Research Activities

May 2001, No. 249

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Physician preference plays a role in breast cancer treatment for women age 65 and older

Women's Health

Women usually are older than men when they have a heart attack, which may account in part for their higher death rate
Hormone replacement therapy may improve mental function for some postmenopausal women
More women die following c-section than vaginal birth, probably due more to preexisting conditions than the surgery itself
Women and Asians are less likely than other patients with end-stage renal disease to be recommended for kidney transplants
Barriers to enrollment in Medi-Cal lead to inadequate prenatal care for some disadvantaged women in California
Designating ob-gyns as primary care physicians could affect how medical services are provided to elderly women

Clinical Decisionmaking

Tissue prostheses may be better than mechanical ones for elderly patients undergoing aortic valve replacement
Researchers compare strategies for treating elderly patients who have an infected hip prosthesis
Sophisticated imaging tests and specialty care usually are not necessary to evaluate and manage acute low back pain
Researchers examine the use of antibiotics to treat acute respiratory infections in otherwise healthy adults

Quality of Care

Better ratings of the patient-provider relationship are associated with higher quality of care for depression
ICU patients need to feel safe, a feeling that is influenced by family, friends, ICU staff, and other factors
Advance directives improve patient satisfaction but do not ensure compliance with end-of-life treatment wishes

Primary Care

Medicare waivers alone are insufficient to improve use of primary care by poor and elderly blacks
Primary care residents' practice style predicts their referral of patients to specialty care

Long-term Care

Educational program for controlling chronic pain cuts nursing home NSAID use by 70 percent

Health Care Costs and Financing

Proposed Medicare drug benefit plans with high cost-sharing and no catastrophic coverage may not help the sickest patients
Costs are about the same for generalists and specialists who treat patients with chronic heart problems
Market pressures prompt children's hospitals to develop new relationships with doctors and other health care organizations
Access to members' comparative ratings of health plans could affect consumer's choices of health plans
Medicaid managed care programs decreased the likelihood of repeat c-sections during the 1990s
Critical pathways reduce postoperative hospital stays no more than local market forces

Special Populations

Reducing socioeconomic inequalities may be the key to smoking cessation among blacks
Knowledge of the Tuskegee syphilis study continues to limit participation of blacks in medical research

Rural Health

Rural youths are much more likely to receive preventive and acute care if they have a regular source of care

Evidence-Based Medicine

Garlic supplements show promise for lowering some cardiovascular risk factors, but more studies are needed

HIV/AIDS Research

HIV-infected patients with certain sociodemographic characteristics are less likely to take antiretroviral therapy
Dental problems go unresolved in many HIV patients

Agency News and Notes

AHRQ coauthor receives Article of the Year award

Announcements

New Web-based tool provides State-by-State insurance data
New CDC report describes measures for tracking health status

Research Briefs

Current as of May 2001
AHRQ Publication No. 01-0031

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities newsletter. May 2001, No. 249. AHRQ Publication No. 01-0031. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/may01/

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