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Biomedical subjects

R J Blendon

Publications and source records attributed to R J Blendon.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

The public's view of the future of health care.

An analysis of more than two decades of poll results has identified six major trends in public opinion likely to affect the health care system of the 1990s. Americans favor more rather than less health spending, at least as long as the economy remains strong, and they do not think the deficit problem requires cuts in medical care outlays. Should there be a serious economic downturn, however, the public would reverse itself and would favor reduced spending that relies on a different set of strategies than those favored by most health policy experts, particularly in regard to spending for care for the elderly. In either case, the poll results suggest that Americans may be less inclined to participate in newer forms of medical practice, such as health maintenance organizations or preferred provider organizations, than anticipated, and that the commercialization of health care is leading to a decline in public confidence in the leaders of medicine. This latter trend may result in a lack of trust in professionals' views concerning the quality of care and may presage more stringent government involvement in and regulation of health services.

Cost Control↗
PubMed1986

Uncompensated care by hospitals or public insurance for the poor. Does it make a difference?

Results from two recent surveys of access to medical care, one nationwide and the other in Arizona, were analyzed to determine the consequences of reductions in Medicaid coverage for low-income Americans and the accompanying shift of responsibility for their health care to clinics and hospitals that provide uncompensated or subsidized care. The analysis indicated that in 1982, low-income persons received substantially less care from physicians if they resided in states without Medicaid programs or with only limited programs. In Arizona, the only state at the time without a Medicaid program, poor children saw physicians 40 percent less often, and poor rural residents saw physicians 22 percent less often, than poor residents of states with Medicaid programs; the proportion of poor Arizona residents refused care for financial reasons was almost double that in states with Medicaid programs. In addition, poor residents of states with the highest proportions of their low-income populations covered by Medicaid fared better than those in states with less extensive coverage. Moreover, poor elderly Americans were found to have comparable access to health care, regardless of where they lived, as a result of almost universal coverage under Medicare. Thus, this analysis suggests that the growing reliance on uncompensated care provided by hospitals and clinics may not be an effective substitute for public insurance and may adversely affect the health care received by the poor.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

The academic medical center today.

Some recent circumstances, including the nation's economic difficulties, a probable physician surplus, a declining need for acute-care medical beds, and an overwhelming public perception that medical care is too expensive, are creating serious problems for academic medical centers today. To survive, many academic medical centers probably will make certain short-term adaptations that will be viewed as undesirable by many. We suggest four initiatives that may help academic centers maintain their vital national role. These initiatives include becoming major public advocates for the medical care needs of the least fortunate; a sharp reduction in the training of subspecialists; the commitment of more of their faculty practice income to academic research, teaching, and support of low-income students; and refocusing attention on the training of young persons to be the physicians of tomorrow.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed1984

The research program and priorities of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Since its establishment as a national philanthropy in 1972, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has appropriated almost $560 million in grants directed toward improvement of health in the United States. Grants are made primarily to develop innovative methods of providing health services, for research and evaluation, and for education and training of health professionals. Since 1972, more than $100 million has been appropriated for research and evaluation projects. The research supported by the Foundation is applied rather than basic, and, like all of the Foundation's programs, must be responsive to the institution's mission. In the 1980s, this mission comprises three objectives: improving access to health care for the most vulnerable underserved population groups, containing increases in health care costs, and improving functional outcomes for patients. In this article, we provide details on the Foundation's research program and priorities, including evolution of the mission, the role of research in the Foundation's overall programs, the purposes for which the Foundation supports research and evaluation activities, and the types of grants available for health services researchers.

Budgets↗
PubMed1983

Cutting medical care costs. Primum non nocere.

A serious slowdown in the nation's economy has led to widespread agreement that the rate of escalation of medical care costs must be slowed. In responding to the pressures to cut costs, physicians need to be guided by the basic tenet of medicine: first do no harm. In recent years, this nation has made extraordinary progress in improving health and longevity. A recent study suggestively links reductions in mortality to increased expenditures for health. Thus, physicians should watch closely how the nation reduces medical care expenses. We suggest a series of yardsticks that might track the effects of the nation's cost-cutting efforts on personal health. Keeping a careful eye on where people receive care, how frequently they see a physician, trends in mortality, and the adequacy or timeliness of care could help us keep our sights set on the continuing improvement of the health of Americans.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Who needs Medicaid?

Faced by a worsening economy and a powerful public mandate to decrease taxes and non-defense government expenditures, many are calling for additional cuts in spending for Medicaid-a large, not very popular program that pays for the medical care of many of the nation's poor. Available evidence suggests that Medicaid has been far more valuable than is commonly realized: It serves a broad cross-section of the American people, its adoption coincides with major improvements in the health of Americans, and its costs per recipient are about the same as the costs of care per person for all Americans of similar age. Not widely recognized is the program's importance to the financial well-being (if not the very survival) of any major teaching hospitals and the majority of nursing homes in this country. Public and professional awareness of the accomplishments of this program may be a crucial factor in determining whether the cuts will spare many of the gains in access to medical care that have been made during the past two decades. If we do not wish to reduce needed medical services to the poor, health-care institutions and health professionals will have to cooperate with each other and with the government in developing less costly ways of delivering high-quality care.

Cost Control↗
PubMed1981

An era of stress for health institutions. The 1980s.

The United States enters the 1980s beset with serious economic problems. The picture currently projected from long-term economic forecasts supplemented by national opinion polls for the early to mid-1980s suggests a downturn in our nation's economy and a sharp decrease in monies available for further growth or improvements in America's medical care system. These prospects have serious implications for many of America's most important health care institutions, their health professionals, and how plan for the future.

Delivery of Health Care↗