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Articles of Interest

February 18, 2011

This weekly compilation of articles appearing in recently released journals and newsletters includes:

Articles funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Articles mentioning or discussing AHRQ staff, activities, and publications/products.
Articles related to AHRQ-funded Evidence-based Practice Centers.
Articles related to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force or Put Prevention into Practice program.
Articles mentioning the National Healthcare Disparities Report and National Healthcare Quality Report.
Other research using AHRQ data or products.

AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

AARP Bulletin
Clancy CM. Focus on heart health: Learn the signs and treatments for heart disease. AARP Bull 2011 Feb 2; Online. [Author is AHRQ director.]

American Heart Journal
Alsheikh-Ali AA, Trikalinos TA, Ruthazer R, et al. Risk of arrhythmic and nonarrhythmic death in patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Am Heart J 2011 Jan; 161(1):204-9.e1. [Supported by grant 1 R21 HS17653.] Select to access the abstract.

AJNR: American Journal of Neuroradiology
Payabvash S, Kamalian S, Fung S, et al. Predicting language improvement in acute stroke patients presenting with aphasia: a multivariate logistic model using location-weighted atlas-based analysis of admission CT perfusion scans. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2010 Oct; 31(9):1661-68. [Supported by grant R01 HS11392.] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Internal Medicine
Kmetik KS, O'Toole MF, Bossley H, et al. Exceptions to outpatient quality measures for coronary artery disease in electronic health records. Ann Intern Med 2011 Feb 15; 154(4):227-34. [Supported by grant R18 HS17160.] Select to access the abstract.

Circulation, Cardiovascular Quality and Clinical Outcomes
Carter BL, Clarke W, Ardery G, Weber CA, James PA, Vander Weg M, Chrischilles EA, et al. A cluster-randomized effectiveness trial of a physician-pharmacist collaborative model to improve blood pressure control. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2010 Jul; 3(4):418-23. [Supported by Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) grant 5 U18 HS16094 (to first and seventh authors).] Select to access the abstract.

Health Affairs
Conway PH. How the Recovery Act's Federal Coordinating Council paved the way for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Health Aff 2010 Nov; 29(11):2091-7. [Supported by grant U18 HS16957; author is former AHRQ researcher and former executive director of the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research; describes AHRQ's involvement in comparative effectiveness research.] Select to access the abstract.

Health Services Research
Nicholas LH, Dimick JB, Iwashyna TJ. Do hospitals alter patient care effort allocations under pay-for-performance? Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 1):61-81. [Supported in part by grant 5 K08 HS17765-02 (to second author).] Select to access the abstract.

Spector WD, Limcangco MR, Ladd H, et al. Incremental cost of postacute care in nursing homes. Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 1):105-19. [First and second authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization and Markets; uses 2005 California Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases (SID) data to obtain a "list of hospitals and their addresses," citing HCUP Databases, 2005, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Intrator O, Hiris J, Berg K, et al. The residential history file: studying nursing home residents' long-term care histories. Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 1):120-37. [Supported in part by grant R01 HS10549; cites Total Health Services-Mean and Median Expenses per Person With Expense and Distribution of Expenses by Source of Payment: United States, 2006, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC) data generated interactively by the authors, 2011, as published on AHRQ's MEPS Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics
Vistnes J, Selden T. Premium growth and its effect on employer-sponsored insurance. Int J Health Care Finance Econ 2011 Feb 18. [Epub ahead of print. Authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends; uses 2000-2005 MEPS-Insurance Component (MEPS-IC) data, citing AHRQ publication, List Sample Design of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Insurance Component, Methodology Report 6, 1999.] Select to access the abstract.

JAMA
Hernandez AF, Curtis LH. Minding the gap between efforts to reduce readmissions and disparities. JAMA 2011 Feb 16; 305(7):715-16. [Supported in part by grant U18 HS16964 (to first and second authors).]

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Krishnan JA, Schatz M, Apter AJ. A call for action: comparative effectiveness research in asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011 Jan; 127(1);123-7. [Supported by grant HS17894.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
Styron JF, Barsoum WK, Smyth KA, et al. Preoperative predictors of returning to work following primary total knee arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg 2011 Jan; 93(1):2-10. [Supported by grant T32 HS00059.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Hospital Infection
Rattanaumpawan P, Tolomeo P, Bilker WB, et al. Risk factors for fluoroquinolone resistance in Gram-negative bacilli causing healthcare-acquired urinary tract infections. J Hosp Infect 2010 Dec; 76(4):324-7. [Supported by CERTs grant U18 HS10399.] Select to access the abstract.

Nursing History Review
Carthon JM. Life and death in Philadelphia's black belt: a tale of an urban tuberculosis campaign, 1900-1930. Nurs Hist Rev 2011; 19:29-52. [Supported in part by grant F31 HS01029-02. Also refer to AHRQ-funded article by Baker et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2011) cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

Archives of Internal Medicine
Unroe KT, Greiner MA, Hernandez AF, et al. Resource use in the last 6 months of life among Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure, 2000-2007. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 14; 171(3):196-203. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Curtis et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2008), Hernandez et al. (JAMA, 2008), and Hogan et al. (Health Aff, 2001).] Select to access the abstract.

Bergman J, Saigal CS, Lorenz KA, et al. Hospice use and high-intensity care in men dying of prostate cancer. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 14; 171(3):204-10. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Lackan et al. (Palliat Med, 2005, and Med Care, 2004), Hogan et al. (Health Aff, 2001), and Penson et al. (J Natl Cancer Inst, 2001).] Select to access the abstract.

Pannu N, Hemmelgarn B. The acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease continuum. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 14;171(3):233-4. [Comments on article by Ishani et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2011), cited in Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products.]

Murphy EA. A key step for hospitalized elders. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 14; 171(3):268-9. [Cites Eliminating Serious, Preventable, and Costly Medical Errors-Never Events, as published on AHRQ's Patient Safety Network (PSNet) Web site.]

BMJ
Pronovost PJ, Berenholtz SM. Is quality of care improving in the UK? Yes, but we do not know why. BMJ Feb 12; 342(7793):341-2. [Notes that first author has received previous grant support from AHRQ.]

Family Medicine
Mainous AG. In praise of conventional research methods for medical education research. Fam Med 2011 Feb; 43(2):81-82. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Evans et al. (Acad Med, 2010).]

Yoffe SJ, Moore RW, Gibson JO, et al. A reduction in emergency department use by children from a parent educational intervention. Fam Med 2011 Feb; 43(2):106-11. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Brousseau et al. (Pediatrics, 2007), which uses MEPS data and AHRQ's Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) survey; cites article by Brousseau et al. (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 2004), which uses the CAHPS® survey.] Select to access the abstract.

Health Services Research
Huesch MD. Provider-hospital "fit" and patient outcomes: evidence from Massachusetts cardiac surgeons, 2002-2004. Health Serv Res 2011 Feb;46(1 Pt 1):1-26. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Tsai et al. (Health Serv Res, 2006), Birkmeyer et al. (N Engl J Med, 2003), and O'Connor et al. (JAMA, 1996).] Select to access the abstract.

Chen TT, Chung KP, Lin IC, et al. The unintended consequence of diabetes mellitus pay-for-performance (P4P) program in Taiwan: are patients with more comorbidities or more severe conditions likely to be excluded from the P4P program? Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 1):47-60. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Halladay et al. (Ann Fam Med, 2009), Slonim et al. (Health Serv Res, 2007), Bokhour et al. (Med Care Res Rev, 2006), and Werner and Asch (JAMA, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

O'Malley AJ, Caudry DJ, Grabowski DC. Predictors of nursing home residents' time to hospitalization. Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 1):82-104. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Carter (Health Serv Res, 2003), Intrator, Castle, and Mor (Med Care, 1999).] Select to access the abstract.

Monheit AC, Cantor JC, DeLia D, et al. How have state policies to expand dependent coverage affected the health insurance status of young adults? Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 2):251-67. [First author is former AHRQ center director; cites 2009 MEPS-IC Table II.B.2.b.(1) (2009) Percent of Private-Sector Enrollees that are Enrolled in Self-insured Plans at Establishments that Offer Health Insurance by Firm Size and State: United States, 2009, as published on AHRQ's MEPS Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Cousineau MR, Stevens GD, Farias A. Measuring the impact of outreach and enrollment strategies for public health insurance in California. Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 2):319-35. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored publication, Final Report on Evaluations of Outreach for Public Health Insurance and Selected Other Programs, 2000 (as prepared for AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets); cites AHRQ-funded article by Vistnes and Schone (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Health Aff, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Inquiry
Li M, Baughman R. Coverage, utilization, and health outcomes of the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Inquiry 2010/2011 Win; 47(4):296-314. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles by Hudson, Selden, and Banthin (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Inquiry, 2005) and Selden, Hudson, and Banthin (Health Aff, 2004), which uses various data sets; cites AHRQ-authored article by Eisenberg and Power (former AHRQ director and former AHRQ researcher, respectively) (JAMA, 2000) and AHRQ-funded article by Dick et al. (Health Aff, 2004).]

JAMA
Berry JG, Hall DE, Kuo DZ, et al. Hospital utilization and characteristics of patients experiencing recurrent readmissions within children's hospitals. JAMA 2011 Feb 16; 305(7):682-90. [Cites AHRQ publication, Preventable Hospitalizations: A Window Into Primary and Preventive Care, 2000, HCUP Fact Book 5, 2004, as published on AHRQ Web site; cites Conference Final Report: Assessing Quality of Care for Diabetes, 2008, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Pogach L, Aron DC. Sudden acceleration of diabetes quality measures. JAMA 2011 Feb 16; 305(7):709-10. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored Conference Final Report: Assessing Quality of Care for Diabetics, 2008, as published on AHRQ Web site.]

Gagne JJ, Choudhry NK. How many "me-too" drugs is too many? JAMA 2011 Feb 16; 305(7):711-12. [Cites article by Haas et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2005), which uses 1997-2000 MEPS data.]

DeMets DL, Califf RM. A historical perspective on clinical trials innovation and leadership: where have the academics gone? JAMA 2011 Feb 16; 305(7):713-14. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Clancy and Collins (Sci Transl Med, 2010).]

Golub RM, Fontanarosa PB. 2012 theme issue on comparative effectiveness research – call for papers. JAMA 2011 Feb 16; 305(7):717. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles by Wu, Snyder, and Clancy (AHRQ director) (Health Aff, 2010) and Conway (former AHRQ researcher) and Clancy (JAMA, 2010).]

New England Journal of Medicine
Sadek A, Ford AC. Clopidogrel with or without omeprazole in coronary disease. N Engl J Med 2011 Feb 17; 364(7):681. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Ho et al. (JAMA, 2009).]

Bhatt DL, Laine L, Cannon CP. Author reply: Clopidogrel with or without omeprazole in coronary disease. N Engl J Med 2011 Feb 17; 364(7):682-3. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Ho et al. (JAMA, 2009).]

Landrigan CP, Goldmann DA, Sharek PJ. Author reply: Temporal trends in rates of patient harm from medical care. N Engl J Med 2011 Feb 17; 364(7):685. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Pronovost et al. (N Engl J Med, 2006).]

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)/Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)-Related Articles

Annals of Internal Medicine
Kansagara D, Fu R, Freeman M, et al. Intensive insulin therapy in hospitalized patients: a systematic review. Ann Intern Med 2011 Feb 15; 154(4):268-82. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored article by Harris et al. (Am J Prev Med, 2001), on USPSTF methodologies.] Select to access the abstract.

Archives of Internal Medicine
Earnshaw SR, Scheiman J, Fendrick AM, et al. Cost-utility of aspirin and proton pump inhibitors for primary prevention. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 14; 171(3):218-25. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (Ann Intern Med, 2009) and USPSTF-sponsored evidence summary on aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events (Ann Intern Med, 2002).] Select to access the abstract.

BMJ
McPherson K. Publicity of NHS breast cancer screening is unfair. BMJ 2011 Feb 12; 342(7793):347. [Cites updated USPSTF recommendations on breast cancer screening (Ann Intern Med, 2009).]

Health Services Research
Meeker D, Joyce GF, Malkin J, et al. Coverage and preventive screening. Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 1):173-84. [Mentions that "preventive screenings for cardiac risk factors and breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer have been recommended for healthy adults meeting age and gender criteria" by the USPSTF and other organizations, citing U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) subdirectory page, 2008, on the AHRQ Web site. Also refer to article by Carlson et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2011) cited in Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products] Select to access the abstract.

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

Annals of Internal Medicine
Baker WL, Colby JA, Tongbram V, et al. Neurothrombectomy devices for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke: state of the evidence. Ann Intern Med 2011 Feb 15; 154(4):243-52. [Supported by contract 290-2007-10067-I (based on research conducted by the University of Connecticut/Hartford Hospital Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC); cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Neurothrombectomy Devices for the Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke, 2010, prepared by the University of Connecticut/Hartford Hospital EPC under contract 290-2007-10067-I and published on AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Khatri P. Neurothrombectomy devices for acute ischemic stroke: a state of uncertainty. Ann Intern Med 2011 Feb 15; 154(4):285-7. [Discusses and cites AHRQ-funded article by Baker et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2011), cited above.]

Health Services Research
Zhang Y, Donohue JM, Lave JR, et al. The impact of Medicare Part D on medication treatment of hypertension. Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 1):185-98. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Comparative Effectiveness of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEIs) and Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonists (ARBs) for Treating Essential Hypertension: Executive Summary, 2007; cites AHRQ-funded systematic review by Matcher et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2008) on comparative effectiveness of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers for treating essential hypertension; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Yin et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2008), Zhang et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2008), and Huskamp et al. (N Engl J Med, 2003).] Select to access the abstract.

National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR)/National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR)-Related Articles

Family Medicine
Mendoza MD, Smith SG, Eder MM, et al. The seventh element of quality: the doctor-patient relationship. Fam Med 2011 Feb; 43(2):83-9. [Cites AHRQ's NHQR, 2008; cites AHRQ-funded article by Rosenthal and Frank (Med Care Res Rev, 2006).] Select to access the abstract.

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Archives of Internal Medicine
Carlson CM, Kirby KA, Casadei MA, et al. Lack of follow-up after fecal occult blood testing in older adults: inappropriate screening or failure to follow up? Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 14; 171(3):249-56. [Uses the Charlson comorbidity index described in AHRQ-funded article by Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992); cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for colorectal cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Ishani A, Nelson D, Clothier B, et al. The magnitude of acute serum creatinine increase after cardiac surgery and the risk of chronic kidney disease, progression of kidney disease, and death. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 14; 171(3):226-33. [Uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998); cites Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) for ICD-9-CM, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site; see also commentary by Pannu and Hemmelgarn (Arch Intern Med, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Related Articles above.] Select to access the abstract.

Raja AS, Andruchow J, Zane R, et al. Use of neuroimaging in US emergency departments. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 14; 171(3):260-2. [Uses HCUP Clinical Classifications Software (CCS), citing AHRQ publication, Clinical Classifications Software (CCS), 2008.]

Herzig SJ, Vaughn BP, Howell MD, et al. Acid-suppressive medication use and the risk for nosocomial gastrointestinal tract bleeding. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 14. [Epub ahead of print. Uses HCUP Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) and AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998), citing Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) for ICD-9-CM, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site; cites AHRQ-funded article by Schneeweiss et al. (Arthritis Rheum, 2006).] Select to access the abstract.

Archives of Neurology
McClelland S 3rd, Guo H, Okuyemi KS. Population-based analysis of morbidity and mortality following surgery for intractable temporal lobe epilepsy in the United States. Arch Neurol 2011 Feb 14. [Epub ahead of print. Uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998); cites AHRQ-authored article by Steiner, Elixhauser, and Schnaier (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (Eff Clin Pract, 2002), which uses several HCUP databases.] Select to access the abstract.

Health Services Research
Dusheiko M, Doran T, Gravelle H, et al. Does higher quality of diabetes management in family practice reduce unplanned hospital admissions? Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 1):27-46. [Uses AHRQ's Prevention Quality Indicators, citing AHRQ publication, AHRQ Quality Indicators – Guide to Prevention Quality Indicators: Hospital Admission for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions, 2004, as published on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Hall MA, Hager CL, Orentlicher D. Using payroll deduction to shelter individual health insurance from income tax. Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 2):348-64. [Uses MEPS data to determine the percentage of larger firms which "deduct workers' portion of group insurance premiums through a section 125 plan."] Select to access the abstract.

JAMA
Joynt KE, Orav EJ, Jha AK. Thirty-day readmission rates for Medicare beneficiaries by race and site of care. JAMA 2011 Feb 16; 305(7):675-81. [Uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998) and HCUP Comorbidity Software, version 3.6, citing Comorbidity Software, Version 3.6, as published on AHRQ's Web site; cites articles by Li et al. (BMC Health Serv Res, 2008) and Southern, Quan, and Ghali (Med Care, 2004), both of which use AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures and the Charlson comorbidity score using the Deyo method described in AHRQ-funded article by Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992); cites AHRQ-authored article by Pine, Jordan, and Elixhauser (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets), et al. (JAMA, 2007) and AHRQ-funded articles by Hernandez et al. (JAMA, 2010), Werner, Goldman, and Dudley (JAMA, 2008), Tan et al. (J Am Geriatr Soc, 2003), Ayanian et al. (Med Care, 1999, and JAMA, 1993), and others. Also refer to AHRQ-authored/funded articles by Spector et al. (Health Serv Res, 2011) and Vistnes and Selden (Int J Health Care Finance Econ, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

Current as of February 2011

Internet Citation:

Articles of Interest, February 18, 2011. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/articles/art021811.htm