Background: Elderly minority patients are less likely to receive influenza vaccination and colorectal cancer screening than are other patients. Communication between primary care providers (PCPs) and patients may affect service receipt.

Background: Music has long been used to ease symptoms of dementia. Several studies have shown the therapeutic benefits of music therapy to decrease symptoms of agitation in people with dementia (PWD). Other research has demonstrated that the use of music during caregiving can ease agitated behaviors. However, few studies have shown the clinical benefits of using translational research in practice between music therapists and certified nursing assistants. Introduction: We recruited 28 nursing home residents who were diagnosed with moderate to severe dementia to determine the effects of music therapy and music in aid of caregiving on symptoms of agitation. Methods: Participants were evaluated for agitation, then baseline assessments were completed 2 weeks apart. After the 2-week music therapy intervention, participants were evaluated immediately, 2 weeks post music therapy, and immediately following music in aid of caregiving. Results: A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) found that after 2 weeks of music therapy, agitation was significantly reduced and symptoms continued to decline following music in aid of caregiving. Conclusion: Results suggest that consideration for interdisciplinary use of music therapy and music in aid of caregiving should be considered to reduce and sustain symptoms of agitation in nursing home residents with dementia.

A regression model with 16 casemix groups restricted to using "appropriate" payment variables (i.e., those with clinical face validity and low administrative burden that are easily validated and provide proper care incentives) produced more efficient and equitable payments than did a noninteractive system based on diagnosis-related groups.

In 1999 the Balanced Budget Refinement Act mandated the development of a per diem prospective payment for all psychiatric inpatients. To assist Medicare in developing a per diem patient-based payment system, this study surveyed a representative sample of psychiatric inpatient units in 40 facilities for one week in 2001 through 2003 to determine how units are staffed and how staff members spend their time caring for patients. On general adult units, psychiatric staff averaged ten hours per patient per 24-hour day, roughly 55 percent of staff time was involved in psychiatric care, medical-related nursing and personal care accounted for 10 percent of staff time, and milieu time took up 34 percent of staff time. Small general adult and geriatric units required 50 percent more staff time per patient than large units. More research is needed to determine how recent changes in the method of payment affect these facilities.

A regression model with 16 casemix groups restricted to using "appropriate" payment variables (i.e., those with clinical face validity and low administrative burden that are easily validated and provide proper care incentives) produced more efficient and equitable payments than did a noninteractive system based on diagnosis-related groups.