national goals.…

Discusses the history of health care in Latin America in the twentieth century. Indicates that nurses provide most of the health care and that there is a need to enhance the nursing education programs in Latin America. (JOW)

Purpose: We describe and evaluate a project designed to pilot test an evidence-based clinical intervention for assessing and treating depression in older adults in rural primary care clinics. Project ADAPT--Assuring Depression Assessment and Proactive Treatment--utilized existing primary care resources to overcome barriers to sustainability…

Perceptions of depression, attitudes toward depression treatments, help-seeking preferences, and perceived barriers to care were examined in a sample of 56 Latino immigrant men recruited from a primary health care clinic. Each participant was presented a vignette depicting an individual with major depression. Men described the vignette as a…

Objective: To validate the 17-item version of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-17) as a screen for common pediatric mental disorders in primary care. Method: Patients were 269 children and adolescents (8-15 years old) whose parents completed the PSC-17 in primary care waiting rooms. Children were later assessed using the Schedule for Affective…

Purpose: This study examined the association between cognitive functioning and completion of a durable power of attorney for health care. Design and Methods: Participants were from the Second Longitudinal Study on Aging (LSOA II), a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling persons who were at least 70 years of age at the time of…

Lack of sufficient accessible community-based health care services for individuals with developmental disabilities has led to disparities in health outcomes and an overreliance on expensive models of care delivered in hospitals and other safety net or state-subsidized providers. A functioning community-based primary health care model, with an…

Context: The physician assistant profession has been moving toward requiring master's degrees for new practitioners, but some argue this could change the face of the discipline. Purpose: To see if there is an association between physician assistants' academic degrees and practice in primary care, in rural areas, and with the medically underserved.…

A nationwide survey using the Delphi technique indicated that the determination of "valid and reliable indicators of quality nursing care" was seen as the highest research priority. (Author)

The newsletter article provides parents of children with disabilities guidance on finding a doctor, communicating effectively with him, seeking a second opinion, and accepting responsibility in their special child's patient-doctor relationship. The article identifies both formal and informal methods of finding a doctor and gives suggestions for…