November 2007, No. 327
Contents
About Research Activities
Feature Story
AHRQ expands therapeutics education and research centers and adds new topics: Health IT, economics, and formularies
Women's Health
Study documents the health costs of being a woman
Death and complications after breast cancer surgery are rare, with wound infection the most common problem
Women suffer fewer postoperative problems after vascular surgery at Veterans Administration than at private hospitals
Child/Adolescent Health
Local touchscreen computer kiosks can help parents in urban, low-income communities learn about their child's health
Premature infants with chronic lung disease can be safely cared for by community-based providers coordinating with a nurse specialist
Caregivers of children with special health care needs rate Medicaid managed care as having better care access than fee-for-service
A skin condition may identify young patients at risk for developing type 2 diabetes
Elderly/Long-term Care
Nursing home report cards have prompted many nursing homes to improve care, especially those with poor scores
Postdischarge care management that integrates medical and social care can improve outcomes of the low-income elderly
Health Information Technology
Studies explore the use and functions of electronic health records
Implementing a basic electronic prescribing system may reduce nonclinical prescribing errors
Electronic data collection can greatly improve recruitment of primary care patients into clinical trials
Patient Safety and Quality
Studies examine patients' ratings of physicians
Diagnostic codes poorly identify deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism after surgery from hospital claims
Cancer/Chronic Disease
Cancer and other chronic conditions affect patients' lives differently during various phases of care
Black and white caregivers of rural patients with dementia have different characteristics and coping styles
Men with localized prostate cancer who undergo surgery may live longer than those who undergo radiation or observation
Low income middle-aged Americans have higher 10-year death rates even after controlling for their worse health at baseline
HIV/AIDS Research
Several factors prompt patients with HIV to voluntarily switch physicians
Late diagnosis of HIV is a problem for older patients, many of whom aren't diagnosed until they've already developed AIDS
End-of-Life Care
End-of-life care expenditures and use among Medicare colorectal cancer patients differ more by age than gender
Palliative care study challenges assumptions about physician emotional involvement and communication with patients
Outcomes/Effectiveness Research
Complications following heart valve replacements are prevalent and worsen patient outcomes
Evidence of benefit is lacking for many common ways of treating osteoarthritis of the knee
Diagnosing coronary heart disease prior to a heart attack improves the chance of lowering the risk of future coronary events
Surgery is more likely than angioplasty to relieve pain for patients with coronary artery disease
Pharmaceutical Research
Study confirms link between intravenous bisphosphonates and jaw infection or surgery
Insurers save with incentive-based formularies, but consumers pay more out of pocket
Emergency Medicine
Studies examine prescribing of antibiotics for respiratory infections in hospital emergency departments
Adults who arrive at the emergency department with acute cough and vital sign abnormalities may have pneumonia
Access to Care
Mexicans' access to primary care is limited overall, but worse in nonmetropolitan areas
California Medicaid managed care plans would like to increase chronic disease care management programs
Patients who were uninsured use more medical services once they enroll in Medicare
Fewer dentists and different care preferences may contribute to lower use of dental care in rural Kansas
Agency News and Notes
AHRQ launches a new series of advice columns
Announcements
AHRQ awards four contracts to help improve hospital quality measurement
AHRQ announces the next phase of its Evidence-based Practice Center program
Research Briefs
AHRQ Publication No. 08-0001
Current as of November 2007
Internet Citation:
Research Activities Newsletter. November 2007, No. 327. AHRQ Publication No. 08-0001. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/nov07/