August 18, 2006
This weekly compilation of articles appearing in recently released journals and newsletters includes:
Accident Analysis and Prevention
Coben JH, Steiner CA, Miller TR. Characteristics of motorcycle-related hospitalization: comparing states with different
helmet laws. Accid Anal Prev 2006 Aug 18 [Epub ahead of print. First two authors are former and current researchers
with AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets; uses Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State
Inpatient Database (SID) data.]
Annals of Internal Medicine
Sisk JE, Hebert PL, Horowitz CR, et al. Effects of nurse management on the quality of heart failure care in minority
communities: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 2006 Aug 15; 145(4):273-83. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS10402.]
Archives of Internal Medicine
Gallagher TH, Garbutt JM, Waterman AD, et al. Choosing your words carefully: how physicians would disclose harmful
medical errors to patients. Arch Intern Med 2006 Aug 14-28; 166(15):1585-93. [Supported by Grant Nos. 1 U18
HS1189801 and 1 K08 HS041401201.]
Gallagher TH, Waterman AD, Garbutt JM, et al. U.S. and Canadian physicians' attitudes and experiences regarding disclosing errors to patients. Arch Intern Med 2006 Aug 14-28; 166(15):1605-11. [Supported by Grant Nos. 1 U18 HS1189801 and 1 K08 HS041401201.]
Circulation
Williams SC, Koss RG, Morton DJ, et al. Performance of top-ranked heart care hospitals on evidence-based process
measures. Circulation 2006 Aug 8; 114(6):558-64. [Supported by Grant No. 1 U18 HS013728-01 "to study performance
measurement in hospitals.]
Journal of Healthcare Management
Gupta D, Potthoff S, Blowers D, et al. Performance metrics for advanced access. J Healthc Manage 2006 Jul-Aug;
51(4):246-59. [Supported by Grant No. R03 HS13023-01A1.]
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Hassett MJ, O'Malley AJ, Pakes JR, et al. Frequency and cost of chemotherapy-related serious adverse effects in a
population sample of women with breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 2006 Aug 16; 98(16):1108-17. [Supported by
Grant No. P01 HS10803.]
Journal of Patient Safety
Henriksen K, Keyes MA, Stevens DM, Clancy CM. Initiating transformational change to enhance patient safety. J
Patient Saf 2006 Mar; 2(1):20-4. [First three authors are researchers with AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement
and Patient Safety; fourth author is AHRQ's director.]
Elder NC, Graham D, Brandt E, et al. The testing process in family medicine: problems, solutions and barriers as seen by physicians and their staff. A study of the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network. J Patient Saf 2006 Mar; 2(1):25-32. [Supported by Grant No. 5 R21 HS013554-02.]
Coley KC, Pringle JL, Weber RJ, et al. Perceived barriers in using a region-wide medication error reporting system. J Patient Saf 2006 Mar; 2(1):39-44. [Supported by Grant No. HS11926-01.]
Quality and Safety in Health Care
Smith MA, Cox ED, Bartell JM. Overprescribing of lipid lowering agents. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Aug; 15(4):251-7.
[Supported by Grant No. K08 HS13183.]
Leape LL, Rogers G, Hanna D, et al. Developing and implementing new safe practices: voluntary adoption through statewide collaboratives. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Aug; 15(4):289-95. [Supported by Grant No. U18 HS11928.]
Porter SC, Manzi SF, Volpe D, et al. Getting the data right: information accuracy in pediatric emergency medicine. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Aug; 15(4):296-301. [Supported by Grant No. K08 HS11660.]
Statistics in Medicine
Localio AR, Berlin JA, Ten Have TR. Longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional cluster-randomization designs using
mixed effects regression for binary outcomes: bias and coverage of frequentist and Bayesian methods. Stat Med 2006
Aug 30; 25(16):2720-36. [Supported by Grant No. R03 HS11481-01.]
Parzen M, Lipsitz SR, Fitzmaurice GM, et al. Pseudo-likelihood methods for longitudinal binary data with non-ignorable missing responses and covariates. Stat Med 2006 Aug 30; 25(16):2784-96. [Supported by Grant No. HS10871.]
American Health Line
C-sections: account for more than one-fourth of U.S. births. Am Health Line 2006 Aug 16; #10. [Summarizes findings
from AHRQ publication, Hospitalizations Based on Childbirth, 2003, which uses HCUP data.]
Breast cancer: chemotherapy causes more side effects than thought. Am Health Line 2006 Aug 16; #7. [Summarizes findings from AHRQ-funded article by Hassett, et al. (J Natl Cancer Inst) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles above; quotes remarks by AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy.]
Annals of Internal Medicine
Petersen LA, Woodward LD, Urech T, et al. Does pay-for-performance improve the quality of health care? Ann Intern
Med 2006 Aug 15; 145(4):273-83. [Cites AHRQ's National Quality Measures Clearinghouse (NQMC) Web site; cites
AHRQ-authored article by Eisenberg (Med Care, 1985).]
Archives of Internal Medicine
Onchen C, Gonzales D, Nides M, et al. Efficacy and safety of the novel selective nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
partial agonist, varenicline, for smoking cessation. Arch Intern Med 2006 Aug 14-28; 166(15):1571-77. [Cites
AHRQ-funded article by Fiore MC (Respir Care, 2000) summarizing PHS guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, 2000.]
BNAs Health Care Policy Report
As personal health records grow, panel ponders role in nationwide network. BNA Health Care Policy Rep 2006 Aug 14;
14(33):1088-9. [Quotes remarks by Dr. Marc Pierson, referred to as a researcher with the federal Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality.]
New HHS advisory group will study health care cost, quality reporting. BNA Health Care Policy Rep 2006 Aug 14; 14(33):1089-90. [Quotes remarks by AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy.]
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Metlay JP, Fishman NO, Joffe MM, et al. Macrolide resistance in adults with bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia.
Emerg Infect Dis 2006 Aug; 12(8):1223-30. [Refers to first author as coprincipal investigator at AHRQ-funded
Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) at the University of Pennsylvania.]
Journal of Healthcare Management
Safavi K. Patient-centered pay for performance: are we missing the target? J Healthc Manage 2006 Jul-Aug;
51(4):215-18. [Summarizes findings from AHRQ-funded/authored study by Sofaer, Crofton (researcher in AHRQ's Center
for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety), et al. (Health Serv Res, 2005).]
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Erban JK, Lau J. On the toxicity of chemotherapy for breast cancer—the need for vigilance. J Natl Cancer Inst
2006 Aug 16; 98(16):1096-7. [Summarizes and comments on AHRQ-funded article by Hassett, et al. (J Natl Cancer
Inst) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles above.]
bJournal of Patient Safety
Denham CR. Leaders need dashboards, dashboards need leaders. J Patient Saf 2006 Mar; 2(1):45-53. [Includes
interviews with former AHRQ researcher Nancy Foster and former AHRQ Center director, Gregg Meyer.]
Managed Healthcare Executive
Wechsler J. Pay for Performance: public and private sector coalitions link provider reimbursement to quality
reporting programs. Manag Healthc Exec 2006 Aug; 16(8):30-2. [Describes AHRQ as a central player in the
growing Pay for Performance (P4P) campaign," seeking to better integrate measures of efficiency with quality and include chronic
disease management activities in these programs; quotes remarks by AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy and summarizes
assessment factors given in AHRQ report, Pay for Performance: A Decision Guide for Purchasers, 2006.]
Medicine and Health
The AQA Alliance and the Hospital Quality Alliance have joined forces to promote quality measurement, transparency
and improvement in health care. Med Health 2006 Aug 14; 60(30):8. [Notes that groups will work with AHRQ and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
to expand several ongoing pilot projects to measure and report on performance in a meaningful way.]
Pink Sheet
Metformin is most effective diabetes drug at reducing BMI—AHRQ report. Pink Sheet 2006 Aug 14; 68(33):22-3.
[Reviews findings from draft report, Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Diabetes Medications for Adults
with Type 2 Diabetes.]
Public Health Reports
Rovniak LS, Johnson-Kozlow MF, Hovell MF. Public Health Rep 2006 Sep-Oct; 121(5):538-46. [Cites Halpin Schauffler, et al (Am J Prev Med 2001), Adoption of the AHCPR clinical practice guideline for smoking cessation: a survey of
Californias HMOs.]
Halperin AC, Thompson LA, Hymer JC, et al. A case-based clinician training program for treating tobacco use in college students. Public Health Rep 2006 Sep-Oct; 121(5):557-62. [Cites PHS guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, 2001.]
Quality and Safety in Health Care
Murff HJ, Dittus RS. Near misses and research subjects. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Aug; 15(4):228-9. [Cites AHRQ
report, Advances in Patient Safety: from Research to Implementation. Volume 3: Implementation Issues, 2005.]
Healy AN, Undre S, Vincent CA. Defining the technical skills of teamwork in surgery. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Aug; 15(4):231-4. [Cites AHRQ report, Medical Teamwork and Patient Safety: the Evidence-based Relation, 2005.]
Wright MC, Phillips-Bute B, Mark JB, et al. Time of day effects on the incidence of anesthetic adverse events. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Aug; 15(4):258-63. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Landrigan, et al. (N Engl J Med, 2004).]
Nelson JE, Mulkerin CM, Adams LL, et al. Improving comfort and communication in the ICU: a practical new tool for palliative care performance measurement and feedback. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Aug; 15(4):264-71. [Cites AHRQ's NQMC.]
Seiden SC, Galvan C, Lamm R. Role of medical students in preventing patient harm and enhancing patient safety. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Aug; 15(4):272-6. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Battles (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety), et al. (Acad Med, 2001); cites AHRQ Web M&M report, Low on the Totem Pole, 2005.]
Lancet
Diehm N, Baumgartner I. ACE inhibitors and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Lancet 2006 Aug 19; 368(9536):622-3.
[Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (Ann Intern Med, 2005).]
Arctic
Reynolds JE, Wetzel DL, OHara TM. Human health implications of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in blubber of the
bowhead whale; Balaena mysticetus. Arctic 62006 Jun 1; 59(2):155-64. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Lipids and Glycemic Control in Type II Diabetes and the Metabolic
Syndrome and on Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Renal Disease, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus,
and Osteoporosis: Summary, 2004.]
Ethnicity and Health
Laditka JN and Laditka SB. Race, ethnicity and hospitalization for six chronic ambulatory care sensitive
conditions in the USA. Ethn Health 2006 Aug; 11(3):247-63. [Uses 1997 data from AHRQ's Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS).]
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