Articles of Interest

August 25, 2006

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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.

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AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

Annals of Family Medicine
Westfall JM, Van Vorst RF, McGloin J, et al. Triage and diagnosis of chest pain in rural hospitals: implementation of the ACI-TIPI in the High Plains Research Network. Ann Fam Med 2006 Mar-Apr; 4(2):153-8. [Supported by Grant No. R03 HS1100301.]

Sussman AL, Williams RL, Leverence R, et al. The art of complexity of primary care clinicians preventive counseling decisions: obesity as a case study. Ann Fam Med 2006 Jul-Aug; 4(4):327-33. [Supported by Grant No. 5 R21 HS013496.]

Ahles TA, Wasson JH, Seville JL, et al. A controlled trial of methods for managing pain in primary care patients with or without co-occurring psychosocial problems. Ann Fam Med 2006 Jul-Aug; 4(4):341-50. [Supported by Grant No. HS10265.]

Sloane PD, MacFarquhar JK, Sickbert-Bennett E, et al. Syndromic surveillance for emerging infections in office practice using billing data. Ann Fam Med 2006 Jul-Aug; 4(4):351-8. [Supported by Grant No. R21 HS13521.]

Health Services Research
Reschovsky JD, Hadley J, Landon BE. Effects of compensation methods and physician group structure on physicians' perceived incentives to alter services to patients. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1200-20. [Supported by Grant No. P01 HS10803.]

Iezzoni LI, Kelleen MB, ODay BL. Rural residents with disabilities confront substantial barriers to obtaining primary care. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1258-75. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS10223.]

Resnik L, Feng Z, Hart DL. State regulation and the delivery of physical therapy services. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1296-316. [Supported by Grant No. T32 HS00011.]

Lin W-C, Kane RL, Mehr DR, et al. Changes in the use of postacute care during the initial Medicare payment reforms. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1338-56. [Supported by Grant No. R03 HS0134220-01A1.]

Lee S-Y, Bender DE, Ruiz RE, et al. Development of an easy-to-use Spanish health literacy test. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1392-412. [Supported by Grant No. R03 HS13233.]

Glance LC, Dick AW, Osler TM, et al. Accuracy of hospital report cards based on administrative data. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1413-37. [Supported by Grant No. R01 HS13617; uses data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) California State Inpatient Database (SID).]

Reinertsen JL, Clancy C. Foreward to: Keeping Our Promises: Research, Practice, and Policy Issues in Health Care Reliability. A Special Issue of HSR. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 2):1535-8. [Second author is AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy; cites project funding by Contract No. HHS P233200400545P.]

Henriksen K, Dayton E. Organizational silence and hidden threats to patient safety. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 2):1539-54. [Authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.]

Battles JB, Dixon NM, Borotkanics RJ, Rabin-Fastmen B, et al. Sensemaking of patient safety risks and hazards. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 2):1555-75. [First and third authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.]

Pronovost PJ, Berenholtz SM, Goeschel CA, et al. Creating high reliability in health care organizations. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 2):1599-617. [Supported by Grant No. 1 UC1 HS14246.]

Dixon NM, Shofer M. Struggling to invent high-reliability organizations in health care settings: insights from the field. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 2):1618-32. [Second author is researcher in AHRQ's Office of Communications and Knowledge Transfer; customer needs assessment and analysis of findings were supported by Contract No. 290-04-0009.]

Tamuz M, Harrison MI. Improving patient safety in hospitals: contributions of high-reliability theory and normal accident theory. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 2):1654-76. [Second author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets; supported by Grant No. 1 P01 HS1154401.]

AHRQ-Related Articles

American Health Line
Insurance: workers at large companies dropping health coverage. Am Health Line 2006 Aug 25; #11. [Summarizes findings from AHRQ's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) reported in the August 25, 2006, edition of the Wall Street Journal.]

American Medical News
O'Reilly KB. E-prescribing urged as one error-prevention strategy. Am Med News 2006 Aug 21; 49(31):9-11. [Notes funding by AHRQ and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of five pilot projects to test foundational electronic prescribing interoperability standards.]

BNAs Health Care Policy Report
NCQA launches effort for improving measurement of health plan performance. BNA Health Care Policy Rep 2006 Aug 21; 14(34):1121-1122. [Notes National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) proposal to evaluate health plans using AHRQ's Consumer Assessment of Health Provider Systems (CAHPS®) measures and plans to seek public comment through September 15, 2006, on "whether HEDIS and CAHPS® reporting should be conducted on a national, regional, or state level."]

Health News Daily
Taulbee P. Jury still out on EVAR versus open surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Health News Daily 2006 Aug 23; 18(162):3-4. [Reviews findings from AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Comparison of Endovascular and Open Surgical Repairs for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, 2006.]

Health Services Research
Mukamel DB, Weimer DL, Mushlin AI. Referral to high-quality cardiac surgeons: patients' race and characteristics of their physicians. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1276-95. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Moy (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety) and Bartman (JAMA, 1995) and AHRQ-funded articles by Hannan, et al. (JAMA, 1994), Localio, et al. (Health Serv Outcomes Res Methodol, 2002), and Mukamel, et al. (Inquiry, 2005, Health Serv Res, 2002, and Am J Public Health, 2000).]

Feng Z, Grabowski DC, Intrator O, et al. The effect of state Medicaid case-mix payment on nursing home resident acuity. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1317-36. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles by Cohen (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends) and Dubay (Inquiry, 1990), Friedman (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (J Human Res, 1982), Holahan and Cohen (Milbank Q, 1987), Hsia (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence) (JAMA, 1992, and N Engl J Med, 1988), and Mukamel and Spector (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (App Econ, 2002).]

Momany ET, Flach SD, Nelson FD, et al. A cost analysis of the Iowa Medicaid primary care case management program. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1357-71. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Eisenberg (former AHRQ director) (Ann Intern Med, 1985).]

Bindman AB, Bennett A. Date stamping: will it withstand the test of time? Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1438-43. [Notes that over 30 states mandate the collection of patient-level hospital discharge data and many participate in a national effort organized by [AHRQ] to compile longitudinal patient-level data and cites AHRQ publication Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, 2005, on AHRQ Web site; cites AHRQ-developed comorbidity measures published in Elixhauser, et al. (Med Care, 1998).]

Nerenz DR, Hunt KA, Escarce JJ. Health care organizations' use of data on race/ethnicity to address disparities in health care. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1444-50. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Bierman (former AHRQ researcher), et al. (Health Aff, 2002).]

Fiscella K, Fremont AM. Use of geocoding and surname analysis to estimate race and ethnicity. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1482-500. [Notes that response rate to the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey (CAHPS®) is often under 50 percent as cited in Weech-Maldonado, et al. (Health Serv Res, 2003) and differs by race and education as cited in Zaslavsky, et al. (Med Care, 2002); cites AHRQ press release, "Major Health Plans and Organizations Join AHRQ to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care," 2004; cites AHRQ-funded reports, Socioeconomic, Racial/Ethnic, and Gender Differences in Quality and Outcomes of Care as it Relates to Cardiovascular Disease, 2002, and Does Differential Diffusion of Innovations Contribute to Disparities in Health Care, 2003).]

Baker DP, Day R, Salas E. Teamwork as an essential component of high-reliability organizations. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 2):1576-98. [Describes AHRQ as the lead federal agency in supporting and implementing the recommendations of the IOM in its effort to reduce medical error and improve patient safety and notes its establishment of the HRO network and Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS).]

Frankel AS, Leonard MW, Denham CR. Fair and just culture, team behavior, and leadership engagement: the tools to achieve high reliability. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 2):1690-709. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Baker, et al. (fourth author is James Battles, researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety) (Jt Comm J Qual Improv Patient Saf, 2005).]

Healthcare Disparities Report
Diabetes: blacks, Hispanics more likely to be hospitalized, AHRQ finds. Healthc Disparities Rep 2006 Sep; 06(09):6. [Summarizes findings from AHRQ report using 2003 HCUP data.]

JAMA
Reddy M, Gill SS, Rochon RA. Preventing pressure ulcers: a systematic review. JAMA 2006 Aug 23-30; 296(8):974-84. [Cites AHRQ guideline, Pressure Ulcers in Adults: Prediction and Prevention, 1992.]

Modern Healthcare
Romano M. Consumers, HSAs don't mix... Consumer values inconsistent with new plans: study. Mod Healthc 2006 Aug 21; 36(33):8-9. [Reviews advance copy of AHRQ-funded study by Vanderbilt Center for Evidence-based Medicine; notes planned release of study by AHRQ sometime next month; quotes remarks by AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy.]

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

Circulation
The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement on screening for peripheral arterial disease: more harm than benefit? Circulation 2006 Aug 22; 114(8):861-6. [Reviews and critiques USPSTF recommendations on screening for peripheral arterial disease.]

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

Annals of Family Medicine
Bennett I, Switzer J, Aguirre A, et al. 'Breaking it down patient-clinician communication and prenatal care among African American women of low and higher literacy. Ann Fam Med 2006 Jul-Aug; 4(4):334-40. [Cites AHRQ's National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2003.]

Health Services Research
Hasnain-Wynia R, Baker DW. Obtaining data on patient race, ethnicity, and primary language in health care organizations: current challenges and proposed solutions. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1501-18. [Cites AHRQ's National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2003.]

Research By Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Annals of Family Medicine
Viera AJ, Pathman DE, Garrett JM. Adults lack of a usual source of care: a matter of preference? Ann Fam Med 2006 Jul-Aug; 4(4):359-65. [Uses data from AHRQ's MEPS Household Component, 2000.]

Health Services Research
Gillies RR, Chenok KE, Shortell SM, et al. The impact of health plan delivery system organization on clinical quality and patient satisfaction. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1181-99. [Uses CAHPS® patient satisfaction measures.]

Ettner SL, Thompson TJ, Stevens MR, et al. Are physician reimbursement strategies associated with processes of care and patient satisfaction for patients with diabetes in managed care? Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1221-41. [Uses measures from CAHPS® v. 1.0.]

Sequist TD, Schneider EC. Addressing racial and ethnic disparities in health care: using federal data to support local programs to eliminate disparities. Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 1):1451-68. [Describes and evaluates characteristics and utility of AHRQ's National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2005, Medicare Consumer Assessment of Health Provider Systems (CAHPS®), MEPS, and HCUP databases using AHRQ Web site documents; cites AHRQ-authored article by Felix-Aaron, et al. (Med Care, 2005); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Trivedi, et al. (N Engl J Med, 2005), and Weech-Maldonado, et al. (Health Serv Res, 2003).]

Rivard PE, Rosen AK, Carroll JS. Enhancing patient safety through organizational learning: are patient safety indicators a step in the right direction? Health Serv Res 2006 Aug; 41(4 Pt 2):1633-53. [Describes and assesses AHRQ's Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) in the context of a model of organizational learning; cites AHRQ's National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2004, and National Healthcare Quality Report, 2004; cites AHRQ publication, Guide to Patient Safety Indicators, Version 2.1, 2005; cites AHRQ publication, Advances in Patient Safety: From Research to Implementation, Vol. 2, 2005; cites AHRQ Technical Review, Measures of Patient Safety Based on Hospital Administrative Data—The Patient Safety Indicators, 2002; and cites AHRQ-authored articles by Henriksen K (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety) (Qual Saf Health Care, 2003), Miller, Elixhauser, Zhan, and Meyer (Health Serv Res, 2001), and Zhan (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety), et al. (Med Care, 2005, JAMA, 2003, and Qual Saf Health Care, 2003). See also article by Glance, et al. (Health Serv Res, 2006) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles above.]

Current as of August 2006