AHRQ Press Releases http://www.ahrq.gov/ Thu, 12 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT HHS Secretary Appoints Members to AHRQ National Advisory Council: Council Scheduled to Meet on November 13 http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2009/nac1113pr.htm Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appointed seven new members to the National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The council provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary and the director of the agency on priorities for a national health services research agenda. More

]]> Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EDT HHS Awards $17 Million in a New National Initiative to Fight Health Care-Associated Infections http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2009/haifund.htm . More

]]> Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EDT High Blood Pressure Medicines Show Promise for Treating Heart Disease http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2009/hbpmedpr.htm Two medications commonly used to treat high blood pressure appear to be effective in treating a common type of heart disease known as stable ischemic heart disease, according to a new comparative effectiveness review funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). More

]]> Thu, 1 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT New Tools Help Emergency Planners Select Alternate Care Facilities and Transfer Patients During Disasters http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2009/dacfstoolspr.htm Two interactive computer tools released today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality will help emergency planners and responders select and run alternate care facilities during disaster situations. In such instances, hospitals experiencing a surge in seriously ill patients requiring acute care may need to transfer less ill patients efficiently to alternate care sites. More

]]> Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:00:00 EDT Task Force Finds Insufficient Evidence for Screening for Newborn Jaundice To Prevent a More Serious Chronic Condition http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2009/hyperbpr.htm According to a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, there is insufficient evidence to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening infants for hyperbilirubinemia to prevent chronic bilirubin encephalopathy. Hyperbilirubinemia is a condition marked by a high level of bilirubin in the blood, which is often apparent as yellow-colored skin and eyes (jaundice). More

]]> Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EDT Medications Effective in Reducing Risk of Breast Cancer but Increase Risk of Adverse Effects, New Report Says http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2009/brcanmedpr.htm Three drugs, including tamoxifen, reduce a woman's chance of getting breast cancer, but each drug carries distinct potential harms of its own, according to a new report from AHRQ. More

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