Drug therapy and behavior interventions produce modest results in reducing overactive bladder symptoms in women, according to a new evidence report.
One in 10 workers in Alaska, Indiana and Minnesota were in family health insurance plans costing $20,000 or more a year for premiums – at least $7,000 more than the national average.
Spending to treat the health problems of Americans age 65 and older increased by about $2,000 for every senior who used health services between 1996 and 2006.
The number of hospital stays that ended with patients leaving against the advice of medical staff increased from 264,000 cases to 368,000 – about 39 percent between 1997 and 2007.
The proportion of low income workers who were uninsured increased from 26 percent in 1996 to 34.5 percent by 2006. The average household income for a family in 2006 was $40,888.
Two new guides released today can help women with gestational diabetes and their doctors make informed decisions about different treatments for the condition. Gestational diabetes is a potentially dangerous condition that affects 7 out of 100 pregnant women.
The number of Americans under care for depression and other mental illnesses nearly doubled between 1996 and 2006, and the overall cost of treating them jumped by nearly two-thirds.
In this week's Healthcare 411 podcast from AHRQ, stories about problems talking with doctors; treating atrial fibrillation; and gender-specific preventive care recommendations.
More than 40 percent of the 120 million visits that Americans made to hospital emergency departments in 2006 were billed to public insurance (Medicaid and Medicare).
Spanish speakers who want to know how soon they can expect to feel better when taking an antidepressant, which rheumatoid arthritis drugs work best against pain or how surgery compares with other options for prostate cancer now can get this and other treatment information through new Spanish-language consumer guides.
The cost of insuring a family of four with an employer-sponsored health plan in the United States averaged $12,298 in 2008.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released new data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample "“ the largest, all-payer emergency department database in the United States. These data indicate that uninsured persons accounted for nearly one-fifth of the 120 million hospital-based emergency department visits in 2006.
The hospitalization rate of patients admitted for treatment of hip, pelvis and other fractures associated with osteoporosis increased by 55 percent between 1995 and 2006.
Spending on health care for obese Americans age 18 and older increased 82 percent between 2001 and 2006, rising from $167 billion to $303 billion, according to the latest News and Numbers from AHRQ.
A procedure that sends targeted energy into the heart through a catheter can be used to treat a common type of irregular heartbeat, but little is known about the treatment's long-term benefits and the best methods and circumstances for applying it.
The Department of Health & Human Services's (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announced Consejos de Salud Para Tà (Health Advice for You), a new monthly online health advice column for Spanish-speaking consumers. The column is part of AHRQ's Información en Español Web site (http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/espanoix.htm), which has been enhanced and now includes audio and video in Spanish on a wide range of health care issues.
In this week's Healthcare 411 podcast from AHRQ, stories about asthma care; integrated electronic medical records; and patient safety advisory councils.
Sports-related injuries such as bruises, scrapes and broken bones accounted for 22 percent of hospital emergency department visits for children ages 5 to 17.
The release of this year's state-by-state health quality data continues to give states mixed reviews for the quality of care they provide. As in previous years, the 2008 State Snapshots show that no state does well or poorly on all quality measures.
Approximately 5 million adults age 19 to 23 in the United States had no health insurance in 2006 for the entire year and 30 percent of them said they didn't think it was worth the cost.
In this week's Healthcare 411 podcast from AHRQ, a new study that compared 3 popular treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee found that none is very effective. Other stories are on diabetes care; and a discussion about the slow progress in improving health care quality.
Injuries to mothers during childbirth decreased significantly between 2000 and 2006.The number of mothers who experienced injuries while giving birth vaginally without the use of instruments dropped by 30 percent. For mothers giving birth by cesarean section or vaginally with the use of instruments, injuries declined about 20 percent.
There is insufficient evidence to conclude that genetic testing for two gene mutations in adults with a history of blood clots helps to prevent deep-vein thrombosis.
This week's Healthcare 411 podcasts from AHRQ: costs of hospitalizations that could have been prevented; health IT to reduce medication errors for seniors; and how to stay healthy in a bad economy.
Penicillin and other antibiotics in the beta-lactam family work as well as other antibiotics to treat MRSA infections in the skin and soft-tissue of children and may help prevent further resistance to antibiotic treatment.
Nearly two of every three adult Americans under age 65 who were covered by public insurance from 2005 to 2006 had at least one chronic illness, such as diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease.
This week's Healthcare 411 podcasts from AHRQ: trend data on hospitalizations for eating disorders; a recommendation to screen teenagers for depression; and a discussion for consumers about the "patient-centered medical home."
A new report has found that there isn't enough evidence to determine which drugs (among Viagra, Levitra and Cialis) work best to treat erectile dysfunction and which cause the least harm. Erectile dysfunction is a common sexual disorder that affects between 15 million and 30 million men in the United States.
Only slightly more than half of the 18 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes had their blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure under optimum control in 2006. And another 6 million Americans may have diabetes but don't know it.
Some experts have suggested that because 23.8 million uninsured Americans under age 65 who do not have access to employer-based health insurance have incomes above the federal poverty line, they can afford to purchase policies if they so choose. But new data show otherwise.
The annual 2008 National Healthcare Quality Report and 2008 National Healthcare Disparities Report indicate that patient safety measures have worsened and that a substantial number of Americans do not receive recommended care.
This week's Healthcare 411 podcasts from AHRQ: costs of treating mental disorders in teens; keeping children safe during public health emergency; new PSAs about asking questions of clinicians.
Approximately 25 million women in the United States "“ most over the age of 45 "“ were treated for high blood pressure in 2006, making it the most common condition for which women sought treatment.
About 11 percent of people using outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment in the U.S. South used more than 5 percent of their family's annual income to cover their out-of-pocket treatment costs over the period 2001-2005.
American hospitals spent nearly $31 billion "“ 10 percent of their total patient care budget "“ in 2006 on more than 4 million patient stays that could possibly have been prevented with timely and effective ambulatory care.
The average rate of post-surgical and other complications in patients who have obesity surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, declined 21 percent between 2002 and 2006.
This week's Healthcare 411 podcasts from AHRQ: costs for treating heart conditions; drug-coated stents are safe for older patients; what it means to be prescribed a medication "off label."
Treating mental disorders in children, such as depression, cost $8.9 billion in 2006. A total of $98.8 billion was spent to treat all medical problems in children age 17 and under.
The percentage of pregnant women undergoing a repeat Cesarean section delivery jumped from 65 percent to 90 percent between 1997 and 2006.
A new series of national public service announcements designed to encourage consumers to get involved in their health care by knowing and asking appropriate questions when visiting their doctor or other clinicians was launched today by AHRQ with The Advertising Council and actress and health advocate Fran Drescher.
This week's Healthcare 411 podcasts from AHRQ: an increase in hospital visits among the uninsured; aspirin therapy to prevent heart attacks and strokes; how to compare treatment options.
A new plain-language guide from AHRQ examines the effectiveness, safety, and adverse effects of various treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee, including glucosamine and chondroitin, arthroscopic surgery, and pain medications.
Between 2005 and 2006 Medicare spending for outpatient prescription drugs rose from $5.9 billion to $44.3 billion.
The number of men and women hospitalized due to eating disorders that caused anemia, kidney failure, erratic heart rhythms or other problems rose 18 percent between 1999 and 2006.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends screening adolescents 12-18 years of age for clinical depression only when appropriate systems are in place to ensure accurate diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care.
In the largest study ever to compare drug-coated stents with bare ones, heart disease patients 65 and older who received the drug-coated stents to prevent blockages were more likely to survive and less likely to suffer a heart attack than people fitted with bare stents.
New plain-language consumer and clinician guides compare the efficacy, effectiveness, and side effects of newer premixed insulin analogues to conventional insulin (human insulin) and other preparations used to control Type 2 diabetes.
Opening blocked arteries, trying to keep heart attack victims alive, fixing defective heart valves, and treating other heart ailments cost $78 billion in 2006 "“ roughly 8 percent of the more than $1 trillion spent on all medical care for the community population.
This week's Healthcare 411 podcasts from AHRQ: Spending on Outpatient Prescription Painkillers; New Research Project to Reduce Central Line-Association Bloodstream Infections; How To Speak Up About Your Health Care.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has updated its 2002 recommendation about using aspirin to prevent heart attacks or strokes -- they now state that aspirin may have different benefits and harms in men and women. The recommendations do not apply to people who have already had a heart attack or stroke.
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