The Effect of Triage Diagnostic Standing Orders on Emergency Department Treatment Time

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

Annals of Emergency Medicine
Retezar R, Bessman E, Ding R, et al. The effect of triage diagnostic standing orders on emergency department treatment time. Ann Emerg Med 2011 Feb; 57(2):89-99.e2. [Supported in part by grant K01 HS17957.] Select to access the abstract.

Delgado MK, Acosta CD, Ginde AA, et al. National survey of preventive health services in US emergency departments. Ann Emerg Med 2011 Feb; 57(2):104-108.e2. [Supported in part by training grant T32 HS00028 (to the Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research, Stanford University for first author.] Select to access the abstract.

Canadian Journal of Urology
Underwood W 3rd, Orom H, Poch M, et al. Multiple physician recommendations for prostate cancer treatment: a Pandora's box for patients? Can J Urol 2010 Oct; 17(5):5346-54. [Supported in part by training grant HS13819 (to second author).] Select to access the abstract.

International Journal for Quality in Health Care
McHugh MD, Shang J, Sloane DM, et al. Risk factors for hospital-acquired 'poor glycemic control': a case-control study. Int J Qual Health Care 2011 Feb; 23(1):44-51. [Supported in part by grant K08 HS17551 (to first author); uses 2005-2006 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Statewide Inpatient Databases (SID) data for California, AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidities measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998), and HCUP Clinical Classifications Software (CCS); cites AHRQ-authored article by Friedman, Jiang, Elixhauser (researcher, Senior Social Scientist, and researcher, respectively, in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) et al. (Med Care Res Rev, 2006) and AHRQ-funded article by Glance et al. (Health Serv Res, 2006), which use AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures and 2000 HCUP SID data for California; cites AHRQ-authored articles by Houchens, Elixhauser, and Romano (Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf, 2008), Zhan and Miller (current researcher in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence and former center director, respectively) (Qual Saf Health Care, 2003), and Romano, Geppert, Davies, Miller, Elixhauser (Health Aff, 2003), all of which use various HCUP SID and Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data sets and/or AHRQ's inpatient safety indicators; cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Nurse Staffing and Quality of Patient Care, 2007; cites AHRQ-funded article by Glance et al. (Med Care, 2008), which uses AHRQ's inpatient quality indicators.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
Comer JS, Blanco C, Hasin DS, Liu SM, Grant BF, Turner JB, Olfson M. Health-related quality of life across the anxiety disorders: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). J Clin Psychiatry 2011 Jan; 72(1):43-50. [Supported in part by grant U18 HS16097 (to last author.] Select to access the abstract.

Medical Care
Persell SD, Kaiser D, Dolan NC, et al. Changes in performance after implementation of a multifaceted electronic-health-record-based quality improvement system. Med Care 2011 Feb;49(2):117-25. [Supported by grant 1 R18 HS17163-01 and Career Development Award grant 1 K08 HS15647-01 (to first author).] Select to access the abstract.

Han PK, Klabunde CN, Breen N, et al. Multiple clinical practice guidelines for breast and cervical cancer screening: perceptions of US primary care physicians. Med Care 2011 Feb; 49(2):139-48. [Supported in part by inter-agency agreements Y3-PC-5019-01 and Y3-PC-5019-02; notes the profusion of guidelines on breast and cervical cancer screening, citing AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ Web site; uses data from the 2006-2007 National Survey of Primary Care Physicians' Recommendations and Practices for Breast, Cervical, Colorectal, and Lung Cancer Screening, conducted by the National Cancer Institute in collaboration with AHRQ and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; includes the USPSTF as one of five organizations whose guidelines survey respondents were asked to rate in terms of how influential the guidelines were in the physicians' practices and summarizes the findings relative to each of the five selected organizations in Figures 1-3; cites updated USPSTF recommendations on screening for breast cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2009); cites articles by Zyzanski et al. (J Fam Pract, 1994) and Stange et al. (J Fam Pract, 1992), both of which assess physician reactions to USPSTF guidelines.] Select to access the abstract.

Hebert PL, Chassin MR, Howell EA. The contribution of geography to black/white differences in the use of low neonatal mortality hospitals in New York City. Med Care 2011 Feb; 49(2):200-6. [Supported in part by AHRQ, grant number not given but previous related research by the authors (Howell, et al. Pediatrics, 2008) was supported by grant HS10854).] Select to access the abstract.

Nursing History Review
Carthon JM. Life and death in Philadelphia's black belt: a tale of an urban tuberculosis campaign, 1900-1930. Nurs Hist Rev 2011; 19:29-52. [Supported by grant F31 HS01029-02.] Select to access the abstract.

Women's Health Issues
Witt WP, Wisk LE, Cheng ER, et al. Poor prepregnancy and antepartum mental health predicts postpartum mental health problems among US women: a nationally representative population-based study. Womens Health Issues 2011 Feb 23. [Epub ahead of print. Supported in part by pre-doctoral National Research Service Award (NRSA) training grant T32 HS0083 (principal investigator: Smith, to second author); uses 1996-2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) household component (MEPS-HC) data, citing AHRQ's MEPS Web site and AHRQ-authored articles by Fleishman and Zuvekas (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Med Care, 2002) and Cohen, Monheit, Beauregard, Cohen, Lefkowitz, Potter, Sommers, Taylor, Arnett (current and former researchers in/directors of AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Inquiry, 1996-1997), both of which uses various MEPS data, and article by Mawani and Gilmour (Health Rep, 2010), which uses/cites AHRQ-authored articles by Zuvekas and Fleishman (Med Care, 2008) and Fleishman and Zuvekas (Med Care, 2007), both of which uses various MEPS data; cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence summary on screening for depression in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2002); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Witt et al. (Arch Womens Ment Health, 2010, and J Behav Health Serv Res, 2009), both of which uses various MEPS data.] Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

BMJ Quality and Safety
Swensen SJ, Kaplan GS, Meyer GS, et al. Controlling healthcare costs by removing waste: what American doctors can do now. BMJ Qual Saf 2011 Feb 21. [Epub ahead of print. Cites AHRQ publication, AHRQ's Efforts to Prevent and Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections. Fact Sheet, 2009, as published on AHRQ Web site; cites AHRQ-commissioned Institute of Medicine report Keeping Patients Safe: Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses, 2004; cites AHRQ-funded article by Bates et al. (JAMA, 1997).] Select to access the abstract.

Rademakers J, Delnoij D, de Boer D. Structure, process or outcome: which contributes most to patients' overall assessment of healthcare quality? BMJ Qual Saf 2011 Feb 21. [Epub ahead of print. Includes the Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (CAHPS) as an example of an instrument designed to measure patients' experiences with quality of healthcare and that further includes the three components of structure, process, and outcome, citing CAHPS Overview, as published on AHRQ Web site; cites AHRQ-funded article by Davies et al. (Health Expect, 2008), which uses CAHPS survey; cites article by Arah et al. (Health Serv Res, 2006), which uses the Hospital CAHPS (HCAHPS) survey.] Select to access the abstract.

Families, Systems, and Health
Peek CJ. Building a medical home around the patient: what it means for behavior. Fam Syst Health 2010 Dec; 28(4):322-33. [Cites AHRQ publication, Engaging Patients and Families in the Medical Home, 2010.] Select to access the abstract.

International Journal for Quality in Health Care
Van Vliet EJ, Bredenhoff E, Sermeus W, et al. Exploring the relation between process design and efficiency in high-volume cataract pathways from a lean thinking perspective. Int J Qual Health Care 2011 Feb; 23(1):83-93. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Raab et al. (J Low Genit Tract Dis, 2008), Schein et al. (N Engl J Med, 2000), and Powe et al. (Arch Ophthalmol, 1994), from the AHRQ-sponsored Cataract Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT).] Select to access the abstract.

JAMA
Cohen MJ, Benenson S. Surveillance quality in reporting nosocomial bloodstream infection rates. JAMA 2011 Feb 23; 305(8):779-80. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Pronovost et al. (Health Serv Res, 2006) and Berenholtz et al. (Crit Care Med, 2004).]

Journal of Pediatrics
Tandon PS, Zhou C, Lozano P, et al. Preschoolers' total daily screen time at home and by type of child care. J Pediatr 2011 Feb; 158(2):297-300. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Christakis et al. (J Pediatr, 2004).] Select to access the abstract.

Medical Care
Sequist TD, Schneider EC, Li A, et al. Reliability of medical group and physician performance measurement in the primary care setting. Med Care 2011 Feb; 49(2):126-31. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Clancy (AHRQ director) (Medscape J Med, 2008); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Scholle et al. (Am J Manag Care, 2009, and Am J Manag Care, 2008) and Hofer et al. (JAMA, 1999).] Select to access the abstract.

Cadieux G, Abrahamowicz M, Dauphinee D, et al. Are physicians with better clinical skills on licensing examinations less likely to prescribe antibiotics for viral respiratory infections in ambulatory care settings? Med Care 2011 Feb; 49(2):156-65. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Vanderweil et al. (Acad Emerg Med, 2007), Stivers (Soc Sci Med, 2002), Romano, Roos, and Jollis (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992), and Classen et al. (JAMA, 1991).] Select to access the abstract.

Shah R, Chen C, O'Rourke S, et al. Evaluation of care management for the uninsured. Med Care 2011 Feb; 49(2):166-71. [Cites AHRQ publication, All-Cause Hospital Readmissions Among Non-Elderly Medicaid Patients, HCUP Statistical Brief 89, 2010, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site, and Tools for Monitoring the Health Care Safety Net, 2003, as published on AHRQ Web site; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Weissman, Gatsonis, and Epstein (JAMA, 1992) and Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992).] Select to access the abstract.

Chi DL, Momany ET, Neff J, et al. Impact of chronic condition status and severity on dental utilization for Iowa Medicaid-enrolled children. Med Care 2011 Feb; 49(2):180-92. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by DeVoe, Krois, and Stenger (J Rural Health, 2009); cites article by Beil, Mayer M, Rozier (J Am Dent Assoc, 2009), which uses 2004 MEPS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Lofters AK, Shankardass K, Kirst M, et al. Sociodemographic data collection in healthcare settings: an examination of public opinions. i 2011 Feb; 49(2):193-99. [Cites AHRQ's Measuring Healthcare Quality Web site subdirectory page.] Select to access the abstract.

Medical Economics
Moore LG. Dreaming of the ideal practice: a thought leader shares his perspective on how to create a patient-centered medical home. Med Econ 2011 Feb 10; 88(3):44-8. [Cites Appendix 2, Bibliography of Recent Reviews of Self-Management Support Effectiveness, of AHRQ Final Contract Report Patient Self-Management Support Programs: An Evaluation, Nov 2007, prepared by RAND Health under contract 282-00-0005 and published on AHRQ Web site; cites AHRQ-funded article by Ahles et al. (Ann Fam Med, 2006) and Safran (Ann Intern Med, 2003).]

Military Medicine
Selinger S, Restrepo MI, Copeland LA, et al. Pneumonia in the elderly hospitalized in the Department of Veteran Affairs health care system. Mil Med 2011 Feb; 176(2):214-17. [Cites AHRQ News and Numbers article Pneumonia Most Common Reason for Hospitalization, 2008; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Mortensen et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2002) and Fine et al. (N Engl J Med, 1997).]

Simulation in Healthcare
Carlson J, Abel M, Bridges D, et al. The impact of a diagnostic reminder system on student clinical reasoning during simulated case studies. Simul Healthc 2011 Feb; 6(1):11-17. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Berner (Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract, 2009), Gandhi et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2006), and Croskerry (Acad Med, 2003).] Select to access the abstract.

Berendzen JA, van Nes JB, Howard BC, et al. Fire in labor and delivery: simulation case scenario. Simul Healthc 2011 Feb; 6(1):55-61. [Cites Team Performance Observation Tool, as published on AHRQ Web site.]

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

Journal of Pediatrics
Elliott DJ, Weintraub WS. Population-based health requires population-based change. J Pediatr 2011 Feb; 158(2):181-4. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored targeted systematic review on the effectiveness of weight management interventions in children (Pediatrics, 2010).]

Li C, Ford ES, McBride PE, et al. Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration is associated with the metabolic syndrome among US youth aged 12-19 years. J Pediatr 2011 Feb; 158(2):201-7. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored systematic evidence review on screening and treatment for lipid disorders in children and adolescents (Pediatrics, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

Medical Care
Price RA, Frank RG, Cleary PD, et al. Effects of direct-to-consumer advertising and clinical guidelines on appropriate use of human papillomavirus DNA tests. Med Care 2011 Feb; 49(2):132-8. [Cites USPSTF recommendations in Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, third edition, 2003. Also refer to AHRQ-funded articles by Han et al. (Med Care, 2011) and Witt et al. (Womens Health Issues, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles, article by Hunter and Goodie (Fam Syst Health, 2010) cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles, and article by Ferket et al. (J Vasc Surg, 2011) cited in Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products.] Select to access the abstract.

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

Current Psychiatry
Bostwick J. The heart of depression: treating patients who have cardiovascular disease. Curr Psychiatr 2011 Jan; 24(1):31-4. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Post-Myocardial Infarction Depression, 2005.]

Families, Systems, and Health
Hunter CL, Goodie JL. Operational and clinical components for integrated-collaborative behavioral healthcare in the patient-centered medical home. Fam Syst Health 2010 Dec; 28(4):308-21. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Integration of Mental Health/Substance Abuse and Primary Care, 2008, prepared by the Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) under contract 290-02-0009; cites AHRQ publication, Integrating Mental Health Treatment Into the Patient Centered Medical Home, 2010, prepared by Mathematica Policy Research under contract HHSA 290-2009-0019I, Task Order 2; cites USPSTF-sponsored article on evidence-based approaches to evaluating primary care behavioral counseling interventions (Am J Prev Med, 2002).] Select to access the abstract

Dickinson WP, Miller BF. Comprehensiveness and continuity of care and the inseparability of mental and behavioral health from the patient-centered medical home. Fam Syst Health 2010 Dec; 28(4):348-55. [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); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Atlas et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2009) and Bindman et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 1996).] Select to access the abstract.

Miller BF. Collaborative care needs a more active policy voice. Fam Syst Health 2010 Dec; 28(4):387-8. [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).] Select to access the abstract.

Indian Journal of Cancer
Prabhash K, Nag S, Patil S, et al. Optimising management of cancer related anemia. Indian J Cancer 2011 Jan-Mar; 48(1):1-10. [Cites AHRQ comparative effectiveness review, Comparative Effectiveness of Epoetin and Darbepoetin for Managing Anemia in Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment, 2006, as published on AHRQ's Effective Health Care Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Pediatrics
Deierlein AL, Siega-Riz AM, Adair LS, et al. Effects of pre-pregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain on infant anthropometric outcomes. J Pediatr 2011 Feb; 158(2):221-6. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Outcomes of Maternal Weight Gain, 2008. Also refer to AHRQ-funded article by McHugh et al. (Int J Qual Health Care, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

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

International Journal for Quality in Health Care
Rosen B, Porath A, Pawlson LG, et al. Adherence to standards of care by health maintenance organizations in Israel and the USA. Int J Qual Health Care 2011 Feb; 23(1):15-25. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Kelley, Arispe (former AHRQ researchers),and Holmes (Int J Qual Health Care, 2006), which uses AHRQ's NHQR/NHDR, 2006, and 2000-2002 HCUP SID data; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Scanlon et al. (Health Serv Res, 2008, and Med Care, 2005), both of which use the CAHPS® survey, and Zaslavsky et al. (Med Care, 2000).] Select to access the abstract.

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

BMJ Quality and Safety
Van de Velde S, Heselmans A, Donceel P, et al. Rigour of development does not AGREE with recommendations in practice guidelines on the use of ice for acute ankle sprains. BMJ Qual Saf 2011 Feb 21. [Epub ahead of print. Uses AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ to identify relevant literature.] Select to access the abstract.

Render ML, Freyberg RW, Hasselbeck R, et al. Infrastructure for quality transformation: measurement and reporting in veterans administration intensive care units. BMJ Qual Saf 2011 Feb 23. [Epub ahead of print. Uses HCUP Clinical Classification Software (CCS), citing AHRQ publication, Hospitalization in the United States, 2002, HCUP Fact Book 6, 2005.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Vascular Surgery
Ferket BS, Grootenboer N, Colkesen EB, et al. Systematic review of guidelines on abdominal aortic aneurysm screening. J Vasc Surg 2011 Feb 14. [Epub ahead of print. Uses AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ to identify relevant literature (and gives applicable search strategy in online appendix), including USPSTF recommendation statement on screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm and related best-evidence systematic review by Fleming et al. (both published in Ann Intern Med, 2005) as one of seven guidelines meeting study selection criteria for full data analysis and comparison as summarized in applicable tables.] Select to access the abstract.

Medical Care
Gulley SP, Rasch EK, Chan L. If we build it, who will come? Working-age adults with chronic health care needs and the medical home. Med Care 2011 Feb; 49(2):149-55. [Uses 2002-2004 MEPS-HC data, citing MEPS Household Component Statistical Estimation Issues, 2007, as published on AHRQ's MEPS Web site, and Health Care Expenses for Adults with Chronic Conditions, 2005, MEPS Statistical Brief 203, 2008; cites AHRQ-authored article by Machlin, Cohen, Elixhauser, Beauregard, Steiner (first, second authors are current and fourth author is former researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, and third and last authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (Med Care, 2009), which uses 2002-2005 MEPS-HC and Medical Provider Component (MPC) data; cites article by Hwang et al. (Health Aff, 2001), which uses MEPS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Armstrong K, Randall TC, Polsky D, et al. Racial differences in surgeons and hospitals for endometrial cancer treatment. Med Care 2011 Feb; 49(2):207-14. [Uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Gooden et al. (Med Care, 2008) and Kahn et al. (JAMA, 1994).] Select to access the abstract.

Onukwugha E, Mullins CD, Loh FE, et al. Readmissions after unauthorized discharges in the cardiovascular setting. Med Care 2011 Feb; 49(2):215-24. [Uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998), HCUP Clinical Classifications Software (CCS), and the CAHPS® Hospital Survey (H-CAHPS); cites article by Quan et al. (Med Care, 2005), which uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures and the Charlson comorbidity score using the Deyo method described in AHRQ-funded article by Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992), Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) for ICD-9-CM, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site, and the CAHPS® Web site; cites Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2000-2006, 2006; cites AHRQ-funded article by Fiscella, Meldrum, and Barnett (Am J Med, 2008), which uses 1998-2000 HCUP SID data for California and AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures.] Select to access the abstract.

Policy Research Brief (George Washington University. School of Public Health and Health Services. Department of Health Policy/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative)
Rosenbaum S, Shin P, Ku L. Who are the health center patients who risk losing care under the House of Representatives' proposed FY 2011 spending reductions? Policy Res Brief George Wash Univ School Public Health Health Serv Dept Health Policy 2011 Feb 24; (20):1-5. [Uses 2008 MEPS data as tabulated by George Washington University. Also refer to AHRQ-funded articles by McHugh et al. (Int J Qual Health Care, 2011) and Witt et al. (Womens Health Issues, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.]