Articles of Interest

March 23, 2007

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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.

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AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

American Journal of Medical Quality
Simpson L, Dougherty D, Krause D, et al. Measuring children's health care quality. Am J Med Qual 2007 Mar-Apr; 22(2):80-4. [First author is former AHRQ deputy director; second author is AHRQ senior advisor, Child Health and Quality Improvement.]

Guo L, Chung ES, Casey DE Jr, et al. Redefining hospital readmissions to better reflect clinical course of care for heart failure patients. Am J Med Qual 2007 Mar-Apr; 22(2):98-102. [Partially funded by AHRQ under grant U18 HS13723, as indicated in AHRQ grants database.]

Wakefield DS, Ward MM, Wakefield BJ. A 10-Rights Framework for patient care quality and safety. Am J Med Qual 2007 Mar-Apr; 22(2):103-11. [Supported by grant HS015009.]

Clancy CM. Emergency departments in crisis: implications for disaster preparedness. Am J Med Qual 2007 Mar-Apr; 22(2):123-6. [Author is the AHRQ director.]

Clarke JL, Meiris DC [transcribers/adaptors.]. Building bridges: integrative solutions for managing complex comorbid conditions. A message from Carolyn M. Clancy, MD, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Am J Med Qualm 2007 Mar-Apr; 22(2):5S-16S. [Lead segment (p. 5S-8S) of conference summary notes AHRQ cosponsorship of and the directors participation in the conference.]

American Journal of Public Health
Jones BA, Reams K, Calvocoressi L, et al. Adequacy of communicating results from screening mammograms to African American and White women. Am J Public Healthm 2007 Mar; 97(3):531-8. [Supported by grant R03 HS11603.]

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Van Pelt DC, Milbrandt EB, Weissfeld LA, et al. Informal caregiver burden among survivors of prolonged mechanical ventilation. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2007 Jan 15; 175(2):167-73. [Supported by grant HS011620.]

Anesthesiology
Silber JH, Rosenbaum PR, Zhang X, et al. Estimating anesthesia and surgical procedure times from Medicare anesthesia claims. Anesthesiology 2007 Feb; 106(2):346-55. [Supported by grant R01 HS9460.]

Silber JH, Rosenbaum PR, Zhang X, et al. Influence of patient and hospital characteristics on anesthesia time in Medicare patients undergoing general and orthopedic surgery. Anesthesiology 2007 Feb; 106(2):356-63. [Supported by grant R01 HS0460.]

Annals of Emergency Medicine
Asplin BR, Magid DJ. If you want to fix overcrowding, start by fixing your hospital. Ann Emerg Med 2007 Mar; 49(3):273-4. [Supported by grant K02 HS13007.]

Sun BC, Hoffman JR, Mower WR. Evaluation of a modified prediction instrument to identify significant pediatric intracranial injury after blunt head trauma. Ann Emerg Med 2007 Mar; 49(3):325-32. [Supported by grant R01 HS09699.]

Archives of Surgery
Wilson CT, Woloshiin S, Schwartz LM. Choosing where to have major surgery: who makes the decision? Arch Surg 2007 Mar; 142( 2):242-6. [Supported by grant R03 HS1304901.]

Friedman AL, Geoghegan SR, Sowers NM, et al. Medication errors in the outpatient setting: classification and root cause analysis. Arch Surg 2007 Mar; 142( 2):278-83. [Supported by grant R01 HS15038-01.]

Canadian Medical Association Journal
Schneeweiss S, Setoguchi S, Brookhart A, et al. Risk of death associated with the use of conventional versus atypical antipsychotic drugs among elderly patients. Can Med Assoc J 2007 Feb 27; 176(5):627-32. [Supported by DEcIDE contract 290-02-00500161.]

Chest
Labarere J, Stone RA, Obrosky DS, et al. Comparison of outcomes for low-risk outpatients and inpatients with pneumonia: a propensity-adjusted analysis. Chest 2007 Feb; 131(2):480-8. [Supported by grant R01 HS10049.]

Clinical Therapeutics
Bradford WD, Kleit AN, Nietert PJ, et al. Effects of direct-to-consumer advertising of hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhhibitors on attainment of LDL-C goals. Clin Ther 2006 Dec; 28(12):2105-18. [Supported by grant 1 R01 HS011326-01A2.]

Current Opinion in Rheumatology
Yelin E. Work disability in rheumatic diseases. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2007 Mar; 19(2):91-6. [Supported by grant R01 HS013893.]

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Basu J. Maladies, preventives, and curatives: debate in public health in India. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2007 Feb; 18(1):220-2. [Author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships.]

Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Gurvitz MZ, Inkelas M, Lee M, et al. Changes in hospitalization patterns among patients with congenital heart disease during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Feb 27; 49(8):875-82. [Supported by grant T32 HS00046.]

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Rhoades DA, Welty TK, Wang W, et al. Aging and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in older American Indians: the Strong Heart Study. J Am Geriatr Soc 2007 Jan; 55(1):87-94. [Supported by grant P01HS10854.]

Spector W, Shaffer T, Potter DE, Correa-de-Araujo R, Limcangco MR. Risk factors associated with the occurrence of fractures in U.S. nursing homes: resident and facility characteristics and prescription medications. J Am Geriatr Soc 2007 Jan; 55(1):327-33. [First and fifth authors are researchers with AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets; third author is researcher with AHRQ's Center for Financing Access and Cost Trends; second and fourth authors are former AHRQ researchers.]

Rask K, Parmelee PA, Taylor JA, et al. Implementation and evaluation of a nursing home fall management program. J Am Geriatr Soc 2007 Jan; 55(1):342-9. [Supported by contract 290-00-0011.]

Journal of Critical Care
Pronovost PJ, Thompson DA, Holzmueller CG, et al. Toward learning from patient safety reporting systems. J Crit Care 2006 Dec; 21(4):305-15. [Supported by grant U18 HS11902.]

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Allen LaPoint NM, Pappas P, Deverka P, et al. Patient receipt and understanding of written information provided with isotretinoin and estrogen prescriptions. J Gen Intern Med 2007 Jan; 22(1):98-101. [Supported by grant U18 HS10548.]

Wyrwich KW, Metz SM, Kroenke K, et al. Measuring patient and clinician perspectives to evaluate change in health-related quality of life among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Gen Intern Med 2007 Jan; 22(1):161-70. [Supported by grant R01 HS10234.]

Journal of Nursing Care Quality
Hughes RG, Clancy CM. Improving the quality of nursing care using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. J Nurs Care Qual 2007 Apr-Jun; 22(2):93-6. [Authors are researcher in AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships, and the director of AHRQ, respectively.]

Journal of Patient Safety
Clancy CM. Patient safety in the intensive care unit: challenges and opportunities. J Patient Saf 2007 Mar; 3(1):6-8. [Author is the director of AHRQ.]

Pronovost PJ, Holzmueller CG, Young J, et al. Using incident reporting to improve patient safety: a conceptual model. J Patient Saf 2007 Mar; 3(1):27-33. [Supported by grant 1 U18 HS11902.]

Carayon P, Wetterneck TB, Hundt AS, et al. Evaluation of nurse interaction with bar code medication administration technology in the work environment. J Patient Saf 2007 Mar; 3(1):34-42. [Supported by grant 1 UC1 HS014253-01.]

Journal of Traumatic Stress
Boyd-Ball AJ, Manson SM, Noonan C, et al. Traumatic events and alcohol use disorders among American Indian adolescents and young adults. J Trauma Stress 2006 Dec; 19(6):937-47. [Supported by grant P01 HS10854.]

Psychiatric Services
Meredith LS, Cheng WJ, Hickey SC, et al. Factors associated with primary care clinicians choice of a watchful waiting approach to managing depression. Psychiatr Serv 2007 Jan; 58(1):72-8. [Supported by grant HS08349-02.]

Statistics in Medicine
Woodard DB, Gelfand AE, Barlow WE, et al. Performance assessment for radiologists interpreting screening mammography. Stat Med 2007 Mar 30; 26(7):1532-51. [Supported by grant HS10591.]

Wisconsin Medical Journal
Leonhardt KK, Bonin D, Pagel P. Partners in safety: implementing a community-based Patient Safety Advisory Council. WMJ 2006 Dec; 105(8):54-9. [Supported by grant 5 U18 HS015915-02.]

AHRQ-Related Articles

Academic Medicine
McCord G, Smucker WD, Selius BA, et al. Answering questions at the point of care: do residents practice EBM or manage information sources? Acad Med 2007 Mar; 82(3):298-303. [Cites AHRQ publication, Medical Errors: The Scope of the Problem, on AHRQ Web site.]

Annals of Family Medicine
Epstein RM,Shields CG, Franks P, et al. Exploring and validating patient concerns: relation to prescribing for depression. Ann Fam Med 2007 Jan-Feb; 5(1):21-8. [Cites AHRQ publication, Depression in Primary Care, 1993.]

BNAs Health Plan and Provider Report
MedPAC looking into need for organization to rate comparative effectiveness of services. BNA Health Plan Provider Rep 2007 Mar 14; 13(11):286. [Mentions discussions regarding housing a new comparative effectiveness organization within AHRQ.]

Critical Care
Peelen L, De Keizer NF, Peek N, et al. The influence of volume and ICU organization on hospital mortality in patients admitted with severe sepsis: a retrospective multicenter cohort study. Crit Care 2007 Mar 22; 11(2):R40. [Epub ahead of print.] [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Glance, et al. ( Crit Care Med, 2006).]

Expansion Management
Keating M. Business healthcare costs vary from state to state: as healthcare costs continue to be an increasingly significant drag on your companys bottom line, you can reduce those expenses simply by choosing the right state. Expansion Manag 2007 Jan; 22(1):21-4. [Mentions Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) statistics.]

Geriatrics
Stillman MJ, Stillman MT. Appropriate use of NSAIDs: considering cardiovascular risk in the elderly. Geriatrics 2007 Mar; 62(3):16-20. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Ray, et al. (Lancet, 2002).]

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Magaziner J, Miller R, Resnick B. Intervening to prevent falls and fractures in nursing homes: are we putting the cart before the horse? J Am Geriatr Soc 2007 Jan; 55(1):464-6. [Comments on articles by Spector, et al. and Rask, et al. ( J Am Geriatr Soc, 2007) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]

Journal of Family Practice
Blenning CE, Muench J, Judkins DZ. Which tests are the most useful for diagnosing PID? J Fam Pract 2007 Mar; 56(3):216-20. [Notes that AHRQ recommends requiring the presence of lower abdominal, adnexal and cervical tenderness, without alternative diagnosis, for the diagnosis of PID.]

Journal of Nursing Scholarship
Chan SS, Sarna L, Wong DC, et al. Nurses tobacco-related knowledge, attitudes, and practice in four major cities in China. J Nurs Scholarsh 2007 First Quarter; 39(1):46-53. [Cites PHS guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, 2000.]

Modern Healthcare
DoBias M. Bush won't budge: citizens' group report on improving coverage rejected. Mod Healthc 2007 Mar 19; 37(12);8-9. [Cites findings from final report of AHRQ-sponsored Citizen's Health Care Working Group.]

Robeznieks A. Friends go to bat for AHRQ. Mod Healthc 2007 Mar 19; 37(12);18. [Discusses efforts by Friends of AHRQ to get increased 2008 budget appropriation for AHRQ.]

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

Annals of Internal Medicine
Eshaghian S, Kaul S, Amin S, et al. Role of clopidogrel in managing atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease. Ann Intern Med 2007 Mar 20; 146(6):434-41. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Eisenstein, et al. (JAMA, 2007).]

Journal of Family Practice
Heintzman J, Rugge B, Judkins DZ. What's the best test for HSV-2 after exposure? J Fam Pract 2007 Mar; 5 6(3):221-2. [Notes the USPSTF's recommendation against routine serological screening for HSV in asymptomatic adolescents and adults (citing Screening for Genital Herpes, 2005, as posted on AHRQ Web site).]

Milbank Quarterly
Hung DY, Rundall TG, Tallia AF, et al. Rethinking prevention in primary care: applying the Chronic Care Model to address health risk behaviors. Milbank Q 2007; 85(1):69-101. [Cites USPSTF guidelines in Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2005, and AHRQ-authored author by Woolf and Atkins (Am J Prev Med, 2001); cites AHRQ-funded article by Tsai, et al. ( Am J Manag Care, 2005).]

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

Annals of Internal Medicine
Qaseem A, Snow V, Barry P, et al. Current diagnosis of venous thromboembolism in primary care: a clinical practice guideline from the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med 2007 Mar 20; 146 (6):454-458. [Based on AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment Diagnosis and Treatment of Deep Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism prepared by Johns Hopkins EPC, 2003, and updates published in AHRQ-funded articles by Segal, et al. (Ann Fam Med, 2007 and Ann Intern Med, 2007).]

Marketing Health Services
Meade CM. Round bounty: one-hour rounding positively influences patients and nursing staff members. Marketing Health Serv 2007 Spring:23-27. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001.]

Research By Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Alimentary Pharmacology and rapeutics
Poordad FF. Review article; the burden of hepatic encephalopathy. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2006; 25 Suppl 1:3-9. [Uses data from AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for 2003.]

Annals of Surgery
Hagendorf BA, Liao JG, Price MR, et al. Evaluation of race and insurance status as predictors of undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy in children. Ann Surg 2007 Jan; 245(1):118-25. [Uses HCUP NIS data for 1996-2002.]

Archives of General Psychiatry
Case BG, Olfson M, Marcus SC, et al. Trends in the inpatient mental health treatment of children and adolescents in US community hospitals between 1990 and 2000. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2007 Jan; 64(1):89-96. [Uses HCUP NIS data from 1990-2000.]

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Berry JG, Lieu TA, Forbes PW, et al. Hospital volumes for common pediatric specialty operations. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2007 Jan; 161(1):38-43. [Uses data from AHRQ's HCUP Kid s Inpatient Database (KID) for 2003.]

Current as of March 2007

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Internet Citation:

Articles of Interest, March 23, 2007. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/articles/art032307.htm

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