Research Activities, July 2012, No. 383

Research Activities, July 2012, No. 383

Research Activities

July 2012, No. 383 Contents About Research Activities Feature Story Experts seek better diagnosis and treatment for women's urinary incontinence and chronic pelvic pain From the Director Urinary Incontinence—New Hope Patient Safety and Quality High-volume hospitals have low rates of adverse events for high-risk surgeries Complications and in-hospital deaths more frequent among patients who undergo anterior rather than posterior spine fusion Adjusting hospital admissions by day can help with overcrowding in children's hospitals Market Forces Perceived reputation and other factors influence consumers' hospital choices Market competition has only marginal effect on hospital performance for heart failure Acute Care/Hospitalization Many surgeons do not discuss advance directives with their patients before surgery Large vessel occlusion after a mini stroke predicts functional decline Chronic Disease Tumor necrosis factor-antagonists in patients with autoimmune diseases showed no overall increased risk of hospitalizations for serious infections than non-biologic drugs Costly, ineffective tests used more often than more effective, but inexpensive tests to diagnose peripheral neuropathy Depressed patients with anxiety who fail initial antidepressant therapy may benefit from adding a second drug Men's Health "Tough guy" mentality prevents some men from seeking help for depression Black male prisoners in North Carolina have considerably lower mortality rates than black residents of that State Women's Health Women in jail are at increased risk of cervical cancer Child/Adolescent Health Study looks at impact of FDA suicide risk advisory on antidepressant prescribing in children Implementing a clinical practice guideline helps children with pneumonia get proper antibiotics Study identifies signals that may predict infant neurological impairment Having a usual source of care promotes preventive health counseling for children Elderly Health/Long-Term Care Study results argue against decisions about screening colonoscopy based on age alone Key treatments for high blood pressure and high blood lipids do not reduce elderly patients' risk of limited mobility Study identifies demographic and clinical factors related to fractures among older Americans Health Care Costs and Financing Rise in prescription copays puts different patients at risk for nonadherence to medications Health Information Technology Electronic health records can help detect diagnostic errors in primary care Primary Care Primary care practices can boost clinical preventive services with electronic health records and quality improvement support Although the patient-centered medical home is a promising model of care, more studies are needed to assess its effectiveness Disparities/Minority Health Hard-of-hearing individuals more likely to report difficulties in accessing care Tool assesses the readiness of black churches to engage in health disparities research Agency News and Notes Study projects savings by Affordable Care Act to individual health insurance policyholders Web videonovela series helps Spanish-speaking patients compare treatments for diabetes Limited evidence prevents firm conclusions on rheumatoid arthritis drug therapies AHRQ report finds teamwork and followup as strengths of medical offices but work pressure and pace are problematic Consumer and clinician summaries now available on chronic pelvic pain treatment options Announcements Podcast series discusses the AHRQ Quality Indicators™ Toolkit for Hospitals New patient decision aid and other resources available on osteoporosis medications New clinician research summary available on adjunctive devices for acute coronary syndrome Call for papers for special issue of Health Services Research on mixed methods in health care delivery system research Research Briefs Research Briefs Subscribe to AHRQ's Electronic Newsletter Healthcare 411 Follow AHRQ news on Twitter AHRQ Publication No. 12-RA010 Current as of July 2012 Internet Citation: Research Activities Newsletter. July 2012, No. 383. AHRQ Publication No. 12-RA010. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/jul12/index.html