Research Activities

January 2001, No. 245

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Researchers underreport drug safety problems

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research

Two-thirds of adults report improved functioning and quality of life following surgery for low back pain

Health Care for Women and Children

Breast cancer treatment in older women often depends on the woman's age and treatment preferences
Researchers explore the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of cervical cancer screening
Increasing postpartum hospital stays may reduce readmission of newborns twice as much as previously thought
Most women would rather risk a procedure-related miscarriage than have a baby with Down syndrome

Clinical Decisionmaking

No one clinical factor can identify which cystic fibrosis patients more urgently need lung transplants
Injectable and IV heparin have similar overall care costs and effectiveness for treating deep vein thrombosis
Patient self-assessments of health provide information not captured by clinical assessments or medical histories

HIV/AIDS Research

Women are less likely than men to receive antiretroviral drug therapies for HIV/AIDS
Vitamin A deficiency may contribute to the development of cervical cancer lesions in HIV-infected women
People with Medicaid coverage and a usual source of care are less likely than others to delay care after HIV diagnosis

Rural Health

Rural hospitals that treat few heart attack patients may rely on protocols to guide use of aspirin and clot-busting drugs

Minority Health

Health plans need culturally and linguistically appropriate materials for non-English-speaking patients

Health Care Costs and Financing

Screening for colorectal cancer every 5 years reduces mortality at costs similar to other cancer screening procedures
Not all types of HMOs benefit financially from so-called "selection bias"
Acquisition of local nonprofit hospitals by regional hospital systems may weaken community control of local hospital pricing

Primary Care

Primary care physicians can successfully use tympanometry to diagnose children's middle ear infections
Primary care physicians generally have a positive view of hospitalists when their use is not mandatory

Computers in Medicine

Intranets can help clinicians share patient information

Agency News and Notes

AHRQ budget rises $70 million in FY 2001
AHRQ releases new evidence report on use of milk thistle to treat liver disease

Announcements

AHRQ funds new projects
Grant final reports now available from NTIS

Research Briefs

Current as of January 2001
AHRQ Publication No. 01-0015

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities newsletter. January 2001, No. 245. AHRQ Publication No. 01-0015. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/jan01/

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