Research Activities, April 2011, No. 368 ContentsFeature StoryHealth care quality still improving slowly, but disparities and gaps in access to care persistFrom the DirectorDisparities/Minority HealthRegional poverty boosts adults' chances of having unmet health care needsBlacks less likely than whites to use either statins or aspirin in the prevention of cardiovascular diseaseKorean Americans with high blood pressure who are confident they can achieve blood pressure control are more likely to do soPatient Safety and QualityMedication safety indicators can guide improvement in primary care drug selection, dosing, and monitoringHospital Compare data may not help surgical patients find hospitals with better outcomesChronic DiseaseObese patients with hypertension and diabetes have a greater risk of dying after noncardiac surgeryMedications differ in their effect on risk of foot ulcers and limb amputations in patients with diabetesDiet and medication adherence can reduce cardiovascular disease for patients with type 2 diabetesProvider's communication style boosts results for acupuncture on arthritic kneesOutcomes/Effectiveness ResearchCertain hospital characteristics influence mortality after complications following high-risk surgeryVarious factors influence the adoption of ergonomics in health care organizationsHealth Care WorkforceNursing shortage may have adverse impact on public health emergency preparednessPhysicians cultivate colleagues' esteem differently at low- and high-prestige hospitalsHealth Care Costs and FinancingSome adults with disabilities covered by Medicaid have significant out-of-pocket health expensesMedicare Part D enrollees have higher cost-sharing amounts for brand name prescription drugs than those in employer plansMany patients with diabetes who reach the Medicare Part D drug coverage gap don't talk about drug costs with their doctorsPayment reform highlighted in special journal issueHealth Information TechnologyParents using electronic kiosk provide more accurate clinical information than emergency room providersDecision support intervention prompts clinicians to update patients' problem lists in their medical recordsPatients with limited health literacy less likely to use an Internet portal for diabetes and other health informationParents find telemedicine care of children in school and childcare to be helpful and convenientChild/Adolescent HealthElectronic health record decision support improves the care of children with ADHDAdolescents with higher socioeconomic status at greater risk for substance abuse during early adulthoodAdverse drug event surveillance tailored to hospitalized childrenWomen's HealthPerceived lower social standing linked to unplanned pregnanciesCertain women are at greater risk for mental health problems during pregnancyAgency News and NotesRates of pneumonia dramatically reduced in patients on ventilators in Michigan intensive care unitsOne in four U.S. adults reported having high blood pressure in 2008Nearly 4 million adults reported being treated for kidney disease between 2003 and 2007Spending for prescriptions to control diabetes, cholesterol, and other metabolic conditions exceeds $52 billionPatients' income and where they live influence hospitalization for chronic lung diseaseAnnouncementsU.S. Preventive Services Task Force updates vision screening recommendation for young childrenNew AHRQ resource helps to improve nursing home careAHRQ releases Common Formats for patient safety reporting in skilled nursing facilitiesNew AHRQ podcasts focus on coronary artery disease, reducing medication costs, and telemedicine in schoolsNew AHRQ report on women at risk for diabetes is availableCME module offered on in-hospital off-label uses of recombinant factor VIIaClarificationResearch BriefsFollow AHRQ News on TwitterSubscribe to AHRQ's Electronic NewsletterHealthcare 411 Current as of April 2011 Internet Citation: Research Activities, April 2011, No. 368. April 2011. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsletters/research-activities/apr11/index.html
Back
