Comparison of Different Approaches to Confounding Adjustment in a Study on the Association of Antipsychotic Medication with Mortality in Older Nursing Home Patients

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

American Journal of Epidemiology
Huybrechts KF, Brookhart MA, Rothman KJ, et al. Comparison of different approaches to confounding adjustment in a study on the association of antipsychotic medication with mortality in older nursing home patients. Am J Epidemiol 2011 Nov 1; 174(9):1089-99. [Supported in part by AHRQ/FDA grant HS17918 and AHRQ grant HS16097.] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of the Medical Sciences
Halpern SD. Financial incentives for research participation: empirical questions, available answers and the burden of further proof. Am J Med Sci 2011 Oct; 342(4):290-3. [Supported in part by grant K08 HS18406.] Select to access the abstract.

Annals of Surgery
Finks JF, Kole KL, Yenumula PR, English WJ, Krause KR, Carlin AM, Genaw JA, Banerjee M, Birkmeyer JD, Birkmeyer NJ, et al. Predicting risk for serious complications with bariatric surgery: results from the Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative. Ann Surg 2011 Oct; 254(4):633-40. [Supported by grant 1 R01 HS18050-01A1 (to tenth author).] Select to access the abstract.

Disability and Health Journal
Iezzoni LI, Frakt AB, Pizer SD. Uninsured persons with disability confront substantial barriers to health care services. Disabil Health J 2011 Oct; 4(4):238-44. [Supported by grant R01 HS15941; uses 2000-2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, citing MEPS HC-036: 1996-2007 Pooled Estimation File, 2009, MEPS HC-036BRR: MEPS 1996-2007 Replicates for Calculating Variances File, 2009, and AHRQ publication, Design and Methods of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, MEPS Methodology Report 1, 1997, all published on AHRQ's MEPS Web site; cites AHRQ's National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR), 2009, 2008, and 2007.] Select to access the abstract.

Heart
Lyman S, Sedrakyan A, Do H, et al. Infrequent physician use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators risks patient safety. Heart 2011 Oct; 97(20):1655-60. [Supported by Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) grant U18 HS16075-01; uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998); second author is former AHRQ researcher.] Select to access the abstract.

Hypertension
Crowley MJ, Smith VA, Olsen MK, et al. Treatment intensification in a hypertension telemanagement trial: clinical inertia or good clinical judgment? Hypertension 2011 Oct; 58(4):552-8. [Supported in part by grant T32 HS00079 (to first author).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Pugh MJ, Hanlon JT, Wang CP, et al. Trends in use of high-risk medications for older veterans: 2004 to 2006. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Oct; 59(10):1891-8. [Supported by grant R01 HS17695.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
Frisse ME, Johnson KB, Nian H, et al. The financial impact of health information exchange on emergency department care. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2011 Nov 4. [Epub ahead of print. Supported in part by contract 290-04-0006.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Chang SM. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Effective Health Care (EHC) Program Methods Guide for Comparative Effectiveness Reviews: keeping up-to-date in a rapidly evolving field. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Nov; 64(11):1166-7. [Author is a researcher in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence; discusses AHRQ's EHC and Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) programs and AHRQ-funded comparative effectiveness reviews.]

Norris SL, Atkins D, Bruening W, Fox S, Johnson E, Kane R, Morton SC, Oremus M, Ospina M, Randhawa G, et al. Observational studies in systemic reviews of comparative effectiveness: AHRQ and the Effective Health Care Program. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Nov; 64(11):1178-86. [Fourth and tenth authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence; second author is former AHRQ researcher; discusses AHRQ's EHC/EPC programs and comparative effectiveness reviews; cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessments, Comparative Effectiveness of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for Coronary Artery Disease, 2007, The Uses of Heparin to Treat Burn Injury, 2006, and Systems to Rate the Strength of Scientific Evidence, 2002; cites AHRQ publication, Methods Guide for Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, 2010, as published on AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Fu R, Gartlehner G, Grant M, Shamliyan T, Sedrakyan A, et al. Conducting quantitative synthesis when comparing medical interventions: AHRQ and the Effective Health Care Program. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Nov; 64(11):1187-97. [Supported by AHRQ's EHC program; fifth author was a researcher in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence at time of publication; discusses AHRQ EHC/EPC programs and comparative effectiveness reviews; cites AHRQ's Evidence-based Practice Centers landing page on the AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Atkins D, Chang SM, Gartlehner G, Buckley DI, Whitlock EP, Berliner E, et al. Assessing applicability when comparing medical interventions: AHRQ and the Effective Health Care Program. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Nov; 64(11):1198-1207. [Second and sixth authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence; first author is former AHRQ researcher; discusses AHRQ's EHC/EPC programs; cites AHRQ omparative effectiveness reviews, Comparative Effectiveness of Therapies for Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer, 2008, prepared by Minnesota EPC under contract 290-02-0009, Comparative Effectiveness of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for Coronary Artery Disease, 2007, prepared by Stanford-UCSF EPC under contract 290-02-0017, and Comparative Effectiveness of Second-Generation Antidepressants in the Pharmacologic Treatment of Adult Depression, 2007, prepared by RTI International-University of North Carolina EPC under contract 290-02-0016, all published on AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program Web site; cites AHRQ evidence report/technology assessments Effectiveness of Weight Management Programs in Children and Adolescents, 2008, and Comparison of Endovascular and Open Surgical Repairs for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, 2006; cites USPSTF-sponsored article by Guirguis-Blake et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2007) on USPSTF methodologies and USPSTF recommendations on screening for breast cancer in Guide to Clinical Preventive Services: Report of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2nd edition, 1996.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Williams JA, Meltzer D, Arora V, et al. Attention to inpatients' religious and spiritual concerns: predictors and association with patient satisfaction. J Gen Intern Med 2011 Nov; 26(11):1265-71. [Supported in part by Hospital Medicine and Economics CERTs grant U18 HS16967-01 (second author, principal investigator).] Select to access the abstract.

Ajmera M, Wilkins TL, Sambamoorthi U. Dual Medicare and Veteran Health Administration use and ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations. J Gen Intern Med 2011 Nov; 26 Suppl 2:S669-S675. [Supported in part by infrastructure Collaborative Health Outcomes Research of Therapies and Services (CoHORTS) grant 1 P20 HS15390-02 (to third author); uses AHRQ's Prevention Quality Indicators for ambulatory care sensitive conditions, citing AHRQ publications, AHRQ Quality Indicators—Prevention Quality Indicators: Technical Specifications, Version 3.2, 2008, Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations for Acute and Chronic Conditions, 2008, HCUP Statistical Brief 99, 2010, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site, and Preventable Hospitalizations: A Window into Primary and Preventive Care, 2000, HCUP Fact Book 5, 2004; cites AHRQ's NHQR, 2010.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Nursing Administration
Kelly LA, McHugh MD, Aiken LH. Nurse outcomes in Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals. J Nurs Adm 2011 Oct; 41(10):428-33. [Supported by grant K08 HS17551.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Nursing Care Quality
Zrelak PA, Utter GH, Sadeghi B, et al. Using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Patient Safety Indicators for targeting nursing quality improvement. J Nurs Care Qual 2011 Nov 2 [Epub ahead of print. Supported by contract 290-04-0020; uses AHRQ's Patient Safety Indicators, citing AHRQ publication, AHRQ Quality Indicators: Guide to Patient Safety Indicators, Version 3.1, 2007, as published on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Urology
Tan HJ, Wolf JS Jr, Ye Z, Wei JT, Miller DC. Complication and failure to rescue after laparoscopic versus open radical nephrectomy. J Urol 2011 Oct; 186(4):1254-60. [Supported in part by grant K08 HS18346-01A1 (to last author); uses AHRQ's Patient Safety Indicators, version 4.2, citing AHRQ publication, AHRQ Quality Indicators: Guide to Patient Safety Indicators, Version 3.1, 2007, as published on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Kokorowski PJ, Routh JC, Borer JG, et al. Screening for malignancy after augmentation cystoplasty in children with spina bifida: a decision analysis. J Urol 2011 Oct; 186(4):1437-43. [Supported in part by grant T32 HS00063.] Select to access the abstract.

New England Journal of Medicine
Cooper WO, Habel LA, Sox CM, et al. ADHD drugs and serious cardiovascular events in children and young adults. N Engl J Med 2011 Nov 1 [Epub ahead of print. Supported by Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions about Effectiveness (DEcIDE) program contracts HHSA290-2005-0042 (to Vanderbilt University) and HHSA290-2005-0033 (to Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute).] Select to access the abstract.

Osteoporosis International
Clancy CM. Best practices in systems interventions to reduce the burden of fractures. Osteoporos Int �2011 Aug; 22(Suppl 3):S441-S444. [Author is AHRQ director.]

Curtis JR. Improving osteoporosis care through multimodal interventions: insights from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics. Osteoporos Int�2011 Aug; 22(Suppl 3):S445-S450. [Supported by grants R01 HS18517 and R13 HS20144-01.] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatric Emergency Care
Brindis SL, Gausche-Hill M, Young KD, et al. Universally poor outcomes of pediatric traumatic arrest. Pediatr Emerg Care 2011 Jul; 27(7):616-21. [Supported by grant 1 R01 HS09166.] Select to access the abstract.

Quality Management in Health Care
McCullough E, Sullivan C, Banning P, et al. Challenges and benefits of adding laboratory data to a mortality risk adjustment method. Qual Manag Health Care 2011 Oct-Dec; 20(4):253-62. [Supported by Adding Clinical Data to Statewide Administrative Data contract 07-10042; mentions the use by AHRQ and other agencies of All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APRDRGs) "as the risk adjustment model for either public or confidential reporting of hospital mortality rates and other inpatient outcomes". Also refer to AHRQ-funded article by Dahabreh et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2011), cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

American Family Physician
Appel A. Improving adult immunization rates: overcoming barriers. Am Fam Physician 2011 Nov 1; 84(9):977-8. [Cites AHRQ publication, Clinical Decision Support Systems: State of the Art, 2009, as published on the AHRQ Web site.]

American Surgeon
Aimaq R, Akopian G, Kaufman HS. Surgical site infection rates in laparoscopic versus open colorectal surgery. Am Surg 2011 Oct; 77(10):1290-4. [Mentions that 2005 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data "suggest that SSI is associated with an average increased length of stay (LOS) of 9.7 days and increased average costs by $20,842 (8.9 days, $17,955 for colorectal) per admission".]

Lau B, DiFronzo LA. An acute care surgery model improves timeliness of care and reduces hospital stay for patients with acute cholecystitis. Am Surg 2011 Oct; 77(10):1318-21. [Cites HCUPNet landing page on the AHRQ Web site.]

Annals of Internal Medicine
Qaseem A, Chou R, Humphrey LL, Starkey M, Shekelle P. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in hospitalized patients: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med 2011 Nov 1; 155(9):625-32. [Last author acknowledges pending grant funding from AHRQ.] Select to access the abstract.

Breastfeeding Medicine
Calnen G. Breastfeeding support and value-based medicine. Breastfeed Med 2011 Oct; 6(5):329-31. [Mentions funding for a joint AHRQ/CMS project "to create a set of quality indicators specifically related to the pediatric population."]

GAO Reports
Health care price transparency: meaningful price information is difficult for consumers to obtain prior to receiving care. GAO Rep Sep; GAO-11-791. [Describes in footnotes AHRQ's HCUP and reasons for not including it in the present study and AHRQ's TalkingQuality program.]

International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care
Bastian H, Scheibler F, Knelangen M, et al. Choosing health technology assessment and systematic review topics: the development of priority-setting criteria for patients' and consumers' interests. Int J Technol Assess Health Care 2011 Oct; 27(4):348-56. [Cites How Are Research Topics Chosen?, as published on AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Whitson HE, Steinhauser K, Ammarell N, et al. Categorizing the effect of comorbidity: a qualitative study of individuals' experiences in a low-vision rehabilitation program. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Oct; 59(10):1802-9. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Leff (Am J Manag Care, 2009).]

Wenger NS, Roth CP, Martin D, et al. Quality of care provided in a special needs plan using a nurse care manager model. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Oct; 59(10):1810-22. [Acknowledge assistance from AHRQ director Carolyn Clancy as a member of the project's advisory committee.]

Wang HE, Shah MN, Allman RM, et al. Emergency department visits by nursing home residents in the United States. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Oct; 59(10):1864-72. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Wang et al. (Crit Care Med, 2007) and Intrator, Castle, and Mor (Med Care, 1999).]

Polinski JM, Donohue JM, Kilabuk E, et al. Medicare Part D's effect on the under- and overuse of medications: a systematic review. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Oct; 59(10):1922-33. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Raebel et al. (Med Care, 2008), Huskamp et al. (Psych Serv, 2007), and Schneeweiss et al. (N Engl J Med, 2002).] Select to access the abstract.

Drenth-van Maanen AC, Spee J, van Hensbergen L, et al. Structured history taking of medication use reveals iatrogenic harm due to discrepancies in medication histories in hospital and pharmacy records. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Oct; 59(10):1976-7. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Rogers et al. (Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf, 2006).]

Rhee Y, Degenholtz HB, Lau DT, et al. End-of-life and formal and informal care use of community-dwelling older adults with different levels of physical disability. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Oct; 59(10):1983-4. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by van Houtven and Norton (J Health Econ, 2004) and Lo Sasso and Johnson (Inquiry, 2002).]

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Zhang F, Wagner AK, Ross-Degnan D. Simulation-based power calculation for designing interrupted time series analyses of health policy interventions. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Nov; 64(11):1252-61. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Soumerai et al. (N Engl J Med, 1991 and 1987), Feldstein et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2006), Smith et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2006), and others.] Select to access the abstract.

Kundig F, Staines A, Kinge T, et al. Numbering questionnaires had no impact on the response rate and only a slight influence on the response content of a patient safety culture survey: a randomized trial. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Nov; 64(11):1262-5. [Cites Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, 2011, as published on the AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Hanley GE, Morgan S, Reid RJ. Income-related inequity in initiation of evidence-based therapies among patients with acute myocardial infarction. J Gen Intern Med 2011 Nov; 26(11):1329-35. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Soumerai et al. (N Engl J Med, 1987).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law
Saloner B, Daniels N. The ethics of the affordability of health insurance. J Health Polit Policy Law 2011 Oct; 36(5):815-27. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Selden (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) et al. (Health Aff, 2009) and AHRQ publication, The Five Most Costly Conditions, 1996 and 2006: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, MEPS Statistical Brief 248, 2009.] Select to access the abstract.

Nursing Economic$
Cipriano PF. The future of nursing and health IT: the quality elixir. Nurs Econ 2011 Sep-Oct; 29(5):286-90. [Cites AHRQ publication, Using Health IT: Eight Quality Improvement Stories, as published on AHRQ's Health IT Web site.]

Pediatrics
Halfon N, Stevens GD, Larson K, et al. Duration of a well-child visit: association with content, family-centeredness, and satisfaction. Pediatrics 2011 Oct; 128(4):657-64. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Weinick, Weigers, and Cohen (Health Aff, 1998) and AHRQ-funded article by Starfield, Robertson, and Riley (Ambul Pediatr, 2002).] Select to access the abstract.

Freed GL, Dunham KM, Loveland-Cherry C, et al. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants employed by general and subspecialty pediatricians. Pediatrics 2011 Oct; 128(4):665-72.] Select to access the abstract.

Tarini BA, Clark SJ, Pilli S, et al. False-positive newborn screening result and future health care use in a state Medicaid cohort. Pediatrics 2011 Oct; 128(4):715-22. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by McCormick, Kass, Elixhauser, Thompson, Simpson (second and third authors are members of AHRQ's Office of Communications and Knowledge Transfer and researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets, respectively, and fourth and last authors are former AHRQ researchers) et al. (Pediatrics, 2000).] Select to access the abstract.

Quality Management in Health Care
Mohandas A, Foley KA, Nash DB, et al. Role of quality improvement in prevention of inappropriate transfusions. Qual Manag Health Care 2011 Oct-Dec; 20(4):298-310. [Mentions that AHRQ "has emphasized the use of evidence to drive quality initiatives and has stressed the importance of clinical informatics in improving patient safety", citing "Medical Informatics for Better and Safer Health Care," Research in Action 6, 2002; cites article by Morton et al. (Am J Med Qual, 2010), which uses 2004 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

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

American Family Physician
Phillips RL Jr, Miller BF, Petterson SM, et al. Better integration of mental health care improves depression screening and treatment in primary care. Am Fam Physician 2011 Nov 1; 84(9):980. [Cites USPSTF recommendation statement, Screening for Depression in Adults, 2009, as published on the USPSTF Web site; cites USPSTF-sponsored targeted, updated systematic review on screening for depression in adult patients in primary care settings (Ann Intern Med, 2009).]

Annals of Internal Medicine
Rein DB, Smith BD, Wittenborn JS, et al. The cost-effectiveness of birth-cohort screening for hepatitis C antibody in U.S. primary care settings. Ann Intern Med 2011 Nov 4 [Epub ahead of print. Notes that "if birth-cohort screening received an A- or B-level recommendation from the [USPSTF], payment for screening would be mandated by the Affordable Care Act for all insurers", citing article by Cassidy (Health Aff, 2010), which discusses provisions that mandate coverage for USPSTF-recommended preventive services.] Select to access the abstract.

Breastfeeding Medicine
Chantry CJ. Supporting the 75%: overcoming barriers after breastfeeding initiation. Breastfeed Med 2011 Oct; 6(5):337-9. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored systematic evidence review, Interventions in Primary Care to Promote Breastfeeding, 2008.]

Canadian Journal of Urology
Gomella LG, Liu XS, Trabulsi EJ, et al. Screening for prostate cancer: the current evidence and guidelines controversy. Can J Urol 2011 Oct; 18(5):5875-83. [Comments on USPSTF recommendations on screening for prostate cancer, citing USPSTF recommendations and related USPSTF-sponsored evidence update (both in Ann Intern Med, 2008); cites article by Woolf (N Engl J Med, 1995), which summarizes USPSTF recommendations for patients; see also editor's note by Gomella cited below in this section.] Select to access the abstract.

Gomella LG. Editor's note. Can J Urol 2011 Oct; 18(5):5883. [Notes pending USPSTF publication of recommendations (Ann Intern Med, 2011) against routine PSA testing in healthy men, "which were largely based on screening trials reviewed" in article by Gomella et al. cited above in this section.]

International Journal of Childbirth Education
Phillips KF. First-time breastfeeding mothers: perceptions and lived experiences with breastfeeding. Int J Childbirth Educ 2011 Summer; 26(3):17-20. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence review on interventions in primary care to promote breastfeeding (Ann Intern Med, 2008).]

JAMA
Sox HC. Screening for lung cancer with chest radiographs. JAMA 2011 Nov 2; 306(17):1916-18. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored update on lung cancer screening with sputum cytologic examination, chest radiography, and computed tomography (Ann Intern Med, 2004).]

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Florez H, Troen BR. Do vitamin D levels influence the risk of diabetes mellitus and play a role in healthier aging? J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Oct; 59(10):1957-9. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored systematic evidence review on primary care-relevant interventions to prevent falling in older adults (Ann Intern Med, 2010); cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Vitamin D and Calcium: A Systematic Review of Health Outcomes, 2009.]

Raab MF, Anstadt SP. Improving office detection of asymptomatic dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Oct; 59(10):1975-6. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for dementia and related evidence summary by Boustani et al. (both in Ann Intern Med, 2003) and AHRQ-funded article by Boustani et al. (Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 2006) on same recommendations.]

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Joo MJ, Au DH, Fitzgibbon ML, et al. Determinants of spirometry use and accuracy of COPD diagnosis in primary care. J Gen Intern Med 2011 Nov; 26(11):1272-7. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using spirometry (Ann Intern Med, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Halbert CH, Barg FK, Guerra CE, et al. Cultural, economic, and psychological predictors of colonoscopy in a national sample. J Gen Intern Med 2011 Nov; 26(11):1311-16. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored targeted, updated systematic review on screening for colorectal cancer (Ann Intern, Med, 2008) and evidence summary on screening for colorectal cancer in adults at average risk (Ann Intern Med, 2002); cites AHRQ-funded systematic review by Holden et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2010) on enhancing the use and quality of colorectal cancer screening, prepared by RTI International-University of North Carolina EPC under contract 290-2007-10056-I.] Select to access the abstract.

Simpson SH, Gamble JM, Mereu L, et al. Effect of aspirin dose on mortality and cardiovascular events in people with diabetes: a meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med 2011 Nov; 26(11):1336-44. [Mentions the lack of significant benefit found for aspirin in primary prevention of cardiovascular events in diabetes in meta-analyses by Stavrakis et al. (Am J Med Sci, 2011), Pignone et al. (Diabetes Care, 2010), and Baigent et al. (Lancet, 2009), which review USPSTF recommendations on aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (Ann Intern Med, 2009).] Select to access the abstract.

Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders
Narayanan P, Meng OL, Mahanim O. Do the prevalence and components of metabolic syndrome differ among different ethnic groups? A cross-sectional study among obese Malaysian adolescents. Metab Syndr Relat Disord 2011 Oct; 9(5):389-95. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored systematic evidence review on screening and treatment for lipid disorders in children and adolescents (Pediatrics, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatrics
Sadacharan R, Grossman X, Sanchez E, et al. Trends in US hospital distribution of industry-sponsored infant formula sample packs. Pediatrics 2011 Oct; 128(4):702-5. [Cites USPSTF recommendation statement, Behavioral Interventions to Promote Breastfeeding, 2003.] Select to access the abstract.

Thyroid
Stagnaro-Green A, Abalovich M, Alexander E, et al. Guidelines of the American Thyroid Association for the diagnosis and management of thyroid disease during pregnancy and postpartum. Thyroid 2011 Oct; 21(10):1081-125. [Uses USPSTF levels of evidence for grading, citing Grade Definitions in Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 3rd Edition: Periodic Updates, 2000-2003, as published on the USPSTF Web site. Also refer to AHRQ-authored article by Atkins et al. (J Clin Epidemiol, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles, article by Fielding and Gilchick (Breastfeed Med, 2011) cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles, article by Kehle et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2011) cited in National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR)/National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR)-Related Articles, and article by Van der Wees et al. (Phys Ther, 2011) cited in Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products.] Select to access the abstract.

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

American Family Physician
Hatzenbuehler J, Pulling TJ. Diagnosis and management of osteomyelitis. Am Fam Physician 2011 Nov 1; 84(9):1027-33. [Uses AHRQ evidence reports and National Guideline Clearinghouse™ as sources for relevant publications.] Select to access the abstract.

Vitter JS. Tips from other journals. Do antibiotics improve the treatment of acute otitis media? Am Fam Physician 2011 Nov 1; 84(9):1049-50. [Summarizes findings from AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Management f Acute Otitis Media: Update, 2010.]

Annals of Internal Medicine
Lederle FA, Zylla D, Macdonald R, et al. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in hospitalized medical patients and those with stroke: a background review for an American College of Physicians clinical practice guideline. Ann Intern Med 2011 Nov 1; 155(9):602-15. [Uses methodologies developed for AHRQ's Effective Health Care program to evaluate the strength of evidence for selected randomized trials, citing AHRQ-authored article by Owens, Lohr, Atkins (former AHRQ researcher) et al. (J Clin Epidemiol, 2010).] Select to access the abstract.

Dahabreh IJ, Hadar N, Chung M. Emerging magnetic resonance imaging technologies for musculoskeletal imaging under loading stress: scope of the literature. Ann Intern Med 2011 Nov 1; 155(9):616-24. [Supported by contract 290-2007-100551 (to the Tufts Medical Center EPC) and based on AHRQ technical brief, Emerging MRI Technologies for Imaging Musculoskeletal Disorders Under Loading Stress, 2011, prepared by the Tufts EPC under the same contract, and associated research protocol published as AHRQ technical brief Use and Safety of Positional MRI in the Management of Patients with Musculoskeletal Pain, 2010, both published on AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Breastfeeding Medicine
Fielding JE, Gilchick RA. Positioning for prevention from day 1 (and before). Breastfeed Med 2011 Oct; 6(5):249-55. [Cites and discusses findings from AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Breastfeeding and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries, 2007, described as "one of the most comprehensive systematic reviews of available evidence associating breastfeeding with disease prevention;" cites USPSTF recommendations on primary care interventions to promote breastfeeding (Ann Intern Med, 2008).]

Raju TN. Breastfeeding is a dynamic biological process—not simply a meal at the breast. Breastfeed Med 2011 Oct; 6(5):257-9. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Breastfeeding and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries, 2007.]

Murphy S. A perspective from Indian Health Service—supporting breastfeeding. Breastfeed Med 2011 Oct; 6(5):261-63. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Breastfeeding and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries, 2007; cites "High Diabetes Rates for Minorities" in AHRQ publication, Diabetes Disparities Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities, 2001, as published on the AHRQ Web site.]

Dennison BA, FitzPatrick E. On the front line: New York State policies and initiatives to increase breastfeeding. Breastfeed Med 2011 Oct; 6(5):271-6. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Breastfeeding and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries, 2007.]

Bartick M. Breastfeeding and the U.S. economy. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Breastfeeding and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries, 2007.]

JAMA
Hampton J. Review sizes up therapies for juvenile arthritis. JAMA 2011 Nov 2; 306(17):1852. [Summarizes findings from AHRQ comparative effectiveness review, Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) in Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), 2011, prepared by the Duke EPC under contract 290-2007-10066-I, as published on AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program Web site.]

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Tugwell P, Knottnerus A, Idzerda L. Comparative effectiveness reviews need to pay as much attention to external validity as to internal validity risks of bias. J Clin Epidemiol 2011 Nov; 64(11):1163-5. [Discusses AHRQ's EPC program and the second part of the journal's series on AHRQ comparative effectiveness reviews (CER); cites article by Helfand (J Clin Epidemiol, 2010), which introduces the first part of the series.]

Nursing Economic$
Newhouse RP, Stanik-Hutt J, White KM, et al. Advanced practice nurse outcomes 1990-2008: a systematic review. Nurs Econ 2011 Sep-Oct; 29(5):1-22. [Uses "processes specified for Evidence Based Practice Centers funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality" to conduct the systematic review.]

Pediatrics
Gamaleldin R, Iskander I, Seoud I, et al. Risk factors for neurotoxicity in newborns with severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Pediatrics 2011 Oct; 128(4):e925-e931. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Management of Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia, 2003. Also refer to AHRQ-authored articles by Chang et al., Norris et al., Fu et al. and Atkins et al. (all in J Clin Epidemiol, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles, articles by Florez et al. (JAMA, 2011) and Halbert et al. (J Gen Intern Med, 2011) cited in U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)/Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)-Related Articles , and article by Pizer and Prentice (J Gen Intern Med, 2011) cited in Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products.] Select to access the abstract.

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

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Cooper LA, Roter DL, Carson KA, et al. A randomized trial to improve patient-centered care and hypertension control in underserved primary care patients. J Gen Intern Med 2011 Nov; 26(11):1297-1304. [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2010.] Select to access the abstract.

Kehle SM, Greer N, Rutks I, et al. Interventions to improve veterans' access to care: a systematic review of the literature. J Gen Intern Med 2011 Nov; 26 Suppl 2:S689-S696. [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2008; cites USPSTF-sponsored article by Harris et al. (Am J Prev Med, 2001) on USPSTF methodologies. Also refer to articles by Iezzoni, Frakt, and Pizer (Disabil Health J, 2011) and Ajmera, Wilkins, and Sambamoorthi (J Gen Intern Med, 2011) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles and article by Van der Wees et al. (Phys Ther, 2011) cited in Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products.] Select to access the abstract.

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

Cardiology in the Young
Walker WL, Karamlou T, Diggs BS, et al. Geography or pathology? Regional variation in atrial septal defect closure rates and techniques. Cardiol Young 2011 Oct; 21(5):577-84. [Uses 2001-2006 HCUP State Inpatient Databases (SID) data for Florida, citing Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) 2001-2006, 2006.] Select to access the abstract.

Chest
Zilberberg MD, Tillotson G, Kollef M, et al. ICU Infections Posters. Update on Clostridium difficile hospitalizations in the US through 2008: the epidemic continues. Chest 2011 Oct; 140(4):269A. [Uses 2000-2008 HCUP NIS data.]

International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care
Izquierdo F, Gracia J, Guerra M, et al. Health technology assessment-based development of a Spanish breast cancer patient decision aid. Int J Technol Assess Health Care 2011 Oct; 27(4):363-8. [Uses AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ to identify relevant guidelines.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Lin CY, Barnato AE, Degenholtz HB. Physician follow-up visits after acute care hospitalization for elderly Medicare beneficiaries discharged to noninstitutional settings. J Am Geriatr Soc 2011 Oct; 59(10):1947-54. [Uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998); cites AHRQ publication, Hospital Readmissions and Multiple Emergency Department Visits, in Selected States, 2006-2007, HCUP Statistical Brief 90, 2010.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons
Centeno CJ, Faulkner S. The use of mesenchymal stem cells in orthopedics: review of the literature, current research, and regulatory landscape. J Am Physicians Surg 2011 Summer; 16(2):38-44. [Uses 2008 HCUP NIS data to estimate the number of partial and total knee replacement procedures among U.S. patients 65 and older.]

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Washington DL, Bean-Mayberry B, Riopelle D, et al. Access to care for women veterans: delayed healthcare and unmet need. J Gen Intern Med 2011 Nov; 26 Suppl 2:655-61. [Uses AHRQ's Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) survey data, citing "CAHPS® Health Plan Survey 4.0: Adult Commercial Questionnaire" in CAHPS® Health Plan Survey and Reporting Kit 2008, 2008, as published on AHRQ's CAHPS® Web site, and National Committee for Quality Assurance report, HEDIS Protocol for Administering CAHPS 20H Survey, 1999.] Select to access the abstract.

Pizer SD, Prentice JC. What are the consequences of waiting for health care in the veteran population? J Gen Intern Med 2011 Nov; 26 Suppl 2:S676-S682. [Defines "ambulatory care sensitive condition hospitalizations" as given in AHRQ publication, AHRQ Quality Indicators—Guide to Prevention Quality Indicators: Hospital Admission for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions, 2001, and used in article by Wang et al. (Am J Manag Care, 2010); defines "selected health condition" as anyone diagnosed with one of the conditions specified in AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity index (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998) in Figure 4, "Policy simulation predicting percent decrease in VA primary care utilization with a 21-day increase in wait times among a sample of patients with diabetes," and Table 1, "Summary of Abstracted Results from Studies Examining the Effect of Wait Times on Health Outcomes;" cites AHRQ-funded meta-regression analysis by Shojania et al. (JAMA, 2006) on effects of quality improvement strategies for type 2 diabetes on glycemic control, prepared by the Stanford-UCSF EPC under contract 290-02-0017.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Health Economics
Cawley J, Meyerhoefer C. The medical care costs of obesity: An instrumental variables approach. J Health Econ 2011 Oct 20 [Epub ahead of print. Second author is former AHRQ researcher; uses 2000-2005 MEPS data and 2007 HCUP Clinical Classification Software (CCS), citing Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) for ICD-9-CM Fact Sheet, as published on the AHRQ's HCUP Web site, and MEPSnet Query Tools/Household Component, 2010, as published on AHRQ's MEPS Web site; acknowledges assistance from Alan Monheit and Jessica P. Vistnes (former AHRQ center director and current AHRQ researcher, respectively, in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends); reviews several articles using MEPS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Neurosurgery. Spine
Baaj AA, Downes K, Vaccaro AR, et al. Trends in the treatment of lumbar spine fractures in the United States: a socioeconomics perspective: clinical article. J Neurosurg Spine 2011 Oct; 15(4):367-70. [Uses 2003-2007 HCUP NIS data and HCUP Clinical Classifications Software (CCS), citing Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site, and the HCUPnet landing page on the AHRQ Web site; cites article by Baaj et al. (J Neurosurg Spine, 2010), which uses HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Paul S, Mirza FM, Nasar A, Port JL, Lee PC, Stiles BM, Nguyen AB, Sedrakyan A, et al. Prevalence, outcomes, and a risk-benefit analysis of diaphragmatic hernia admissions: an examination of the National Inpatient Sample database. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2011 Oct; 142(4):747-54. [Eighth author is former AHRQ researcher; uses 2003-2005 HCUP NIS data, HCUP Comorbidity Software, Version 3.6, and AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998), citing Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) and Comorbidity Software, Version 3.6, both published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatrics
Feudtner C, Berry JG, Parry G, et al. Statistical uncertainty of mortality rates and rankings for children's hospitals. Pediatrics 2011 Oct; 128(4):e966-e972. [Uses 2006 HCUP Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) data, citing Introduction to the HCUP Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) 2006, 2008 and Mortality Risk Adjustment Methodology for University Health System's Clinical Data Base in Mortality Measurement, 2009, as published on the AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Physical Therapy
Van der Wees PJ, Moore AP, Powers CM, et al. Development of clinical guidelines in physical therapy: perspective for international collaboration. Phys Ther 2011 Oct; 91(10):1551-63. [Uses AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ to identify relevant guidelines; cites U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Procedure Manual, 2008, and USPSTF-sponsored article by Petitti et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2009) on USPSTF methodologies; cites AHRQ-sponsored report, Future Directions for the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports, 2010, and article by Booth et al. (Lancet, 2011) which mentions AHRQ's development of a systematic review repository.]

Southern Economic Journal
Kuang Y, Englebrecht T, Gilley OW. A distributional analysis of the FairTax Plan: annual and lifetime income considerations. South Econ J 2011 Oct; 78(2):358-81. [Uses 2005 MEPS Household Component Consolidated Data File to predict the total medical spending for the 2005 Consumer Expenditure Survey households in the current study. Also refer to AHRQ-funded articles by Iezzoni, Frakt, and Pizer (Disabil Health J, 2011), Lyman et al. (Heart, 2011), Ajmera, Wilkins, and Sambamoorthi (J Gen Intern Med, 2011), Zrelak et al. (J Nurs Care Qual, 2011), and Tan et al. (J Urol, 2011), all cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles, and article by Lederle et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2011) cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles.]