Research Activities

July 2001, No. 251

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Risk of uterine rupture during labor is higher for women with a prior cesarean delivery

Clinical Decisionmaking

Organ donations increase when families have good information about the donation process
Massage may be an effective alternative to conventional medical care for persistent back pain
Sepsis evaluation in hospitalized infants with lower respiratory tract infections varies greatly

Heart Disease

Study finds no differences in heart attack followup care provided to Medicare fee-for-service and HMO patients, but effective drugs are underprescribed for both
Variation in use of coronary angiography after heart attack may reflect use in patients who don't need it
Researchers examine the accuracy of current technology for diagnosing acute cardiac ischemia

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research

Newborns weighing 2.2 pounds or less have long-term behavior problems related mostly to social and attention deficits

Elderly Health

Elderly patients have more complications and are more likely to die after noncardiac surgery than younger patients
Hospitalization of the elderly for pneumonia and heart rhythm problems rose dramatically in the 1990s
Outpatient geriatric evaluation and management programs slow functional decline of the elderly
Older adults often view incontinence as a normal part of aging and don't bother to discuss it with their doctors

Quality of Care

Health care organizations can reclaim dissatisfied patients by developing effective service recovery programs

Health Care Delivery/Clinical Practice

Use of health services in the United States stays fairly constant over 40 years
Dental visits have remained stable over the past 20 years, despite some age and sociodemographic differences
Doctors' dissatisfaction grew steadily over the last decade

Health Care Costs and Financing

Hospital mergers may save less than anticipated
Facility, patient, and community factors are associated with long-term care costs for people with mental retardation

Special Populations

Although a surprisingly large number of homeless people work, most can't live on their earnings

Announcements

AHRQ funds new projects, including a study of care for living organ donors
Methods seminar scheduled for fall 2001
Grant final reports now available from NTIS

Research Briefs

Current as of July 2001
AHRQ Publication No. 01-0033

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities newsletter. July 2001, No. 251. AHRQ Publication No. 01-0033. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/jul01/

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