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Electronic Newsletter

February 17, 2012

AHRQ News and Numbers

The number of Americans who were prescribed drugs to treat acne, fungal infections, psoriasis and other skin disorders fell from roughly 40 million in 1999 to about 20 million in 2008, according to AHRQ's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #356: Trends in Dermatological Agents Utilization and Expenditures for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 1999 and 2008. This statistical brief also compares how much consumers paid on average for prescription skin disorder drugs in 1999 and 2008, overall spending, and other factors.

Today's Headlines

  1. Bone marrow transplant is beneficial for some rare childhood diseases.
  2. February issue of AHRQ Web M&M examines medication safety and medical resident supervision.
  3. AHRQ announces free TeamSTEPPS® training opportunities.
  4. Midwestern hospitals lead in newborn male circumcision rates.
  5. AHRQ publishes cancer hospitalization statistics.
  6. AHRQ's Innovations Exchange focuses on mental health care for underserved populations.
  7. AHRQ in the professional literature.

1. Bone Marrow Transplant is Beneficial for Some Rare Childhood Diseases

Bone marrow transplant (hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT)) can be an effective treatment for children with Wolman's disease, a rare inherited metabolic disorder that typically causes death in infancy, and Faber's disease Type 2/3, a rare fatal inherited metabolic disorder, according to a new research review from AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program. However, insufficient evidence on the benefits or harms of HSCT versus other standard treatments exists for most other rare pediatric conditions.. These findings can be found in the new research review, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in the Pediatric Population, and the future research needs are identified in an accompanying report, Future Research Needs for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in the Pediatric Population.

2. February Issue of AHRQ Web M&M Examines Medication Safety and Medical Resident Supervision

The February 2012 issue of AHRQ Web M&M features a Spotlight Case involving an electronic prescription submitted in error by a nurse who, upon realizing the error, immediately deleted the order in the clinic's computer. However, the cancellation did not occur at the pharmacy, and the patient took the medication until it was noticed at a follow-up appointment. A commentary on the case is provided by Elisa Ashton, PharmD., an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco. The Perspectives on Safety section features an interview with Lawrence Smith, M.D., the founding Dean of Hofstra North Shore-Long Island Jewish School of Medicine, and an expert on the relations between medical training and patient safety. C. Jessica Dine, M.D., M.A., and Jennifer Myers, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and associate professor of medicine, respectively, at the University of Pennsylvania, discuss the ongoing tension between balancing supervision of physician trainees and attaining clinical autonomy. Physicians and nurses can receive free CME, CEU, or training certification by taking the Spotlight Quiz. Select to access AHRQ Web M&M site.

3. AHRQ Announces Free TeamSTEPPS® Training Opportunities

Free training opportunities are available using TeamSTEPPS® (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety), a set of evidence-based, practical tools that helps hospitals and other health care providers strengthen teamwork with the goal of improving patient safety. AHRQ and the Department of Defense designed the TeamSTEPPS program for health care providers for use in a variety of care settings. Free TeamSTEPPS master trainer courses will be offered at six regional training centers starting this month. The six regional training centers are NorthShore Long Island Jewish Health System (Roslyn Harbor, NY); Duke University (Durham, NC); Tulane University (New Orleans, LA); University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN); Presbyterian St. Luke's (Denver, CO); and University of Washington (Seattle, WA). Standard training is available, as well as specialized trainings on simulation, interprofessional education, and teaching TeamSTEPPS to patients and families. Advanced trainings are designed for individuals who already have a strong background in TeamSTEPPS and an interest in the special topic. Select to register for a training. Exit Disclaimer

4. Midwestern Hospitals Lead in Newborn Male Circumcision Rates

More than 75 percent of male infants born in Midwest hospitals are circumcised—three times the number circumcised in hospitals in the West, according to AHRQ's Statistical Brief #126: Circumcisions Performed in U.S. Hospitals, 2009. This new brief also looks at trend data since 1993, circumcision rates by payer, income, and location, and average length of stay for babies who are circumcised. The data are from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a database of the AHRQ-administered Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project.

5. AHRQ Publishes Cancer Hospitalization Statistics

AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #125: Cancer Hospitalizations for Adults, 2009, presents information on hospital stays for cancer care among adults age 18 and older by type of cancer and compares them to the stays of adults hospitalized for other conditions.

6. AHRQ's Innovations Exchange Focuses on Mental Health Care for Underserved Populations

The February 15 issue of AHRQ's Health Care Innovations Exchange features profiles of three programs that enhanced access to mental health services and provided care coordination to improve outcomes among underserved populations. One such program, Connecting with Care (CWC), is a collaborative project between Boston Public Schools and community service agencies to provide school-based mental health services to students and their families living in high-crime, urban neighborhoods. The program seeks to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in mental health access and treatment by addressing barriers to quality mental health services, so that children can be successful in school and in daily life. Data suggest that the program has enhanced access to cost-effective mental health treatment that has improved children's mental and behavioral health. Select for more profiles of innovations related to mental health care and vulnerable populations on the Health Care Innovations Exchange Web Site, which contains more than 675 searchable innovations and 1,575 Quality Tools.

7. AHRQ in the Professional Literature

We are providing the following hyperlinks to journal abstracts through PubMed® for your convenience. Access to the abstracts may be blocked because of firewalls or specific settings on individual computer systems. If you are having problems, ask your technical support staff for possible remedies.

Sarkar U, Lopez A, Black K, et al. The wrong tool for the job: diabetes public health programs and practice guidelines. Am J Public Health 2011 Oct; 101(10):1871-3. Select to access the abstract on PubMed.®

Cai S, Feng Z, Fennell ML, et al. Despite small improvement, black nursing home residents remain less likely than whites to receive flu vaccine. Health Aff 2011 Oct; 30(10):1939-46. Select to access the abstract on PubMed.®

Holland ML, Yoo BK, Kitzman H, et al. Self-efficacy as a mediator between maternal depression and child hospitalizations in low-income urban families. Matern Child Health J 2011 Oct; 15(7):1011-19. Select to access the abstract on PubMed.®

Zhu J, Stuver SO, Epstein AM, et al. Can we rely on patients' reports of adverse events? Med Care 2011 Oct; 49(10):948-55. Select to access the abstract on PubMed.®

Wang V, Lee SY, Patel UD, et al. Longitudinal analysis of market factors associated with provision of peritoneal dialysis services. Med Care Res Rev 2011 Oct; 68(5):537-58. Select to access the abstract on PubMed.®

Sarkar U, López A, Maselli JH, et al. Adverse drug events in U.S. adult ambulatory medical care. Health Serv Res 2011 Oct; 46(5):1517-33. Select to access the abstract on PubMed.®

Grenard JL, Munjas BA, Adams JL, et al. Depression and medication adherence in the treatment of chronic diseases in the United States: a meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med 2011 Oct; 26(10):1175-82. Select to access the abstract on PubMed.®

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Current as of February 2012

Internet Citation:

AHRQ Electronic Newsletter, February 17, 2012, Issue 336. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/enews/enews336.htm

 
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