Articles of Interest Alert

June 20, 2003


These articles appeared in recently released journals and newsletters. They include 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

Annals of Internal Medicine
Runciman WB, Merry AF, Tito F. Error, blame, and the law in health care—an Antipodean perspective. Ann Intern Med 2003 Jun 17; 138(12):974-79. [First article in new section of journal entitled Improving Patient Care, which is supported in part by AHRQ.]

Ethnicity and Health
Clancy C, Stryer D, Eisenberg JM. From publication to public action: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) perspectives on ethnicity and race-related outcomes research. Ethn Health 2002 Nov; 7(4):287-90. [Authors are AHRQ director, director of AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, and former AHRQ director, respectively.]

Health Affairs
Clancy CM. Back to the future. Health Aff 2003 Jun 25; W3-314-16. [Author is AHRQ director; comments on article by Gray et al. in AHRQ-Related Articles.]

Journal of Rural Health
Calico FW, Dillard CD, Moscovice I, et al. A framework and action agenda for quality improvement in rural health care. J Rural Health 2003 Summer; 19(5):226-32. [Second author is AHRQ researcher; cites conference support by AHRQ; recommends research on low volumes and outcomes be led by AHRQ and CMS and that agencies develop national databases and registries.]

Pathman DE, Konrad TR, Agnew CR. Predictive accuracy of rural physicians' stated retention plans. J Rural Health 2003 Summer; 19(5):236-44. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS06544.]

Managed Care Interface
Murray M, Henriques JR. Denials of reimbursement for hospital care. Manag Care Interface 2003 Apr; 16(4):22-27. [Supported by Grant No. R03 HS10667-01.]

New England Journal of Medicine
Bates DW, Gawande AA. Improving safety with information technology. N Engl J Med 2003 Jun 19; 348(25):2526-34. [Supported by Grant No. P01 HS11534.]

AHRQ-Related Articles

American Health Line
The uninsured: cost United States $658 to $1308 per year. Am Health Line 2003 Jun 18; 4. [Describes National Academy of Sciences report, Hidden Costs, Value Lost, which utilizes research efforts and technical expertise of AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends and uses Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data.]

Ethnicity and Health
Washington AE, Napoles-Springer A, Forte DA, et al. Establishing centers to address treatment effectiveness in diverse ethnic groups: the MEDTEP experience. Ethn Health 2002 Nov; 7(4):231-42. [Discusses history and present state of the AHRQ-established and funded Medical Treatment Effectiveness Progaram (MEDTEP) Research Center on Minority Populations.]

Palafox NA, Buenconsejo-Lum L, Riklon S, et al. Improving health outcomes in diverse populations: competency in cross-cultural research with indigenous Pacific Islander populations. Ethn Health 2002 Nov; 7(4):279-85. [Discusses the programs at the Hawaii MEDTEP center; cites paper from Proceedings of the 1998 AHCPR MEDTEP Conference.]

The Gerontologist
Kier FJ, Molinari V. "Do-it-yourself" dementia testing: issues regarding an Alzheimer's home screening test. Gerontologist 2003 Jun; 43(3):295-301. [Cites AHRQ publication, Recognition and Initial Assesment of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias, 1997, and summarizes its findings.]

Health Affairs
Gray BH, Gusmano MK, Collins SR. AHCPR and the changing politics of health services research. Health Aff 2003 Jun 25; W3-283-307. [Reviews and analyzes AHRQ history, roles, and outlook; cites information interviews with all AHRQ administrators/directors and several staff members, past and present.]

Wennberg JE. The more things change: the Federal government's role in the evaluative sciences. Health Aff 2003 Jun 25; W3-308-10. [Comments on article by Gray et al. above; discusses AHRQ Patient Outcomes Research Team projects.]

Gaus CR. An insider's perspective on the near-death experience of AHCPR. Health Aff 2003 Jun 25; W3-311-13. [Author is former AHRQ administrator; comments on article on article by Gray et al. above.]

Health Grants and Contracts Weekly
Grants alert: Preparedness of health care system for bioterrorism (AHRQ). Health Grants and Contracts Weekly 2003 Jun 10; 26(22):6. [Summarizes AHRQ grant proposal.]

Journal of the American Medical Association
Keller MB. Past, present, and future directions for defining optimal treatment outcome in depression: remission and beyond. JAMA Jun 18; 289(23):3152-60. [Cites AHRQ guideline, Depression in Primary Care, Volume 2: Treatment of Major Depression, 1993.]

Journal of Family Practice
Diefenbach LJ, Smith PO. What is the most effective nicotine replacement therapy? J Fam Pract 2003 Jun; 52(6):492-94. [Quotes recommendations from AHRQ guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, 2000.]

Medicine on the Net
Zablocki E. Patient safety on the net. Medicine Net 2003 Jun; 9(6):1-3, 7. [Reviews and describes AHRQ's Web journal, Morbidity and Mortality Rounds on the Web, and quotes remarks by the Web site editor, Robert Watcher.]

Flory J. Net Focus: patient safety. Medicine Net 2003 Jun; 9(6):15-17. [Features reviews and summaries of several AHRQ patient safety-related Web sites.]

New England Journal of Medicine
Berwick DM. Errors today and errors tomorrow. N Engl J Med 2003 Jun 19; 348(25):2570-72. [Comments on article by Bates et al. in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]

Washington Post
Stein R. Uninsured in U.S. cost billions annually. Washington Post 2003 Jun 18; A07. [Describes National Academy of Sciences report, Hidden Costs, Value Lost, which utilizes research efforts and technical expertise of AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends and uses Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data.]

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

Journal of the American Medical Association
Center C, Davis M, Detre T, et al. Confronting depression and suicide in physicians: a consensus statement. JAMA Jun 18; 289(23):3169-70. [Cites USPSTF depression screening guidelines as published in Ann Intern Med, 2002.]

Glass RM. Awareness about depression: important for all physicians. JAMA Jun 18; 289(23):3161-66. [Cites USPSTF depression screening guidelines as published in Ann Intern Med, 2002.]

Journal of Family Practice
Nease DE, Malouin JM. Depression screening. J Fam Pract 2003 Jun; 52(6):466-67. [Cites USPSTF depression screening guidelines as published in Ann Intern Med, 2002.]

Evidence-based Centers-Related Articles

Health News Daily
Kelley J. Brain tumor MRS national coverage reversal doubtful in wake of AHRQ tech assessment. Health News Daily 2003 Jun 19; 26(22):11-12. [Reviews findings from AHRQ technology assessment report prepared on behalf of CMS.]

Journal of the American Medical Association
Gilbody S, Whitty P, Grimshaw J, et al. Educational and organizational interventions to improve the management of depression in primary care: a systematic review. JAMA Jun 18; 289(23):3145-51. [Cites AHRQ evidence review, Screening for Depression, 2002, and AHRQ guideline, Depression in Primary Care, 1993.]

President's Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry/Quality Inter-agency Coordination (QuIC) Task Force-Related Articles

Medicine on the Net
Patient safety resources online. Medicine Net 2003 Jun; 9(6):4-6. [Includes AHRQ Web site, as well as sites for QuIC and the Quality Commission, in list of patient safety resources.]

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

American Journal of Psychiatry
Olfson M, Gameroff MJ, Marcus SC, et al. National trends in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Am J Psychiatry 2003 Jun; 160(6):1071-77. [Uses MEPS data.]

Health Affairs
Kapur K, Marquis MS. Health insurance for workers who lose jobs: implications for various subsidy schemes. Health Aff 2003 May-Jun; 22(3):203-13. [Uses MEPS data.]

Hadley J, Holahan J. Covering the uninsured: how much would it cost? Health Aff 2003 Jun 4; W3-250-65. [Uses MEPS data.]

Journal of Econometrics
Munkin MK, Trivedi PK. Bayesian analysis of a self-selection model with multiple outcomes using simulation-based estimation: an application to the demand for healthcare. J Econometrics 2003 Jun; 114(2):197-220. [Uses MEPS and National Expenditure Panel Survey (NMES) data.]


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