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Articles of Interest

February 22, 2008

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.
Other research using AHRQ data or products.

AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

AIDS
Sulkowski MS, Mehta SH, Torbenson MS, et al. Rapid progression among HIV/hepatitis C virus-co-infected adults. AIDS 2007 Oct 18; 21(16):2209-16. [Supported by grant HS07809.]

Cancer
Calvocoressi L, Sun A, Kasl SV, et al. Mammography screening of women in their 40s: impact of changes in screening guidelines. Cancer 2008 Feb 1; 112(3):473-80. [Supported by grant HS11603.]

Health Services Research
Gozalo PL, Miller SC, Intrator O, et al. Hospice effect on government expenditures among nursing home residents. Health Serv Res 2008 Feb; 43(1 Pt 1):134-53. [Supported by grant HS10549-01.]

Glance LG, Dick A, Mukamel DB, et al. Are high-quality cardiac surgeons less likely to operate on high-risk patients compared to low-quality surgeons? Evidence from New York State. Health Serv Res 2008 Feb; 43(1 Pt 1):300-12. [Supported by grant HS13617.]

Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety
Kraus S, Barber TR, Briggs B, et al. Implementing computerized physician order management at a community hospital. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2008 Feb; 34(2):74-84. [Supported by grant HS015076.]

Medical Care
Glance LG, Osler TM, Mukamel DB, et al. Impact of the present-on-admission indicator on hospital quality measurement: experience with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Inpatient Quality Indicators. Med Care 2008 Feb; 46(2):112-19. [Supported by grant HS13617.]

Taylor BB, Marcantonio ER, Pagovich O, et al. Do medical inpatients who report poor service quality experience more adverse events and medical errors? Med Care 2008 Feb; 46(2):224-8. [Supported by grant HS11644.]

Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
Meropol SB, Chan KA, Chen Z, et al. Adverse events associated with prolonged antibiotic use. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2008 Jan 24; [Epub ahead of print. Supported by grant HS10399.]

AHRQ-Related Articles

American Family Physician
Wellbery C. Otitis media guidelines do not reflect clinical practice. Am Fam Physician 2008 Feb 15; 77(4):516-17. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by McCormick et al (Pediatrics, 2005) and Finkelstein et al. (Pediatrics, 2005).]

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Andrade SE, Raebel MA, Brown J, et al. Use of antidepressant medications during pregnancy: a multisite study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2008 Feb; 198(2):194.e1-194.e5. [Notes that first three authors and three others are investigators in the AHRQ-supported HMO Research Network Center for Education and Research in Therapeutics (CERTs).]

Consultant Pharmacist
Spiro RF. Electronic prescribing in long-term care: an overview of five pilot projects. Consult Pharm 2008 Jan; 23(1):16-26. [Reviews and describes five AHRQ-funded pilot projects and summarizes the evaluation of the projects as conducted by the AHRQ National Resource Center for Health Information Technology and presented in the report Pilot Testing of Initial Prescribing Standards—Cooperative Agreements Required Under Section 1860D-(4)(e) of the Social Security Act as Amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Action (MMA) of 2003, released by HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt and posted on the AHRQ National Resources Center for Health Information Technology Web site.]

JAMA
Hughes JR. Treatment regulation in promoting tobacco control. JAMA 2008 Feb 20; 299(7):763; reply, 763-4. [Cites PHS guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, 2000.]

Peberdy MA, Ornato JP, Larkin GL, et al. Survival from in-hospital cardiac arrest during nights and weekends. JAMA 2008 Feb 20; 299(7):785-92. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Needleman et al. (N Engl J Med, 2002).]

Blustein J. Who is accountable for racial equity in health care? JAMA 2008 Feb 20; 299(7):814-16. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Mor et al. (Milbank Q, 2004).]

Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety
MacKenzie R, Capuano T, Durishin LD, et al. Growing organizational capacity through a systems approach: one health network s experience. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2008 Feb; 34(2):63-73. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Asplin et al. (Ann Emerg Med, 2003).]

Tsilimingras D, Bates DW. Addressing postdischarge adverse events: a neglected area. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2008 Feb; 34(2):98-105. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Bates et al. (J Am Med Inform Assoc 2003), Weingart et al. (Med Care, 2000), and Iezzoni et al. (Med Care, 1994).]

Abatemarco DJ, Kairys SW, Gubernick RS, et al. Expanding the pediatrician s black bag: a psychosocial care improvement model to address the new morbidities. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2008 Feb; 34(2):106-15. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles by Eisenberg (Med Care, 1985), Clancy (Med Care, 1998), and AHRQ-funded article by Solberg et al. (Prev Med, 1998).]

Journal of Family Practice
Rosenthal J, Kong B, Jacobs L, et al. Did a switch to a generic antidepressant cause relapse? J Fam Pract 2008 Feb; 57(2):109-14. [Cites AHRQ publication, Trends in the Use and Expenditures for the Therapeutic Class Prescribed Psychotherapeutic Agents and All Subclasses, 1997 and 2004, MEPS Statistical Brief No. 163, 2007.]

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Ryan AM, Gee GC, Griffith D. The effects of perceived discrimination on diabetes management. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2008 Feb; 19(1):149-63. [Cites AHRQ publication, Diabetes Disparities Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities, 2001.]

Goldfinger JZ, Arniella G, Wylie-Rosen J, et al. Project HEAL: peer education leads to weight loss in Harlem. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2008 Feb; 19(1):180-92. [Cites AHRQ publication, Prevention Quality Indicators: Software Documentation, Version 2.1—SPSS, 2001, and Revision 3, 2004; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Trivedi et al. (N Engl J Med, 2005), Wong et al. (N Engl J Med, 2002), and Bindman et al. (JAMA, 1995).]

Medical Care
Ash AS. Measuring quality. Med Care 2008 Feb; 46(2):105-8. [Describes AHRQ publication Guide to Inpatient Quality Indicators: Quality of Care in Hospitals—Volume, Mortality, and Utilization (Version 3.0), 2006, and discusses its use in the article by Glance et al. (Med Care 2008) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]

Cousineau MR, Stevens GD, Pickering TA. Preventable hospitalizations among children in California counties after child health insurance expansion initiatives. Med Care 2008 Feb; 46(2):142-7. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Basu, Friedman, and Burstin (Med Care, 2002) and AHRQ publications, AHRQ Quality Indicators: Pediatric Quality Indicators: Overview, 2006, on AHRQ Web site; Using Administrative Data to Monitor Access, Idenfity Disparities, and Assess Performance of the Safety Net, 2003; and Care of Children and Adolescents in U.S. Hospitals, 2003.]

Helmer DA, Txent CL, Rajan M, et al. Can ambulatory care prevent hospitalization for metabolic decompensation? Med Care 2008 Feb; 46(2):148-57. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles by Basu et al. (Health Serv Res, 2004 and Med Care, 2002).]

Bowles KH, Ratcliffe SJ, Holmes JH, et al. Post-acute referral decisions made by multidisciplinary experts compared to hospital clinicians and the patients 12-week outcomes. Med Care 2008 Feb; 46(2):158-66. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Covinsky et al. (J Am Geriatr Soc, 2003).]

Pugh MJ, Rosen AK, Montez-Rath, et al. Potentially inappropriate prescribing for the elderly: effects of geriatric care at the patient and health care system level. Med Care 2008 Feb; 46(2):167-73. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Zhan et al. (JAMA, 2001).]

New England Journal of Medicine
Miller FG, Emanuel EJ. Quality-improvement research and informed consent. N Engl J Med 2008 Feb 21; 358(8):765-7. [Discusses ethical aspects of AHRQ-funded research project on reduction of catheter-related infections as reported in article by Pronovost et al. (N Engl J Med, 2006).]

Baily MA. Harming through protection? N Engl J Med 2008 Feb 21; 358(8):768-9. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Pronovost et al. (N Engl J Med, 2006).]

Weinstein JN, Tosteson TD, Lurie JD, et al. Surgical versus nonsurgical therapy for lumbar spinal stenosis. N Engl J Med 2008 Feb 21; 358(8):794-810. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles by Tunis, Stryer, and Clancy (JAMA, 2003) and Deyo, Gray (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety), et al. (Spine, 2005); cites AHRQ-funded article by Deyo et al. (Spine, 1993).]

Ray WA. Learning from aprotinin—mandatory trials of comparative efficacy and safety needed. N Engl J Med 2008 Feb 21; 358(8):840-2. [Author is the principal investigator at the AHRQ-supported Vanderbilt Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs).]

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

American Family Physician
Cancer genetic risk assessment for individuals at risk of familial breast cancer. Am Fam Physician 2008 Feb 15; 77(4):449-500. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on genetic risk assessment and BRCA mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility (Ann Intern Med, 2005).]

Shaw J. Diagnosis and treatment of testicular cancer. Am Fam Physician 2008 Feb 15; 77(4):469-74. [Cites AHRQ publication, Screening for Testicular Cancer; Update of the Evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2004, as posted on AHRQ Web site.]

Rosen IM, Maurer DM. Reducing tobacco use in adolescents. Am Fam Physician 2008 Feb 15; 77(4):483-90. [Cites USPSTF recommendation statement, Counseling to Prevent Tobacco Use and Tobacco-caused Disease, on AHRQ Web site, and AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Tobacco Use: Prevention, Cessation, and Control, 2006.]

Annals of Internal Medicine
Boutron I, Moher D, Altman DG, et al. Extending the CONSORT statement to randomized trials of nonpharmacologic treatment; explanation and elaboration. Ann Intern Med 2008 Feb 19; 148(4):295-309. [Cites USPSTF summary of evidence on counseling to promote a healthy diet in adults (Am J Prev Med, 2003) and recommendations on behavioral counseling in primary care to promote physical activity (Ann Intern Med, 2002); cites AHRQ-funded article by Birkmeyer et al. N Engl J Med, 2003).]

Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety
Persell SD, Denecke-Datallo TA, Dunham DP, et al. Patient-directed intervention versus clinician reminders alone to improve aspirin use in diabetes: a cluster randomized trial. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2008 Feb; 34(2):98-105. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events (Ann Intern Med, 2002).]

Journal of Family Practice
Rowland K, Schumann SA. Have pedometer, will travel. J Fam Pract 2008 Feb; 57(2):90-93. [Notes several guidelines posted in AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ that include exercise in their treatment recommendations; cites USPSTF summary of evidence on counseling in primary care to promote physical activity (Ann Intern Med, 2002) and USPSTF recommendation statement, Behavioral Counseling in Primary Care to Promote Physical Activity, as posted on AHRQ Web site.]

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Lubetkin EI, Santana A, Tso A, et al. Predictors of cancer screening among low-income primary care patients. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2008 Feb; 19(1):135-48. [Cites USPSTF recommendations in Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2007, as published on AHRQ Web site, and cites AHRQ-funded article by Mandelblatt et al. (Prev Med, 1999).]

Clark DO, Keith N, Chrysler L, et al. Design and reach of a primary care weight management program. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2008 Feb; 19(1):171-179. [Cites USPSTF summary of evidence on screening and interventions for obesity in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2003) and USPSTF recommendation statement, Screening and Interventions to Prevent Obesity in Adults, 2003, as published on the AHRQ Web site; cites AHRQ publication, Screening for Obesity in Adults: What s New from the USPSTF?, 2003; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Glasgow et al. (Am J Public Health, 2003 and J Gen Intern Med, 2004).]

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety
Wachter RM, Foster NE, Dudley RA. Medicare s decision to withhold payment for hospital errors: the devil is in the details. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2008 Feb; 34(2):116-23. [Second author is former AHRQ researcher; notes that articles about the policy were the most popular patient safety articles on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Safety Network... for several weeks; cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001; cites AHRQ-authored article by Zhan et al. (Health Aff, 2006) and AHRQ-funded articles by Pronovost, Miller, and Wachter (JAMA, 2006), Pronovost et al. (N Engl J Med, 2006), and Gawande et al. (N Engl J Med, 2003).]

Medical Care
Leibson CL, Needleman J, Buerhaus P, et al. Identifying in-hospital venous thromboembolism (VTE): a comparison of claims-based approaches with the Rochester Epidemiology Project VTE cohort. Med Care 2008 Feb; 46(2):127-32. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technical Review, Refinement of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Quality Indicators, 2001; cites AHRQ publications, Patient Safety Indicators, on AHRQ Web site, and The Case for the Present-on-Admission (POA) Indicator, HCUP Methods Series Report, 2006; cites AHRQ-authored articles by Miller et al. (Health Serv Res, 2001) and Zhan et al. (Med Care, 2007 and Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf, 2007); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Needleman et al. (N Engl J Med, 2002) and Glance et al. (Health Serv Res, 2006).]

New England Journal of Medicine
Katz JN, Harris MB. Clinical Practice. Lumbar spinal stenosis. N Engl J Med 2008 Feb 21; 358(8):818-25. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Treatment of Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, 2001.]

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

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Howell E, McFeeters J. Children s mental health care differences by race/ethnicity in urban/rural areas. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2008 Feb; 19(1):237-47. [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2005.]

Research By Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Medical Care
Chen AY, Escarce JJ. Family structure and the treatment of childhood asthma. Med Care 2008 Feb; 46(2):174-84. [Uses 1996-2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data.]

Arthur M, Hedges JR, Newgard CD, et al. Racial disparities in mortality among adults hospitalized after injury. Med Care 2008 Feb; 46(2):192-9. [Uses 1998-2002 data from AHRQ's HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS).]

Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Kivimaki M, Ferrie JE, Shipley MJ, et al. Low medically certified sickness absence among employees with poor health status predicts future health improvements: the Whitehall II study. Occup Environ Med 2008 Mar; 65(3):208-10. [Uses study cohort from the Whitehall II study, previously funded by AHRQ.]

Psychosomatic Medicine
Sacker A, Head J, Bartley M. Impact of coronary heart disease on health functioning in an aging population: are there differences according to socioeconomic position? Psychosom Med 2008 Feb; 70(2):133-40. [Uses study cohort from the Whitehall II study, previously funded by AHRQ.]

Current as of February 2008

Internet Citation:

Articles of Interest, February 22, 2008. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/articles/art022208.htm