Predicting changes in staff morale and burnout at community health centers participating in the health disparities collaboratives.

Objective: To identify predictors of changes in staff morale and burnout associated with participation in a quality improvement (QI) initiative at community health centers (HCs).

Data Sources: Surveys of staff at 145 HCs participating in the Health Disparities Collaboratives (HDC) program in 2004. DATA COLLECTION AND STUDY DESIGN: Self-administered questionnaire data collected from 622 HC staff (68 percent response rate) were analyzed to identify predictors of reported change in staff morale and burnout.

Interventions to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care.

In 2005, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation created Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change, a program to identify, evaluate, and disseminate interventions to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the care and outcomes of patients with cardiovascular disease, depression, and diabetes. In this introductory paper, we present a conceptual model for interventions that aim to reduce disparities. With this model as a framework, we summarize the key findings from the six other papers in this supplement on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, breast cancer, interventions using cultural leverage, and pay-for-performance and public reporting of performance measures.

Reducing health disparities in depressive disorders outcomes between non-Hispanic Whites and ethnic minorities: a call for pragmatic strategies over the life course.

There are significant disparities in treatment process and symptomatic and functional outcomes in depressive disorders for racial and ethnic minority patients. Using a life-course perspective, the authors conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify modifiable mechanisms and effective interventions for prevention and treatment at specific points -- system, community, provider, and individual patient -- in health care settings. Multicomponent chronic disease management interventions have produced improvements in depression outcomes for ethnic minority populations.

Community health center quality improvement: a systematic review and future directions for research.

Background: Leaders and policymakers need an accurate appraisal of the federally qualified community health center (CHC) quality improvement (QI) literature to make informed decisions for the CHC program.

Objectives: This paper aims to (1) summarize the content and findings of CHC QI studies to date, (2) systematically rate the quality of those studies, and (3) outline 10 important areas for future CHC QI research.

Methods: We searched medical and nonmedical databases to identify QI studies in CHC settings.