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May 2008, No. 333
Contents
About Research Activities
Feature Story
AHRQ's 2007 State Snapshots provide broader portraits of State-by-State health care performance
Disparities/Minority Health
AHRQ and Ad Council encourage Hispanics to become more involved in their health care
American Indian health advocates can learn to develop multimedia health projects for rural communities
Patient Safety and Quality
Medication monitoring advice and feedback to physicians modestly improves outpatient medication safety
Use of a visual medication schedule and brief physician counseling can reduce time to anticoagulation control
New pill card helps patients take medications on time
Women's Health
Pain varies among women with late-stage breast cancer
Antidepressant use during pregnancy is linked to increases in preterm birth and potentially serious infant perinatal problems
Noncancerous pelvic problems are linked to poor quality of life and sexual functioning for premenopausal women
Child/Adolescent Health
Studies examine pediatricians' and parents' attitudes toward childhood obesity
Elderly/Long-Term Care
Researchers examine the relationship of workarounds to technology implementation and medication safety in nursing homes
Staff education and performance feedback only slightly improve fracture prevention among nursing home residents
Outcomes/Effectiveness Research
Surgery patients have better outcomes when their surgical team communicates and collaborates
Delaying repair of an asymptomatic hernia does not adversely affect the patient
CT angiographic source images detect stroke better than nonenhanced CT scans
Leaving hospitals against medical advice puts heart attack patients at substantial risk for rehospitalization or death within 2 years
Hospitalists shorten stays but don't save much money or more lives
Chronic Disease
Physicians could improve end-of-life communication and decision-making for elderly patients with advanced heart failure
Studies examine disease self-management and quality of life of individuals with multiple chronic illnesses
Worries about finances often prompt patients with HIV disease to skimp on their antiretroviral medication
Health Literacy
Nearly one-third of adults show low literacy on dental health
Limited health literacy is a barrier to patients taking the correct prescribed medications
Poor literacy is linked to poor HIV medication adherence among blacks, and may contribute to HIV health disparities
Primary Care Research
Nurses can facilitate quality improvement in primary care practices with electronic medical records
Managing knowledge in family practices takes more than technology
Patients with diabetes have better glucose control when they receive care at primary care clinics that adhere to the chronic care model
Most health care workers do not intend to receive pertussis vaccination, despite their increased risk of acquiring and transmitting the infection
Pharmaceutical Research
Physician residents use personal digital assistants most for drug references and medical calculations
Physicians generally followed drug treatment guidelines for atrial fibrillation, but only one-third used warfarin
Coxibs and NSAIDs with gastroprotective agents offer better protection from ulcers than NSAIDs alone
Access to Care
Trio of factors affects low-income parents' ability to purchase health care for their families
Health improves when previously uninsured adults become eligible for Medicare
Mental Health
Telepsychiatry can help veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder
Nursing home residents likely to receive diagnosis and pills for depression but not psychotherapy
Agency News and Notes
Hispanics with limited proficiency in English access health care less often
Diabetes-related amputations increase for Hispanics
Hospital treatment costs for violence top $2 billion annually
New tool to helps reduce unnecessary hospitalizations
Implantation of cardiac devices has increased 145 percent since 1997
Announcements
AHRQ awards $5 million to help integrate clinical decision support technologies into health care delivery
New members appointed to AHRQ National Advisory Council
Research Briefs
Research Briefs
Visit the AHRQ Patient Safety Network Web Site
AHRQ Publication No. 08-0049
Current as of May 2008
Internet Citation:
Research Activities Newsletter. May 2008, No. 333. AHRQ Publication No. 08-0049. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. https://www.ahrq.gov/research/may08/
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