Research Activities, August 2010, No. 360 ContentsAbout Research ActivitiesFeature StoryAdvanced type of cancer radiation reduces side effects, but impact on cancer control is unclearSafety/Quality of CareEmergency physicians suggest ways to reduce errors in patient handoffs during shift changesHospital risk managers more likely than physicians to recommend error disclosure, but less likely to apologizePatient preferences are important when making clinical decisions for those who can't, but other factors also play a roleConsider local health care systems when designing services for the uninsuredWomen's HealthAcupuncture helps with depression during pregnancyWomen want clinicians to talk about the risk medications pose to an unborn childDomestic violence on the decline but young women are at highest riskMany homeless women are reluctant to get free Pap smearsDisparities/Minority HealthMinority patients are less likely to have surgery performed by high-volume surgeons and hospitalsRate of extrapulmonary TB highest among blacksMore stress means worse asthma in inner-city adultsChild/Adolescent HealthCare setting affects likelihood that children with persistent asthma will receive inhaled steroidsOutcomes/Effectiveness ResearchLower mortality rates after surgery at high-volume hospitals due to fewer complications and other factorsRemote supervision of stroke therapy is safe and effective at smaller hospitalsStudies explore rapid treatment of sepsis and cardiac arrestInstrument that measures quality of life for breast cancer survivors can be used for other cancersSurgical simulation training improves speed and confidence in residents learning endoscopic sinus surgeryCoronary risk information may improve prescribing practicesUsing quitlines with physician support improves smoking cessationThoracic surgeons can help patients stop smoking with a brief smoking cessation programChallenges abundant for practices that use fax referrals to smoking cessation quitlinesMental HealthTrauma associated with mental health disorders but not substance abuse in homeless menHealth LiteracyHealth literacy level has no impact on frequency of blood-glucose monitoring for inner-city patients with diabetesSimple tool to measure health literacy in patients with HIV successfully predicts medication adherenceAgency News and NotesAHRQ and Ad Council encourage men to take preventive steps in their health careMen shy away from routine medical appointmentsDeaths from hospital complications drop, disparities remainCost of hospital treatment for blood infection surgesEmployees in small businesses more likely to have high-premium health plansAnnouncementsNew AHRQ guides offer hospitals advice on emergency evacuation, assessment, and recoveryInnovative software cuts costs and time for States to report hospital quality information to the publicFree, innovative new online resource for hospital quality reporting now availableAHRQ announces patient safety and medical liability demonstration projects2008 Nationwide Inpatient Sample releasedRegister now for AHRQ's fourth annual conferenceAHRQ Webcast on health outcomes of carotid revascularization to air August 19Research BriefsResearch BriefsVisit the AHRQ Patient Safety Network Web Site Current as of August 2010 Internet Citation: Research Activities, August 2010, No. 360. August 2010. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsletters/research-activities/aug10/index.html
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