Hilltop Researchers Present at APHA Annual Meeting

Hilltop Director of Clinical and Quality Management Annette Snyder, PhD, and Senior Research Analyst Michael Abrams, MPH each made presentations at the 138th American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting held November 6 through 10, 2010, in Denver, Colorado. Snyder’s presentation, entitled The Impact of Selected Demographic, Mental Health and Geographic Measures on Discharge From Nursing Homes Among Working-Age Adults in Maryland, discussed a study that examined factors associated with discharge to the community for working-age adults admitted to Maryland nursing homes over a 5-year period. The study found that the strongest factors related to discharge to the community were an individual’s expressed preference for discharge and perceived support for community discharge. To view the presentation, click here. Abrams made a presentation entitled Cervical Cancer Screening and Gynecologic Visit Rates for Medicaid Enrollees with Mental and Substance Use Disorders. Abrams discussed the findings of a study that assessed PAP screening and gynecological visit rates experienced by women with non-affective psychosis versus other women with substance use disorder (SUD), bipolar or unipolar depression, or the absence of any of these illnesses (controls). The study found that women with psychosis or depression were more likely to receive PAP screening versus controls; and women with SUD with or without psychosis demonstrated reduced screening rates. In addition, Abrams presented a poster on another study, entitled Alternative and “Off-Label” Uses of Antipsychotic Medications in Medicaid, which used Medicaid administrative data from a single state (Maryland) and year (7/2000 to 6/2001) to estimate rates of alternative uses for antipsychotics. This study found a substantial alternative use of antipsychotics, especially for mood disorders and suggested distinctive patterns for the most experienced mental health care providers in alternative use of these medications.

November 11, 2010