Objectives: This dissertation comprises three essays on geographic variations in healthcare, and the association between utilization and health outcomes. I first explore associations between outpatient visits and Medicare beneficiaries'...
Recent years have witnessed a new class of monitoring applications that need to continuously collect information from remote data sources. Those data sources, such as web click-streams, stock quotes, and sensor data, are often characterized as...
Community health services -- United States -- Evaluation. ; Health care reform -- United States. ; Medical care -- United States -- Evaluation. ; Evidence-based medicine.
Outcome assessment (Medical care). ; Aortic valve -- Surgery -- Complications. ; Aortic valve -- Surgery -- New England. ; Cardiovascular instruments Implanted.
Aortic valve disease is a frequent and serious disorder. Although aortic valve replacement (AVR) is arguably the only effective treatment, important issues remain unresolved in the care of patients with this disease. Recent studies have focused...
Cancer Control Program (National Cancer Institute) -- Evaluation. Cancer -- Treatment -- United States -- Evaluation. Cancer -- Patients -- Care -- Evaluation.
Background. Disparities in access to cancer care and cancer-related outcomes have been demonstrated in the U.S. Patterns of access to National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Centers (NCI-CCs), the most specialized cancer care settings, have not...
Primary care (Medicine) -- United States -- Evaluation. ; Medicine -- Specialties and specialists. ; Physicians -- Supply and demand -- United States.
Background. Strengthening the role of primary care is considered a key element in improving the outcomes and efficiency of health care delivery. Previous studies of the benefits of primary care have primarily examined the association of primary...
Many of today's communication and imaging technologies share the common challenge of signal deterioration due to water's large absorption coefficient. As an example, it is water molecules that contaminate the fused silica of optical fibers and...
Plants -- Effect of iron on. Iron -- Metabolism -- Molecular aspects. Chloroplasts. Plant mitochondria. Homeostasis. Plant enzymes. Reduction (Chemistry). Iron chelates.
Nursing services -- United States -- Evaluation. Nursing services -- United States -- Personnel management. Hospitals -- United States -- Administration. Outcome assessment (Medical care). Nursing Service.
Primary care (Medicine) -- United States -- Evaluation.
Medicine -- Specialties and specialists.
Physicians -- Supply and demand -- United States.
Background: Strengthening the role of primary care is considered a key element in improving the outcomes and efficiency of health care delivery. Previous studies of the benefits of primary care have primarily examined the association of primary...
Hospitals -- After care -- United States. Medicare beneficiaries -- Hospital care -- Costs. Geriatric orthopedics -- Economic aspects. Health services accessibility -- United States. After care -- supply & distribution -- United States.
A fuller understanding of cost and utilization, per discharge and for all-payers, is needed at the hospital level. I conducted three studies to address this need. In study 1, I examine the amount of variation in costs and LOS per discharge that can...
Older people -- Medical care -- United States -- Evaluation. Chronically ill -- Medical care -- United States -- Evaluation. Ambulatory medical care -- United States -- Evaluation.
Objective . To examine how continuity is related to quality measures for chronically ill elderly patients; to the specialty and caseload of the physicians they predominantly visit; and to the regional context of where their ambulatory care is...