The Feasibility and Accuracy of Evaluating Lipid Management Performance Metrics Using an Electronic Health Record

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

American Heart Journal
Danford CP, Navar-Boggan AM, Stafford J, et al. The feasibility and accuracy of evaluating lipid management performance metrics using an electronic health record. Am Heart J 2013 Oct; 166(4):701-8. [Supported by grant U19 HS21092.] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Baer HJ, Cho I, Walmer RA, et al. Using electronic health records to address overweight and obesity: a systematic review. Am J Prev Med 2013 Oct; 45(4):494-500. [Supported by grant K01 HS19789.] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Public Health
Belsky DW, Moffitt TE, Caspi A. Genetics in population health science: strategies and opportunities. Am J Public Health 2013 Oct; 103 Suppl 1:S73-83. [Supported by grant 1 R36 HS20524-01 (to first author).] Select to access the abstract.

Delgado MK, Staudenmayer KL, Wang NE, et al. Cost-effectiveness of helicopter versus ground emergency medical services for trauma scene transport in the United States. Ann Emerg Med 2013 Oct; 62(4):351-64.e19. [Supported by grant T32 HS00028 (to first author).] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Emergency Medicine
Khare RK, Nannicelli AP, Powell ES, Seivert NP, Adams JG, Holl JL. Use of risk assessment analysis by failure mode, effects, and criticality to reduce door-to-balloon time. Ann Emerg Med 2013 Oct; 62(4):388-98.e12. [Supported by Career Mentorship Award grant K08 HS19005-01 (to first author), grant F32 HS20766-01 (to third author), and grant R18 HS17909 (to last author).] Select to access the abstract.

Lemaster CH, Hoffart N, Chafe T, Benzer T, Schuur JD. Implementing the central venous catheter infection prevention bundle in the emergency department: experiences among early adopters. Ann Emerg Med 2013 Oct 10. [Epub ahead of Print. Supported by grant R18 HS20013 (to last author).] Select to access the abstract.

Arthritis & Rheumatism
Ringold S, Weiss PF, Beukelman T, et al. 2013 update of the 2011 American College of Rheumatology recommendations for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: recommendations for the medical therapy of children with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and tuberculosis screening among children receiving biologic medications. Arthritis Rheum 2013 Oct; 65(10):2499-512.[Supported by grant K12 HS19482 (to first author); published simultaneously in Arthritis Care Res 2013 Oct; 65(10):1551-63.] Select to access the abstract.

BMC Cancer
Rauscher GH, Conant EF, Khan JA, et al. Mammogram image quality as a potential contributor to disparities in breast cancer stage at diagnosis: an observational study. BMC Cancer 2013 Apr 26; 13:208. [Supported by grant 1 R01 HS18366-01A1; cites U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations on screening for breast cancer and associated evidence review (Ann Intern Med, 2009).] Select to access the abstract.

BMC Nephrology
Thamer M, Zhang Y, Lai D, et al. Influence of safety warnings on ESA prescribing among dialysis patients using an interrupted time series. BMC Nephrol 2013 Aug 9; 14:172. [Supported by grants 5 R03 HS20572 and R03 HS18697.] Select to access the abstract.

Cerebral Cortex
Rodrigue KM, Daugherty AM, Haacke EM, et al. The role of hippocampal iron concentration and hippocampal volume in age-related differences in memory. Cereb Cortex 2013 Jul; 23(7):1533-41. [Supported by grant T32 HS13819.] Select to access the abstract.

Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology
Wren TA, Lening C, Rethlefsen SA, Kay RM. Impact of gait analysis on correction of excessive hip internal rotation in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy: a randomized controlled trial. Dev Med Child Neurol 2013 Oct; 55(10):919-25. [Supported by grant R01 HS14169.] Select to access the abstract.

eGEMs (Generating Evidence & Methods to improve patient outcomes)
Elliott TE, Holmes JH, Davidson AJ, et al. Data warehouse governance programs in healthcare settings: a literature review and a call to action. eGEMs 2013 Oct 8; 1(1):1-7. [Supported by grant 1 U18 HS22789-01 through the Electronic Data Methods Forum.]

Health Affairs
Spencer CS, Gaskin DJ, Roberts ET. The quality of care delivered to patients within the same hospital varies by insurance type. Health Aff 2013 Oct; 32(10):1731-9. [Supported by National Research Service Award (NRSA) grant T32 (grant number not given); uses 2006-2008 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases (SID) data for 11 states and AHRQ's Inpatient Quality Indicators, as accessed on the AHRQ Web site and on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site, respectively; cites HCUP methods series report, Methods Applying AHRQ Quality Indicators to Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Data for the Eleventh (2013) National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR) and National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR), 2012, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Kirby JB, Kaneda T. 'Double jeopardy' measure suggests blacks and Hispanics face more severe disparities than previously indicated. Health Aff 2013 Oct; 32(10):1766-72. [First author is a researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends; uses 2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, citing MEPS methodology report, Design and Methods of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 1997, and AHRQ-authored article by Cohen (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Inquiry, 1996); cites AHRQ publications The Long-Term Uninsured in American, 2007-2010 (Selected Intervals): Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population under Age 65, 2013, The Uninsured in America, First Half of 2011: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population under Age 65, 2012, and Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health Insurance Coverage and Usual Source of Care, 2002, 2006; cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2013 and 2004.] Select to access the abstract.

Qasim M, Andrews RM. Despite overall improvement in surgical outcomes since 2000, income-related disparities persist. Health Aff 2013 Oct; 32(10):1773-80. [Supported by AHRQ (authors are AHRQ researchers, employed by AHRQ while writing article); uses 2000 and 2009 HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data, Inpatient Quality Indicators Version 4.1, and Patient Safety Indicators Software, Version 4.1, citing Inpatient Quality Indicators: Software Documentation, Version 4.1: SAS, 2009, Patient Safety Indicators: Software Documentation, Version 4.1: SAS, 2009, AHRQ Quality Indicator: Risk Adjustment Coefficients for the IQI, 2010, AHRQ Quality Indicator: Risk Adjustment Coefficients for the PSI, 2010, and HCUP methods series report Final Report on Calculating Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Variances, 2001; also cites HCUP statistical briefs Trends in Hospital Risk-Adjusted Mortality for Select Diagnoses and Procedures, 1994-2004, 2007, and Hospital Stays Among People Living in the Poorest Communities, 2006; cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2010 and 2011.] Select to access the abstract.

Thomas KS, Mor V. Providing more home-delivered meals is one way to keep older adults with low care needs out of nursing homes. Health Aff 2013 Oct; 32(10):1796-1802. [Supported by grant T32 HS00011.] Select to access the abstract.

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Allen RS, Harris GM, Crowther MR, Oliver JS, Cavanaugh R, Phillips LL. Does religiousness and spirituality moderate the relations between physical and mental health among aging prisoners? Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2013 Jul; 28(7):710-17. [Supported by grant R36 HS16218-01 (to last author).] Select to access the abstract.

JAMA
Bilimoria KY, Chung J, Ju MH, Haut ER, et al. Evaluation of surveillance bias and the validity of the venous thromboembolism quality measure. JAMA 2013 Oct 9; 310(14):1482-9. [Supported by grant R21 HS21857 (first author is principal investigator) and grant 1 K08 HS17952-01 (for fourth author); uses AHRQ's Patient Safety Indicator 12, postoperative venous thromboembolism, citing Postoperative Pulmonary Embolism or Deep Vein Thrombosis Rate and Patient Safety Indicators: (PSI): Risk Adjustment Coefficients for the PSI, Version 4.4, both published on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American Heart Association
Eapen ZJ, Hammill BG, Setoguchi S, et al. Who enrolls in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit program? Medication use among patients with heart failure. J Am Heart Assoc 2013 Sep 11;2(5):e000242. [Supported by grant U19 HS21092.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American College of Surgeons
Zanocco K, Heller M, Elaraj D, et al. Cost effectiveness of intraoperative pathology examination during diagnostic hemithyroidectomy for unilateral follicular thyroid neoplasms. J Am Coll Surg 2013 Oct; 217(4):702-10. [Supported by grant T32 HS00078 (to first author); uses 2009 HCUP NIS data, citing A Tool for Identifying, Tracking, and Analyzing National Hospital Statistics, 2011, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
Olfson M, Wang S, Iza M, Crystal S, et al. National trends in the office-based prescription of schedule II opioids. J Clin Psychiatry 2013 Sep; 74(9):932-9. [Supported by grant U18 HS21112 (to first and fourth authors).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Kaplan SH, Billimek J, Sorkin DH, Ngo-Metzger Q, Greenfield S. Reducing racial/ethnic disparities in diabetes: the Coached Care (R2D2C2) project. J Gen Intern Med 2013 Oct; 28(10):1340-9. [Fourth author is USPSTF scientific director with AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships (and was with the Health Resources and Services Administration at time of article acceptance); uses MEPS variables; cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2012.] Select to access the abstract.

Obstetrics & Gynecology
Darney BG, Snowden JM, Cheng YW, et al. Elective induction of labor at term compared with expectant management: maternal and neonatal outcomes. Obstet Gynecol 2013 Oct; 122(4):761-9. [Supported by grant HS17582 (to first author).] Select to access the abstract.

Kastenberg ZJ, Hurley MP, Luan A, et al. Cost-effectiveness of preoperative imaging for appendicitis after indeterminate ultrasonography in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol 2013 Oct; 122(4):821-9. [Supported by grant HS00028.] Select to access the abstract.

Snowden JM, Darney BG, Cheng YW, et al. Systems factors in obstetric care: the role of daily obstetric volume. Obstet Gynecol 2013 Oct; 122(4):851-7. [Supported by grant T32 HS17582 (to second author).] Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

Academic Medicine
Pingleton SK, Carlton E, Wilkinson S, et al. Reduction of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitalized patients: aligning continuing education with interprofessional team-based quality improvement in an academic medical center. Acad Med 2013 Oct; 88(10):1454-9. [Cites Preventing Hospital-Acquired Venous Thromboembolism, as published on the AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Bordage G, Meguerditchian AN, Tamblyn R. Practice indicators of suboptimal care and avoidable adverse events: a content analysis of a national qualifying examination. Acad Med 2013 Oct; 88(10):1493-8. [Uses AHRQ publication, AHRQ Quality Indicators: Guide to Patient Safety Indicators, 2003, as published on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site; cites AHRQ-authored article by Zhan and Miller (JAMA, 2003).] Select to access the abstract.

Aging Health
Paquin AM, Zimmerman K, Simone M, et al. Characterizing medication discrepancies among older adults during transitions of care: a systematic review focusing on discrepancy synonyms, data sources and classification terms. Aging Health 2013 Oct; 9(5):497-508. [Cites measure summary "Care transitions: percentage of patients, regardless of age, discharged from an inpatient facility to home or any other site of care, or their caregiver(s), who received a reconciled medication list at the time of discharge including, at a minimum, medications in the specified categories," as published on AHRQ's National Quality Measures Clearinghouse^TM Web site.]

American Journal of Nursing
Snide J, Nailon R. Nursing staff innovations result in improved patient satisfaction. Am J Nurs 2013 Oct; 113(10):42-50. [Discusses HCAHPS and initiatives to increase scores, citing CAHPS Hospital Survey (HCAHPS) Quality Assurance Guidelines [Version 8.0], 2013, as published on the HCAHPS Web site; cites Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, 2001.]

Expert Reviews in Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research
Berger ML. Can the pharmaceutical industry embrace comparative effectiveness research? A view from inside. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res 2013 Oct; 13(5):565-8. [States that "pharmaceutical companies also suffer from 'asymmetry' between the strict regulations they must follow in disseminating CER results and the absence of these restrictions for other organizations, including public and private payers as well as academic institutions, government agencies such as [AHRQ] and quasi-public agencies…"]

Health Affairs
Torchiana DF, Colton DG, Rao SK, Lenz SK, Meyer GS, Ferris TG. Massachusetts General Physicians Organization's quality incentive program produces encouraging results. Health Aff 2013 Oct; 32(10):1748-56. [Cites AHRQ publication, Advances in Patient Safety: New Directions and Alternative Approaches, Volume 3: Performance and Tools, 2008, as published on the National Library of Medicine's Bookshelf Web site; notes increasing attention to patient experience scores as measured by AHRQ's HCAHPS survey.] Select to access the abstract.

Millenson ML. The long wait for medical excellence. Health Aff 2013 Oct; 32(10):1757-60. [Mentions AHRQ estimates of "six million ‘hospital-acquired conditions' in 2010, of which 97,000 were preventable deaths" and the lack of "comprehensive and reliable data on the ambulatory care error toll," citing personal communication with former AHRQ director Carolyn Clancy, May 24, 2013; cites remarks from Sustaining Quality and Performance in Times of Austerity, presentation by Carolyn Clancy at the 5th International Jerusalem Conference on Health Policy, 2013.] Select to access the abstract.

Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety
Pichert JW, Moore IN, Karrass J, et al. An intervention model that promotes accountability: peer messengers and patient/family complaints. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2013 Oct; 39(10):435-46. [Cites AHRQ publication, Advances in Patient Safety: New Directions and Alternative Approaches, Volume 2, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Younan LA, Fralic MF. Using "best-fit" interventions to improve the nursing intershift handoff process at a medical center in Lebanon. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2013 Oct; 39(10):460-7. [Cites AHRQ publication, Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Marks CM, Kasda E, Paine L, et al. "That was a close call": endorsing a broad definition of near misses in health care. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2013 Oct; 39(10):475-9. [Mentions AHRQ's promotion of close calls as part of the Common Formats reporting tool, citing AHRQ-authored article by Clancy (Am J Med Qual, 2010) and gives definition from Glossary: Near Miss, as published on AHRQ's Patient Safety Network Web site; cites AHRQ publication, Advances in Patient Safety: New Directions and Alternative Approaches, Volume 1: Assessment, 2008.]

Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Barletta JF, El-Ibiary SY, Davis LE, et al. Proton pump inhibitors and the risk for hospital-acquired clostridium difficile infection. Mayo Clin Proc 2013 Oct; 88(10):1085-90. [Cites findings from HCUP statistical brief Clostridium Difficile Infections (CDI) in Hospital Stays, 2009, 2012.] Select to access the abstract.

Modern Healthcare
Robeznieks A. Finding their way home. Despite mixed evidence, providers and payers are adopting patient-centered medical homes to improve health and cut costs. Mod Healthc 2013 Oct 7; 43(40):6-7, 18-9, 2. [Includes summary of patient-centered medical-home model characteristics from AHRQ; mentions AHRQ funding of medical home transformation study (Ann Fam Med, 2013) and mentions findings from AHRQ summary of study.] Select to access the abstract.

Partnership to Improve Patient Care
Patient-centered outcomes research: where are we now? Stakeholder perspectives on PCORI implementation to date. 2013 Oct; online. [Notes assistance with paper from former AHRQ evaluation officer David Introcaso and other AHRQ staff members; discusses AHRQ's role regarding dissemination of PCORI findings.]

Technological Forecasting & Social Change
Halal WE. Forecasting the technology revolution: results and learnings from the TechCast Project. Technol Forecast Soc Change 2013 Oct; 80(8):1635-43. [Notes that AHRQ is "forecasting medical technologies because the Technology Revolution is transforming medicine, and health care providers are struggling to adapt."]

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)-Related Articles

American Journal of Medicine
Johnston CA, Rost S, Miller-Kovach K, et al. A randomized controlled trial of a community-based behavioral counseling program. Am J Med 2013 Dec; 126(12):1143.e19-e24. [Discusses USPSTF recommendations on screening for and management of obesity in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2012) and evaluates Weight Watchers' provision of the recommended multicomponent behavioral counseling.] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Public Health
de Vet R, van Luijtelaar MJ, Brilleslijper-Kater SN, et al. Effectiveness of case management for homeless persons: a systematic review. Am J Public Health 2013 Oct; 103(10):e13-e26. [Uses USPSTF grading criteria to rate selected studies, citing USPSTF-sponsored article by Harris et al. (Am J Prev Med, 2001).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Feldman MD. Screening for intimate partner violence: the time is now. J Gen Intern Med 2013 Oct; 28(10):1251-2. [Mentions the USPSTF's advocacy of screening for intimate partner violence in health care settings; comments on article by Iverson et al. cited below in this section.]

Iverson KM, King MW, Resick PA, et al. Clinical utility of an intimate partner violence screening tool for female VHA patients. J Gen Intern Med 2013 Oct; 28(10):1288-93. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored systematic review by Nelson, Bougatsos, and Blazina (Ann Intern Med, 2012).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Rural Health
Halverson J, Martinez-Donate A, Trentham-Dietz A, et al. Health literacy and urbanicity among cancer patients. J Rural Health 2013 Fall; 29(4):392-402. [Supported by AHRQ, no funding information given; cites AHRQ-funded systematic review by DeWalt et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2004) on literacy and health outcomes, performed by the RTI International-University of North Carolina EPC.] Select to access the abstract.

Monthly Prescribing Reference 
Emerging technology aids in cervical cancer screenings. Mon Prescr Ref 2013 Oct; online. [Discusses USPSTF recommendations on screening for cervical cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2013).]

Also refer to article by Rauscher et al. (BMC Cancer, 2013) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.

Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC)-Related Articles

American Journal of Public Health
Meyer IH, Bayer R. School-based gay-affirmative interventions: first amendment and ethical concerns. Am J Public Health 2013 Oct; 103(10):1764-71. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Community-Based Participatory Research: Assessing the Evidence, 2004, performed by the RTI International-University of North Carolina EPC.] Select to access the abstract.

JAMA Pediatrics
Bovbjerg ML, Amador C, Uphoff AE. Breastfeeding and childhood obesity: where do we go from here? JAMA Pediatr 2013 Oct; 167(10):894-5. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries, 2007.]

Journal of Rural Health
Halverson J, Martinez-Donate A, Trentham-Dietz A, et al. Health literacy and urbanicity among cancer patients. J Rural Health 2013 Fall; 29(4):392-402. [Cites AHRQ-funded systematic review by DeWalt et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2004) on literacy and health outcomes, performed by the RTI International-University of North Carolina EPC.] Select to access the abstract.

Also refer to article by Landy et al. (J Rural Health, 2013) cited in U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)-Related Articles and article by Jarvis et al. (Acad Med, 2013) cited in Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products.

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

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Meghea CI, Raffo JE, Zhu Q, et al. Medicaid home visitation and maternal and infant healthcare utilization. Am J Prev Med 2013 Oct; 45(4):441-7. [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2012.] Select to access the abstract.

Also refer to articles by Spencer, Gaskin, and Roberts, Kirby and Kaneda, and Qasim and Andrews (all in (Health Aff, 2013) and Kaplan et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2013) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Academic Medicine
Jarvis B, Johnson T, Butler P, et al. Assessing the impact of electronic health records as an enabler of hospital quality and patient satisfaction. Acad Med 2013 Oct; 88(10):1471-7. [Uses AHRQ's Hospital Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey measures and participant scores; cites AHRQ-funded systematic review by Chaudhry et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2006) on the impact of health information technology on quality, efficiency, and costs of medical care, performed by the Southern California EPC.] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Industrial Medicine
Fulton-Kehoe D, Garg RK, Turner JA, et al. Opioid poisonings and opioid adverse effects in workers in Washington State. Am J Ind Med 2013 Oct 10. [Epub ahead of print. Uses 2004-2010 HCUP NIS data, citing Overview of the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), 1993-2010, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

BMJ Open
Quan H, Eastwood C, Cunningham CT, et al. Validity of AHRQ patient safety indicators derived from ICD-10 hospital discharge abstract data (chart review study). BMJ Open 2013 Oct 10; 3(10):e003716. [Uses AHRQ's Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs), citing Patient Safety Indicators: Technical Specifications, Version 4.2, and AHRQ Quality Indicators Validation Pilot, both published on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
Rasouli MR, Maltenfort MG, Purtill JJ, et al. Has the rate of in-hospital infections after total joint arthroplasty decreased? Clin Orthop Relat Res 2013 Oct; 471(10):3102-11. [Uses 2002-2010 HCUP NIS data and AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998).] Select to access the abstract.

Maltenfort MG, Rasouli MR, Morrison TA, et al. Clostridium difficile colitis in patients undergoing lower-extremity arthroplasty: rare infection with major impact. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2013 Oct; 471(10):3178-85. [Uses 2002-2010 HCUP NIS data, citing Database and Related Tools from HCUP, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site, and uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998).] Select to access the abstract.

COPD
Gerke AK, Tang F, Yang M, et al. Predicting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalizations based on concurrent influenza activity. COPD 2013 Oct; 10(5):573-80. [Uses 1998-2010 HCUP NIS data, citing Overview of the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), 1998-2010, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Digestive Diseases and Sciences
Bielefeldt K. Regional differences in healthcare delivery for gastroparesis. Dig Dis Sci 2013 Oct; 58(10):2789-98. [Uses 2007-2010 HCUP State Inpatient Databases (SID).] Select to access the abstract.

Cauble S, Abbas A, Balart L, et al. United States women receive more curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma than men. Dig Dis Sci 2013 Oct; 58(10):2817-25. [Uses 2002-2011 HCUP NIS data, citing Overview of the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site, and uses the AHRQ-funded adaptation of the Charlson comorbidity index described in AHRQ-funded article by Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992).] Select to access the abstract.

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Venkatesh PG, Parasa S, Njei B, et al. Increased mortality with peptic ulcer bleeding in patients with both compensated and decompensated cirrhosis. Gastrointest Endosc 2013 Oct 8. [Epub ahead of print. Uses 2009 HCUP NIS data and HCUP Cost-to-Charge Ratio Files, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site, and uses the AHRQ-funded adaptation of the Charlson comorbidity index described in AHRQ-funded article by Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992).] Select to access the abstract.

Hernia
Novitsky YW, Orenstein SB. Effect of patient and hospital characteristics on outcomes of elective ventral hernia repair in the United States. Hernia 2013 Oct; 17(5):639-45. [Uses 2004-2008 HCUP NIS data and the AHRQ-funded adaptation of the Charlson comorbidity index described in AHRQ-funded article by Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992).] Select to access the abstract.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Debruyn JC, Soon IS, Hubbard J, et al. Nationwide temporal trends in incidence of hospitalization and surgical intestinal resection in pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases in the United States from 1997 to 2009. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2013 Oct; 19(11):2423-32. [Uses 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009 HCUP Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) data, citing KID Database Documentation, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

JAMA Surgery
Hyder O, Dodson RM, Nathan H, et al. Influence of patient, physician, and hospital factors on 30-day readmission following pancreatoduodenectomy in the United States. JAMA Surg 2013 Dec 1; 148(12):1095-102. [Uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases
Sanossian N, Djabiras C, Mack WJ, et al. Trends in cancer diagnoses among inpatients hospitalized with stroke. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2013 Oct; 22(7):1146-50. [Uses 1997-2006 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Liotta EM, Prabhakaran S. Warfarin-associated intracerebral hemorrhage is increasing in prevalence in the United States. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2013 Oct; 22(7):1151-55. [Uses 2005-2008 HCUP NIS data, citing Overview of the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2000-2001, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site; also cites HCUP methods series report, 2005 HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Comparison Report, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Surgical Research
Papandria D, Goldstein SD, Rhee D, et al. Risk of perforation increases with delay in recognition and surgery for acute appendicitis. J Surg Res 2013 Oct; 184(2):723-9. [Uses 1988-2008 HCUP NIS data and 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2006 HCUP KID data, citing Introduction to the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2009, and Introduction to the HCUP Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), 2009, both published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract/a>.

Laryngoscope
Owusu JA, Liu M, Sidman JD, et al. Does the type of cleft palate contribute to the need for secondary surgery? A national perspective. Laryngoscope 2013 Oct; 123(10):2387-91. [Uses 2009 HCUP KID data, citing Overview of the HCUP Kid's Inpatient Database (KID), 2006 and 2009, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Sidell D, Shapiro NL, Bhattacharyya N. Obesity and the risk of chronic rhinosinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and acute otitis media in school-age children. Laryngoscope 2013 Oct; 123(10):2360-3. [Uses 2006 and 2008 MEPS data, as accessed on AHRQ's MEPS Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

PLoS Currents: Disasters
Bayram JD, Sauer LM, Catlett C, et al. Critical resources for hospital surge capacity: an expert consensus panel. PLoS Curr Disasters 2013 Oct 7;5. [Uses AHRQ's Hospital Surge Model.] Select to access the abstract.

Psychiatric Services
Lim D, Jung K, Shi Y. National trends in the use of antidepressants between 1997 and 2009 and the role of Medicare Part D implementation. Psychiatr Serv 2013 Oct; 64(10):1038-42. [Uses 1997-2009 MEPS Household Component data, citing Sample Design of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 1997.] Select to access the abstract.

Also refer to articles by Spencer, Gaskin, and Roberts, Kirby and Kaneda, and Qasim and Andrews (all in (Health Aff, 2013), Zanocco et al. (J Am Coll Surg, 2013), and Kaplan et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2013) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.