Enhancement Support System Research Articles

CHESS: Providing Decision Support for Reducing Health Risk Behavior and Improving Access to Health Services

The AIDS epidemic has challenged every aspect of the health services delivery system from prevention activities and programs to nursing home care. Computer technology provides a strategy for meeting the needs of both people at risk as well as those infected with HIV. CHESS (Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System) is an integrated decision support system that provides multi-dimensional theory-based resources to people infected with HIV and to people at risk of contracting the infection. CHESS provides users with anonymous, current, nonjudgmental, easily accessible information, decision support, referral, and social support.

A new look at evidence about reduced cost of medical utilization following mental health treatment

Meta-analysis of 58 controlled studies and analysis of the claims files for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employees Plan for 1974-1978 provide mutually supporting evidence of the cost-offset effects of outpatient mental health treatment. These two complementary resources provide a powerful tool for investigating the nature of associations between mental health services and subsequent reductions in the use of other medical services. The authors found that the reductions in use of medical services are associated with inpatient rather than with outpatient utilization and tend to be larger for persons over 55 years of age.