Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Coverage
Kinds of Coverage Terms modified by Coverage Selected AbstractsGREAT BASIN IMAGERY IN NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF YUCCA MOUNTAIN§GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, Issue 4 2005SOREN C. LARSEN ABSTRACT. Place imagery in printed news is a vital but overlooked feature of the public debate regarding the disposal of the nation's nuclear waste in the proposed Yucca Mountain repository northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. A content analysis of newspaper coverage reveals that participants use Great Basin imagery in the rhetorical strategies involved in making arguments for and against the site. This article identifies specific elements in the news-production process that privilege certain conceptualizations of the Great Basin over others, and it highlights alternative visions that have appeared in editorials, travel pieces, and commentaries. Taken together, the data and analysis suggest that journalistic sensitivity to value-laden imagery can result in more balanced and critical news accounts of public debate. [source] A NOTE ON MARKET COVERAGE IN VERTICAL DIFFERENTIATION MODELS WITH FIXED COSTSBULLETIN OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH, Issue 1 2008Pei-Cheng Liao L11; L13 ABSTRACT With fixed costs of quality improvement, we find that a covered market outcome with an interior solution in the price stage is not a Nash equilibrium. When the degree of consumer heterogeneity is high (low) enough, an uncovered market outcome (a covered market outcome with a corner solution in the price stage) is the only Nash equilibrium. When the degree of consumer heterogeneity is moderate, both of the two market outcomes are Nash equilibria, but an uncovered market outcome yields higher social welfare than a covered market outcome with a corner solution in the price stage. [source] ANNUAL MEETING COVERAGE: 2006 ASIS&T award winnersBULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 3 2007Article first published online: 11 SEP 200 First page of article [source] Unified Medical Language System Coverage of Emergency-medicine Chief ComplaintsACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2006Debbie A. Travers PhD Abstract Background Emergency department (ED) chief-complaint (CC) data increasingly are important for clinical-care and secondary uses such as syndromic surveillance. There is no widely used ED CC vocabulary, but experts have suggested evaluation of existing health-care vocabularies for ED CC. Objectives To evaluate the ED CC coverage in existing biomedical vocabularies from the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS). Methods The study sample included all CC entries for all visits to three EDs over one year. The authors used a special-purpose text processor to clean CC entries, which then were mapped to UMLS concepts. The UMLS match rates then were calculated and analyzed for matching concepts and nonmatching entries. Results A total of 203,509 ED visits was included. After cleaning with the text processor, 82% of the CCs matched a UMLS concept. The authors identified 5,617 unique UMLS concepts in the ED CC data, but many were used for only one or two visits. One thousand one hundred thirty-six CC concepts were used more than ten times and covered 99% of all the ED visits. The largest biomedical vocabulary in the UMLS is the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT), which included concepts for 79% of all ED CC entries. However, some common CCs were not found in SNOMED CT. Conclusions The authors found that ED CC concepts are well covered by the UMLS and that the best source of vocabulary coverage is from SNOMED CT. There are some gaps in UMLS and SNOMED CT coverage of ED CCs. Future work on vocabulary control for ED CCs should build upon existing vocabularies. [source] Analyst Coverage and the Cost of Raising Equity Capital: Evidence from Underpricing of Seasoned Equity Offerings,CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 3 2008Robert M. Bowen First page of article [source] Reasons for variation in coverage in the NHS cervical screening programmeCYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2001C. E. McGAHAN Reasons for variation in coverage in the NHS cervical screening programme In order to investigate reasons for variation in coverage of cervical screening, data from standard Department of Health returns were obtained for all Health Authorities for 1998/1999. Approximately 80% of the variation between health authorities is explained by differences in age distribution and area classification. Considerable differences between Health Authority and Office of National Statistics (ONS) population figures in City and Urban (London) areas for the age group 25,29 years and for City (London) for age group 30,34 years, suggest an effect of list inflation in these groups. Coverage as a performance indicator may be more accurately represented using the age range 35,64 years. Using this narrower age range, the percentage of health authorities meeting the 80% 5-year coverage target increases from 87% to 90%. [source] Letter: Tent Suture: Technique for Coverage of Exposed Vessel in the NeckDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 10 2007ALI HENDI MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Can Latin America Protect the Elderly with Non-Contributory Programmes?DEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 6 2005The Case of Uruguay Coverage of contributory pension programmes has been quite disappointing in Latin America in the aftermath of the reforms. The question thus arises as to whether non-contributory programmes could fill the gap. Uruguay is atypical in this region in that the proportion of the elderly receiving contributory pensions is high, and the incidence of poverty among the aged population is lower than among any other age group. But several observers fear that this situation could deteriorate in the future, because the conditions for accessing the pensions have been significantly tightened in the past decade. This article assesses several options for reforming the existing non-contributory pension programme, and estimates their fiscal cost. [source] Attachment of Amine- and Maleimide-Containing Ferrocene Derivatives onto Self-Assembled Alkanethiol and Alkanedithiol Monolayers: Voltammetric Evaluation of Cross-Linking Efficiencies and Surface Coverage of Electroactive GroupsELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 21 2004Yunfeng Wang Abstract Ferrocene derivatives containing primary amines and maleimide groups were attached covalently onto N -hydrosuccinimidyl (NHS)-terminated alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and SAMs of alkanedithiol. The surface coverage and efficiencies of the two cross-linking reactions were evaluated with cyclic voltammetry. All the ferrocene derivatives attached onto the alkanethiol or alkanedithiol SAMs exhibit reversible redox waves. The surface coverage of the aminated ferrocene groups was compared to that of N -hydrosuccinimidyl (NHS)-terminated alkanethiol SAM. The covalent attachment of ,-ferrocenylethylamine onto a 11,11,-dithio-bis(succinimidylundecanoate) SAM yielded an efficiency as high as 63.1%. The cross-linking efficiency of this reaction was found to increase with the nucleophilicity of the amino groups. SAMs of longer alkyl chains favor the attachment of a greater number of ferrocene derivatives. As for the Michael-type electrophilic addition between the sulfhydryl groups of the alkanedithiol SAMs and the ferrocenyl maleimide, the cross-linking efficiencies were found to range from 6.5% to 25.7%, depending on the alkanedithiol chain length. The difference in the efficiencies between the two types of cross-linking reactions might be partially attributable to the steric hindrance imposed by the SAMs and the relative sizes of the functional groups. [source] The Demands of 24/7 Coverage: Using Faculty Perceptions to Measure Fairness of the ScheduleACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 1 2004Frank L. Zwemer Jr. MD Objectives: Ensuring fair, equitable scheduling of faculty who work 24-hour, 7-day-per-week (24/7) clinical coverage is a challenge for academic emergency medicine (EM). Because most emergency department care is at personally valuable times (evenings, weekends, nights), optimizing clinical work is essential for the academic mission. To evaluate schedule fairness, the authors developed objective criteria for stress of the schedule, modified the schedule to improve equality, and evaluated faculty perceptions. They hypothesized that improved equality would increase faculty satisfaction. Methods: Perceived stress was measured for types of clinical shifts. The seven daily shifts were classified as weekday, weekend, or holiday (plus one unique teaching-conference coverage shift). Faculty assigned perceived stress to shifts (ShiftStress) utilizing visual analog scales (VAS). Faculty schedules were measured (ShiftScores) for two years (1998,1999), and ShiftScore distribution of faculty was determined quarterly. Schedules were modified (1999) to reduce interindividual ShiftScore standard deviation (SD). The survey was performed pre- and postintervention. Results: Preintervention, 26 faculty (100% of eligible) assigned VAS to 22 shifts. Increased stress was perceived in progression (weekday data, 0,10 scale) from day to evening to night (2.07, 5.00, 6.67, respectively) and from weekday to weekend to holiday (day-shift data, 2.07, 4.93, 5.87). The intervention reduced interindividual ShiftScore SD by 21%. Postintervention survey revealed no change in perceived equality or satisfaction. Conclusions: Faculty perceived no improvement despite scheduling modifications that improved equality of the schedule and provided objective measures. Other predictors of stress, fairness, and satisfaction with the demanding clinical schedule must be identified to ensure the success of EM faculty. [source] Diagnosis Clusters for Emergency MedicineACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2003Debbie A. Travers RN Objectives: Aggregated emergency department (ED) data are useful for research, ED operations, and public health surveillance. Diagnosis data are widely available as The International Classification of Diseases, version, 9, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes; however, there are over 24,000 ICD-9-CM code-descriptor pairs. Standardized groupings (clusters) of ICD-9-CM codes have been developed by other disciplines, including family medicine (FM), internal medicine (IM), inpatient care (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ]), and vital statistics (NCHS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the coverage of four existing ICD-9-CM cluster systems for emergency medicine. Methods: In this descriptive study, four cluster systems were used to group ICD-9-CM final diagnosis data from a southeastern university tertiary referral center. Included were diagnoses for all ED visits in July 2000 and January 2001. In the comparative analysis, the authors determined the coverage in the four cluster systems, defined as the proportion of final diagnosis codes that were placed into clusters and the frequencies of diagnosis codes in each cluster. Results: The final sample included 7,543 visits with 19,530 diagnoses. Coverage of the ICD-9-CM codes in the ED sample was: AHRQ, 99%; NCHS, 88%; FM, 71%; IM, 68%. Seventy-six percent of the AHRQ clusters were small, defined as grouping <1% of the diagnosis codes in the sample. Conclusions: The AHRQ system provided the best coverage of ED ICD-9-CM codes. However, most of the clusters were small and not significantly different from the raw data. [source] The Two Faces of Analyst CoverageFINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2005John A. Doukas We find that positive excess (strong) analyst coverage is associated with overvaluation and low future returns. This finding is consistent with the view that excessive analyst coverage, driven by investment banking incentives and analyst self-interests, raises investor optimism causing share prices to trade above fundamental value. However, weak analyst coverage causes stocks to trade below fundamental values. This finding indicates that investors tend to believe that these firms are more likely to be plagued by information asymmetries and agency problems. The results remain robust after controlling for the possible endogenous nature of analyst coverage and analysts' self-selection bias. [source] Coxibs: evolution of prescription's behaviour in FranceFUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 3 2007Julie Biga Abstract The aim of the present study was, first to characterize profiles of coxibs' prescribers [general practitioners (GPs) and rheumatologists] in 2002 in France and, secondly, to identify factors associated with modification of this profile 1 year later. All GPs and rheumatologists from Midi-Pyrenees, Aquitaine, Languedoc-Roussillon and Pays de Loire areas (South of France: 11 050 000 inhabitants) were included in the study. For each practitioner, we used data concerning all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including coxibs reimbursed during period 1 (P1; January,March 2002) and period 2 (P2; January,March 2003). The ratio between the number of coxibs' prescriptions and the total number of NSAIDs' prescriptions (including coxibs) was used to define the two profiles of prescribers, one with a low level of coxibs' prescriptions and another one with a high level of coxibs' prescriptions. Characteristics of practitioners and characteristics of their practices were compared according to this profile. In the second step, we investigated the characteristics (of practitioners and practices) associated with an increase in the level of coxibs' prescriptions in P2 for practitioners with a low level of coxibs' prescriptions in P1. Results are expressed as odds ratio with their 95% confidence intervals. A positive statistical link was found between a high level of coxibs' prescriptions, the speciality of rheumatologist or extra costs for consultation. In contrast, a negative association was observed with female gender or age below 44 years. No relationship was found with the status of referent. Concerning practices' characteristics of practitioners, there was a positive statistical link between a high ratio of coxibs' prescriptions and high co-prescriptions of gastroprotective agents and a negative association with a high number of acts, a high proportion of patients with chronic disabling diseases (CDD) or a high number of patients between 15 and 64 years. There was no statistical link with proportion of patients covered by Universal Medical Coverage (UMC) or aged more than 65 years. Among the factors involved in the increase in the ratio (between P1 and P2), no relationship was found with practitioners' characteristics. In contrast, some factors related to practices (level of gastroprotective co-prescriptions, number of acts, number of CDD patients) were related to a change in coxibs' prescriptions between P1 and P2. This study allowed to discuss some relationships between coxibs' prescription and practitioners' (age, gender, medical speciality or extra costs for consultation) or practices' (level of medical practice, patients' age, number of CDD patients or level of gastroprotective prescriptions) characteristics. In contrast, some other factors like the referent status or the number of patients with UMC are not related. Physicians, initially low prescribers of coxibs and increasing their coxibs' prescriptions during the period of our study, were those with a high level of gastroprotective prescriptions, a low number of acts or a small proportion of CDD patients. [source] SCHIP's Impact on Dependent Coverage in the Small-Group Health Insurance MarketHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 1 2010Eric E. Seiber Objective. To estimate the impact of State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) expansions on public and private coverage of dependents at small firms compared with large firms. Data Sources. 1996,2007 Annual Demographic Survey of the Current Population Survey (CPS). Study Design. This study estimates a two-stage least squares (2SLS) model for four insurance outcomes that instruments for SCHIP and Medicaid eligibility. Separate models are estimated for small group markets (firms with fewer than 25 employees), small businesses (firms under 500 employees), and large firms (firms 500 employees and above). Data Collection/Extraction Methods. We extracted data from the 1996,2007 CPS for children in households with at least one worker. Principal Findings. The SCHIP expansions decreased the percentage of uninsured dependents in the small group market by 7.6 percentage points with negligible crowd-out in the small group and no significant effect on private coverage across the 11-year-period. Conclusions. The SCHIP expansions have increased coverage for households in the small group market with no significant crowd-out of private coverage. In contrast, the estimates for large firms are consistent with the substantial crowd-out observed in the literature. [source] The Impact of CHIP on Children's Insurance Coverage: An Analysis Using the National Survey of America's FamiliesHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 6 2009Lisa Dubay Objective. To assess the impact of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) on the distribution of health insurance coverage for low-income children. Data Source. The primary data for the study were from the 1997, 1999, and 2002 National Survey of America's Families (NSAF), which includes a total sample of 62,497 children across all 3 years, supplemented with data from other data sources. Study Design. The study uses quasi-experimental designs and tests the sensitivity of the results to using instrumental variable and difference-in-difference approaches. A detailed Medicaid and CHIP eligibility model was developed for this study. Balanced repeated replicate weights were used to account for the complex sample of the NSAF. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted. Principle Findings. The results varied depending on the approach utilized but indicated that the CHIP program led to significant increases in public coverage (14,20 percentage points); and declines in employer-sponsored coverage (6,7 percentage points) and in uninsurance (7,12 percentage points). The estimated share of CHIP enrollment attributable to crowd-out ranged from 33 to 44 percent. Smaller crowd-out effects were found for Medicaid-eligible children. Conclusions. Implementation of the CHIP program resulted in large increases in public coverage with estimates of crowd-out consistent with initial projections made by the Congressional Budget Office. This paper demonstrates that public health insurance expansions can lead to substantial reductions in uninsurance without causing a large-scale erosion of employer coverage. [source] Effect of Prescription Drug Coverage on Health of the ElderlyHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 5p1 2008Nasreen Khan Objective. To estimate the effect of prescription drug insurance on health, as measured by self-reported poor health status, functional disability, and hospitalization among the elderly. Data. Analyses are based on a nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized elderly (,65 years of age) from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) for years 1992,2000. Study Design. Estimates are obtained using multivariable regression models that control for observed characteristics and unmeasured person-specific effects (i.e., fixed effects). Principal Findings. In general, prescription drug insurance was not associated with significant changes in self-reported health, functional disability, and hospitalization. The lone exception was for prescription drug coverage obtained through a Medicare HMO. In this case, prescription drug insurance decreased functional disability slightly. Among those elderly with chronic illness and older (71 years or more) elderly, prescription drug insurance was associated with slightly improved functional disability. Conclusions. Findings suggest that prescription drug coverage had little effect on health or hospitalization for the general population of elderly, but may have some health benefits for chronically ill or older elderly. [source] The Impact of Private Insurance Coverage on Veterans' Use of VA Care: Insurance and Selection EffectsHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 1p1 2008Yujing Shen Objective. To examine private insurance coverage and its impact on use of Veterans Health Administration (VA) care among VA enrollees without Medicare coverage. Data Sources. The 1999 National Health Survey of Veteran Enrollees merged with VA administrative data, with other information drawn from American Hospital Association data and the Area Resource File. Study Design. We modeled VA enrollees' decision of having private insurance coverage and its impact on use of VA care controlling for sociodemographic information, patients' health status, VA priority status and access to VA and non-VA alternatives. We estimated the true impact of insurance on the use of VA care by teasing out potential selection bias. Bias came from two sources: a security selection effect (sicker enrollees purchase private insurance for extra security and use more VA and non-VA care) and a preference selection effect (VA enrollees who prefer non-VA care may purchase private insurance and use less VA care). Principal Findings. VA enrollees with private insurance coverage were less likely to use VA care. Security selection dominated preference selection and naïve models that did not control for selection effects consistently underestimated the insurance effect. Conclusions. Our results indicate that prior research, which has not controlled for insurance selection effects, may have underestimated the potential impact of any private insurance policy change, which may in turn affect VA enrollees' private insurance coverage and consequently their use of VA care. From the decline in private insurance coverage from 1999 to 2002, we projected an increase of 29,400 patients and 158 million dollars for VA health care services. [source] The Impact of Welfare Reform on Insurance Coverage before Pregnancy and the Timing of Prenatal Care InitiationHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 4 2007Norma I. Gavin Objective. This study investigates the impact of welfare reform on insurance coverage before pregnancy and on first-trimester initiation of prenatal care (PNC) among pregnant women eligible for Medicaid under welfare-related eligibility criteria. Data Sources. We used pooled data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System for eight states (AL, FL, ME, NY, OK, SC, WA, and WV) from 1996 through 1999. Study Design. We estimated a two-part logistic model of insurance coverage before pregnancy and first-trimester PNC initiation. The impact of welfare reform on insurance coverage before pregnancy was measured by marginal effects computed from coefficients of an interaction term for the postreform period and welfare-related eligibility and on PNC initiation by the same interaction term and the coefficients of insurance coverage adjusted for potential simultaneous equation bias. We compared the estimates from this model with results from simple logistic, ordinary least squares, and two-stage least squares models. Principal Findings. Welfare reform had a significant negative impact on Medicaid coverage before pregnancy among welfare-related Medicaid eligibles. This drop resulted in a small decline in their first-trimester PNC initiation. Enrollment in Medicaid before pregnancy was independent of the decision to initiate PNC, and estimates of the effect of a reduction in Medicaid coverage before pregnancy on PNC initiation were consistent over the single- and two-stage models. Effects of private coverage were mixed. Welfare reform had no impact on first-trimester PNC beyond that from reduced Medicaid coverage in the pooled regression but separate state-specific regressions suggest additional effects from time and income constraints induced by welfare reform may have occurred in some states. Conclusions. Welfare reform had significant adverse effects on insurance coverage and first-trimester PNC initiation among our nation's poorest women of childbearing age. Improved outreach and insurance options for these women are needed to meet national health goals. [source] The Effects of Child-Only Insurance Coverage and Family Coverage on Health Care Access and Use: Recent Findings among Low-Income Children in CaliforniaHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 1 2006Sylvia Guendelman Objective. To compare the extent with which child-only and family coverage (child and parent insured) ensure health care access and use for low income children in California and discuss the policy implications of extending the State Children's Health Insurance Program (California's Healthy Families) to uninsured parents of child enrollees. Data Sources/Setting. We used secondary data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), a representative telephone survey. Study Design. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 5,521 public health insurance,eligible children and adolescents and their parents to examine the effects of insurance (family coverage, child-only coverage, and no coverage) on measures of health care access and utilization including emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Data Collection. We linked the CHIS adult, child, and adolescent datasets, including the adolescent insurance supplement. Findings. Among the sampled children, 13 percent were uninsured as were 22 percent of their parents. Children without insurance coverage were more likely than children with child-only coverage to lack a usual source of care and to have decreased use of health care. Children with child-only coverage fared worse than those with family coverage on almost every access indicator, but service utilization was comparable. Conclusions. While extending public benefits to parents of children eligible for Healthy Families may not improve child health care utilization beyond the gains that would be obtained by exclusively insuring the children, family coverage would likely improve access to a regular source of care and private sector providers, and reduce perceived discrimination and breaks in coverage. These advantages should be considered by states that are weighing the benefits of expanding health insurance to parents. [source] The Changing Distribution of Pension Coverage The Changing Distributionof Pension CoverageINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 2 2000William E. Even Data from the Current Population Surveys reveal that between 1979 and 1993 the gap in pension coverage between workers with less than 12 years of education and those with more than 16 years of education nearly tripled among men and more than quadrupled among women. The empirical analysis reveals that differences in labor market characteristics related to gender and education have grown over time and can account for virtually all the changing distribution of coverage. There is mixed evidence on the extent to which the growth of the 401(k) plan has contributed to the changing distribution of coverage. [source] Social Health Insurance: Key Factors Affecting the Transition Towards Universal CoverageINTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY REVIEW, Issue 1 2005Guy Carrin Several low- and middle-income countries are interested in extending their existing health insurance for specific groups to eventually cover their entire populations. For those countries interested in such an extension, it is important to understand the factors that affect the transition from incomplete to universal coverage. This paper analyses the experience of eight countries in the implementation of social health insurance. It highlights the importance of the socioeconomic and political context, particularly in relation to the level of income, structure of the economy, distribution of the population, ability to administer and level of solidarity within the country, but also stresses the important stewardship role government can play in facilitating the transition to universal coverage via social health insurance. [source] Effect of Different Levels of Wheat Straw Soil Surface Coverage on Weed Flora in Vicia faba CropsJOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 4 2003D. Bilalis Abstract The crop system implemented on organic farms requires that crop residues are incorporated into the soil following the end of wheat cultivation. This system leads to a reduction in soil moisture and the creation of favourable conditions for the emergence of weeds. In contrast, covering the soil with 60 % crop residues was found to maintain soil moisture and lead to a reduction in dry weed mass, population density and population frequency as well as a reduction in population diversity, regardless of the initial weed flora before the implementation of different soil tillage systems. Finally, an increase in the prevalence of broad-leafed weeds was observed as the level of soil cover increased. [source] The Effect of Transitioning to Medicare Part D Drug Coverage in Seniors Dually Eligible for Medicare and MedicaidJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 12 2008William H. Shrank MD OBJECTIVES: To evaluate medication use, out-of-pocket spending, and medication switching during the transition period for patients dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare (dual eligibles). DESIGN: Time-trend analysis, using segmented linear regression. SETTING: Patient-level pharmacy dispensing data from January 2005 to December 2006 from a large pharmacy chain with stores in 34 states. PARTICIPANTS: Dual eligibles aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Changes in utilization, patient copayments, and medication switching were analyzed using interrupted time trend analyses. Utilization and spending were evaluated for five study drugs: clopidogrel, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), warfarin, and statins (essential drugs covered by Part D plans) and benzodiazepines (not covered through Part D but potentially covered through Medicaid). RESULTS: Drug use for 13,032 dual eligibles was evaluated. There was no significant effect of the transition to Medicare Part D on use of all study drugs, including the uncovered benzodiazepines. Cumulative reductions were seen in copayments for all covered drugs after implementation of Part D, ranging from 25% annually for PPIs to 53% for warfarin, but there was a larger increase in copayments, 91% annually, for benzodiazepines after the transition. The rate of switching medications was 3.0 times as great for the PPIs after implementation of Part D than before implementation, but there was no significant change in the other study drug classes. CONCLUSION: These findings in a single, large pharmacy chain indicate that the transition plan for dual eligibles led to less medication discontinuation and switching than many had expected. The substantially greater cost sharing for benzodiazepines highlights the importance of implementing a thoughtful transition plan when executing such a national policy. [source] Costs and Insurance Coverage Associated with Permanent Mechanical Cardiac Assist/Replacement Devices in the United StatesJOURNAL OF CARDIAC SURGERY, Issue 4 2001Roger W. Evans Ph.D. Each year over 50,000 persons in the United States could potentially benefit from some form of permanent cardiac replacement or assistance. Approximately 7000 of these persons get on the waiting list for a transplant, and 2300 are transplanted. About 2000 patints are reportedly exposed to a mechanical cardiac assist device, most often as a bridge to transplant. The majority of persons who might benefit from cardiac replacement are never referred for treatment and, thus, the number of deaths on the waiting list is a misleading indicator of access to transplantation and overall patient mortality. The total economic burden associated with coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure now exceeds $140 billion each year, with approximately $700 million directly spent on heart transplant procedures alone. If a viable total artificial heart is devised to replace a failed heart, or a ventriular assist system to permanently assist a failing heart, direct aggregate expenditures alone are likely to be somewhere between $5.4 and $24.0 billion annually. Based on individual patient care costs, as well as aggregate national expenditures, insurers will be reluctant to pay for the permanent use of such devices, even though cost is reportedly not a consideration in coverage decisions. Today, medical benefits and added value are concepts that will shape the coverage determination process, as will increasingly liberal policies regarding payment for treatment costs in relationship to clinical trials. Nonetheless, resource allocation and rationing decisions loom large as strange "characters at play" on an international economic "stage," while being "directed" by worldwide health care needs. [source] Does Local Television News Coverage Cultivate Fatalistic Beliefs About Cancer Prevention?JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, Issue 2 2010Jeff Niederdeppe Many U.S. adults hold fatalistic beliefs about cancer prevention despite evidence that a large proportion of cancer deaths are preventable. We report findings from two studies that assess the plausibility of the claim that local television (TV) news cultivates fatalistic beliefs about cancer prevention. Study 1 features a content analysis of an October 2002 national sample of local TV and newspaper coverage about cancer. Study 2 describes an analysis of the 2005 Annenberg National Health Communication Survey (ANHCS). Overall, findings are consistent with the claim that local TV news coverage may promote fatalistic beliefs about cancer prevention. We conclude with a discussion of study implications for cultivation theory and the knowledge gap hypothesis and suggest foci for future research. Beaucoup d'adultes américains ont une perception fataliste de la prévention du cancer, malgré les preuves à l'effet qu'une grande proportion des décès dus au cancer sont évitables. Plusieurs chercheurs suggèrent que la couverture médiatique est l'une des sources de cette opinion. Nous rendons compte des résultats de deux études évaluant la plausibilité de l'affirmation selon laquelle les informations télévisées locales cultiveraient une perception fataliste de la prévention du cancer. La première étude fait état d'une analyse de contenu d'un échantillon national de la couverture du cancer en octobre 2002 par les télévision et les journaux locaux. Dans l'ensemble, les résultats appuient l'affirmation selon laquelle la couverture des informations télévisées locales pourrait promouvoir une perception fataliste de la prévention du cancer. Nous concluons par une discussion des conséquences de ces résultats pour la théorie de cultivation et l'hypothèse de l'écart des savoirs et par des suggestions pour la recherche future. Viele U.S. amerikanische Erwachsene haben fatalistische Vorstellung zur Krebsprävention, auch wenn es Beweise gibt, dass ein großer Anteil von Krebstodesfällen vermieden werden kann. Verschiedene Wissenschaftler nehmen an, dass die Nachrichtenberichterstattung eine Quelle für diese Ansichten ist. Wir dokumentieren Ergebnisse von zwei Studien, die die Plausibilität dieser Annahme zeigen, nämlich dass lokales Nachrichtenfernsehen fatalistische Ansichten zur Krebsprävention kultiviert. Studie 1 ist die Inhaltsanalyse einer nationalen Stichprobe von Fernsehlokalnachrichten und der Presseberichterstattung im Oktober 2002 zum Thema Krebs. Die Ergebnisse sind konsistent mit der Annahme, dass Fernsehlokalnachrichten fatalistische Ansichten zum Thema Krebsprävention beeinflussen. Wir schließen mit einer Diskussion der Implikationen für die Kultivierungstheorie und die Wissensklufthypothese und schlagen Forschungsfelder für die Zukunft vor. Resumen Muchos adultos Norteamericanos sostienen creencias fatalistas sobre la prevención del cáncer a pesar de la evidencia que una proporción larga de las muertes de cáncer son prevenibles. Varios eruditos sugieren que la cobertura de noticias es una fuente de esas creencias. Reportamos los hallazgos de dos estudios que evaluaron la plausibilidad que la afirmación que las noticias de la televisión local (TV) cultiva las creencias fatalistas sobre la prevención del cáncer. El estudio 1 muestra un análisis de contenido de una muestra nacional de Octubre del 2002 de la cobertura sobre el cáncer en TV local y periódicos. En general, los hallazgos son consistentes con el alegato que la cobertura de noticias locales de TV pueden promover creencias fatalistas sobre la prevención del cáncer. Concluimos con una discusión de las implicancias de este estudio para la teoría de la cultivación y para la hipótesis de la brecha de conocimiento y sugiere el foco para la investigación futura. [source] Taking Television Seriously: A Sound and Image Bite Analysis of Presidential Campaign Coverage, 1992,2004JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, Issue 4 2007Erik P. Bucy This study updates and builds on Hallin's landmark investigation of sound-bite news by documenting the prevalence of candidate image bites, where candidates are shown but not heard (as opposed to being shown and heard), in general election news over 4 election cycles. A visual analysis of broadcast network (ABC, CBS, and NBC) news coverage of the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 U.S. presidential elections finds that image bites constituted a greater percentage of total campaign coverage than sound bites, with candidates appearing in image bites significantly more than sound bites. Even as candidate sound bites continue to shrink over time, image-bite time is increasing in duration,and candidates are being presented in image bites almost twice as much as journalists. Sound bites are also found to be largely attack and issue focused. Based on these findings, we call for greater appreciation of visual processing, nonverbal communication, and voter learning from television news in the study of media and politics. Résumé Prendre la télévision au sérieux : Une analyse des clips sonores et visuels de la couverture des campagnes électorales présidentielles, 1992-2004 Cette étude met à jour et raffine l,enquête qu'avait faite Hallin sur les clips sonores d,actualités en documentant la prévalence des clips visuels des candidats, dans lesquels ceux-ci sont montrés mais non entendus (par opposition àêtre montrés et entendus), dans les bulletins d'information sur les élections générales au travers de quatre cycles électoraux. Une analyse visuelle de la couverture par les bulletins d,information des réseaux de télédiffusion (ABC, CBS et NBC) des élections présidentielles américaines de 1992, 1996, 2000 et 2004 démontre que les clips visuels ont constitué un plus grand pourcentage de la couverture électorale totale que les clips sonores, les candidats apparaissant plus fréquemment (de façon significative) dans les clips visuels que dans les clips sonores. Alors que les clips sonores des candidats ne cessent de raccourcir au fil du temps, la durée des clips visuels augmente , et les candidats sont présentés dans des clips visuels dans une proportion presque deux fois plus grande que les journalistes. L'étude démontre également que les clips sonores sont largement centrés sur les attaques et les enjeux. D'après ces résultats, nous réclamons une plus grande compréhension du traitement visuel, de la communication non verbale et de l,apprentissage que font les électeurs à partir des bulletins de nouvelles, dans l'étude des médias et de la politique. Abstract Fernsehen ernst nehmen: Eine Analyse der Sound und Bild Bites der Präsidentschaftskampagnenberichterstattung 1992-2004 Diese Untersuchung basiert auf und erweitert die zentrale Studie von Hallin zu Sound Bite Nachrichten, indem sie über 4 Wahlzyklen hinweg die Verbreitung von Kandidaten Bild Bites dokumentiert. Bild Bites sind dabei Nachrichtenteile, in denen die Kandidaten zwar sichtbar, aber nicht hörbar sind (im Gegensatz zu sichtbar und hörbar). Eine visuelle Analyse der Nachrichtenberichterstattung zu den Präsidentschaftswahlen von 1992, 1996, 2000 und 2004 auf ABC, CBS und NBC zeigte, dass Bild Bites einen größeren Anteil der Kampagnengesamtberichterstattung ausmachen als Sound Bites, und dass die Kandidaten signifikant häufiger in Bild Bites erscheinen als in Sound Bites. Auch wenn die Zahl der Sound Bites der Kandidaten über die Jahre hinweg abnahmen, nehmen die Bild Bites in diesem Zeitraum zu - und Kandidaten werden in Bild Bites fast doppelt so oft gezeigt wie Journalisten. Sound Bites konzentrieren sich inhaltlich außerdem eher auf Angriffe und Themen. Basierend auf diesen Ergebnissen, fordern wir eine Konzentration auf die Untersuchung von visueller Verarbeitung, nonverbaler Kommunikation und dem Aspekt des Lernens von Fernsehnachrichten in der Erforschung von Medien und Politik. Resumen Tomando a la Televisión Seriamente: Un Análisis de los fragmentos de Sonido e Imagen de la Cobertura de Campañas Presidenciales, 1992-2004 Este estudio actualiza y extiende la investigación pionera de Hallin sobre los fragmentos de sonidos de noticias a través de la documentación de la prevalencia de las imágenes fragmentadas de los candidatos, en las cuales los candidatos fueron mostrados pero no escuchados (en vez de ser mostrados y escuchados), en las noticias de las elecciones generales durante 4 ciclos electivos. Un análisis visual de la cobertura de noticias de las redes de televisión (ABC, CBS, y NBC) y de las elecciones presidenciales de los Estados Unidos de 1992, 1996, 2000, y 2004 encontró que los fragmentos de imágenes, más que los de los sonidos, constituían un gran porcentaje de la cobertura total de la campaña, con los candidatos apareciendo más significativamente en los fragmentos de imágenes que en los fragmentos de sonido. Aún cuando los fragmentos de sonidos de los candidatos continúan reduciéndose a través del tiempo, el tiempo del fragmento de la imagen está incrementando en duración-y los candidatos son presentados en fragmentos de imágenes casi dos veces más que los periodistas. Los fragmentos de sonido, en su mayoría, se enfocan en ataques y asuntos. Basados en estos resultados, hacemos un llamado a la apreciación del procesamiento visual, de la comunicación no-verbal, y del aprendizaje del votante por medio de las noticias televisivas en el estudio de los medios y la política. ZhaiYao Yo yak [source] The World's Nicest Grown-Up: A Fantasy Theme Analysis of News Media Coverage of Fred RogersJOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, Issue 1 2003Ronald Bishop This article applies fantasy theme analysis (Bormann, 1972, 1976, 1982, 1983, 2000) to explain the rhetorical vision that emerges from newspaper and broadcast news coverage of American television personality Fred Rogers. For the past 3 decades, journalists have framed Rogers as a calming influence and treated him with deference and respect. Journalists have created a fantasy about Rogers that holds him up as the embodiment of television's potential, potential that can be realized only by returning to the quiet tolerance and the power of imagination at the heart of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. For reporters in this interpretive community, Rogers offers hope for those struggling to raise children. A rhetorical vision of Rogers as "the world's nicest grown-up," the "Dalai Lama of television," and "the Pied Piper of children's television" is constructed out of the fantasy themes by journalists stepping outside their usual role as objective observers. Journalists who start off skeptical of Rogers and his approach find themselves captivated by his message, and they insert this experience into their coverage of Rogers, making it a key fantasy theme. [source] An Analysis of Topical Coverage of WikipediaJOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, Issue 2 2008Alexander Halavais Many have questioned the reliability and accuracy of Wikipedia. Here a different issue, but one closely related: how broad is the coverage of Wikipedia? Differences in the interests and attention of Wikipedia's editors mean that some areas, in the traditional sciences, for example, are better covered than others. Two approaches to measuring this coverage are presented. The first maps the distribution of topics on Wikipedia to the distribution of books published. The second compares the distribution of topics in three established, field-specific academic encyclopedias to the articles found in Wikipedia. Unlike the top-down construction of traditional encyclopedias, Wikipedia's topical coverage is driven by the interests of its users, and as a result, the reliability and completeness of Wikipedia is likely to be different depending on the subject-area of the article. [source] Sunscreen application at the beachJOURNAL OF COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2004J Lademann Summary Background, The sun protection factor (SPF) of sunscreens is determined after application of a standard amount. The European Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association (COLIPA) standard amount is 2 mg/cm2. Real-life application of sunscreen is probably less than this. Aim, To determine the amount of sunscreen present on the skin of people at the beach. Methods, Volunteers at the beach were selected randomly and were not aware of being tested for the adequacy of their sunscreen application. All volunteers had applied sunscreen. Application had been more than 30 min before testing (sometimes up to 4 h earlier). The amounts of sunscreen applied to different body sites were determined quantitatively by tape stripping. Actual amounts of sunscreen applied were compared with the COLIPA standard. Also, sunscreen containing a fluorescent dye was applied to the skin of volunteers in a laboratory setting. The distribution of sunscreen application was visualized by UVA photography in a darkened room. Results, Sixty volunteers, 33 males and 27 females, aged 17,68 years (median 32 years), were recruited at the beach. Sunscreen coverage was inadequate at all body sites. Coverage at various body sites differed greatly. Most volunteers had applied 10% or less of the COLIPA standard amount to all body sites assessed. The best protected areas were the upper arm and décolleté but, even in these areas, most volunteers had only applied 10% of the COLIPA standard amount. The worst protected areas were the ears and top of the feet. The back was typically badly protected if treated by the volunteers themselves. The back was better protected if another person had applied the sunscreen. In the laboratory, the fluorescent dye-containing sunscreen showed the same pattern of sunscreen application as at the beach. Conclusions, In real life, at the beach, very little sunscreen remains present on the skin. [source] Concise Reviews and Hypotheses in Food ScienceJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 3 2001Daryl B. Lund Coverage of all aspects of food science,including safety and nutrition,with in-depth coverage of a narrowly defined topic, embodying careful evaluation of all pertinent studies, with interpretations and conclusions. Also including hypothesis papers in pioneering areas of research or important areas that are afflicted by scientific controversy [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||