Research Activities, March 2011, No. 367 ContentsAbout Research ActivitiesFeature StoryRe-engineered discharge project dramatically reduces return trips to the hospitalFrom the DirectorPatient Safety and QualityHospitals with a high volume of sepsis admissions have lowest mortality ratesHospitals face dilemmas about disclosure of large-scale adverse eventsMost process-of-care events do not harm transplant patients, but they boost costs and lengthen hospital staysPerson-to-person transmission of E. coli resistant to fluoroquinolone drugs is rare among hospital patientsAutomated screening of patient electronic medical records is only the first step to identifying a medication problemWhen health plans share physicians, they may have less incentive to improve care qualityOutcomes/Effectiveness ResearchBetter adherence to diabetes medications means fewer hospitalizations and emergency department visitsHospitals with more patients who receive angioplasty within 90 minutes of a heart attack have lower mortality ratesHospitalizations for bacterial pneumonia in Texas towns bordering Mexico three times higher than the national averageColony-stimulating factor is effective in reducing infection for elderly patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma on chemotherapyWomen's HealthBariatric surgery before pregnancy reduces the risk of gestational diabetes in obese womenObesity rates are higher among sexually abused and lesbian womenIn vitro fertilization has advantages over natural conception for couples who both carry the cystic fibrosis traitChild/Adolescent HealthKidney stone rates in children may be on the riseAntipsychotic use doubles for very young children, while mental health visits are fewChildren with a medical home more likely to receive health screenings and adviceDisparities/Minority HealthAsthma project helps resident physicians improve care for minority patientsBlacks have worse colorectal cancer survival rates than whitesMedicare-insured patients with head or neck cancer differ little in mortality risk because of race or ethnicityPerception of racial discrimination among blacks linked to socioeconomic positionEven with universal health insurance, the homeless in Canada encounter barriers to obtaining health careExpert workshop discusses disparities in health care quality and role of health IT in underresourced settingsMental HealthParents of adults with mental illness face the challenges of being an aging caregiverElderly/Long-Term CareAnemia is common among nursing home residents and affects their physical functioningBetter hospital quality of care for the elderly is associated with lower mortality after dischargeMore nursing home residents are receiving hospice careHealth Care Costs and FinancingHIV treatment costs much more when patients start treatment later in the diseasePreventive dental care saves money on total dental care for Medicare beneficiariesAgency News and NotesLandmark initiative to reduce healthcare-associated infections cuts deaths among Medicare patients in Michigan ICUsAching back sends more than 3 million to emergency departmentsOperating room procedures account for nearly half of hospitals' treatment costsApproximately 5 percent of seniors report one or more cognitive disordersGrowth in Medicaid patient hospital admissions outpace those for privately insured patientsOne-fifth of the U.S. population has no doctor or other usual source of medical careRoutine osteoporosis screening recommended for all women over age 65AHRQ report finds unclear value of pretesting autoimmune disorder patients before prescribing thiopurine drugsAHRQ's Health Care Innovations Exchange offers innovative solutions to caring for women with gestational diabetesInnovations show the benefits of using phone-based care managementAnnouncementsNew technical brief on stroke care publishedNew look for AHRQ's Health Care Innovations Exchange Web site2010 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award recipients announcedResearch BriefsResearch BriefsFollow AHRQ News on TwitterHealthcare 411 Current as of March 2011 Internet Citation: Research Activities, March 2011, No. 367. March 2011. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsletters/research-activities/mar11/index.html
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