Pre-mixed insulin analogues, a modified form of conventional pre-mixed human insulin, are more effective than long-acting analogues for controlling high blood sugar levels after meals in patients with type 2 diabetes.
HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released a new Web-based interactive tool to help hospitals and emergency planners identify resource requirements to treat an influx of patients due to major disasters such as an influenza pandemic or a terrorist attack.
Two new guides to help consumers and clinicians prevent and treat deep vein thrombosis were released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The cost of patient care in U.S. hospitals rose just under 1 percent between 2005 and 2006, much slower than the average 5.3 percent per year between 1997 and 2005. However, overall cost for stays in the hospital nearly doubled between 1997 and 2006.
Hospitalizations for osteoarthritis soared from about 322,000 in 1993 to 735,000 in 2006.
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today welcomed 11 more community collaborations to a growing national movement to build a health care system where consumers, providers and payers make decisions based on the value and quality of care.
Elderly patients who are prescribed a conventional, or first-generation, antipsychotic medication are at an increased risk of death from cardiovascular or respiratory diseases as compared to those who take an atypical, or second-generation, antipsychotic medication.
Hospitals can now identify the most important strengths and weaknesses in their disaster response plans using a new tool.
Hospitalizations of children principally for asthma fell by almost 60,000 between 1997 and 2006. However, the number of children who are admitted to hospitals to treat other conditions but who also have asthma rose by nearly 70,000 during the same period.
Private-sector employers and their employees have seen their health insurance premium costs go up by more than 100 percent since 1996.
Men age 75 and older should not be screened for prostate cancer, and younger men should discuss the benefits and harms of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test with their clinicians before being tested, according to a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Hospital patients with rare types of meningitis, including fungal and parasitic meningitis, are 15 times more likely to die than patients hospitalized with viral meningitis. Meningitis is a rare but serious condition that mainly attacks younger people, or those whose immune systems are weakened from AIDS or other causes.
Roughly 86 percent of Americans age 18 and older may be overweight or obese by 2030 and related health care costs would double every decade and could reach $956.9 billion in 2030 "“ 1 of every 6 health care dollars spent -- according to a new study published online by the journal Obesity on July 24.
Potentially preventable medical errors that occur during or after surgery may cost employers nearly $1.5 billion a year, according to new estimates by AHRQ.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the AARP released two new checklists designed to help men and women over the age of 50 learn what they can do to stay healthy and prevent disease.
About 6,200 Americans are hospitalized each summer due to excessive heat, and those at highest risk are poor, uninsured or elderly.
A new report called Home Health Care During an Influenza Pandemic: Issues and Resources identifies home health care as a critical component in providing care during a pandemic influenza event, and it offers resources to home health care providers and community planners to help prepare for such an event.
More than 1.2 million Americans "“ roughly equivalent to the population of Dallas "“ were hospitalized for pneumonia in 2006, making this lung infection the most common reason for admission to the hospital other than for childbirth.
All newborn infants should be screened for hearing loss, according to a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Congenital hearing loss happens more frequently than other conditions typically screened for as part of a health care evaluation. Infants should be screened before they are 1 month old.
Between 2000-05, the number of adults who were hospitalized and found to have asthma as a secondary condition increased from about 753,800 to 1,609,200 -- an increase of 113 percent.
A new consumer guide for Hispanic adults who have type 2 diabetes is now available to help them compare various oral medications for their illness. The guide is called "Pastillas para la diabetes tipo 2."
Asian-Pacific Islanders are 16 percent more likely than whites to die from serious but treatable complications in U.S. hospitals, and also experience significantly higher rates of many non-fatal complications and injuries.
Americans spent $11 billion on doctors' bills, prescription drugs, and other medical care to relieve allergy symptoms such as itchy or watery eyes, stuffy noses, wheezing, coughing, and headaches in 2005. The cost is nearly double the $6 billion spent in 2000.
A new pair of plain-language guides from AHRQ draws on unbiased scientific evidence to compare medications for the treatment of osteoporosis, including the treatments' clinical benefits, risks and cost estimates.
About six of every 10 people in the United States age 18 and older have at least one chronic medical condition. A chronic condition is one that can be expected to last at least one year and result in limitations or the need for ongoing medical care.
Lower-income children made almost twice as many visits to hospital emergency departments than higher-income children in 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
A new 20-page, easy-to-read patient brochure explains what patients should expect and watch out for while undergoing Coumadin/warfarin therapy.
Just 12 percent of America's 228 million adults have the skills to manage their own health care well. These skills, known collectively as health literacy, describe a person's ability to obtain and use health information to make appropriate health care decisions.
New information for consumers and health care providers, just released by the U.S. Public Health Service, includes new counseling and medication treatments that are effective to help people quit smoking.
Roughly a quarter of Americans with disabilities age 65 and older reported using at least one prescription drug deemed inappropriate for persons his or her age. These include drugs -- such as Xanax, Demerol, Darvon and Procardia -- either because they are ineffective, pose a high risk of side effects, or may be avoided in favor of a safer alternative.
AHRQ and Ad Council launched a national public service campaign designed to raise awareness among middle-aged men about the importance of preventive medical testing.
People who buy their own health insurance saw their average annual premiums rise 18 percent between 2002 and 2005. The annual cost of these non-employer policies are paid entirely out of pocket.
A new Web resource "“ called the Health Care Innovations Exchange "“ allows users to learn, share, and adopt innovations in the delivery of health services.
A new pair of plain language guides -- one for consumers and one for clinicians -- draws on unbiased scientific evidence to compare rheumatoid arthritis drugs, including their clinical benefits, risks and cost estimates.
Of 6,700 children hospitalized for physical abuse or neglect in 2005, more than 200 died and all fatalities were under age 5. Children less than 5 years old comprised 80 percent of all those under 18 years of age who were admitted that year for abuse or neglect.
About 31 percent of low-income children ages 2 to 5 have dental cavities that don't get treated. A much smaller portion of high-income children -- about 6 percent -- have untreated cavities.
AHRQ's State Snapshots summarize health care quality for each state. This annual analysis helps health leaders identify areas of health care delivery that need quality improvement. This year also includes each state's rate of obesity, health insurance coverage, mental illness and the number of specialist doctors.
Only about 49 percent of Hispanics who are not comfortable speaking English have a regular source of medical care, such as a family doctor or community health clinic, compared to 63 percent of Hispanics who speak English proficiently.
Hospitalizations of adult Hispanics for diabetes-related foot or leg amputations rose sharply between 2001 and 2004. The data are for Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
A pill card -- an illustrated medication schedule -- can help people take the correct medications as directed. AHRQ now has free, online instructions for creating a pill card using only a personal or laptop computer and printer.
AHRQ has awarded $5 million for two new health information technology contracts that will focus on the development, adoption, implementation and evaluation of best practices using clinical decision support.
Personalized letters and educational materials sent directly to heart attack patients will increase the likelihood that they will continue to take beta blockers to prevent a second heart attack.
U.S. hospitals treated 308,200 people for attempted suicide, assault, rape, abuse, and other violence-related trauma in 2005 at a cost of $2.3 billion.
AHRQ and the Ad Council today launched a Spanish-language national public service campaign designed to encourage Hispanics to become more involved in their health care. The campaign urges Hispanics to stay healthy for their loved ones by visiting their doctor for regular screenings.
Chest pain that does not appear to be a heart attack when examined in hospital emergency departments accounted for 1.6 million visits in 23 selected states in 2005.
Depression and other mental health problems prompted 156 million visits to doctors' offices, clinics, and hospital outpatient departments in 2005.
Adults without symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should not be screened for the disease using spirometry, according to a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
The quality of health care improved by an average 2.3 percent a year between 1994 and 2005, a rate that reflects some important advances but points to an overall slowing in quality gains.
Americans who live with spinal cord injury do not appear to be at greater risk of developing carbohydrate and lipid disorders such as insulin resistance, diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, and high or low blood cholesterol levels "“ risk factors for heart disease "“ than able-bodied persons.
The proportion of Americans who purchased their prescription drugs from mail order pharmacies rose from just under 9 percent in 2000 to just over 13 percent in 2005.
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