Research Activities

October 2002, No. 266

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Preventive Services Task Force urges routine osteoporosis screening for women 65 and older

Pharmaceutical Research

Use of the less expensive streptokinase over tPA is difficult to justify for some heart attack patients
Giving newborns erythromycin in the first 2 weeks of life increases their risk of gastric outlet obstruction

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research

Late referral to specialty care contributes to poor outcomes among patients with kidney failure
Researchers examine delays in hip fracture repair surgery and patient outcomes
Only half of the deaths following a bout of pneumonia are due to the pneumonia
Researchers examine the effects of androgen deprivation therapy on survival and quality of life of men with prostate cancer
Subsidized multiphasic mobile cancer screening units may not be a cost-effective way to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality

Evidence-Based Medicine

Researchers examine the evidence on behavioral interventions to modify dietary fat and intake of fruits and vegetables

Health Care Delivery

Anticoagulation services are feasible in a managed care setting but show little clinical effect
Three factors should be considered when deciding about the use of genetic testing
More infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome were offered surgery over comfort care during the 1990s
Using an electronic medical record for diagnostic and treatment feedback does not lead to better primary care for depression
Safety net clinics for homeless women struggle to provide comprehensive care despite scarce resources
Tone of voice may affect the likelihood that a surgeon will be sued for malpractice

Elderly Health/Long-term Care

Over half of elderly patients with unstable angina have atypical symptoms
Better doctor-patient communication could enhance the quality of care for older women with breast cancer
Cognitive impairment and depression are associated with functional decline in elderly people
Nurses may need to update their skills in assessing the medical status of nursing home residents

Minority Health

Latino consortium identifies urgent research priorities to improve the health and care of Latino children

HIV/AIDS Research

One-fifth of deaths among women infected with HIV are due to causes other than AIDS

Health Care Costs and Financing

Managed care's reliance on supply-side control of services does not necessarily eliminate least valued treatment
Some State Medicaid managed care programs have policies that could restrict access to needed medications
Managed care organizations should consider patients' socioeconomic status when profiling a physician's performance
Increasing the cultural competence of health care organizations can make business sense
Enrollment in Medicare+Choice plans has increased considerably in recent years but remains quite low in rural areas
Health insurance premiums rose more than 30 percent between 1996 and 2000
AHRQ data show rising hospital charges, falling hospital stays

Agency News and Notes

JCAHO and NQF announce recipients of first annual John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety Awards
Research on outcomes of EMS for children is an integral part of Federal agencies' child health services research agenda

Announcements

AHRQ unveils new Web-based instrument to help hospitals assess domestic violence programs
Calling all AHRQ researchers! "Help us to help you"
New AHRQ evidence reports focus on using IT to respond to bioterrorism, managing cancer symptoms, and six other topics
Grant final reports now available from NTIS

Research Briefs

Current as of October 2002
AHRQ Publication No. 03-0003

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities newsletter. October 2002, No. 266. AHRQ Publication No. 03-0003. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/oct02/

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