Scientific Highlights—April 2014

How we lowered patients’ radiation exposure from CT scans

Research by Diana Miglioretti, PhD, has raised concern about patients’ radiation exposure from computed tomography (CT) scanning. But after Group Health radiation technologists received personalized audit feedback about doses from CT exams they had conducted—and education on reducing doses—their patients’ exposure was lower going forward. Dr. Miglioretti, who is also a professor at the University of California (UC) Davis, published in the March Journal of the American College of Radiology with Eric Johnson, MS, and colleagues at UC San Francisco, University of Utah, National Cancer Institute, and Mayo Clinic. See abstract.

Got a pain in the neck? Try longer massage, more often

In a study of more than 200 Group Health patients, two or three 60-minute massages a week for four weeks were more effective for treating chronic neck pain than were fewer or shorter sessions. In the March-April Annals of Family Medicine, Karen Sherman, PhD, reported the five-week outcomes of the trial, which aimed to determine the best combination of frequency and length of massage sessions. Her coauthors were Andrea Cook, PhD; Robert Wellman, MS; Rene Hawkes; and Dan Cherkin, PhD. See abstract.

Group Health helps confirm that flu vaccine is working nationally

Group Health patients and researchers contributed to the national report card on how well the flu vaccine is working this 2013-2014 season: similar to usual rates, around 61 percent. This is the first season when the predominant strain has been the influenza A (H1N1, pH1N1) virus that caused a pandemic in 2009. Michael Jackson, PhD, and Lisa Jackson, MD, MPH, published in the February 21 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), with colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, University of Michigan, Henry Ford Health System, University of Pittsburgh, Baylor Scott & White Health, Texas A&M University, and Marshfield Clinic. See abstract.

Price trumps proximity in Seattle grocery shopping

Public health experts have assumed that living near a supermarket—not in a “food desert”—facilitates a better diet and less obesity. But the Seattle Obesity Study found that people on limited budgets often travel past closer grocery stores to shop at lower-cost supermarkets that offer fewer fresh fruits and vegetables. Andrea Cook, PhD, e-published March 13 in the American Journal of Public Health with colleagues at the University of Washington (UW), Ball State University, and Cornell University. See abstract.

Do heart meds change risk for breast cancer patients?

More women are surviving breast cancer longer, and they often take commonly prescribed medications for cardiovascular disease. Denise Boudreau, RPh, PhD, explored how these medications may affect breast cancer outcomes in women with early-stage breast cancer. Most seem safe, but angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta blockers warrant further evaluation, she concluded with Onchee Yu, PhD; Jessica Chubak, PhD; Heidi Wirtz, PhD; Erin Bowles, MPH; Monica Fujii, MPH; and Diana Buist, PhD. They e-published February 21 in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. See abstract.

Caring for patients with multiple chronic conditions: It’s complicated

When life is complex, scientists make models to guide their research. For example, a new patient-centered conceptual model of caring for patients with multiple chronic conditions defines complexity in terms of the misalignment between what patients need and which services are offered. David Grembowski, PhD; Judith Schaefer, MPH; Karin Johnson, PhD; and James Fraser published in the March Medical Care, with colleagues at the UW, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, and Abt Associates. See abstract.

Traditional staffing still holds sway in most practices

Many call for more team-based care, expanding staff roles to practice at the highest level allowed by their licenses. But Robert Reid, MD, PhD, found that’s seldom happening in nearly 500 practices, although they’re committed to improving their primary care capabilities and participating in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Comprehensive Primary Care initiative. He published with colleagues at Mathematica Policy Research, CMS, and American Board of Internal Medicine in the March-April Annals of Family Medicine. See abstract.