Research Activities, February 2012, No. 378

Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Tough questions get answers through health IT
From the Director

Health Information Technology

E-prescribing systems within electronic health records reduce ambulatory prescribing errors in community-based practices

Pharmaceutical Research

The effects of direct-to-consumer drug advertising on statin use depends on the person's experience with the statin
Educational intervention helps doctors and patients split statin tablets to save money for patients and payers

Comparative Effectiveness Research

Newer antidepressants equally effective in treating major depressive disorder
Older medications for epilepsy obtain better control but have more adverse effects
Evidence lacking on devices used with percutaneous coronary interventions
Benefits of active surveillance therapy for localized prostate cancer not yet demonstrated

Patient Safety and Quality

Superficial surgical site infections are a reliable measure of hospital quality

Emergency Care

Patient flow strategies may help to address emergency department crowding
New rule on when to have a trauma surgeon meet a transported trauma patient is found more sensitive than existing criteria

Chronic Disease

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with elevated hemoglobin A1c levels in low-income blacks with diabetes
Increasing body mass index lowers quality of life in obese individuals
HIV outcomes and medication use are similar between rural and urban HIV patients
Physicians need better understanding of factors that patients use to decide about colorectal cancer screening

Access to Care

Adults with individual and employment-related health insurance report similar, often good, access to care
Being foreign-born affects access to care

Child/Adolescent Health

Children of working mothers face more health problems
Recommendations on rounding pediatric doses may improve e-prescribing while reducing risk of adverse drug events
Children's unmet health needs similar for low- and middle-income families with either public or private insurance

Women's Health

Lack of folic acid supplementation for nonpregnant women means missed opportunities to prevent neural tube defects in children
Depending on a woman's age, hysterectomy may be the best option for resolving chronic pelvic pain and heavy bleeding

Elderly/Long-Term Care

Depression, hearing impairment, and health literacy influence older adults' abilities to self-manage their care
Study finds potentially suboptimal use of antidepressants for residents in Veterans Affairs nursing homes

Agency News and Notes

Bronchitis and asthma most commonly treated conditions among children

Announcements

New AHRQ report examines who visits hospital public reporting Web sites and why
New brief and white paper suggest ways to improve patient-centered medical home evidence and evaluations
AHRQ researchers! Let us know about your pending publications and real-life impact of AHRQ research

Research Briefs

Research Briefs

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