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Articles of Interest

January 19, 2006

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.
Other research using AHRQ data or products.

AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

American Heart Journal
Green Conaway DL, Enriquez JR, Barberena JE, et al. Assessment of a physician response to glycemic control in diabetic patients presenting with an acute coronary syndrome. Am Heart J 2006 Dec; 152(6):1022-7. [Supported by grant R01 HS11282-01.]

Rogers MA, Blumberg N, Saint SK, et al. Allogeneic blood transfusions explain increased mortality in women after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Am Heart J 2006 Dec; 152(6):1028-34. [Supported by grant P01 HS11540.]

Annals of Internal Medicine
Liu H, Bravata DM, Olkin I, et al. Systematic review: the safety and efficacy of growth hormone in the healthy elderly. Ann Intern Med 2007 Jan 16; 146(2):104-15. [Supported by grant HS000028-19.]

Health Affairs
Clancy CM. Getting to 'smart' health care. Health Aff 2006 Nov-Dec; 25(6):w589-92. [Author is AHRQ director.]

Zuvekas SH, Cohen JW. Prescription drugs and the changing concentration of health care expenditures. Health Aff 2007 Jan-Feb; 26(1):249-57. [Authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends.]

Ketcham JD, Baker LC, MacIsaac D. Physician practice size and variations in treatments and outcomes: evidence from Medicare patients with AMI. Health Aff 2007 Jan-Feb; 26(1):195-205. [Supported by AHRQ grant, no number given.]

Call KT, Davern M, Blewett LA. Estimates of health insurance coverage; comparing state surveys with the Current Population Survey. Health Aff 2007 Jan-Feb; 26(1):269-78. [Supported by AHRQ grant, no number given.]

MCN: American Journal of Maternal and Child Nursing
MacMullen NJ, Tymkow C, Shen JJ. adverse maternal outcomes in women with asthma: differences by race. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs 2006 Jul-Aug; 31(4):263-8. [Supported by grant 1 R03 HS1305.]

New England Journal of Medicine
Paradise JL, Feldman HM, Campbell TF, et al. Tympanostomy tubes and developmental outcomes at 9 to 11 years of age. N Engl J Med 2007 Jan 18; 356(3):248-61. [Supported by grants HD26026 and HD42080,attributed to HICHD and AHRQ.]

Pediatric Pulmonology
Wakefield DB, Cloutier MM. Modifications to HEDIS and CSTE algorithms improve case recognition of pediatric asthma. Pediatr Pulmonol 2006 Oct; 41(10):962-71. [Supported by grant U18 HS11147.]

Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
Lee E, Maneno MK, Smith L, et al. National patterns of medication use during pregnancy. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2006 Aug; 15(8):537-45. [Supported by grant 1 R24 HS11637.]

Preventing Chronic Disease
Horn K, Dino G, Hamilton C, et al. Efficacy of an emergency department-based motivational teenage smoking intervention. Prev Chronic Dis 2007 Jan; 4(1):A08. [Supported by grant 5 R18 HS010736-04.]

Social Science and Medicine
Kelleher CM. The physical challenges of early breastfeeding. Soc Sci Med 2006 Nov; 63(10):2727-38. [Supported by grant R03 HS10790.]

Statistics in Medicine
Bradburn MJ, Deeks JD, Berlin JA, et al. Much ado about nothing: a comparison of the performance of meta-analytical methods with rare events. Stat Med 2007 Jan 15; 26(1):53-77. [Supported by grant U18 HS10399.]

AHRQ-Related Articles

American Health Line
Obesity: more U.S. residents undergo bariatric surgeries. Am Health Line 2007 Jan 17. [Summarizes findings from AHRQ report by Zhao and Encinosa, Bariatric Surgery Utilization and Outcomes in 1998 and 2004, HCUP Statistical Brief #23, January 2007.]

Annals of Internal Medicine
Wagner AK, Ross-Degnan D, Gurwitz JH, et al. Effect of New York state regulatory action on benzodiazepine prescribing and hip fracture rates. Ann Intern Med 2007 Jan 16; 146(2):96-103. [Notes that first three authors and seventh author were investigators in the HMO Research Network Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) Prescribing Safety Study, grant U18 HS11843.]

Health Affairs
Mensah GA, Brown DW. An overview of cardiovascular disease burden in the United States. Health Aff 2007 Jan-Feb; 26(1):38-48. [Cites data from the 2003 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) on costs for individual cardiovascular procedures (as cited in Thom, et al., Heart disease and stroke statistics, National Ambulatory Care Survey: 2003 Summary, NCHS, 2005).]

Califf RM, Harrington RA, Madre LK, et al. Curbing the cardiovascular disease epidemic: aligning industry, government, payers, and academics. Health Aff 2007 Jan-Feb; 26(1):62-74. [Lists AHRQ as one of several government agencies concerned with improving cardiovascular care as a public mission; recommends that academic researchers engaged in clinical trials conform to AHRQ-developed data standards and nomenclature for cardiovascular medicine; cites efforts of AHRQ's HMO Research Network and ACTION Network to link integrated health systems (citing article by Platt, et al. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2001 and AHRQ publication, Accelerating Change and Transformation in Organizations and Networks (ACTION) Field Partnerships for Applied Research, 2006); notes that AHRQ has a small budget with which to address broader public health needs of pragmatic use of the brings together the FDA, AHRQ, NIH, academe, and industry to perform research and provide education in areas not otherwise funded (citing AHRQ fact sheet, Centers on Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs), 2006); notes AHRQ's USPSTF and Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs) as effective mechanisms to aid in the translation of clinical trial results into reduced cardiovascular disease death and disability; cites AHRQ-authored article by Eisenberg (former AHRQ director) (Health Aff, 1998); cites AHRQ's DEcIDE Network as an interesting example of global efforts to provide public access to clinical trials registries (citing AHRQ publication, Effective Health Care: General Knowledge.]

Krumholz HM, Normand SL, Spertus JA, et al. Measuring performance for treating heart attacks and heart failure: the case for outcomes measurement. Health Aff 2007 Jan-Feb; 26(1):75-85. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Hannan, et al. (JAMA 1994).]

Cutler DM, Long G, Berndt ER, et al. The value of antihypertensive drugs: a perspective on medical innovation. Health Aff 2007 Jan-Feb; 26(1):97-110. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Huttin, Moeller (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends), and Stafford (Clin Drug Invest, 2000) and AHRQ-funded article by Rosen, et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2006).]

Rosen AB, Cutler DM, Norton DM, et al. The value of coronary heart disease care for the elderly: 1987-2002. Health Aff 2007 Jan-Feb; 26(1):111-23. [Cites data from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey (NMES) and 2002 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (as cited in Stewart, et al., U.S. population health: linking symptoms, impairments, chronic conditions, and health ratings, NBER Working Paper, 2005).]

Wilson CT, Fisher ES, Welch HG, et al. U.S. trends in CABG hospital volume: the effect of adding cardiac surgery program. Health Aff 2007 Jan-Feb; 26(1):162-8. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Birkmeyer, et al. (N Engl J Med, 2002 and J Am Coll Surg, 2000) and Rathore, et al. (Ann Surg, 2004), and cites AHRQ publication, National and Regional Estimates on Hospital Use for All Patients from the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2005.]

Holmes JS, Kozak LJ, Owings MF. Use and in-hospital mortality associated with two cardiac procedures, by sex and age; national trends, 1990-2004. Health Aff 2007 Jan-Feb; 26(1):169-77. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Schulman, et al. (N Engl J Med, 1999.]

Healthcare Financial Management
Nugent M. Picking up the pace:accelerating your pricing competency. Healthc Financ Manage 2006 Oct; 60(10):62-70. [Recommends using data from AHRQ's HCUP to justify the base rate for pricing formulas.]

JAMA
Stukel TA, Fisher ES, Wennberg DE, et al. Analysis of observational studies in the presence of treatment selection bias: effects of invasive cardiac management on AMI survival using propensity score and instrumental variable methods. JAMA 2007 Jan 17; 297(3):278-85. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Selby, et al. (N Engl J Med, 1996).]

Markowitz AM, McPhee SJ. End-of-life care for homeless patients: she says she is there to help me in any situation. JAMA 2007 Jan 17; 297(3):305. [Comments on and updates AHRQ-funded article by Kushel and Miaskowski, JAMA, 2006).]

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Kennard B, Silva S, Vitiello B, et al. Remission and residual symptoms after short-term treatment in the Treatment of Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2006 Dec; 45(12):1404-11. [Cites AHRQ guideline, Depression in Primary Care, Volume 2: Treatment of Major Depression, 1993.]

Journal of Healthcare Management
Griffith JR, Pattullo A, Alexander JA, et al. is anybody managing the store? National trends in hospital performance. J Healthc Manage 2006 Nov-Dec; 51(6):392-406. [Uses AHRQ's patient safety index and patient safety indicators as described/defined in AHRQ publication, Applying Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) Across Health Care Systems: Achieving Data Comparability, 2005.]

New England Journal of Medicine
Berman S. The end of an era in otitis research. N Engl J Med 2007 Jan 18; 356(3):300-2. [Comments on AHRQ-funded article by Paradise, et al. (JAMA, 2007) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles above; cites and describes AHRQ guideline, Otitis Media with Effusion in Young Children, 1994, and recounts history of long-term AHRQ study on otitis media treatment regimens.]

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

Annals of Internal Medicine
Braithwaite RS, Robert MS, Justice AC. Incorporating quality of evidence into decision analytic modeling. Ann Intern Med 2007 Jan 16; 146(2):133-41. [Incorporates USPSTF evidence rating criteria (as presented in AHRQ-funded article by Harris, et al. (Am J Prev Med, 2001) into developed decision analytic models.]

Journal of School Health
Budd GM, Volpe SL. School-based obesity prevention: research, challenges, and recommendations. J School Health 2006 Dec; 76(10):485-95. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence review of screening and interventions for childhood obesity (Whitlock, et al., Pediatrics, 2005).]

Lancet
Selwitz RH, Ismail AI, Pitts NB. Dental caries. Lancet 2007 Jan 6; 369(9555):51-9. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence review of physicians' roles in preventing dental caries in preschool children (Bader, et al., Am J Prev Med, 2004).]

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

American Journal of Critical Care
Rosenfeld AG. State of the heart: building science to improve women's cardiovascular health. Am J Crit Care 2006 Nov; 15(6):556-67. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Results of Systematic Review of Research on Diagnosis and Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease in Women, 2003.]

AORN Journal
Farrell VE, Davies KA. Shaping and cultivating a perioperative culture of safety. AORN J 2006 Nov; 84(5):857-60. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Healthcare Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001.]

Health Affairs
Redberg RF. Evidence, appropriateness, and technology assessment in cardiology; a case study of computed tomography. Health Aff 2007 Jan-Feb; 26(1):86-95. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored Technology Assessment, Non-invasive Imaging for Coronary Artery Disease, 2006.]

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

Health Affairs
Hadley J, Cunningham P, Hargraves JL. Would safety-net expansions offset reduced access resulting from lost insurance coverage? Race/ethnicity differences. Health Aff 2006 Nov-Dec; 25(6):1679-87. [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2005.]

Ross JS, Cha SS, Epstein AJ, et al. Quality of care for acute myocardial infarction at urban safety-net hospitals. Health Aff 2007 Jan-Feb; 26(1):238-48. [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2005; cites AHRQ-funded article by Burstin (former AHRQ center director), et al. (JAMA, 1993) and AHRQ publication, Safety Net Monitoring, on AHRQ Web site.]

Modern Healthcare
AHRQ: quality could be better. Mod Healthc 2006 Jan 15; 37(3):4. [Summarizes findings from AHRQ's NHQR, 2006.]

Psychiatric Times
Marin H. Issues and challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of mentally ill Hispanic patients. Psychiatric Times 2006 Dec; 23(14). [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2004.]

Research By Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Sung VW, Weitzen S, Sokol ER, et al. Effect of patient age on increasing morbidity and mortality following urogynecologic surgery. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2006 May; 195(5):1411-17. [Uses data from AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for 1998-2002.]

Sung VW, Rogers ML, Myers DL. Impact of hospital and surgeon volumes on outcomes following pelvic reconstructive surgery in the Unites States. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2006 Dec; 195(6):1778-83. [Uses data from AHRQ's HCUP NIS for 1998-2003.]

Fertility and Sterility
Gao X, Outley J, Botteman M, et al. Economic burden of endometriosis. Fertil Steril 2006 Dec; 86(6):1561-72. [Uses data from AHRQ's HCUP NIS and Kids Inpatient Database (KID).]

Journal of the American College of Surgeons
VanBibber M, Zuckerman RS, Finlayson SR. Rural versus urban inpatient case-mix differences in the U.S. J Am Coll Surg 2006 Dec; 203(6):812-6. [Uses data from AHRQ's HCUP NIS, 2000-2001.]

Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics
Freedman J, Guller U, Benjamin DK, et al. National trends in health care utilization and racial and socioeconomic disparities in pediatric pyogenic arthritis. J Pediatr Orthop 2006 Nov-Dec; 26(6):709-15. [Uses data from AHRQ's HCUP NIS for 1988-2000.]

Journal of Perinatology
Catlin A. Extremely long hospitalizations of newborns in the United States: data, descriptions, dilemmas. J Perinatol 2006 Dec; 26(12):742-48. [Uses 2003 data from AHRQ's HCUP KID.]

Journal of Urology
Morris DS, Wei JT, Taub DA, et al. Temporal trends in the use of percutaneous nephrolithotomy. J Urol 2006 May; 175(5):1731-6. [Uses 1988-2002 data from AHRQ's HCUP NIS.]

Morris DS, Taub DA, Wei JT, et al. Regionalization of percutaneous nephrolithotomy: evidence for the increasing burden of care on tertiary centers. J Urol 2006 Jul; 176(1):242-6. [Uses 1988-2002 data from AHRQ's HCUP NIS.]

Miller DC, Taub DA, Dunn RL, et al. Laparoscopy for renal cell carcinoma; diffusion versus regionalization? J Urol 2006 Sep; 176(3):1102-7. [Uses 1991-2003 data from AHRQ's HCUP NIS.]

Taub DA, Dunn RL, Miller DC, et al. Discharge practice patterns following cystectomy for bladder cancer: evidence for the shifting of the burden of care. J Urol 2006 Dec; 176(6 Pt 1):2612-8. [Uses 1988-2000 data from AHRQ's HCUP NIS.]

MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Yelin E, Cisternas M, Foreman A, et al., for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National and state medical expenditures and lost earnings attributable to arthritis and other rheumatic conditions—United States, 2003. MMWR Morb Mort Wkly Rep 2007 Jan 12; 56(1):4-7. [Uses MEPS data for 2003.]

Neurology
Dubinsky RM, Lai SM. Mortality from combined carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass surgery in the U.S. Neurology 2007 Jan 16; 68(3):195-197. [Uses AHRQ's HCUP NIS for 1993-2002.]

Obstetrics and Gynecology
Whiteman MK, Kuklina E, Hillis SD, Jamieson DJ, Meikle SF, et al. Incidence and determinants of peripartum hysterectomy. Obstet Gynecol 2006 Dec; 108(6):1486-92. [Fifth author is former AHRQ researcher; uses data from AHRQ's HCUP NIS for 1998-2003.]

Osteoporosis
Gehlbach SH, Avrunin JS, Pulco E. Trends in hospital care for hip fractures. Osteoporosis 2006 Dec 5; [Epub ahead of print. Uses data from AHRQ's HCUP NIS for 1993-2003.]

Current as of January 2007

Internet Citation:

Articles of Interest, January 19, 2007. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/articles/art011907.htm