Research Activities

April 2004, No. 284

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Hysterectomy results in better outcomes than medicine for patients with abnormal uterine bleeding

Minority Health/Disparities Research

Improving depression care has long-lasting benefits for blacks and Hispanics
Racial disparities in use of coronary angiography are due in part to variation in physician referral patterns
Researchers examine racial and ethnic disparities in emergency care
Diagnosis and treatment of depression in the elderly increased in the 1990s, but racial and other disparities persist

Clinical Decisionmaking

Physicians should give patients with kidney failure more information about the option of peritoneal dialysis
Problems in self-management of congestive heart failure may contribute to ER visits and poor prognosis
Cervical cancer screening every 3 years after three or more normal Pap tests is a safe option
Hip fracture patients function better after hip repair surgery if they receive transfusions for anemia while in the hospital
Step-by-step procedures may help health care providers treat victims of intimate partner violence

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research

Hospitals with low mortality rates for coronary bypass surgery also perform well in valve replacement

Pharmaceutical Research

Many medications are effective in managing atrial fibrillation
Clinicians and patients responded quickly to recent evidence of harms associated with hormone therapy
Doctors substantially reduced their prescribing of alpha-blockers for hypertension after published trial results showed problems

Health Care Quality

Researchers examine ways to measure the quality of health services for children and adolescents

Elderly/Long-term Care

Studies focus on care for respiratory tract infections in the elderly

Health Care Costs and Financing

Medicare drug benefit bill will increase physicians' exposure to drug formularies
Medicare enrollees in for-profit plans are no less likely to receive high-cost procedures than those in non-profit plans
Health plan use of gatekeepers may improve use of recommended cancer screening
State reforms in the 1990s to guarantee health insurance for employees of small firms had little effect on offer rates

HIV/AIDS Research

Incidence of hepatitis C virus is low among HIV-infected women and usually is linked to drug use

Agency News and Notes

Task Force recommends that primary care clinicians screen and counsel adults to prevent alcohol misuse

Announcements

AHRQ issues new evidence reports on health literacy and other topics
New AHRQ publications focus on hospital nurse staffing and a research agenda for health and the humanities

Research Briefs

Current as of April 2004
AHRQ Publication No. 04-0042

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities newsletter. April 2004, No. 284. AHRQ Publication No. 04-0042. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/apr04/

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