Inertia in cognitive processes: the case of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Developments in factor analysis (Spearman in Am J Psychol 15:201-292, 1904); Thurstone in Multiple factor analysis, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1947), multidimensional scaling (Torgerson in Theory and methods of scaling, Wiley Hoboken, New Jersey, 1958; Young and Householder in Psychometrika, 3:19-22, 1938), the Galileo model (Woelfel and Fink in The measurement of communication processes: galileo theory and method, Academic Press Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1980), and, more recently, in computer science, artificial intelligence, computational linguistics, network analysis and other disciplines (Woelfel in Qual Quant 54:263-278, 2020) have shown that human cognitive and cultural beliefs and attitudes can be modeled as movement through a high-dimensional non-Euclidean space. This article demonstrates the theoretical and methodological contribution that multidimensional scaling makes to understand attitude change associated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

How Americans Make Sense of Two Novel Pandemics.

Using Galileo theory and method of multidimensional scaling (MDS), we compared the psychological distances between concepts related to two pandemic viruses, Zika and COVID-19. Surveys (Zika,  410; COVID-19, = 291) were used to investigate the role of media use and interpersonal communication on the relationship between 10 concepts in multidimensional spaces. We asked these four research questions: Do the two spaces represent the two pandemics similarly? What is the relationship of and of to each pandemic? What is the effect of virus-related media use and interpersonal talk on the pandemic space? What are optimal messages for moving closer to and to ? Media use influenced the distances for both pandemics: With greater media use, the concepts were closer in the Zika space and further apart in the COVID-19 space.

Exploring the Valley of Savings: Minimizing Part D Costs and Optimizing Drug Therapy Outcomes in Medicare Beneficiaries With Developmental Disability.

Nonelderly disabled Medicare beneficiaries have a higher prevalence of chronic conditions, higher utilization of prescription medications, and increased demand for clinical services when compared to beneficiaries 65 years of age and older who are not disabled. Out-of-pocket costs and medication-related problems are major barriers to medication compliance and achievement of therapeutic goals. A school of pharmacy partnered with a nonprofit organization that provides care to individuals with developmental disabilities.

Administration, Billing, and Payment for Pharmacy Student-Based Immunizations to Medicare Beneficiaries at Mobile Medicare Clinics.

Training student pharmacists to administer vaccinations requires a substantial investment in vaccines, supplies, and time. Few schools of pharmacy seek out or receive any reimbursement for the provision of vaccines, despite the fact it is a covered service. This study sought to implement, deliver, and demonstrate an innovative, financially sustainable curriculum-based immunization program by trained pharmacy students as part of their experiential learning.

Use of 2015 Beers Criteria Medications by Older Medicare Beneficiaries.

Objective: To examine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries based on the updated 2015 American Geriatrics Society Beers criteria.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Thirteen mobile Medicare clinics were held throughout Northern and Central California during the fall of 2015.

Assessing student knowledge, confidence, accuracy, and proficiency in providing Medicare Part D assistance.

Purpose: To assess the impact of coordinated didactic, simulation-based, and experiential learning on pharmacy students' knowledge and confidence with Medicare Part D and their accuracy and proficiency with the Medicare Plan Finder Tool.

Educational Activity: Forty-two pharmacy students participated in a two-semester Medicare Part D elective course in which didactic, simulation-based and experiential learning methods were employed. Students' knowledge, confidence, accuracy, and proficiency were assessed at three course time points: first day of class, last day of in-class education, and after completion of outreach.

An overview and study of beneficiaries' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of the medicare part d benefit.

Purpose: Medicare beneficiaries' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit have been under evaluation since the 2006 inception of the Part D benefit.

Objective: This study sought to examine beneficiaries' satisfaction with their Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, knowledge of the coverage gap, attitudes about the relative importance of certain insurance parameters, and overall perceptions of the Part D benefit.

Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive study design.

Minimizing out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries: not just 'a drop in the bucket'.

Objective: To identify the frequency of uptake and financial impact of four cost-minimization strategies used to assist Medicare beneficiaries in lowering their out-of-pocket (OOP) costs.

Design: Cost-savings analysis.

Setting: Twelve outreach events were conducted in six different cities throughout Northern and Central California during the 2013 Medicare open enrollment period.

Medication adherence behaviors of Medicare beneficiaries.

Background: Medication adherence is crucial for positive outcomes in the management of chronic conditions. Comprehensive medication consultation can improve medication adherence by addressing intentional and unintentional nonadherence. The Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit has eliminated some cost barriers.

A collaborative approach to combining service, teaching, and research.

Objective: To describe a faculty-student collaborative model and its outcomes on teaching, service, and scholarship.

Design: A Medicare Part D elective course was offered that consisted of classroom and experiential learning where pharmacy students participated in community outreach events to assist Medicare beneficiaries with Part D plan selection. The course training was expanded to include medication therapy management (MTM) and the administration of immunizations.

Cost variability of suggested generic treatment alternatives under the Medicare Part D benefit.

Background: The substitution of generic treatment alternatives for brand-name drugs is a strategy that can help lower Medicare beneficiary out-of-pocket costs. Beginning in 2011, Medicare beneficiaries reaching the coverage gap received a 50% discount on the full drug cost of brand-name medications and a 7% discount on generic medications filled during the gap. This discount will increase until 2020, when beneficiaries will be responsible for 25% of total drug costs during the coverage gap.

Assessing Medicare beneficiaries' willingness-to-pay for medication therapy management services.

Objectives: To assess Medicare beneficiaries' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for medication therapy management (MTM) services and determine sociodemographic and clinical characteristics influencing this payment amount.

Design: A cross-sectional, descriptive study design was adopted to elicit Medicare beneficiaries' WTP for MTM.

Setting: Nine outreach events in cities across Central/Northern California during Medicare's 2011 open-enrollment period.

Medicare Part D roulette: potential implications of random assignment and plan restrictions.

Background: Dual-eligible (Medicare/Medicaid) beneficiaries are randomly assigned to a benchmark plan, which provides prescription drug coverage under the Part D benefit without consideration of their prescription drug profile. To date, the potential for beneficiary assignment to a plan with poor formulary coverage has been minimally studied and the resultant financial impact to beneficiaries unknown.

Objective: We sought to determine cost variability and drug use restrictions under each available 2010 California benchmark plan.

Redefining the role of the pharmacist: medication therapy management.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore better use of pharmacists in rural communities as a partial solution to scarcity of physicians and other health care providers. It discusses expected reduction in public subsidies for rural health care and the changing market for pharmacists. The paper emphasizes the use of pharmacists as a backdrop for description of medication therapy management (MTM).

Assessing quality of life in an ambulatory medicare population.

Objective: Medicare beneficiaries have unique health-related challenges causing significant impact on quality of life. This study examined the overall health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and differences in HRQOL between subgroups of an ambulatory Medicare beneficiary population.

Methods: Nine outreach events were held during the 2011 Medicare Part D prescription drug open-enrollment period, in which 397 beneficiaries were assisted with Part D plan evaluation and comprehensive medication therapy review.

Impact of an elective course on pharmacy students' attitudes, beliefs, and competency regarding Medicare Part D.

Objective: To determine the impact of an elective course on pharmacy students' perceptions, knowledge, and confidence regarding Medicare Part D, medication therapy management (MTM), and immunizations.

Design: Thirty-three pharmacy students were enrolled in a Medicare Part D elective course that included both classroom instruction and experiential training.

Assessment: Students' self-reported confidence in and knowledge of Part D significantly improved upon course completion.

Use of potentially inappropriate medications in an ambulatory Medicare population.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use by applying the Beers criteria in an ambulatory population of Medicare beneficiaries, and to identify the most common PIMs/PIM classes taken by this population.

Design: Cross-sectional, observational study.

Setting: Nine community outreach events throughout central and northern California.

Geriatric care as an introductory pharmacy practice experience.

Objective: To describe the design, delivery, and impact of a geriatric introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) to develop students' skills related to consultant pharmacists' roles and patient care responsibilities.

Design: A required 2-unit geriatric IPPE, involving 40 hours in a geriatric-care facility, 5 reflection hours, and 12 classroom-discussion hours, was developed for first- and second-year pharmacy students. Students interviewed patients and caregivers, reviewed patient charts, triaged patient needs, prepared care plans, and performed quality-assurance functions.