Articles of Interest

January 13, 2006


This weekly compilation of articles appearing in recently released journals and newsletters includes: articles funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) or authored by AHRQ researchers; articles mentioning or discussing AHRQ staff, activities, and publications/products; articles related to AHRQ-funded Evidence-based Practice Centers; articles related to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force or Put Prevention into Practice program; articles mentioning the National Healthcare Disparities Report and National Healthcare Quality Report and other research using AHRQ data or products.


AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

AIDS and Behavior
Bogart LM, Collins RL, Cunningham W, et al. The association of partner abuse with risky sexual behaviors among women and men with HIV/AIDS. AIDS Behav 2005 Sep; 9(3):325-33. [AHRQ's HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study (HCSUS) supported by Grant No. U01 HS08578.]

American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy
Zimmerman RK, Tabbarah M, Nowalk MP, et al. Predictors of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination among patients at three-inner-city neighborhood health centers. Am J Geriatr Pharmacother 2005 Sep; 3(3):149-59. [Supported by Grant no. P01 HS10864.]

Kamal-Bahl S, Stuart BC, Beers ML. National trends in and predictors of propoxyphene use in community-dwelling older adults. Am J Geriatr Pharmacother 2005 Sep; 3(3):186-95. [Supported by Grant No. 1 R03 HS01355-01.]

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Hwang LY, Tebb KP, Shafer MB, et al. Examination of the treatment and follow-up care for adolescents who test positive for Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2005 Dec; 159(12):1162-6. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS010537-04.]

Bariatrics Today
Encinosa WE, Bernard DM, Steiner CA. National trends in the costs of bariatric surgery. Bariatrics Toda 2005; (3):10-2. [First and third authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets, and second author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends.]

Breast Cancer Research
Col NF, Kim JA, Chlebowski RT. Menopausal hormone therapy after breast cancer: a meta-analysis and critical appraisal of the evidence. Breast Cancer Res 2005; 7(4):R535-540. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS1332901.]

Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Douglas PS, Eckel RH, Gray DT, et al. Coming together to achieve quality cardiovascular care. J Am Coll Cardiol 2006 Jan 3; 47(1):266-7. [Third author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety; cites AHRQ support and sponsorship of collaborative efforts to produce standardized cardiovascular care performance measures.]

Journal of the American College of Surgeons
Bickell NA, Federman AD, Aufses AH Jr. Influence of time on risk of bowel resection in complete small bowel obstruction. J Am Coll Surg 2005 Dec; 201(6):847-54. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS09698.]

Stitzenberg KB, Sheldon GF. Progressive specialization within general surgery: adding to the complexity of workforce planning. J Am Coll Surg 2005 Dec; 201(6):925-32. [Supported by Grant No. T32 HS00032.]

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Raebel MA, Lyons EE, Andrade SE, et al. Laboratory monitoring of drugs at initiation of therapy in ambulatory care. J Gen Intern Med 2005 Dec; 20 (12):1120-6. [Supported by Grant No. U18 HS11832.]

Journal of Health Economics
Monheit AC, Vistnes JP. The demand for dependent health insurance: how important is the cost of family coverage? J Health Econ 2005 Nov; 24(6):1108-31. [Authors are former and current researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends; uses 1987 data from AHRQ's National Medical Expenditure Survey (NMES) and 1996 data from AHRQ's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).]

Surgery
Chan DK. How surgeons disclose medical errors to patients: a study using standardized patients. Surgery 2005 Nov; 138(11):851-8. [Supported by Grant Nos. 1 U18 HS1189801 and 1 K08 HS01401201.]

Voice of Nursing Leadership
Poker A, Farquhar M, Dayton E. Using the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports for executive decision making. Nurs Leader 2005 Dec:1-3. [Authors are researchers (at time of publication) in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.]

AHRQ-Related Articles

American Health Line
Health coverage: few employers offer free health care. Am Health Line 2006 Jan 12; #10. [Reports findings from MEPS report and cites remarks by Beth Crimmel and Steve Cohen, research in and director of, respectively, AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends.]

CQ Healthbeat
Big lobbies angling to reshape landmark research program. CQ Healthbeat 2006 Jan 11. [Discusses implementation of and industry responses to AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program.]

Health News Daily
Taft C. More comparative research needed for devices—Duke Universitys Kramer. Health News Daily 2006 Jan 12; 18(8):2-3. [Discusses comments made at meeting to solicit feedback on AHRQ's comparative effectiveness program, mentions AHRQ proposal to conduct a study comparing coronary stents to coronary artery bypass surgery, and notes completion of AHRQ's first comparative effectiveness review on gastroesophageal reflux disease in December 2005.]

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Webster BS, Courtney TK, Huang YS, et al. Physicians' initial management of acute low back pain versus evidence-based guidelines: influence of sciatica. J Gen Intern Med 2005 Dec; 20(12):1132-5. [Cites AHRQ guideline, Acute Low Back Problems in Adults, 1994.]

Journal of Health Economics
Chalkley M, Khalil F. Third party purchasing of health services: patient choice and agency. J Health Econ 2005 Nov; 24(6):1132-53. [Notes establishment of AHRQ's predecessor, AHCPR, to conduct and disseminate outcomes research.]

Journal of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin
Nearly 300,000 Americans are hospitalized annually for medication poisoning: half are suicides or suicide attempts. J Pharm Soc Wis 2005 Nov-Dec; (5-6):61. [Summarizes findings from AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS).]

Medicine and Health
FDA joins forces with AHRQ to improve drug safety. Med Health 2006 Jan 9; 60(3):6-7. [Briefly discusses detail of FDA drug safety office deputy director Anne Trontell to AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program, and quotes remarks by AHRQ Center for Outcomes and Evidence Director Jean Slutsky regarding AHRQ's collaboration with FDA on drug safety research.]

Quality Progress
Millions awarded to healthcare IT projects. Qual Prog 2005 Dec; 38(12):12. [Discusses programs receiving AHRQ healthcare IT grants and quotes remarks by AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy.]

Washington Post
Woolf SH. Unhealthy medicine: all breakthrough, no follow-through. Wash Post 2006 Jan 8; B03. [Discusses AHRQ's budget in comparison to that for NIH and relative to the the amount spent on research for new treatments compared to the amount spent on research on health care delivery.]

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

American Family Physician
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening and interventions for overweight in children and adolescents: recommendation statement. Am Fam Physician 2006 Jan 1; 73(1):115-9. [Summarizes USPSTF recommendations published on AHRQ Web site.]

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Guerry SL, Bauer HM, Packel L, et al. Chlamydia screening and management practices of primary care physicians and nurse practitioners in California. J Gen Intern Med 2005 Dec; 20(12):1102-7. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for chlamydial infection (Am J Prev Med, 2001).]

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Buscemi N, Vandermeer B, Hooton N, et al. The efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin for primary sleep disorders: a meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med 2005 Dec; 20(12):1151-8. [Supported by Contract No. 290-02-0023 to the University of Alberta Evidence-based Practice Center.]

National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR)/National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR)-Related Articles

American Health Line
Latinos: health care disparities increase, AHRQ report says. Am Health Line 2006 Jan 10; #7. [Reviews findings from AHRQ's NHDR and NHQR for 2005.]

CQ Healthbeat
Disparities in medical treatment remain despite improvements, reports find. CQ Healthbeat 2006 Jan 9. [Reviews findings from AHRQ's NHDR and NHQR for 2005.]

Washington Post
Freking K. Hispanics health care disparities worsen. Wash Post 2006 Jan 9. [Reviews findings from AHRQ's NHDR and NHQR for 2005; quotes remarks by AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy.]

Kaufman M, Stein R. Record share of economy is spent on health care. Wash Post 2006 Jan 10; A01. [Reviews findings from AHRQ's NHDR and NHQR for 2005.]

Research By Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Critical Care Medicine
Dombrovskiy VY, Martin AA, Sunderram J, et al. Facing the challenge: decreasing case fatality rates in severe sepsis despite increasing hospitalizations. Crit Care Med 2005 Nov; 33(11):2555-62. [Uses data from the 1995-2002 New Jersey State Inpatient Databases (SID) developed as part of HCUP. See also article by Monheit and Vistnes cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]


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