Health @ CSULB Library

Revolution.com Targets College Students

2007-09-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

Steve Case, co-founder of AOL, has added a new section to his health Web site RevolutionHealth.com which includes physician ratings, information about health conditions and treatments, and online health records. The new section, called "College Health Center," aims to help college students deal with a variety of health-related issues, including depression.

RevolutionHealth.com was launched in April and had attracted about 4 million users by the end of July.

Guideline for Isolation Precautions

2007-06-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of
Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings, 2007 is now available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/guidelines/Isolation2007.pdf

Suggested citation: Siegel JD, Rhinehart E, Jackson M, Chiarello L, and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee, 2007 Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Ifnectious Agents in Healthcare Settings, June 2007
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/isolation2007.pdf

U.S. Health Care Study

2007-05-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

A Commonwealth Fund study finds that U.S. health care system is the most expensive in the world and is the least effective compared to five other countries. The report found that Britain had the best system in "quality care, access, efficiency, equity and healthy lives" and that it spends less per person than the U.S. or Canada.

The report is available online http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=482678

"Publish not Perish" (free online tutorial)

2007-04-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

"Publish not Perish" http://publishnotperish.org/ is a free online tutorial designed to introduce graduate students, junior faculty, and other potential authors to the mysterious world of scholarly publishing. It includes getting ideas, choosing a journal, revising a manuscript. The tutorial was created through a collaborative effort of the University of Colorado system libraries, with funding from the President's office.

AskDrWiki.com

2007-03-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

A Wikipedia-style Web site for medical information started by physicians at the Cleveland Clinic enables health care professionals to submit content that other providers and the public can access. Ask Dr Wiki was launched in November 2006 by physicians who specialize in cardiology and electrophysiology. Ask Dr Wiki now requires users to submit their credentials before they can obtain editorial access. Physicians, nurses, technicians and medical students are eligible to submit and edit content.

CSULB Library Remodel Update

2007-03-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

Effective March 15, the 2nd and 3rd floor Library stacks are closed to browsing. Please use COAST to identify and request any books you need from those collections! Ask for updates at any of the Library's service desks.

Don't forget to check the Library's Remodel page for further information.

Minorities and End-Of-Life Care Study

2007-03-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

According to a study released on March 15th by the California HealthCare Foundation, minorities are significantly less likely than whites to use hospice care for terminal illnesses.

More information on the study can be found at http://www.chcf.org/topics/chronicdisease/index.cfm?itemID=131674

2006-07 California Report Card

2007-01-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

Children Now, an advocacy group, has published their 2006-07 California Report Card- a report presenting key indicators of how California's children are faring and policy recommendations in the areas of health, education and family well-being. "This nonpartisan report assigns letter grades to individual issues, such as a "C-" in early care and education, a "C-" in K-12 education, and a "B-" in health insurance. Recommendations are provided for how policymakers can better address children's basic needs for growing into productive adults."

The report is a free PDF.
( http://publications.childrennow.org/assets/pdf/policy/rc07/ca-rc-2007.pdf)

RAND Study Compares Health of Asian, Latino Immigrant Families

2007-01-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

The RAND study analyzed a 2001 survey of nearly 6,000 adolescents ages 12 to 17 who represented at least three generations of Asian and Latino immigrant groups, which are the two largest immigrant groups in the country.

Citation: Adolescent Participation in Preventive Health Behaviors, Physical Activity, and Nutrition: Differences Across Immigrant Generations for Asians and Latinos Compared With Whites. Schuster MA, Allen ML, Elliott MN, Morales LS, Diamant AL, Hambarsoomian K. American Journal of Public Health, 2006 Dec 28; [Epub ahead of print]

Rising Health Care Costs in Los Angeles County

2007-01-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

According to a report by the Public Policy Institute of California, undocumented immigrants and their children in Los Angeles County are no more likely than U.S.-born residents to obtain care at emergency departments.

The December 2006 report, "Health Insurance, Health Care Use, and Health Status in Los Angeles," can be found online at http://www.ppic.org/main/publication.asp?i=575

Online Open Peer-Review Journals Growing

2006-11-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

The Public Library of Science (PLoS), a not-for-profit organization based in San Francisco, publishes peer-reviewed, open access scientific and medical journals (PLoS Biology, PLoS Medicine, PLoS Computational Biology, PLoS Genetics, PLoS Pathogens, PLoS Clinical Trials,PLoS Clinical Trials, PLoS ONE, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases) that include original research as well as timely feature articles. All PLoS articles are immediately freely accessible online, are deposited in the free public archive PubMed Central, and can be redistributed and reused according to the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. Research articles are accessible at no cost, but authors are charged to publish in the online journal. After research is published, colleagues can rate the work based on quality, originality and other factors. Comments cannot be posted anonymously, and reviewers cannot alter the paper, which becomes part of the public record and is archived.

Health Care Costs for Undocumented Immigrants

2006-11-15T16:36:00.000-08:00

According to a RAND study published in the journal Health Affairs, health care for undocumented immigrants between ages 18 and 64 cost the U.S. $1.1 billion in 2000, or about $11 per taxpayer household. Researchers used data from a 2000 survey of 2,543 adults in 65 Los Angeles County neighborhoods. The study excluded children and seniors.

Citation: Dana P. Goldman, James P. Smith and Neeraj Sood. "Immigrants And The Cost Of Medical Care." Health Affairs, 25, no. 6 (2006): 1700-1711. http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/25/6/1700

Pew Online Health Search Survey Findings

2006-11-02T22:25:00.000-08:00

Pew Internet: Online Health Search 2006 survey findings show that two-thirds of adults begin their Internet search for health information by accessing a search engine. Three-quarters of Internet users say they check the source and date "only sometimes," "hardly ever," or "never." This means that roughly 85 million Americans gather health advice online without consistently evaluating the information they find.

More information can be found online at http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/190/report_display.asp

The Medical Library Association provides links to their top ten health Websites and advice on finding up-to-date, credible health information at http://www.mlanet.org/resources/consumr_index.html?focus_20061102

Snapshot: California’s Uninsured

2006-11-01T11:46:00.000-08:00

California HealthCare Foundation's annual report Snapshot: California’s Uninsured 2006 (4th edition) examines health coverage through various factors including: coverage sources and trends; employer size and type; likelihood of coverage by ethnicity, age, and income; and uninsured rates for noncitizens.

Find more information at http://www.chcf.org/topics/healthinsurance/index.cfm?itemID=126257

Assessing Disease Risks

2006-11-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention's Your Disease Risk http://www.yourdiseaserisk.harvard.edu/ allows users to to calculate their risks of developing 12 different cancers, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and osteoporosis. The website also creates a customized action plan demonstrating how changes in lifestyle habits could affect a person's disease risks.

Personal Health Records

2006-10-31T09:23:00.000-08:00

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) last month introduced a bill that would provide physicians with a $2 incentive for each of their patients who create a personal health record.

One example of an online tool to create personal health records (PHRs), at no cost, is PassportMD http://www.passportmd.com/ The PHRs can include medical history, blood type, insurance information, lab test results, physician notes and emergency contacts and can be posted online or be printed to carry in wallets. PHRs can also be stored on a key chain, bracelet or small CD for an annual fee.

Highest & Lowest Life Expectancies Gap

2006-09-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

According to a study in PLoS Medicine, "Life expectancy by race in the US in 2001 ranged from 86.7 for Asian females to 68.7 for black males, a gap of 18 y. Analysis of life expectancy by county of residence and by the combination of race and county of residence (referred to as “race-county” in this paper) demonstrates even larger disparities [23]." The gap is over 35 years.

Citation: Murray CJL, Kulkarni SC, Michaud C, Tomijima N, Bulzacchelli MT, et al. (2006) Eight Americas: Investigating Mortality Disparities across Races, Counties, and Race-Counties in the United States. PLoS Med 3(9): e260 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0030260.

New California Department of Public Health

2006-09-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Thursday signed legislation (SB 162) to restructure the Department of Health Services/DHS to create a new Department of Public Health/DPH.

DPH will focus on managing public health threats posed by epidemics, natural disasters and bioterrorism, while DHS would be responsible for overseeing Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program. The law will take effect July 1, 2007. Schwarzenegger will appoint a state Public Health Officer, who must be a licensed physician or surgeon, to oversee the department and two chief deputy directors. In addition, DHS will be renamed the Department of Health Care Services.

Genetic Test and Early Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

2006-08-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

A Duke University study concludes that the lung metagene model can predict with good accuracy which early stage lung cancer patients are likely to experience recurrence and therefore would benefit from chemotherapy. Currently, patients diagnosed with early stage non-small-cell lung cancer undergo surgery followed by observation, without chemotherapy.

Citation: Potti, A. et. al. "A Genomic Strategy to Refine Prognosis in Early-Stage Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer." New England Journal of Medicine 355(6): 570-580, August 10, 2006.

Uninsured Minority Adults

2006-08-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

An analysis of data from the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey finds that 62% of Hispanic adults ages 19 to 64 lacked health insurance at some point during 2005 and that about 33% of black adults in the same age group lacked coverage at some point during the same period.

Health Care Disconnect: Gaps in Coverage and Care for Minority Adults
Findings from the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2005), an August 2006 Issue Brief, is available online http://www.cmwf.org/usr_doc/941_Doty_hlt_care_disconnect_disparities_issue_bri.pdf

Healthcare Savings vs Beach Cleanup Costs

2006-07-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

According to a study to be published in the August 15th Environmental Science and Technology, researchers at UCLA and Stanford show that beach cleanup would prevent 394,000 to 804,000 gastrointestinal cases and save $13 million to $28 million in annual health costs in Los Angeles County. The study focused on 28 beaches in Los Angeles and Orange counties during 2000. Researchers used bacteria measurements from surf, considered beach attendance estimates and extrapolated the health effects using two computer models.

America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2006

2006-07-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

The annual report from the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, a working group of Federal agencies that collect, analyze, and report data on issues related to children and families, examines the health and behavior of the 73.3 million U.S. children younger than age 18 .

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being is an annual indicators report that details the status of children and families in the United States. All data are updated annually on the Forum’s website (http://childstats.gov). A more detailed report alternates every other year with a condensed version that highlights selected indicators. The Forum is publishing the Brief in 2006.

Los Angeles County Government Assistance Website

2006-07-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles County launched a new website (in English and Spanish) to help residents in assistance with health care, food, child care and other government services. By answering a set of simple questions about household income and expenses, residents can be screened anonymously for potential eligibility. Comprehensive program descriptions display and instructions on how to apply for services, including required documentation, contacts for applications, and office locations/addresses with driving directions.

http://www.lacountyhelps.org/

New Surgeon General’s Report on Secondhand Smoke

2006-06-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

The Surgeon General’s Report concludes that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of developing heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults and is a known cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), respiratory problems, ear infections, and asthma attacks in infants and children.

Copies of The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General and related materials are available on the Surgeon General’s Web site at www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/.

Health Insurance Coverage

2006-06-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Approximately 41.2 million U.S. residents, or 14.2%, of the U.S. population, had no health insurance at a point in time in 2005, demonstrating a small improvement over 2004, according to a survey published by the National Center for Health Statistics.

"Health Insurance Coverage: Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 2005" http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/insur200606.pdf