Oral

This session addresses various aspects of the issues related to health outcomes and health care utilization among the elderly population, including the development of a measure of informal caregiving skills in effective medication management for hospice patients; disparities in access and use of health care among Individuals with disabilities (whether minority and low SES individuals doubly disadvantaged), whether foreign-born are healthier than the U.S.-born among older Mexican origin; home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Provider and Systems as a driver of quality improvement; impact of FDA risk communications on health care utilization and health behaviors.

Session Objectives: 1. Describe the steps necessary to develop a psychometrically valid instrument to measure informal caregiving skills in effective medication management for home hospice patients. 2. To compare access and use of health care among individuals with disabilities by race, ethnicity and socio-economic status. 3. Summarize the literature on the impact of FDA risk communications on drug utilization, health care services use, and health outcomes.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)