Research Activities

January 2011, No. 365

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Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Health information technology improves care and saves lives
From the Director

Health Information Technology

Acceptance of "smart" intravenous infusion pumps is growing among nurses, but challenges remain
E-prescribing for managing medication refills has not reached its full potential
A customized computer drug alert requiring active provider response is no more effective than a passive alert
Compliance is low for computer alerts recommending conversion from intravenous to oral medications

Patient Safety and Quality

Most acute-care hospitals follow national guidelines for the prevention and treatment of MRSA infections
Hospitalists modestly improve quality of care
Greater use of preventive measures needed for hospitalized patients with suspected venous thromboembolism

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research

Serious complications from bariatric surgery are fewer when done by high-volume hospitals and surgeons
Treatment for blocked carotid arteries varies depending on where you live
Community hospitals care for psychiatric patients in medical-surgical beds when psychiatric units are full

Chronic Disease

Patients taking only salmeterol seen in the emergency department for asthma more likely to be hospitalized
Most patients with type 2 diabetes suffer an adverse event between office visits
Some personality factors may affect success of chronic illness self-management programs

Disparities/Minority Health

Black Medicare patients less likely than whites to follow their doctor's instructions on taking medicines
Black mothers skeptical of relationship between infant sleep position and SIDS

Elderly/Long-Term Care

Public reporting on quality of care has definite, if modest, effects on nursing home care improvement
Public report cards prompt nursing homes to spend more on clinical services
Nursing home hospice patients are not receiving adequate treatment for nonpain symptoms
Review looks at approaches to improve drug prescribing in nursing homes

HIV/AIDS Research

Rural counties experience funding and stigma problems in HIV prevention services

Agency News and Notes

Medical complications add 30 percent to employers' chronic care costs
Rates of emergency department use greater among women and low-income, older, and rural Americans
More than half of U.S. employers offered health insurance and about one-third offered dental insurance in 2006
Dental bills high in California

Announcements

2008 HCUP Facts and Figures report provides statistics on hospital visits
Free patient education videos, pamphlets available in Spanish
New AHRQ evidence report published on inhaled nitric oxide therapy for preterm infants
New report on the impact of human factors on home health care quality and safety is available
New report examines impact of health information technology on workflow in outpatient settings
New guides on rotator cuff tears in adults are available
New AHRQ resource available for developing or improving public reporting Web sites

Research Briefs

Research Briefs

Follow AHRQ News on Twitter
Subscribe to AHRQ's Electronic Newsletter
Healthcare 411
Visit the AHRQ Patient Safety Network Web Site

AHRQ Publication No. 11-RA004
Current as of January 2011

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Internet Citation:

Research Activities Newsletter. January 2011, No. 365. AHRQ Publication No. 11-RA004. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/jan11/

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