Research Activities

November 2004, No. 291

---

Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Prehypertension is a considerable health risk, particularly in people aged 45 and older

Patient Safety/Quality

Limiting medical interns' work to 16 consecutive hours can substantially reduce serious medical errors in ICUs
Shift work affects the health and work performance of nurses and other health care workers
Falls among hospitalized patients of all ages are a persistent problem
Researchers examine factors that affect voluntary reporting of medication errors
Better consumer education and marketing surveillance are needed for one over-the-counter drug used for urinary tract pain

Minority Health

Blacks with diabetes are no more likely to be depressed than other blacks, but those with both problems use more health care
Differences in white and minority patients' satisfaction with care may hinge on satisfaction with physician interaction

Elderly/Long-term Care

Among elderly patients with dementia, blacks and Latinos are more likely than whites to show dementia-related behaviors
Structured health programs can greatly help frail older adults and their family caregivers
Knowledge of pain medication and its management could be improved among nursing home staff

Children's Health/Women's Health

About 13 percent of U.S. children and 26 percent of those with disabilities or chronic illness see a specialist in a year
Experts examine quality improvement in children's health care
Service coordination for pregnant women in prison can improve their use of health services after release

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research

Cancer survivors often have long-term health limitations and lost productivity associated with their disease

Prevention Research

Addressing multiple factors for certain diseases rather than just one may promote healthier lifestyles
Study finds differences between men and women in the effects of social class on behavioral risk factors

Health Care Costs and Financing

Volume and intensity of physicians' services used by FFS Medicare enrollees jumped over 30 percent in the mid-1990s
Hospitals profit less from privately insured patients than from Medicare patients and profit least from Medicaid and self-pay patients

Agency News and Notes

AHRQ Director elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine
New AHRQ survey helps hospitals measure and improve patient safety culture
AHRQ provides many funding opportunities for nursing research

Announcements

New booklet helps women weigh surgery options for early-stage breast cancer
Newly developed cultural competence research agenda now available online
New publications now available from AHRQ
Grant final reports now available from NTIS

Research Briefs

AHRQ Publication No. 05-0018
Current as of November 2004

---

Internet Citation:

Research Activities Newsletter. November 2004, No. 291. AHRQ Publication No. 05-0018. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/nov04/

---