Articles of Interest

December 9, 2005


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.


AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

American Journal of Public Health
Morales LS, Staiger D, Horbar JD, et al. Mortality among very low-birthweight infants in hospitals serving minority populations. Am J Public Health 2005 Dec; 95(12):2206-12. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS132801.]

Singh-Manoux, Hillsdon M, Brunner E, et al. Effects of physical activity on cognitive functioning in middle age: evidence from the Whitehall II prospective cohort study. Am J Public Health 2005 Dec; 95(12):2252-8. [Whitehall II study supported by Grant No. HS06516.]

Archives of Internal Medicine
Raebel MA, Lyons EE, Chester EA, et al. Improving laboratory monitoring at initiation of drug therapy in ambulatory care: a randomized trial. Arch Intern Med 2005 Nov 14; 165(20):2395-401. [Supported by Grant No. 1 UC1 HS014249.]

Gerontologist
Zinn J, Spector W, Hsieh L, et al. Do trends in the reporting of quality measures on the Nursing Home Compare Web site differ by nursing home characteristics? Gerontologist 2005 Dec; 45(6):720-30. [Second author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets.]

Wagner LM, Capezuti E, Taylor JA, et al. Impact of a falls menu-driven incident-reporting system on documentation and quality improvement in nursing homes. Gerontologist 2005 Dec; 45(6):835-42. [Supported by Grant No. 1 P20 HS11588-01.]

Inquiry
Hudson JL, Selden TM, Banthin JS. The impact of SCHIP on insurance coverage of children. Inquiry 2005 Fall; 42(3):232-54. [Authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends.]

International Journal for Quality in Health Care
Duclos CW, Eichler M, Taylor L, et al. Patient perspectives of patient-provider communication after adverse events. Int J Qual Health Care 2005 Dec; 17(6):479-86. [Supported by Grant No. U18 HS11878.]

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Cunningham WE, Hays RD, Duan N, et al. The effect of socioeconomic status on the survival of people receiving care for HIV infection in the United States. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2005 Nov; 16(4):655-76. [Supported by Grant No. U01 HS08578; uses data from AHRQ's HIV Cost and Service Utilization Study (HCSUS).]

Mayberry R, Davis T, Alema-Mensah E, et al. Determinants of glycemic status monitoring in black and white Medicaid beneficiaries with diabetes mellitus. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2005 Nov; 16(4 Suppl A):31-49. [Supported by Grant No.P01 HS10875.]

Sherkat DE, Kilbourne BS, Cain VA, et al. Explaining race differences in mortality among the Tennessee Medicare elderly: the role of physician services. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2005 Nov; 16(4 Suppl A):50-63. [Supported by Grant No. R24 HS11640-01.]

Levine RS, Briggs NC, Husaini BA. HEDIS prevention performance indicators, prevention quality assessment and Healthy People 2010. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2005 Nov; 16(4 Suppl A):64-82. [Supported by Grant No. 1 U18 HS113; uses US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) rating system from Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 1996.]

Journal of Patient Safety
Clancy CM, Keyes MA. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Qualitys Patient Safety Network. J Patient Saf 2005 Sep; 1(3):124-5. [Authors are AHRQ director and researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, respectively.]

Etchegaray JM, Thomas EJ, Geraci JM, et al. Differentiating close calls from errors: a multidisciplinary perspective. J Patient Saf 2005 Sep; 1(3):133-7. [Supported by Grant No. 1 P01 HS1154401.]

Medical Care
Field TS, Gilman BH, Subramanian S, et al. The costs associated with adverse drug events among older adults in the ambulatory setting. Med Care 2005 Dec; 43(12):1171-6. [Supported by Grant No. AG15979, co-funded by NIA and AHRQ.]

Cuttler L, Silvers JB, Singh J, et al. Physician decisions to discontinue long-term medications using a two-stage framework. Med Care 2005 Dec; 43(12):1185-93. [Supported by Grant No. T32 HS0059-06.]

Pediatrics
Tamura T, Goldenberg RL, Chapman VR, et al. Folate status of mothers during pregnancy and mental and psychomotor development of their children at five years of age. Pediatrics 2005 Sep; 116(3):703-8. [Supported by Contract No. DHHS 282-92-0055.]

Huang SS, Platt R, Rifas-Shiman SL, et al. Post-PCV7 changes in colonizing pneumococcal serotypes in 16 Massachusetts communities, 2001 and 2004. Pediatrics 2005 Sep; 116(3):e408-13. [Supported by Grant No. HS10247.]

AHRQ-Related Articles

American Family Physician
AHRQ launches new health care program. Am Fam Physician 2005 Nov 15; 72(10):1953. [Describes AHRQ's new Effective Health Care program.]

AHRQ rewards over $22.3 million for health information technology. Am Fam Physician 2005 Nov 15; 72(10):1953-4. [Announces awards to 16 grantees for implementation of health information technology systems.]

BNAs Health Care Policy Report
Health plan-employer coalition issues report cards on hospital quality of care. BNA Health Care Policy Rep 2005 Dec 5; 13(47):1535-6. [Notes that data in reviewed report uses indicators based on AHRQ's quality measures.]

Health News Daily
Laas M. U.S. investment in biomedical research yielding more treatments, less quality healthcare—AFM articles. Health News Daily 2005 Dec 9; 17(237):4-5. [Summarizes AHRQ-funded article by Woolf and Johnson (Ann Fam Med, 2005).]

Hospitals and Health Networks
Scalise D. Two states, two stories. Hosp Health Netw 2005 Nov; 79(11):40-4. [Notes plans to use AHRQ's patient safety indicators in Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association hospital performance reports.]

Inquiry
Castle NG. Nursing home closures, changes in ownership, and competition. Inquiry 2005 Fall; 42(3):281-92. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Cohen and Spector (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends and Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets, respectively) (J Health Econ, 1996).]

International Journal for Quality in Health Care
Fickel JJ, Thrush CR. Policymaker use of quality of care information. Int J Qual Health Care 2005 Dec; 17(6):497-504. [Cites article on AHRQ's Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) by Farley, et al. (Health Serv Res, 2002).]

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Walker EA, Bragg R. National Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Research Network for Health Services and Health Disparities 2004 Research Conference: Racial disparities in health outcomes: research and intervention perspectives. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2005 Nov; 16(4 Suppl A):v-xii. [Notes AHRQ funding support for conference.]

Bharmal M, Thomas J 3rd. Health insurance coverage and health-related quality of life: analysis of 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2005 Nov; 16(4):643-54. [Uses 2000 MEPS data.]

Medical Care
Mayo NE, Nadeau L, Levesque L, et al. Does the addition of functional status indicators to case-mix adjustment indices improve prediction of hospitalization, institutionalization, and death in the elderly? Med Care 2005 Dec; 43(12):1194-202. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Schneeweiss, et al. (Am J Epidemiol, 2001) and Romano, et al. (J Clin Epidemiol, 1993).]

Brown C, Battista DR, Bruehlman R, et al. Beliefs about antidepressant medications in primary care patients. Med Care 2005 Dec; 43(12):1203-7. [Cites AHRQ guideline, Depression in Primary Care, Vol. 2: Treatment of Major Depression, 1993.]

Tai-Seale M, Bramson R, Drukker D, et al. Understanding primary care physicians propensity to assess elderly patients for depression using interaction and survey data. Med Care 2005 Dec; 43(12):1217-24. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Schmittdiel, et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2000).]

Proenca EJ, Rosko MD, Dismuke CE. Service collaboration and hospital cost performance: direct and moderating effects. Med Care 2005 Dec; 43(12):1250-8. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles by Friedman (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) and Shortell (Health Serv Res, 1988) and Wong, Zhan, and Mutter (first and third authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets, and second author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety) (Rev Indust Org, 2005)

Modern Healthcare
DoBias M. Needed: one set of standards. IOM calls for universal pay-for-performance criteria. Mod Healthc 2005 Dec 5; 35(49):8-9. [Quotes statement by IOM committee chair that the efforts by AHRQ and others to develop effective performance measurement programs are laudable and noteworthy, but they are insufficient to achieve the vision described in the initial Quality Chasm reports.]

Conn J. Patient survey endorsed: NQF report details proposed questionnaire. Mod Healthc 2005 Dec 5; 35(49):9. [Discusses proposed Hospital CAHPS® (H-CAHPS) being developed by AHRQ and CMS.]

Pink Sheet
CMS, then AHRQ's Tunis moves on. Pink Sheet 2005 Dec 5; 67(49):27. [Notes temporary assignment of former CMS staff member at AHRQ.]

Research Policy Alert
Laas M. U.S. investment in biomedical research yielding more treatments, less quality healthcare—AFM articles. Res Policy Alert 2005 Dec; 4-5. [Summarizes AHRQ-funded article by Woolf and Johnson (Ann Fam Med, 2005).]

Washington Week in Review (Commonwealth Fund)
Can't get no patient satisfaction? NQF is here to help. Wash Week in Rev (Commonw Fund) 2005 Dec 5; 7-8. [Discusses development and planned implementation of AHRQ/CMS-developed H-CAHPS.]

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

American Family Physician
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for testicular cancer: recommendation statement. Am Fam Physician 2005 Nov 15; 72(10):2069-70. [Summarizes USPSTF recommendations on screening for testicular cancer, as posted on AHRQ Web site.]

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for HIV: recommendation statement. Am Fam Physician 2005 Dec 1; 72(11):2287-92. [Summarizes USPSTF recommendations on screening for HIV, as posted on AHRQ Web site.]

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Farmer DF, Bell BA, Stark N. Cancer screening among Native Americans in eastern North Carolina. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2005 Nov; 16(4):634-42. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for colorectal cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer, as posted on AHRQ Web site}

Schmaling KB, Hernandez DV. Detection of depression among low-income Mexican Americans in primary care. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2005 Nov; 16(4):780-90. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for depression (Ann Intern Med, 2002), and AHRQ guideline, Depression in Primary Care, Vol. 1: Detection and Diagnosis, 1993.]

Medical Care
Stein MB, Roy-Byrne PP, Craske MG, et al. Functional impact and health utility of anxiety disorders in primary care outpatients. Med Care 2005 Dec; 43(23):1164-70. [Cites review of evidence for USPSTF recommendations on screening for depression in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2002).]

[See also article by Levine, et al. cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles above.]

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

Journal of Patient Safety
Denham C, Bagian J, Daley J, et al. No excuses: the reality that demands action. J Patient Saf 2005 Sep; 1(3):154-69. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001, interviews former AHRQ center director Greg Meyer and AHRQ grantee Robert Wachter.]

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

American Journal of Public Health
Sequist TD, Cullen T, Ayanian JZ. Information technology as a tool to improve the quality of American Indian health care. Am J Public Health 2005 Dec; 95(12):2173-9. [Notes that the initial National Healthcare Disparities Report released in 2003, for example, was unable to provide reliable data for American Indians in many important areas.]

Research By Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Bharmal M, Thomas J 3rd. Health insurance coverage and health-related quality of life: analysis of 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2005 Nov; 16(4 Suppl A):643-54. [Uses 2000 MEPS data.]

Fredrickson DD, Jones TL, Molgaard CA, et al. Optimal design features for surveying low-income populations. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2005 Nov; 16(4):677-90. [Uses CAHPS®.]


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