Women's and Family Health
Removing both ovaries during hysterectomy may increase a woman's
risk of heart disease despite estrogen replacement therapy
Certified nurse-midwives use fewer invasive techniques during labor
and delivery for low-risk women than physicians
Duration of maternity leave significantly affects maternal
health
Amoxicillin is often prescribed to prevent middle ear infections
in young children, but it is only marginally effective
Sexually transmitted diseases can directly affect pregnancy
outcome
Physicians are less likely to suspect TB in high-risk women than
men
Critical Care Medicine
Current triage guidelines for admitting patients to critical care units
may not be appropriate
Advance directives often are not specific enough to guide end-of-life
medical decisions
Outcomes/Effectiveness Research
Being overweight or underweight does not preclude elective
noncardiac surgery for most patients
Heart attack patients in the United States fare slightly better in the short-term than Canadian patients
Many physicians have not fully adopted recommended cholesterol
management practices
Better communication increases satisfaction among men facing
a decision about surgery for BPH
Biliary Tract PORT studies focus on training physicians for new
procedures and diagnosis of common bile duct stones
Health Insurance/Health Care Costs
Little is known about how consumers choose health insurance
plans
HMO's comparative advantage in providing preventive services
to women may be eroding
State reimbursement guidelines reduce the number of spinal
fusion surgeries for back-injured workers
Home care may not be less expensive than institutional care for
some ventilator-assisted individuals
Elderly/Long-Term Care
New functional index can predict stroke survivors' likelihood
of achieving a modified level of functional recovery
Racial differences persist in self-perceived health among elders who live alone
Special Populations
Community-based prevention programs can positively affect some
risky behaviors among disadvantaged youths
Most deaths among homeless persons occur in mid-life and are
preventable
Primary Care Research
Many new challenges confront primary care researchers
AHCPR News and Notes
Quality Commission's first priority is a "Consumers' Bill of
Rights"
AHCPR seeks applicants for two senior-level positions
Research Briefs
The importance of patient preferences for comorbidities in cost-effectiveness analysis
The marginal cost-effectiveness of medical technology: A panel
instrumental-variables approach
The barriers to electronic medical record systems and how to
overcome them
Assessment of physics quality assurance in United States
radiotherapy facilities and comparison with American College of Radiology standard for
radiation oncology physics for external beam therapy
Combining single patient (N-of-1) trials to estimate population
treatment effects and to evaluate individual patient responses to treatment
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