Research Activities

August 2012, No. 384

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

State Medicaid policy changes increasingly driven by evidence
From the Director

Acute Care/Hospitalization

Outcomes of trauma patients depend heavily on whether recommended practices are followed
Patients hospitalized for burn injuries in New York have comparable outcomes at major burn centers
Medicare managed care reduced preventable hospitalizations in 2004 more than fee-for-service Medicare
New study counters the urban legend that insurers won't cover patients who leave the hospital prematurely
Ways to reduce contrast-induced acute kidney injury from imaging procedures in patients with cardiovascular disease
Discharge to skilled nursing facilities after a heart attack or heart failure explains little of variation in hospital readmissions

Patient Safety and Quality

New tool developed to reduce risks to patients during clinical handoffs
Complications increase mortality of trauma patients
Liver transplant patients who taper off or do not take corticosteroids after transplantation have better quality of life
Benefits and risks of helicopter transport for trauma patients investigated

Mental Health

More patients with anxiety disorders are being prescribed antipsychotic medications by office-based psychiatrists
Effects of antidepressants on suicidal thoughts and behavior differ by age group

Comparative Effectiveness Research

Insulin pump and glucose monitoring improve blood-sugar control for diabetes patients
Some noninvasive tests are better than others at detecting coronary artery disease in women
Newer antidepressants equally effective in treating major depressive disorder
JAMA special issue focuses on comparative effectiveness research

Chronic Disease

Screening based on risk factors and birth year boosts screening rates for hepatitis C
Provider-patient dialogue could be improved to foster medication adherence in HIV care
Single-lung transplantation for COPD improves access to transplantation without jeopardizing survival
Fewer patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis die while awaiting liver transplants than those with other liver diseases

Elderly Health/Long-Term Care

Adverse drug reactions a major cause of unplanned hospitalizations of elderly veterans
Certain medications are associated with functional decline in the elderly
Bowel incontinence and other clinical factors predict the development of pressure ulcers
Introduction of hospice services by nursing homes does not significantly affect nursing assistant staffing

Child/Adolescent Health

No significant link found between treatments used for juvenile idiopathic arthritis and development of cancer
Treatment guideline reduces hypoglycemic events in critically ill children

Primary Care

Patients often say good things about their physicians on rate-your-doc Web sites, but are less positive about system issues

Agency News and Notes

Limited evidence on best strategies during a mass casualty event
Electronic health records help researchers harness data

Announcements

New tool aims to guide formulary role in drug prescribing
Spanish-language novella on managing type 2 diabetes available
MONAHRQ 3.0 released
HCUP 2010 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Database released
Symposium on new and emerging data methods published as a supplement to Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety

Research Briefs

Research Briefs

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AHRQ Publication No. 12-RA011
Current as of August 2012

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities Newsletter. August 2012, No. 384. AHRQ Publication No. 12-RA011. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/aug12/index.html

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