Research Activities

October 2011, No. 374

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

MONAHRQ® gains momentum
From the Director

Patient Safety and Quality

Less than half of pharmacy computer systems studied correctly identified drug-drug interactions
Simpler drug warning labels are easier to understand
Medical students, interns, and residents need training to disclose medical errors
Certain factors increase risk of medication errors in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
Going "smooth" can help relieve weekday crowding at children's hospitals
Transparency enhances physician communication with patients

Chronic Disease

Minimally invasive heart treatments have reduced bypass surgeries and influenced valve repair and replacement
Full use of evidence-based therapies for heart failure could save nearly 70,000 lives each year
Cancer patients more likely to face higher cost burdens than those with other chronic conditions
Possible blood biomarkers for poorer asthma control identified
Study identifies fractures most and least likely to be caused by osteoporosis
A structured goal-setting approach can improve care outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetes

Health Information Technology

Patients with type 2 diabetes express mixed reactions to a mobile phone and Web-based disease management program
Study identifies costs of implementing electronic health records in network of physician practices

Acute Care/Hospitalization

Heart attack victims should use emergency transport services, not self or family to get to the hospital
Physician recommendations for defibrillator therapy not influenced by race or gender

Health Care Costs and Financing

Medicare Part D reduces out-of-pocket costs and modestly boosts prescription volume

Women's Health

Married couples who have twins are more likely to divorce
Disease that springs from water parasites may also be a risk factor for HIV for women in sub-Saharan Africa
Women on Medicare with poor chances of living 4 more years often forego screening mammograms

Child/Adolescent Health

More research is needed on outcomes after maternal-fetal surgery
A small number of drugs are used most commonly during pediatric hospitalizations
Human rhinovirus linked to bronchiolitis and upper respiratory infections among healthy term infants

Agency News and Notes

Hospital deaths from heart failure cut by half over 7 years
Hospitalizations for children with influenza and skin infections increased in the last decade
More than 20,000 emergency room visits for air and paintball gun injuries in 2008
Nighttime-breathing treatments backed by strongest evidence among options to treat sleep apnea

Announcements

Task Force updates recommendation on screening for bladder cancer in asymptomatic adults
AHRQ releases tool to help Spanish-speaking consumers reduce medication errors
New Spanish-language guides inform decisions about heart disease and other illnesses
New report shows strengths and areas for improvement in nursing homes
AHRQ releases report on designing consumer reporting systems for patient safety events
AHRQ report examines impact of human resource patterns on quality and safety

Research Briefs

Research Briefs

AHRQ Publication No. 12-RA001
Current as of October 2011

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities Newsletter. October 2011, No. 374. AHRQ Publication No. 12-RA001. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/oct11/

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