Geographic Variation in Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing Among Older Adults

October 26, 2012

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 Internal Medicine
Zhang Y, Steinman MA, Kaplan CM. Geographic variation in outpatient antibiotic prescribing among older adults. Arch Intern Med 2012 Oct 22; 172(19):1465-71. [Supported by grant R01 HS18657 (to first author); uses methodologies described in AHRQ publication, Creation of New Race-Ethnicity Codes and Socioeconomic Status (SES) Indicators for Medicare Beneficiaries, 2008, as published on the AHRQ Web site; also go to comments by Gonzales, Ackerman, and Handley (Arch Intern Med, 2012) cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

BMJ Quality and Safety
Gurses AP, Kim G, Martinez EA, Marsteller J, Bauer L, Lubomski LH, Pronovost PJ, et al. Identifying and categorising patient safety hazards in cardiovascular operating rooms using an interdisciplinary approach: a multisite study. BMJ Qual Saf 2012 Oct; 21(10):810-18. [Supported in part by grants K01 HS18762 (to first author) and K08 HS13904-02 (to third author); seventh author acknowledges receiving previous AHRQ funding.] Select to access the abstract.

Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
Memtsoudis SG, Mantilla CB, Parvizi J, Stundner O, Mazumdar M. Have bilateral total knee arthroplasties become safer? Clin Orthop Relat Res 2012 Sep 25. [Epub ahead of print. Supported by Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) grant U18 HS01675 (to institution of fifth author; uses 1999-2008 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data, citing Overview of the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2011, as accessed on AHRQ's HCUP Web site; also uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al, Med Care, 1998) and the AHRQ-funded adaptation of the Charlson comorbidity index described in AHRQ-funded article by Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992).] Select to access the abstract.

Health Services Research
Mukamel DB, Weimer DL, Harrington C, Spector WD, et al. The effect of state regulatory stringency on nursing home quality. Health Serv Res 2012 Oct; 47(5):1791-1813. [Fourth author is a researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets.]�Select to access the abstract.

Maeda JL, Raetzman SO, Friedman BS. What hospital inpatient services contributed the most to the 2001-2006 growth in the cost per case? Health Serv Res 2012 Oct; 47(5):1814-34. [Supported by contract HHSA 290-2006-00009-C; third author is a researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets; uses 2001 and 2006 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases (SID) data, citing HCUP Overview, 2009, Components of Growth in Hospital Inpatient Costs, 1997-2009, HCUP Statistical Brief 123, 2011, and Diagnostic Groups with Rapidly Increasing Costs, by Payer, 2001-2007, HCUP Statistical Brief 91, 2010; also uses AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCS), citing Clinical Classifications for Health Policy Research: Hospital Inpatient Statistics, HCUP Research Note 3, 1998; cites AHRQ publication, Calculate Cost Adjustment Factors by APR_DRG and CCS Using Selected States with Detailed Charges, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Matone M, Localio R, Huang YS, et al. The relationship between mental health diagnosis and treatment with second-generation antipsychotics over time: a national study of U.S. Medicaid-enrolled children. Health Serv Res 2012 Oct; 47(5):1836-60. [Supported in part by grant 5 R01 HS18550.]�Select to access the abstract.

Dimick JB, Staiger DO, Osborne NH, et al. Composite measures for rating hospital quality with major surgery. Health Serv Res 2012 Oct; 47(5):1861-79. [Supported in part by Career Development Award grant K08 HS17765 (to first author); uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998), citing article by Southern, Quan, and Ghali (Med Care, 2004).]�Select to access the abstract.

Yu H, Dick AW. Impacts of rising health care costs on families with employment-based private insurance: a national analysis with state fixed effects. Health Serv Res 2012 Oct; 47(5):2012-30. [Supported in part by grant 1 R01 HS16742; uses 1996-2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, citing MEPS HC-050: 2000 Full Year Consolidated Data File, 2003, as accessed on AHRQ's MEPS Web site; acknowledges MEPS data support from Ray Kuntz, Data Center Coordinator in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
Hoonakker PL, Carayon P, Brown RL, et al. Changes in end-user satisfaction with Computerized Provider Order Entry over time among nurses and providers in intensive care units. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2012 Oct 25. [Epub ahead of print. Supported in part by grant R01 HS15274 (second author is principal investigator and Wood K is co-principal investigator is K Wood); cites AHRQ-funded systematic review by Kaushal et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2003) on effects of computerized physician order entry and clinical decision support systems on medication safety, based on work performed by the authors in collaboration with the UCSF-Stanford Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) under contract 290-97-0013.] Select to access the abstract.

New England Journal of Medicine
Sasson C, Magid DJ, Chan P, Root ED, McNally BF, Kellermann AL, Haukoos JS. Association of neighborhood characteristics with bystander-initiated CPR. N Engl J Med 2012 Oct 25; 367(17):1607-15. [Supported in part by grant K02 HS17526 (to last author).] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatric Blood Cancer
Panepinto JA, Owens PL, Mosso AL, Steiner CA, et al. Concentration of hospital care for acute sickle cell disease-related visits. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012 Oct; 59(4):685-9. [Supported in part by grant K08 HS15482-01A1; second and fourth authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets, respectively.]� Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

Aging Health
Lavretsky H. The role of family caregivers and inappropriate medication use in the community-dwelling older adults with dementia. Aging Health 2012 Oct; 8(5):457-60. [Cites AHRQ publication, Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses, Section III: Patient-centered Care, 2008; cites AHRQ-authored article by Zhan, Sangl, Bierman, Miller, Friedman, Wickizer, and Meyer (authors are current and former AHRQ staff members) (JAMA, 2001), which uses 1996 MEPS data; cites AHRQ-funded article by Qato et al. (JAMA, 2008).]

Archives of Internal Medicine
Vickers AJ, Cronin AM, Maschino AC, et al. Acupuncture for chronic pain: individual patient data meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med 2012 Oct 22; 172(19):1444-53. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Suarez-Almazor et al. (Arthritis Care Res, 2010), Sherman et al. (Ann Fam Med, 2005), and Cherkin et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2001).] Select to access the abstract.

Shaneyfelt T. In guidelines we cannot trust. Arch Intern Med 2012 Oct 22. [Epub ahead of print. Comments on article by Kung, Miller, and Mackowiak (Arch Intern Med, 2012) cited in Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products, and mentions the article's use of guidelines published in AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ (NGC).]

BMJ Quality and Safety
Hastings S, Stechuchak K, Oddone E, et al. Older veterans and emergency department discharge information. BMJ Qual Saf 2012 Oct; 21(10):835-42. [Cites AHRQ publication, Payers of Emergency Department Care, 2006, HCUP Statistical Brief 77, 2009, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Vashi and Rhodes (Ann Emerg Med, 2011) and Rhodes et al. (Ann Emerg Med, 2004).]�Select to access the abstract.

Pronovost PJ, Hudson DW. Improving healthcare quality through organisational peer-to-peer assessment: lessons from the nuclear power industry. BMJ Qual Saf 2012 Oct; 21(10):872-5. [Mentions the AHRQ-sponsored Michigan ICU project, citing AHRQ publication, Eliminating CLABSI: A National Patient Safety Imperative. A Progress Report on the National On the CUSP: Stop BSI Project, 2010 (as published on the AHRQ Web site), and AHRQ-funded articles by Dixon-Woods et al. (Milbank Q, 2011), Pronovost et al. (BMJ, 2010, J Crit Care, 2008, and N Engl J Med, 2006), and O'Connor et al. (JAMA, 1996); first author reports receiving other AHRQ funding.] Select to access the abstract.

Dixon-Woods M, McNicol S, Martin G. Ten challenges in improving quality in healthcare: lessons from the Health Foundation's programme evaluations and relevant literature. BMJ Qual Saf 2012 Oct; 21(10):876-84. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Shekelle et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2011), Dixon-Woods et al. (Milbank Q, 2011), Needham et al. (Int J Qual Health Care, 2009), and Pronovost et al. (Lancet, 2004).]�Select to access the abstract.

Evidence Based Nursing
Dykes PC. Adding targeted multiple interventions to standard fall preventions reduces falls in an acute care setting. Evid Based Nurs 2012 Oct; 15(4):109-10. [Comments on article by Ang, Mordiffi, and Wong (J Adv Nurs, 2011) and cites AHRQ-funded article by Krauss MJ et al. (Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, 2008).]

Health Services Research
Renzi C, Sorge C, Fusco D, et al. Reporting of quality indicators and improvement in hospital performance: the P.Re.Val.E Regional Outcome Evaluation Program. Health Serv Res 2012 Oct; 47(5):1880-1901. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Werner et al. (Health Serv Res, 2009), Baker et al. (Med Care, 2002), and Hannan et al. (JAMA, 1994).] Select to access the abstract.

Gresenz CR, Edgington SE, Laugesen M, et al. Take-up of public insurance and crowd-out of private insurance under recent CHIP expansions to higher income children. Health Serv Res 2012 Oct; 47(5):1999-2011. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Hudson, Selden, and Banthin (second author is current researcher and first and third authors are former researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Inquiry, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

JAMA
Kuehn BM. Hospitals slash central line infections with program that empowers nurses. JAMA 2012 Oct 24; 308(16):1617-18. [Discusses the implementation of the AHRQ-funded Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) at the Peterson Regional Medical Center and its success in eliminating central line-associated and bloodstream infections there; quotes AHRQ director Carolyn M. Clancy and cites CUSP Toolkit, as published on the AHRQ Web site.]

Goodman DM, Parmet S, Lynm C, et al. JAMA Patient Page. Age-related macular degeneration. JAMA 2012 Oct 24; 308(16):1702. [Cites guideline summary, "Age-related Macular Degeneration," 2008, as published on AHRQ's NGC Web site.]

Simulation in Healthcare
Brett-Fleegler M, Rudolph J, Eppich W, et al. Debriefing assessment for simulation in healthcare: development and psychometric properties. Simul Healthc 2012 Oct; 7(5):288-94. [Cites AHRQ publication, Advances in Patient Safety: New Directions and Alternative Approaches, Volume 3: Performance and Tools, 2008; cites AHRQ-funded article by Nishisaki et al. (Pediatr Crit Care Med, 2011).] Select to access the abstract.

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

Archives of Internal Medicine
Prasad V. An unmeasured harm of screening. Arch Intern Med 2012 Oct 22; 172(19):1442-43. [Mentions USPSTF recommendations on screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm, citing Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2010-2011.]

Shreibati JB, Baker LC, Hlatky MA, et al. Impact of the Screening Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently (SAAAVE) Act on abdominal ultrasonography use among Medicare beneficiaries. Arch Intern Med 2012 Oct 22; 172(19):1456-62. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm and associated USPSTF-sponsored systematic review by Fleming et al. (both in Ann Intern Med, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

Harris R, Sheridan S, Kinsinger L. Time to rethink screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm? Arch Intern Med 2012 Oct 22; 172(19):1462-3. [Comments on article by Shreibati et al. cited above in this section and discusses 2005 USPSTF recommendations on screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm, citing USPSTF evidence synthesis Primary Care Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, 2005, as published on the USPSTF Web site.]

BMC Public Health
Kiviniemi MT, Hay JL. Awareness of the 2009 US Preventive Services Task Force recommended changes in mammography screening guidelines, accuracy of awareness, sources of knowledge about recommendations, and attitudes about updated screening guidelines in women ages 40-49 and 50+. BMC Public Health 2012 Oct 24; 12(1):899. [Examines awareness of and accuracy of knowledge about updated 2009 USPSTF recommendations on screening for breast cancer, citing USPSTF 2009 recommendations on screening for breast cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2009), related article by Woolf (JAMA, 2010), and previous USPSTF recommendations on screening for breast cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2002); also cites several articles discussing these recommendations.] Select to access the abstract.

Expert Review of Endocrinology and Metabolism
Arrone LJ, Apovian CM, Powell A. Phentermine plus topiramate for the treatment of obesity. Expert Rev Endocr Metab 2012 Sep; 5(3):503-10. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence review on the effectiveness of primary care-relevant treatments for obesity in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2011), describing it as an "important review of current treatments and outcomes."]>

JAMA
Volpp KG, Loewenstein G, Asch DA. Choosing wisely: low-value services, utilization, and patient cost sharing. JAMA 2012 Oct 24; 308(16):1635-6. [Mentions the USPSTF's D rating for prostate-specific antigen screening; mentions that AHRQ, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute "are all prohibited from the development of" urgently needed "guidelines that include the assessment of cost and value," citing article by Selby, Beal, and Frank (JAMA, 2012), which discusses AHRQ draft publication, Methods Guide for Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, 2009; cites AHRQ-funded article by Hsu et al. (N Engl J Med, 2006).]

Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Amir E, Bedard PL, Ocana A, et al. Benefits and harms of detecting clinically occult breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 2012 Oct 17; 104(20):1542-7. [Discusses USPSTF recommendations on breast cancer screening, citing updated 2009 USPSTF recommendations on screening for breast cancer, associated USPSTF-sponsored evidence update by Nelson et al., and related article by Mandelblatt et al. (all in Ann Intern Med, 2009); cites articles by Kopans (Radiol Clin North Am, 2010) and Hendrick and Helvie (Am J Roentgenol, 2011), which comment on these recommendations.] Select to access the abstract.

New England Journal of Medicine
Liao X, Lochhead P, Nishihara R, et al. Aspirin use, tumor PIK3CA mutation, and colorectal-cancer survival. N Engl J Med 2012 Oct 25; 367(17):1596-1606. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored systematic review on the use of aspirin for primary prevention of colorectal cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2007).]�Select to access the abstract.

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

Archives of Internal Medicine
Gonzales R, Ackerman S, Handley M. Can implementation science help to overcome challenges in translating judicious antibiotic use into practice? Arch Intern Med 2012 Oct 22; 172(19):1471-3. [Comments on article by Zhang, Steinman, and Kaplan (Arch Intern Med, 2012) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles; cites articles by Ranji et al. (Med Care, 2006 and 2008), both of which are based on work performed by the Sanford-UCSF EPC under contract 290-02-0017.]

Health Services Research
Maeng DD, Martsolf DR, Scanlon DP, et al. Care coordination for the chronically ill: understanding the patient's perspective. Health Serv Res 2012 Oct; 47(5):1960-79. [Gives definitions of "care coordination" and "enabling resources" from AHRQ technical review, Closing the Quality Gap: A Critical Analysis of Quality Improvement Strategies, Vol. 7, 2007 (prepared by the Stanford University-UCSF EPC under contract 290-02-0017), and uses behavioral framework adopted by AHRQ as part of the AHRQ technical review; mentions the AHRQ-sponsored Care Coordination Atlas, citing AHRQ publication, Care Coordination Atlas Version 3, 2010 (prepared by Stanford University under subcontract to Batelle on contract 290-04-0020), and AHRQ's Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (CAHPS®). Also refer to AHRQ-funded article by Hoonakker et al. (J Am Med Inform Assoc, 2012) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

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

Ethnicity and Disease
Yancy CW. Cardiovascular disease outcomes: priorities today, priorities tomorrow for research and community health. Ethn Dis 2012 Fall; 22 (3 Suppl 1):S1-7-S1-12. [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2008.]

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Archives of Internal Medicine
Kung J, Miller RR, Mackowiak PA. Failure of clinical practice guidelines to meet Institute of Medicine standards. Arch Intern Med 2012 Oct 22. [Epub ahead of print. Uses AHRQ's NGC as the source for the clinical practice guidelines analyzed in this study, citing AHRQ's NGC Web site.]�Select to access the abstract.

Health Services Research
Cantor JC, Monheit AC, DeLia D, et al. Early impact of the Affordable Care Act on health insurance coverage of young adults. Health Serv Res 2012 Oct; 47(5):1772-90. [Uses MEPS Insurance Component data, citing "Table I. B.2.b.(1) (2010) Percent of Private-Sector Enrollees that are Enrolled in Self-Insured Plans at Establishments that Offer Health Insurance by Firm Size and Selected Characteristics: United States, 2010" and "Table II.A.2(2010) Percent of Private-Sector Establishments that Offer Health Insurance by Firm Size and State: United States, 2010," both published on AHRQ's MEPS Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Seymour CW, Iwashyna TJ, Ehlenbach WJ, et al. Hospital-level variation in the use of intensive care. Health Serv Res 2012 Oct; 47(5):2060-80. [Uses 2006 HCUP SID data for Maryland and Washington and HCUP Clinical Classifications Software (CCS), citing Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) for ICD-9-CM, 2009, as published on AHRQ'S HCUP Web site; cites AHRQ publication, Inpatient Quality Indicators (IQI) Composite Measure Workgroup Final Report, 2008 as published on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site; uses the reliability adjustment approach advocated by AHRQ, citing AHRQ-funded articles by Dimick, Staiger, and Birkmeyer (Health Serv Res, 2010) and Hayward et al. (Health Serv Res, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology
Tzong KY, Han S, Roh A, et al. Epidemiology of pediatric surgical admissions in US children: data from the HCUP Kids Inpatient Database. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol 2012 Oct; 24(4):391-5. [Uses 2003, 2006, and 2009 HCUP Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) data and uses AHRQ's Patient Safety Indicator definition of "children undergoing any surgical procedure," citing, respectively, Databases, 2003-2009, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site, and Quality Indicators Module Software, 2012, from QI SAS®, Version 4.4, as published on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Maternal and Child Health Journal
Huebner CE, Bell JF, Reed SC. Receipt of preventive oral health care by U.S. children: a population-based study of the 2005-2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys. Matern Child Health J 2012 Oct 20. [Epub ahead of print. Uses 2005-2008 MEPS data, citing MEPS HC-036: 1996-2006 Pooled Estimation File, 2008. Also refer to articles by Zhang, Steinman, and Kaplan (Arch Intern Med, 2012), by Maeda, Raetzman, and Friedman, Dimick et al., and Yu and Dick (Health Serv Res, 2012), and by Memtsoudis et al. (Clin Orthrop Relat Res, 2012) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

Current as of October, 2012

Internet Citation:

Articles of Interest, October 26, 2012. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. https://www.ahrq.gov/news/articles/art102612.htm