Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior with Antidepressant Treatment: Reanalysis of the Randomized Placebo-controlled Studies of Fluoxetine and Venlafaxine

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

Archives of General Psychiatry
Gibbons RD, Brown CH, Hur K, et al. Suicidal thoughts and behavior with antidepressant treatment: reanalysis of the randomized placebo-controlled studies of fluoxetine and venlafaxine. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2012 Feb 9. [Epub ahead of print. Supported in part by grant 1 U18 HS16973 (to first author).] Select to access the abstract.

Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
Clancy CM. Kidney-related diseases and quality improvement: AHRQ's role. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2011 Oct; 6(10):2531-3. [Author is the AHRQ director; discusses AHRQ's mission and activities with emphasis on work "relevant to the broad area of clinical nephrology", including comparative effectiveness reports, USPSTF recommendations Screening for High Blood Pressure, 2007, and Screening for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Adults, 2008, AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) In-Center Dialysis Survey, AHRQ's National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR) and National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR) for 2010, and other products listed in Table 1, "Selected AHRQ products impacting nephrology"; cites AHRQ publication, Average Annual Health Care Use and Expenditures for Kidney Disease among Adults 18 and Older, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2003-2007, MEPS Statistical Brief 306, 2010.]

Health Affairs
Gellad WF, Donohue JM, Zhao X, Zhang Y, Banthin JS. The financial burden from prescription drugs has declined recently for the nonelderly, although it is still high for many. Health Aff 2012 Feb; 31(2):408-16. [Supported in part by grants 1 R01 HS17695 (to second author) and R01 HS18657 (to fourth author); last author is former AHRQ researcher; uses 1999-2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, citing MEPS methodology articles by Cohen, Cohen (researcher and director, respectively, in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends), and Banthin (Med Care, 2009), Banthin, Cunningham, and Bernard (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Health Aff, 2008), Banthin and Bernard (JAMA, 2006), and Cohen (Med Care, 2003), and AHRQ-authored working papers, Comparison of Retail Drug Prices in the MEPS and MarketScan: Implications for MEPS Editing Rules, by Zodet, Hill, and Miller (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends), 2010, and Income Measurement in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, by Banthin and Selden (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends), 2006.] Select to access the abstract.

Koh HK, Berwick DM, Clancy CM, Baur C, Brach C, et al. New federal policy initiatives to boost health literacy can help the nation move beyond the cycle of costly 'crisis care'. Health Aff 2012 Feb; 31(2):434-43. [Third author is AHRQ director and fifth author is researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets; cites What is the PCMH?, 2011, as published on AHRQ's Patient Centered Medical Home Resource Center Web site; cites AHRQ publications, Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, 2010, and AHRQ Quality Indicators: Guide to Prevention Quality Indicators: Hospital Admission for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions, 2001, both published on the AHRQ Web site; included calculated costs of readmissions for congestive heart failure based on data from AHRQ's HCUPnet Web site; mentions AHRQ's CAHPS surveys.] Select to access the abstract.

Hypertension
Williams SK, Ogedegbe G. Unraveling the mechanism of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation and target organ damage in hypertensive blacks. Hypertension 2012 Jan; 59(1):10-11. [Supported by grants T32 HS00066 (to first author) and R01 HS18589 (to second author and attributed to the National Institutes of Health).]

Journal of Hospital Medicine
Fieldston ES, Hall M, Shah SS, Hain PD, Sills MR, et al. Addressing inpatient crowding by smoothing occupancy at children's hospitals. J Hosp Med 2011 Oct; 6(8):462-8. [Supported in part by grant 5 R03 HS16418 (to fifth author); uses 2006 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) data, citing Overview of the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), 2008, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site, and AHRQ publication, Characteristics of Weekday and Weekend Hospital Admissions, HCUP Statistical Brief 87, 2010.] Select to access the abstract.

Edelson DP, Retzer E, Weidman EK, Woodruff J, Davis AM, Minsky BD, Meadow W, Hoek TL, Meltzer DO. Patient acuity rating: quantifying clinical judgment regarding inpatient stability. J Hosp Med 2011 Oct; 6(8):475-9. [Reports salary support received for last author from grant U18 HS16967-01.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Infectious Diseases
Weinberger DM, Simonsen L, Jordan R, Steiner C, Miller M, et al. Impact of the 2009 influenza pandemic on pneumococcal pneumonia hospitalizations in the United States. J Infect Dis 2012 Feb; 205(3):458-65. [Fourth and fifth authors are current researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets and former AHRQ researcher, respectively; uses 2003-2009 HCUP State Inpatient Databases (SID) data, citing Overview of the State Inpatient Databases (SID), 2011, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

New England Journal of Medicine
Donohue JM, Morden NE, Gellad WF, et al. Sources of regional variation in Medicare Part D drug spending. N Engl J Med 2012 Feb 9; 366(6):530-8. [Supported in part by grants R01 HS17695, R01 HS18721, and K12 HS19461; uses demographic factors described in AHRQ publication, Creation of New Race-Ethnicity Codes and Socioeconomic Status (SES) Indicators for Medicare Beneficiaries, Final Report, 2008, as published on the AHRQ Web site; cites AHRQ technical review, Comparative Effectiveness of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEIs) and Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonists (ARBs) for Treating Essential Hypertension, 2007, and associated AHRQ-funded systematic review by Matchar et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2008) on the comparative effectiveness of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers for treating essential hypertension, both prepared by the Duke Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC), under contract 290-02-0025.] Select to access the abstract.

Population Health Management
Anesetti-Rothermel A, Sambamoorthi U. Physical and mental illness burden: disability days among working adults. Popul Health Manag 2011 Oct; 14(5):223-30. [Reports receipt of infrastructure support to second author under Collaborative Health Outcomes Research of Therapies and Services (CoHORTS) grant 1 P20 HS15390-02.] Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

Academic Medicine
Schiff GD, Leape LL. Commentary: how can we make diagnosis safer? Acad Med 2012 Feb; 87(2):135-8. [Mentions AHRQ's previous involvement in guidelines development as AHCPR; discusses article by Zwaan et al. (Acad Med, 2011) cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles below; cites AHRQ publication, Advances in Patient Safety: From Research to Implementation, Volume 2: Concepts and Methodology, 2005, and AHRQ-funded article by Bishop, Ryan, and Casalino (Acad Med, 2011).]

O'Leary KJ, Choi J, Watson K, et al. Medical students' and residents' clinical and educational experiences with defensive medicine. Acad Med 2012 Feb; 87(2):142-8. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Hickner et al. (Qual Saf Health Care, 2008), Gallagher, Studdert, and Levinson (N Engl J Med, 2007), Poon et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2004), and others.] Select to access the abstract.

Neeman N, Sehgal NL. Perspective: a road map for academic departments to promote scholarship in quality improvement and patient safety. Acad Med 2012 Feb; 87(2):168-71. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Clancy (AHRQ director) (Am J Med Qual, 2009) and AHRQ-funded article by Auerbach, Landefeld, and Shojania (N Engl J Med, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

Health Affairs
Iezzoni LI, Rao SR, DesRoches CM, et al. Survey shows that at least some physicians are not always open or honest with patients. Health Aff 2012 Feb; 31(2):383-91. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Kachalia et al. (Jt Comm J Qual Saf, 2003) and Fiscella et al. (Med Care, 2004).] Select to access the abstract.

Health Data Management
Survey: many patient harm events are not reported. Health Data Manag 2012 Feb; 20(2):30. [Summarizes HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report that recommends that AHRQ and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) "create a list of potentially reportable events and provide technical assistance to hospitals through guidance and training documents."]

Gardner E. User unfriendly: physicians gripe that EHRs are not easy to use. But the industry is taking steps to improve performance. Health Data Manag 2012 Feb; 20(2):54-61. [Quotes remarks by Westat informaticist who consults on usability issues for AHRQ.]

Hospital Case Management
Discharge planning is CMS' focus. Hosp Case Manag 2012 Feb; 20(2):21-2. [Mentions CMS' announcement of its intention to add three new questions about discharge planning to the Hospital CAHPS (HCAHPS) survey and discusses the increasing importance of HCAHPS hospital scores "as CMS moves to value-based purchasing."] Select to access the abstract.

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

Aging Health
Weinerman S, Katz S. The elderly inflammatory bowel disease patient and osteoporosis. Aging Health 2012 Feb; 8(1):31-42. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence update on screening for osteoporosis (Ann Intern Med, 2010).]

Annals of Internal Medicine
Baldwin LM, Trivers KF, Matthews B, et al. Vignette-based study of ovarian cancer screening: do U.S. physicians report adhering to evidence-based recommendations? Ann Intern Med 2012 Feb 7; 156(3):182-94. [Cites USPSTF recommendation statement, Screening for Ovarian Cancer, 2004, as published on the USPSTF Web site; cites USPSTF recommendations on genetic risk assessment and BRCA mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility (Ann Intern Med, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

Kuller LH. Effectiveness of primary care-relevant treatments for obesity in adults. Ann Intern Med 2012 Feb 7; 156(3):248. [Comments on USPSTF-sponsored systematic evidence review on effectiveness of primary care-relevant treatments for obesity in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2011); see author reply below in this section.]

Moses AC, Handelsman Y, Einhorn D. Effectiveness of primary care-relevant treatments for obesity in adults. Ann Intern Med 2012 Feb 7; 156(3):248-9. [Comments on USPSTF-sponsored systematic evidence review on effectiveness of primary care-relevant treatments for obesity in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2011); cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2008); see author reply cited below in this section.]

LeBlanc ES, O'Connor E. In response: Effectiveness of primary care-relevant treatments for obesity in adults. Ann Intern Med 2012 Feb 7; 156(3):249. [Responds to comments on USPSTF-sponsored systematic evidence review on effectiveness of primary care-relevant treatments for obesity in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2011) by Kuller and by Moses, Handelsman, and Einhorn cited above in this section.]

BMC Health Services Research
Yasmeen S, Romano PS, Tancredi DJ, et al. Screening mammography beliefs and recommendations: a web-based survey of primary care. BMC Health Serv Res 2012 Feb 6; 12(1):32. [Examines physician beliefs about mammography screening effectiveness prior to issuance of updated USPSTF recommendations in 2009; describes current USPSTF breast cancer screening recommendations, citing USPSTF-sponsored evidence update by Nelson et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2009), and notes conflicting recommendations for women in some age groups and the resultant differences in physician perceptions of mammography, citing articles by Woolf (JAMA, 2010) and Zyzanski et al. (J Fam Pract, 1994), both of which discuss USPSTF recommendations on mammography and other screening types.] Select to access the abstract.

JAMA
Woolf SH, Harris R. The harms of screening: new attention to an old concern. JAMA 2012 Feb 8; 307(6):565-6. [Discusses changing emphases in USPSTF screening recommendations over the past 30 years and USPSTF recommendations on the use of fecal DNA testing and computerized tomographic colonography for colorectal cancer screening, updated 2009 recommendations on screening for breast cancer, and use of PSA screening for prostate cancer in draft 2011 prostate cancer recommendations. Also refer to article by Koh et al. (Health Aff, 2012) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

Academic Medicine
Zwaan L, Thijs A, Wagner C, et al. Relating faults in diagnostic reasoning with diagnostic errors and patient harm. Acad Med 2012 Feb; 87(2):149-156. [Cites AHRQ-funded systematic review by Shojania et al. (JAMA, 2010) on changes in rates of autopsy-detected diagnostic errors over time, prepared by the University of California San Francisco-Stanford EPC under contract 290-970013; also refer to comments by Schiff and Leape (Acad Med, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Related Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Internal Medicine
Qaseem A, Humphrey LL, Sweet DE, et al. Oral pharmacologic treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med 2012 Feb 7; 156(3):218-31. [Based on AHRQ-sponsored systematic review by Bennett et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2011) and associated AHRQ comparative effectiveness review, Oral Diabetes Medications for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: An Update, 2011, prepared by the Johns Hopkins University EPC (which expands on and updates AHRQ comparative effectiveness review Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Diabetes Medications for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes, 2007, and associated AHRQ-sponsored systematic review by Bolen et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2007)); uses methods described in AHRQ publication, Guide for Conducting Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, 2007, to assess the quality of selected observational studies.] Select to access the abstract.

Health Affairs
Mechanic D. Seizing opportunities under the affordable care act for transforming the mental and behavioral health system. Health Aff 2012 Feb; 31(2):376-82. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Integration of Mental Health/Substance Abuse and Primary Care, 2008, prepared by the Minnesota EPC under contract 290-02-0009, as published on the AHRQ Web site. Also refer to articles by Koh, Berwick, Clancy, Baur, Brach et al. (Health Aff, 2012) and Donohue et al. (N Engl J Med, 2012) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

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

Journal of the New York State Nurses Association
Muxworthy H, Bowllan N. Barriers to practice and impact on care: an analysis of the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner role. J N Y State Nurses Assoc 2011; 42(1-2):8-14; quiz 25, 27-8. [Lists in Table 1, "National statistics regarding mental illness," statistical data on mental healthcare needs adapted from AHRQ's NHQR, 2008, and 2009 MEPS data retrieved from AHRQ's MEPS Web site. Also refer to article by Koh et al. (Health Aff, 2012) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles and article by Vaidya, Partha, and Howe (Risk Manag Healthc Policy, 2011) cited in Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products.] Select to access the abstract.

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Health Affairs
Long SK, Stockley K, Dahlen H. Massachusetts health reforms: uninsurance remains low, self-reported health status improves as state prepares to tackle costs. Health Aff 2012 Feb; 31(2):444-51. [Uses 2006-2010 data from the MEPS Insurance Component (MEPS IC) data tables as accessed from AHRQ's MEPS Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Investigative Medicine
Pant C, Deshpande A, Anderson MP, et al. Clostridium difficile infection is associated with poor outcomes in end-stage renal disease. J Investig Med 2012 Feb; 60(2):529-32. [Uses 2009 HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (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) and article by Quan et al. (Med Care, 2005); cites AHRQ publication, Clostridium Difficile-Associated Disease in U.S. Hospitals, 1993-2005, HCUP Statistical Brief 50, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the Neurological Sciences
Ovbiagele B, Adams RJ. Trends in comorbid sickle cell disease among stroke patients. J Neurol Sci 2012 Feb 15; 313(1-2):86-91. [Uses 1997-2006 HCUP NIS data retrieved from AHRQ's HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Urology
Sun M, Bianchi M, Trinh QD, et al. Hospital volume is a determinant of postoperative complications, blood transfusion and length of stay after radical or partial nephrectomy. J Urol 2012 Feb; 187(2):405-10. [Uses 1998-2007 HCUP NIS data, citing HCUP NIS Description of Data Elements, 2011 (with reference to the Leapfrog Group 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); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Birkmeyer et al. (N Engl J Med, 2003 and 2002) and others.] Select to access the abstract.

Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
Vaidya V, Partha G, Howe J. Utilization of preventive care services and their effect on cardiovascular outcomes in the United States. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2011; 4:1-7. [Uses 2007 MEPS data; cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2005. Also refer to articles by Gellad et al. (Health Aff, 2012), Fieldston et al. (J Hosp Med, 2011), Weinberger et al. (J Infect Dis, 2012), and Donohue et al. (N Engl J Med, 2012) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.] Select to access the abstract.