Impact of sociodemographic case mix on the HEDIS measures of health plan quality.

Background: The widely used Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures may be affected by differences among plans in sociodemographic characteristics of members.

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate effects of geographically linked patient sociodemographic characteristics on differential performance within and among plans on HEDIS measures.

Research Design: Using logistic regression, we modeled associations between age, sex, and residential area characteristics of health plan members and results on HEDIS measures.

Institutional biosafety committees and public participation: assessing an experiment.

The most innovative aspect of institutional biosafety committees, responsible in the United States for local oversight of recombinant DNA research is mandatory participation from outside the institution. A survey of Californian committees and selected national data reveals wide variability in committee structure and procedures. Public participation, although constrained in various ways, has been generally constructive.