Your browser doesn't support JavaScript. Please upgrade to a modern browser or enable JavaScript in your existing browser.
Skip Navigation U.S. Department of Health and Human Services www.hhs.gov
Agency for Healthcare Research Quality www.ahrq.gov
AHRQ Home | Questions? | Contact Us | Site Map | What's New | Browse | Información en español | E-mail UpdatesE-mail Updates
www.ahrq.gov

Electronic Newsletter

April 30, 2004, Issue No. 133

AHRQ News and Numbers

While Americans paid out of pocket for approximately one-half of all dental care expenses in 2000, people age 65 and older paid more than three-quarters (an average of $400) of their dental expenses out of pocket. [Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, MEPS Research Findings #20: Dental Services: Use, Expenses, and Sources of Payment, 1996-2000.]

Today's Headlines:

  1. New AHRQ tool for PDAs helps clinicians select preventive services by age and gender
  2. Article shows impact of free glucose monitors on diabetes self-monitoring and lowering blood glucose levels
  3. Women's Health Web page redesigned
  4. AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting and affiliate meetings set for June 3-9
  5. New Word download feature at the National Guideline Clearinghouse™
  6. AHRQ in the professional literature

1.  New AHRQ Tool for PDAs Helps Clinicians Select Preventive Services By Age and Gender

AHRQ announced a second clinical decision-support tool for personal digital assistants (PDAs) that is designed to help clinicians deliver evidence-based medicine when they are with a patient. AHRQ's new interactive tool, the Preventive Services Selector, is an application for Palm Pilots and other PDAs. It helps clinicians quickly and easily search for which preventive services to provide-or not provide-to patients based on their age and gender. Select to access the press release and the PDA Web site to download the tool.

2.  Article Shows Impact of Free Glucose Monitors on Diabetes Self-Monitoring and Lowering Blood Glucose Levels

An AHRQ-funded study shows the impact that providing free glucose monitors and training has on improving the rate of self-monitoring among HMO members with type 2 diabetes. The study, "Effects of Health Maintenance Organization Coverage of Self-Monitoring Devices on Diabetes Self-Care and Glycemic Control," led by Stephen Soumerai, M.D., of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan, was published in the March 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Select to access PubMed® to read the abstract.

3.  Women's Health Web Page Redesigned

AHRQ's Women's Health Web page has been redesigned to make it easier to search and find relevant information. Consumer materials are listed individually, clinical information is arranged by topic, and there is a separate section for stories on women's health that were published in AHRQ's monthly newsletter, Research Activities. In addition, there now is a link to a Web page that highlights a few key items from the women's health program. Select to access our Web site to view the Women's Health Web page.

4.  AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting and Affiliate Meetings Set for June 3-9

The AcademyHealth Annual Research meeting and affiliate meetings will be held June 3-9 in San Diego. The theme for this year's meeting is "The Premier Forum for Health Services Research." The meeting provides opportunities to present and hear about cutting-edge research, debate timely policy issues, and learn about new methods and funding sources. Select to access the AcademyHealth Web site to register and for more information. In conjunction with the annual meeting, AHRQ is co-sponsoring several affiliate meetings: the Sixth Annual Child Health Services Researchers meeting on June 5; the AHRQ Enhanced Emphasis on Translating Research Into Practice and Policy meeting on June 7; and the MEPS Data: What Every Researcher Should Know and HCUP: Data and Tools to Support Improvement in Health Care seminars on June 9.

5.  New Word® Downloads at the National Guideline Clearinghouse™

A new Word® Download feature is now available on the National Guideline Clearinghouse™ (NGC). Select to access the Web site—an online public resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. The complete summary for each guideline represented in the NGC database can be downloaded and viewed on all computers that use Microsoft Word®. It may also be downloaded to personal digital assistants (PDAs) that can read Microsoft Word® documents. For more information on this new view of NGC content, select to access the Word download. For a complete list of the different ways to view NGC content, select to access the NGC page available on the Guideline Views Web site.

6.  AHRQ in the Professional Literature

Lowe TJ, Lucas JA, Castle NG, et al. Consumer satisfaction in long-term care: state initiatives in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Gerontologist 2003 Dec;43(6):883-96. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Shenkman E, Wu SS, Nackashi J, et al. Managed care organizational characteristics and health care use among children with special health care needs. Health Serv Res 2003 Dec;38(6 Pt 1): 1599-624. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Chuang KH, Covinsky KE, Sands LP, et al. Diagnosis-related group-adjusted hospital costs are higher in older medical patients with lower functional status. J Am Geriatr Soc 2003 Dec;51(12):1729-34. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Aragon SJ. Commentary: a patient-centered theory of satisfaction. Am J Med Qual 2003 Nov-Dec;18(6):225-8. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Burke LE, Dunbar-Jacob J, Sereika S, et al. Development and testing of the Cholesterol-Lowering Diet Self-Efficacy Scale. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs 2003 Dec;2(4):265-73. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Ditto PH, Smucker WD, Danks JH, et al. Stability of older adults' preferences for life-sustaining medical treatment. Health Psychol 2003 Nov;22(6):605-15. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Zou KH, Warfield SK, Fielding JR, et al. Statistical validation based on parametric receiver operating characteristic analysis of continuous classification data. Acad Radiol 2003 Dec;10(12):1359-68. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Hartert TV, Neuzil KM, Shintani AK, et al. Maternal morbidity and perinatal outcomes among pregnant women with respiratory hospitalizations during influenza season. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003 Dec;189(6):1705-12. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Contact Information

Please address comments and questions regarding the AHRQ Electronic Newsletter to Nancy Comfort at Nancy.Comfort@ahrq.hhs.gov or (301) 427-1866.

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or E-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your E-mail address to log in.

If you have any questions or problems with the subscription service, E-mail: updates@subscriptions.ahrq.gov. For other inquiries, Contact Us.

If you have questions about AHRQ's activities, please try to find the answers by checking our Home Page, where we have established links to various topical areas. Also check the News & Information section and Frequently Asked Questions. You may also Search or Browse the Web Site. These features are designed to assist you in obtaining the information you are seeking.

This service is provided to you at no charge by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality AHRQ).

Current as of April 2004

Internet Citation:

AHRQ Electronic Newsletter. April 30, 2004, Issue No. 133. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/enews/enews133.htm

 
AHRQ Advancing Excellence in Health Care