5 research outputs found
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Test-retest reliability of the new cognitive preschool screening tests
The demand for more effective screening tests to identify mild learning impairments in young children is noted throughout the literature. Two new screening tests have been developed to target prekindergarten (PK) and kindergarten (KG) children with mild cognitive impairments such as learning disabilities (LD) or mild mental retardation (MMR). An evaluation of the test-retest reliability of these new preschool screening tests is a necessary requirement since test reliability will impact test validity. One hundred and sixty-eight children were administered either the prekindergarten (N = 82) or the kindergarten (N = 86) cognitive screening test within a two week interval. Three measures of reliability, Pearson\u27s correlation, Cronbach\u27s alpha, and Kappa coefficient, were used to examine the test-retest reliability of the prekindergarten and Kindergarten screening tests. In general, the results indicated high levels of reliability for the PK test with moderate levels for the KG test. Level of stability as measured by Pearson\u27s correlation indicated a value of .85 for the PK sample and .75 for the KG group. Cronbach\u27s alpha or level of internal consistency were moderate for both scales, although lower for the KG scale at time two. An assessment of the consistency of classification (below vs. above the cutoff score) was reflected in a Kappa coefficient of .8 for PK but only .4 for the KG group. In summary, the PK screening test is reliable but for the KG test, reliability is less than optimal
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Role of Health Information Technology in Addressing Health Disparities
Over the last decade, health information technology (IT) has dramatically transformed medical practice in the United States. On May 11-12, 2017, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, in partnership with the National Science Foundation and the National Health IT Collaborative for the Underserved, convened a scientific workshop, "Addressing Health Disparities with Health Information Technology," with the goal of ensuring that future research guides potential health IT initiatives to address the needs of health disparities populations. The workshop examined patient, clinician, and system perspectives on the potential role of health IT in addressing health disparities. Attendees were asked to identify and discuss various health IT challenges that confront underserved communities and propose innovative strategies to address them, and to involve these communities in this process. Community engagement, cultural competency, and patient-centered care were highlighted as key to improving health equity, as well as to promoting scalable, sustainable, and effective health IT interventions. Participants noted the need for more research on how health IT can be used to evaluate and address the social determinants of health. Expanding public-private partnerships was emphasized, as was the importance of clinicians and IT developers partnering and using novel methods to learn how to improve health care decision-making. Finally, to advance health IT and promote health equity, it will be necessary to record and capture health disparity data using standardized terminology, and to continuously identify system-level deficiencies and biases