Decreased Antibiotic Utilization after Implementation of a Guideline for Inpatient Cellulitis and Cutaneous Abscess

This weekly compilation of articles appearing in recently released journals and newsletters includes:

• Articles funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) or authored by AHRQ researchers.
• Articles mentioning or discussing AHRQ staff, activities, and publications/products.
• Articles related to AHRQ-funded Evidence-based Practice Centers.
• Articles related to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force or Put Prevention into Practice program.
• Articles mentioning the National Healthcare Disparities Report and National Healthcare Quality Report.
• Other research using AHRQ data or products.

AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

Archives of Internal Medicine
Jenkins TC, Knepper BC, Sabel AL, Sarcone EE, Long JA, Haukoos JS, et al. Decreased antibiotic utilization after implementation of a guideline for inpatient cellulitis and cutaneous abscess. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28. [Epub ahead of print. Supported in part by Independent Scientist Award grant K02 HS17526 (to sixth author); also go to commentary by Spellberg (Arch Intern Med, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Related Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

Arthritis and Rheumatism
Curtis JR, Xie F, Chen L, et al. The incidence of gastrointestinal perforations among rheumatoid arthritis patients. Arthritis Rheum 2011 Feb; 63(2):346-51. [Supported in part by grant R01 HS18517.] Select to access the abstract.

Communications of the ACM
Wachs JP, Kölsch M, Stern H, et al. Vision-based hand-gesture applications. Commun ACM 2011 Feb; 54(2):60-71. [Supported by AHRQ (possible grant number HS19837-01) according to online article "Future Surgeons May Use Robotic Nurse, 'Gesture Recognition'," Science Daily, Feb. 3, 2011]

Computers, Informatics, Nursing
Brokel JM, Schwichtenberg TJ, Wakefield DS, et al. Evaluating clinical decision support rules as an intervention in clinician workflows with technology. Comput Inform Nurs 2011 Jan-Feb; 29(1):36-42. [Cites Health Information Technology grant HS15196; cites AHRQ-funded systematic review by Chaudhry et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2006) on impact of health information technology on quality, efficiency, and costs of medical care.] Select to access the abstract.

Expert Reviews of Cardiovascular Therapy
Turchin A, Conlin PR. The doctor needs to see you now: accelerating the care of patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 2010 Nov; 8(11):1501-3. [Supported by grant 1 R18 HS17030 (to first author); cites AHRQ-funded article by Turchin et al. (Hypertension, 2010).]

Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
Patel NK, Parchman ML. The Chronic Care Model and exercise discussions during primary care diabetes encounters. J Am Board Fam Med 2011 Jan-Feb; 24(1):26-32. [Supported in part by grant K08 HS13008-03.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American Pharmacists Association
Higgins L, Brown M, Murphy JE, et al. Community pharmacy and pharmacist staff call center: assessment of medication safety and effectiveness. J Am Pharm Assoc 2011 Jan-Feb; 51(1):82-9. [Supported by grant U18 HS10385-07S1.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Mukherjee B, Ou HT, Wang F, et al. A new comorbidity index: the health-related quality of life comorbidity index. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Mar; 64(3):309-19. [Supported by grant 1 R03 HS17461-01A1 (Developing a Comorbidity Index for Health-Related Quality of Life Studies, with principal investigator Steven R. Erickson, from September 1, 2008 to August 31, 2009); uses 2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998), and the Charlson comorbidity score using the Deyo method described in AHRQ-funded article by Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992); cites 2003 Full-Year Consolidated Data File (HC-079) and 2003 Medical Conditions File (HC-078), both published on AHRQ's MEPS Web site; cites article by Southern, Quan, and Ghali (Med Care, 2004), which uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Hospital Medicine
Karliner LS, Kim SE, Meltzer DO, Auerbach AD. Influence of language barriers on outcomes of hospital care for general medicine inpatients. J Hosp Med 2010 May-Jun; 5(5):276-82. [Supported in part by grants R01 HS10597 (Multicenter Hospitalist Study, registered at Clinicaltrials.gov) and training grant K08 HS11416-02 (to last author); cites AHRQ's National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR), 2006; cites Tools and Software, as published on AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Web site; cites Patient Safety Tools: Improving Safety at the Point of Care, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Haywood C Jr, Lanzkron S, Ratanawongsa N, Bediako SM, Lattimer-Nelson L, Beach MC. Hospital self-discharge among adults with sickle-cell disease (SCD): associations with trust and interpersonal experiences with care. J Hosp Med 2010 May-Jun; 5(5):289-94. [Supported in part by grant K08 HS13903-05 (to last author).] Select to access the abstract.

Arora VM, Prochaska ML, Farnan JM, et al. Problems after discharge and understanding of communication with their primary care physicians among hospitalized seniors: a mixed methods study. J Hosp Med 2010 Sep; 5(7):385-91. [Supported in part by grants 1 P20 HS17119 (A Model for Effective Communications for Inpatient Ambulatory Transitions) and U18 HS16967-01 (to the Hospital Medicine and Economics Centers for Evaluation and Research in Therapeutics (CERTs)).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Primary Care and Community Health
Meyers D, Clancy CM. The patient-centered medical home: putting the patient at the center of care. J Prim Care Community Health 2011 Jan; 2(1):2-5. [Authors are director of AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships and AHRQ director, respectively; cites AHRQ's National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR) and NHDR, 2009; cites What is the PCMH? as published on AHRQ's Patient Centered Medical Home Resource Center Web site; cites AHRQ publication, Necessary But Not Sufficient: The HITECH Act and Health Information Technology's Potential to Build Medical Homes, 2010 (as prepared by Mathematica Policy Research).]

LDI Issue Brief
Strom BL, Schinnar R, Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania. Evaluating health information technology's clinical effects. LDI Issue Brief 2011 Feb; 16(4):1-4. [Supported by CERTs grant U18 HS10399 (to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine); based on AHRQ-funded article by Strom et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2010).] Select to access the abstract.

Maternal and Child Health Journal
Devoe JE, Tillotson CJ, Wallace LS, et al. Is health insurance enough? A usual source of care may be more important to ensure a child receives preventive health counseling. Matern Child Health J 2011 Mar 4. [Epub ahead of print. Supported in part by grants K08 HS16181 and R01 HS18569; uses 2002-2006 MEPS Household Component (MEPS HC) data, citing MEPS Pooled Estimation Files, 2010, and MEPS HC-089: 2004 Full Year Consolidated Data File, 2008, both published on AHRQ's MEPS Web site, and AHRQ-authored article by Cohen, Monheit, Beauregard, Cohen, Lefkowitz, Potter, Sommers, Taylor, et al. (fourth author is director of and other authors are former and current researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends), (Inquiry, 1996-1997); acknowledges statistical programming assistance from Julie Hudson and Jessica Vistnes (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends); cites AHRQ publication, Children's Usual Source of Care: United States, 2002, MEPS Statistical Brief 78, 2005.] Select to access the abstract.

Quality of Life Research
Annett RD, Bender BG, Skipper B, et al. Predicting moderate improvement and decline in pediatric asthma quality of life over 24 months. Qual Life Res 2010 Dec; 19(10):1517-27. [Supported in part by grant R03 HS09123-01. Also refer to AHRQ-funded article by Chou et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2011) cited in U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)/Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)-Related Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Abroms LC, Padmanabhan N, Thaweethai L, et al. iPhone apps for smoking cessation: a content analysis. Am J Prev Med 2011 Mar; 40(3):279-85. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Japuntich SJ, Leventhal AM, Piper ME, et al. Smoker characteristics and smoking-cessation milestones. Am J Prev Med 2011 Mar; 40(3):286-94. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Public Health
Brody H, Light DW. The inverse benefit law: how drug marketing undermines patient safety and public health. Am J Public Health 2011 Mar; 101(3):399-404. [Briefly addresses the need for "a neutral agency such as a branch of the National Institutes of Health or [AHRQ] to conduct drug trials, including comparative effectiveness research."] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Internal Medicine
Mansi IA. The effect of financial incentives on hospitals that serve poor patients. Ann Intern Med 2011 Mar 1; 154(5):370; authors' reply, 370-1. [Authors' reply to comments on their article (Jha, Orav, and Eptstein, Ann Intern Med, 2010) cites AHRQ-funded article by Werner and Asch (JAMA, 2005).]

Applied Clinical Trials
Wechsler J. Research community faces new challenges. New user fees, health initiatives, and FDA compliance concerns are top issues for 2011. Appl Clin Trials 2011 Jan; 20(1):19-21. [Mentions the dispersal of $1.1 billion over the last two years by AHRQ, NIH, and HHS for comparative effectiveness research projects that are largely "up and running."]

Archives of Internal Medicine
Spellberg B. The antibiotic crisis: can we reverse 65 years of failed stewardship? Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28. [Epub ahead of print. Comments on AHRQ-funded article by Jenkins et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]

Wolf MS, Curtis LM, Waite K, et al. Helping patients simplify and safely use complex prescription regimens. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28; 171(4):300-5. [Cites data from AHRQ's MEPS Web site on the average number of prescriptions filled per year by different adult age groups; cites findings from a recent efficacy trial of the universal medication schedule (UMS) by Wolf (lead author of this article) et al. (Med Care, 2011) funded by AHRQ grants R01 HS017687 and R01 HS019435, which are supporting ongoing studies testing the UMS in actual use; notes studies under AHRQ grant R18 HS017220 to standardize prescribing practices following the UMS concept.] Select to access the abstract.

Widera E, Covinsky KE. Fulfilling our obligation to the caregiver: it's time for action. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28; 171(4):359-60. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Callahan et al. (JAMA, 2006).]

Glasgow RE. A model program for a devastating disease: important content and methods issues in translating research into practice. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28; 171(4):360-1. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Mercer, DeVinney, Fine, Green, and Dougherty (researcher in AHRQ's Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations) (Am J Prev Med, 2007); cites AHRQ-funded article by Glasgow et al. (Med Care, 2005).]

Briesacher BA, Madden JM, Soumerai SB. Caution in generalizing Part D results to Medicare population. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28; 171(4):366-7. [Comments on and cites article by Millet et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2010), which uses 2005-2006 MEPS data; cites AHRQ-funded article by Yin et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2008).]

Millett C, Everett CJ, Matheson EM, et al. In reply: Caution in generalizing Part D results to Medicare population.Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28; 171(4):367. [Responds to comments on authors' article by Briesacher, Madden, and Soumerai cited above; cites AHRQ-funded article by Yin et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2008).]

Lee TC. Is there value in a preoperative medical consultation? Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28; 171(4):368. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Glance et al. (Anesthesiology, 2010).]

Wijeysundera DN, Beattie WS, Austin PC, et al. In reply: Is there value in a preoperative medical consultation?Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28; 171(4):368-9. [Responds to comments on authors' article by Lee cited above; cites AHRQ-funded article by Lee et al. (Circulation, 1999).]

Drugs and Aging
Ruggiero C, Dell'Aquila G, Gasperini B, et al. Potentially inappropriate drug prescriptions and risk of hospitalization among older, Italian, nursing home residents: the ULISSE project. Drugs Aging 2010 Sep 1; 27(9):747-58. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Zhan, Sangl, Bierman, Miller, Friedman, Wickizer, and Meyer (first and second authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence and Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, respectively, and third, fourth, fifth, and sixth authors are former AHRQ researchers) (JAMA, 2001), which uses 1996 MEPS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research
Johnson ML, Chitnis AS. Comparative effectiveness research: guidelines for good practices are just the beginning. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res 2011 Feb; 11(1):51-7. [Mentions recommendations to harmonize comparative effectiveness research (CER) guidelines from AHRQ, the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, the International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology, and other organizations, citing article by Stürmer, Carey, and Poole (Value Health, 2009); mentions a recent AHRQ-funded Medical Care supplement which summarized papers presented at a follow-up AHRQ conference on CER methodologies and safety, citing article by Lohr (Med Care, 2010); cites article by Lohr et al. (Med Care, 2007), which discusses AHRQ's Effective Health Care program and Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions About Effectiveness (DEcIDE) network.] Select to access the abstract.

Health Services Research
Ziegenfuss JY, Davern ME. Twenty years of coverage: an enhanced current population survey-1989-2008. Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 1):199-209. [Mentions MEPS as a valuable source for health insurance estimation.] Select to access the abstract.

Kenney GM, Marton J, Klein AE, et al. The effects of Medicaid and CHIP policy changes on receipt of preventive care among children. Health Serv Res 2011 Feb; 46(1 Pt 2):298-318. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Selden (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Pediatrics, 2006), which uses 2000-2002 MEPS data; cites AHRQ-funded article by Steinwachs et al. (Am J Med Qual, 1998).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
Shim RS, Baltrus P, Ye J, et al. Prevalence, treatment, and control of depressive symptoms in the united states: results from the national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES), 2005-2008. J Am Board Fam Med2011 Jan-Feb; 24(1):33-8. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Eisenberg (former AHRQ director) and Power (JAMA, 2000).] Select to access the abstract.

Vulfsons S, Kalichman L. Response: Re: dry needling in the management of musculoskeletal pain. J Am Board Fam Med 2011 Jan-Feb; 24(1):120. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Deyo and Weinstein (N Engl J Med, 2001).]

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Palleschi L, De Alfieri W, Salani B, et al. Functional recovery of elderly patients hospitalized in geriatric and general medicine units. The Progetto Dimissioni in Geriatria Study. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Feb; 59(2):193-9. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Covinsky et al. (J Am Geriatr Soc, 2003).] Select to access the abstract.

Zisberg A, Shadmi E, Sinoff G, et al. Low mobility during hospitalization and functional decline in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Feb; 59(2):266-73. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Covinsky et al. (J Am Geriatr Soc, 2003).] Select to access the abstract.

McCarten JR, Anderson P, Kuskowski MA, et al. Screening for cognitive impairment in an elderly veteran population: acceptability and results using different versions of the Mini-Cog. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Feb; 59(2):309-13. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Boustani et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

van der Marck MA, Overeem S, Klok PC, et al. Evaluation of the falls telephone: an automated system for enduring assessment of falls. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Feb; 59(2):340-4. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Sarkar et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Voils CI, Hoyle RH, Thorpe CT, et al. Improving the measurement of self-reported medication nonadherence. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Mar; 64(3):250-4. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Jerant et al. (Med Care, 2008) and Sherbourne et al. (J Behav Med, 1992).] Select to access the abstract.

Morisky DE, DiMatteo MR. Improving the measurement of self-reported medication nonadherence: response to authors. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Mar; 64(3):255-257; discussion 258-63. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Jerant et al. (Med Care, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Suzukamo Y, Fukuhara S, Green J, et al. Validation testing of a three-component model of Short Form-36 scores. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Mar; 64(3):301-8. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by McHorney, Ware, and Raczek (Med Care, 1993) and Ware and Sherbourne (Med Care, 1992).] Select to access the abstract.

Resnik L, Gozalo P, Hart DL. Weighted index explained more variance in physical function than an additively scored functional comorbidity scale. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Mar; 64(3):320-30. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Hofer et al. (JAMA, 1999) and Deyo et al. (Spine, 1998); cites AHRQ-funded publication, Risk Adjustment for Measuring Health Care Outcomes, by Iezzoni, 1994 (under grant number HS06742).] Select to access the abstract.

Lancet
Böttiger BW, Koster RW, Bossaert L, et al. Chest-compression-only versus standard CPR. Lancet 2011 Feb 26; 377(9767):716. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Hallstrom et al. (N Engl J Med, 2000).]

Rea T, Bobrow B, Spaite D. Chest-compression-only versus standard CPR. Lancet 2011 Feb 26; 377(9767):717. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Hallstrom et al. (N Engl J Med, 2000).]

Abe T, Tokuda Y. Chest-compression-only versus standard CPR. Lancet 2011 Feb 26; 377(9767):718. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Hallstrom et al. (N Engl J Med, 2000).]

Hüpfl, Selig HF, Nagele P. Authors' reply: Chest-compression-only versus standard CPR. Lancet 2011 Feb 26; 377(9767):718. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Hallstrom et al. (N Engl J Med, 2000).]

MLO: Medical Laboratory Observer
Molinaro RJ. Diabetes cases on the rise: Current diagnosis guidelines and research efforts for a cure. MLO Med Lab Obs 2011 Feb; 43(2):8, 10, 12 passim; quiz 16-17. [Summarizes 1996-2007 MEPS data on diabetes from AHRQ publication, Trends in Use and Expenditures for Diabetes among Adults 18 and Older, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 1996 and 2007, MEPS Statistical Brief 304, 2010, as published on AHRQ's MEPS Web site and summarized in AHRQ News and Numbers article The Number of U.S. Adults Treated for Diabetes More Than Doubled Between 1996 and 2007, 2011.] Select to access the abstract.

Medsurg Nursing
Al-Shaer D, Hill PD, Anderson MA. Nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding pain assessment and intervention. Medsurg Nurs 2011 Jan-Feb; 20(1):7-11. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Acute Pain Management, 1992.]

Obstetrics and Gynecology
Zelop CM. Postpartum hemorrhage: becoming more evidence-based. Obstet Gynecol 2011 Jan; 117(1):3-5. [Cites American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines on postpartum hemorrhage, 2006, as published on AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ Web site.]

Driessen M, Bouvier-Colle MH, Dupont C, et al. Postpartum hemorrhage resulting from uterine atony after vaginal delivery: factors associated with severity. Obstet Gynecol 2011 Jan; 117(1):21-31. [Cites American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines on postpartum hemorrhage, 2006, as published on AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Gilliam ML. Pharmaceutical policies: effects of restrictions on reimbursement. Obstet Gynecol 2011 Jan; 117(1):172-3. [States that "almost all seniors (90%) and most adults (58% of nonelderly) regularly use a prescription medication", citing AHRQ's MEPS Web site.]

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)/Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)-Related Articles

American Family Physician
Swain GR. Individualized approach to screening patients for STIs. Am Fam Physician 2011 Feb 15; 83(4):350. [Cites USPSTF recommendation statement, Screening for Gonorrhea, 2005, as published on AHRQ Web site.]

CME Quiz. Am Fam Physician 2011 Feb 15; 83(4):389-91. [Case study question 11 is based on USPSTF recommendations on the use of nontraditional risk factors in coronary heart disease risk assessment, 2009, as cited below.]

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Using nontraditional risk factors in coronary heart disease risk assessment: recommendation statement. Am Fam Physician 2011 Feb 15; 83(4):441-3. [Summarizes USPSTF recommendations on the use of nontraditional risk factors in coronary heart disease risk assessment,as published USPSTF Web site and in Ann Intern Med, 2009; cites USPSTF recommendation statement, Screening for Lipid Disorders in Adults, 2008, as published on USPSTF Web site; cites USPSTF recommendation statements on screening for high blood pressure (Ann Intern Med, 2007), behavioral counseling in primary care to promote a healthy diet (Am J Prev Med, 2003), obesity in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2003), and behavioral counseling in primary care to promote physical activity (Ann Intern Med, 2002).]

Lin KW, Garcia SM. Using nontraditional risk factors in coronary heart disease risk assessment. Am Fam Physician 2011 Feb 15; 83(4):449. [Presents case study and questions based on USPSTF recommendations cited above; first author is former medical officer for the USPSTF in AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships; cites USPSTF-sponsored systematic review summary on emerging risk factors for coronary heart disease (Ann Intern Med, 2009).]

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Lim LS, Haq N, Mahmood S, et al. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease screening in adults: American College of Preventive Medicine position statement on preventive practice. Am J Prev Med 2011 Mar; 40(3):381.e1-381.e10. [Notes agreement with USPSTF on screening for coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysm, and mentions that "particular subjects for which the [USPSTF] has developed recommendations are typically suitable topics for position statements", citing U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), as published on AHRQ Web site; cites USPSTF recommendations on using nontraditional risk factors in coronary artery disease risk assessment and related systematic review summary by Helfand et al. (both in Ann Intern Med, 2009), screening for carotid artery stenosis and related evidence update by Wolff et al. (both in Ann Intern Med, 2007), screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm and related best-evidence systematic review by Fleming et al. (both in Ann Intern Med, 2005), and screening for peripheral arterial disease (Am Fam Physician, 2006) and coronary heart disease (Ann Intern Med, 2004); cites USPSTF-sponsored systematic review, Screening for Asymptomatic Coronary Artery Disease, 2003, AHRQ evidence synthesis Screening for Intermediate Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease: Systematic Evidence Synthesis, 2009, and USPSTF-sponsored systematic review and meta-analysis by Humphrey et al. (Mayo Clin Proc, 2008) on homocysteine level and coronary heart disease incidence.] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Internal Medicine
Chou R, Dana T, Bougatsos C, et al. Screening adults aged 50 years or older for hearing loss: a review of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med 2011 Mar 1; 154(5):347-55. [Supported by contract HHSA-290-2007-10057-I-EPC3, Task Order 3 (to the Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center); updates the 1996 USPSTF evidence review on screening for hearing loss in primary care settings in adults 50 years or older, citing USPSTF recommendation statement, Screening for Hearing Impairment in Older Adults, 1996, as published on AHRQ Web site; cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence synthesis Screening for Hearing Loss in Adults Ages 50 Years and Older: A Review of the Evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2010; cites AHRQ-authored articles by Barton, Miller (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships), Wolff et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2007) and Guirguis-Blake, Calonge, Miller, et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2007), on USPSTF methodologies; cites USPSTF-sponsored article by Harris et al. (Am J Prev Med, 2001) on USPSTF methodologies.] Select to access the abstract.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for osteoporosis: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. Ann Intern Med 2011 Mar 1; 154(5):356-64. [Updates the 2002 USPSTF recommendations on screening for osteoporosis, citing USPSTF recommendation statement, Screening for Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women, 2002, and USPSTF-sponsored update on screening for osteoporosis (Ann Intern Med, 2010); cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence synthesis Screening for Osteoporosis in Men and Women: Systematic Evidence Update for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2010; cites AHRQ-funded systematic review on comparative effectiveness of medications to reduce risk for primary breast cancer by Nelson et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2009), using USPSTF methodologies.] Select to access the abstract.

Summaries for Patients. Screening for osteoporosis: recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med 2011 Mar 1; 154(5):1-40. [Summarizes USPSTF recommendations on screening for osteoporosis, as cited above.]

Archives of Internal Medicine
Khera A. Texas atherosclerosis imaging bill: quiet origins, broad implications. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28; 171(4):281-3. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on using nontraditional risk factors in coronary heart disease risk assessment (Ann Intern Med, 2009).]

Wang TJ. Usefulness of novel screening tests for cardiovascular disease. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28; 171(4):284-5. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored systematic reviews summary on emerging risk factors for coronary heart disease (Ann Intern Med, 2009).]

Baron RB. Telling patients they are overweight or obese: an insult or an effective intervention? Arch Intern Med2011 Feb 28; 171(4):321-2. [Cites USPSTF recommendations for counseling and interventions to prevent tobacco-caused disease in adults and pregnant women (Ann Intern Med, 2009); cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence summary on whether counseling by clinicians improve physical activity (Ann Intern Med, 2002).]

Yaffe K. Preclinical Alzheimer disease: prevention Holy Grail or Pandora's Box? Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28; 171(4):339-40. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence synthesis Screening for Lipid Disorders in Adults: Selective Update of 2001 US Preventive Services Task Force Review, 2008.]

Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
Keen JD. Promoting screening mammography: insight or uptake? J Am Board Fam Med 2010 Nov-Dec; 23(6):775-82. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored update on screening for breast cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2009).] Select to access the abstract.

Nijjar UK, Edwards JA, Short MW. Patient satisfaction with family physician colonoscopists. J Am Board Fam Med 2011 Jan-Feb; 24(1):51-6. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for colorectal cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Baldwin LM, Dobie SA, Cai Y, et al. Receipt of general medical care by colorectal cancer patients: a longitudinal study. J Am Board Fam Med 2011 Jan-Feb; 24(1):57-68. [Cites USPSTF recommendations in Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 1996.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Dans LF, Silvestre MA, Dans AL. Trade-off between benefit and harm is crucial in health screening recommendations. Part I: general principles. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Mar; 64(3):231-9. [Cites USPSTF recommendation statements, Screening for Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Adults, 2008, and Screening for Breast Cancer, 2002, both published on AHRQ Web site; cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence summary on screening and interventions for childhood overweight (Pediatrics, 2005), systematic evidence review on genetic risk assessment and BRCA mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility (Ann Intern Med, 2005), evidence update on screening for prostate cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2002), and USPSTF-sponsored systematic evidence review update on screening for breast cancer, 2009; cites U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Silvestre MA, Dans LF, Dans AL. Trade-off between benefit and harm is crucial in health screening recommendations. Part II: evidence summaries. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Mar; 64(3):240-9. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence review on Screening for High Blood Pressure, 2003, as published on AHRQ Web site, and update on screening for breast cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2009), evidence review on screening for postmenopausal osteoporosis (Ann Intern Med, 2002), and evidence summary on breast cancer screening (Ann Intern Med, 2002); cites AHRQ-authored systematic review on cost-effectiveness of screening mammography beyond age 65 years by Mandelblatt, Saha, Teutsch, Hoerger, Siu, and Atkins (former AHRQ researcher) (Ann Intern Med, 2003); cites USPSTF publication, Grade Definitions, 2008, as published on USPSTF Web site; cites USPSTF-sponsored article by Pignone, Phillips, Atkins, et al. (Am J Prev Med, 2001) on USPSTF methodologies; cites AHRQ publications, Screening for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Adults. What's New from the USPSTF?, 2003, and Acute Pain Management: Operative or Medical Procedures and Trauma, 1992; cites Guideline Synthesis: Screening for Prostate Cancer, 1998, and Guideline Synthesis: Screening for Prostate Cancer: 2005 Update, 2005, both published on AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ Web site; cites U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), 2005, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Voils CI, Yancy WS Jr. Comparison of two self-rating instruments for medication adherence assessment in hypertension revealed insufficient psychometric properties. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Mar; 64(3):340-1; discussion 341-342. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for depression in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2009).]

Obstetrics and Gynecology
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Practice Bulletins-Obstetrics. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 118: Antiphospholipid syndrome. Obstet Gynecol 2011 Jan; 117(1):192-9. [Uses USPSTF evidence-rating methodologies to review and evaluate identified studies for quality.]

Schnatz PF, Marakovits KA, O'Sullivan DM. The association of breast arterial calcification and coronary heart disease. Obstet Gynecol 2011 Feb; 117(2 Pt 1):233-41. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for breast cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2009).] Select to access the abstract.

Vickery Z, Madden T. Difficult intrauterine contraception insertion in a nulligravid patient. Obstet Gynecol 2011 Feb; 117(2 Pt 1):391-5. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for gonorrhea (Ann Fam Med, 2005) and chlamydial infection (Am J Prev Med, 2001).]

Supportive Care in Cancer
Luckett T, Britton B, Clover K, et al. Evidence for interventions to improve psychological outcomes in people with head and neck cancer: a systematic review of the literature. Support Care Cancer 2011 Mar 4. [Epub ahead of print. Uses USPSTF evidence rating criteria to rate relevant studies for internal and external validity, citing Current Methods of the US Preventive Services Task Force: A Review of the Procedures, 2009, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

American Family Physician
Salkind AR, Rao KC. Antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent surgical site infections. Am Fam Physician 2011 Mar 1; 83(5):585-90. [Uses AHRQ Evidence Reports and National Guideline Clearinghouse™ as sources for relevant studies; cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Healthcare Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001; cites AHRQ-funded article by Classen et al. (N Engl J Med, 1992).] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Blumenthal DS. Is community-based participatory research possible? Am J Prev Med 2011 Mar; 40(3):386-9. [Gives the definition of community-based participatory research from AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Community-based Participatory Research: Assessing the Evidence, 2004, performed by the RTI-University of North Carolina Evidence-based Practice Center under contract 290-02-0016; notes that the AHRQ report proposes "a set of 11 critical elements".]

ASHA Leader
Lê K, Mozeiko J, Coelho C. Discourse analyses: characterizing cognitive communication disorders following TBI.ASHA Lead 2011 Feb 15; 16(2):18-21. [Cites findings from article by Turkstra, Coelho, and Ylvisaker (Semin Speech Lang, 2005), which found that only seven of 84 standardized assessments both mentioned TBI in the test manual and "met criteria for reliability and validity established by" AHRQ, citing the Evidence-based Practice Centers Program Overview page on AHRQ's Web site.]

Emergency Medicine Reports
Wu TS, Stefanski P. Basic emergency ultrasound-guided procedures. Emerg Med Rep 2011 Feb 14; 32(5):49-63. [Mentions AHRQ's categorization of the "use of ultrasound to achieve central venous access as one of the top practices to improve patient care", citing AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001.]

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
Johnson C. Medicare safety issues. J Am Acad Audiol 2010 Oct; 21(9):612; author reply, 612. [Author reply mentions citing AHRQ Technology Assessment, Direct Patient Access to Audiology Services, 2001, in article by Zapala et al. (J Am Acad Audiol, 2010), noting that the authors' article "speaks to the void in our own literature exposed by the 2001 AHRQ report".]

Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
Kulie T, Slattengren A, Redmer J, et al. Obesity and women's health: an evidence-based review. J Am Board Fam Med 2011 Jan-Feb; 24(1):75-85. [Cites AHRQ-funded systematic review by Maggard et al. (JAMA, 2008) on pregnancy and fertility following bariatric surgery, prepared by the Southern California Evidence-based Practice Center; cites AHRQ-funded article by Wee, Phillips, and McCarthy (Obes Res, 2005).] Select to access the abstract .

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing
Horowitz JA, Murphy CA, Gregory KE, et al. A community-based screening initiative to identify mothers at risk for postpartum depression. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 2011 Jan-Feb; 40(1):52-61. [Uses the analytic framework recommended in AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Perinatal Depression: Prevalence, Screening Accuracy, and Screening Outcomes, 2005 (see Figure 19, Causal Pathway for Key Question 3 on Screening and Treatment Outcomes).] Select to access the abstract.

MedSurg Nursing
Parks C, Turner M, Perry ML, et al. Educational needs: what female patients want from their cardiovascular health care providers. MedSurg Nurs 2011 Jan-Feb; 20(1):21-8. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Literacy and Health Outcomes, 2004.]

Obstetrics and Gynecology
Laughlin SK, Stewart EA. Uterine leiomyomas: individualizing the approach to a heterogeneous condition. Obstet Gynecol 2011 Feb; 117(2 Pt 1):396-403. [Cites and includes in "Suggested Reading List" AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Management of Uterine Fibroids: An Update of the Evidence, 2007. Also refer to AHRQ-funded article by Brokel et al. (Comput Inform Nurs, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles, articles by Lim et al. (Am J Prev Med, 2011), Chou et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2011), U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Ann Intern Med, 2011), and Yaffe (Arch Intern Med, 2011), all cited in U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)/Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)-Related Articles.]

National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR)/National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR)-Related Articles

American Journal of Public Health
Webb BC, Simpson SL, Hairston KG. From politics to parity: using a health disparities index to guide legislative efforts for health equity. Am J Public Health 2011 Mar; 101(3):554-60. [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2003, 2004, and 2005.] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Family Medicine
Fiscella K. Health care reform and equity: promise, pitfalls, and prescriptions. Ann Fam Med 2011 Jan-Feb; 9(1):78-84. [Cites AHRQ's NHQR/NHDR, 2009; cites AHRQ-authored article by Fiscella, Franks, Gold, and Clancy (AHRQ director) (JAMA, 2000); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Hong et al. (JAMA, 2010), Solomon et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2009), Trivedi, Rakowski, and Ayanian (N Engl J Med, 2008), and Rust and Cooper (J Am Board Fam Med, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Health and Human Services Administration
Harris GL. Cultural competence: its promise for reducing healthcare disparities. J Health Hum Serv Adm 2010 Summer; 33(1):2-52. [Describes legislative mandates for AHRQ's NHQR and NHDR and cites findings from NHDR, 2003 and 2007, and NHQR, 2007; mentions AHRQ's tasking Minority Health Disparities Research and Education Act and notes that Healthy People, 2000 and 2010 "are intended to complement the work" of AHRQ; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Street et al. (Ann Fam Med, 2008), Street, Gordon, and Haidet (Soc Sci Med, 2007), Levinson (Arch Intern Med, 2005), and Schulman et al. (N Engl J Med, 1999). Also refer to AHRQ-funded/authored articles by Karliner et al. (J Hosp Med, 2011) and Meyers and Clancy (J Prim Care Community Health, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Dall TM, Zhang Y, Zhang S, et al. Wight loss and lifetime medical expenditures: a case study with TRICARE prime beneficiaries. Am J Prev Med 2011 Mar; 40(3):338-44. [Uses 2002-2007 MEPS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Archives of Internal Medicine
Lagu T, Rothberg MB, Nathanson BH, et al. The relationship between hospital spending and mortality in patients with sepsis. Arch Intern Med 2011 Feb 28; 171(4):292-9. [Uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998) and AHRQ's HCUP Clinical Classification Software (CCS) to record the presence of 30 comorbid conditions; cites article by Quan, Parsons, and Ghali (Med Care, 2002), which uses the Charlson comorbidity score using the Deyo method described in AHRQ-funded article by Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Pronovost et al. (N Engl J Med, 2006), Rapoport et al. (Crit Care Med, 1994), Knaus et al. (Ann Intern Med, 1993), and Zimmerman et al. (Crit Care Med, 1993).] Select to access the abstract.

Atherosclerosis
Sofat R, Casas JP, Kumari M, et al. Genetic variation in complement factor H and risk of coronary heart disease: eight new studies and a meta-analysis of around 48,000 individuals. Atherosclerosis 2010 Nov; 213(1):184-90. [Uses study cohort data from the Whitehall II study, previously funded by AHRQ.] Select to access the abstract.

Clinical Pediatrics
Hains DS, Reagan PB, Smoyer WE. Do declining private insurance coverage rates influence pediatric hospital charging practices? Clin Pediatr 2011 Feb 27. [Epub ahead of print. Uses 2000-2006 HCUP Kid's Inpatient Database (KID) data, citing Cost-to-Charge Ratio Files: 2006 Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) User Guide, 2008, and Overview of the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), both published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site; cites AHRQ publication, Care of Children and Adolescents in US Hospitals, HCUP Fact Book 4, 2003.] Select to access the abstract.