Research Activities

January 2004, No. 281


Contents

About Research Activities

Feature Story

Researchers find that black and Hispanic children are much more likely than other children to be overweight

Outcomes/Effectiveness Research
   South Carolina's initiatve to reduce hypertension rates trains hypertension specialists and provides advice to doctors
   Researchers examine kidney disease progression and dialysis

Pharmaceutical Research
   Acid suppressant therapy is effective for short-term relief of heartburn for patients with persistent symptoms
   Few postmenopausal women who have suffered a fracture receive drug treatment to prevent further fractures
   Confounding factors may be the reason that randonmized controlled trials of HRT conflict with observational studies
   British Columbia's reference pricing for a calcium channel blocker may be a model for pharmaceutical cost-containment

Women's Health/Children's Health
   Cervical cancer rates among younger women decreased over the past 25 years
   Children are at risk for certain drug-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae
   Premature birth increases infants' risk of hospitalization and complications from respiratory syncytial virus
   Researchers explore parents' influence on the care of seriously ill children

Health Care Disparities
   Women and men with cardiovascular disease may not receive the same level of treatment for high cholesterol
   Studies reveal disparities in cardiac care related to race, sex, and socioeconomic status
   Disparities in cancer rates among U.S. men may be due in part to differences in occupational exposure to carcinogens
   Racial differences exist in parents' opinions about the quality of primary care provided to their children
   Studies focus on health care for Mexican Americans

Elderly/Long-Term Care
   Transfusion after hip fracture surgery reduces the risk of rehospitalization for older patients with significant anemia
   Age alone should not be a deterrent for recommending coronary bypass surgery
   Elderly, low-income black women need more education about the importance of breast cancer screening
   Residents of assisted living facilities with a full-time RN are less likely to leave the facility for a nursing home
   Providing rehabilitation to newly admitted nursing home residents increases the likelihood of community discharge and lengthens survival
   Researchers examine factors affecting diagnosis of acute illness and mental health conditions among nursing home residents

HIV/AIDS Research
   Assay for HIV protease inhibitors in patient blood developed to improve patient care
   Recent HCSUS studies focus on HIV infection in older individuals and women, use of complementary and alternative therapies, and insurance status

Patient Safety/Quality of Care
   Interdisciplinary teamwork is a key to patient safety in the operating room, ICU, and ER
   Using chlorhexidine gluconate solution for vascular catheter site care greatly reduces the risk of catheter-related infection

Health Care Costs and Financing
   Greater deployment of automated external defibrillators at select public locations is likely to be cost effective
   Changing health insurance plans might adversely affect a persons' care as well as increase care costs during the first year

Market Forces
   Following an urban hospital closure, remaining hospitals operate more efficiently due to high admissions

Announcements
   AHRQ announces new chair and members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
   New MEPS data show a relationship between diabetes, obesity, and chronic disease
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Research Briefs


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