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Show OVERVIEW The goals of all sections of Utah's Health: An Annual Review are to provide readers with current information regarding health care in Utah and the nation, and to provoke interest in health-related topics. During the 1993 Utah legislative session no topic stirred more emotion and debate than the future and current status of Utah's health care system. Utah's debate is similar to that going on in most states. Some states have integrated or are in the process of integrating a current health care system with a new health care system. Others are attempting to resurrect an ailing health care system. Both the 1992 and 1993 legislative sessions saw the introduction of several bills in the House and the Senate that proposed changes in Utah's health care system. Health care is also a major focus of the Clinton administration. Health policy may prove to be a crucial element in the electoral success of future political leaders. Health-related information is relevant to politicians and special interest groups who want to know the current status of our health care system, and also to individuals and agencies within the health care field. Utah's Health: An Annual Review is an annual publication compiled and edited by University of Utah graduate and undergraduate students. It contains three sections, providing data, articles, and notes about Utah's health. This Review is intended to provide health information in a general, but comprehensive package for Utah and for comparing Utah to the nation. The data section consists of five major parts that focus on demographics, mortality (death), morbidity (disease), risk factors, public health, and health care costs, quality, and access. Most of the data report information over several years and also compare Utah with the rest of the nation. Data are provided in tables and graphs. Discussion accompanies the data to point out trends which may be surprising or critical to Utah's future health. The narrative also points out some limitations of the data. The data section provides references to more detailed data sources, including secondary sources easily available to the general public. Comments on additional data sources will be welcomed. The second section contains articles by students, scholars, specialists, and practitioners in health-related industries. The authors provide insight and experience from many perspectives while still focusing on the major concerns of cost, quality, and access. In general, articles may include in-depth analysis based upon health data, assessments of the uses and problems of particular data series, exploration of state policy issues, evaluations of specific health programs, and studies of administrative issues in public health and health care. This first edition of Utah's Health contains articles which address the role of the patient, customer-oriented health care, the experiences of physicians during medical training, a summary of health measures that have come before the Utah legislature in the last two legislative sessions, a review of Utah's Baby Your Baby program, and a discussion of the relatively high rate of infant mortality in Weber County. The notes section provides current news on key people heading associations and groups affiliated with health, either in elected positions or as staff members. Recent or pending decisions regarding health care and the law are included, as are recent reports of health groups. In addition to addressing health care reform proposals and health data initiatives, there is also a short summary of the position each elected official at the state level took in the 1992 campaign. The section also reports major actions and decisions important to health in Utah. vu |