Articles of Interest Alert

October 7, 2005


This weekly compilation of articles appearing in recently released journals and newsletters includes articles funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) or authored by AHRQ researchers; articles mentioning or discussing AHRQ; articles related to AHRQ-funded Evidence-based Practice Centers; articles mentioning the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force/Put Prevention into Practice; articles mentioning the Presidents Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry and Agency-supported activities relating to the Quality Interagency Task Force; and other research using AHRQ data.


AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

American Journal of Medical Quality
Miller MR, Pronovost P, Donithan M, Zeger S, Zhan C, Morlock L, Meyer GS. Relationship between performance measurement and accreditation: implications for quality of care and patient safety. Am J Med Qual 2005 Sep-Oct; 20(5):239-52. [First author was researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety during initial stages of project; fifth and seventh authors are current and former researcher/director of same center, respectively; supported by AHRQ intramural research funds; uses AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Inpatient Quality Indicators (IQI), Patient Safety Indicators (PSI), and State Inpatient Databases (SID).]

American Journal of Medical Quality
Clancy CM. Training health care professionals for patient safety. Am J Med Qual 2005 Sep-Oct; 20(5):277-9. [Author is AHRQ Director.]

Cancer Causes and Control
Soler-Vila H, Kasl SV, Jones BA. Cancer-specific beliefs and survival: a population-based study of African-American and White breast cancer patients. Cancer Causes Control 2005 Mar; 16(2):105-14. [Supported by Grant No. HS06910-01.]

Health Care Management Review
Brown JF. Emergency department psychiatric consultation arrangements. Health Care Manage Rev 2005 Jul-Sep; 30(3):251-61. [Supported by Grant No. 1 R03 HS013859.]

Health Policy and Planning
Park S, Soumerai SB, Adams AS, et al. Antibiotic use following a Korean national policy to prohibit medication dispensing by physicians. Health Policy Plan 2005 Sep; 20(5):302-9. [Supported by Grant No. HS1039-01.]

Medical Care
Roblin DW, Platt R, Goodman MJ, et al. Effect of increased cost-sharing on oral hypoglycemic use in five managed care organizations: how much is too much? Med Care 2005 Oct; 43(10):951-9. [Supported by Grant No. 5 U18 HS01039-03.]

Street RL Jr, Gordon HS, Ward MM, et al. Patient participation in medical consultations: why some patients are more involved than others. Med Care 2005 Oct; 43(10):960-9. [Supported by Grant No. P01 HS10876.]

Elliott MN, Farley D, Hambarsoomians K, et al. Do Medicaid and commercial CAHPS scores correlate within plans? A New Jersey case study. Med Care 2005 Oct; 43(10):1027-33. [Supported by Grant No. 5 U18 HS0094; uses AHRQ's Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Study (CAHPS®) 1.0 survey.]

Wong MD, Tagawa T, Hsieh HJ, et al. Differences in cause-specific mortality between Latino and white adults. Med Care 2005 Oct; 43(10):960-9. [Supported by Grant No. 5 P01 HS10858.]

Medical Clinics of North America
Egede LE, Dagogo-Jack S. Epidemiology of type 2 diabetes: focus on ethnic minorities. Med Clin N Am 2005 Sep; 89(5):949-75. [Supported by Grant No. 5 K08 HS11418.]

New England Journal of Medicine
Sawalha AH, Saint S, Ike RW, et al. Clinical problem solving. Still consider the source. N Engl J Med 2005 Oct 6; 353(14):1503-7. [Supported by Grant No. P20 HS11540.]

Spine
Deyo RA, Gray DT, Kreuter W, et al. United States trends in lumbar fusion surgery for degenerative conditions. SpineJun 15; 30(12):1441-5. [Second author is researcher with AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety; uses data from the 2001 HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). See also article by Shekelle, et al. cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC)-Related Articles.]

AHRQ-Related Articles

AORN Journal
New data on the uninsured population released. AORN J 2005 Sep; 82(3):391. [Summarizes findings from AHRQ's 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) presented in AHRQ news release, "AHRQ Issues New Data on the Uninsured," August 2005.]

BNAs Health Care Policy Report
New JCAHO task force to study improving safety while implementing IT. BNA Health Care Policy Rep 2005 Oct 3; 13(39):1276. [Notes AHRQ representation on panel.]

BNAs Health Plan and Provider Report
New JCAHO task force to study improving safety while implementing IT. BNA Health Plan Provider Rep 2005 Oct 5; 11(39):1048. [Notes AHRQ representation on panel.]

Family Practice News
Silverman J. Uninsured demographics. Fam Pract News 2005 Sep 15; 35(18):70. [Summarizes findings from AHRQ's 2004 MEPS; quotes AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy.]

Frontiers of Health Services Management
Winokur SC, Beauregard KJ. Patient safety: mindful, meaningful, and fulfilling. Front Health Serv Manage 2005 Fall; 22(1):17-32. [Includes AHRQ in list of terms and acronyms related to patient safety.]

Grand Rapids Business Journal
Emrich AB. Health benefits: going, going, gone? Grand Rapids Bus J 2005 Aug 29; 36(23):1. [Cites use of data from the 1997, 1999, and 2002 MEPS.]

Health News Daily
Hawkins AJ. HHS advances health IT agenda with millions in new awards and contracts. Health News Daily 2005 Oct 6; 17(194):3-4. [Notes AHRQ award of 16 grants to implement health IT; quotes AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy.]

Journal of Family Practice
Modawal A, Ferrer M, Choi HK, et al. Hyaluronic acid injections relieve knee pain: this meta-analysis shows good therapeutic effect for between 5 and 12 weeks. J Fam Pract 2005 Sep; 54(9):758-67. [Notes conduct of searches of AHRQ Web site for information on hyaluronic acid in knee osteoarthritis.]

Knowledge Speak (Web site newsletter)
AHRQ launches healthcare project for evidence-based decision making. Knowledge Speak 2005 Oct 3. [Describes purposes and goals of AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program.]

Medical Decision Making
Bradley CJ, Neumark D, Oberst K, et al. Combining registry, primary, and secondary data sources to identify the impact of cancer on labor market outcomes. Med Decis Making 2005 Sep-Oct; 25(5):535-47. [Cites MEPS report.]

Modern Healthcare
News makers. In the spotlight. Mod Healthc 2005 Oct 3; 35(40):40. [Notes reassignment of CMS medical officer to AHRQ.]

Physician Executive
Weber DO. Hiring, engaging and retaining the A-team. Physician Exec 2005 Sep-Oct; 31(5):6-12. [Cites findings from AHRQ-funded study of physician job satisfaction by Pathman, et al. (J Fam Pract2002).]

Quality Letter for Healthcare Leaders
Translating research into practice: intervening to promote better care. Qual Lett Healthc Lead 2005 Sep; 17(9):2-5. [Describes and discusses findings presented at the AHRQ-sponsored Translating Research Into Practice (TRIP) conference.]

QIOs to aid hospitals in preventing surgical complications. Qual Lett Healthc Lead 2005 Sep; 17(9):13. [Notes AHRQ participation in the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP).]

Research Policy Alert
HHS advances health IT agenda with millions in new awards and contracts. Res Policy Alert 2005 Oct 7. [Notes AHRQ award of 16 grants to implement health IT; quotes AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy.]

Trustee
Better day in court. Trustee 2005 Sep; 58(8):4-5. [Describes AHRQ assessment tool, Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, and quotes former AHRQ staff member Nancy Foster.]

Bisognano M, McGanon J, Botwinick L. A campaign for 1000,000 lives: the time is now for boards to lead quality and safety efforts. Trustee 2005 Sep; 58(8):12-9. [Notes AHRQ involvement in the 1000,000 Lives Campaign.]

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)/Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)-Related Articles

American Family Physician
Guirguis-Blake J. Rationale for the USPSTF recommendation on screening for glaucoma. Am Fam Physician 2005 Oct 1; 72(7):1184-7. [Author was USPSTF program director at time of publication.]

Annals of Internal Medicine
Correction: Genetic risk assessment and BRCA mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility. Ann Intern Med 2005 Oct 4; 143(7):547. [Cites and corrects information given in previously published USPSTF recommendation (Ann Intern Med, 2005).]

New England Journal of Medicine
Neumann PJ, Rosen AB, Weinstein MC. Medicare and cost-effectiveness analysis. N Engl J Med 2005 Oct 6; 353(14):1516-1522. [Discusses provision in Medicare Modernization Act calling for AHRQ to conduct research on the outcomes, comparative clinical effectiveness, and appropriateness of health care and prescription drugs; cites USPSTF recommendation on osteoporosis screening, accessed on AHRQ Web site, as the source of osteoporosis screening implementation rates.]

Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC)-Related Articles

American Health Line
Defibrillators: study finds devices to be cost-effective. Am Health Line 2005 Oct 6; #7. [Cites results of study by Sanders, et al., funded by AHRQ and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Technology Evaluation Center (AHRQ evidence-based practice center) cited below in this section.]

AORN Journal
Dawson A, Orsini MJ, Cooper MR, et al. Medication safety—reliability of preference cards. AORN J 2005 Sep; 82(3):399-414. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001.]

Contemporary OB-GYN
Lockwood CJ. All I really need to know I learned from an air traffic controller. Contemp ObGyn 2005 Aug; 50(8):8. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001.]

Heritage Foundation Reports: Backgrounder
Dolinar R, Leininger SL. Pay for performance or compliance? A second opinion on Medicare reimbursement. Heritage Found Rep Backgrounder 2005 Oct 5; (1882). [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Strategies to Support Quality-Based Purchasing: A Review of the Evidence, 2004, and AHRQ-funded/authored article by Shekelle et al. on the validity and updating of AHRQ clinical practice guidelines (JAMA, 2001).]

Medical Decision Making
Teutsch SM, Berger ML. Evidence synthesis and evidence-based decision making: related by distinct processes. Med Decis Making 2005 Sep-Oct; 25(5):487-9. [Cites AHRQ's EPCs as source of governmental evidence-based reviews and syntheses.]

New England Journal of Medicine
Sanders GD, Hlatky MA, Owens DK. Cost-effectiveness of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. N Engl J Med 2005 Oct 6; 353(14):1471-80. [Supported by AHRQ and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Technology Evaluation Center (AHRQ evidence-based practice center).]

Nursing Education Perspectives
Jacobs SK. Interagency Council on Information Resources for Nursing. Essential nursing references. Nurs Educ Perspect 2005 Sep; 26(5):300. [Lists as resources and gives Web addresses for AHRQ Evidence Based Practice Links to Evidence-Based Practice Center (EPC) Evidence Reports; Health Services Technology Assessment Text (HSTAT) database; National Guideline Clearinghouse™ (NGC); AHRQ Web site; and HCUP.]

Research By Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Medical Care
Wald H, Epstein A, Kramer A. Extended use of indwelling urinary catheters in postoperative hip fracture patients. Med Care 2005 Oct; 43(10):1009-17. [Uses data from 2001 HCUP NIS.]

Journal of the American College of Surgeons
Livingston EH, Rege RV. Technical complications are rising as common duct exploration is becoming rare. J Am Coll Surg 2005 Sep; 201(3):426-33. [Uses AHRQ's comorbidity measurement methodology as developed by Elixhauser, et al. (Med Care, 1998).]

Obstetrics and Gynecology
James AH, Bushness CD, Jamison MG, et al. Incidence and risk factors for stroke in pregnancy and the puerperium. Obstet Gynecol 2005 Sep; 106(3):509-16. [Uses data from 2000-2001 HCUP NIS.]

Social Science and Medicine
Muennig P, Franks P, Jia H, et al. The income-associated burden of disease in the United States. Soc Sci Med 2005 Nov; 61(9):2018-26. [Uses 2000 MEPS data. See also articles by Miller, et al., Elliott, et al., and Deyo, et al., cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]


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