Research Activities

April 2011, No. 368

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Health care quality still improving slowly, but disparities and gaps in access to care persist
From the Director

Disparities/Minority Health

Regional poverty boosts adults' chances of having unmet health care needs
Blacks less likely than whites to use either statins or aspirin in the prevention of cardiovascular disease
Korean Americans with high blood pressure who are confident they can achieve blood pressure control are more likely to do so

Patient Safety and Quality

Medication safety indicators can guide improvement in primary care drug selection, dosing, and monitoring
Hospital Compare data may not help surgical patients find hospitals with better outcomes

Chronic Disease

Obese patients with hypertension and diabetes have a greater risk of dying after noncardiac surgery
Medications differ in their effect on risk of foot ulcers and limb amputations in patients with diabetes
Diet and medication adherence can reduce cardiovascular disease for patients with type 2 diabetes
Provider's communication style boosts results for acupuncture on arthritic knees

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research

Certain hospital characteristics influence mortality after complications following high-risk surgery
Various factors influence the adoption of ergonomics in health care organizations

Health Care Workforce

Nursing shortage may have adverse impact on public health emergency preparedness
Physicians cultivate colleagues' esteem differently at low- and high-prestige hospitals

Health Care Costs and Financing

Some adults with disabilities covered by Medicaid have significant out-of-pocket health expenses
Medicare Part D enrollees have higher cost-sharing amounts for brand name prescription drugs than those in employer plans
Many patients with diabetes who reach the Medicare Part D drug coverage gap don't talk about drug costs with their doctors
Payment reform highlighted in special journal issue

Health Information Technology

Parents using electronic kiosk provide more accurate clinical information than emergency room providers
Decision support intervention prompts clinicians to update patients' problem lists in their medical records
Patients with limited health literacy less likely to use an Internet portal for diabetes and other health information
Parents find telemedicine care of children in school and childcare to be helpful and convenient

Child/Adolescent Health

Electronic health record decision support improves the care of children with ADHD
Adolescents with higher socioeconomic status at greater risk for substance abuse during early adulthood
Adverse drug event surveillance tailored to hospitalized children

Women's Health

Perceived lower social standing linked to unplanned pregnancies
Certain women are at greater risk for mental health problems during pregnancy

Agency News and Notes

Rates of pneumonia dramatically reduced in patients on ventilators in Michigan intensive care units
One in four U.S. adults reported having high blood pressure in 2008
Nearly 4 million adults reported being treated for kidney disease between 2003 and 2007
Spending for prescriptions to control diabetes, cholesterol, and other metabolic conditions exceeds $52 billion
Patients' income and where they live influence hospitalization for chronic lung disease

Announcements

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updates vision screening recommendation for young children
New AHRQ resource helps to improve nursing home care
AHRQ releases Common Formats for patient safety reporting in skilled nursing facilities
New AHRQ podcasts focus on coronary artery disease, reducing medication costs, and telemedicine in schools
New AHRQ report on women at risk for diabetes is available
CME module offered on in-hospital off-label uses of recombinant factor VIIa
Clarification

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AHRQ Publication No. 11-RA007
Current as of April 2011

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities Newsletter. April 2011, No. 368. AHRQ Publication No. 11-RA007. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/apr11/

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