Research Activities

August 2008, No. 336

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

New Spanish-language consumer guide compares oral diabetes medications

Disparities/Minority Health

Enhancing the cultural competence of both clinicians and clinics may work synergistically to reduce care disparities
Poorer treatment and lower socioeconomic status may underlie ethnic disparities in breast cancer survival

Patient Safety and Quality

Depression and burnout are problems among pediatric residents
Part-time doctors report less burnout, greater satisfaction, and more work control than full-time physicians
Cardiac surgeons are not reluctant to treat high-risk cardiac patients who may tarnish their quality scorecards
More vigilance in disinfecting hospital surfaces is critical for reducing vancomycin-resistant infections

Child/Adolescent Health

Conference calls, E-mail discussion groups, and targeted Web sites may improve pediatric practice immunization rates
Some children are already experiencing drug resistance to a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics used in adults

Women's Health

Women who were abused as children use more health care services than those who weren't abused
Many pregnant women continue to be prescribed a class of antihypertensive medications dangerous to the fetus
Kegel exercises, bladder training, and some medications can resolve women's urinary incontinence

Men's Health

Lack of evidence limits comparison of effectiveness of localized prostate cancer treatments
Prostate cancer screening decision aids lead to greater knowledge and involvement in decisionmaking by patients and lower screening rates
Treatments for early prostate cancers are often incongruent with previous conditions

Elderly/Long-term Care

Hospice care saves money for Medicare and Medicaid patients in nursing homes
Encouraging nursing home residents to participate in their care helps them maintain function and physical performance

Health Information Technology

Studies elaborate on the potential use of health information technology to improve care delivery
Patients like Web-based health records that enable them to communicate with their providers about care-specific issues
E-prescribing will not greatly disrupt workflow in outpatient practices if carefully implemented
Few medical practices have electronic health records, and clinicians don't make full use of them

Preventive Care

Media coverage has boosted awareness of colorectal cancer screening, but messages need to be more targeted
Lack of physician discussion and patient refusal are two main reasons patients aren't screened for colon cancer

Chronic Conditions

Family medicine physicians suggest ways to improve management of chronic pain in primary care patients
Direct-to-consumer advertising of antidepressants aims to increase pool of users
Individuals with more depressive symptoms are more likely to benefit from training in chronic illness self-management
Low-income adults with physical disabilities face transportation, accessibility, and privacy barriers

Primary Care Research

Physicians should empathize with patients who are worried that their symptoms may indicate something serious
Changing one word in a question from the doctor can dramatically reduce patients' unmet concerns in primary care
Studies examine effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of depression quality improvement programs in primary care

Pharmaceutical Research

Long-term use of antibiotics appears safe to treat a large-scale exposure to anthrax in a bioterrorism attack
An antimicrobial stewardship program improves appropriate antimicrobial use among hospitalized children
Education campaign reduces antibiotic prescribing by emergency department physicians for upper respiratory tract infections

Access to Care

Breast screenings are lower in counties with high rates of uninsured people
University's open season shows embrace of preferred provider organizations but no backlash against HMOs

HIV/AIDS Research

Studies reveal wide use of drugs and alcohol and underuse of substance abuse treatment by those with HIV disease
Nearly one in five patients with HIV infection continues to be treated by drugs to which their HIV has tested resistant

Agency News and Notes

New AHRQ report examines health care efficiency measurement
Asthma rates soaring among adult hospital patients
Treatment costs nearly double for hay fever and other allergies
Spending on cholesterol-reducing statins more than doubles in just five years

Announcements

HCUP and MEPS Data Users Workshop

Research Briefs

Research Briefs
Visit the AHRQ Patient Safety Network Web Site

AHRQ Publication No. 08-0065
Current as of August 2008

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities Newsletter. August 2008, No. 336. AHRQ Publication No. 08-0065. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/aug08/

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