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Research News
December 18, 2006
HSR&D Research Featured in JAMA's "Author in the Room" Series
Two studies will be discussed by HSR&D investigators in the "Author in the Room" series - a joint initiative from The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). In this series, an author of a study published in JAMA, with the potential to change clinical practice, will talk to clinicians during a conference call that is facilitated by clinical experts in implementing changes in practice.
An HSR&D Advanced Career Development Awardee, Dr. Louise Walter will discuss her study on Wednesday, December 20, 2006 from 2:00-3:00 pm (EST). Walter and colleagues conducted a study to determine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening rates among elderly veterans, including those with limited life expectancy. Most screening guidelines do not recommend PSA screening in elderly men with limited life expectancies. However, this study showed that PSA screening rates were high among elderly veterans aged > 70 years, with more than half receiving a PSA test in 2003 (68% done within VA, 32% within Medicare).
Dr. David Ganz, HSR&D investigator at the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, will discuss his study on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 from 2:00-3:00 pm (EST). Ganz and colleagues sought to identify risk factors for falls that could be included in a screening test that could be incorporated into routine clinical examinations. In 2001, approximately 2.7 million elderly Americans (age 65 and older) were treated for non-fatal injuries in emergency departments, but some studies show that interventions can reduce the fall rate by 30-40%. A typical intervention begins with a fall-risk assessment that a clinician would perform as part of the patient's history and physical examination. This type of intervention is usually reserved for high-risk patients, thus clinicians must be able to recognize patients at high risk of falls. This study shows that patients who have fallen within the previous year or the past month, or who have a gait or balance problem have a 50% chance of falling within the next year. It also suggests that fall-risk interventions for those who screen positive for being at high risk could reduce the rate of falls among the elderly by 30-40%.
For more information about the "Author in the Room" series and to sign up for sessions, go to http://www.ihi.org/authorintheroom.
- Walter L, Bertenthal D, Lindquist K, and Konety B. PSA screening among elderly men with limited life expectancy. JAMA November 15, 2006;296(19):2336-2342.
- Ganz D, Bao Y, Shekelle P, and Rubenstein L. Will my patient fall? JAMA January 2006, in press.
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