September 1, 2006
This weekly compilation of articles appearing in recently released journals and newsletters includes:
American Journal of Medicine
Fiscella K, Franks P. Does the content of primary care visits differ by the racial composition of physicians' practices? Am J Med 2006 Apr; 119(4):348-53. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS10910-02.]
American Journal of Public Health
Muennig P, Lubetkin E, Jia H, et al. Gender and the burden of disease attributable to obesity. Am J Public Health 2006
Sep; 96(9):1662-8. [Supported by Grant No. R03 HS013770.]
Critical Care Medicine
Stockwell DC, Slonim AD. Volume-outcome relationships: is it the individual or the team? Crit Care Med 2006 Sep;
34(9):2495-7. [Supported by Grant No. K08 HS14009.]
International Journal for Quality in Health Care
Hughes CM, Lapane KL. Nurses' and nursing assistants' perceptions of patient safety culture in nursing homes. Int
J Qual Health Care 2006 Aug; 18(4):281-6. [Supported by AHRQ, no grant number given (possibly attributable to Grant
No. R18 HS11835.]
Journal of Aging and Health
Xu X, Jensen GA. Health effects of managed care among the near-elderly. J Aging Health 2006 Aug; 18(4):507-33.
[Supported by Grant No. 1 R03 HS013992.]
Journal of General Internal Medicine
Franks P, Meldrum S, Fiscella K. Discharges against medical advice: are race/ethnicity predictors? J Gen Intern Med
2006 Aug; 21(8):955-60. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS10910-01A2.]
Siminoff LA, Burant CJ, Ibrahim SA. Racial disparities in preferences and perceptions regarding organ donation. J Gen Intern Med 2006 Aug; 21(8):995-1000. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS10047.]
Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Duffy D, Goldberg J, Buchwald D. Using mail to reach patients seen at an urban health care facility. J Health Care
Poor Underserved 2006 Aug; 17(3):522-31. [Supported by Grant No. P01 HS10854.]
Journal of Nursing Scholarship
Jiang HJ, Stocks C, Wong CJ. Disparities between two common data sources on hospital nurse staffing. J Nurs Scholarsh
2006 Jun 22; 38(2):187-93. [First two authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets;
uses the California State Inpatient Database (SID) from AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) and two
measures from AHRQ's Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs).]
Medical Care
Dickey B, Normand SL, Eisen S, et al. Associations between adherence to guidelines for antipsychotic dose and health
status, side effects, and patient care experiences. Med Care 2006 Sep; 44(9):827-34. [Supported by Grant No.
R01 HS10303.]
Rosen AK, Zhao S, Rivard P, et al. Tracking rates of patient safety indicators over time: lessons from the Veterans Administration. Med Care 2006 Sep; 44(9):850-61. [Sixth author is Anne Elixhauser, researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets; uses measures from AHRQ's National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2004, National Healthcare Quality Report, 2004, and Patient Safety Indicators (PSI); acknowledges support from the University of California San Francisco-Stanford Evidence-based Practice Center for assistance in implementing the PSI software.]
AbstractSiu AL, Boockvar KS, Penrod JD, et al. Effect of inpatient quality of care on functional outcomes in patients with hip fracture. Med Care 2006 Sep; 44(9):862-9. [Supported by Grant Nos. U18 HS09459-0 and R01 HS09973.]
Fitzgerald JD, Mangione CM, Boscardin J, et al. Impact of changes in Medicare home health care reimbursement on month-to-month home health utilization between 1996 and 2001 for a national sample of patients undergoing orthopedic procedures. Med Care 2006 Sep; 44(9):870-8. [Supported by Grant No. K08 HS13168.]
Statistics in Medicine
Paliwal P, Gelfand AE. Estimating measures of diagnostic accuracy when some covariate information is missing. Stat
Med 2006 Sep 15; 25(17):2981-93. [Supported by Grant No. HS10951.]
Academic Medicine
Betancourt JR. Eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health care: what is the role of academic medicine? Acad Med 2006 Sep; 84(9):788-92. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Ayanian, et al. (N Engl J Med, 1991) and Schulman, et
al. (N Engl J Med, 1999).]
Blumenthal D, Ferris TG. Safety in the academic medical center: transforming challenges into ingredients for improvement. Acad Med 2006 Sep; 84(9):817-822. [Reviews AHRQ-authored studies by Thomas, Studdert, Burstin (director of AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships), et al. (Med Care, 2000) and Romano, et al. (fifth author is Anne Elixhauser, researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (Health Aff 2003), which used a modified version of AHRQ's Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs).]
Ambulatory Pediatrics
Simpson L, Lawless S. Quality measurement: is the glass half full yet? Ambul Pediatr 2005 Sep-Oct; 5(5):279-80.
[First author is former AHRQ deputy director.]
American Journal of Managed Care
Barnett TE, Chumbler NR, Vogel WB, et al. The effectiveness of a care coordination home telehealth program for
veterans with diabetes mellitus: a 2-year follow-up. Am J Manag Care 2006 Aug; 12(8):467-74. [Cites AHRQ-funded
articles by Romano, et al. (J Clin Epidemiol, 1993), Wagner, et al. (Med Care, 2001), and Tierney, et al. (J Gen
Intern Med, 2004.]
BNAs Health Plan and Provider Report
NCQA looking for input on standards to improve plan performance measurement. BNA Health Plan Provider Rep 2006
Aug 23; 12(34):1006-7. [Notes National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) proposal to evaluate health plans using CAHPS® measures and plans to seek
public comment through September 15, 2006, on whether HEDIS and CAHPS® reporting should be conducted on a national,
regional, or State level.]
Hospitals and Health Networks
Weinstock M. Time for action. Hosp Health Netw 2006 Aug;18. [Quotes AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy and describes
launch of AHRQ's ACTION program and related activities.]
International Journal for Quality in Health Care
Veazie PJ. An individual-based framework for the study of medical error. Int J Qual Health Care 2006 Aug; 18(4):314-19.
[Cites Quality Interagency Coordination (QuIC) Task Force report, Doing What Counts for Patient Safety: Federal Actions
to Reduce Medical Errors and Their Impact, 2000; cites AHRQ-authored articles by Eisenberg, Meyer, and Foster (former AHRQ director, center director,
and researcher, respectively) (Health Serv Res, 2000) and Meyer, et al. (Health Serv Res, 2001); cites
AHRQ-funded article by Landrigan, et al. (N Engl J Med 2004).]
Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety
Barron WM, Reed RL, Forsythe S, et al. Implementing computerized provider order entry with an existing clinical
information system. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2006 Sep; 32(9):506-16. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Kaushal,
Shojania, and Bates (Arch Intern Med, 2003) and Bates, et al. (J Am Med Infom Assoc, 2003).]
Pines JM, Hollander JE, Datner EM, et al. Pay for performance for antibiotic timing in pneumonia: caveat emptor. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2006 Sep; 32(9):531-5. [Cites HCUP publication, National and Regional Estimates on Hospital Use for All Patients, on AHRQ's HCUPnet Web site, as a source for the finding that approximately three quarters of patients with pneumonia are admitted through hospital emergency departments.]
Journal of General Internal Medicine
Kaldjian LC, Jones EW, Rosenthal GE, et al. An empirically derived taxonomy of factors affecting physicians'
willingness to disclose medical errors. J Gen Intern Med 2006 Aug; 21(8):942-48. [Cites AHRQ-authored article
by Altman, Clancy (AHRQ Director), and Blendon (N Engl J Med, 2004); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Gallagher, et al.
(JAMA, 2003) and Kachalia, et al. (Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf, 2003).]
Horwitz LI, Krumholz HM, Huot SJ, et al. Internal medicine residents' clinical and didactic experiences after work hour regulation: a survey of chief residents. J Gen Intern Med 2006 Aug; 21(8):961-5. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Landrigan, et al. (N Engl J Med, 2004).]
Atlas SJ, Chang Y, Lasko TA, et al. Is this my patient? Development and validation of a predictive model to link patients to primary care providers. J Gen Intern Med 2006 Aug; 21(8):973-8. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Hofer, et al. (JAMA, 1999).]
Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Geronimus AT, Colen CG, Shochet T, et al. Urban-rural differences in excess mortality among high-poverty populations:
evidence from the Harlem Household Survey and the Pitt County, North Carolina Study of African American Health. J
Health Care Poor Underserved 2006 Aug; 17(3):532-58. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Franks, Gold, and Clancy
(AHRQ Director) (Health Serv Res, 1996).]
Burman ME, Mawhorter S, Vanden Heede F. Multiple perspectives on being uninsured and barriers to health coverage in a rural Western state. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2006 Aug; 17(3):625-40. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles by Bednarek and Schone (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (J Health Care Poor Underserved, 2003) and Weissman, Moy (former AHRQ researcher), et al. (Health Aff, 2003); cites AHRQ-funded article by Baker, et al. (Med Care, 2002).]
Medical Care
Decker FH. Nursing staff and the outcomes of nursing home stays. Med Care 2006 Sep; 44(9):812-21. [Cites
AHRQ-authored articles by Spector (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) and
Takeda (J Aging Health, 1991) and Spector, Selden, and Cohen (Health Econ, 1998).]
Medicine and Health
In other news... Med Health 2006 Aug 28; 60(32):8. [Cites findings from AHRQ publication, Health Insurance Enrollment
Rates Down at Large Companies, AHRQ News and Numbers, 2006.]
Modern Healthcare
Romano M. We owe it to society to give the wealth back': Gates tops annual 100 Most Powerful list, spotlighting
growing role of philanthropy in fighting healthcare's ills. Mod Healthc 2006 Aug 28; 36(34):6-7, 10, 48-62. [Lists AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy as Number 27.]
Conn J. U.S. News and World retort: JCAHO study questions magazine's ranking system. Mod Healthc 2006 Aug 28; 36(34):10. [Cites AHRQ grantee Robert Wachter.]
Pink Sheet
Medicare coverage for non-IND drug trials should continue—PhRMA and BIO. Pink Sheet 2006 Aug 28; 68(35):21-2.
[Notes that Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines provide automatic coverage for trials conducted under INDs and those funded by
government bodies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and AHRQ, and that CMS has indicated that research programs conducted under
the aegis of AHRQ will serve as a framework for its Medicare clinical research policy.]
Symlin and Byetta excluded from American Diabetes Association guideline. Pink Sheet 2006 Aug 28; 68(35):24-5. [Mentions findings on metformin effectiveness from AHRQ draft report, Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Diabetes Medications for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes.]
Journal of General Internal Medicine
Baig A, Shadigian E, Heisler M. Hidden from plain sight: residents' domestic violence screening attitudes and
reported practices. J Gen Intern Med 2006 Aug; 21(8):949:954. [Cites Recommendations for Clinical Preventive
Services, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, on AHRQ Web site; cites USPSTF evidence review on screening women
and elderly adults for family and intimate partner violence (Ann Intern Med, 2004).]
Schonberg MA, Ramanan RA, McCarthy EP, et al. Decision making and counseling around mammography screening for women aged 80 and older. J Gen Intern Med 2006 Aug; 21(8):979-85. [cites USPSTF evidence review on the cost-effectiveness of screening mammography beyond age 65 years (Ann Intern Med, 2003).]
Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Warren AG, Londono GE, Wessel LA, et al. Breaking down barriers to breast and cervical cancer screening: a
university-based prevention program for Latinas. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2006 Aug; 17(3):512-21.
[Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for breast cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2002).]
American Journal of Managed Care
Pichichero ME, Brixner DI. Rethinking the total cost of care in AOM and ABS: the impact of improved diagnostic
accuracy and antibiotic treatment where high efficacy and adherence are achievable. Am J Manag Care 2006 Aug; 12(10
Suppl):S283-91. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Management of Acute Otitis Media, 2001.]
Pichichero ME, Brixner DI. A review of recommended antibiotic therapies with impact on outcomes in acute otitis media and acute bacterial sinusitis. Am J Manag Care 2006 Aug; 12(10 Suppl):S292-302. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Management of Acute Otitis Media, 2001.]
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
Lochman JE. National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference Statement: Preventing Violence and Related
Health-Risking, Social Behaviors in Adolescents, October 13-15, 2004. J Abnorm Child Psychol 2006 Aug; 457-70.
[Notes AHRQ co-sponsorship of the conference and support through the Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Program, under
which contract the Southern California EPC and its partner, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, developed the systematic
review and analysis that served as one of the references for discussion at the conference; lists as a Planning
Committee member Jacqueline S. Bestemen, designated as Director, EPC Program, Center for Practice and Technology
Assessment, and as a Conference Cosponsor Carolyn Clancy, AHRQ Director.]
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Shuster JJ, Winterstein AG. Automated medication error studies with audit supplementation were effectively designed
and analyzed by time series. J Clin Epidemiol 2006 Sep; 59(9):957-63. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001. Also see the article by Rosen, et al. (Med Care 2006) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]
Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Barnhart JM, Cohen O, Wright N, et al. Can non-medical factors contribute to disparities in coronary heart disease
treatment? J Health Care Poor Underserved 2006 Aug; 17(3):559-74. [Cites publication by AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy,
Highlights and Implications from the Findings of the National Healthcare Quality Report and Disparities Report, 2006;
cites AHRQ-authored articles by Franks and Clancy (Med Care, 1993) and Burstin (director of AHRQ's Center for Primary
Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships), et al. (JAMA, 1993); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Schulman, et al. (N Engl
J Med, 1999), Ayanian, et al. (Arch Intern Med, 1997), and Udvarhelyi, et al. (JAMA, 1992).]
Long SK, King J, Coughlin TA. The health care experience of rural Medicaid beneficiaries. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2006 Aug; 17(3):575-91. [Cites AHRQ publications National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2004, and Braden and Beauregard, Health Status and Access to Care of Rural and Urban Populations: National Medical Expenditure Survey Research Findings No. 18, 1994; cites AHRQ-authored article by Larson and Fleishman (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Med Care, 2003). Also see the article by Rosen, et al. (Med Care 2006) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Van der Steen JT, Mehr DR, Kruse RL, et al. Predictors of mortality for lower respiratory infections in nursing
home residents with dementia were validated transnationally. J Clin Epidemiol 2006 Sep; 59(9):970-9. [Used study
protocol and cohort from AHRQ-funded lower respiratory infection (LRI) study by Mehr, et al. (JAMA, 2001), funded by
Grant No. HS08551. See also article by Jiang, et al. (J Nurs Scholarsh, 2006) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]
Return to Articles of Interest
Virtual Newsroom
News and Information
AHRQ Home Page