Serious problems have been identified in the prescribing of medications for elderly patients and use of prescription and nonprescription drugs by older persons. Overuse, underuse, and inappropriate use of drugs by the elderly have been widely documented, and the harmful consequences have been described. This paper reviews information concerning the need for action to improve health professionals' knowledge and skills with respect to drugs and the elderly and activities being undertaken by geriatric education centers (GECs) to enhance these capacities. Grant support for the centers from the Health Resources and Services Administration, a Public Health Service component agency, began in 1983. In fiscal year 1992 there are 31 centers operating in 26 States. The centers are multi-institutional and conduct four types of educational activities. These include review of pharmacological issues for multidisciplinary groups, specialized training for pharmacists, discipline-specific programs focusing on medication issues, and activities aimed at educating the public. Examples of the GECs' educational activities are given.
In 1986, the National Cancer Institute began a major grant program to enhance the technical capabilities of public health departments in cancer prevention and control. This effort, commonly referred to as "capacity building" for cancer control, provi...
The relationship between sociodemographic, biological, and prenatal care characteristics, and participation rates of pregnant women in the Special Supplemental Food Program For Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) was studied by interviewing 200 postpa...
There is little available information on the smoking habits of Native Americans. The authors used data from the Washington State birth certificate to determine the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy among Native American mothers in Washington Sta...
The "Healthy Children Ready to Learn" initiative starts with the underlying concept that health is a critical partner to optimum education. All children have a right to be healthy. At a minimum, this right assumes promoting optimum use of available a...
Evidence that death and injury rates for young children involved in automobile collisions could be reduced if children were restrained prompted the State of Tennessee to pass the nation's first child passenger law, a law that became effective in Janu...
Marks, G; Richardson, J L; Ruiz, M S; Maldonado, N;
Published Date:
1992 Jan-Feb
Source:
Public Health Rep. 107(1):100-105
Description:
The researchers studied the self-reported practices of men infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Los Angeles concerning notifying past sexual partners of their risk of infection. The sample of 111 men consisted of 87 Hispanics, 14 w...
Data on occupational injury fatalities in Alaska for the period 1980-85 were complied from workers' compensation claims and death certificates. These data yielded 422 unique cases for the 6-year period, for an average annual fatality rate of 36.3 per...
Recent research has underscored the importance of assessing barriers to smokers' acceptance of cessation programs. This paper illustrates the use of computer simulations to gauge smokers' response to program modifications which may produce barriers t...
Matching of Medicaid and health department patients' files to birth certificates was used as a means of evaluating the effect of prenatal care given by public health departments on the birth weights of babies of women in Medicaid. Three years of live...
The Public Health Programs and Services (PHP&S) Branch of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services began a strategic planning effort in January 1986 to meet new disease trends, curb rising health care costs, consolidate limited resources,...
Sugarman, J R; Gilbert, T J; Percy, C A; Peter, D G;
Published Date:
1992 Jan-Feb
Source:
Public Health Rep. 107(1):92-99
Description:
Navajo Indians have been reported by earlier investigators to have low concentrations of serum lipids and a low prevalence of hyperlipidemia, as well as low rates of ischemic heart disease. However, no data on serum lipid concentrations among Navajos...
A reprise of selected known factors about the influences affecting the prescribing and use of drugs, and some new developments in the drug marketplace, are the basis for this summary and observations about future expectations regarding psychotherapeu...
Brownson, R C; Smith, C A; Jorge, N E; Deprima, L T; Dean, C G; Cates, R W;
Published Date:
1992 Jan-Feb
Source:
Public Health Rep. 107(1):32-37
Description:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Effective programs for the prevention and control of CVD need to include data-based planning and evaluation at the State and local levels. The authors ...
Teaching cross cultural communication typically involves instruction in differences between groups. As part of this course in cross cultural communication, six specific underserved population groups are introduced to students as a cultural experience...
The large number of Southeast Asian, Hispanic, and Portuguese immigrants in Rhode Island face formidable language and cultural barriers in gaining access to the health care that they need. As the funding for refugee-specific programs diminishes, the ...
Miller, Elaine R.; Moro, Pedro L.; Cano, Maria; Shimabukuro, Tom;
Published Date:
May 23 2015
Source:
Vaccine. 33(29):3288-3292
Description:
Vaccines are rigorously tested and monitored and are among the safest medical products we use. Millions of vaccinations are given to children and adults in the United States each year. Serious adverse reactions are rare. However, because of the high ...