We focus on the transportation needs of the elderly as determined by a randomly selected sample of 2,048 elderly Pennsylvania residents. We provide an analysis of those factors that can discriminate between the elderly (1) who express a need for transportation services versus those who do not and (2) who use transportation services and who do not. Car ownership, health status, living arrangement, race, martial status, sex, and age are significantly related to the elderly's perceived need of transportation services. Factors significant in discriminating between users and nonusers of transportation services are perceived need, car ownership, urban-rural residence, age, and living arrangement. Implications of this analysis for policy-makers and researchers are discussed.
The article provides an overview of the recent efforts and activities of the American Sociological Association (ASA) to keep its Code of Ethics visible and relevant to its membership. The development process and challenges associated with the most recent revision of the ASA's code are reviewed, the current education and support activities are described, and other strategies for taking a proactive and leadership role in establishing an ethical climate are proposed. In conclusion, while the ASA has made significant progress in this area, it recognizes that a lot of work remains.
Beyond impressionistic observations, little is known about the role and influence of scientific societies on research conduct. Acknowledging that the influence of scientific societies is not easily disentangled from other factors that shape norms and practices, this article addresses how best to study the promotion of research integrity generally as well as the role and impact of scientific societies as part of that process. In setting forth the parameters of a research agenda, the article addresses four issues: (1) how to conceptualize research on scientific societies and research integrity; (2) challenges and complexities in undertaking basic research; (3) strategies for undertaking basic research that is attentive to individual, situational, organizational, and environmental levels of analysis; and (4) the need for evaluation research as integral to programmatic change and to assessment of the impact of activities by scientific societies.
This process evaluation of the development of strategic alliances between area agencies on aging (AAAs) and managed care organizations (MCOs) identified factors that facilitated the establishment of these partnerships along with the challenges they faced. Data were gathered from two Pennsylvania sites (Philadelphia and Erie), using documentation and records along with interview data that were gathered during site visits. The principal findings include: (a) The AAAs experienced difficulty in "selling" their services to the MCOs. (b) There were misconceptions on the part of the MCOs and AAAs regarding the specific services that the partner would providemisconceptions that only became obvious once the projects were operational. (c) Concerns about consumer's outcomes appear to have been lost in the shuffle as both projects focused on "completing the in-home assessments and producing a caring plan. " (d) It appears unlikely that the MCOs will consider reimbursing the AAAs to deliver a package of social services designed to reinforce community-based care.With the national trend toward managed care, concerns are being voiced about how this will impact the delivery of health care to the elderly. Given the movement of area agencies on aging (AAAs) into the health care arena as a 445 AUTHORS'
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