Berwick DM. Improvement, trust, and the healthcare workforce. Quality and Safety in Health Care. 2003;12(Suppl 1):i2-i6.

Dr. Berwick discusses the different characteristics of the healthcare workforce needed to accelerate improvement in healthcare. 

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Tukey JW
Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley; 1977

In this book, Tukey describes a need for demonstrating data with robust graphical representations using the newest statistical methods.

Tufte ER
Cheshire, Connecticut: Graphics Press; 1997

Third book in Tufte's series on displaying quantitative data in graphic form.  In this edition, Tufte describes how to represent data that changes over time.

Tufte ER
Cheshire, Connecticut: Graphics Press; 1983

This book explains how to best display quantitative data in a graphical format.  The book combines narrative text with graphical examples to enable the reader to achieve the best results.

Fisher ES, Gottlieb DJ, Lucas FL, Pinder ÉL, Stukel TA, Wennberg DE. The implications of regional variations in Medicare spending. Part 2: Health outcomes and satisfaction with care. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2003 Feb;138:288-298.

This article discusses a study in which researchers measured the correlation between higher Medicare spending and better outcomes and patient satisfaction.  The results of the study show that there is no direct connection between increased spending and better outcomes or increased patient satisfaction. 

[Related article: Fisher ES, et al. The implications of regional variations in Medicare spending: Part 1. The content, quality, and accessibility of care.]

Bien JP, Davis JB, DeWitt TG, et al. Treatment of otitis media with observation and a safety-net antibiotic prescription. Pediatrics. 2003 Sept;112(3 Pt 1):527-531.

Results of a study testing whether parents within the United States would be willing to treat acute otitis media (AOM) with pain medication along with a safety-net antibiotic prescription (SNAP).  The test, conducted over a 12 month span by the Cincinnati Pediatric Research Group (CPRG) which serves the states of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana (USA), demonstrates a willingness of parents to treat AOM with pain medication alone.

Betancourt J, Green A, Carillo JE. Cultural Competence in Health Care: Emerging Frameworks and Practical Approaches. The Commonwealth Fund. October 2002;1-30.

This report discusses the definitions of cultural competence and the principles of implementation.  The research identifies cultural competence strategies to reduce the disparities in access to care and improve the quality of care.

Full Text Available! Click View Article below.

Fisher E, Wennberg D, Stukel T, et al. The implications of regional variations in Medicare spending. Part 1: The content, quality, and accessibility of care. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2003;138:273-287.

This article discusses a study in which researchers measured the correlation between higher Medicare spending and better outcomes and patient satisfaction.  The results of the study show that although patients in the higher spending regions received more care, there is no direct connection between increased spending and better outcomes or increased patient satisfaction.

[Related article: Fisher ES, et al. The implications of regional variations in Medicare spending: Part 2. Health outcomes and satisfaction with care.]

Berwick DM
San Francisco, California, USA: Jossey-Bass; 2003

Spanning a decade (1992-2002), these eleven speeches by Dr. Donald Berwick (delivered at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care) echo the theme that our health care system needs fundamental change and a revolutionary new design. Not content to simply define the problems with our flawed system, Berwick outlines new designs and suggests practical tools for change.

Byrd WM, Clayton LA
Routledge, New York, NY; 2002

A seminal two-volume study of the impact of racism on medicine and public health in the United States over the past 400 years. Indispensable reading for understanding the root causes (both historical and contemporary) of health disparities experienced by many African American communities.