AHRQ Electronic Newsletter, July 2, 2013, Issue #386

July 2, 2013, Issue #386 AHRQ Stats Nearly two-thirds of the 39 million hospital stays in the United States in 2010 were for patients who had one or more procedures done. (Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #149, Most Frequent Procedures Performed in U.S. Hospitals, 2010.) Today's Headlines: Help AHRQ Shape New Tools for Shared Decisionmaking More Research Needed to Compare Effectiveness of MRSA Screening Strategies in Health Care Settings Register Now for Free July 10 AHRQ TeamSTEPPS® Webinar on Use of Simulation July 31 Deadline to Apply for Funding to Help Close the Gap in Health Care Disparities School, Community-Based Intervention Programs Can Prevent Childhood Obesity: AHRQ Report Evidence on Effectiveness of Oral Contraceptive Use for Prevention of Ovarian Cancer Is Inconclusive, AHRQ-CDC Evidence Shows Help AHRQ Shape New Tools for Shared Decisionmaking AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program invites clinicians to participate in an online survey about their needs and preferences for tools to educate patients about their treatment options. The results will inform the development of new tools and a workshop that will help clinicians use comparative effectiveness researching findings in shared decisionmaking with patients and caregivers. Your survey participation will help ensure that AHRQ provides resources that bring the most value to patients, caregivers, and health care professionals. Select to access the survey. More Research Needed to Compare Effectiveness of MRSA Screening Strategies in Health Care Settings A new AHRQ research review found that there is not enough evidence in the available literature to compare the effectiveness of screening strategies for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in select patient populations. The review found that there is low strength of evidence that screening all hospitalized patients (universal screening) for MRSA bacteria decreases hospital-acquired MRSA infections compared with no screening. However, there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of universal MRSA screening strategies on other outcomes, including the risk of death and other potential harms. After the completion of this EHC report, an AHRQ-funded project on different approaches to reduce MRSA infection was published in the May 30 online issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. In that study, researchers achieved a 44 percent reduction in all-cause bloodstream infections and significantly reduced the presence of MRSA when they decolonized every patient who entered the ICU, regardless of MRSA status. Ultimately, the research review underscores the need for additional well-designed studies that take into account factors that may complicate results. Select to access the research review, Screening for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). Register Now for Free July 10 AHRQ TeamSTEPPS® Webinar on Use of Simulation AHRQ will host a free 1-hour Web conference on the use of the Agency’s teamwork training program, TeamSTEPPS® and medical simulation on July 10 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET. James Korndorffer, M.D., Medical Director at the Tulane Center for Advanced Medical Simulation and a TeamSTEPPS master trainer, will discuss Tulane’s approach to implementing TeamSTEPPS with the use of simulation and how high-fidelity simulation training can reduce medical errors and increase patient safety. Select to register for the webinar. July 31 Deadline to Apply for Funding to Help Close the Gap in Health Care Disparities A reminder from AHRQ that July 31 is the deadline for institutions to submit Research Demonstration Cooperative Agreement applications to establish and engage relationships with relevant and diverse stakeholders. The goal is to identify effective strategies to reduce racial/ethnic health care disparities through shared decisionmaking and through the translation, dissemination, and implementation of Patient Centered Outcomes Research findings. This funding opportunity focuses on racial/ethnic minorities in under resourced settings. School, Community-Based Intervention Programs Can Prevent Childhood Obesity: AHRQ Report Combining diet and physical activity interventions showed benefit in reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children when used in a variety of home, school, and community settings, according to a new review by AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program. Approximately 17 percent of U.S. children and adolescents (ages 2-19 years) are obese, and approximately 30 percent are either overweight or obese, according to data from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. More research is needed to test interventions in other settings, such as those testing policy, environmental, and consumer health informatics strategies. Select to access the full review, Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs: A Comparative Effectiveness Review and Meta-Analysis. Evidence on Effectiveness of Oral Contraceptive Use for Prevention of Ovarian Cancer Is Inconclusive, AHRQ-CDC Evidence Shows Insufficient evidence exists to recommend for or against the use of oral contraceptives solely for the prevention of ovarian cancer, according to findings of a new review from AHRQ and CDC. Oral contraceptives may increase life expectancy by one month when other medical benefits are included (e.g., reduced deaths from ovarian, colorectal, and endometrial cancers). However, the harm/benefit ratio of oral contraceptives for ovarian cancer prevention alone is uncertain when factored in with the increased risk of breast cancer, cervical cancer, and cardiovascular events associated with their use. More well-designed research studies are needed to determine whether using oral contraceptives solely to prevent ovarian cancer can be recommended in light of the demonstrated risks. Select to access the research review, Oral Contraceptive Use for the Primary Prevention of Ovarian Cancer.