Certified EHR Systems in Physician Offices Increase

January 27, 2016

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 provides incentive payments to eligible hospitals and providers that demonstrate the meaningful use of a certified electronic health record (EHR) system.

In 2010, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology began certifying EHR systems as having the capabilities that could enable meeting meaningful use criteria.

A new NCHS report uses the National Electronic Health Records Survey to describe physician adoption of certified EHR systems from 2013 to 2014 across the United States and the extent to which physicians with certified EHR systems share patient health information.

Findings:

  • In 2014, 74.1% of office-based physicians had a certified EHR system, up from 67.5% in 2013.
  • The percentage of physicians who had a certified EHR system ranged from 58.8% in Alaska to 88.6% in Minnesota.
  • In 2014, 32.5% of office-based physicians with a certified EHR system were electronically sharing patient health information with external providers.
  • The percentage of physicians with a certified EHR system electronically sharing patient health information with external providers ranged from 17.7% in New Jersey to 58.8% in North Dakota.

 

Leave a Comment » | electronic medical records, National Electronic Health Records Survey | Permalink
Posted by briantsai

State Variation in Preventive Care Visits, by Patient Characteristics, 2012

January 25, 2016

Preventive care visits such as general medical examinations, prenatal visits, and well-baby visits give physicians and other health professionals the opportunity to screen for diseases or conditions, as well as to promote healthy behaviors that may delay or prevent these conditions and reduce subsequent use of emergency or inpatient care.

In an NCHS report, the rate of preventive care visits to office-based physicians is examined by state, patient demographics, and physician specialty. Estimates are based on data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a nationally representative survey of visits to office-based physicians.

Findings:

  • In 2012, 61.4 preventive care visits were made to office-based physicians per 100 persons. The female rate (76.6 visits per 100 females) exceeded the male rate (45.4 visits per 100 males) by 69%.
  • Among the 34 most populous states, the rate of preventive care visits exceeded the national rate in 1 state (Connecticut) and was lower than the national rate in 11 states (Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington).
  • The rate of preventive care visits to primary care physicians in the 34 most populous states exceeded the national rate in 1 state (Connecticut) and was lower than the national rate in 7 states (Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Washington).

 

Leave a Comment » | hospitalization, National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey | Permalink
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Mortality Among Centenarians in the United States, 2000─2014

January 25, 2016

The population of the United States is aging. Although centenarians are still uncommon, the numbers of Americans aged 100 and over increased 43.6%, from 50,281 in 2000 to 72,197 in 2014. As the number of centenarians increases, so does the number of deaths in this age group.

NCHS has released a report with mortality data filed by the 50 states and the District of Columbia for years 2000 through 2014 that was analyzed to determine the number of deaths, age-specific death rates by race and ethnicity, and sex-specific leading causes of death among centenarians.

  • Death rates for centenarians increased from 2000 through 2008 and then decreased through 2014 for both males and females.
  • Death rates for centenarians increased from 2000 through 2006 for the Hispanic population and from 2000 through 2008 for the non-Hispanic white and black populations, and subsequently decreased through 2014 for all racial and ethnic groups examined.
  • The top five causes of death among centenarians in 2014 were heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, cancer, and influenza and pneumonia.
  • Death rates for Alzheimer’s disease increased 119% between 2000 and 2014 among centenarians.

 

Leave a Comment » | Vital Statistics System | Permalink
Posted by briantsai

Average Age of Mothers is on the Rise in the United States

January 14, 2016

A mother’s age at birth, and particularly the mean or “average” age when a mother has her first child, is of interest to researchers and the public. Mean age can affect the total number of births a mother has over a lifetime, which in turn impacts the composition and growth of the U.S. population.

Age of mother is associated with a range of birth outcomes, such as multiple births and birth defects. An earlier report presented trends in mean age from 1970 to 2000.

An NCHS report presents trends in the mean age at first and higher birth orders by race and Hispanic origin of mother and by state from 2000 to 2014.

Findings:

  • The mean age of mothers has increased from 2000 to 2014 for all birth orders, with age at first birth having the largest increase, up from 24.9 years in 2000 to 26.3 years in 2014.
  • Increases in the average age for all birth orders were most pronounced from 2009 to 2014.
  • In 2014, Asian or Pacific Islander mothers had the oldest average age at first birth (29.5 years), while American Indian or Alaska Native mothers had the youngest (23.1 years).
  • Mean age at first birth increased in all states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) from 2000 to 2014, but D.C. (3.4 years) and Oregon had the largest increases (2.1 years).

Leave a Comment » | Births, Mothers, Vital Statistics System | Permalink
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Sexual Behavior, Sexual Attraction, and Sexual Orientation Among Adults Aged 18–44 in the United States

January 12, 2016

An NCHS report provides national estimates of sexual behavior, sexual attraction, and sexual orientation among women and men aged 18–44 in the United States, based on the 2011–2013 National Survey of Family Growth.

Findings:

  • Regarding opposite-sex sexual behavior, 94.2% of women and 92% of men aged 18–44 had ever had vaginal intercourse.
  • 86.2% of women and 87.4% of men had ever had oral sex; and 35.9% of women and 42.3% of men had ever had
    anal sex.
  • Almost three times as many women (17.4%) reported any same-sex contact in their lifetime compared with men (6.2%) aged 18–44.
  • Feelings of attraction “only to the opposite sex” were more common for men (92.1%) compared with women
    (81%) aged 18–44. Among those aged 18–44, 92.3% of women and 95.1% of men said they were “heterosexual or straight”; 1.3% of women and 1.9% of men said they were “homosexual, gay, or lesbian”; 5.5% of women and 2.0% of men said they were bisexual; and 0.9% of women and 1% of men said “don’t know” or “refused” (i.e., “did not report”) on sexual orientation.
  • Sexual attraction and sexual orientation correlate closely but not completely with reports of sexual behavior. Sexual behavior, sexual attraction, and sexual orientation vary by age, marital or cohabiting status, education, and race and Hispanic origin.

Leave a Comment » | National Survey of Family Growth, sexual behavior | Permalink
Posted by briantsai

Sleep Duration, Quality of Sleep, and Use of Sleep Medication, by Sex and Family Type, 2013–2014

January 6, 2016

Sleep affects many aspects of well-being and quality of life for people of all ages. Risks associated with deficient or poor-quality sleep include physical health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, mental health issues such as depression, and driving and workplace accidents.

Nearly one-third of U.S. adults do not meet the recommendation of getting at least 7 hours of sleep daily.

Prior research has found that marital status and whether young children live in the household are associated with sleep duration and quality.

An NCHS report describes sleep duration, sleep quality, insomnia symptoms, and the use of sleep medication among U.S. adults, by sex and family type.

Findings:

  • Single parents, especially women, were more likely than adults in other types of families to have short sleep duration, frequently have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, and frequently wake up feeling not well-rested.
  • Within family types, women were more likely than men to frequently have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, and to frequently wake up feeling not well-rested.
  • Overall, adults in two-parent families were less likely than adults in other types of families to have taken sleep medication four times or more in the past week.

Leave a Comment » | National Health Interview Survey | Permalink
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2016 NCHS Schedule of Releases and Products Available

January 5, 2016

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics has released their 2016 release schedule.

Please note that many release dates on the schedule are tentative; many release dates will likely change throughout the year and entries may be added or replaced accordingly. The list will be updated as new information becomes available.

For more details about specific release dates, please visit the “Upcoming Releases” page on this site or call 301-458-4800 or paoquery@cdc.gov

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/calendar/2016_schedule.htm

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2014 Provisional Marriage and Divorce Data Available

January 5, 2016

NCHS has just released provisional marriage and divorce data that is available at the following URLs:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/marriage_divorce_tables.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/state_marriage_rates_90_95_and_99-14.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/state_divorce_rates_90_95_and_99-14.pdf

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Posted by briantsai