Comparative Effectiveness Research

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Developing a Protocol for Observational Comparative Effectiveness Research: A User's Guide

Author : Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (U.S.)
Publisher : Government Printing Office
ISBN 13 : 1587634236
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (876 download)

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Book Synopsis Developing a Protocol for Observational Comparative Effectiveness Research: A User's Guide by : Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (U.S.)

Download or read book Developing a Protocol for Observational Comparative Effectiveness Research: A User's Guide written by Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (U.S.) and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2013-02-21 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This User’s Guide is a resource for investigators and stakeholders who develop and review observational comparative effectiveness research protocols. It explains how to (1) identify key considerations and best practices for research design; (2) build a protocol based on these standards and best practices; and (3) judge the adequacy and completeness of a protocol. Eleven chapters cover all aspects of research design, including: developing study objectives, defining and refining study questions, addressing the heterogeneity of treatment effect, characterizing exposure, selecting a comparator, defining and measuring outcomes, and identifying optimal data sources. Checklists of guidance and key considerations for protocols are provided at the end of each chapter. The User’s Guide was created by researchers affiliated with AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program, particularly those who participated in AHRQ’s DEcIDE (Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions About Effectiveness) program. Chapters were subject to multiple internal and external independent reviews. More more information, please consult the Agency website: www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov)

Finding What Works in Health Care

Author : Institute of Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309164257
Total Pages : 267 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Finding What Works in Health Care by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Finding What Works in Health Care written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2011-07-20 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Healthcare decision makers in search of reliable information that compares health interventions increasingly turn to systematic reviews for the best summary of the evidence. Systematic reviews identify, select, assess, and synthesize the findings of similar but separate studies, and can help clarify what is known and not known about the potential benefits and harms of drugs, devices, and other healthcare services. Systematic reviews can be helpful for clinicians who want to integrate research findings into their daily practices, for patients to make well-informed choices about their own care, for professional medical societies and other organizations that develop clinical practice guidelines. Too often systematic reviews are of uncertain or poor quality. There are no universally accepted standards for developing systematic reviews leading to variability in how conflicts of interest and biases are handled, how evidence is appraised, and the overall scientific rigor of the process. In Finding What Works in Health Care the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends 21 standards for developing high-quality systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research. The standards address the entire systematic review process from the initial steps of formulating the topic and building the review team to producing a detailed final report that synthesizes what the evidence shows and where knowledge gaps remain. Finding What Works in Health Care also proposes a framework for improving the quality of the science underpinning systematic reviews. This book will serve as a vital resource for both sponsors and producers of systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research.

Initial National Priorities for Comparative Effectiveness Research

Author : Institute of Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309138361
Total Pages : 252 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Initial National Priorities for Comparative Effectiveness Research by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Initial National Priorities for Comparative Effectiveness Research written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2009-11-14 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Clinical research presents health care providers with information on the natural history and clinical presentations of disease as well as diagnostic and treatment options. In today's healthcare system, patients, physicians, clinicians and family caregivers often lack the sufficient scientific data and evidence they need to determine the best course of treatment for the patients' medical conditions. Initial National Priorities for Comparative Effectiveness Research(CER) is designed to fill this knowledge gap by assisting patients and healthcare providers across diverse settings in making more informed decisions. In this 2009 report, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Comparative Effectiveness Research Prioritization establishes a working definition of CER, develops a priority list of research topics, and identifies the necessary requirements to support a robust and sustainable CER enterprise. As part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress appropriated $1.1 billion in federal support of CER, reflecting legislators' belief that better decisions about the use of health care could improve the public's health and reduce the cost of care. The Committee on Comparative Effectiveness Research Prioritization was successful in preparing a list 100 top priority CER topics and 10 recommendations for best practices in the field.

Comparative Effectiveness Research

Author : Mary A. M. Rogers
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199986045
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (999 download)

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Book Synopsis Comparative Effectiveness Research by : Mary A. M. Rogers

Download or read book Comparative Effectiveness Research written by Mary A. M. Rogers and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-12 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comparative Effectiveness Research is the first textbook to offer an introduction to this booming clinical science. It broadly covers the examination of research questions, the possible choices of services, the types of patient-centered outcomes, the range of study designs, and how these elements fit together.

Methods in Comparative Effectiveness Research

Author : Constantine Gatsonis
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 1351659456
Total Pages : 547 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (516 download)

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Book Synopsis Methods in Comparative Effectiveness Research by : Constantine Gatsonis

Download or read book Methods in Comparative Effectiveness Research written by Constantine Gatsonis and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2017-02-24 with total page 547 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is the generation and synthesis of evidence that compares the benefits and harms of alternative methods to prevent, diagnose, treat, and monitor a clinical condition or to improve the delivery of care (IOM 2009). CER is conducted to develop evidence that will aid patients, clinicians, purchasers, and health policy makers in making informed decisions at both the individual and population levels. CER encompasses a very broad range of types of studies—experimental, observational, prospective, retrospective, and research synthesis. This volume covers the main areas of quantitative methodology for the design and analysis of CER studies. The volume has four major sections—causal inference; clinical trials; research synthesis; and specialized topics. The audience includes CER methodologists, quantitative-trained researchers interested in CER, and graduate students in statistics, epidemiology, and health services and outcomes research. The book assumes a masters-level course in regression analysis and familiarity with clinical research.

Pharmacoepidemiology

Author : Brian L. Strom
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119413419
Total Pages : 1220 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (194 download)

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Book Synopsis Pharmacoepidemiology by : Brian L. Strom

Download or read book Pharmacoepidemiology written by Brian L. Strom and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2019-12-16 with total page 1220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This classic, field-defining textbook, now in its sixth edition, provides the most comprehensive guidance available for anyone needing up-to-date information in pharmacoepidemiology. This edition has been fully revised and updated throughout and continues to provide a rounded view on all perspectives from academia, industry and regulatory bodies, addressing data sources, applications and methodologies with great clarity.

Comparative Effectiveness Research

Author : Carol M. Ashton
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 019996856X
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (999 download)

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Book Synopsis Comparative Effectiveness Research by : Carol M. Ashton

Download or read book Comparative Effectiveness Research written by Carol M. Ashton and published by . This book was released on 2013-07-11 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comparative Effectiveness Research: Evidence, Medicine, and Policy provides the first complete account of how — and why — the federal government decided to make comparative effectiveness research (CER) an important feature of health reform and the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Comparative Effectiveness Review Methods

Author : U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
Publisher : Createspace Independent Pub
ISBN 13 : 9781484997062
Total Pages : 226 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (97 download)

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Book Synopsis Comparative Effectiveness Review Methods by : U. S. Department of Health and Human Services

Download or read book Comparative Effectiveness Review Methods written by U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2013-05-17 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) commissioned the RTI International–University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (RTI-UNC) Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) to explore how systematic review groups have dealt with clinical heterogeneity and to seek out best practices for addressing clinical heterogeneity in systematic reviews (SRs) and comparative effectiveness reviews (CERs). Such best practices, to the extent they exist, may enable AHRQ's EPCs to address critiques from patients, clinicians, policymakers, and other proponents of health care about the extent to which “average” estimates of the benefits and harms of health care interventions apply to individual patients or to small groups of patients sharing similar characteristics. Such users of reviews often assert that EPC reviews typically focus on broad populations and, as a result, often lack information relevant to patient subgroups that are of particular concern to them. More important, even when EPCs evaluate literature on homogeneous groups, there may be varying individual treatment for no apparent reason, indicating that average treatment effect does not point to the best treatment for any given individual. Thus, the health care community is looking for better ways to develop information that may foster better medical care at a “personal” or “individual” level. To address our charge for this methods project, the EPC set out to answer six key questions (KQ). Key questions for methods report on clinical heterogeneity include: 1. What is clinical heterogeneity? a. How has it been defined by various groups? b. How is it distinct from statistical heterogeneity? c. How does it fit with other issues that have been addressed by the AHRQ Methods Manual for CERs? 2. How have systematic reviews dealt with clinical heterogeneity in the key questions? a. What questions have been asked? b. How have they pre-identified population subgroups with common clinical characteristics that modify their intervention-outcome association? c. What are best practices in key questions and how these subgroups have been identified? 3. How have systematic reviews dealt with clinical heterogeneity in the review process? a. What do guidance documents of various systematic review groups recommend? b. How have EPCs handled clinical heterogeneity in their reviews? c. What are best practices in searching for and interpreting results for particular subgroups with common clinical characteristics that may modify their intervention-outcome association? 4. What are critiques in how systematic reviews handle clinical heterogeneity? a. What are critiques from specific reviews (peer and public) on how EPCs handled clinical heterogeneity? b. What general critiques (in the literature) have been made against how systematic reviews handle clinical heterogeneity? 5. What evidence is there to support how to best address clinical heterogeneity in a systematic review? 6. What questions should an EPC work group on clinical heterogeneity address? Heterogeneity (of any type) in EPC reviews is important because its appearance suggests that included studies differed on one or more dimensions such as patient demographics, study designs, coexisting conditions, or other factors. EPCs then need to clarify for clinical and other audiences, collectively referred to as stakeholders, what are the potential causes of the heterogeneity in their results. This will allow the stakeholders to understand whether and to what degree they can apply this information to their own patients or constituents. Of greatest importance for this project was clinical heterogeneity, which we define as the variation in study population characteristics, coexisting conditions, cointerventions, and outcomes evaluated across studies included in an SR or CER that may influence or modify the magnitude of the intervention measure of effect (e.g., odds ratio, risk ratio, risk difference).

The Science of Health Disparities Research

Author : Irene Dankwa-Mullan
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119374812
Total Pages : 548 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (193 download)

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Book Synopsis The Science of Health Disparities Research by : Irene Dankwa-Mullan

Download or read book The Science of Health Disparities Research written by Irene Dankwa-Mullan and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-03-16 with total page 548 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Integrates the various disciplines of the science of health disparities in one comprehensive volume The Science of Health Disparities Research is an indispensable source of up-to-date information on clinical and translational health disparities science. Building upon the advances in health disparities research over the past decade, this authoritative volume informs policies and practices addressing the diseases, disorders, and gaps in health outcomes that are more prevalent in minority populations and socially disadvantaged communities. Contributions by recognized scholars and leaders in the field—featuring contemporary research, conceptual models, and a broad range of scientific perspectives—provide an interdisciplinary approach to reducing inequalities in population health, encouraging community engagement in the research process, and promoting social justice. In-depth chapters help readers better understand the specifics of minority health and health disparities while demonstrating the importance of advancing theory, refining measurement, improving investigative methods, and diversifying scientific research. In 26 chapters, the book examines topics including the etiology of health disparities research, the determinants of population health, research ethics, and research in African American, Asians, Latino, American Indian, and other vulnerable populations. Providing a unified framework on the principles and applications of the science of health disparities research, this important volume: Defines the field of health disparities science and suggests new directions in scholarship and research Explains basic definitions, principles, and concepts for identifying, understanding and addressing health disparities Provides guidance on both conducting health disparities research and translating the results Examines how social, historical and contemporary injustices may influence the health of racial and ethnic minorities Illustrates the increasing national and global importance of addressing health disparities Discusses population health training, capacity-building, and the transdisciplinary tools needed to advance health equity A significant contribution to the field, The Science of Health Disparities Research is an essential resource for students and basic and clinical researchers in genetics, population genetics, and public health, health care policymakers, and epidemiologists, medical students, and clinicians, particularly those working with minority, vulnerable, or underserved populations.

Registries for Evaluating Patient Outcomes

Author : Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality/AHRQ
Publisher : Government Printing Office
ISBN 13 : 1587634333
Total Pages : 385 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (876 download)

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Book Synopsis Registries for Evaluating Patient Outcomes by : Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality/AHRQ

Download or read book Registries for Evaluating Patient Outcomes written by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality/AHRQ and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This User’s Guide is intended to support the design, implementation, analysis, interpretation, and quality evaluation of registries created to increase understanding of patient outcomes. For the purposes of this guide, a patient registry is an organized system that uses observational study methods to collect uniform data (clinical and other) to evaluate specified outcomes for a population defined by a particular disease, condition, or exposure, and that serves one or more predetermined scientific, clinical, or policy purposes. A registry database is a file (or files) derived from the registry. Although registries can serve many purposes, this guide focuses on registries created for one or more of the following purposes: to describe the natural history of disease, to determine clinical effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of health care products and services, to measure or monitor safety and harm, and/or to measure quality of care. Registries are classified according to how their populations are defined. For example, product registries include patients who have been exposed to biopharmaceutical products or medical devices. Health services registries consist of patients who have had a common procedure, clinical encounter, or hospitalization. Disease or condition registries are defined by patients having the same diagnosis, such as cystic fibrosis or heart failure. The User’s Guide was created by researchers affiliated with AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program, particularly those who participated in AHRQ’s DEcIDE (Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions About Effectiveness) program. Chapters were subject to multiple internal and external independent reviews.

Decision Making in a World of Comparative Effectiveness Research

Author : Howard G. Birnbaum
Publisher : Adis
ISBN 13 : 9789811098284
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (982 download)

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Book Synopsis Decision Making in a World of Comparative Effectiveness Research by : Howard G. Birnbaum

Download or read book Decision Making in a World of Comparative Effectiveness Research written by Howard G. Birnbaum and published by Adis. This book was released on 2018-07-29 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the past decade there has been a worldwide evolution in evidence-based medicine that focuses on real-world Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) to compare the effects of one medical treatment versus another in real world settings. While most of this burgeoning literature has focused on research findings, data and methods, Howard Birnbaum and Paul Greenberg (both of Analysis Group) have edited a book that provides a practical guide to decision making using the results of analysis and interpretation of CER. Decision Making in a World of Comparative Effectiveness contains chapters by senior industry executives, key opinion leaders, accomplished researchers, and leading attorneys involved in resolving disputes in the life sciences industry. The book is aimed at 'users' and 'decision makers' involved in the life sciences industry rather than those doing the actual research. This book appeals to those who commission CER within the life sciences industry (pharmaceutical, biologic, and device manufacturers), government (both public and private payers), as well as decision makers of all levels, both in the US and globally.

Knowing What Works in Health Care

Author : Institute of Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309113563
Total Pages : 279 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Knowing What Works in Health Care by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Knowing What Works in Health Care written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2008-05-29 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is currently heightened interest in optimizing health care through the generation of new knowledge on the effectiveness of health care services. The United States must substantially strengthen its capacity for assessing evidence on what is known and not known about "what works" in health care. Even the most sophisticated clinicians and consumers struggle to learn which care is appropriate and under what circumstances. Knowing What Works in Health Care looks at the three fundamental health care issues in the United States-setting priorities for evidence assessment, assessing evidence (systematic review), and developing evidence-based clinical practice guidelines-and how each of these contributes to the end goal of effective, practical health care systems. This book provides an overall vision and roadmap for improving how the nation uses scientific evidence to identify the most effective clinical services. Knowing What Works in Health Care gives private and public sector firms, consumers, health care professionals, benefit administrators, and others the authoritative, independent information required for making essential informed health care decisions.

Secondary Analysis of Electronic Health Records

Author : MIT Critical Data
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319437429
Total Pages : 435 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (194 download)

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Book Synopsis Secondary Analysis of Electronic Health Records by : MIT Critical Data

Download or read book Secondary Analysis of Electronic Health Records written by MIT Critical Data and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-09-09 with total page 435 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book trains the next generation of scientists representing different disciplines to leverage the data generated during routine patient care. It formulates a more complete lexicon of evidence-based recommendations and support shared, ethical decision making by doctors with their patients. Diagnostic and therapeutic technologies continue to evolve rapidly, and both individual practitioners and clinical teams face increasingly complex ethical decisions. Unfortunately, the current state of medical knowledge does not provide the guidance to make the majority of clinical decisions on the basis of evidence. The present research infrastructure is inefficient and frequently produces unreliable results that cannot be replicated. Even randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the traditional gold standards of the research reliability hierarchy, are not without limitations. They can be costly, labor intensive, and slow, and can return results that are seldom generalizable to every patient population. Furthermore, many pertinent but unresolved clinical and medical systems issues do not seem to have attracted the interest of the research enterprise, which has come to focus instead on cellular and molecular investigations and single-agent (e.g., a drug or device) effects. For clinicians, the end result is a bit of a “data desert” when it comes to making decisions. The new research infrastructure proposed in this book will help the medical profession to make ethically sound and well informed decisions for their patients.

Understanding Health Outcomes and Pharmacoeconomics

Author : George E. MacKinnon III
Publisher : Jones & Bartlett Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1449673945
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (496 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding Health Outcomes and Pharmacoeconomics by : George E. MacKinnon III

Download or read book Understanding Health Outcomes and Pharmacoeconomics written by George E. MacKinnon III and published by Jones & Bartlett Publishers. This book was released on 2011-09-22 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding Health Outcomes and Pharmacoeconomics presents an overview of the tools used to assess patient-related health status including associated health outcomes and the analyses that are used to determine cost-effectiveness in evaluating pharmacotherapeutic interventions to improve health. Including data and examples from several different countries, this comprehensive text will help students understand the basis for decisions made at the local and governmental level that impact the use of pharmaceuticals and provide a strong foundation for understanding the principles used in cost-effective decision making. With commentaries, cases studies, and highlighting international differences, this text concludes with a discussion of the need for a universal system for documenting medication use. Understanding Health Outcomes and Pharmacoeconomics provides definitions of comparative effectiveness research (CER) and comparisons of pharmacoeconomic models (including cost-effectivess, cost-benefit, and cost utility analyses). This inclusive text provides describes how CER is linked to various pharmacoeconomic models by providing examples from clinical trials with comparative pharmacotherapy and cost parameters. From the Introduction: "The need for interprofessional education was made apparent in the 2003 Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality report. All healthcare professionals must be educated to deliver patient-centered care as members of an interprofessional team, emphasizing evidence-based practice, quality improvement approaches, and informatics. An enhanced understanding of pharmacoeconomic principles is a step in the right direction for healthcare practitioners as we do our best to ensure optimal medication therapy outcomes for patients and society at-large." -- George E. MacKinnon III, PhD, RPh, FASHP

Unhealthy Politics

Author : Eric M. Patashnik
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691208565
Total Pages : 283 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (912 download)

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Book Synopsis Unhealthy Politics by : Eric M. Patashnik

Download or read book Unhealthy Politics written by Eric M. Patashnik and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-07-21 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How partisanship, polarization, and medical authority stand in the way of evidence-based medicine The U.S. medical system is touted as the most advanced in the world, yet many common treatments are not based on sound science. Unhealthy Politics sheds new light on why the government's response to this troubling situation has been so inadequate, and why efforts to improve the evidence base of U.S. medicine continue to cause so much political controversy. This critically important book paints a portrait of a medical industry with vast influence over which procedures and treatments get adopted, and a public burdened by the rising costs of health care yet fearful of going against "doctor's orders." Now with a new preface by the authors, Unhealthy Politics offers vital insights into the limits of science, expertise, and professionalism in American politics.

Health Services Research

Author : Justin B. Dimick
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 9783030283568
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (835 download)

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Book Synopsis Health Services Research by : Justin B. Dimick

Download or read book Health Services Research written by Justin B. Dimick and published by Springer. This book was released on 2020-01-02 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This updated volume provides insight into health services research, as well as the emerging areas of research and the tools required to perform scientific work. The book covers topics related to performance assessment, quality improvement, health care policy, and career development. New chapters on the evaluation of non-technical skills in surgery, methods of enhancing causal inference in observational studies, and writing scientific manuscripts are also included. Health Services Research aims to give advice on how to obtain National Institutes of Health funding and other grants, as well as breaking through the barriers to developing a career in academic surgery. This book is relevant to surgical residents and young surgical faculty, as well as anyone undertaking a career in academic surgery.

Handbook on Risk of AIDS

Author : Barry S. Brown
Publisher : Greenwood
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 622 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Handbook on Risk of AIDS by : Barry S. Brown

Download or read book Handbook on Risk of AIDS written by Barry S. Brown and published by Greenwood. This book was released on 1993-10-11 with total page 622 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intravenous drug users account for nearly one-third of the current AIDS cases in the United States--second only to gay males--and are responsible for 72 percent of female and 59 percent of pediatric cases of AIDS. Thus the National Institute of Drug Abuse launched a major effort in 1987 to locate hidden users and to see how they function and to evaluate strategies and community-based programs in 50 cities and 60 nearby communities around the country in order to lower risks to IV users and to reduce the dangers that they pose to others in the population. Brown and Beschner present the very latest findings and come to well-tested conclusions about how to change behaviors positively. This handbook is written for use in college, university, and professional libraries and for students, teachers, policymakers, and practitioners in public health service and in public policy at all governmental levels to study carefully. Brown and Beschner open with an introduction showing how injection drug users and their sexual partners are at risk for aids. Part I describes the spread of AIDS in the United States and Puerto Rico. Part II depicts patterns of injection drug and crack use and their effect on sex partners. Part III deals with gender issues. Part IV goes into demographic and background factors. Part V discusses key issues in the use of drug abuse treatment. Part VI analyzes outreach and behavior change strategies. And Part VI looks into how risk can be reduced as a result of outreach and specific intervention strategies. The final chapter comes to some conclusions about the effectiveness of various interventions by the National AIDS Demonstration Research Project. Background readings also add to the importance of this major reference.