Public health systems and services research: dataset development, dissemination, and use.

Public health systems and services research (PHSSR) is defined as "a field of study that examines the organization, financing, and delivery of public health services within communities and the impact of those services." PHSSR is a relatively young field and suffers from a paucity of research resources. In this article, we describe the development and utility of a data resource, housed on the Health Services and Sciences Research Resources website maintained by the National Library of Medicine, which provides easy access to instruments, indices, and datasets that are relevant to PHSSR researchers.

Prevalence and Correlates of Everyday Discrimination among U.S. Latinos.

OBJECTIVES: This study reports on the prevalence and correlates of perceived discrimination among a national sample of Latinos in the U.S. Understanding the prevalence and correlates of discrimination can help us better address disparities in the healthcare system.

The Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce: a collaboration to improve and protect the public's health, 1995-2006.

Objective: The paper provides a complete accounting of the Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce (Partners) initiative since its inception in 1997, including antecedent activities since 1995.

Methods: A descriptive overview is provided that is based on a review of meeting summaries, published reports, Websites, project reports, databases, usage statistics, and personal experiences from offices in the National Library of Medicine (NLM), six organizations that collaborate formally with NLM on the Partners initiative, and one outside funding partner.

Results: With ten years of experience, the initiative is an effective and unique public-private collaboration that builds on the strengths and needs of the organizations that are involved and the constituencies that they serve.

The role of public policies in reducing mental health status disparities for people of color.

Ethnic and racial disparities in mental health are driven by social factors such as housing, education, and income. Many of these social factors are different for minorities than they are for whites. Policies that address gaps in these social factors therefore can address mental health status disparities.