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Articles of Interest

October 17, 2008

This weekly compilation of articles appearing in recently released journals and newsletters includes:

  • Articles funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) or authored by AHRQ researchers.
  • Articles mentioning or discussing AHRQ staff, activities, and publications/products.
  • Articles related to AHRQ-funded Evidence-based Practice Centers.
  • Articles related to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force or Put Prevention into Practice program.
  • Articles mentioning the National Healthcare Disparities Report and National Healthcare Quality Report.
  • Other research using AHRQ data or products.

AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy
Stratton TP, Worley MM, Schmidt M, et al. Implementing after-hours pharmacy coverage for critical access hospitals in northeast Minnesota. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2008 Sep 15; 65(18):1727-34. [Supported by grant UC1 HS14965.] Select to access the abstract.

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
Loren DJ, Klein EJ, Garbutt J, et al. Medical error disclosure among pediatricians: choosing carefully what we might say to parents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2008 Oct; 162(10):922-7. [Supported by grants 1 U18 HS11890 and 1 K08 HS140201.] Select to access the abstract.

Cancer
Spain P, Carpenter WR, Talcott JA, et al. Perceived family history risk and symptomatic diagnosis of prostate cancer: the North Carolina Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study. Cancer 2008 Oct 15; 113(8):2180-7. [Supported by grant 5 P01 HS10861.] Select to access the abstract.

BMC Cardiovascular Disorders
Westfall JM, Kiefe CI, Weissman NW, et al. Does interhospital transfer improve outcome of acute myocardial infarction? A propensity score analysis from the Cardiovascular Cooperative Project. BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2008 Sep 9; 8:22. [Supported by grant HS09446.] Select to access the abstract.

Drug Safety
Ko Y, Malone DC, Skrepnek GH. Prescribers' knowledge of and sources of information for potential drug-drug interactions: a postal survey of US prescribers. Drug Saf 2008; 31(6):525-36. [Supported by grant U18 HS10385-05; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Ray et al. (N Engl J Med, 2004) and Ko et al. (J Am Med Inform Assoc, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Ambulatory Care Management
Chin MH, Kirchhoff AC, Schlotthauer AE, et al. Sustaining quality improvement in community health centers: perceptions of leaders and staff. J Ambul Care Manage 2008 Oct-Dec; 31(4):319-29. [Supported by grants 1 U01 HS13635 and R01 HS10479.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Metlay JP, Hennessy S, Localio AR, et al. Patient reported receipt of medication instructions for warfarin is associated with reduced risk of serious bleeding events. J Gen Intern Med 2008 Oct; 23(10):1589-94. [Supported by grant P01 HS11530.] Select to access the abstract.

Wigton RS, Darr CA, Corbett KK, et al. How do community practitioners decide whether to prescribe antibiotics for acute respiratory tract infections? J Gen Intern Med 2008 Oct; 23(10):1615-20. [Supported by grant R01 HS13001-01.] Select to access the abstract.

Zhang JX, Yin W, Sun SX, Alexander GC. The impact of the Medicare Part D prescription benefit on generic drug use. J Gen Intern Med 2008 Oct; 23(10):1673-78. [Supported by grant K08 HS15699-01A1 to fourth author.] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatrics
Lee GM, Lorick SA, Pfoh E, et al. Adolescent immunizations: missed opportunities for prevention. Pediatrics 2008 Oct; 122(4):711-17. [Supported by grant K08 HS13908-01A1 to first author.] Select to access the abstract.

Sharek PJ, McClead RE Jr, Taketomo C, et al. An intervention to decrease narcotic-related adverse drug events in children's hospitals. Pediatrics 2008 Oct; 122(4):e861-6. [Supported by grant 1 U18 HS13698-01.] Select to access the abstract.

Quality & Safety in Health Care
Nuckols TK, Bell DS, Paddock SM, et al. Contributing factors identified by hospital incident report narratives. Qual Saf Health Care 2008 Oct; 17(5):368-72. [Supported by grant HS11512.] Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

Archives of Internal Medicine
Burns DM. Live fast, die young, leave a good-looking corpse. Arch Intern Med 2008 Oct 13; 168(18):1946-7. [Cites PHS -sponsored guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: A Clinical Practice Guideline (JAMA, 2000).]

An LC, Bluhm JH, Foldes SS, et al. A randomized trial of a pay-for-performance program targeting clinician referral to a state tobacco quitline. Arch Intern Med 2008 Oct 13; 168(18):1993-9. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Cromwell et al. on the cost-effectiveness of clinical practice recommendations in smoking cessation guidelines (JAMA, 1997) and PHS-sponsored guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2000; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Thorndike et al. (JAMA, 1998) and Rosenthal et al. (N Engl J Med, 2006, and Med Care Res Rev, 2006).] Select to access the abstract.

International Journal for Quality in Health Care
Hogg W, Rowan M, Russell G, et al. Framework for primary care organizations: the importance of a structural domain. Int J Qual Health Care 2008 Oct; 20(5):308-13. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles by Kelly et al. (Int J Qual Health Care, 2006) and Eisenberg (Med Care, 2002).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Ambulatory Care Management
Merrick EL, Horgan CM, Garnick DW, et al. Health plans' disease management programs: extending across the medical and behavioral health spectrum?. J Ambul Care Manage 2008 Oct-Dec; 31(4):342-53. [Cites AHRQ guideline, Depression in Primary Care: Vol. 2: Treatment of Major Depression, 1993) and AHRQ-authored article by Zuvekas (Health Aff, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

Chukmaitov AS, Menachemi N, Brown SL, et al. Is there a relationship between physician and facility volumes of ambulatory procedures and patient outcomes? J Ambul Care Manage 2008 Oct-Dec; 31(4):354-69. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Hughes et al. (Med Care, 1987), Iezzoni (JAMA, 1997), and Iezzoni et al. (Am J Med Qual, 1994).] Select to access the abstract.

Garnick DW, Horgan CM, Reif S, et al. Management of behavioral health provider networks in private health plans. J Ambul Care Manage 2008 Oct-Dec; 31(4):330-41. [Notes that "questions on access to specialists in both the widely used Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey and Modular Survey, which is currently being developed for use with behavioral health clients, demonstrate the importance of" providing sufficient geographic and specialty provider coverage within health plans; cites AHRQ publications CAHPS® Health Plan Survey 3.0: Topics Covered by Core Items, 2006, and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®), 2006, both on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Herndon MB, Schwartz LM, Woloshin S, et al. Older patients perceptions of "unnecessary" tests and referrals: a national survey of Medicare beneficiaries. J Gen Intern Med 2008 Oct; 23(10):1547-54. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Kravitz (Ann Intern Med, 2001) and AHRQ-authored article by Fiscella, Franks, and Clancy (Med Care, 1998).] Select to access the abstract.

Karliner LS, Napoles-Springer AM, Schillinger D, et al. Identification of limited English proficient patients in clinical care. J Gen Intern Med 2008 Oct; 23(10):1555-60. [States that "use of single item or composite measures such as those described in this study is consistent with quality of care indicators developed by... [AHRQ], which emphasize the importance of language preferences in assessing the quality of health care among diverse populations."] Select to access the abstract.

Katon W, Fan MY, Unützer J, et al. Depression and diabetes: a potentially lethal combination. J Gen Intern Med 2008 Oct; 23(10):1571-5. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Deyo et al. (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992).] Select to access the abstract.

Nidiry MA, Gozu A, Carrese JA, et al. The closure of a medical practice forces older patients to make difficult decisions: a qualitative study of a natural experiment. J Gen Intern Med 2008 Oct; 23(10):1576-80. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Safran (Arch Intern Med, 2003), Fiscella (Med Care, 2004), Buchbinder et al. (Am J Manage Care, 2001), and Safran et al. (J Fam Pract, 2001).] Select to access the abstract.

Perneger TV, Charvet-Bérard A, Perrier A. Patient assessments of the most important medical decision during a hospitalization. J Gen Intern Med 2008 Oct; 23(10):1659-65. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Braddock et al. (JAMA, 1999).] Select to access the abstract.

Rodriguez HP, von Glahn T, Grembowski DE, et al. Physician effects on racial and ethnic disparities in patients' experiences of primary care. J Gen Intern Med 2008 Oct; 23(10):1666-72. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles Lurie et al. (Am J Manage Care, 2003), Taira et al. (Health Serv Res , 2001), Kirby (Med Care, 2006) and Berdahl (Med Care, 2007); cites AHRQ/American Institutes for Research/Harvard Medical School/RAND Corporation publication Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Clinician and Group Survey: Submission to National Quality Forum, 2006.] Select to access the abstract.

Windish DM, Ratanawongsa N. Providers' perceptions of relationships and professional roles when caring for patients who leave the hospital against medical advice. J Gen Intern Med 2008 Oct; 23(10):1698-707. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Fiscella et al. (Am J Med, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

Halpern J, Arnold RM. Affective forecasting: an unrecognized challenge in making serious health decisions. J Gen Intern Med 2008 Oct; 23(10):1708-12. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Ubel et al. (Med Decis Making, 2001).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Callahan CM, Weiner M, Counsell SR. Defining the domain of geriatric medicine in an urban public health system affiliated with an academic medical center. J Am Geriatr Soc 2008 Oct; 56(10):1802-6. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Callahan et al (JAMA, 2006).] Select to access the abstract.

Morey MC, Sloane R, Pieper CF, et al. Effect of physical activity guidelines on physical function in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008 Oct; 56(10):1874-8. [Cites AHRQ publication, Physical Activity and Older Americans, 2001.] Select to access the abstract.

Berry SD, Samelson EJ, Ngo L, et al. Subsequent fracture in nursing home residents with a hip fracture: a competing risks approach. J Am Geriatr Soc 2008 Oct; 56(10):1887-92. [Cites use of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data in AHRQ-authored article by Spector et al. (J Am Geriatr Soc, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

Min LC, Wenger NS, Reuben DB, et al. A short functional survey is responsive to changes in functional status in vulnerable older people. J Am Geriatr Soc 2008 Oct; 56(10):1932-6. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Carey et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2004).] Select to access the abstract.

Bain KT, Holmes HM, Beers MH, et al. Discontinuing medications: a novel approach for revising the prescribing stage of the medication-use process. J Am Geriatr Soc 2008 Oct; 56(10):1946-52. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Bates et al. (JAMA, 1995).] Select to access the abstract.

Modern Healthcare
DerGurahian J. Exchanging innovations: new AHRQ site helps spread the word on best practices. Mod Healthc 2008 Oct 13; 38(41):32-3. [Describes and discusses AHRQ's Health Care Innovations Exchange Web site and quotes remarks by AHRQ researcher Mary Nix.]

Pediatrics
Smith LA, Bokhour B, Hohman KH, et al. Modifiable risk factors for suboptimal control and controller medication underuse among children with asthma. Pediatrics 2008 Oct; 122(4):760-9. [Cites AHRQ publication Top 10 Principal Diagnoses by Age Group, in Hospitalization in the United States, HCUP Fact Book 6, 2005; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Lieu et al. (Pediatrics, 2002), (Finkelstein (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 2002), Yoos et al. (Ambul Pediatr, 2003), Wakefield et al. (Pediatr Pulmonol, 2006) and Wu et al. (Ambul Pediatr, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Grembowski D, Spiekerman C, Milgrom P. Linking mother and child access to dental care. Pediatrics 2008 Oct;122(4):e805-14. [Cites AHRQ publication Access to Health Care: Sources and Barriers, MEPS Research Findings No. 3, 1996; cites AHRQ-funded article by Newacheck et al. (Med Care, 1986).] Select to access the abstract.

Council on School Health. Medical emergencies occurring at school. Pediatrics 2008 Oct; 122(4):887-94. [Includes asthma action plans cited in the AHRQ Quality Tools page of the AHRQ Web site in a list of selected emergency-preparedness resources and links.] Select to access the abstract.

Scanlon MC, Harris JM, Levy F, et al. Limitations in theAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality pediatric quality indicators result in flawed call for national benchmarks. Pediatrics 2008 Oct; 122(4):903; author reply 903-4. [Critiques article by Kronman et al. (Pediatrics, 2008) advocating for use ofAHRQ's pediatric quality indicators (PQIs) in national standards and benchmarks and notes opposing findings in related article by Scanlon et al.in same issue (Pediatrics, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Quality & Safety in Health Care
Aron D, Pogach L. Quality indicators for diabetes mellitus in the ambulatory setting: using the Delphi method to inform performance measurement development. Qual Saf Health Care 2008 Oct; 17(5):315-17. [Cites OECD publication Health Care Quality Indicators Project Conceptual Framework Paper, 2006, authored by former AHRQ researcher Edward Kelly, who provided technical guidance and leadership on the project on behalf of AHRQ.]

Kline TJ, Willness C, Ghali WA. Predicting patient complaints in hospital settings. Qual Saf Health Care 2008 Oct; 17(5):346-50. [Cites AHRQ publication, Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, 2004, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Gurses AP, Seidl KL, Vaidya V, et al. Systems ambiguity and guideline compliance: a qualitative study of how intensive care units follow evidence-based guidelines to reduce healthcare-associated infections. Qual Saf Health Care 2008 Oct; 17(5):351-9. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Berenholtz et al. (Jt Comm J Qual Saf, 2004, and Crit Care Med, 2004).] Select to access the abstract.

Thomas AN, Boxall EM, Laha SK, et al. An educational and audit tool to reduce prescribing error in intensive care. Qual Saf Health Care 2008 Oct; 17(5):360-3. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Overhage et al. (Am J Health Syst Pharm, 1999).] Select to access the abstract.

Wilson B, Bekker HL, Fylan F. Reporting of Clinical Adverse Events Scale: a measure of doctor and nurse attitudes to adverse event reporting. Qual Saf Health Care 2008 Oct; 17(5):364-7. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Cullen et al. (Jt Comm J Qual Improv, 1995,and Clin Anesthesia, 2000).] Select to access the abstract.

Thomson RG, Moss FM. QIR and SQUIRE: continuum of reporting guidelines for scholarly reports in healthcare improvement. Qual Saf Health Care 2008 Oct; 17 Suppl 1:i10-i12. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Auerbach et al. (N Engl J Med, 2007).]

Ogrinc G, Mooney SE, Estrada C, et al. The SQUIRE (Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence) guidelines for quality improvement reporting: explanation and elaboration. Qual Saf Health Care 2008 Oct; 17 Suppl 1:i13-i32. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Auerbach et al. (N Engl J Med, 2007), Pronovost et al. (N Engl J Med, 2006), and Berenholtz et al. (Crit Care Med, 2004).] Select to access the abstract.

Social Science and Medicine
Messer LC, Vinikoor LC, Laraia BA, et al. Socioeconomic domains and associations with preterm birth. Soc Sci Med 2008 Oct; 67(8):1247-57. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Huang et al. (Am J Epidemiol, 2004).] Select to access the abstract.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)/Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)-Related Articles

Archives of Internal Medicine
DuBard CA, Schmid D, Yow A, et al. Recommendation for and receipt of cancer screenings among Medicaid recipients 50 years and older. Soc Sci Med 2008 Oct; 67(8):1247-57. [Cites USPSTF recommendations in Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2006; cites AHRQ-funded article by Iezzoni et al. (Am J Med Qual, 2001).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Women's Health
Liu SY, Clark MA. Breast and cervical cancer screening practices among disabled women aged 40-75: does quality of the experience matter?. J Womens Health 2008 Oct; 17(8):1321-29. [Cites USPSTF recommendations in Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 1996; cites AHRQ-funded article by Iezzoni et al. (Am J Med Qual, 2001).] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatrics
Steiner MJ, Brown WD, Liles E. An assessment of the new lipid screening guidelines. Pediatrics 2008 Oct; 122(4):904-5; author reply 906-7. [In author reply, mentions and cites USPSTF recommendation statement for screening for lipid disorders in children (Pediatrics, 2007) and recommendation statement for screening and intervention for overweigh in children and adolescents (Pediatrics, 2005); cites USPSTF article by Moyer (Pediatrics, 2008).]

Public Health Reports
Farnham PG, Hutchinson AB, Sansom SL, et al. Comparing the costs of HIV screening strategies and technologies in health-care settings. Public Health Reports 2008 Nov-Dec; 123 Suppl 3:51-62. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence review on screening for HIV (Ann Intern Med, 2005).]

National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR)/National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR)-Related Articles

Social Science and Medicine
Do DP, Finch BK, Basurto-Davila R, et al. Does place explain racial health disparities? Quantifying the contribution of residential context to the Black/white health gap in the United States. Soc Sci Med 2008 Oct; 67(8):1258-68. [Mentions and cites NHDR, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

American Surgeon
Yermilov I, Chow W, Devgan L, et al. How to measure the quality of surgery-related Web sites. Am Surg 2008 Oct; 74(10):997-1000. [Uses AHRQ publication, Having Surgery? What You Need to Know, 2005, to derive procedure-specific characteristics for the composite score used in rating selected Web sites.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Britton A, Marmot MG, Shipley M. Who benefits most from the cardioprotective properties of alcohol consumption—health freaks or couch potatoes? J Epidemiol Community Health 2008 Oct; 62(10):905-8. [Uses study cohort fromWhitehall II study, previously funded by AHRQ.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Women's Health
James AH, Patel ST, Watson W, et al. An assessment of medical resource utilization and hospitalization cost associated with a diagnosis of anemia in women with obstetrical bleeding in the United States. J Womens Health 2008 Oct; 17(8):1279-84. [Uses 2003 HCUP NIS data; cites AHRQ publications, A Federal-State-Industry Partnership in Health Data. An Introduction to the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 2003, 2005, and Design of the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 2003, 2005.] Select to access the abstract.

New England Journal of Medicine
Jha AK, Orav EJ, Zheng J, et al. Patients' perception of hospital care in the United States. N Engl J Med 2008 Oct 30; 359(18):1921-31. [Uses Hospital CAHPS data on providing patients' experiences in U.S. hospitals; cites CAHPS® article by Darby et al. (Health Serv Res, 2005); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Needleman et al. (N Engl J Med, 2002) and Bates et al. (JAMA, 1995).] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatrics
Cutrona SL, Woolhandler S, Lasser KE, et al. Free drug samples in the United States: characteristics of pediatric recipients and safety concerns. Pediatrics 2008 Oct; 122(4):736-42. [Uses 2004 MEPS data on receipt of free drugs; cites AHRQ publication Estimation Procedures in the 1996 MEPS Household Component, MEPS Methodology Report No. 5, 1999).] Select to access the abstract.

Quality Life Research
Sullivan PW, Ghushchyan VH, Ben-Joseph R. The impact of obesity on diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension in the United States. Qual Life Res 2008 Oct; 17(8):1063-71. [Uses 2000 and 2002 MEPS data to estimate the marginal impact of obesity on health function, perception, and preferences for individuals with diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension; cites AHRQ publication Documentation Files, P.U.F., 2005.] Select to access the abstract.

Current as of October 2008

Internet Citation:

Articles of Interest, October 17, 2008. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/articles/art101708.htm

 
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