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Among elderly stroke victims, blacks are less likely than whites to be alive 3 years after stroke
Lifestyle changes could improve blood pressure control in people who have diabetes Use of rapid MRI instead of x-ray to detect rare cancer-related back pain in primary care patients may not be cost effective Recommendations for diagnosing and treating low back pain call for a conservative, step-by-step approach Physicians exhibit certain behaviors when treating patients who are in pain
Heart attack patients who are not discharged from the hospital on beta-blockers are unlikely to start them as outpatients Greater use of guideline-recommended asthma medication in recent years may have helped to stabilize the number of asthma visits Many questions remain unanswered about prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis
Patients who receive stem cell transplants at high-volume transplant centers are less likely to die or fail treatment
Common physician medication errors could be prevented by linking laboratory and pharmacy information systems Disclosure to patients of in-hospital medical errors has increased, but there is room for improvement
Researchers examine cost-effectiveness and quality of life following surgery for early breast cancer More assertive outreach programs may be needed to link homeless women to case managers and a broader range of services Physicians have an important role in identifying victims of domestic violence and referring them for appropriate services Parental misconceptions about respiratory illnesses, not day care pressure, lead parents to pressure physicians for antibiotics Medical treatment of one child for an injury may signal a period of increased injury risk for other children in the family School-based health centers reduce asthma-related hospitalization and absenteeism among urban children
Having more RMs on staff can decrease the odds of pneumonia and associated costs among hospitalized surgery patients Some 911 callers may be safely referred to alternative services to save ambulances for true emergencies
Expanding Medicare to include a drug benefit would reduce the financial burden on elders but might not greatly increase drug access Physician recommendations and patient concerns about vaccine safety are associated with elderly influenza vaccination rates Infections are a serious problem in nursing homes Symposium highlights the important role of nurses in managing urinary incontinence
Medicaid shifts to widely used mental health carve-out programs may interrupt therapy among the most needy patients One-third of adult survivors of childhood cancer suffer from psychological problems Among people with HIV/AIDS, whites are much more likely than blacks to use medication to treat psychological problems
Half of hospital costs for diabetes patients are linked to the subset of patients with multiple hospitalizations Children in U.S. managed care plans are far more likely to be referred to specialists than children in the United Kingdom Financial consequences for doctor referrals to specialists affect patient satisfaction but not outcomes Changes in Medicare's PPS have led to a moderate drop in rehabilitation days at skilled nursing facilities Declining payments for emergency care compromise the ability of EDs to provide emergency care to the uninsured Job satisfaction for most physicians hinges on good staff relationships, control of time off, and clinical autonomy
Task Force finds little evidence to support use of vitamin supplements to prevent cancer or heart disease
New model helps hospitals and health systems better respond to potential bioterrorism HCUP 2001 Nationwide Inpatient Sample data now available
Research Briefs
Current as of July 2003 AHRQ Publication No. 03-0039
Internet Citation:
Research Activities newsletter. July 2003, No. 275. AHRQ Publication No. 03-0039. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/jul03/
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