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Research Activities

August 2005, No. 300



Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Medical disparities for elderly Medicare beneficiaries are narrowing

Disparities/Minority Health

Efforts beyond expanding health coverage may be needed to improve access and quality for low-income and minority children
Black and Hispanic mothers are much more likely than white mothers to suffer from early postpartum depression
Traditional values underlie older Korean Americans' preference for informal over formal long-term care arrangements
Differences in education and health status account for virtually all racial/ethnic differences in leisure-time physical activity
Fears about the digital divide between advantaged and disadvantaged families may not be warranted

Patient Safety and Quality

Resident work hour limits in New York teaching hospitals were not associated with improved safety for surgery patients
One hospital's experience suggests that communication problems may underlie a substantial number of hospital adverse events
Hospital fall prevention programs should target certain patient, medication, and care-related factors that increase falling risk

Women's Health

Women with atherosclerosis and high cholesterol receive less intense cholesterol management than men
Supracervical and total abdominal hysterectomy result in similar sexual functioning and quality of life 2 years later
Estrogen therapy with progestin has higher discontinuation rates in women with diabetes and cardiovascular disease

Children's Health

Age, not height and weight, may be a better marker for assessing risk to children riding in vehicles with air bags
Few adolescents with special health care needs receive adequate transition from pediatric to adult-oriented health care
Certain managed care organization characteristics can increase specialty care use among chronically ill low-income children
Routine pertussis vaccination of adolescents would be beneficial and reasonably cost effective

Elderly/Long-term Care

Elderly individuals with financial problems face more disability and risk of death after hospital discharge
Patients most likely to benefit from stroke rehabilitation are least likely to be selected

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research

Diagnostic test information often reassures patients who have chest pain suggestive of coronary artery disease
Study explores physician job satisfaction and quality of care and outcomes for managed care patients with pain and depression
It will be difficult to achieve strict cholesterol goals in many patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease

Clinical Decisionmaking

Decision support systems that minimize clinicians' efforts to receive and act on system recommendations can improve care
Patients' beliefs are not an important barrier to effective pain management
Physicians welcome patients' participation in medical decisionmaking

Pharmaceutical Research

Laboratory drug monitoring of outpatients taking long-term medications could be improved
Hydroxychloroquine can reduce risk of organ damage in patients with lupus

HIV/AIDS Research

Delays and missed opportunities persist in diagnosing patients with unrecognized HIV infection

Health Care Costs and Financing

Cancer survival is lower among Medicaid than non-Medicaid patients, especially for those enrolled after cancer diagnosis
Study calls for reform of policies that reject candidates for cardiac transplantation due to lack of insurance or finances

Agency News and Notes

New MEPS statistical briefs available from AHRQ

Announcements

Grant final reports now available from NTIS

Research Briefs

Current as of August 2005
AHRQ Publication No. 05-0097


Internet Citation:

Research Activities newsletter. August 2000, No. 300. AHRQ Publication 05-0097. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/aug05/


 

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