Research Activities

December 2003, No. 280

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

New study suggests that death rates for some cardiac and cancer surgeries may be linked to surgeons' experience

Quality of Care/Patient Safety

Surgical patients fare better at hospitals with a higher proportion of registered nurses who have bachelor's degrees
Hospital isolation policies to prevent spread of infection may inadvertently reduce care quality for isolated patients
People with disabilities are generally satisfied with their care but report poor communication and lack of thorough care
Studies focus on systems for reporting medical errors and quality issues
Ethics consultations can help resolve conflicts that may prolong unwanted or nonbeneficial ICU treatments
Experts are uncertain whether full disclosure of medical errors will help avoid lawsuits

Clinical Decisionmaking

CT scans of pelvic fracture patients can determine the extent of hemorrhage and need for pelvic arteriography and transfusions
Studies focus on diagnosis and treatment of low back pain, as well as related pain and disability
Researchers focus on diabetes care

Women's Health

More aggressive treatment recommendations for women with diabetes may be needed to reduce their risk of heart disease-related death
Surgical complications and clinical outcomes are similar for total and supracervical hysterectomy
Black women with suspected breast cancer are more likely than white women to have delayed or incomplete followup
Radiologists' access to women's previous mammograms reduces by at least half the incidence of false-positive mammogram readings
Low-risk deliveries in a collaborative care birth center have outcomes similar to hospital deliveries by obstetricians
Home visits by a nurse-health advocate team can improve the outcomes of low-income, minority mothers and their infants

Child and Adolescent Health

Parental misconceptions about antibiotic use are widespread, but they may be modifiable by clinicians and the media
Antiinflammatory medications for the long-term treatment of childhood asthma are underused
Among children with asthma, those enrolled in Medicaid managed care fare better than those in a primary care case manager plan
Researchers examine the effects of family and community violence and risky behaviors on children and adolescents
Determinants of children's access to care in rural North Carolina are similar to those of urban and suburban children

Minority Health

Community-based hypertension control programs hold promise for decreasing blood pressure among urban blacks
Racial disparities found in receipt of osteoporosis screening and management

Health Care for the Elderly

Use of coagulometers by home health nurses could reduce costs of monitoring the homebound elderly taking warfarin

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Many medical school faculty members have positive attitudes towards use of alternative medical practices

Health Care Costs and Financing

Expanding the number of poor children eligible for Medicaid has increased access to care, but gaps remain
One form of managed care was associated with declines in physician participation in Georgia and Alabama Medicaid programs
CHIRI™ studies children enrolled in the State Children's Health Insurance Program
Formularies are not likely to control costs for psychotropic drugs as well as they do for some other types of drugs
Retrospective drug utilization review may not improve clinical outcomes or reduce the rate of potential prescribing errors

HIV/AIDS Research

HIV patients who are coinfected with HCV and those who take a protease inhibitor are at increased risk of hyperglycemia

Agency News and Notes

HHS issues national reports on quality and disparities in the use of health care services
AHRQ director issues two statements on patient safety issues
Task Force issues recommendations on screening adults for obesity

Announcements

AHRQ to support health information technology projects to improve patient safety and quality of care
AHRQ awards five new surge capacity grants to address bioterrorism preparedness
Former AHRQ researcher receives prestigious award from APHA
NLM unveils new exhibit honoring John Eisenberg

Research Briefs

Current as of December 2003
AHRQ Publication No. 04-0024

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities newsletter. December 2003, No. 280. AHRQ Publication 04-0024. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/dec03/

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