November 16, 2009 - Fund-supported researchers reported in Inquiry that minority patients in the New York City area are significantly less likely than whites to be treated at high-volume hospitals for services for which high volume is associated with better outcomes.
In the Literature
November 13, 2009 - Access to doctors and use of mammography, cholesterol testing, and other preventive services improved for both white and Hispanic patients nationally from 1991 to 2004, Fund-supported researchers reported in the journal Medical Care. Gaps in access to care, however, widened between whites and Hispanics in individual states, including Texas and Florida.
In the Literature
September 25, 2009 - Patient focus groups provide further evidence that many health care providers need to learn more about the expectations of their minority patients, these patient' specific needs and preferences, and their satisfaction with care received. In this Commonwealth Fund-supported Study, researchers at conducted focus groups with 37 black and Hispanic men and women to explore racial and ethnic differences in patients' experiences with hospital care.
Literature Abstract
August 13, 2009 - This Commonwealth Fund-supported study finds that the quality of care at safety-net hospitals—which serve many poor, publicly insured, and uninsured patients—varies depending on the criteria used to identify such hospitals.
In the Literature
July 31, 2009 - This Commonwealth Fund report profiles five safety-net hospitals that made improvements to curb emergency department crowding, reduce long waits, and lower the number of hours spent on ambulance diversion.
Fund Report
May 11, 2009 - Rising health care costs coupled with eroding health care benefits are having a substantial effect on Americans' ability to get needed health care, with women particularly affected. Women experience cost-related access problems and medical bill problems more often than men.
Issue Brief
April 21, 2009 - A Commonwealth Fund-supported study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that Medicare coverage reduces racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in heart disease and diabetes outcomes. The authors suggested that providing health coverage to those under age 65 may reduce such disparities among all adults.
In the Literature
March 26, 2009 - Even after controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, uninsured breast cancer patients at a large safety-net hospital system were more likely than their insured counterparts to be diagnosed with advanced disease requiring more extensive and costly treatment, according to this Fund-supported study.
In the Literature
February 5, 2009 - A Commonwealth Fund-supported study of overweight and obese patients found disparities in how patients of different racial and ethnic backgrounds perceive the health effects of their weight. Health care providers can play an important role in helping patients understand the often serious implications.
In the Literature
February 2, 2009 - A comparison of the histories of patient centeredness and cultural competence in health care delivery reveals that, despite some differences, these quality initiatives share many of the same core concepts.
In the Literature
January 14, 2009 - A Commonwealth Fund-supported study found a patient tracking and feedback registry used by a group of New York City hospitals for treating breast cancer patients improved outcomes and eliminated racial disparities in treatment.
In the Literature
January 12, 2009 - A new Commonwealth Fund report examines the impact recent citizenship documentation rules have had on the stability of health insurance coverage for low-income children covered by state public programs. It finds that getting and keeping coverage has become more difficult for many families.
Fund Report
November 24, 2008 - While African Americans use rates of nursing homes have now surpassed whites' rates, there has been little gain in equity in long-term care.
In the Literature
November 24, 2008 - This study, which reviewed data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey from 2001 through 2003, of 1,120 community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with dementia found that use of anti-dementia medications was approximately 30 percent higher among non-Hispanic whites compared with other racial and ethnic groups.
In the Literature
November 13, 2008 - A recent study found that managing type 2 diabetes with the aid of an automated telephone self-management tool, plus nurse care management, was comparable in cost and outcomes to other accepted diabetes-management interventions.
In the Literature