Research Activities October 2011, No. 374 ContentsFeature StoryMONAHRQ® gains momentumFrom the DirectorPatient Safety and QualityLess than half of pharmacy computer systems studied correctly identified drug-drug interactionsSimpler drug warning labels are easier to understandMedical students, interns, and residents need training to disclose medical errorsCertain factors increase risk of medication errors in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)Going "smooth" can help relieve weekday crowding at children's hospitalsTransparency enhances physician communication with patientsChronic DiseaseMinimally invasive heart treatments have reduced bypass surgeries and influenced valve repair and replacementFull use of evidence-based therapies for heart failure could save nearly 70,000 lives each yearCancer patients more likely to face higher cost burdens than those with other chronic conditionsPossible blood biomarkers for poorer asthma control identifiedStudy identifies fractures most and least likely to be caused by osteoporosisA structured goal-setting approach can improve care outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetesHealth Information TechnologyPatients with type 2 diabetes express mixed reactions to a mobile phone and Web-based disease management programStudy identifies costs of implementing electronic health records in network of physician practicesAcute Care/HospitalizationHeart attack victims should use emergency transport services, not self or family to get to the hospitalPhysician recommendations for defibrillator therapy not influenced by race or genderHealth Care Costs and FinancingMedicare Part D reduces out-of-pocket costs and modestly boosts prescription volumeWomen's HealthMarried couples who have twins are more likely to divorceDisease that springs from water parasites may also be a risk factor for HIV for women in sub-Saharan AfricaWomen on Medicare with poor chances of living 4 more years often forego screening mammogramsChild/Adolescent HealthMore research is needed on outcomes after maternal-fetal surgeryA small number of drugs are used most commonly during pediatric hospitalizationsHuman rhinovirus linked to bronchiolitis and upper respiratory infections among healthy term infantsAgency News and NotesHospital deaths from heart failure cut by half over 7 yearsHospitalizations for children with influenza and skin infections increased in the last decadeMore than 20,000 emergency room visits for air and paintball gun injuries in 2008Nighttime-breathing treatments backed by strongest evidence among options to treat sleep apneaAnnouncementsTask Force updates recommendation on screening for bladder cancer in asymptomatic adultsAHRQ releases tool to help Spanish-speaking consumers reduce medication errorsNew Spanish-language guides inform decisions about heart disease and other illnessesNew report shows strengths and areas for improvement in nursing homesAHRQ releases report on designing consumer reporting systems for patient safety eventsAHRQ report examines impact of human resource patterns on quality and safetyResearch Briefs Current as of October 2011 Internet Citation: Research Activities October 2011, No. 374. October 2011. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsletters/research-activities/oct11/index.html
Back
