Articles of Interest

December 8, 2006


This weekly compilation of articles appearing in recently released journals and newsletters includes:


AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Wagar EA, Tamashiro L, Yasin B, et al. Patient safety in the clinical laboratory: a longitudinal analysis of specimen identification errors. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2006 Nov; 130(11):1662-8. [Supported by grant HS11512-03.]

Child Maltreatment
Flaherty EG, Sege R, Price LL, et al. Pediatrician characteristics associated with child abuse identification and reporting: results from a national survey of pediatricians. Child Maltreat 2006 Nov; 11(4):361-9. [Supported by grant R01 HS10746-01A1.]

Consultant Pharmacist
Greene HA, Slattum PW. Resolving medication discrepancies. Consult Pharm 2006 Aug; 21(8):643-7. [Supported by grant U18 HS11928.]

Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics
Grant RW, Wald JS, Poon EG, et al. Design and implementation of a Web-based patient portal linked to an ambulatory care electronic health record: Patient Gateway for diabetes collaborative care. Diabetes Technol Ther 2006 Oct; 8(5):576-86. [Supported by grant R01 HS023660-02.]

Informatics in Primary Care
Nace GS, Graumlich JF, Aldag JC. Software design to facilitate information transfer at hospital discharge. Inform Prim Care 2006; 14(2):109-19. [Supported by grant HS015084.]

JAMA
Eisenstein EL, Anstrom KJ, Kong DF, et al. Clopidogrel use and long-term clinical outcomes after drug-eluting stent implantation. JAMA Dec 5; [Epub ahead of print.]:e1-e10. [Supported by contract 290-05-0032 as part of the Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions About Effectiveness (DECIDE) program, and based on the AHRQ DECIDE report Treatment of In-Stent Restenosis, under review.]

Journal of Clinical Oncology
Mack JW, Wolfe J, Grier HE, et al. Communication about prognosis between parents and physicians of children with cancer; parent preferences and the impact of prognostic information. J Clin Oncol 2006 Nov-Dec; 7(6):509-29. [Supported by grant T32 HS00063.]

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Hill SC, Wooldridge J. Informed participation in TennCare by people with disabilities. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2006 Nov; 17(4):851-75. [First author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends.]

Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs
Fryback DG, Stout NK, Rosenberg MA, et al. The Wisconsin Breast Cancer Epidemiology Simulation Model. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 2006; (36):37-47.

Lancet
Kelen GD, Kraus CK, McCarthy ML, et al. Inpatient disposition classification for the creation of hospital surge capacity: a multiphase study. Lancet 2006 Dec 2; 368(9551):1984-90. [Supported by grant U01 HS14353-01.]

Missouri Medicine
Longo DR, Hewett JE, Ge B, et al. The long road to patient safety: a status report on Missouri acute-care hospitals. Mo Med 2006 Sep-Oct; 103(5):545-52. [Supported by grant 5 U18 HS011885.]

Pediatrics
Mayer ML. Are we there yet? Distance to care and relative supply among pediatric medical subspecialties. Pediatrics 2006 Dec; 118(12):2313-21. [Supported by grant 1 K02 HS013309-01A1.]

Ampofo K, Gesteland PH, Bender J, et al. Epidemiology, complications, and cost of hospitalization in children with laboratory-confirmed influenza infection. Pediatrics 2006 Dec; 118(12):2409-17. [Supported by grant P20 HS11826.]

Selden TM. Compliance with well-child visit recommendations: evidence from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2000-2002. Pediatrics 2006 Dec; 118(12):e1766-78. [Author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends; uses Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, 2000-2002.]

Fu LY, Ruthazer R, Wilson I, et al. Brief hospitalization and pulse oximetry for predicting amoxicillin treatment failure in children with severe pneumonia. Pediatrics 2006 Dec; 118(12):e1822-30. [Supported by grant T32 HS00060.]

Quality and Safety in Health Care
Stevens DP. Safety by design. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Dec; 15(5):385. [Author/editor is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety; notes that supplement to this issue is edited by AHRQ researcher James Battles, supported by AHRQ, and based on AHRQ-sponsored Second U.S./U.K. Patient Safety Methodology Workshop.]

Stevens DP. International forum in health care, 2007. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Dec; 15(5):386. [Author/editor is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.]

Battles JB. Quality and safety by design. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Dec; 15 Suppl 1:i1-3. [Author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.]

Henriksen K, Dayton E. Issues in the design of training for quality and safety. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Dec; 15 Suppl 1:i17-24. [Authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.]

Battles JB. Improving patient safety by instructional systems design. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Dec; 15 Suppl 1:i25-9. [Author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.]

Carayon P, Schoofs Hundt A, Karsh BT, et al. Work system design for patient safety: the SEIPS model. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Dec; 15 Suppl 1:i50-8. [Supported by grant P20 HS11561-01.]

Karsh BT, Holden RJ, Alper SJ, et al. A human factors engineering paradigm for patient safety: designing to support the performance of the healthcare professional. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Dec; 15 Suppl 1:i59-65. [Supported by grant 1 R01 HS0136101. See also article by Ranney L. et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2006) cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles.]

AHRQ-Related Articles

American Health Line
Drug-eluting stents: continued Plavix use reduces heart attack risk. Am Health Line 2006 Dec 6; #9. [Reviews AHRQ-funded study by Eisenstein, et al. (JAMA, 2006), cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]

Obesity: cause of 1.7M hospital stays in 2004, AHRQ brief says. Am Health Line 2006 Dec 8; #9. [Briefly summarizes findings from AHRQ Statistical Brief, Obese Patients in U.S. Hospitals, 2004, posted on AHRQ's Web site.]

American Journal of Managed Care
Tarn DM, Paterniti DA, Heritage J, et al. Physician communication about the cost and acquisition of newly prescribed medications. Am J Manag Care 2006 Nov; 12(11):657-64. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Huskamp, et al. (N Engl J Med, 2003) and Schneeweiss S, et al. (CMAJ, 2002).]

Taira DA, Wong KS, Frech-Tamas F, et al. Copayment level and compliance with antihypertensive medication: analysis and policy implications for managed care. Am J Manag Care 2006 Nov; 12(11):678-83. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Huskamp, et al. (N Engl J Med, 2003).]

Impact of copays on vulnerable populations. Am J Manag Care 2006 Nov; 12(13 Suppl):S359-63. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Huskamp, et al. (N Engl J Med, 2003 and Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2005).]

Annals of Internal Medicine
Mehrotra A, Epstein AM, Rosenthal MB. Do integrated medical groups provide higher-quality medical care than individual practice associations? Ann Intern Med 2006 Dec 5; 145(11):826-33. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Solomon, et al. (Health Care Financ Rev, 2002), Birkmeyer, et al. (N Engl J Med, 2002), and Trivedi, et al. (N Engl J Med, 2005).]

Health News Daily
JAMA data on drug-eluting stent anti-clotting med use published in advance of FDA meeting. Health News Daily 2006 Dec 6; 18(234):2-4. [Reviews AHRQ-funded study by Eisenstein, et al. (JAMA, 2006), cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]

Healthcare Financial Management
Fromberg R. Your new best friend. Do you track POA (present on admission)? Are you enrolled in HCAHPS® (the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems)? Healthc Financ Manage 2006 Dec; 60(12):34. [Includes the title questions and an additional question, "Is your state using AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) or AHCA (American Health Care Association) measures?" to show examples of quality reporting terminology and concepts that healthcare financial managers need to know.]

Withrow SC. The 8 dimensions of quality. Healthc Financ Manage 2006 Dec; 60(12):86-91. [Briefly discusses CMS planned implementation of HCAHPS.]

Inquiry
Swartz K. Investing in the future of health. Inquiry 2006 Fall; 43(3):187-189. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Cohen and Krauss (current and former researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Health Aff, 2003).]

Alegria M, Cao Z, McGuire TG, et al. Health insurance coverage for vulnerable populations: contrasting Asian Americans and Latinos in the United States. Inquiry 2006 Fall; 43(3):231-54. [Cites AHRQ's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) as one of four data sets primarily used to conduct analyses of health insurance disparities among minorities and includes two studies using MEPS data (Shi, et al., Med Care Res Rev, 2000, and Vitullo and Taylor, J Health Care Poor Underserved, 2002) in a table of reviewed studies; cites AHRQ-authored articles by Cooper and Schone (Health Aff, 1997) and Zuvekas and Taliaferro (Health Aff, 2003).]

Modern Healthcare
Evaluating disease management: DMAAs new guidelines assess healthcare outcomes. Mod Healthc 2006 Dec 4; 36(48):20. [Discusses forthcoming publication of guidelines resulting from a consensus effort among various stakeholders (of which AHRQ is one, but this is not directly stated in article).]

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

American Journal of Managed Care
Mauri D, Kamposioras K, Proiskos A, et al. Old habits die hard: chest radiography for screening purposes in primary care. Am J Manag Care 2006 Nov; 12(11):650-6. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for lung cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2004).]

Annals of Internal Medicine
Paltiel AD, Walensky RP, Schackman BR, et al. Expanded HIV screening in the United States: effect on clinical outcomes, HIV transmission, and costs. Ann Intern Med 2006 Dec 5; 145(11):797-806. [Cites USPSTF recommendation, Screening for Colorectal Cancer: Recommendations and Rationale, 2002, as posted on AHRQ Web site.]

Pediatrics
US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for elevated blood lead levels in children and pregnant mothers. Pediatrics 2006 Dec; 118(12):2514-8. [Summarizes USPSTF recommendations.]

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

Annals of Internal Medicine
NIH State-of-the-Science Panel. National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Statement: Tobacco use: prevention, cessation, and control. Ann Intern Med 2006 Dec 5; 145(11):839-44. [Summarizes consensus conference findings based on AHRQ-funded evidence report, Tobacco Use: Prevention, Cessation, and Control, 2006; lists David Atkins, Kenneth Fink, and Ernestine Murray (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence) as Planning Committee members.]

Ranney L, Melvin C, Lux L, et al. Systematic review: smoking cessation intervention strategies for adults and adults in special populations. Ann Intern Med 2006 Dec 5; 145(11):845-56. [Supported by contract 290-02-0016 to RTI International-University of North Carolina Evidence-base Practice Center (EPC); based on AHRQ-funded evidence report, Tobacco Use: Prevention, Cessation, and Control, 2006, prepared for the NIH State-of-the-Science Conference on Tobacco Use: Prevention, Cessation, and Control, June 2006.]

AORN Journal
Medications show no difference in anemia management. AORN J 2006 Nov; 84(5):757. [Briefly reviews findings from AHRQ review, Comparative Effectiveness of Epoetin and Darbepoetin for Managing Anemia in Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment, 2006.]

Pediatric anthrax difficult to diagnose and treat. AORN J 2006 Nov; 84(5):868. [Briefly reviews findings from AHRQ evidence report, Pediatric Anthrax: Implications for Bioterrorism Preparedness, 2006.]

JAMA
Wisner KL, Chambers C, Sit DK. Postpartum depression: a major public health problem. JAMA 2006 Dec 6; 296(21):2616-8. [Mentions findings from AHRQ evidence report, Perinatal Depression: Prevalence, Screening Accuracy, and Screening Outcomes, 2005.]

Kindig DA. A pay-for-population health performance system. JAMA 2006 Dec 6; 296(21):2611-3. [Cites AHRQ technical review, Strategies to Support Quality-based Purchasing: A Review of the Evidence, 2004.]

Quality and Safety in Health Care
Reiling J. Safe design of healthcare facilities. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Dec; 15 Suppl 1:i34-i40. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2002, and AHRQ-funded article by Leape, et al. (JAMA, 1995).]

Research By Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

American Journal of Managed Care
Szpunar SM, Williams PD, Dagroso D, et al. Effects of tobacco use cessation automated clinical practice guideline. Am J Manag Care 2006 Nov; 12(11):665-73. [Uses PHS guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, 2000, to create an automated clinical practice guideline.]

Journal of the National Medical Association
Becker ER, Rahimi A. Disparities in race/ethnicity and gender in in-hospital mortality rates for coronary artery bypass surgery patients. J Natl Med Assoc 2006 Nov; 98(11):1729-39. [Uses Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data for 1998-2002.]

Pediatrics
Pelletier AJ, Mansbach JM, Camargo CA. Direct medical costs of bronchiolitis hospitalizations in the United States. Pediatrics 2006 Dec; 118(12):2418-23. [Uses data from the 2002 HCUP NIS.]

Quality and Safety in Health Care
Handler SM, Castle NG, Studenski SA, et al. Patient safety culture assessment in the nursing home. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Dec; 15(5):400-4. [Uses AHRQ's Hospital Survey On Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC), and cites AHRQ publications, Comparing Your Results: Preliminary Benchmarks on the Hospital Survey on Patient Culture (HSOPC), 2005, on AHRQ Web site, and Hospital Survey on Patient Culture, 2004.]

Castle NG, Sonon KE. A culture of patient safety in nursing homes. Qual Saf Health Care 2006 Dec; 15(5):405-8. [Uses a modified version of AHRQ's HSOPSC and cites AHRQ publications Comparing Your Results: Preliminary Benchmarks on the Hospital Survey on Patient Culture (HSOPC), 2005, on AHRQ Web site, and Hospital Survey on Patient Culture, 2004.]


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