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Articles of Interest

December 4, 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

Annals of Family Medicine
Halladay JR, Stearns SC, Wroth T, et al. Cost to primary care practices of responding to payer requests for quality and performance data. Ann Fam Med 2009 Nov-Dec; 7(6):495-503. [Supported by contract 290-2007-100-14.] Select to access the abstract.

British Journal of General Practice
Meropol SB, Chen Z, Metlay JP. Reduced antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections in adults and children. Br J Gen Pract 2009 Oct; 59(567):e321-8. [Supported by grant U18 HS16946.] Select to access the abstract.

Epilepsy and Behavior
Barr WB, Bender HA, Morrison C, et al. Diagnostic validity of a neuropsychological test battery for Hispanic patients with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2009 Nov; 16(3):479-83. [Supported in part by grant 1 F32 HS16819.] Select to access the abstract.

JACC. Cardiovascular Interventions
Brown JR, Block CA, Malenka DJ, et al. Sodium bicarbonate plus N-acetylcysteine prophylaxis: a meta-analysis. JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2009 Nov; 2(11):1116-24. [Supported by National Research Service Award post-doctoral training grant T32 HS00070.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American Pharmacists Association
Hansen RA, Dusetzina SB, Song L, et al. Depression affects adherence measurement but not the effectiveness of an adherence intervention in heart failure patients. J Am Pharm Assoc 2009 Nov-Dec; 49(6):760-8. [Supported by grant 5 T32 HS00032-20 (to second author).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Adolescent Health
Caskey R, Lindau ST, Alexander GC. Knowledge and early adoption of the HPV vaccine among girls and young women: results of a national survey. J Adolesc Health 2009 Nov; 45(5):453-62. [Supported in part by grant K08 HS15699-01A1 (career development award to third author).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
Anderson M, Cohrssen A, Klink K, et al. Are a speculum examination and wet mount always necessary for patients with vaginal symptoms? A pilot randomized controlled trial. J Am Board Fam Med 2009 Nov-Dec; 22(6):617-24. [Supported by grant 1 R03 HS16050-01.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Rassen JA, Brookhart MA, Glynn RJ,, Mittleman MA, Schneeweiss S. Instrumental variables I: instrumental variables exploit natural variation in nonexperimental data to estimate causal relationships. J Clin Epidemiol 2009 Dec; 62(12):1226-32. [Supported in part by grant 2 R01 HS10881 (to fifth author, acknowledged as principal investigator of Brigham and Women's Hospital DecIDE Research Center on Comparative Effectiveness Research.] Select to access the abstract.

Rassen JA, Brookhart MA, Glynn RJ, Mittleman MA, Schneeweiss S. Instrumental variables II: instrumental variable application-in 25 variations, the physician prescribing preference generally was strong and reduced covariate imbalance. J Clin Epidemiol 2009 Dec; 62(12):1233-41. [Supported in part by grant 2 R01 HS10881 (to fifth author, acknowledge as principal investigator of Brigham and Women's Hospital DecIDE Research Center on Comparative Effectiveness Research.] Select to access the abstract.

Osteoporosis International
Curtis JR, Arora T, Xi J, et al. Do physicians within the same practice setting manage osteoporosis patients similarly? Implications for implementation research. Osteoporos Int 2009 Nov; 20(11):1921-7. [Supported in part by grant U18 HS16956.] Select to access the abstract.

Curtis JR, Taylor AJ, Matthews RS, et al. "Pathologic" fractures: should these be included in epidemiologic studies of osteoporotic fractures? Osteoporos Int 2009 Nov; 20(11):1969-72. [Supported in part by grant U18 HS16956 (to first and ninth (Saag KG) authors).] Select to access the abstract.

Patient Education and Counseling
Cegala DJ, Post DM. The impact of patients' participation on physicians' patient-centered communication. Patient Educ Couns 2009 Nov; 77(2):202-8. [Supported in part by grant R03 HS90110-01T.] Select to access the abstract.

Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
Chen DT, Wynia MK, Moloney RM, Alexander GC. U.S. physician knowledge of the FDA-approved indications and evidence base for commonly prescribed drugs: results of a national survey. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2009 Nov; 18(11):1094-1100. [Supported in part by grant K08 HS15699-01A1 (Career Development Award to fourth author.] Select to access the abstract.

Stroke
Kattah JC, Talkad AV, Wang DZ, et al. HINTS to diagnose stroke in the acute vestibular syndrome: three-step bedside oculomotor examination more sensitive than early MRI diffusion-weighted imaging. Stroke 2009 Nov; 40(11):3504-10. [Supported in part by grant HS17755-01.] Select to access the abstract.

Trustee
Clancy CM. Tools to alleviate safety concern. Trustee 2009 Nov-Dec; 62(10):30-2. [Author is AHRQ director; discusses AHRQ mission and how trustees can best utilize AHRQ's patient safety tools to achieve their goal of promoting quality and safety, citing AHRQ-authored article by Jiang (senior social scientist in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets), Lockee, Bass, and Fraser (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (J Healthc Manag, 2008), using AHRQ's inpatient quality indicators and state inpatient databases and AHRQ's Medical Errors and Patient Safety Web site.]

Women's Health Issues
Holland ML, Kitzman H, Veazie P. The effects of stress on birth weight in low-income, unmarried black women. Womens Health Issues 2009 Nov-Dec; 19(6):390-7. [Supported by grants T32 HS00044-16 (NRSA Institutional Research Training grant) and R36 HS17737 (Health Services Research Dissertation Award).] Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

Academic Pediatrics
Mouradian WE, Slayton RL, Maas WR, et al. Progress in children's oral health since the Surgeon General's report on oral health. Acad Pediatr 2009 Nov-Dec; 9(6):374-379. [Cites 1996-2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data cited in articles by Edelstein and Chinn, and Edelstein, cited below.]

Tinanoff N, Reisine S. Update on early childhood caries since the Surgeon General's report. Acad Pediatr 2009 Nov-Dec; 9(6):396-403. [Cites AHRQ publication, Dental Services—Mean and Median Expenses Per Person with Expense and Distribution of Expenses by Source of Payment: United States, MEPS Component data, July 6, 2009.] Select to access the abstract.

Edelstein BL, Chinn CH. Update on disparities in oral health and access to dental care for America's children. Acad Pediatr 2009 Nov-Dec; 9(6):415-19. [Cites AHRQ publication, Dental Use, Expenses, Private Dental Coverage, and Changes, 1996 and 2004, MEPS Chartbook No. 17, 2007.] Select to access the abstract.

Lewis CW. Dental care and children with special health care needs: a population-based perspective. Acad Pediatr 2009 Nov-Dec; 9(6):420-6. [Notes that the Children with Special Health Care Needs screener is now a component of MEPS and other national surveys, citing AHRQ's MEPS Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Strauss RP, Cassell CH. Critical issues in craniofacial care: quality of life, costs of care, and implications of prenatal diagnosis. Acad Pediatr 2009 Nov-Dec; 9(6):427-32. [Cites AHRQ publication, Hospitalizations for Firth Defects, 2004, HCUP Statistical Brief, 2007; cites AHRQ-authored article by Weinick and Krauss (former AHRQ researchers) (Am J Public Health, 2000).] Select to access the abstract.

Mertz E, Mouradian WE. Addressing children's oral health in the new millennium: trends in the dental workforce. Acad Pediatr 2009 Nov-Dec; 9(6):433-9. [Cites AHRQ publication, Dental Use, Expenses, Private Dental Coverage, and Changes, 1996 and 2004, MEPS Chartbook No. 17, 2007.] Select to access the abstract.

Seale NS, McWhorter AG, Mouradian WE. Dental education's role in improving children's oral health and access to care. Acad Pediatr 2009 Nov-Dec; 9(6):440-5. [Cites AHRQ publication, Dental Use, Expenses, Private Dental Coverage, and Changes, 1996 and 2004, MEPS Chartbook No. 17, 2007.] Select to access the abstract.

Edelstein BL. Putting teeth in CHIP: 1997-2009 retrospective of Congressional action on children's oral health. Acad Pediatr 2009 Nov-Dec; 9(6):467-75. [Lists analysis of dental service utilization as AHRQ's contribution to pediatric oral health programs and a source of data of interest to Congress; cites AHRQ-authored article by Edelstein, Manski, and Moeller (second and third authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Pediatr Dent, 2000).] Select to access the abstract.

Crall JJ. Oral health policy development since the Surgeon General's report on oral report. Acad Pediatr 2009 Nov-Dec; 9(6):476-82. [Cites AHRQ publication, Dental Use, Expenses, Private Dental Coverage, and Changes, 1996 and 2004, MEPS Chartbook No. 17, 2007.] Select to access the abstract.

American FamilyPhysician
Dehmer GJ, Smith KJ. Drug-eluting coronary artery stents. Am Fam Physician 2009 Dec 1; 80(11):1245-51. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Ho et al. (JAMA, 2009).] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Epidemiology
Hafeman DM. "Proportion explained":a causal interpretation for standard measures of indirect effect? Am J Epidemiol 2009 Dec 1; 170(11):1443-48. [Cites article by Marmot et al. (Diabetelogia, 2008) using data from the AHRQ-funded Whitehall II study.] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Family Medicine
Galliher JM, Bonham AJ, Dickinson LM, et al. Representativeness of PBRN physician practice patterns and related beliefs: the case of the AAFP National Research Network. Ann Fam Med 2009 Nov-Dec; 7(6):547-54. [Cites AHRQ fact sheet AHRQ Support for Primary Care Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRN), 2006.] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Internal Medicine
McWilliams JM, Meara E, Zaslavsky AM, et al. Medicare spending for previously uninsured adults. Ann Intern Med 2009 Dec 1; 151(11):757-66. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Sudano and Baker (Am J Public Health, 2003), Baker and Sudano (Arch Intern Med, 2005), McWilliams et al. (N Engl J Med, 2007), and others.] Select to access the abstract.

Bhattacharya J. Insuring the near-elderly: how much would Medicare save? Ann Intern Med 2009 Dec 1; 151(11):816-17. [Cites article by McWilliams et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2009), as cited above.]

ED Legal Letter
Liametz A. Patients who leave AMA: understand your risks and responsibilities. ED Leg Lett 2009 Nov. [Cites AHRQ newsletter article, Outcomes/Effectiveness Research: Leaving Hospitals Against Medical Advice Puts Heart Attack Patients at Substantial Risk for Rehospitalization or Death Within 2 Years (Research Activities, May 2008), as published on AHRQ Web site.]

Environmental Health Perspectives
English PB, Sinclair AH, Ross Z, et al. Environmental health indicators of climate change for the United States: findings from the state environmental health indicator collaborative. Environ Health Perspect 2009 Nov; 117(11):1673-81. [Notes that AHRQ provides access to community hospital inpatient and ER data through the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) and the HCUPnet Web site.]

JAMA
Tu JV, Donovan LR, Lee DS, et al. Effectiveness of public report cards for improving the quality of cardiac care: the EFFECT study: a randomized trial. JAMA 2009 Dec 2; 302(21):2330-7. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Soumerai et al. (JAMA, 1998).] Select to access the abstract.

Howell MD. A 37-year-old man trying to choose a high-quality hospital: review of hospital quality indicators. JAMA 2009 Dec 2; 302(21):2353-60. [Describes AHRQ's Health Care Report Card Compendium and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (H-CAHPS) (citing associated online tables for each); cites AHRQ-funded article by Hofer et al. (JAMA, 1999).] Select to access the abstract.

Medical Care Research and Review
Dean BB, Lam J, Natoli JL, et al. Review: use of electronic medical records for health outcomes research: a literature review. Med Care Res Rev 2009 Dec; 66(6):611-38. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Linder, Chan, and Bates (J Clin Pharm Ther, 2006) and Mah et al. (Med Care, 2006).] Select to access the abstract.

Atherly A, Rubin PH. The cost-effectiveness of direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs. Med Care Res Rev 2009 Dec; 66(6):639-57. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Bradford et al. (Health Aff, 2006 and Clin Ther, 2006) and Wosinska (J Mark Res, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

Ketcham JD, Lutfey KE, Gerstenberger E, et al. Physician clinical information technology and health care disparities. Med Care Res Rev 2009 Dec; 66(6):658-81. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Bao, Fox, and Escarce (Health Serv Res, 2006), Bird et al. (Womens Health Issues, 2007), Bickell et al. (J Natl Cancer Inst, 2008), and others.] Select to access the abstract.

Bosch M, Faber MJ, Cruijsberg J, et al. Review article: effectiveness of patient care teams and the role of clinical expertise and coordination: a literature review. Med Care Res Rev 2009 Dec; 66(6 Suppl):5S-35S. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Hearld et al. (Med Care Res Rev, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Dückers M, Faber M, Cruijsberg J, et al. Safety and risk management interventions in hospitals: a systematic review of the literature. Med Care Res Rev 2009 Dec; 66(6 Suppl):90S-119S. [Cites AHRQ-funded by Berneret et al. (J Am Med Inform Assoc, 1998), Harris et al. (Crit Care Med, 2007), Hoff et al. (Med Care Res Rev, 2004), and others.] Select to access the abstract.

Oncology Nursing Forum
Jacobson JO, Polovich M, McNiff KK, et al. American Society of Clinical Oncology/Oncology Nursing Society chemotherapy administration safety standards. Oncol Nurs Forum 2009 Nov; 36(6):651-8. [Cites AHRQ publication, National Quality Forum: Safe Practices for Better Healthcare: 2006 Update, 2007, as published on AHRQ Patient Safety Network (PSNet) Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

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

American Family Physician

CME quiz. Am Fam Physician 2009 Dec 1; 80(11):1211-13. [Questions 12 and 13 are based on the USPSTF recommendation statement on screening for lipid disorders in adults and associated case study by Lin and Brown, as cited below.]

Berg AO. The CDC's EGAPP initiative: evaluating the clinical evidence for genetic tests. Am Fam Physician 2009 Dec 1; 80(11):1218. [Mentions the emergence of "an international consensus about how to evaluate new technologies" led by AHRQ and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Effectiveness (NICE) in the U.K, and the release of "many recommendations on the use of testing technologies" by the USPSTF and other agencies, citing the USPSTF Web site.]

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for lipid disorders in adults: recommendation statement. Am Fam Physician 2009 Dec 1; 80(11):1273-4. [Presents the USPSTF recommendation statement on screening for lipid disorders in adults, citing recommendations as published on AHRQ Web site; see AHRQ-authored case study by Lin (USPSTF medical officer in AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships) and Brown (Am Fam Physician, 2009), as cited below.]

Lin KW, Brown TR. Screening for lipid disorders in adults. Am Fam Physician 2009 Dec 1; 80(11):1281. [First author is a USPSTF medical officer in AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships; presents case study based on USPSTF recommendation statement on screening for lipid disorders in adults cited above.]

Moon KT. Prostate cancer: to screen or not to screen. Am Fam Physician 2009 Dec 1; 80(11):1294-5. [Reviews and discusses findings from article by Andriole et al. (N Engl J Med, 2009) which cites USPSTF recommendations and associated USPSTF-sponsored evidence review update on screening for prostate cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2008), and notes that the reviewed article's "findings support the USPSTF's recommendations to avoid routine screening in all men older than 75 years..."]

Annals of Family Medicine
Ferrer RL, Mody-Bailey P, Jaén CR, et al. A medical assistant-based program to promote healthy behaviors in primary care. Ann Fam Med 2009 Nov-Dec; 7(6):504-12. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored systematic evidence review by Whitlock et al. (Am J Prev Med, 2002); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Solberg et al. (Ann Behav Med, 1997), Green et al. (N Engl J Med, 2001), Landon et al. (N Engl J Med, 2007), and others; cites articles by Katz et al. (J Natl Cancer Inst, 2004, Prev Med, 2002, and Am J Prev Med, 2004), using PHS-sponsored guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, 2000.] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Internal Medicine
Bang H, Edwards AM, Bomback AS, et al. Development and validation of a patient self-assessment score for diabetes risk. Ann Intern Med 2009 Dec 1; 151(11):775-83. [Uses the USPSTF recommendation statement and associated USPSTF-sponsored evidence review on screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2008) as a basis for comparison with and validation of the diabetes screening score developed in the study.] Select to access the abstract.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for depression in adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med 2009 Dec 1; 151(11):784-92. [Presents updated USPSTF recommendations on screening for depression in adults; based on USPSTF-sponsored systematic evidence review by O'Connor et al. cited below; cites AHRQ publications, Screening for Depression: Systematic Evidence Review, 2002, and Screening for Depression in Adults and Older Adults in Primary Care: An Updated Systematic Review, 2009; .] Select to access the abstract.

O'Connor EA, Whitlock EP, Beil TL, et al. Screening for depression in adult patients in primary care settings: a systematic evidence review. Ann Intern Med 2009 Dec 1; 151(11):793-803. [Supported by AHRQ, (grant number not given); updates the evidence on screening for depression in adults to support updated USPSTF recommendations, cited above; cites AHRQ publication, Screening for Depression in Adults and Older Adults in Primary Care: An Updated Systematic Review, 2009.] Select to access the abstract.

Summaries for Patients. Screening for depression in adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations. Ann Intern Med 2009 Dec 1; 151(11):1-56. [Summarizes updated USPSTF recommendations on screening for depression in adults and associated USPSTF-sponsored systematic evidence review by O'Connor et al. cited above.]

Journal of Health Population and Nutrition
Saaka M, Oostuizen J, Beatty S. Effect of prenatal zinc supplementation on birthweight. J Health Popul Nutr 2009 Oct; 27(5):619-31. [Cites USPSTF policy statement on routine iron supplementation during pregnancy (JAMA, 1993).] Select to access the abstract.

Thyroid
American Thyroid Association (ATA) Guidelines Taskforce on Thyroid Nodules and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer, Cooper DS, Doherty GM, et al. Revised American Thyroid Association management guidelines for patients with thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyroid 2009 Nov; 19(11):1167-1214. [Uses USPSTF recommendations in Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, third edition, periodic updates, 2000-2003. Also go to article by Fink (Am Fam Physician, 2009) cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles] Select to access the abstract.

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

American Family Physician
Fink KS. Understanding rating systems when interpreting evidence. Am Fam Physician 2009 Dec 1; 80(11):1206; author reply by Stephens and Yew, 1208. [Author is former AHRQ researcher; letter and reply cite and discuss findings from AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Use of Spirometry for Case Finding, Diagnosis, and Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), 2005; editor's note by Kenny Lin (USPSTF medical officer in AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships) cites USPSTF recommendation statement on screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using spirometry (Ann Intern Med, 2008).]

Military Medicine
Weld KK, Padden D, Ricciardi R, et al. Health literacy rates in a sample of active duty military personnel. Mil Med 2009 Nov; 174(11):1137-43. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Literacy and Health Outcomes, 2004 (prepared under contract by RTI International-University of North Carolina Evidence-based Practice Center).] Select to access the abstract.

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

American Journal of Managed Care
Finkelstein EA, Tangka FK, Trogdon JG, et al. The personal financial burden of cancer for the working-aged population. Am J Manag Care 2009 Nov; 15(11):801-6. [Uses 2000-2005 MEPS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Arthritis and Rheumatism
Kotlarz H, Gunnarsson CL, Fang H, et al. Insurer and out-of-pocket costs of osteoarthritis in the U.S.: evidence from national survey data. Arthritis Rheum 2009 Nov 30; 60(12):3546-53. [Uses 1996-2005 MEPS data, citing AHRQ publication, MEPS HC-096: 2005 Medical Conditions, 2007; cites AHRQ-authored article by Cohen, Monheit, and Beauregard (first and third authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Inquiry, 1996), using MEPS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Circulation
Walker WL, Karamlou T, Diggs BS, et al. Abstract 1057: Geography or pathology? Regional variation in atrial septal defect closure rates and techniques. Circulation 2009 Nov 3; 120(18 Suppl):S436. [Uses 2001-2006 HCUP State Inpatient Databases (SID) data for Florida.]

Medical Care Research and Review
Dynan L, Stein R, David G, et al. Determinants of hospitalist efficiency: a qualitative and quantitative study. Med Care Res Rev 2009 Dec; 66(6):682-702. [Uses and cites AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998).] Select to access the abstract.

Ralston JD, Martin DP, Anderson ML, et al. Group health cooperative's transformation toward patient-centered access. Med Care Res Rev 2009 Dec; 66(6):703-24. [Uses 2002-2005 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) data; citing AHRQ publication, What Consumers Say About the Quality of Their Health Plans and Medical Care: National CAHPS Benchmarking Database, 2006, AHRQ-sponsored National Committee for Quality Assurance report The State of Health Care Quality, 2003, using CAHPS® 3.0, and article by Davies et al. (Health Expectations, 2008), using CAHPS® data.] Select to access the abstract.

Laurant M, Harmsen M, Wollersheim H, et al. The impact of nonphysician clinicians: do they improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care services? Med Care Res Rev 2009 Dec; 66(6 Suppl):36S-89S. [Uses AHRQ's "Electronic Catalogue" as a source for relevant articles.] Select to access the abstract.

Medsurg Nursing
Thornlow DK. Increased risk for patient safety incidents in hospitalized older adults. Medsurg Nurs 2009 Sep-Oct; 18(5):287-91. [Uses 2004 HCUP data, citing HCUPNet; cites AHRQ-authored article by Romano, Geppert, Davies, Miller, Elixhauser (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) et al. (Health Aff, 2003).] Select to access the abstract.

Neurology
Kelly VM, Nelson LM, Chakravarty EF. Obstetric outcomes in women with multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. Neurology 2009 Dec 1; 73(22):1831-6. [Uses 2003-2006 HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data, citing HCUP NIS Web site; cites AHRQ-authored article by Steiner, Elixhauser, and Schnaier (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (Eff Clin Pract, 2002).] Select to access the abstract.

New England Journal of Medicine
Stewart ST, Cutler DM, Rosen AB. Forecasting the effects of obesity and smoking on U.S. life expectancy. N Engl J Med 2009 Dec 3; 361(23):2252-60. [Uses MEPS data, citing MEPS Web site, AHRQ publications, Design and Methods of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, MEPS Methodology Report No. 1, 1997, and Sample Design of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 1998-2007, MEPS Methodology Report No. 22, 2008, both published on AHRQ Web site; cites PHS-sponsored guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Psychoneuroendocrinology
Adam EK, Kumari M. Assessing salivary cortisol in large-scale, epidemiological research. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2009 Nov; 34(10):1423-36. [Uses study cohort data from the Whitehall II study, previously funded by AHRQ.] Select to access the abstract.

Kumari M, Badrick E, Chandola T, et al. Cortisol secretion and fatigue: associations in a community based cohort. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2009 Nov; 34(10):1476-85. [Uses study cohort data from the Whitehall II study, previously funded by AHRQ.] Select to access the abstract.

Social Science and Medicine
Sekine M, Chandola T, Martikainen P, et al. Socioeconomic inequalities in physical and mental functioning of British, Finnish, and Japanese civil servants: role of job demand, control, and work hours. Soc Sci Med 2009 Nov; 69(10):1417-25. [Uses study cohort data from the Whitehall II study, previously funded by AHRQ.] Select to access the abstract.

Current as of December 2009

Internet Citation:

Articles of Interest, December 4, 2009. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/articles/art120409.htm