Prevalence and Clinical Importance of Alternative Causes of Symptoms Using a Renal Colic Computed Tomography Protocol in Patients with Flank or Back Pain and Absence of Pyuria

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

Academic Emergency Medicine
Moore CL, Daniels B, Singh D, et al. Prevalence and clinical importance of alternative causes of symptoms using a renal colic computed tomography protocol in patients with flank or back pain and absence of pyuria. Acad Emerg Med 2013 May; 20(5):470-8. [Supported by grant 1 R01 HS18420-01A1.] Select to access the abstract.

Critical Care Medicine
Dharmar M, Romano PS, Kuppermann N, et al. Impact of critical care telemedicine consultations on children in rural emergency departments. Crit Care Med 2013 Oct; 41(10):2388-95. [Supported by grant 1 K08 HS13179-01.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Varadhan R, Segal JB, Boyd CM, et al. A framework for the analysis of heterogeneity of treatment effect in patient-centered outcomes research. J Clin Epidemiol 2013 Aug; 66(8):818-25. [Supported by contract HHSA 290-2005-0034-I-TO5 as part of the Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions about Effectiveness (DEcIDE) program Select to access the abstract.

Wu AW, Kharrazi H, Boulware LE, et al. Measure once, cut twice—adding patient-reported outcome measures to the electronic health record for comparative effectiveness research. J Clin Epidemiol 2013 Aug; 66(8 Suppl):S12-20. [Supported by contract HHSA 290-2005-00341-I TO6 as part of a special supplement funded through AHRQ's Brigham and Women's Hospital DEcIDE Center under contract 290-05-0016-I; mentions AHRQ's Patient Outcomes Research Teams (PORTs), Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs), Effective Health Care Program, and DEcIDE centers, citing AHRQ-authored articles and AHRQ's EPC and DEcIDE Web sites.] Select to access the abstract.

Ellis AR, Brookhart MA. Approaches to inverse-probability-of-treatment—weighted estimation with concurrent treatments. J Clin Epidemiol 2013 Aug; 66(8 Suppl):S51-56. [Supported by contract HHSA 290-2005-0040 to the University of North Carolina DEcIDE Center as part of a special supplement funded through AHRQ's Brigham and Women's Hospital DEcIDE Center under contract 290-05-0016-I.] Select to access the abstract.

Branas CC, Wolff CS, Williams J, Margolis G, Carr BG. Simulating changes to emergency care resources to compare system effectiveness. J Clin Epidemiol 2013 Aug; 66(8 Suppl):S57-64. [Supported by grant R01 HS10914 and grant K08 HS17960 (to fifth author) as part of a special supplement funded through AHRQ's Brigham and Women's Hospital DEcIDE Center under contract 290-05-0016-I.] Select to access the abstract.

Devine EB, Alfonso-Cristancho R, Devlin A, et al. A model for incorporating patient and stakeholder voices in a learning health care network: Washington State's Comparative Effectiveness Research Translation Network. J Clin Epidemiol 2013 Aug; 66(8 Suppl):S122-129. [Supported by grant 1 R01 HS20025-01 as part of a special supplement funded through AHRQ's Brigham and Women's Hospital DEcIDE Center under contract 290-05-0016-I.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Austad KE, Avorn J, Franklin JM, Kowal MK, Campbell EG, Kesselheim AS. Changing interactions between physician trainees and the pharmaceutical industry: a national survey. J Gen Intern Med 2013 Aug; 28(8):1064-71. [Supported by grant K08 HS18465-01 (to last author).] Select to access the abstract.

Medical Care Spector WD, Limcangco R, Williams C, Rhodes W, Hurd D. Potentially avoidable hospitalizations for elderly long-stay residents in nursing homes. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8):673-81. [First two authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets; uses AHRQ's Prevention Quality Indicators, as published on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site, to identify ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs); cites Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) statistical brief, Transitions Between Nursing Homes and Hospitals in the Elderly Population, 2006, 2009.] Select to access the abstract.

Brown SE, Ratcliffe SJ, Halpern SD. An empirical derivation of the optimal time interval for defining ICU readmissions. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8):706-14. [Supported by grant K08 HS18406 (to third author).] Select to access the abstract.

Holve E, Calonge N. Lessons from the Electronic Data Methods Forum: collaboration at the frontier of comparative effectiveness research, patient-centered outcomes research, and quality improvement. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8 Suppl 3):S1-3. [Supported by grant U13 HS19564-01 (Electronic Data Methods Forum for Comparative Effectiveness Research).] Select to access the abstract.

Toh S, Gagne JJ, Rassen JA, Fireman BH, Kulldorff M, Brown JS. Confounding adjustment in comparative effectiveness research conducted within distributed research networks. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8 Suppl 3):S4-10. [Supported by grant R01 HS19912 (to first and last authors) and Career Development Award grant K01 HS18088 (to third author).] Select to access the abstract.

Brown JS, Kahn M, Toh S. Data quality assessment for comparative effectiveness research in distributed data networks. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8 Suppl 3):S22-9. [Supported by grant 1 R01 HS19912-01 (Scalable Partnering Network for Comparative Effectiveness Research) and grant R01 HS19909 (Scalable Architecture for Federated Translational Inquiries Network, to second author).] Select to access the abstract.

Ogunyemi OI, Meeker D, Kim HE, et al. Identifying appropriate reference data models for comparative effectiveness research (CER) studies based on data from clinical information systems. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8 Suppl 3):S45-52. [Supported by grant 1 R01 HS19913 (Scalable National Network for Effectiveness Research).] Select to access the abstract.

Jiang X, Sarwate AD, Ohno-Machado L. Privacy technology to support data sharing for comparative effectiveness research: a systematic review. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8 Suppl 3):S58-65. [Supported by grant R01 HS19913.] Select to access the abstract.

Kim KK, McGraw D, Mamo L, et al. Development of a privacy and security policy framework for a multistate comparative effectiveness research network. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8 Suppl 3):S66-72. [Supported by grant R01 HS19913-01.] Select to access the abstract.

Paediatric Drugs
Lomotan EA, Dougherty D. Pediatric health care quality measures: considerations for pharmacotherapy. Paediatr Drugs 2013 Aug 6. [Epub ahead of print. Second author is a researcher in AHRQ's Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations; acknowledges support of Francis Chesley, director of the same office; cites Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act and CHIPRA Pediatric Quality Measures Program landing pages on the AHRQ Web site, and Tutorial on Quality Measures on AHRQ's National Quality Measures Clearinghouse™ (NQMC) Web site; also cites USPSTF recommendation statement, Counseling to Prevent Tobacco Use and Tobacco-caused Disease, 2003, as published on the USPSTF Web site, AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update, 2008, AHRQ's National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR), 2012, AHRQ publication, Quality Measures Enabled by Health IT: Overview, Possibilities, and Challenges, 2012, and AHRQ-funded systematic review on the impact of health information technology on quality, efficiency and costs of medical care (Med Care, 2006), performed by the Southern California EPC.] Select to access the abstract.

Research in Gerontological Nursing
Capezuti E, Boltz MP, Shuluk J, et al. Utilization of a benchmarking database to inform NICHE implementation. Res Gerontol Nurs 2013 Jul; 6(3):198-208. [Supported by AHRQ, no funding information given.] Select to access the abstract.

Trials
Goff SL, Pekow PS, White KO,  Mazor KM, Lindenauer PK. IDEAS for a healthy baby—reducing disparities in use of publicly reported quality data: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2013 Aug 7; 14:244. [Supported by grant 1 R21 HS21864 (salary support for all authors). Also refer to articles by Moyer et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2013) and Chou et al. (Pediatrics, 2013) cited in U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)-Related Articles, and articles by Uhlig et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2013), Peragallo Urrutia et al. (Obstet Gynecol, 2013), and Selvaraj et al. (Syst Rev, 2013) cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC)-Related Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

Annals of Internal Medicine
Adair R, Wholey DR, Christianson J, et al. Improving chronic disease care by adding laypersons to the primary care team: a parallel randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 2013 Aug 6; 159(3):176-84. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Boult et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2011).] Select to access the abstract.

Santa J, Lipman MM. Knowledge and ignorance in the care of chronic disease. Ann Intern Med 2013 Aug 6; 159(3):225-6. [Cites AHRQ publication, Best Performing States Across All Measures in Overall Health Care: Minnesota, 2013.]

Health Affairs
Li Y, Cai X, Ye Z, et al. Satisfaction with Massachusetts nursing home care was generally high during 2005-09, with some variability across facilities. Health Aff 2013 Aug; 32(8):1416-25. [Cites AHRQ-authored articles by Li, Harrington, Spector, et al. (Health Serv Res, 2010), Mukamel, Weimer, Spector, et al. (Health Serv Res, 2008), and Sangl et al. (J Aging Soc Policy, 2007); also cites AHRQ-sponsored Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, 2001).] Select to access the abstract.

Sandy LG, Tuckson RV, Stevens SL. UnitedHealthcare experience illustrates how payers can enable patient engagement. Health Aff 2013 Aug; 32(8):1440-5. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored IOM report, Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, 2001).] Select to access the abstract.

Higgins A, Veselovskiy G, McKown L. Provider performance measures in private and public programs: achieving meaningful alignment with flexibility to innovate. Health Aff 2013 Aug; 32(8):1453-61. [Cites Glossary on AHRQ's NQMC Web site, data from AHRQ's MEPS Web site, and AHRQ publication, Diabetes Guide Module 2: Data—Understanding the Foundation of Quality Improvement, 2008, as published on the AHRQ Web site; mentions AHRQ's patient safety indicator as an example of a composite measure, citing Patient Safety for Selected Indicators: Technical Specifications, 2013, as published on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

DesRoches CM, Charles D, Furukawa MF, et al. Adoption of electronic health records grows rapidly, but fewer than half of US hospitals had at least a basic system in 2012. Health Aff 2013 Aug; 32(8):1478-85. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Rosko and Mutter (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (J Health Polit Policy Law, 2010).] Select to access the abstract.

Adler-Milstein J, Bates DW, Jha AK. Operational health information exchanges show substantial growth, but long-term funding remains a concern. Health Aff 2013 Aug; 32(8):1486-92. [Mentions AHRQ's early support of health information exchange efforts, citing articles by Overhage, Evans, and Marchibroda (J Am Med Inform Assoc, 2005) and Whipple, Dixon, and McGowan (Inform Health Soc Care, 2013).] Select to access the abstract.

Healthcare Risk Management
Rubin JD, Berkowski BM, Safran A. Legal review &: hospital ordered to pay $7.4 million for severe brain injury after nurses' mistakes. Healthc Risk Manag 2013 Jul 1; online. [Mentions that "a growing evidence base supports specific strategies to prevent adverse drug events, according to a patient safety primer posted online on the Patient Safety Network (PSNet) for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)."]

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Morrow E, Cotterell P, Robert G, et al. Mechanisms can help to use patients' experiences of chronic disease in research and practice: an interpretive synthesis. J Clin Epidemiol 2013 Aug; 66(8):856-64. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored IOM report, Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, 2001).] Select to access the abstract.

Nelson JC, Marsh T, Lumley T, for the Vaccine Safety Datalink Team. Validation sampling can reduce bias in health care database studies: an illustration using influenza vaccination effectiveness. J Clin Epidemiol 2013 Aug; 66(8 Suppl):S110-21. [Presented at the Comparative Effectiveness Research symposium, "From Efficacy to Effectiveness" at AHRQ's DEcIDE Methods Center Learning Network, 2012.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Pincavage AT, Lee WW, Beiting KJ, et al. What do patients think about year-end resident continuity clinic handoffs? A qualitative study. J Gen Intern Med 2013 Aug; 28(8):999-1007. [Notes AHRQ's advocacy of redesigning processes of care to focus on delivering patient-centered care to improve quality, citing AHRQ program announcement, Patient-Centered Care: Customizing Care to Meet Patients' Needs, 2001, and AHRQ-sponsored IOM report, Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, 2001).] Select to access the abstract.

Dine CJ, Wingate N, Rosen IM, et al. Using peers to assess handoffs: a pilot study. J Gen Intern Med 2013 Aug; 28(8): 1008-13. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored IOM report, Resident Duty Hours: Enhancing Sleep, Supervision, and Safety, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Henschen BL, Garcia P, Jacobson B, et al. The patient centered medical home as curricular model: perceived impact of the "education-centered medical home". J Gen Intern Med 2013 Aug; 28(8):1105-9. [Cites AHRQ's Patient Centered Medical Home Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Maternal and Child Health Journal
Bombard JM, Farr SL, Dietz PM, et al. Telephone smoking cessation quitline use among pregnant and non-pregnant women. Matern Child Health J 2013 Aug; 17(6):989-95. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Medical Care
Snyder CF, Jensen RE, Segal JB, et al. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs): putting the patient perspective in patient-centered outcomes research. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8 Suppl 3):S73-79. [Cites What is Comparative Effectiveness Research on AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program Web site, and AHRQ-authored article by Wu, Snyder, and Clancy (former AHRQ director) (Health Aff, 2010).] Select to access the abstract.

Bayley KB, Belnap T, Savitz L, et al. Challenges in using electronic health record data for CER: experience of 4 learning organizations and solutions applied. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8 Suppl 3):S80-86. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Slutsky and Clancy (director of AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence and former AHRQ director, respectively) (Arch Intern Med, 2010).] Select to access the abstract.

Embi PJ, Payne PR. Evidence generating medicine: redefining the research-practice relationship to complete the evidence cycle. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8 Suppl 3):S87-91. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Slutsky (Health Aff, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

Schumacher JR, Hall AG, Davis TC, et al. Potentially preventable use of emergency services: the role of low health literacy. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8):654-8. [Uses four items from AHRQ's Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®), citing Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems: Developing a CAHPS Clinician and Group Survey to Measure the Medical Home, 2010, and CAHPS Survey Tools to Advance Patient-Centered Care, 2011; also uses AHRQ technical software to flag ACSCs, citing AHRQ Quality Indicators—Guide to Prevention Quality Indicators: Hospital Admission for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions, Revision 3.0a, 2006.] Select to access the abstract.

Eijkenaar F, van Vliet RC. Profiling individual physicians using administrative data from a single insurer: variance components, reliability, and implications for performance improvement efforts. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8):731-9. [Cites AHRQ publication, Methodological Considerations in Generating Provider Performance Scores for Use in Public Reporting: A Guide for Community Quality Collaboratives, 2011.] Select to access the abstract.

Mehrotra A, Sloss EM, Hussey PS, et al. Evaluation of a center of excellence program for spine surgery. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8):748-57. [Cites AHRQ publication, AHRQ Inpatient Quality Indicators: Laminectomy or Spinal Fusion Area Rate, 2009.] Select to access the abstract.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)-Related Articles

American Journal of Nursing
Adams B. PSA screening. Am J Nurs 2013 Aug; 113(8):13. [Comments on USPSTF recommendations on prostate cancer screening.]

Annals of Internal Medicine
Taksler GB, Keshner M, Fagerlin A, et al. Personalized estimates of benefit from preventive care guidelines: a proof of concept. Ann Intern Med 2013 Aug 6; 159(3):161-8. [Uses 25 USPSTF recommendations graded A or B, citing USPSTF A-Z Topic Guide as published on the USPSTF Web site, USPSTF recommendations on aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (Ann Intern Med, 2009), USPSTF-sponsored systematic review on genetic risk assessment and BRCA mutation testing for rest and ovarian cancer susceptibility (Ann Intern Med, 2005), and AHRQ evidence syntheses, Screening for Cervical Cancer: a Systematic Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2011, and Primary Care Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, 2005.] Select to access the abstract.

McNamara M, Walsh JM. Update in women's health: evidence published in 2012. Ann Intern Med 2013 Aug 6; 159(3):203-9. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on postmenopausal hormone therapy for the primary prevention of chronic conditions (Ann Intern Med, 2013), screening for family and intimate partner violence (Ann Intern Med, 2004), and screening for cervical cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2012), and USPSTF recommendation statement, Screening for Osteoporosis, 2011, as published on the USPSTF Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Moyer VA; Preventive Services Task Force. Screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse: U.S. preventive services task force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med 2013 Aug 6; 159(3):210-18. [Presents USPSTF recommendations on screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse, based on AHRQ comparative effectiveness review, Screening, Behavioral Counseling, and Referral in Primary Care to Reduce Alcohol Misuse, 2012, and USPSTF-sponsored systematic review/meta-analysis on behavioral counseling after screening for alcohol misuse in primary care (Ann Intern Med, 2012).] Select to access the abstract.

Owens DK, Goldhaber-Fiebert JD. Prioritizing guideline-recommended interventions. Ann Intern Med 2013 Aug 6; 159(3):223-4. [Comments on article by Taksler et al. cited above in this section; cites USPSTF-sponsored decision analysis on evaluation of test strategies for colorectal cancer screening (Ann Intern Med, 2008).]

Canadian Journal of Public Health
Fontenoy AM, Langlois A, Chang SL, et al. Contribution and performance of mobile units in an organized mammography screening program. Can J Public Health 2013 Mar 7;104(3):e193-199. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence summary on breast cancer screening (Ann Intern Med, 2002).] Select to access the abstract.

JAMA Internal Medicine
Gupta S, Halm EA, Rockey DC, et al. Comparative effectiveness of fecal immunochemical test outreach, colonoscopy outreach, and usual care for boosting colorectal cancer screening among the underserved: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med 2013 Aug 5. [Epub ahead of print. Cites USPSTF recommendations on screening for colorectal cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Rural Health
Bennett KJ. Rural population estimates: an analysis of a large secondary data set. J Rural Health 2013 Summer; 29(3):233-8. [Cites Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2005.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Urban Health
Rhodes KV, Grisso JA, Rodgers M, et al. The anatomy of a community health center system-level intervention for intimate partner violence. J Urban Health 2013 Aug 6. [Epub ahead of print. Cites USPSTF recommendation statement, Screening for Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse of Elderly and Vulnerable Adults, 2012.] Select to access the abstract.

Modern Healthcare
Johnson SR. Screening debate: can cancer scans lead to overdiagnosis? Mod Healthc 2013 Aug 5; 43(31):12. [Mentions USPSTF recommendations on lung cancer screening and Affordable Care Act provisions requiring coverage of preventive services rated A or B by the USPSTF.]

Obstetrics & Gynecology
Thériault S, Giguère Y, Massé J, et al. Absence of association between serum folate and preeclampsia in women exposed to food fortification. Obstet Gynecol 2013 Aug; 122(2 Pt 1):345-51. [Cites USPSTF recommendations on folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects (Ann Intern Med, 2009).] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatrics
Chou R, Cantor A, Zakher B, et al. Preventing dental caries in children <5 years: systematic review updating USPSTF recommendation. Pediatrics  2013 Aug; 132(2):332-50. [Supported by contract 290-2007-10057-I for the USPSTF; updates previous USPSTF recommendations in article by Calonge et al. (Am J Prev Med, 2004) and uses methodologies from USPSTF-sponsored article by Harris et al. (Am J Prev Med, 2001) on USPSTF methodologies and USPSTF Procedure Manual, 2011, as published on the USPSTF Web site; acknowledges support by Aileen Buckler (USPSTF medical officer in AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships). Also refer to National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement article (Obstet Gynecol, 2013) cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC)-Related Articles ] Select to access the abstract.

Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC)-Related Articles

Annals of Internal Medicine
Uhlig K, Patel K, Ip S, et al. Self-measured blood pressure monitoring in the management of hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med 2013 Aug 6; 159(3):185-94. [Supported by contract HHSA 290-2007-10055-I 1 to Tufts EPC and based on AHRQ comparative effectiveness review, Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring: Comparative Effectiveness, 2012; uses methodologies in AHRQ-funded article by Owens et al. (J Clin Epidemiol, 2010).] Select to access the abstract.

Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Zhao C, Amin M, Weng B, et al. Cytology and human papillomavirus screening test results associated with 2827 histopathologic diagnoses of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2013 Jul; 137(7):942-7. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Evaluation of Cervical Cytology, 1999.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Montgomery P, Underhill K, Gardner F, et al. The Oxford Implementation Index: a new tool for incorporating implementation data into systematic reviews and meta-analyses. J Clin Epidemiol 2013 Aug; 66(8):874-82. [Cites AHRQ publication, Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Translational Medicine
Barkhordarian A, Pellionisz P, Dousti M, et al. Assessment of risk of bias in translational science. J Transl Med 2013 Aug 8;11:184. [Quotes excerpt from AHRQ publication, Budget Estimates for Appropriations Committees, Fiscal Year (FY) 2008: Performance Budget Submission for Congressional Justification, Performance Budget Overview, 2008, which states AHRQ's goal for research translation; describes AHRQ's Risk of Bias instrument, citing AHRQ methods research report, Validity and Inter-Rater Reliability Testing of Quality Assessment Instruments, 2012 (performed by the University of Alberta EPC), and chapter on "Assessing the Risk of Bias of Individual Studies in Systematic Reviews of Health Care Interventions" from AHRQ publication, Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, 2012; cites AHRQ technical review, Closing the Quality Gap: Revisiting the State of the Science, Summary Report, 2013.] Select to access the abstract.

Obstetrics & Gynecology
National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement: Diagnosing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, March 4-6, 2013. Obstet Gynecol 2013 Aug; 122(2 Pt 1):3583-69. [Based on AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Screening and Diagnosing Diabetes Mellitus, 2012, prepared by the University of Alberta EPC; mentions USPSTF 2008 recommendations on screening for gestational diabetes and notes the membership of Christine Chang (medical officer in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence) and Tracy Wolff (USPSTF medical officer in AHRQ's Center for Primary Care, Prevention and Clinical Partnerships) on the Conference Planning Committee.] Select to access the abstract.

Peragallo Urrutia R, Coeytaux RR, McBroom AJ, et al. Risk of acute thromboembolic events with oral contraceptive use: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obstet Gynecol 2013 Aug; 122(2 Pt 1):380-9. [Supported by contract 290-2007-1006-I and based on AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Oral Contraceptive Use for the Primary Prevention of Ovarian Cancer, 2013, prepared by the Duke EPC; uses methodologies from AHRQ publication, Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, 2012, and AHRQ-funded article by Owens et al. (J Clin Epidemiol, 2010).] Select to access the abstract.

Systematic Reviews
Selvaraj SA, Chairez E, Wilson LM, et al. Use of case reports and the Adverse Event Reporting System in systematic reviews: overcoming barriers to assess the link between Crohn's disease medications and hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma. Syst Rev 2013 Jul 5; 2:53. [Supported by contract HHSA 290-2007-10061-I as part of a comparative effectiveness review of Crohn's disease, citing AHRQ research protocol, Comparative Effectiveness of Pharmacologic Therapies for the Management of Crohn's Disease, 2010, as published on AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program Web site; uses methodologies from AHRQ publications, Methods Guide for Medical Test Reviews, 2010, and Evidence-based Practice Center Systematic Review Protocol Pressure Ulcer Strategies: A Comparative Effectiveness Review, 2011, both published on AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program Web site. Also refer to articles by Wu et al. (J Clin Epidemiol, 2013) and Lomotan and Dougherty (Paediatr Drugs, 2013) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles and articles by Taksler et al. and Moyer et al. (both in Ann Intern Med, 2013) cited in U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)-Related Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

American Family Physician
Fragkandrea I, Nixon JA, Panagopoulou P. Signs and symptoms of childhood cancer: a guide for early recognition. Am Fam Physician 2013 Aug 1; 88(3):185-92. [Uses AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ (NGC) as a data source.] Select to access the abstract.

BJU International
Kim SP, Shah ND, Weight CJ, et al. Population-based trends in urinary diversion among patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. BJU Int 2013 Aug; 112(4):478-84. [Uses 2001-2008 HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data, citing Overview of the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) as published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site; also uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998).] Select to access the abstract.

Health Affairs
Wharam JF, Zhang F, Landon BE, et al. Low-socioeconomic-status enrollees in high-deductible plans reduced high-severity emergency care. Health Aff 2013 Aug; 32(8):1398-406. [Uses methodologies from 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-authored article by Zhan (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence) and Miller (JAMA, 2003).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Brooks JM, Tang Y, Chapman CG, et al. What is the effect of area size when using local area practice style as an instrument? J Clin Epidemiol 2013 Aug; 66(8 Suppl):S69-83. [Uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998); cites AHRQ publication, Developing a Protocol for Observational Comparative Effectiveness Research (OCER): A User's Guide, 2012, prepared by the Outcome DEcIDE Center under contract HHSA 290-2005-0016-I.]  Select to access the abstract.

Journal of General Internal Medicine
Volpp KG, Small DS, Romano PS, et al. Teaching hospital five-year mortality trends in the wake of duty hour reforms. J Gen Intern Med 2013 Aug; 28(8):1048-55. [Uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998); cites AHRQ Quality Indicators, 2007, as accessed on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site.]  Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Investigative Medicine
Pant C, Anderson MP, Deshpande A, et al. Trends in hospitalizations of children with inflammatory bowel disease within the United States from 2000 to 2009. J Investig Med 2013 Aug; 61(6):1036-8. [Uses 2000-2009 HCUP KID data and HCUP Comorbidity Software, both accessed from AHRQ's HCUP Web site; also uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Urology
Ghani KR, Roghmann F, Sammon JD, et al. Upper urinary tract stones presenting to the emergency department in the United States: trends in hospitalization and charges. J Urol 2013 Aug 7. [Epub ahead of print. Uses 2006-2009 HCUP Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) data, citing HCUP Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; also uses 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.

Laryngoscope
Witt BL, Schmidt RL. Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy of salivary gland lesions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Laryngoscope 2013 Aug 8. [Epub ahead of print. Uses AHRQ's NGC as a data source.] Select to access the abstract.

Medical Care
Kocher KE, Dimick JB, Nallamothu BK. Changes in the source of unscheduled hospitalizations in the United States. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8):689-98. [Uses 2009 HCUP NIS data and AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCS), citing HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2000-2009, Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), and Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) 2010, 2009, all published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site; also uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998); cites AHRQ publication, Components of Growth in Inpatient Hospital Costs, 1997-2009, 2011.] Select to access the abstract.

Needleman J, Buerhaus PI, Vanderboom C, et al. Using present-on-admission coding to improve exclusion rules for quality metrics: the case of failure-to-rescue. Med Care 2013 Aug; 51(8):722-30. [Uses AHRQ's failure-to-rescue Patient Safety Indicator (PSI), version 3.1 (citing Patient Safety Indicators Overview, 2011, and Patient Safety Indicators: Technical Specifications, 2007, as published on AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site) and associated methodologies, and uses 2000-2002 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data and AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998); cites AHRQ publications, Screening Quality of Care Using Administrative Data, 1992, and HCUP Quality Indicators, Methods, Version 1.1: Outcome, Utilization, and Access Measures for Quality Improvement, 1998, and AHRQ-funded article by Needleman et al. (N Engl J Med, 2002).] Select to access the abstract.

Obstetrics & Gynecology
Wright JD, Herzog TJ, Tsui J,et al. Nationwide trends in the performance of inpatient hysterectomy in the United States. Obstet Gynecol 2013 Aug; 122(2 Pt 1):233-41. [Uses 1998-2010 HCUP NIS data, citing Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2007-2009, and HCUP Online Tutorial Series, both published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site; also uses AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998), applying modifications described in article by van Walraven et al. (Med Care, 2009).] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal
Hasegawa K, Tsugawa Y, Brown DF, et al. Temporal trends in emergency department visits for bronchiolitis in the United States, 2006-2010. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2013 Aug 8. [Epub ahead of print. Uses 2006-2010 HCUP NEDS data, citing Overview of the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), AHRQ's CCS, and methodologies from HCUP methods series report, Hierarchical Modeling Using HCUP Data, all published on AHRQ's HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatrics
Florence C, Brown DS, Fang X, et al. Health care costs associated with child maltreatment: impact on Medicaid. Pediatrics 2013 Aug; 132(2):312-18. [Uses price adjustment methodologies from AHRQ publication, Using Appropriate Price Indices for Expenditure Comparisons, as published on AHRQ's MEPS Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Goudie A, Havercamp S, Jamieson B, et al. Assessing functional impairment in siblings living with children with disability. Pediatrics 2013 Aug; 132(2):e476-83. [Uses 2005-2008 (three panels) Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, citing AHRQ publication, Sample Design of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 1998-2007, 2008. Also refer to article by Spector et al. (Med Care, 2013) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.] Select to access the abstract.