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Articles of Interest

September 11, 2009

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

American Journal of Medical Quality
Yu H, Greenberg MD, Haviland AM, et al. "Canary measures" among the AHRQ patient safety indicators. Am J Med Qual 2009 Aug 20 (Epub):1-9. [Supported by contract 290-02-0010; discusses and uses AHRQ patient safety indicators and 1997-2002 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data.] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
Lee SS, Schwemm AK, Reist J, et al. Pharmacists' and pharmacy students' ability to identify drug-related problems using TIMER (Tool to Improve Medications in the Elderly via Review). Am J Pharm Educ 2009 May 27; 73(3):52. [Supported by grant 1 U18 HS16094-01 (conducted by the University of Iowa Older Adults Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERT), led by seventh author, Chrischilles).] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Emergency Medicine
Kahn CA, Schultz CH, Miller KT, et al. Does START triage work? An outcomes assessment after a disaster. Ann Emerg Med 2009 Sep; 54(3):424-30, 430.e1. [Supported by fellowship training grant F32 HS15768 (to first author).] Select to access the abstract.

Injury
Dossett LA, Redhage LA, Sawyer RG, et al. Revisiting the validity of APACHE II in the trauma ICU: improved risk stratification in critically injured adults. Injury 2009 Sep; 40(9):993-8. [Supported in part by grant T32 HS13833.] Select to access the abstract.

JAMA
Sittig DF, Singh H. Eight rights of safe electronic health record use. JAMA 2009 Sep 9; 302(10):1111-13. [Supported in part by AHRQ, grant 5 R18 HS017820 to second author.]

Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety
Lanham HJ, McDaniel RR Jr, Crabtree BF, et al. How improving practice relationships among clinicians and nonclinicians can improve quality in primary care. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2009 Sep; 35(9):457-66. [Supported in part by grant R01 HS08776.]

Hsiao AL, Shiffman RN. Dropping the baton during the handoff from emergency department to primary care: pediatric asthma continuity errors. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2009 Sep; 35(9):467-78. [Supported in part by grant UC1 HS15420.]

Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics
Wren TA, Kalisvaart MM, Ghatan CE, et al. Effects of preoperative gait analysis on costs and amount of surgery. J Pediatr Orthop 2009 Sep; 29(6):558-63. [Supported in part by grant 5 R01 HS14169.] Select to access the abstract.

Osteoporosis International
Curtis JR, Laster A, Becker DJ, et al. The geographic availability and associated utilization of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) testing among older persons in the United States. Osteoporos Int 2009 Sep; 20(9):1553-61. [Supported in part by U18 HS16956 (to first author and tenth author, Saag).] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
Candrilli SD, Balkrishnan R, O'Brien SH. Effect of injury severity on the incidence and utilization-related outcomes of venous thromboembolism in pediatric trauma inpatients. Pediatr Crit Care Med 2009 Sep; 10(5):554-7. [Supported in part by grant R03 HS17344-01.] Select to access the abstract.

Stroke
Maas MB, Furie KL, Lev MH, et al. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score is poorly predictive of proximal occlusion in acute cerebral ischemia. Stroke 2009 Sep; 40(9):2988-93. [Supported in part by grant R01 HS11392.] Select to access the abstract.

Maas MB, Lev MH, Ay H, et al. Collateral vessels on CT angiography predict outcome in acute ischemic stroke. Stroke 2009 Sep; 40(9):3001-5. [Supported in part by grant R01 HS11392.] Select to access the abstract.

Value in Health
Hanmer J. Predicting an SF-6D preference-based score using MCS and PCS scores from the SF-12 or SF-36. Value Health 2009 Sep; 12(6):958-66. [Supported by grant 1 R36 HS16574; uses 2001-2003 MEPS data.] Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

Academic Medicine
Kahan NR, Kahan E, Waitman DA, et al. The tools of an evidence-based culture: implementing clinical-practice guidelines in an Israeli HMO. Acad Med 2009 Sep; 84(9):1217-25. [Cites article by Shekelle et al. (JAMA, 2001) about AHRQ clinical practice guidelines; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Shekelle et al. (BMJ, 2001), Lu et al. (BMC Health Serv Res, 2008), and Steinman et al. (Med Care, 2006).] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Nursing
Montague KN, Blietz CM, Kachur M. Ensuring quieter hospital environments. Am J Nurs 2009 Sep; 109(9):65-7. [Mentions the inclusion of a noise-related question in AHRQ's Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey and CMS' recommendation to include the HCAHPS survey as a performance measure in a proposed "value-based purchasing program."] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal on Preventive Medicine
Østbye T, Krause KM, Lovelady CA, et al. Active Mothers Postpartum: a randomized controlled weight-loss intervention trial. Am J Prev Med 2009 Sep; 37(3):173-80. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Ammerman et al. (Prev Med, 2002).] Select to access the abstract.

Hu G, Baker SP. Trends in unintentional injury deaths, U.S., 1999-2005: age, gender, and racial/ethnic differences. Am J Prev Med 2009 Sep; 37(3):188-94. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Pletcher et al. (JAMA, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Tucker-Seeley RD, Subramanian SV, Li Y, et al. Neighborhood safety, socioeconomic status, and physical activity in older adults. Am J Prev Med 2009 Sep; 37(3):207-13. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by He and Baker (J Gen Intern Med, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

Subramanian S, Ekwueme DU, Gardner JG, et al. Developing and testing a cost-assessment tool for cancer screening programs. Am J Prev Med 2009 Sep; 37(3):242-7. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Frazier et al. (JAMA, 2000).] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Public Health
Bozeman B, Slade C, Hirsch P. Understanding bureaucracy in health science ethics: toward a better institutional review board. Am J Public Health 2009 Sep; 99(9):1549-56. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Moore et al. (N Engl J Med, 1994).] Select to access the abstract.

Wiltshire JC, Person SD, Kiefe CI, et al. Disentangling the influence of socioeconomic status on differences between African American and white women in unmet medical needs. Am J Public Health 2009 Sep; 99(9):1659-65. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Franks, Gold, and Clancy (AHRQ director) (Health Serv Res, 1996); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Mayer, Slifkin, and Skinner (Med Care Res Rev, 2005) and Osmond et al. (Health Serv Res, 1996).] Select to access the abstract.

Bernstein SL, Cabral L, Maantay J, et al. Disparities in access to over-the-counter nicotine replacement products in New York City pharmacies. Am J Public Health 2009 Sep; 99(9):1699-704. [Cites AHRQ guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

CME: Your SA Journal of CPD
Mol D. An approach to chronic otitis media with effusion—the pros and cons of grommets: grommets or not? CME SA J CPD 2009 Aug; 27(8):358-62 [text only-figures omitted]. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Otitis Media With Effusion in Young Children, 1994 (not considered current guidance).]

Cyber Skeptic's Guide to Internet Research
Fingerman S. The Milbank Memorial Fund. Cyber Skeptic Guide Internet Res 2009 Sep; 14(8):4. [Mentions an article by Chalkidou et al. (Milbank Q, 2009) that discusses AHRQ and comparative effectiveness research as an example of articles published in the journal Milbank Quarterly .]

Evaluation and the Health Professions
De Vito C, Carmelo Nobile G, Furnari G, et al. The role of education in improving physicians' professional use of economic evaluations of health interventions: some evidence from a cross-sectional survey in Italy. Eval Health Prof 2009 Sep; 32(3):249-63. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Sulmasy et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2000).] Select to access the abstract.

Reynolds NL, Brown MM, Jason LA. The relationship of Fennell phases to symptoms among patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Eval Health Prof 2009 Sep; 32(3):264-80. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Ware and Sherbourne (Med Care, 1992), McHorney, Ware, and Raczek (Med Care, 1993), and McHorney et al. (Med Care, 1994).] Select to access the abstract.

JAMA
D'Avolio LW. Electronic medical records at a crossroads: impetus for change or missed opportunity? JAMA 2009 Sep 9; 302(10):1109-11. [Mentions that AHRQ and other agencies are "investing heavily in clinical data-dependent quality measurement and improvement initiatives such as Pay-for-Performance and Healthy People 2010."]

Cooper RA. Regional variation and the affluence-poverty nexus. JAMA 2009 Sep 9; 302(10):1113-14. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Chen and Escarce (Med Care, 2004).]

Yealy DM, Fine MJ. Measurement of serum procalcitonin: a step closer to tailored care for respiratory infections? JAMA 2009 Sep 9; 302(10):1115-16. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Yealy et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2005), Metlay et al. (Ann Emerg Med, 2007), Ranji et al. (Med Care, 2008), and others.]

Schuetz P, Christ-Crain M, Thomann R, et al. Effect of procalcitonin-based guidelines vs standard guidelines on antibiotic use in lower respiratory tract infections: the ProHOSP randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2009 Sep 9; 302(10):1059-66. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Fine et al. (N Engl J Med, 1997).] Select to access the abstract.

Joint Commission on Quality and Patient Safety
Young JQ, Wachter RM. Applying Toyota production system principles to a psychiatric hospital: making transfers safer and more timely. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2009 Sep; 35(9):439-48. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Gandhi et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2006).]

Saint S, Olmsted RN, Fakih MG. Translating health care-associated urinary tract infection prevention research into practice via the bladder bundle. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2009 Sep; 35(9):449-55. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Saint et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2000), Tambyah, Knasinski, and Maki (Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, 2002), and Pronovost et al. (N Engl J Med, 2006, Health Serv Res, 2006, and Circulation, 2009).]

Journal of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
Arcury TA, Grzywacz JG, Stoller EP, et al. Complementary therapy use and health self-management among rural older adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2009 Sep; 64(5):635-43. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Arcury et al. (J Rural Health, 2005) and Onega et al. (Cancer, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Pediatrics
Morath JM, Hain PD, Deshpande JK, et al. Patient safety as an academic discipline. J Pediatr 2009 Sep; 155(3):303-4. [Cites statement by Cook in testimony submitted for the AHRQ-sponsored second National Summit on Patient Safety Research, 2003.]

Rautava L, Häkkinen U, Korvenranta E, et al. Health-related quality of life in 5-year-old very low birth weight infants. J Pediatr 2009 Sep; 155(3):338-43.e1-e3. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Saigal et al. (Pediatrics, 2000).] Select to access the abstract.

Medical Care
Shortell SM, Gillies R, Siddique J, et al. Improving chronic illness care: a longitudinal cohort analysis of large physician organizations. Med Care 2009 Sep; 47(9):932-9. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Tsai et al. (Am J Manage Care, 2005) and Shojania et al. (JAMA, 2006).] Select to access the abstract.

Stingone JA, Claudio L. Components of recommended asthma care and the use of long-term control medication among urban children with asthma. Med Care 2009 Sep; 47(9):940-7. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Finkelstein et al. (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 2002).] Select to access the abstract.

Henke RM, Zaslavsky AM, McGuire TG, et al. Clinical inertia in depression treatment. Med Care 2009 Sep; 47(9):959-67. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Hepner et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2007), Sherbourne and Stewart (Soc Sci Med, 1991), and Frank, Huskamp, and Pincus (Psychiatr Serv, 2003); cites AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Depression in Primary Care: Volume 2. Treatment of Major Depression, 1993.] Select to access the abstract.

Shen YC, Hsia RY, Kuzma K. Understanding the risk factors of trauma center closures: do financial pressure and community characteristics matter? Med Care 2009 Sep; 47(9):968-78. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Hsia, MacIsaac, and Baker (Ann Emerg Med, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Marsteller JA, Burton L, Mader SL, et al. Health care provider evaluation of a substitutive model of hospital at home. Med Care 2009 Sep; 47(9):979-85. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Covinsky et al. (J Am Geriatr Soc, 2003).] Select to access the abstract.

Berz JP, Johnston K, Backus B, et al. The influence of black race on treatment and mortality for early-stage breast cancer. Med Care 2009 Sep; 47(9):986-92. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Canto et al. (N Engl J Med, 2000) and Bickell et al. (J Clin Oncol, 2006).] Select to access the abstract.

Bronskill SE, Rochon PA, Gill SS, et al. The relationship between variations in antipsychotic prescribing across nursing homes and short-term mortality: quality of care implications. Med Care 2009 Sep; 47(9):1000-8. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Schneeweiss et al. (Am J Epidemiol, 2001) and Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992).] Select to access the abstract.

Hausmann LR, Ibrahim SA, Mehrotra A, et al. Racial and ethnic disparities in pneumonia treatment and mortality. Med Care 2009 Sep; 47(9):1009-17. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Lave et al. (Sem Respir Crit Care Med, 1999), Wong et al. (N Engl J Med, 2002), Ayanian et al. (Med Care, 1999), and others.] Select to access the abstract.

Deo S, McInnes K, Corbett CJ, et al. Associations between organizational characteristics and quality improvement activities of clinics participating in a quality improvement collaborative. Med Care 2009 Sep; 47(9):1026-30. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Chin et al. (Diabetes Care, 2004), Landon et al. (N Eng J Med, 2007), Homer et al. (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 2005), and others.] Select to access the abstract.

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

American Journal of Nursing
Myers KE. Domestic violence. Am J Nurs 2009 Sep; 109(9):12. [Notes that USPSTF review cited in reviewed article found "insufficient evidence to recommend universal screening [for domestic violence], but the outcome measure it used was reduction in violence" as opposed to providing an opportunity for disclosure, and notes that AHRQ "has developed a quality assessment tool for evaluating hospital-based domestic violence programs" that "is straightforward and provides a wealth of information and an opportunity to make a difference."]

Lockwood-Rayermann S, Donovan HS, Rambo D, et al. Women's awareness of ovarian cancer risks and symptoms. Am J Nurs 2009 Sep; 109(9):36-45; quiz 46. [Cites USPSTF recommendation statement on screening for ovarian cancer, 2004, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Public Health
Amico KR. Percent total attrition: a poor metric for study rigor in hosted intervention designs. Am J Public Health 2009 Sep; 99(9):1567-75. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored summary of evidence on behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce risky/harmful alcohol use by adults (Ann Intern Med, 2004).] Select to access the abstract.

Harvard Men's Health Watch
No author. PSA: prostate-specific antigen, persisting scientific ambiguities. Harvard Men's Health Watch 2009 Jul 1. [Includes table of overall risk of developing prostate cancer by age group taken from the USPSTF publication, Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 1996; discusses USPSTF recommendations against prostate cancer screening for men age 75 or older or for men with life expectancies of 10 years or less.]

JAMA
Wee CC. A 52-year-old woman with obesity: review of bariatric surgery. JAMA 2009 Sep 9; 302(10):1097-104. [Cites USPSTF recommendations and rationale on screening for obesity in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2003); cites AHRQ-authored article by Encinosa (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization and Markets), Bernard (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends), Chen, and Steiner (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization and Markets) (Med Care, 2006).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants
Ragan P, Turner T. Working to prevent lead poisoning in children: getting the lead out. JAAPA 2009 Jul; 22(7):40-5. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored updated summary of evidence on screening for elevated lead levels in childhood and pregnancy (Pediatrics, 2006).]

Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders
Vaidya D, Yanek LR, Faraday N, et al. Native platelet aggregation and response to aspirin in persons with the metabolic syndrome and its components. Metab Syndr Relat Disord 2009 Aug; 7(4):289-96. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored summary of the evidence on aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events (Ann Intern Med, 2002).] Select to access the abstract.

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

American Journal on Preventive Medicine
Schillie SF, Shehab N, Thomas KE, et al. Medication overdoses leading to emergency department visits among children. Am J Prev Med 2009 Sep; 37(3):181-7. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001, as published on AHRQ Web site.]

CME: Your SA Journal of CPD
McCulloch A. Dysphagia. CME SA J CPD 2009 Aug; 27(8):354-7 [text only-figures omitted]. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment of Swallowing Disorders in Acute-Care Stroke Patients, 1999 (not considered current guidance).]

Medical Care
MacPhail LH, Neuwirth EB, Bellows J. Coordination of diabetes care in four delivery models using an electronic health record. Med Care 2009 Sep; 47(9):993-9. [Cites AHRQ Technical Review, Closing the Quality Gap: A Critical Analysis of Quality Improvement Strategies, 2007.] Select to access the abstract.

Shrank WH, Patrick A, Gleason PP, et al. An evaluation of the relationship between the implementation of a newly designed prescription drug label at target pharmacies and health outcomes. Med Care 2009 Sep; 47(9):1031-5. [Cites AHRQ-funded systematic review by Pignone et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2005) on interventions to improve health outcomes for patients with low literacy, which was commissioned by AHRQ as part of research for AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Literacy & Health Outcomes, 2004] Select to access the abstract.

Pain Physician
Manchikanti L, Glaser SE, Wolfer L, et al. Systematic review of lumbar discography as a diagnostic test for chronic low back pain. Pain Physician 2009 May-Jun; 12(3):541-59. [Cites Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Systems to Rate the Strength of Scientific Evidence, 2002; uses modified AHRQ assessment methodologies and USPSTF level of evidence criteria.] Select to access the abstract.

Research By Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Kapoor A, Kraemer KL, Smith KJ, et al. Cost-effectiveness of screening for unhealthy alcohol use with %carbohydrate deficient transferrin: results from a literature-based decision analytic computer model. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2009 Aug; 33(8):1440-9. [Uses and cites 2004 MEPS data; cites USPSTF summary of recommendations on screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse, 2004, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Lawson PJ, Flocke SA, Casucci B. Development of an instrument to document the 5A's for smoking cessation. Am J Prev Med 2009 Sep; 37(3):248-54. [Uses the 5A's framework for smoking cessation from AHRQ-sponsored guidelines Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update, 2008 and Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, 2000.] Select to access the abstract

British Journal of Nutrition
McNaughton SA, Mishra GD, Brunner EJ. Food patterns associated with blood lipids are predictive of coronary heart disease: the Whitehall II study. Br J Nutr 2009 Aug; 102(4):619-24. [Uses study cohort data from the Whitehall II study, previously funded by AHRQ.] Select to access the abstract.

Epilepsy Research
Koubeissi MZ, Syed TU, Syed I, et al. Hemispherectomy-associated complications from the Kids' Inpatient Database. Epilepsy Res 2009 Sep 4 (Epub):1-7. Uses 1997, 2000, and 2003 HCUP Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) data.] Select to access the abstract.

Government Accountability Office Report
Government Accountability Office. Report to the Chairman, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate. Medicaid preventive services: concerted efforts needed to ensure beneficiaries receive services. GAO Rpt 2009 Aug; GAO-09-578. [Uses and cites 2003-2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data; cites various USPSTF recommendation statements and notes that "an analysis guided by the National Commission on Prevention Priorities of the cost effectiveness of 25 USPSTF recommended preventive services concluded that many are cost effective, and some are cost saving"; cites article by Maciosek et al. (Am J Prev Med, 2006), discussing the USPSTF.]

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance
Martin BC, Shi L, Ward RD. Race, gender, and language concordance in the primary care setting. Int J Health Care Qual Assur 2009; 22(4):340-52. [Uses and cites 2003 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS) data.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Dugravot A, Guéguen A, Kivimaki M, et al. Socioeconomic position and cognitive decline using data from two waves: what is the role of the wave 1 cognitive measure? J Epidemiol Community Health 2009 Aug; 63(8):675-80. [Uses study cohort data from the Whitehall II study, previously funded by AHRQ.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the National Medical Association
Lefebvre KM, Metraux S. Disparities in level of amputation among minorities: implications for improved preventative care. J Natl Med Assoc 2009 Jul; 101(7):649-55. [Uses and cites 2003 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Bagchi AD, Schone E, Higgins P, et al. Racial and ethnic health disparities in TRICARE. J Natl Med Assoc 2009 Jul; 101(7):663-70. [Uses questions from CAHPS®, version 3.0, which are contained in the 2007 Health Care Survey of Department of Defense (DoD) Beneficiaries (HCSDB); compares 2007 HCSDB data with data from the 2006 National CAHPS® Benchmarking Database and the National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2007;cites article by Hays et al. (Med Care, 1999), using CAHPS survey measures.] Select to access the abstract.

Medical Care
Tung YC, Chang GM, Chen YH. Associations of physician volume and weekend admissions with ischemic stroke outcome in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based study. Med Care 2009 Sep; 47(9):1018-25. [Uses and cites AHRQ's inpatient quality indicators.] Select to access the abstract.

Obesity
Trasande L, Chatterjee S. The impact of obesity on health service utilization and costs in childhood. Obesity 2009 Sep; 17(9):1749-54. [Uses and cites 2002-2005 MEPS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Spine
Martin BI, Turner JA, Mirza SK, et al. Trends in health care expenditures, utilization, and health status among U.S. adults with spine problems, 1997-2006. Spine 2009 Sep 1; 34(19):2077-84. [Uses and cites 1997-2006 MEPS data; cites HCUP data on discectomy, laminectomy, and fusion surgery and several AHRQ-authored articles about and/or using MEPS.] Select to access the abstract.

Current as of September 2009

Internet Citation:

Articles of Interest, September 11, 2009. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/articles/art091109.htm

 
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