March 4, 2025, Issue #948

AHRQ Stats: Insurance Types Associated With Transportation Issues

Today's Headlines:

• Use of Copper-Infused Surfaces Reduces Clostridioides difficile Spores
• Highlights From AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network
• Number of Short Interpregnancy Interval Births Remained Stable From 2016 to 2022
• Register Now for Upcoming AHRQ Webinars
• New Research and Evidence From AHRQ

Use of Copper-Infused Surfaces Reduces Clostridioides difficile Spores

An AHRQ-funded study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology found that the use of copper-infused antimicrobial surfaces reduces Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) spores and may help control the transmission of this important healthcare-associated infection. Elimination of C. difficile spores is difficult because they are resistant to common hospital-grade disinfectants. Researchers tested copper-infused surfaces that were molded to bedrails and patient tray tables. Different dilutions of C.diff spores and soiled solutions to simulate organic material were used. Spore reduction after four hours of exposure was recorded. For the average initial spore burden, unsoiled copper-infused surfaces reduced C. diff spores by 97.3 percent and 96.8 percent for bedrail and table samples, respectively. Soiled bedrail and table samples showed a spore reduction of 91.8 percent and 91.7 percent, respectively. Access the abstract.

Highlights From AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network

AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network (PSNet) highlights journal articles, books and tools related to patient safety. Articles featured this week include:

• Diagnostic safety: needs assessment and informed curriculum at an academic children's hospital.
• Instruments for patient safety assessment: a scoping review.
• Failure to rescue female patients undergoing high-risk surgery.

Review additional new publications in PSNet’s current issue, including recent cases and commentaries and AHRQ’s WebM&M (Morbidity and Mortality Rounds on the Web).

Number of Short Interpregnancy Interval Births Remained Stable From 2016 to 2022

Register Now for Upcoming AHRQ Webinars

New Research and Evidence From AHRQ

• Systematic Review: Association of Digestible Carbohydrate Intake With Cardiovascular Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity, and Body Composition
• Systematic Review: Mental Health and Occupational Stress in the Emergency Medical Services and 911 Workforces

AHRQ in the Professional Literature

Identification of postpartum symptom informedness and preparedness typologies and their associations with psychological health: a latent class analysis. Scroggins JK, Bruce KE, Stuebe AM, et al. Midwifery. 2024 Oct;137:104115. Epub 2024 Jul 24. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

FAIRS - A Framework for Evaluating the Inclusion of Sex in Clinical Algorithms. Goodman KE, Blumenthal-Barby J, Redberg RF, et al. N Engl J Med. 2025 Jan 23;392(4):404-11. Epub 2025 Jan 8. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

A unified approach to health data exchange: a report from the US DHHS. Abbasi AB, Layden J, Gordon W, et al. JAMA. 2025 Jan 18. [Epub ahead of print.] Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Occupational therapists enhance comprehensive health assessments for children in foster care. Fortin K, Egbe T, Briskin N, et al. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr. 2025 Jan 2:1-12. [Epub ahead of print.] Access the abstract on PubMed®.

High-intensity home-based rehabilitation in a Medicare accountable care organization. Johnson JK, Rothberg MB, Dalton JE, et al. Am J Manag Care. 2025 Jan;31(1):12-8. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Implementation of patient-reported outcome dashboards within the electronic health record to support shared decision-making in serious chronic illness. Perry LM, Mohindra NA, Coughlin A, et al. BMJ Open Qual. 2025 Jan 11;14(1). Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Estimating financial and health burden by initial Medicare plan choice and history of cancer. Jazowski SA, Achola EM, Nicholas LH, et al. Health Aff Sch. 2025 Jan 21;3(1):qxaf001. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Application of a digital quality measure for cancer diagnosis in Epic Cosmos. Zimolzak AJ, Khan SP, Singh H, et al. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2025 Jan;32(1):227-9. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Contact Information
For comments or questions about AHRQ News Now, contact Bruce Seeman, (301) 427-1998 or Bruce.Seeman@ahrq.hhs.gov.