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Patients who take beta blockers before heart bypass surgery have improved outcomes
Non-aspirin, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs do not protect individuals from the risk of heart attack Doctors could do more to help adult patients with diabetes reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease Communication/cultural barriers may affect receipt of cardiovascular procedures among Hispanics Normalizing clinical practice for coronary bypass surgery could save money without worsening patient outcomes
Black and Hispanic HIV patients are less likely than white patients to get experimental medications Study links nonadherence to HIV treatment regimens and women's risky sexual behavior Drug treatment and intensive case management programs are needed to reduce HIV risk among homeless women
Mechanical ventilation of low birthweight newborns substantially increases the risk of disabling cerebral palsy Adolescents who were born prematurely at a very low birthweight have self-esteem similar to other adolescents
Researchers examine the impact of drug pricing and copayments on medication use among elderly Canadians U.S. drug expenditures are expected to increase by 15 to 19 percent this year Both patients and pharmacists view counseling as an important role for pharmacists
Family physicians value personal knowledge of specialists over all other factors when making referrals Decision aids minimize conflict for patients regarding colorectal cancer screening decisions Distinct communication modes used by deaf adults may be associated with health care use and health status More than one in three seriously ill people who prefer comfort care over aggressive treatment don't get it Elderly people's decisions about end-of-life medical treatment may change over time Prediction models may help surrogates make end-of-life treatment decisions for incompetent elderly patients Making pneumonia and influenza vaccinations more convenient may increase immunizations among elderly and at-risk people Race and sex may play a role in a person's ability to give up smoking
Mammography increases early detection of breast cancer and the likelihood of breast conserving surgery among older women Telecolposcopy may help reduce barriers to diagnosis of cervical cancer among rural women Findings from hysterectomy study discount the link between estrogen deficiency and cognitive decline in older women Timing of prenatal coverage affects initiation of prenatal care among low-income pregnant women In vitro fertilization doubles the risk of preeclampsia during pregnancy for women expecting more than one child
Peer review organizations may need to reconsider the use of physician and nurse reviews of quality of care Elderly blacks and whites enrolled in Medicare managed care plans do not receive the same quality of care Characteristics of medical organizations have a substantial effect on physician satisfaction and well-being
Employees use comparison data on health plans to avoid poorly rated plans and choose plans with lower out-of-pocket costs Researchers examine the impact of health plan report cards on employee plan knowledge and choice Subsidies of out-of-pocket health insurance premiums must be large to affect employee enrollment decisions
Merging hospitals in the early 1990s focused mainly on reducing nursing hours and less on converting to new service areas
AHRQ's research networks link researchers with practitioners to ensure findings are responsive to user needs
Government agencies launch new health care quality information Web site Grant final reports now available from NTIS Web conference on children's health scheduled for July
Research Briefs
Current as of May 2002 AHRQ Publication No. 02-0026
Internet Citation:
Research Activities newsletter. May 2002, No. 261. AHRQ Publication No. 02-0026. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/may02/
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