February 24, 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.
American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy
Zhan C, Hicks RW, Blanchette CM, Keyes MA, et al. Potential benefits and problems with computerized prescriber order
entry: analysis of a voluntary medication error-reporting database. Am J Health-Syst Pharm 2005 Feb 15; 63(4):353-8.
[First author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence (COE) and fourth author is researcher in AHRQ's
Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQuIPS).]
Annals of Internal Medicine
Lindenauer PK, Behal R, Murray CK, et al. Volume, quality of care, and outcome of pneumonia. Ann Intern Med 2006 Feb 21;
144(4):262-9. [Published in AHRQ-supported Improving Patient Care section of journal issue; cites AHRQ publication HCUPnet.
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, as posted on AHRQ Web site.]
International Journal of Quality in Health Care
Gelber RP and Seto TB. Patient ethnicity and use of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Int J Qual Health Care 2006 Feb;
18(1):23-9. [Supported by Grant No. R24 HS11627.]
Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
Hansen LB, Fernald D, Araya-Guerra R, et al. Pharmacy clarification of prescriptions ordered in primary care: a report
from the Applied Strategies for Improving Patient Safety (ASIPS) collaborative. J Am Board Fam Med 2006 Jan-Feb;
19(1):24-30. [Supported by Grant No. U18 HS11878.]
Medical Care
Bernard DM, Banthin JS, Encinosa WE. Health care expenditure burdens among adults with diabetes in 2001. Med Care 2006
Mar; 4(3):210-5. [First two authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends (CFACT) and third
author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization and Markets (CDOM).]
Landon BE, Reschovsky JD, Pham HH, et al. Leaving medicine: the consequences of physician dissatisfaction. Med Care 2006 Mar; 44(3):234-42. [Supported by Grant No. P01 HS10803.]
Baker DW, Sudano JJ, Durazo-Arvizu R, et al. Health insurance coverage and the risk of decline in overall health and death among the near elderly, 1992-2002. Med Care 2006 Mar; 44(3):277-82. [Supported by Grant No. 2 R01 HS10283-03.]
Annals of Internal Medicine
Ioannidis JP, Mulrow CD, Goodman SN. Adverse events: the more you search, the more you find. Ann Intern Med 2006 Feb 21;
144(4):298-300. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Ioannidis, et al. (JAMA, 2000).]
Family Practice Management
Tallia AF, Lanham HJ, McDaniel RR, et al. 7 characteristics of successful work relationships. Fam Pract Manag 2006 Jan;
13(1):47-50. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Miller, et al. (J Fam Pract, 2001) and Stroebel, et al. (Jt Comm J Qual
Saf, 2005).]
FDAnews Drug Daily Bulletin
AHRQ: spending jumps for cholesterol medication. FDAnews Drug Daily Bull 2006 Feb 23; 2(290). [Reports on Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data from Spending on Drugs and Other Health Services to Treat High Cholesterol Has
increased 350 Percent. AHRQ News and Numbers, February 15, 2006.]
Internal Medicine News
Median hospital charges for bronchitis, asthma. Intern Med News 2006 Feb 15; 19. [Graphic displaying Healthcare
Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) data.]
International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics
White-Means SI, Hersch J. Health insurance disparities in traditional and contingent/alternative employment. Int J Health
Care Finance Econ 2005 Dec; 5(4):351-68. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles by Weinick, Zuvekas, and Cohen (first author is
former AHRQ researcher, second and third authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends (CFACT)
(Med Care Res Rev 2000) and Zuvekas and Taliaferro (first author is researcher in CFACT, second author is researcher in
AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention and Clinical Partnerships (CP3) (Health Aff, 2003).]
International Journal of Quality in Health Care
Perneger TV. A research agenda for patient safety. Int J Qual Health Care 2006 Feb; 18(1):1-3. [Cites AHRQ publication,
AHRQ Quality Indicators: Guide to Patient Safety Indicators, 2003.]
Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association
Oakley PA, Harrison DD, Harrison DE, et al. Evidence-based protocol for structural rehabilitation of the spine and posture:
review of clinical biomechanics of posture (CBPâ) publications. J Can Chiropr Assoc 2005 Dec; 49(4):270-96. [Cites
comparison of AHRQ guidelines with others by Hasenfeld and Shekelle (Qual Saf Health Care, 2003).]
Managed Healthcare Executive
Wechsler J. Pressure builds on large employers to provide worker health benefits. Manag Healthc Exec 2006 Feb; 13,16.
[Cites employer provided-health insurance statistics from 2003 MEPS data.]
Walker T. Registries might be useful to monitor quality of interventions. Manag Healthc Exec 2006 Feb 2006; 16. [Article reports on AHRQ's efforts to aid in the development of patient safety registries; includes comments from AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence (COE) Director Jean Slutsky.]
Medical Care
Ramsey SD. Investing in health (one prescription at a time):out-of-pocket spending for medical care. Med Care 2006
Mar; 44(3):197-9. [Editorial comments on AHRQ-authored article by Bernard, Banthin, and Encinosa, cited in
AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]
Amarasingham R, Diener-West M, Weiner M, et al. Clinical information technology capabilities in four U.S. hospitals: testing a new structural performance measure. Med Care 2006 Mar; 44(3):216-24. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Overage, et al. (J Am Med Inform Assoc, 1997), Bates DW, et al. (Am J Med, 1999), Koppel, et al. (JAMA, 2005), and others.]
Stuart B, Simoni-Wastila L, Baysac F, et al. Coverage and use of prescription drugs in nursing homes: implications for the Medicare Modernization Act.Med Care 2006 Mar; 44(3):243-9. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Doshi, Shaffer (AHRQ researcher at time of publication), and Briesacher using 1996 MEPS data (J Am Geriatr Soc, 2005); cites AHRQ-funded article by Curtis, et al. (Med Care, 2004) analyzing 1997 MEPS data.]
Konetzka RT, Norton EC, Sloane PD, et al. Medicare prospective payment and quality of care for long-stay nursing facility residents. Med Care 2006 Mar; 44(3):270-6. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Cohen and Spector (J Health Econ, 1996); cites AHRQ-supported Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Keeping Patients Safe: Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses, 2003.]
Quality and Safety in Health Care
Tourangeau AE, Cranley LA, Jeffs L. Impact of nursing on hospital patient mortality: a focused review and related policy
implications. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Feb; 15(1):4-8. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Thomas, Studdert, Burstin
(director of AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention and Clinical Partnerships [CP3]), et al. (Med Care, 2000); cites
AHRQ-funded article by Needleman, et al. (N Engl J Med, 2000).]
Bismark MM, Brennan TA, Paterson RJ, et al. Relationship between complaints and quality of care in New Zealand: a descriptive analysis of complainants and non-complainants following adverse events. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Feb; 15(1):17-22. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles by Burstin, et al. (JAMA, 1993 and Med Care, 2000), and Thomas, Studdert, Burstin, et al. (Med Care, 2000).]
Tan JA, Naik VN, Lingard L. Exploring obstacles to proper timing of prophylactic antibiotics for surgical site infections. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Feb; 15(1):32-8. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Classen, et al. (N Engl J Med, 1992)
Van Tilburg CM, Leistikow IP, Rademaker CM, et al. Health care failure mode and effect analysis: a useful proactive risk analysis in a pediatric oncology ward. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Feb; 15(1):58-63. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Kaushal, et al. (JAMA, 2001), Leape, et al. (JAMA, 1995), and Landrigan, et al. (N Engl J Med, 2004).]
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 on screening and interventions
for overweight in children and adolescents, 2006, as posted on AHRQ Web site.]
Olendski B, Speed C, Domino FJ. Nutritional assessment and counseling for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Am Fam Physician 2006 Jan 15; 73(2):257-64. [Reviews and summarizes findings from USPSTF recommendations on behavioral counseling in primary care to promote a healthy diet, 2002, as posted on AHRQ Web site.]
AORN Journal
Association of Operating Room Nurses. Proposed AORN position statements for consideration by House of Delegates. AORN J 2006 Jan; 83(1):108-23. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment summary on The Effect of Health Care Working
Conditions on Patient Safety, 2003; cites AHRQ-funded article by Needleman, et al. (N Engl J Med, 2002) and AHRQ-funded
Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Keeping Patients Safe: Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses, 2003.]
Current Medical Research
Broder MS, Spalding J. Treatment patterns for women with new episodes of uterine myomas in an insured population in the U.S. Curr Med Res Opin 2006 Jan; 22(1):95-100. [Cites Duke Evidence-based Practice Centers landmark report on uterine fibroids,
AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Management of Uterine Fibroids, 2001; uses AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ database to identify guidelines on myoma treatment.]
Quality and Safety in Health Care
Royal S, Smeaton L. Avery AJ, et al. Interventions in primary care to reduce medication related adverse events and hospital
admissions: systematic review and meta-analysis. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Feb; 15(1):23-31. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001.]
Evans SM, Berry JG, Smith BJ, et al. Attitudes and barriers to incident reporting: a collaborative hospital study. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Feb; 15(1):39-43. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001; cites Thomas, Studdert, Burstin, et al. (Med Care, 2000).]
Healthcare Disparities Report
Republican appropriations chairmen criticize health budget. Healthc Disparities Rep 2006 Mar; 06-03:1-2. [Mentions
proposed AHRQ 2007 funding and AHRQ's preparation of the NHDR and NHQR.]
American Journal of Managed Care
Farley JF, Harley CR, Devine JW. A comparison of comorbidity measurements to predict healthcare expenditures. Am J
Manag Care 2006 Feb; 12(2):110-7. [Uses Elixhauser index of comorbidity measures as published in AHRQ-authored article
by Elixhauser, et al. (Med Care, 1998) and current index coding downloaded from the HCUP U.S. Tools and Software page of the
AHRQ Web site.]
American Journal of Surgery
Malek MM, Burd RS. The optimal management of malrotation diagnosed after infancy: a decision analysis. Am J Surg 2006
Jan; 191(1):45-51. [Uses AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2000.]
Archives of Surgery
Davis MM, Slish K, Chao C, et al. National trends in bariatric surgery, 1996-2002. Arch Surg 2006 Jan; 141(1):71-4.
[Uses AHRQ's HCUP NIS, 1996-2002.]
Journal of Pediatric Surgery
Densmore JC, Lim HJ, Oldham KT, et al. Outcomes and delivery of care in pediatric injury. J Pediatr Surg 2006 Jan;
41(1):92-8. [Uses AHRQ's HCUP Kids Inpatient Database (KID), 2000.]
Medical Care
Shen YC, McFeeters J. Out-of-pocket health spending between low- and higher-income populations: who is at risk of having
high expenses and high burdens? Med Care 2006 Mar; 44(3):200-9. [Uses MEPS data to benchmark the results of the
out-of-pocket expenditure variable.]
Thornlow DK, Stukenborg GJ. The association between hospital characteristics and rates of preventable complications and adverse events. Med Care 2006 Mar; 44(3):265-9. [Uses 2000 data from AHRQ's NIS.]
Osteoporosis International
Farley JF, Cline RR, Gupta K. Racial variations in antiresorptive medication use: results from the 2000 Medical Expenditure
Panel Survey (MEPS). Osteoporos Int 2006; 17(3):395-404. [Uses 2000 MEPS data. See also article by Broder and Spalding, Curr Med Res Opin, cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles.]
Return to Articles of Interest
Virtual Newsroom
News and Information
AHRQ Home Page