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Medical disparities for elderly Medicare beneficiaries are narrowing
Efforts beyond expanding health coverage may be needed to improve access and quality for low-income and minority children Black and Hispanic mothers are much more likely than white mothers to suffer from early postpartum depression Traditional values underlie older Korean Americans' preference for informal over formal long-term care arrangements Differences in education and health status account for virtually all racial/ethnic differences in leisure-time physical activityFears about the digital divide between advantaged and disadvantaged families may not be warranted
Resident work hour limits in New York teaching hospitals were not associated with improved safety for surgery patients One hospital's experience suggests that communication problems may underlie a substantial number of hospital adverse eventsHospital fall prevention programs should target certain patient, medication, and care-related factors that increase falling risk
Women with atherosclerosis and high cholesterol receive less intense cholesterol management than menSupracervical and total abdominal hysterectomy result in similar sexual functioning and quality of life 2 years laterEstrogen therapy with progestin has higher discontinuation rates in women with diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Age, not height and weight, may be a better marker for assessing risk to children riding in vehicles with air bagsFew adolescents with special health care needs receive adequate transition from pediatric to adult-oriented health careCertain managed care organization characteristics can increase specialty care use among chronically ill low-income childrenRoutine pertussis vaccination of adolescents would be beneficial and reasonably cost effective
Elderly individuals with financial problems face more disability and risk of death after hospital dischargePatients most likely to benefit from stroke rehabilitation are least likely to be selected
Diagnostic test information often reassures patients who have chest pain suggestive of coronary artery diseaseStudy explores physician job satisfaction and quality of care and outcomes for managed care patients with pain and depressionIt will be difficult to achieve strict cholesterol goals in many patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Decision support systems that minimize clinicians' efforts to receive and act on system recommendations can improve carePatients' beliefs are not an important barrier to effective pain managementPhysicians welcome patients' participation in medical decisionmaking
Laboratory drug monitoring of outpatients taking long-term medications could be improvedHydroxychloroquine can reduce risk of organ damage in patients with lupus
Delays and missed opportunities persist in diagnosing patients with unrecognized HIV infection
Cancer survival is lower among Medicaid than non-Medicaid patients, especially for those enrolled after cancer diagnosisStudy calls for reform of policies that reject candidates for cardiac transplantation due to lack of insurance or finances
New MEPS statistical briefs available from AHRQ
Grant final reports now available from NTIS
Research Briefs
Current as of August 2005 AHRQ Publication No. 05-0097
Internet Citation:
Research Activities newsletter. August 2000, No. 300. AHRQ Publication 05-0097. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/aug05/
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