Outcomes and Effectiveness Research

Advancing Excellence in Health Care: Getting to Effectiveness. C. Clancy, J. Slutsky, Journal of Investigative Medicine 53(2): March 2005, 65-66. Discusses the need for better evidence about the benefits, risks, and costs of alternative choices in health care. (AHRQ 05-R062)

An Analysis of Administrative Data Found that Proximate Clinical Event Ratios Provided a Systematic Approach to Identifying Possible Iatrogenic Risk Factors or Complications. W. Baine, S. Kazakova, Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 58:2005, 162-170. Discusses a method to generate hypotheses about iatrogenic risk factors and complications from administrative data that was developed and tested using hospitalization of the elderly for depression as a model. (AHRQ 05-R028)

Aprotinin Use in Thoracic Aortic Surgery: Safety and Outcomes. A. Sedrakyan, A. Wu, G. Sedrakyan, et al., Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 132(4): October 2006, 909-917. Presents the results of an evaluation of using the medication aprotinin in patients undergoing thoracic aortic surgery for aneurysm repair, penetrating ulcers, and other conditions. (AHRQ 07-R016)

Are Lumbar Spine Reoperation Rates Falling with Greater Use of Fusion Surgery and New Surgical Technology? B Martin, S. Mirza, B. Comstock, et al., Spine 32:2007, 2119-2126. Uses population-based hospital discharge data from Washington State to examine the cumulative incidence of second lumbar spine operation following an initial lumbar operation for degenerative conditions. (AHRQ 08-R015)

Centers for Education & Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) Brochure. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, September 2006. Provides information about the Centers for Education & Research on Therapeutics, a national initiative to improve the safety and effectiveness of drugs, medical devices, and biological products such as vaccines. (AHRQ 06-M038)

CERTs Annual Report Year 5. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, September 2005, 41 pp. Highlights a number of CERTs research and educational projects completed in the past year. Also includes some of the projects currently in progress and in the planning stages. (AHRQ 05-0048)

CERTs Annual Report Year 6. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, April 2007, 40 pp. Highlights a number of CERTs research and educational projects completed over the past year, as well as several projects currently in progress. (AHRQ 07-0030)

A Comparison of Outcomes Resulting from Generalist vs. Specialist Care for a Single Discrete Medical Condition. G. Smetana, B. Landon, A. Bindman, et al., Archives of Internal Medicine 167:2007, 10-20. Explores the influence of generalist vs. specialist care on outcomes for patients with a single discrete condition and discusses the methodologic shortcomings of current evidence. (AHRQ 07-R035)

The Evidence on the Effectiveness of Management for Malignant Pleural Effusion: A Systematic Review. C. Tan, A. Sedrakyan, J. Browne, et al., European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery 29:2006, 829-838. Systematically reviews the available evidence on pleurodesis for malignant effusion, focusing on the choice of the agents, route of delivery, and other strategies to improve outcomes. (AHRQ 06-R071)

Healthcare Utilization and Outcomes After Bariatric Surgery. W. Encinosa, D. Bernard, C. Cheng, et al., Medical Care 44(8): August 2006, 706-712. Examines the safety outcomes and utilization of resources in the 6 months after bariatric surgery using a nationwide, population-based sample. (AHRQ 06-R068)

Health-Related Quality of Life After Mitral Valve Repairs and Replacements. A. Sedrakyan, V. Vaccarino, J. Elefteriades, et al., Quality of Life Research 15:2006, 1153-1160. Examines whether changes in health-related quality of life following surgery are better for patients undergoing mitral valve repair compared with those who have mitral valve replacement and whether these outcomes should factor into clinical decisionmaking. (AHRQ 07-R015)

Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adults with Diabetes. S. Norris, Current Diabetes Reports 5:2005, 124-130. Discusses the interrelationships among the physiologic and psychosocial effects of diabetes, the effects of treatment regimes, the social and cultural context in which diabetics live, and how these issues relate to quality of life. (AHRQ 06-R003)

Incidence and Short-Term Outcomes of Primary and Revision Hip Replacement in the United States. C. Zhan, R. Kaczmarek, N. Loyo-Berrios, et al., Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery 89:2007, 526-533. Uses 2003 nationwide U.S. data to examine the incidences of primary total hip replacement, partial hip replacement, and revision hip replacement and assesses the short-term patient outcomes and factors associated with the outcomes from these surgeries. (AHRQ 07-R053)

Recursive Partitioning-Based Preoperative Risk Stratification for Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery. A. Sedrakyan, H. Zhang, T. Treasure, et al., American Heart Journal 151(3): March 2006, 720-724. Identifies preoperative variables associated with the development of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery and stratifies patients into homogenous groups regarding risk of atrial fibrillation. (AHRQ 06-R053)

Reoperation Rates Following Lumbar Spine Surgery and the Influence of Spinal Fusion Procedures. B. Martin, S. Mirza, B. Comstock, et al., Spine 32(3): February 2007, 382-387. Discusses the incidence of reoperation following lumbar surgery for degenerative disease and, for specific diagnoses, compares the frequency of reoperation following fusion with that following decompression alone. (AHRQ 07-R034)

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