Diss. (sammenfatning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2006. / Hertil 3 artikler.

This dissertation consists of three quantitative papers addressing contemporary issues in health policy. The first paper draws on a survey of 2,678 adults from the United States and four European countries to assess demand for a hypothetical early medical test for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Overall, 67% of respondents reported that they would be "very" or "somewhat" likely to get the test if it were available. Through logistic regression analysis, we find that interest was higher among those worried about developing AD, with an immediate blood relative with AD, and who have provided care for AD patients. Knowing that AD is fatal did not influence demand, except among those with an affected blood relative. We expect that a test becoming available could precipitate the creation of a large constituency of asymptomatic, diagnosed adults, affecting a range of health policy decisions. The second paper utilizes Current Population Survey data to explore state-level Medicaid enrollment rates among eligible parents between 2003 and 2010, focusing on the interaction of race and ethnicity and political ideology. Using logistic regression analysis, we find that average take-up for Hispanics in conservative states was 23%, whereas take-up was 38% for both whites and blacks in those states, adjusting for state and individual demographics. These differences abated in liberal and moderate states. Among eligible Hispanics, enrollment rates were less than half as high in conservative states than in liberal states (23% versus 61%). Adjusting for differences in state Medicaid policies narrowed these disparities significantly, highlighting the importance of new provisions aimed at streamlining enrollment procedures across all states. The last paper draws on public and private data from 2007 to 2010 to analyze how administrative spending by health insurers and providers varied across states with different levels of insurance and hospital market concentration. Using regression analysis, we find that in provider offices, high levels of insurance concentration were associated with lower administrative costs. If all states were as concentrated as the most concentrated state in our sample, we would expect nationwide savings of $3.6 billion in administrative expenses. However, market concentration did not reduce administrative spending by insurers or hospitals.

There is an ever increasing need to ‘Close the Gaps’ in higher education and increase college enrollment rates. Colleges have responded to this need through numerous recruitment efforts yet limited research exists on the successful components of model programs that have been established. This study explored components of College Connection, a nationally recognized recruitment initiative by Austin Community College. College Connection is geared toward increasing the college-going rate in central Texas by providing all high school seniors with the tools, support, and guidance to enroll in college. The research was conducted through a qualitative study of graduating high school seniors from two different high schools in central Texas. The study explored whether students were participating in the four ‘required’ components of College Connection, and if so, were the ‘optional’ and ‘recommended’ support services at each of the high schools being utilized. It was also important to examine which of the student support services offered on the high school campuses were most helpful according to students. Factors that students perceived were preventing them from participating in enrollment activities were also explored. Additionally, themes and recruitment strategies that emerged from the qualitative interviews were collected and used as suggestions to refine current practice. Background data on the participation rates, success, and retention of students who had participated in College Connection showed enormous progress in central Texas. This study, however, reaffirmed the idea that “students don’t do optional,” and it was essential to have students in all high schools participate in all of the enrollment steps. None of the participating students in this study attended any of the ‘optional’ evening or Saturday events held on their high school campus. The study went on to reveal that even the ‘required’ enrollment components at one of the high schools were not being required of all high school seniors. This prevented many graduating high school seniors from participating in enrollment activities and gathering college information as was intended. Furthermore, both high schools elected not to schedule any of the optional or recommended components the college had offered such as registration support, teleconferencing or campus tours. This study overall found that students who did participate in the required enrollment activities found the college support services to be extremely “helpful and informative.” It also became evident that the recruitment efforts at both high schools had begun to establish a college-going culture where students were familiar with college enrollment steps and terminology, and all but one student mentioned they would be pursuing higher education after high school graduation. / text

The primary focus of this comparative research was to explore the impact of the addition of football programs on the enrollment and fiscal health of 530 small, tuition-dependent private U.S. colleges and universities from 1985 to 2000. The institutions studied represented a group of institutions that are increasingly challenged to manage or improve their enrollments and fiscal health at a time when competitive pressures raise questions as to their long-term viability. In the analysis, institutions were separated into four groups. The first group consisted of 52 institutions that established intercollegiate football programs during that time period. The second group was comprised of six institutions that ended football programs during that time period. The third group involved 172 institutions that had football programs during the entire time span. The fourth group consisted of 300 institutions that had no football program during the entire time span of the study. Data regarding enrollment and fiscal health for all 530 institutions were collected from publicly available sources to account for the 25 years of the study and the analysis was conducted. This study incorporated an interrupted time series design, which allowed for a large series of observations made on the same variable consecutively over time. The results of this study demonstrated that initiating a new football program produces a greater increase in undergraduate enrollment for initiating institutions than for those institutions not initiating a football program. Initiating a football program also produces a greater increase in fiscal health for initiating institutions than for those institutions not initiating a football program. In addition the study confirmed that initiating a football program increases the rate of growth of undergraduate enrollment of initiating institutions compared to those institutions that did not have a football program during the time span of the study. This was not the case for institutions that had a football program during the time span of the study. Finally, starting a football program increases the rate of improvement of the fiscal health of initiating institutions compared to those institutions not initiating a football program. / text

Admission to medical school is key to addressing medically underserved communities because over 90% of medical students graduate and become physicians. Yet, members of populations most likely to serve medically underserved communities as physicians remain chronically underrepresented in medical education despite initiatives aimed at increasing their representation among medical students. Meanwhile, traditional determinants of medical school admission fail to fully predict success in medical school, but have a disparate impact on applicants from underrepresented populations. Other determinants are underexplored, especially undergraduate institutional prestige. This study used a quantitative case study approach to examine the relationship between undergraduate institutional prestige, admission to medical school, and potential to serve medically underserved communities via specialty. Using a synthesis of the frameworks of symbolic capital, the iron triangle, and manifest and latent functions as a lens, this study analyzes (1) the relative impact of undergraduate institutional prestige on predicting admission to medical school holding constant the effect of traditional determinants of admission to medical school (i.e., MCAT, GPA), (2) how undergraduate institutional prestige varies by admissions stage, and (3) the relationship between undergraduate institutional prestige and specialty. Overall, findings show that undergraduate institutional prestige is important throughout the medical school admissions process; yet, undergraduate institutional prestige is not related to specialty. Nonetheless, findings imply preferences for applicants from more prestige undergraduate institutions may be contradictory to fulfilling organizational missions concerned with addressing healthcare disparities.

<p>This research report investigated the impact of the decrease in numbers of learners at a working class high school in Cape Town. The decrease is a consequence of the early school leaving and learner migration.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 2007. / Title from title page screen, viewed on February 15, 2008. Dissertation Committee: Edward R. Hines (chair), Patricia H. Klass, Ross A. Hodel, W. Paul Vogt. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 196-203) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (M. P. A.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 39-40).

Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Teachers College, Columbia University, 1991. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Pearl R. Kane. Dissertation Committee: Robert T. Carter. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-113).

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Jul. 31, 2009). Directed by Gerald Ponder; submitted to the School of Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-223).