Articles of Interest

May 30, 2003

---

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.

---

AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

Annals of Internal Medicine
Lynn J, Goldstein N. Advance care planning for fatal chronic illness: avoiding commonplace errors and unwarranted suffering. Ann Intern Med 2003 May 20; 138(10):812-18. [Supported by Grant No. 1P20 HS11558-01.]

Health Economics
Hadley J, Polsky D, Mandelblatt JS, et al. An exploratory instrumental variable analysis of the outcomes of localized breast cancer treatments in a Medicare population. Health Econ 2003 Mar; 12(3):171-86. [Supported by Grant No. HS08395.]

Health Services Research
Ortiz E, Clancy CM. Use of information technology to improve the quality of health care in the United States. Health Serv Res 2003 Apr; 38(2):xi-xxii. [Authors are researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety and AHRQ director, respectively.]

Clancy CM. Quality improvement: getting to how. Health Serv Res 2003 Apr; 38(2):509-13. [Author is AHRQ's director.]

Volpp KG, Williams SV, Waldfogel J, et al. Market reform in New Jersey and the effect on mortality from acute myocardial infarction. Health Serv Res 2003 Apr; 38(2):515-33. [Supported by Grant No. R03 HS09325-01.]

Hadley J, Mandelblatt JS, Mitchell JM, et al. Medicare breast surgery fees and treatment received by older women with localized breast cancer. Health Serv Res 2003 Apr; 38(2):553-73. [Supported by Grant No. HS08395.]

Miranda J, Duan N, Sherbourne C, et al. Improving care for minorities: can quality improvement interventions improve care and outcomes for depressed minorities? Results of a randomized, controlled trial. Health Serv Res 2003 Apr; 38(2):613-30. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS08349.]

Gustafson DH, Sainfort F, Eichler M, et al. Developing and testing a model to predict outcomes of organizational change. Health Serv Res 2003 Apr; 38(2):751-76. [Supported by R01 HS10246-43.]

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Lindenberger EC, Landefeld CS, Sands LP, et al. Unsteadiness reported by older hospitalized patients predicts functional decline. J Am Geriatr Soc 2003 May; 51(5):621-23. [Supported by K021 HS00006-01.]

Brown AF, Gross AG, Gutierrez PR, et al. Income-related differences in the use of evidence-based therapies in older persons with diabetes mellitus in for-profit managed care. J Am Geriatr Soc 2003 May; 51(5):665-70. [Supported by Grant Nos. F32 HS00132 and 1R01 HS09424.]

Aparasu RR, Mort JR, Brandt H. Psychotropic prescription use by community-dwelling elderly in the United States. J Am Geriatr Soc 2003 May; 51(5):671-77. [Supported by Grant No. R03 HS10813.]

Medical Decision Making
Goldie SJ, Kuntz KM. A potential error in evaluating cancer screening: a comparison of 2 approaches for modeling underlying disease progression. Med Decis Making 2003 May-June; 23(3):232-41. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS07317.]

New England Journal of Medicine
National Emphysema Treatment Trial Research Group (NETTRG). A randomized trial comparing lung-volume-reduction surgery with medical therapy for severe emphysema. N Engl J Med 2003 May 22; 348(21):2059-73. [Supported by AHRQ, no grant number given; members of NETTRG include Lynn Bosco and Yen-Pin Chiang of AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research, AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy, and former AHRQ researcher Harry Handelsman.]

National Emphysema Treatment Trial Research Group. Cost effectiveness of lung-volume-reduction surgery for patients with severe emphysema. N Engl J Med 2003 May 22; 348(21):2092-102. [Supported by AHRQ, no grant number given.]

Peterson LA, Normand ST, Leape LL, et al. Regionalization and the underuse of angiography in the Veterans Affairs health care system as compared with a fee-for-service system. N Engl J Med 2003 May 29; 348(22):2209-17. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS08071.]

Obesity Research
Sutton K, Logue E, Jarjoura D, et al. Assessing dietary and exercise stage of change to optimize weight loss interventions. Obes Res 2003 May; 11(5):641-52. [Supported by Grant Nos. R01 HS0880304 and HS08803-0481.]

Public Health Reports
Herndon B, Asch SM, Kibourne AM, et al. Prevalence and predictors of HIV testing among a probability sample of homeless women in Los Angeles County. Public Health Rep 2003 May-Jun; 118(3):261-69. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS08323.]

Social Science and Medicine
Joines JD, Hertz-Picciotto I, Carey TS, et al. A spatial analysis of county-level variation in hospitalization rates for low back problems in North Carolina. Soc Sci Med 2003 June; 56(12):2541-53. [Supported by Grant No. HS06664.]

AHRQ-Related Articles

Academy Health Member Update
Briefing highlights AHRQ's contribution to patient safety. Acad Health Member Update 2003 May; 3. [Announces briefing on Patient Safety: AHRQ Research at Work and reception honoring appointment of Carolyn Clancy as AHRQ Director.]

International conference features experts from around the world. Acad Health Member Update 2003 May; 7. [Announces the 5th International Conference on the Scientific Basis of Health Services: Global Evidence for Local Decisions, co-hosted by AcademyHealth and AHRQ, with AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy as speaker.]

American Journal of Managed Care
Aubert RE, Fulop G, Xia F, et al. Evaluation of a depression health management program to improve outcomes in first or recurrent episode depression. Am J Manag Care 2003 May; 9(5):374-80. [Cites AHRQ guideline Depression in Primary Care, Vol. 2, Treatment of Major Depression, 1993.]

Blue Sheet
Health disparities: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist plans to establish a health care access and promotion grant program to benefit disparity populations with the Closing the Health Care Gap Act. Blue Sheet 2003 May 21; 46(20):20. [Describes proposed legislation to encourage research at AHRQ to identify sources of health disparities and intervention strategies.]

Health News Daily
Dove A. Proposed health disparity bill to include access research grants—Sen. Frist. Health News Daily 2003 May 20; 15(97):9. [Describes proposed legislation to encourage research at AHRQ to identify sources of health disparities and intervention strategies.]

Lyengar S. Medicare appeals suit resolved with MCAC review; AHRQ to pick panelists. Health News Daily 2003 May 28; 15(102):1-2. [Cites decision to defer review panel selection to AHRQ director.]

Health Services Research
AcademyHealth update. Health Serv Res 2003 Apr; 38(2):xxiii-xxv. [Announces upcoming international conference co-hosted by AHRQ.]

Stafford RS, Davidson SM, Davidson H, et al. Chronic disease medication use in managed care and indemnity insurance plans. Health Serv Res 2003 Apr; 38(2):595-612. [Cites AHRQ guideline, Heart Failure: Management of Patients with Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction, 1994, and article by Hellinger (AHRQ researcher), Arch Intern Med, 1998.]

Edlund MJ, Young AS, Kung FY, et al. Does satisfaction reflect the technical quality of mental health care? Health Serv Res 2003 Apr; 38(2):631-45. [Cites Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Study (CAHPS®) article by Crofton, Lubalin, and Darby, Med Care, 1999.]

Wang PS, Berglund PA, Kessler RC. Patterns and correlates of contacting clergy for mental disorders in the United States. Health Serv Res 2003 Apr; 38(2):647-73. [Cites AHRQ guideline Depression in Primary Care, Vol. 2, Treatment of Major Depression, 1993.]

Harris KM. How do patients choose physicians? Evidence from a national survey of enrollees in employment-related health plans Health Serv Res 2003 Apr; 38(2):711-32. [Cites AHRQ/Kaiser survey, National Survey on Americans as Health Care Consumers: An Update on the Role of Quality Information, 2000 and article by Cooper and Schone (AHRQ researchers), Health Aff, 1997.]

Journal of the American Medical Association
Rathore SS, Foody JM, Wang Y, et al. Race, quality of care, and outcomes of elderly patients hospitalized with heart failure. JAMA 2003 May 21; 289(19):2517-24. [Cites AHRQ program brief Excellence Centers to Eliminate Ethnic/Racial Disparities (EXCEED); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Ayanian et al, Med Care, 1999, and by Krumholz et al, Arch Intern Med, 1997.]

Medical Clnics of North America
Devereaux MW. Neck and low back pain. Med Clin North Am 2003 May; 87(2):643-62. [Cites several AHRQ-funded articles on low back pain.]

Medicine on the Net
Bioterrorism preparation resources for providers. Med Net 2003 May; 9. [Lists AHRQ Bioterrorism and Emerging Infections site and AHRQ Bioterrorism Readiness Evaluation Tool for Healthcare Facilities among resources.

New England Journal of Medicine
Jencks, S. The right care. N Engl J Med 2003 May 29; 348(22):2251-52. [Comments on AHRQ funded article by Peterson et al., cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authors Articles.]

Social Science and Medicine
Sobo EJ, Kurtin P. Variation in physician' definitions of the competent parent and other barriers to guideline adherence: the case of pediatric minor head injury management. Soc Sci Med 2003 June; 56(12):2479-91. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Shekelle et al., Health Serv Res, 2000, which uses AHRQ's low back pain guidelines.]

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

American Family Physician
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for type 2 diabetes in adults: recommendations and rationale. Am Fam Physician 2003 May 15; 67(10):2177-79. [Summarizes USPSTF recommendations on screening for type 2 diabetes for adults.]

Journal of the American Board of Family Practice
Green BB, Taplin SH. Breast cancer screening controversies. J Am Board Fam Pract 2003 May-Jun; 16(3):233-41. [Cites USPSTF findings on mammography screening as summarized on AHRQ Web site.]

Evidence-based Centers-Related Articles

Blue Sheet
All health care workers should get flu vaccine for patient safety—NQF. Blue Sheet 2003 May 21; 46(20):9-11. [Cites AHRQ funding support and evidence review through University of California San Francisco-Stanford Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC); cites AHRQ director's announcement of request for applications (RFA) to assess and implement safe practices.]

Medicine and Health
Payers mull adoption of new consensus safety measures. Med Health 2003 May 19; 57(3):3. [Cites AHRQ lead on research producing evidence-based recommendations and quotes remarks by AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy.]

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Health Economics
Brown HS. Managed care and technical efficiency. Health Econ 2003 Mar; 12(3):149-58. [Uses data from AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP).]

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
California Healthcare Foundation/American Geriatrics Society Panel on Improving Care for Elders with Diabetes. Guidelines for improving the care of the older person with diabetes mellitus. J Am Geriatr Soc 2003 May; 51(5 Suppl):S265-80. [Uses AHRQ guideline, Urinary Incontinence in Adults: Acute and Chronic Management, 1996, as source document for analysis and comparison.]

Social Science and Medicine
Franks P, Gold MR, Fiscella K. Sociodemographics, self-rated health, and mortality in the U.S. Soc Sci Med 2003 June; 56(12):2505-14. [Uses Household Survey component data from AHRQ's National Medical Expenditure Survey (NMES).]

Women and Health
Freeman JL. Goodwin JS, Zhang D, et al. Measuring the performance of screening mammography in community practice with Medicare claims data. Women Health 2003; 37(2):1-15. Uses AHRQ guideline, Quality Determinants of Mammography, 1996, as study standard.]

Current as of May 2003