Research Activities

December 2005, No. 304

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

AHRQ releases the first Comparative Effectiveness Review: Certain drugs are as effective as surgery for management of GERD

Patient Safety and Quality

Work hour limitations may improve resident quality of life, but other effects are unknown
Hospitalized patients can help improve patient safety by identifying medical errors not captured by hospital systems
Preprinted prescription forms can improve compliance with prescription guidelines in neonatal intensive care units
Studies examine barriers to self-management for patients with chronic illness and interventions that improve care
Long waits for providers and lack of access are the most common frustrations among urban primary care patients
Patient Safety Indicators may be useful screening tools in Veterans Health Administration hospitals

Disparities/Minority Health

Randomized trial reveals community-based case managers increase public insurance enrollment of uninsured Latino children
Neither patient HMO membership nor physician HMO participation is greatly associated with racial disparities in primary care
Black women are more likely than other women to have pregnancy and childbirth complications
Black women who live in rural areas are less likely than white women to begin mammography screening

Acute Care/Hospitalization

Children hospitalized in the ICU or who have arterial catheters are at higher risk of dying from Candida blood infections
Anemia increases a patient's risk of dying after hospitalization for unstable angina or heart attack

Women's Health

Misconceptions about cancer screening may be common among women
White women who suffer from obesity are less likely to undergo Pap testing for cervical cancer
Cytokine genotypes may identify pregnant women who are at high risk of developing preeclampsia

Health Information Technology

Computer kiosks help patients with diabetes and low literacy skills understand their susceptibility to complications

Primary Care Research

Concerns about medical malpractice suits may lead to more diagnostic mammograms and biopsy recommendations
Clinical inertia in primary care contributes to poor diabetes control
Acculturation, length of relationship, and physician ethnicity influence Japanese Americans' trust of doctors
Study examines factors that predict influenza vaccination status in older adults
Both lack of patient awareness and physician counseling contribute to low rates of colon cancer screening

Pharmaceutical Research

Donepezil has a small effect in the treatment of dementia from Parkinson's disease

HIV/AIDS Research

AHRQ sponsors Medical Care supplement on new HIV/AIDS empirical studies

Emergency Medicine

Four clinical factors can help diagnose pneumonia in children seen in hospital emergency departments
Out-of-hospital rescuers receive little practice in performing endotracheal intubation
Psychiatric emergency services vary widely in hospital emergency departments

Access to Care

Regional availability of specialists affects outcomes for patients with peripheral arterial disease
Caps on malpractice awards increase the State supply of physicians, especially in rural areas

Health Care Costs and Financing

Study strengthens argument against implementing rollbacks in the State Children's Health Insurance Program

Agency News and Notes

Hospital admissions of patients with HIV have fallen by more than half since 1995
AHRQ launches project to develop guide for patient registries

Announcements

New video shows clinicians how to treat children exposed to chemicals used in bioterrorist attacks
AHRQ releases evidence reports on work-related asthma and other topics
HHS Secretary appoints new members to AHRQ National Advisory Council
Research Briefs

Current as of December 2005
AHRQ Publication No. 06-0021

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities newsletter. December 2005, No. 304. AHRQ Publication No. 06-0021. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/dec05/

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