Articles of Interest

April 2, 2004

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These articles appeared in recently released journals and newsletters. They include articles funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) or authored by AHRQ researchers; articles mentioning or discussing AHRQ; articles related to AHRQ-funded Evidence-based Practice Centers; articles mentioning the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force/Put Prevention into Practice; articles mentioning the Presidents Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry and Agency-supported activities relating to the Quality Interagency Task Force; and other research using AHRQ data.

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AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

Academic Emergency Medicine
Croskerry P, Shapiro M, Campbell S, et al. Profiles in patient safety: medication errors in the emergency department. Acad Emerg Med 2004 Mar; 11(3):289-99. [Supported by Grant No. P20 HS11592-02.]

American Journal of Critical Care
Hou N, Chui MA, Eckert GJ, et al. Relationship of age and sex to health-related quality of life in patients with heart failure. Am J Crit Care 2004 Mar; 13(2):153-61. [Supported by Grant No. R03 HS09822-01.]

American Journal of Epidemiology
Huang SS, Finkelstein JA, Rifas-Shiman SL, et al. Community-level predictors of pneumococcal carriage and resistance in young children. Am J Epidemiol 2004 Apr 1; 159(7):645-54. [Supported by Grant No. HS10247.]

Health Affairs
Bloche MG, Studdert DM. A quiet revolution: law as an agent of health system change. Health Aff 2004 Mar-Apr; 23(2):29-42. [Supported by Grant No. K02 HS11285.]

Chernew ME, Wodchis WP, Scanlon DP, et al. Overlap in HMO physician networks. Health Aff 2004 Mar-Apr; 23(2):91-101. [Supported by Grant No. P01 HS10771.]

Rosenthal MB, Fernandopulle R, Song HR, et al. Paying for quality: providers' incentives for quality improvement. Health Aff 2004 Mar-Apr; 23(2):127-41. [Supported by Grant No. P01 HS10803-01.]

Health Services Research
Mark BA, Harless DW, McCue M, et al. A longitudinal examination of hospital registered nurse staffing and quality of care. Health Serv Res 2004 Apr; 39(2):279-300. [Supported by Grant No. 1 R01 HS10135; uses AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) quality measures.]

Bronstein JM, Adams EK, Florence CS. The impact of S-CHIP enrollment on physician participation in Medicaid in Alabama and Georgia. Health Serv Res 2004 Apr; 39(2):301-17. [Supported by AHRQ through the Children's Health Insurance Research Initiative (CHIRI™).]

Zhan C, Miller MR, Wong H, et al. The effects of HMO penetration on preventable hospitalizations. Health Serv Res 2004 Apr; 39(2):345-61. [First author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety and third author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets; second and fourth (Gregg Meyer) authors are former AHRQ center directors.]

Barnato AE, McClellan MB, Kagay CR, et al. Trends in inpatient treatment intensity among Medicare beneficiaries at the end of life. Health Serv Res 2004 Apr; 39(2):363-75. [Supported by Grant No. T32 HS00028.]

Gresenz CR, Rogowski J, Escarce JJ. Updated variable-radius measures of hospital competition. Health Serv Res 2004 Apr; 39(2):417-30. [Supported by Grant No. P01 HS10770; uses AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) quality measures.]

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
McDonald CJ, Overhage JM, Mamlin BW, et al. Physicians, information technology, and health care systems: a journey, not a destination. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2004 Mar-Apr; 11(2):121-4. [Supported by Grant No. 1 U18 HS11889.]

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Krueger PM, Bond Huie SA, Rogers RG, et al. Neighborhoods and homicide mortality: an analysis of race/ethnic differences. J Epidemiol Community Health 2004 Mar; 58(3):223-30. [Supported by Grant No. 1 R03 HS013996-01.]

Journal of Investigative Medicine
Clancy CM. Carolyn M. Clancy, MD, Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. J Investig Med 2004 Mar; 52(2):77-80. [Interview of AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy.]

Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
Tsao JC, Dobalian A, Moreau C, et al. Stability of anxiety and depression in a national sample of adults with human immunodeficiency virus. J Nerv Ment Dis 2004 Feb; 192(2):111-18. [Supported by HCSUS Grant No. U01 HS08578.]

Journal of Pediatric Surgery
Smink DS, Finkelstein JA, Garcia Pena BM, et al. Diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children using a clinical practice guideline. J Pediatr Surg 2004 Mar; 39(3):458-63. [Supported by Grant No. T32 HS00063.]

Lancet
Pronovost PJ, Nolan T, Zeger S, et al. How can clinicians measure safety and quality in acute care? Lancet 2004 Mar 27; 363(9414):1061-7. [Supported by Grant No. U18 HS11902-01.]

Medical Decision Making
Lawrence WF, Fleishman JA. Predicting EuroQoL EQ-5D preference scores from the SF-12 health survey in a nationally representative sample. Med Decis Making 2004 Mar-Apr; 24(2):160-9. [Authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidenc and Center for Finance, Access, and Cost Trends, respectively.]

Pharmacotherapy
Murray MD, Harris LE, Overhage JM, et al. Failure of computerized treatment suggestions to improve health outcomes of outpatients with uncomplicated hypertension: results of a randomized controlled trial. Pharmacotherapy 2004 Mar; 24(3):324-37. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS07763.]

Social Science Medicine
Lee SY, Arozullah AM, Cho YI. Health literacy, social support, and health: a research agenda. Soc Sci Med 2004 Apr; 58(7):1309-21. [Supported by Grant No. 1 R01 HS13004-01.]

AHRQ-Related Articles

Health Affairs
Pham HH, Devers KJ, May JH, et al. Financial pressures spur physician entrepreneurialism. Health Aff 2004 Mar-Apr; 23(2):70-81. [Second author is former AHRQ researcher; cites AHRQ-authored article by Burstin (director of AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships) et al., JAMA, 1993.]

Devers KJ, Pham HH, Liu G. What is driving hospitals' patient-safety efforts? Health Aff 2004 Mar-Apr; 23(2):103-15. [Cites study respondents' identification of AHRQ-sponsored patient safety research as an example of ongoing research on cost-effective safety initiatives as a facilitator of hospitals' patient safety improvements; cites AHRQ Web-assisted teleconference, Can You Minimize Health Care Costs by Improving Patient Safety?, 2003, as posted on AHRQ Web site.]

Freed GL, Fant K. The impact of the 'aging of America' on children. Health Aff 2004 Mar-Apr; 23(2):168-74. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Cooper and Schone (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends), Health Aff, 1997.]

Guendelman S, Pearl M. Children's ability to access and use health care. Health Aff 2004 Mar-Apr; 23(2):235-44. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Selden et al.

Goldberg R. Life-and-death matters: review of "What Price Better Health? Hazards of the Research Imperative," by Daniel Callahan, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. Health Aff 2004 Mar-Apr; 23(2):280-1. [Cites AHRQ-funded HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study (HCSUS) article by Bozzette et al., NEJM, 2001.]

Health Services Research
Schnelle JF, Simmons SF, Harrington C, et al. Relationship of nursing home staffing to quality of care. Health Serv Res 2004 Apr; 39(2):225-50. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Spector (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) and Takeda, J Aging Health, 1991, and AHRQ-funded article by Shekelle et al, Ann Intern Med, 2001.]

Wang PS, Berglund PA, Olfson M, et al. Delays in initial treatment contact after first onset of a mental disorder. Health Serv Res 2004 Apr; 39(2):393-415. [Cites AHRQ guideline, Depression in Primary Care, Volume 2: Treatment of Major Depression, 1993.]

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
Ash JS, Berg M, Coiera E. Some unintended consequences of information technology in health care: the nature of patient care information system-related errors. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2004 Mar-Apr; 11(2):104-12. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Dexter et al., N Engl J Med, 2001.]

Journal of Rural Health
Baldwin LM, MacLehose RF, Hart LG, et al. Quality of care for acute myocardial infarction in rural and urban US hospitals. J Rural Health 2004 Spring; 20(2):99-108. [Cites HCUP-3 publication, Most Frequent Diagnoses and Procedures for DRGs, by Insurance Status, 1996; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Keeler et al., JAMA, 1992, and Soumerai et al., JAMA, 1998.]

Buchanan RJ, Bolin J, Wang S, et al. Urban/rural differences in decision making and the use of advance directives among nursing home residents at admission. J Rural Health 2004 Spring; 20(2):131-5. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Teno et al., J Am Geriatr Soc, 1997.]

Medical Decision Making
Taffe P, Burnand B, Wietlisbach V, et al. Influence of clinical and economical factors on the expert rating of appropriateness of preoperative use of recombinant erythropoietin in elective orthopedic surgery patients. Med Decis Making 2004 Mar-Apr; 24(2):122-30. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Shekelle et al., N Engl J Med, 1998, and J Clin Epidemiol, 2001, and Ayanian et al., N Engl J Med, 1998.]

Shekelle P. The appropriateness method. Med Decis Making 2004 Mar-Apr; 24(2):228-31. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Shekelle et al., N Engl J Med, 1998, and J Clin Epidemiol, 2001; Selby et al., N Engl J Med, 1996; Normand et al., J Clin Epidemiol, 2001, and Washington et al., Med Care 2003.]

Modern Healthcare
Reilly P. Assessing the problem: AHA tool to probe racial, ethnic disparities in care. Mod Healthc 2004 Mar 29; 34(13):12-13. [Cites controversy over AHRQ's National Healthcare Disparities Report.]

SEA Currents
What's new at NLM, NN/LM and their partners? SEA Currents 2004 Mar-Apr; 22(2):13-14. New MS Word® downloads at the National Guideline Clearinghouse™. [Announces availability of new feature allowing downloading of complete summaries of each guideline in the database.]

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

American Family Physician
Schooff M, Lawlor A. What is the best collection device for screening cervical smears? Am Fam Physician 2004 Apr 1; 69(7):1661-2. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on cervical cancer screening as posted on AHRQ Web site.]

Fink K, Clark B. Screening for prostate cancer: case study. Am Fam Physician 2004 Apr 1; 69(7):1721-2. [First author is director of AHRQ's Evidence-based Practice Center Program and was USPSTF program director at time of publication; cites USPSTF recommendations on cervical cancer screening as posted on AHRQ Web site and as published in Ann Intern Med, 2002.]

Aukerman D. Do vitamin C supplements reduce cardiovascular disease mortality? Am Fam Physician 2004 Apr 1; 69(7):1723-4. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on vitamin supplementation as posted on the AHRQ Web site.]

Journal of Rural Health
Coughlin SS, Thompson TD. Colorectal cancer screening practices among men and women in rural and nonrural areas of the United States, 1999. J Rural Health 2004 Spring; 20(2):118-24. [Cites USPSTF Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 1996.]

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
Berger RG, Kichak JP. Computerized physician order entry: helpful or harmful? J Am Med Inform Assoc 2004 Mar-Apr; 11(2):100-3. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Evans et al., Arch Intern Med, 1994, Bates et al., J Am Med Inform Assoc, 1999, and Tierney et al., JAMA, 1993.]

Medical Decision Making
Sorum PC, Mullet E, Shim J, et al. Avoidance of anticipated regret: the ordering of prostate-specific antigen tests. Med Decis Making 2004 Mar-Apr; 24(2):149-59. [Cites USPSTF Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 1996.]

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
Ash JS, Gorman PN, Seshadri V, et al. Computerized physician order entry in U.S. hospitals: results of a 2002 survey. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2004 Mar-Apr; 11(2):95-9. [Cites chapter in AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2002; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Dexter et al., N Engl J Med, 2001, and Overhage et al., J Am Med Inform Assoc, 1997.]

Medical Decision Making
Bravata DM, McDonald KM, Szeto H, et al. A conceptual framework for evaluating information technologies and decision support systems for bioterrorism preparedness and response. Med Decis Making 2004 Mar-Apr; 24(2):192-206. [Supported by Contract No. 290-97-0013 to the UCSF-Stanford Evidence-based Practice Center.]

Obstetrics and Gynecology
Goldie SJ, Kim JJ, Wright TC. Cost-effectiveness of human papillomavirus DNA testing for cervical cancer screening in women aged 30 years or more. Obstet Gynecol 2004 Apr; 103(4):619-31. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Evaluation of Cervical Cytology, 1999.]

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Health Services Research
Xu KT. The combined effects of participatory styles of elderly patients and their physicians on satisfaction. Health Serv Res 2004 Apr; 39(2):377-91. [Uses Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey (CAHPS®) item as study measure for satisfaction with physicians.]

Current as of April 2004