Research Activities, February 2011, No. 366 ContentsFeature StoryResearch comparing diabetes medications helps patients and clinicians choose the right oneFrom the DirectorPatient Safety and QualityHospitals vary greatly in the quality of their trauma careFlawed State apology and disclosure laws dilute their intended impact on malpractice suitsSimulation training improves insertion of central venous cathetersNurses with higher education levels rate themselves as having more clinical expertise and are sought out for their guidanceHealth Care Costs and FinancingTrauma care costs less at hospitals with lower mortality ratesRouting ambulances to cardiac surgery-equipped hospitals more cost effective than building more such hospitalsMany factors are likely to slow the adoption of pay for performance in dentistryEmergency MedicineNearly one-third of emergency department visits involve nonideal care eventsEmergency departments have increasingly become the health care safety net for adults insured by MedicaidRoutine opt-out HIV emergency department screening only slightly improves identification of patients with HIV infectionChild/Adolescent HealthPilot study finds a low level of medication errors for look-alike, sound-alike drugs prescribed for childrenTelephone coaching improves quality of life for parents of children with asthmaKetorolac, a pain medication, is underused in children operated on for bladder refluxWomen's HealthMore than half of women do not get regular mammogramsVaginal births after cesarean are safe for most womenPrenatal screening for Group B streptococci often fails to live up to current screening and treatment guidelinesElderly/Long-Term CareNurse-facilitated guided care for elders and their caregivers leads to improved perceptions of quality of careUse of physician extenders associated with increase in antidepressant prescribing in nursing homesOutcomes/Effectiveness ResearchCardiac procedures can lead to substantial radiation exposure for patientsContrast-enhanced CT scans do not increase the risk of kidney failure in patients with acute strokeArterial and perfusion imaging help guide treatment for stroke patients when symptom onset is unknownHigher in-hospital complication rate for primary posterior versus primary anterior cervical fusionPre-existing cardiovascular conditions linked to lower stimulant prescribing rates for adults with ADHDDisparities/Minority HealthPoorer patients less likely to receive specific treatment for head and neck cancerRegular home blood pressure measurement raises the likelihood of blood pressure control among Korean AmericansGender trumps religiosity in older Mexican Americans' views on physician-assisted suicidePrimary Care ResearchPrimary care physicians' performance ratings depend on the makeup of their patient populationPrimary care practices that take part in research networks report benefits beyond the study itselfHealth Information TechnologyClinicians' adoption and use of electronic prescribing is likely linked to their views on technologyAgency News and NotesThe number of U.S. adults treated for diabetes more than doubled between 1996 and 2007One in 16 women hospitalized for childbirth has diabetesU.S. employers lost nearly 3 weeks of work per employee due to sick daysMore than one in five hospital patients in 2008 were born in 1933 or earlierAnnouncementsReport available on clinical decision support tool to assess patients' risk for deleterious BRCA mutationsAHRQ publishes evidence report on the relationship of alcohol consumption to breast and colorectal cancerAHRQ updates 2001 evidence report on treating acute otitis mediaNew Federal resources help hospitals plan, carry out, and evaluate emergency preparedness exercisesAHRQ 2010 Annual Conference plenary session videos availableArchive of Webcast on integrating comparative effectiveness research into everyday practice availableResearch BriefsFollow AHRQ News on TwitterHealthcare 411 Current as of February 2011 Internet Citation: Research Activities, February 2011, No. 366. February 2011. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsletters/research-activities/feb11/index.html
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