Research Activities, October 2009, No. 350

Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

New video helps patients use blood thinner pills safely and effectively

Health Care Costs and Financing

New methods estimate the costs of covering the uninsured
Women are vulnerable to coverage and care gaps when their husbands transition to Medicare
High prescription drug copays may result in patients delaying therapy
Prescription drug copays and deductibles may increase treatment costs for some diseases

Patient Safety and Quality

Electronic prescriptions help community pharmacists recognize prescribing errors
Physician-owned single specialty hospitals may prod nearby hospitals to increase nurse staffing levels

Child/Adolescent Health

Factors other than gender are associated with poor growth in urban children
Parent and provider partnerships hold promise for improving adolescent health
Teens answer survey questions on weight control inconsistently but answer reliably about other risk behaviors

Women's Health

Obese women are at risk for pregnancies exceeding 40 weeks
Numeric tool helps women determine their birthing preferences after cesareans

Chronic Disease

Cost and depression serve as barriers to performing self-care behaviors for people with diabetes
Self-management support results in better diabetes outcomes
Exercise is not being used enough to treat low back and neck pain
Without medical evidence, clinicians' judgment about chronic pain is often influenced by patient and situational factors

Disparities/Minority Health

Blacks are less likely than whites to receive lung cancer treatments

Health Literacy

Health literacy is linked to personal happiness

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research

Primary care nurses who convey warmth and caring enhance patient satisfaction with care
Genetic testing is of unproven value for preventing blood clots
Mentoring is the key to building a successful research career

Health Information Technology

Clinicians respond more positively to an electronic health record over time

Elderly/Long-Term Care

Algorithm now available to prevent recurrent bone fractures in nursing home residents
Several approaches can help motivate cognitively impaired nursing home residents to participate in restorative care
Risk factors for harboring multiple strains of E. coli are elusive

Agency News and Notes

Premiums for some family plans cost $20,000 or more
Lack of insurance among full-time, low-income workers jumped in the past decade
Per-capita health care spending for seniors has increased by nearly a third
Four in 10 emergency department visits are billed to public insurance
Patients are increasingly leaving hospitals against medical advice
Treatment approaches for overactive bladder syndrome in women produce modest results

Announcements

New guides can help pregnant women and doctors compare treatments for gestational diabetes
AHRQ releases evidence on the health benefits of vitamin D and calcium
AHRQ publishes hip fracture evidence report

Research Briefs

Research Briefs
Healthcare 411
Subscribe to AHRQ's Electronic Newsletter
Visit the AHRQ Patient Safety Network Web Site