Research Activities

August 2004, No. 288

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Study uncovers major differences in the use and cost of health care for privately insured men and women with HIV

HIV/AIDS Research

Hospital costs and length of stay for HIV patients depend in part on geographic area

Women's and Children's Health

Studies how that obesity affects mammography accuracy and screening rates
Gastrointestinal disorders are a leading cause of hospitalization in children
Initial surfactant treatment to prevent respiratory distress in very premature infants is often delayed in routine practice
Otitis media may not substantially increase risk of delayed speech development in typically developing children
A disproportionate increase in B-type natriuretic peptide after heart transplant in children may signal organ rejection
Pediatricians can help promote literacy by encouraging parents to read daily to their young children

Pharmaceutical Research

One-third of heart failure patients stop taking their prescribed medication within a year of hospital discharge
Out-of-pocket costs and inconvenient monthly pharmacy visits may be barriers to women's consistent use of oral contraceptives
Postmarketing drug surveillance could be improved

Patient Safety/Quality of Care

Medication errors are frequent in the emergency department and often arise from the fast pace and heavy patient load
Teaching anesthesia during surgery may be a distraction that reduces the vigilance of anesthesia care
Education and team leadership can improve care for ICU patients on mechanical ventilation
Residents are more likely to transfer out of nursing homes with low quality of care
Blacks are more likely than others to be admitted to poor quality nursing homes
Researchers examine factors affecting the quality of end-of-life care
Quality assurance programs are more likely to be adopted if they are compatible with the culture of the medical group practice

Elderly Health

Obese older adults tend to have lower quality of life than those who are normal weight or overweight
Incontinence alone does not increase risk of death or nursing home admission but is probably a marker of frailty
Outcomes usually are poor among patients receiving home enteral nutrition from informal caregivers

Clinical Decisionmaking

Trade-offs and individual preferences should be emphasized when advising patients about dialysis choices
Researchers examine decision aids for prostate cancer screening and patients' attitudes toward screening and treatment

Health Care Delivery

Patients of general internists and hospitalists tend to have shorter hospital stays
Ethnicity, income, and public financing all influence medical safety net providers in large urban communities
Researchers examine disparities in receipt of preventive care

Primary Care Research

Hypertension control is greater in U.S. primary care practices than usually reported
Psychosocial stress in the work environment may play a role in development of alcohol dependence among men

Bioterrorism

Researchers find insufficient evidence to evaluate how well surveillance systems can detect bioterrorism

Health Care Costs and Financing

Immunization rates in New Mexico have fallen significantly since the introduction of Medicaid managed care
Supplemental private insurance affects use of care and outcomes of Medicare patients who have heart attacks

Agency News and Notes

AHRQ evidence report shows that some programs to increase exercise have lasting effects
AHRQ limits budget on research and conference grant applications

Announcements

New tool helps State and local officials identify alternate health care sites for use during a bioterrorism emergency
New publications now available from AHRQ
Materials from 2004 AcademyHealth annual research meeting now available online

Research Briefs

Current as of August 2004
AHRQ Publication No. 04-0068

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities newsletter. August 2004, No. 288. AHRQ Publication No. 04-0068. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/aug04/

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