November 17, 2009 - For this Fund-supported study in The Permanente Journal, researchers explored the options for disseminating a model of well-child care that is parent-centered and team-based and includes developmental and preventive visits.
In the Literature
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
November 10, 2009 - This case study describes the strategies and factors that appear to contribute to high performance on surgical care improvement measures at Reid Hospital. It is based on information obtained from interviews with key hospital personnel and materials provided by the hospital during the spring of 2009.
Case Study
November 6, 2009 - This Commonwealth Fund issue brief examines an unprecedented use of state health insurance regulatory authority to promote health system reform. In Rhode Island, regulators have used this authority to implement a set of standards to promote increased affordability through a series of requirements aimed at strengthening and expanding the state's primary care infrastructure.
Issue Brief
November 3, 2009 - By combining the core tenets of primary care with high-tech practice innovations like electronic medical records, the patient-centered medical home model can improve quality of care and lower costs. This Commonwealth Fund supported publicatin looks at the several challenges.
Literature Abstract
October 16, 2009 - How much does it cost a physician practice to become a medical home and add new medical home features? A new Commonwealth Fund report finds less than a $1-per-patient difference in costs per month between physician practices with a high level of medical home attributes—such as evening office hours, electronic health record systems, and care management services—and those with lower levels.
Fund Report
October 8, 2009 - The Commonwealth Fund-supported study in Annals of Internal Medicine looks at primary care practices in Massachusetts and finds a strong association between clinicians' frequent use of advanced electronic health records and higher practice performance on quality-of-care measures.
In the Literature
September 25, 2009 - The reporting of medical errors by health care providers can hinge on many factors—their awareness of events, professional judgment, and a general willingness to come forward. In this Commonwealth Fund-supported survey, using a Web-based survey developed to improve communication between doctors and patients, researchers at Dartmouth Medical School explored the feasibility of patients reporting adverse events.
Literature Abstract
September 22, 2009 - From 2004 to 2008, St. Charles Hospital achieved dramatic improvement on process-of-care measures, particularly on those intended to reduce surgical complications. This case study examines how they achieved these quality improvements.
Case Study
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
August 13, 2009 - Gundersen Lutheran Health System is a physician-led, not-for-profit integrated delivery system serving more than 550,000 people. Gundersen Lutheran has increased efficiency, improved patient care, and achieved the high performance associated with large urban institutions.
Case Study
August 13, 2009 - Marshfield Clinic is a not-for-profit, physician-governed multispecialty group practice serving residents of rural Wisconsin through a regional ambulatory care system, an affiliated health plan, and related foundations supporting health research and education.
Case Study
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
July 22, 2009 - The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) was established in 2004 to provide Germany's Federal Joint Committee with evidence-based evaluations of the benefits and cost benefits of health services, and functions in an advisory role.
Issue Brief