Research Activities

January 2004, No. 281

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Researchers find that black and Hispanic children are much more likely than other children to be overweight

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research

South Carolina's initiative to reduce hypertension rates trains hypertension specialists and provides advice to doctors
Researchers examine kidney disease progression and dialysis

Pharmaceutical Research

Acid suppressant therapy is effective for short-term relief of heartburn for patients with persistent symptoms
Few postmenopausal women who have suffered a fracture receive drug treatment to prevent further fractures
Confounding factors may be the reason that randomized controlled trials of HRT conflict with observational studies
British Columbia's reference pricing for a calcium channel blocker may be a model for pharmaceutical cost-containment

Women's Health/Children's Health

Cervical cancer rates among younger women decreased over the past 25 years
Children are at risk for certain drug-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae
Premature birth increases infants' risk of hospitalization and complications from respiratory syncytial virus
Researchers explore parents' influence on the care of seriously ill children

Health Care Disparities

Women and men with cardiovascular disease may not receive the same level of treatment for high cholesterol
Studies reveal disparities in cardiac care related to race, sex, and socioeconomic status
Disparities in cancer rates among U.S. men may be due in part to differences in occupational exposure to carcinogens
Racial differences exist in parents' opinions about the quality of primary care provided to their children
Studies focus on health care for Mexican Americans

Elderly/Long-term Care

Transfusion after hip fracture surgery reduces the risk of rehospitalization for older patients with significant anemia
Age alone should not be a deterrent for recommending coronary bypass surgery
Elderly, low-income black women need more education about the importance of breast cancer screening
Residents of assisted living facilities with a full-time RN are less likely to leave the facility for a nursing home
Providing rehabilitation to newly admitted nursing home residents increases the likelihood of community discharge and lengthens survival
Researchers examine factors affecting diagnosis of acute illness and mental health conditions among nursing home residents

HIV/AIDS Research

Assay for HIV protease inhibitors in patient blood developed to improve patient care
Recent HCSUS studies focus on HIV infection in older individuals and women, use of complementary and alternative therapies, and insurance status

Patient Safety/Quality of Care

Interdisciplinary teamwork is a key to patient safety in the operating room, ICU, and ER
Using chlorhexidine gluconate solution for vascular catheter site care greatly reduces the risk of catheter-related infection

Health Care Costs and Financing

Greater deployment of automated external defibrillators at select public locations is likely to be cost effective
Changing health insurance plans might adversely affect a persons' care as well as increase care costs during the first year

Market Forces
Following an urban hospital closure, remaining hospitals operate more efficiently due to high admissions

Announcements

AHRQ announces new chair and members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
New MEPS data show a relationship between diabetes, obesity, and chronic disease

Research Briefs

AHRQ Publication No. 04-0030
Current as of January 2004

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities newsletter. January 2004, No. 281. AHRQ Publication No. 04-0030. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/jan04/

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