Research Activities

February 2001, No. 246

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Patients who choose doctors of the opposite sex generally are more satisfied with their care

Clinical Decisionmaking

People who suffer frequent attacks of one type of heart arrhythmia can benefit substantially from nondrug therapy
Lowering elevated homocystine levels could result in substantial clinical benefits at a reasonable cost
Many questions remain regarding the optimal screening strategy for hereditary hemochromatosis
Outpatient management of new TIA or minor stroke could be improved
Certain clinical criteria can identify elderly trauma victims who don't need an x-ray to rule out cervical spine injury

Women's Health

Improvements are needed in screening of sexually active young women for chlamydia infection

Evidence-based Medicine

Researchers discuss evidence on managing mild chronic hypertension during pregnancy
Researchers identify the most effective drugs for converting atrial fibrillation to normal heart rhythm

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research

Pain during cataract surgery and postoperative side effects are minor for most patients but vary by type of anesthesia
Researchers present recent findings from the pneumonia PORT on hospital length of stay, symptoms, and outcomes
Researchers examine progress and look to the future after a decade of outcomes and effectiveness research

Access to Care

Health insurance and access to primary care affect hospitalization of children outside their area of residence
Access to health care in the mid-1990s varied according to the patient's income level

Health Care Costs and Financing

Direct patient access to specialists does not lead to more specialty visits in plans with modest cost-sharing arrangements
Mental health visits are cut by one-fourth when providers are paid a fixed rate per patient
Hospitals in health systems with unified ownership or in centralized networks do better financially than others

Minority Health

Minority patients have access to poorer quality doctors for coronary bypass surgery than white patients
Hispanics undergo fewer inpatient procedures than non-Hispanic whites hospitalized for the same conditions
Blacks are no more likely than whites to indicate a preference for family care over institutional long-term care

Children's Health

Once parents accept that their child's cancer is terminal, palliative care can begin to make the child more comfortable
Preventive oral care in primary pediatric care can help reduce disparities in children's oral health

Health Care for the Elderly

Hospitalizations of the elderly for bloodstream infections rose sharply in the early to mid-1990s

HIV/AIDS Research

People with HIV vary in their physical and role functioning

Computers in Medicine

Some doctors think their office computers are as important to their practice as a stethoscope

Agency News and Notes

AHRQ releases five new evidence reports
AHRQ's CONQUEST database helps medical organizations measure and improve clinical performance
Spotlight on AHRQ's health care research scholars

Announcements

AHRQ issues two RFAs on patient safety research
AHRQ announces BRIC, a new peer-reviewed grant program
Plan now to attend this year's annual meeting of health services researchers
Workshop on child health services research to be held in Atlanta in June
AHRQ to cosponsor ISTAHC 2001

Research Briefs

Current as of February 2001
AHRQ Publication No. 01-0019

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities newsletter. February 2001, No. 246. AHRQ Publication No. 01-0019. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/feb01/