Research Activities

February 2000, No. 234

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

President Clinton announces new actions to improve patient safety and assure health care quality

Children's Health

Simple resuscitation method is best for children in out-of-hospital emergency settings
Persistent middle ear effusion in the first 3 years of life is not associated with behavior problems or parental stress
Both children and parents are at risk for postraumatic stress disorder following childhood traffic injuries

Women's Health

Vaginal delivery after prior c-section remains relatively safe
White women are more likely than minority women to be prescribed hormone replacement therapy
For many women, sexual functioning improves after hysterectomy
More targeted efforts are needed to improve women's health care

Clinical Decisionmaking

Lipid-lowering medications are not associated with increased risk of injury
Vascular surgery works better than medication alone to improve functioning of patients with peripheral vascular disease
Outcomes of patients hospitalized for syncope usually are determined by age and coexisting illness

Health Care Costs and Financing

Programs to help the poor purchase nongroup health insurance may not have the intended effect
Hospital data can be used to track the impact of the State Children's Health Insurance Program
Turnover of primary care physicians during the last two decades was common and costly

Health Care Quality

Total quality management appears to have little impact on outcomes of coronary bypass surgery patients
"Best practices" guidelines can facilitate quality of care improvements in the emergency department
Level of education attained by patients is important when evaluating physician performance

Elderly/Long-term Care

Middle-aged children often provide money, caregiving time, and shared living space to help their disabled elderly parents
Nursing home quality of care improved during the early 1990s

HIV/AIDS Research

Work and other daily activities cause one-third of people with HIV infection to delay or forgo needed medical care
CD4 cell count is a strong predictor of short-term survival among HIV-infected women

AHRQ News and Notes

AHRQ is seeking partners for an integrated delivery system research network
AHRQ names Deborah A. Zarin, M.D., as new director for technology assessment

Announcements

New resource can help people over 50 stay healthy
AHRQ releases CAHPS® 2.0 version
AHRQ announces availability of audiotapes from User Liaison Program workshops
AHRQ expenditure surveys are subject of new book
AHRQ funds new projects

Research Briefs

AHRQ seeks study proposals to conduct research on domestic violence against women

Current as of February 2000
AHRQ Publication No. 00-0021

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities newsletter. February 2000, No. 234. AHRQ Publication No. 00-0021. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/feb00/

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