You Are Here: AHRQ Home > Research Findings > Research Activities > June 2005
About Research Activities
Physician supply increases in States with caps on malpractice lawsuit awards, with the greatest impact in rural areas
Absence of chest pain in patients with suspected heart attack or angina does not signal a less severe condition Three clinical factors can determine the likelihood of cervical spine fractures in elderly victims of blunt trauma Photodynamic therapy is a cost-effective treatment option for patients with high-grade dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus Advance care planning standards could be improved by giving patients more flexibility in conveying their wishes to others
More frequent sit-down rounds in dialysis units are associated with better patient outcomes
More than 13 percent of primary care patients do not know why they are taking at least one of their prescription medications Herbal use is common among urban primary care patients and often is not disclosed to doctors Primary care physician specialty influences use of screening mammography and Pap smears in gatekeeper plans
Existing coronary heart disease is undiagnosed in half of women who have a first heart attack Women respond differently to medications than men and should be proactive about their medication use Despite revised guidelines, most obstetrician/gynecologists continue to overscreen low-risk women for cervical cancer
Researchers find racial and socioeconomic disparities in compensation for work-related back injuries Black/white disparities in time to treatment for heart attack patients depend on the admitting hospital Study reveals racial/ethnic and income-related disparities in use of Web-based health services
Rural hospitals appear to deliver care similar to nonrural hospitals for many common pediatric conditions Nurses can take steps to prevent pediatric medication errors associated with dosing and administration
Nurses tend to use individual behavioral and visual cues to assess pain in nursing home residents Resident and facility characteristics affect the amount of direct care time received by elders in supportive housing
Hospitals with internal support for quality improvement are most likely to prescribe beta-blockers for heart attack patients Limiting residents' work hours may have unintended consequences on continuity of care Publishing report cards about a surgeon's quality influences consumer selection of surgeons Doctors who have been in practice longer may be more likely to provide lower quality of care Nursing home complaints, taken together with other measures, can be used to assess nursing home quality of care Veterans Health Administration clinics provide better overall quality of care than many other sites Better monitoring of outpatients taking thyroid replacement therapy may reduce drug-related problems One-third of a national sample of hospital staff nurses made an error or near error over a 1-month period Partnering with hospitalized patients to monitor medication use is a feasible strategy for reducing drug errors
Maryland Medicaid saved millions of dollars by ending reimbursement of dentists for treating adult dental emergencies Despite predictions of the end of managed care, enrollment in HMO plans has stayed relatively constant in recent years High managed care penetration boosts breast and cervical cancer screening, with spillover effects to non-managed care patients
Task Force recommends against routine use of estrogen to prevent chronic diseases in postmenopausal women who have undergone hysterectomy AHRQ center director Dan Stryer dies at age 41 Journal supplement explores lessons to be learned in health care quality and disparities from AHRQ's first national reports AHRQ is supportive of nursing research and encourages nurses to work with the agency in various capacities
AHRQ awards more than $8 million to further implementation of evidence-based patient safety findings New Web-based tool helps planners inventory resources for public health emergencies AHRQ announces new triage tools for hospital emergency departments Research Briefs
Current as of June 2005 AHRQ Publication No. 05-0087
Internet Citation:
Research Activities Newsletter. June 2005, No. 298. AHRQ Publication No. 05-0087. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/jun05/
AHRQ Home | Questions? | Contact AHRQ | Site Map | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Freedom of Information Act | Disclaimers U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | The White House | USA.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850 Telephone: (301) 427-1364
540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850 
