Research Activities, July 2011, No. 371 ContentsFeature StoryHealth care quality gaps and disparities persist in every StateFrom the DirectorDisparities/Minority HealthAmericans, especially blacks, spend substantial periods of time uninsuredLanguage barriers related to increased hospital readmissions for Chinese- and Spanish-speaking patientsForeign-born patients are more likely to have a form of tuberculosis that resists a common drug used in treatmentPatient Safety and QualityDelays in reporting medical errors at Japanese hospital nearly triple that of United States hospitalHospitals with a teamwork culture have better patient safety climatesQuality measures are not used with all patients who suffer heart attacksStudies examine safety of pain killers among older adultsImmersive simulation training for CPR shows no benefit over standard trainingAcute Care/HospitalizationPatients who suffer strokes and are seen at designated stroke centers fare better in the short and long runTrauma center patients treated after hours or on weekends have no difference in mortality ratesA high percentage of patients with sickle cell disease self-discharge from hospital careTwo approaches help identify cardiac surgery patients at risk for postoperative kidney failurePrimary CareCommunication problems between hospitalists and primary care providers lead to postdischarge problems for seniorsMany primary care patients are at risk for obstructive sleep apnea, but few are sent for testingGuideline familiarity does not equal guideline adherenceChronic Care Model linked to exercise discussions during primary care office visits for diabetesChronic DiseaseMetformin remains the medication of first choice in treating type 2 diabetesEmpowerment approach to diabetes education works better than the traditional didactic approachPreventive care for patients with lupus could be improvedTrends in treating depression favor psychotropic medications over psychotherapyOutcomes/Effectiveness ResearchSome patients hospitalized for stroke more likely to keep taking drugs to prevent another strokeSleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension affect in-hospital outcomes of noncardiac surgeryCertain factors linked to risk of early death of intensive care patients after dischargePhysicians more reluctant to deactivate some life-sustaining devices than othersMandated increases in nurse staffing levels unevenly affect uncompensated care growth rates in California hospitalsWomen's HealthNo link found between chemotherapy in older women with breast cancer and later cognitive impairmentWomen's self-reported stress seems to jibe with a common stress biomarkerMothers' medical appointments may be a link to getting daughters vaccinated for human papillomavirusU.S.-born Mexican women who have adopted U.S. culture may be more at risk for cervical cancerPelvic ultrasound imaging by emergency physicians is highly effective in ruling out ectopic pregnancyChild/Adolescent HealthAntibiotics are modestly more effective than no treatment for middle ear infections in childrenHealth insurance is necessary but not sufficient for children's access to careHealth LiteracyA simple question identifies patients with low health literacyAgency News and NotesAHRQ, Ad Council launch Conozca las preguntas campaignSchool-age children treated most often for sports-related concussionsMore rural Americans treated in emergency departments for eye injuriesICUs in Michigan sustain zero bloodstream infections for up to 2 yearsOver 3 million look to hospitals for headache reliefMost American women experience complications during deliveryReadmissions in 30 days or less account for 1 in 9 hospital admissionsReport shows physicians view e-prescribing features as cumbersomeConnecting local providers to academic medical centers using video improved hepatitis C outcomesAnnouncementsAHRQ's 2011 Annual Conference set for September 18-21AHRQ toolkit helps to prevent hospital-acquired pressure ulcersStereotactic body radiation therapy reviewedEvidence report on safety of probiotics publishedGuide helps consumers reduce medication errorsEvidence report examines health IT impact on medication managementAHRQ releases new report on pain management of hip fractureOpportunities for advancing delivery system research—AHRQ meeting summary now onlineImportant information about CHIPRA core set of recommended health care quality measures releasedResearch BriefsSubscribe now to AHRQ's Patient Safety E-newsletterHealthcare 411Follow AHRQ news on Twitter Current as of July 2011 Internet Citation: Research Activities, July 2011, No. 371. July 2011. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsletters/research-activities/jul11/index.html
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