Research Activities

October 2005, No. 302

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

AHRQ awards over $22.3 million in health information technology implementation grants

Health Information Technology

Study investigates PDA software applications that can optimize medication safety
Using a computerized kiosk during emergency treatment for children's asthma improves medication information
Computerized guidelines for reactive airway disease do not affect care delivery or outcomes

Chronic Diseases and Conditions

Studies examine diabetes hospitalizations and death, diabetes self-management outcomes, and undiagnosed diabetes
Telephone advice on how to manage eating behavior can improve adherence to a cholesterol-lowering diet
Keeping more medical appointments and taking medication as directed helps patients with diabetes control blood sugar levels
Primary care programs with certain characteristics are more likely to help patients improve diabetes control
Arthritis accounts for a substantial number of hospital admissions each year
Osteoarthritis impairs recovery from stroke
Screening and treatment for osteoporosis remains low among patients taking glucocorticoids
Knowledge and beliefs about lifestyle changes may contribute to ethnic differences in blood pressure control
Study identifies factors contributing to more surgical complications among black patients
Both maternal and paternal ethnicity affect preeclampsia rates
Black women experience more asthma problems during pregnancy
White patients are more likely than black patients to receive opioids to relieve chronic nonmalignant pain

Child/Adolescent Health

Parents are more satisfied when doctors prescribe antibiotics for their child's cough or cold symptoms
Mental health problems among children with special health care needs and their caregivers are barriers to care
Two factors predict risk for suicide attempts in youths referred for emergency psychiatric hospitalization

Patient Safety and Quality

One percent of Americans visit doctors each year to manage health problems caused by medication

Women's Health

Women who smoke have nearly twice the risk of developing Graves' hyperthyroidism than nonsmokers
Elective primary cesarean delivery rates show a rising trend

Elderly/Long-term Care

Older and minority elderly are less willing to travel to distant hospitals for care
Psychotherapy is not commonly used to treat older adults with depression
Nursing home expenditures are sensitive to market competition and excess demand conditions

Access to Care/Health Care Delivery

Greater access to primary care may reduce emergency department use
Level of HMO penetration in a hospital's market affects the relationships between nurse staffing, length of stay, and mortality

Outcomes/Effectiveness

The type of dialysis used by patients with end-stage renal disease may affect their survival

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Study highlights the training and practices of licensed acupuncturists

HIV/AIDS Research

Study explores women's attitudes and barriers to acceptance of an HIV vaccine

Health Care Costs and Financing

Medicare expenditures among residents of assisted living facilities are similar to those of community-dwelling elderly

Agency News and Notes

Mary L. Grady, managing editor of Research Activities, retires after 31 years of government service
AHRQ launches new Effective Health Care Program to compare medical treatments and help put proven treatments into practice
New AHRQ booklet explains breast cancer surgery options in Spanish
New brochure helps people find information and support following a medical diagnosis

Announcements

New grants process at AHRQ
New HCUP tool for classifying mental health and substance abuse diagnoses is now available
Research Briefs

AHRQ Publication No. 05-0107
Current as of October 2005

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities Newsletter. October 2005, No. 302. AHRQ Publication No. 05-0107. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/oct05/

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