Research Activities

July 2011, No. 371

---

Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Health care quality gaps and disparities persist in every State
From the Director

Disparities/Minority Health

Americans, especially blacks, spend substantial periods of time uninsured
Language barriers related to increased hospital readmissions for Chinese- and Spanish-speaking patients
Foreign-born patients are more likely to have a form of tuberculosis that resists a common drug used in treatment

Patient Safety and Quality

Delays in reporting medical errors at Japanese hospital nearly triple that of United States hospital
Hospitals with a teamwork culture have better patient safety climates
Quality measures are not used with all patients who suffer heart attacks
Studies examine safety of pain killers among older adults
Immersive simulation training for CPR shows no benefit over standard training

Acute Care/Hospitalization

Patients who suffer strokes and are seen at designated stroke centers fare better in the short and long run
Trauma center patients treated after hours or on weekends have no difference in mortality rates
A high percentage of patients with sickle cell disease self-discharge from hospital care
Two approaches help identify cardiac surgery patients at risk for postoperative kidney failure

Primary Care

Communication problems between hospitalists and primary care providers lead to postdischarge problems for seniors
Many primary care patients are at risk for obstructive sleep apnea, but few are sent for testing
Guideline familiarity does not equal guideline adherence
Chronic Care Model linked to exercise discussions during primary care office visits for diabetes

Chronic Disease

Metformin remains the medication of first choice in treating type 2 diabetes
Empowerment approach to diabetes education works better than the traditional didactic approach
Preventive care for patients with lupus could be improved
Trends in treating depression favor psychotropic medications over psychotherapy

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research

Some patients hospitalized for stroke more likely to keep taking drugs to prevent another stroke
Sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension affect in-hospital outcomes of noncardiac surgery
Certain factors linked to risk of early death of intensive care patients after discharge
Physicians more reluctant to deactivate some life-sustaining devices than others
Mandated increases in nurse staffing levels unevenly affect uncompensated care growth rates in California hospitals

Women's Health

No link found between chemotherapy in older women with breast cancer and later cognitive impairment
Women's self-reported stress seems to jibe with a common stress biomarker
Mothers' medical appointments may be a link to getting daughters vaccinated for human papillomavirus
U.S.-born Mexican women who have adopted U.S. culture may be more at risk for cervical cancer
Pelvic ultrasound imaging by emergency physicians is highly effective in ruling out ectopic pregnancy

Child/Adolescent Health

Antibiotics are modestly more effective than no treatment for middle ear infections in children
Health insurance is necessary but not sufficient for children's access to care

Health Literacy

A simple question identifies patients with low health literacy

Agency News and Notes

AHRQ, Ad Council launch Conozca las preguntas campaign
School-age children treated most often for sports-related concussions
More rural Americans treated in emergency departments for eye injuries
ICUs in Michigan sustain zero bloodstream infections for up to 2 years
Over 3 million look to hospitals for headache relief
Most American women experience complications during delivery
Readmissions in 30 days or less account for 1 in 9 hospital admissions
Report shows physicians view e-prescribing features as cumbersome
Connecting local providers to academic medical centers using video improved hepatitis C outcomes

Announcements

AHRQ's 2011 Annual Conference set for September 18-21
AHRQ toolkit helps to prevent hospital-acquired pressure ulcers
Stereotactic body radiation therapy reviewed
Evidence report on safety of probiotics published
Guide helps consumers reduce medication errors
Evidence report examines health IT impact on medication management
AHRQ releases new report on pain management of hip fracture
Opportunities for advancing delivery system research—AHRQ meeting summary now online
Important information about CHIPRA core set of recommended health care quality measures released

Research Briefs

Research Briefs
Subscribe now to AHRQ's Patient Safety E-newsletter
Healthcare 411
Follow AHRQ news on Twitter

AHRQ Publication No. 11-RA010
Current as of July 2011

---

Internet Citation:

Research Activities Newsletter. July 2011, No. 371. AHRQ Publication No. 11-RA010. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/jul11/

---