October 22, 2007
Elderly not receiving proper amount of care
http://blog.case.edu/ccrhd/2007/10/22/elderly_care
Health Disparities Blog

First we learned that children were getting less care than adults. Now it seems the elderly are also receiving less than optimal care.

From HealthDay:
http://healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=609256

The study found that vulnerable elderly patients -- those at risk of death or functional decline -- received only 65 percent of tests and other diagnostic evaluations and treatments recommended for a number of illnesses and conditions, including diabetes and heart disease.

"Thirty-five percent of the medical care interventions they should have received were not provided, indicating significant room for improvement. We'd much rather have everything higher -- say, at least 90 percent," lead author Dr. David S. Zingmond, assistant professor of general internal medicine and health services research at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.

The original study can be found in the journal Medical Care.

Posted by: dmp26 (David Porter) October 22, 2007 02:58 PM | Category: Health Disparities
http://blog.case.edu/ccrhd/2007/10/22/elderly_care
Health Disparities Blog