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Article
Open AccessCharacteristics of older adults using patient web portals to view their DXA results
Sharing test results with patients via patient web portals is a new trend in healthcare. No research has been done examining patient web portal use with bone density test results. The objective of our study wa...
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Article
The prevalence of overtreatment of osteoporosis: results from the PAADRN trial
Overtreatment of osteoporosis increases costs and puts patients at unnecessary risk of experiencing adverse drug events. In the Patient Activation After DXA Receipt Notification (PAADRN) trial, we found that 8...
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Article
Diet and exercise changes following bone densitometry in the Patient Activation After DXA Result Notification (PAADRN) study
Calcium and vitamin D intake and exercise are suboptimal among older adults. Following bone densitometry, a letter communicating individualized fracture risk accompanied by an educational brochure improved par...
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Article
Open AccessThe Onset of ADL Difficulties and Changes in Health-Related Quality of Life
The effect of the onset of difficulties with activities of daily living (ADLs) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of older adults is not well understood. We identified strong longitudinal associatio...
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Open AccessPatient-centered professional practice models for managing low back pain in older adults: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Low back pain is a debilitating condition for older adults, who may seek healthcare from multiple providers. Few studies have evaluated impacts of different healthcare delivery models on back pain outcomes in ...
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Open AccessA pilot study among older adults of the concordance between their self-reports to a health survey and spousal proxy reports on their behalf
Proxy respondents are frequently used in health surveys, and the proxy is most often the spouse. Longstanding concerns linger, however, about the validity of using spousal proxies, especially for older adults....
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Article
Open AccessEffects of a DXA result letter on satisfaction, quality of life, and osteoporosis knowledge: a randomized controlled trial
Undiagnosed, or diagnosed and untreated osteoporosis (OP) increases the likelihood that falls result in hip fractures, decreased quality of life (QOL), and significant medical expenditures among older adults. ...
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Article
Open AccessThe impact of the affordable care Act (ACA) on favorable risk selection and Beneficiaries’ health status in Medicare advantage: a preliminary assessment
In response to increasing fiscal pressures, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) sought to reduce Medicare Advantage plan expenses by restructuring the bidding and payment processes. The purpose of this study is to a...
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Evaluation of a patient-reported continuity of care model for older adults
Although continuity of care (CoC) is a cornerstone of many health policies, there is no theoretically driven model of CoC that incorporates the experiences of older adults. We evaluated such a model in data co...
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Article
Open AccessObserver ratings of neighborhoods: comparison of two methods
Although neighborhood characteristics have important relationships with health outcomes, direct observation involves imperfect measurement. The African American Health (AAH) study included two observer neighbo...
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Article
Open AccessCollaborative Care for Older Adults with low back pain by family medicine physicians and doctors of chiropractic (COCOA): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Low back pain is a prevalent and debilitating condition that affects the health and quality of life of older adults. Older people often consult primary care physicians about back pain, with many also receiving...
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Article
Open AccessChildhood school segregation and later life sense of control and physical performance in the African American Health cohort
The association between childhood school desegregation and later life sense of control and physical performance among African Americans is not clear. We hypothesized that childhood school desegregation adverse...
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Article
Open AccessOlder adults who persistently present to the emergency department with severe, non-severe, and indeterminate episode patterns
It is well known that older adults figure prominently in the use of emergency departments (ED) across the United States. Previous research has differentiated ED visits by levels of clinical severity and found ...
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Open AccessA prospective cohort study of long-term cognitive changes in older Medicare beneficiaries
Promoting cognitive health and preventing its decline are longstanding public health goals, but long-term changes in cognitive function are not well-documented. Therefore, we first examined long-term changes i...
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Article
Open AccessLong-term declines in ADLs, IADLs, and mobility among older Medicare beneficiaries
Most prior studies have focused on short-term (≤ 2 years) functional declines. But those studies cannot address aging effects inasmuch as all participants have aged the same amount. Therefore, the authors stud...
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Open AccessA longitudinal study of chiropractic use among older adults in the United States
Longitudinal patterns of chiropractic use in the United States, particularly among Medicare beneficiaries, are not well documented. Using a nationally representative sample of older Medicare beneficiaries we d...
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Article
Open AccessDefining emergency department episodes by severity and intensity: A 15-year study of Medicare beneficiaries
Episodes of Emergency Department (ED) service use among older adults previously have not been constructed, or evaluated as multi-dimensional phenomena. In this study, we constructed episodes of ED service use ...
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Article
Open AccessNeighborhood conditions, diabetes, and risk of lower-body functional limitations among middle-aged African Americans: A cohort study
The relationship between presence of diabetes and adverse neighborhood and housing conditions and their effect on functional decline is unclear. We examined the association of adverse neighborhood (block face)...
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Article
Adverse Housing and Neighborhood Conditions and Inflammatory Markers among Middle-Aged African Americans
Adverse housing and neighborhood conditions are independently associated with an increased risk of various diseases and conditions. One possible explanation relates to systemic inflammation, which is associate...
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Open AccessThe ACTIVE cognitive training trial and predicted medical expenditures
Health care expenditures for older adults are disproportionately high and increasing at both the individual and population levels. We evaluated the effects of the three cognitive training interventions (memory...
