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The article examines the association between hospital readmission and mortality rates for cardiac patients who were presented with clinical case of acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and pneumonia. It highlights the impact of quality of medical care provided by health care centers in resolving the risk associated with cardiac patients. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in the U.S. on the basis of a cohort analysis revealed that differences in performance of hospitals and diagnostic parameters implied by hospital were of immense use in determination of readmission rate and mortality rate of cardiac patients.

While substantial research examines the dynamics prompting policy adoption, few studies have assessed whether enacted policies are modified to meet distributional equity concerns. Past research suggests that important forces limit such adaptation, termed here “policy inertia.” We examine whether block grant allocations to states from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program have evolved in response to major technological and political changes. We assess the impact of initial allocations on later funding patterns, compared to five counterfactual distributional equity standards. Initial allocations strongly predict future allocations; in comparison, the standards are weak predictors, suggesting the importance of policy inertia. Our methodology of employing multiple measures of equity as a counterfactual to policy inertia can be used to evaluate the adaptability of federalist programs in other domains. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses a study which described the temporal changes in length of stay, discharge disposition, and short-term outcomes among older U.S. patients hospitalized for heart failure. The observational study examined 6,955,461 Medicare fee-for-service hospitalizations for heart failure between 1993 and 2006. The researchers found that the mean length of stay decreased from 8.81 days to 6.33 days between 1993 and 2006. The importance of examining an episode of acute care during a standardized period of assessment is also highlighted by the study.

The article discusses the study on smoking and weight change after new health diagnoses in older adults. It is said that smoking and patterns of diet and activities are the two underlying causes of death in the United States. In conducting multivariate analyses, some of the adults who have participated the study have lost body mass index. It is cited that new diagnoses motivate older adults to change health habits, particularly leading into smoking cessation. It is found that there were improvements in the secondary and primary prevention through the health care system.

The article reviews the statistical models and patient predictors of readmission after heart failure(HF). It discusses that readmission after HF hospitalization is the altering focus for physicians and policy manufacturers and that the statistical models are demanded to evaluate patient risk and to equate hospital operation. It infers that the performed systematic review is used to report the models which are planned to compare hospital rates of readmission and to anticipate the patient's risk of readmission.

The article discusses about the performance of Veterans Affairs medical centers and the utilization of recommended ambulatory care services. According to the article, the Veterans Affairs medical centers are said to have presented better preventive and chronic disease care when compared to other health care organizations. A research was conducted to determine its accuracy using the nationally representative 2000 and 2004 surveys of the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System. It was concluded in the research that even though there is an arising emphasis on the quality of care and enhanced performance over US health care system, those who are receiving care from VAMC remains as those who are more inclined to obtain recommended ambulatory care.