National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- Data Innovations
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Cancer (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Communication (2)
- Dental and Oral Health (1)
- Diabetes (1)
- Digestive Disease and Health (1)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (4)
- Elderly (2)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Eye Disease and Health (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (3)
- (-) Health Literacy (14)
- Hospital Discharge (1)
- Medication (1)
- Obesity (1)
- Outcomes (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (2)
- Patient Adherence/Compliance (2)
- Patient Safety (1)
- Patient Self-Management (1)
- Prevention (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Research Methodologies (1)
- Vaccination (1)
- Vulnerable Populations (1)
- Web-Based (2)
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 14 of 14 Research Studies DisplayedTieu L, Sarkar U, Schillinger D
Barriers and facilitators to online portal use among patients and caregivers in a safety net health care system: a qualitative study.
The researchers explored patient and caregiver perspectives on online patient portal use before its implementation at San Francisco General Hospital. Despite concerns about security, difficulty understanding medical information, and satisfaction with current communication processes, respondents generally expressed enthusiasm about portal use. Their findings suggest a strong need for training and support to assist vulnerable patients with portal registration and use, particularly those with limited health literacy.
AHRQ-funded; HS022561; HS022047; HS022408.
Citation: Tieu L, Sarkar U, Schillinger D .
Barriers and facilitators to online portal use among patients and caregivers in a safety net health care system: a qualitative study.
J Med Internet Res 2015 Dec 03;17(12):e275. doi: 10.2196/jmir.4847.
.
.
Keywords: Web-Based, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Literacy
Petkovic J, Epstein J, Buchbinder R
Toward ensuring health equity: Readability and cultural equivalence of OMERACT patient-reported outcome measures.
The goal of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) 12 (2014) equity working group was to determine whether and how comprehensibility of patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) should be assessed, to ensure suitability for people with low literacy and differing cultures. The results of this preconference work were presented to the equity working group participants to gain their perspectives on the importance of comprehensibility and cross-cultural adaptation for PROM.
AHRQ-funded; HS021110.
Citation: Petkovic J, Epstein J, Buchbinder R .
Toward ensuring health equity: Readability and cultural equivalence of OMERACT patient-reported outcome measures.
J Rheumatol 2015 Dec;42(12):2448-59. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.141168.
.
.
Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Health Literacy
Hahn EA, Burns JL, Jacobs EA
Health literacy and patient-reported outcomes: a cross-sectional study of underserved English- and Spanish-speaking patients with type 2 diabetes.
The investigators examined associations between patient characteristics, health behaviors, and health outcomes and explored the role of health literacy as a potential mediator of outcomes. They found that health literacy was not associated with diabetes self-care, health status, or satisfaction with communication, and it did not mediate the effects of other factors on these outcomes. Diabetes self-efficacy was significantly associated with health behaviors and outcomes. The association between Spanish language preference and poorer health was not mediated by this group's lower health literacy.
AHRQ-funded; HS019335.
Citation: Hahn EA, Burns JL, Jacobs EA .
Health literacy and patient-reported outcomes: a cross-sectional study of underserved English- and Spanish-speaking patients with type 2 diabetes.
J Health Commun 2015;20 Suppl 2:4-15. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2015.1061071.
.
.
Keywords: Communication, Diabetes, Health Literacy, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Brega AG, Freedman MA, LeBlanc WG
AHRQ Author: Brach C
Using the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit to improve the quality of patient materials.
The researchers conducted interviews to learn about practices’ implementation activities and assessed the readability, understandability, and actionability of patient education materials collected during pre- and postimplementation site visits. They found that many of the revised and newly developed documents had reading levels appropriate for most patients and better readability than the original materials.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Brega AG, Freedman MA, LeBlanc WG .
Using the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit to improve the quality of patient materials.
J Health Commun 2015 Oct;20 Suppl 2:69-76. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2015.1081997..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Quality of Care
Goodman MS, Griffey RT, Carpenter CR
Do subjective measures improve the ability to identify limited health literacy in a clinical setting?
The researchers assessed whether the addition of Single-Item Literacy Screener (SILS) items or the Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS) to patient demographics readily available in ambulatory clinical settings reaching underserved patients improves the ability to identify limited health literacy. Their findings suggest that the BHLS and SILS items improve the ability to identify patients with limited health literacy compared with demographic predictors alone.
AHRQ-funded; HS020309.
Citation: Goodman MS, Griffey RT, Carpenter CR .
Do subjective measures improve the ability to identify limited health literacy in a clinical setting?
J Am Board Fam Med 2015 Sep-Oct;28(5):584-94. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2015.05.150037..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Vulnerable Populations
Fink A, Beck JC
Developing and evaluating a website to guide older adults in their health information searches: a mixed-methods approach.
This mixed-methods study developed and evaluated an online program to improve older adults’ skills in identifying high-quality web-based health information. It found that experimental participants assigned significantly higher ratings of usability and learning to the new site than controls did to their tutorial although no differences were found in self-efficacy or knowledge.
AHRQ-funded; HS019745.
Citation: Fink A, Beck JC .
Developing and evaluating a website to guide older adults in their health information searches: a mixed-methods approach.
J Appl Gerontol 2015 Aug;34(5):633-51. doi: 10.1177/0733464813486961..
Keywords: Elderly, Web-Based, Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Literacy
Mueller SK, Giannelli K, Boxer R
Readability of patient discharge instructions with and without the use of electronically available disease-specific templates.
The investigators examined the impact of the use of electronic, patient-friendly, templated discharge instructions on the readability of discharge instructions provided to patients at discharge. They concluded that the use of electronically available templated discharge instructions may be a viable option to improve the readability of written material provided to patients at discharge, although the library of available templates requires expansion.
AHRQ-funded; HS023331.
Citation: Mueller SK, Giannelli K, Boxer R .
Readability of patient discharge instructions with and without the use of electronically available disease-specific templates.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2015 Jul;22(4):857-63. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv005.
.
.
Keywords: Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Literacy, Hospital Discharge, Patient Safety
Slota C, Sayner R, Vitko M
Glaucoma patient expression of medication problems and nonadherence.
The purpose of this article was to evaluate what patient characteristics led patients to express (1) medication problems, including difficulty with side effects and eye drop administration, and (2) problems with nonadherence to glaucoma medications. It found that patients with lower health literacy are less likely to express medication-related problems and patients who express medication problems often express nonadherence.
AHRQ-funded; HS023054.
Citation: Slota C, Sayner R, Vitko M .
Glaucoma patient expression of medication problems and nonadherence.
Optom Vis Sci 2015 May;92(5):537-43. doi: 10.1097/opx.0000000000000574..
Keywords: Eye Disease and Health, Patient Adherence/Compliance, Medication, Health Literacy
Kestenbaum LA, Feemster KA
Identifying and addressing vaccine hesitancy.
Despite, and perhaps because of, their public health impact, an increasing number of parents and patients are choosing to delay or refuse vaccines. These individuals are described as “vaccine hesitant.” This review explores the history of vaccine hesitancy, its causes, and suggests approaches for reducing hesitancy and strengthening vaccine acceptance.
AHRQ-funded; HS020939.
Citation: Kestenbaum LA, Feemster KA .
Identifying and addressing vaccine hesitancy.
Pediatr Ann 2015 Apr;44(4):e71-5. doi: 10.3928/00904481-20150410-07..
Keywords: Vaccination, Health Literacy, Patient Adherence/Compliance
Heerman WJ, White RO, Barkin SL
Advancing informed consent for vulnerable populations.
The authors suggest an innovative approach that uses low health-literacy communication strategies and visual aids to augment and potentially replace the traditional approach to informed consent. This approach involves: (1) the use of effective health communication and low-literacy techniques, (2) the use of visual aids and graphics to promote understanding and guide the reader toward key study concepts, and (3) careful attention to child dissenting behaviors.
AHRQ-funded; HS022990.
Citation: Heerman WJ, White RO, Barkin SL .
Advancing informed consent for vulnerable populations.
Pediatrics 2015 Mar;135(3):e562-4. doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-3041..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Communication, Health Literacy, Obesity, Research Methodologies
Lyles CR, Sarkar U
Health literacy, vulnerable patients, and health information technology use: where do we go from here?
The authors comment on an article in the same issue that found only 32 percent of older adults used the Internet to get health information and only 10 percent of older adults with limited health literacy did so. They discuss its implications for the related issues of access, training, and perhaps most importantly, the usability of websites and other technology platforms.
AHRQ-funded; HS023558; HS022047.
Citation: Lyles CR, Sarkar U .
Health literacy, vulnerable patients, and health information technology use: where do we go from here?
J Gen Intern Med 2015 Mar;30(3):271-2. doi: 10.1007/s11606-014-3166-5..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Elderly, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Smith W, Brach C, Horowitz AM
AHRQ Author: Brach C
Poor oral health literacy: why nobody understands you.
The authors examined the mistaken interpretation of the word “individuals” to be limited almost exclusively to citizens and patients. They identified gaps in knowledge, understanding, and practices regarding caries prevention among the public and all provider groups.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Smith W, Brach C, Horowitz AM .
Poor oral health literacy: why nobody understands you.
J Dent Hyg 2015 Feb;89 Suppl 1:36-8.
.
.
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Health Literacy, Prevention
Dorn SD, Palsson OS, Woldeghebriel M
Development and pilot testing of an integrated, web-based self-management program for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The researchers developed, assessed, and refined an integrated IBS self-management program (IBS Self-care) and then conducted a 12-week pilot test. They found that the IBS Self-Care program was well received by users who after 12 weeks reported improved knowledge about IBS, but no significant changes in self-efficacy or quality of life.
AHRQ-funded; HS019468.
Citation: Dorn SD, Palsson OS, Woldeghebriel M .
Development and pilot testing of an integrated, web-based self-management program for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Neurogastroenterol Motil 2015 Jan;27(1):128-34. doi: 10.1111/nmo.12487..
Keywords: Patient Self-Management, Health Literacy, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Digestive Disease and Health
Halverson JL, Martinez-Donate AP, Palta M
Health literacy and health-related quality of life among a population-based sample of cancer patients.
The authors examined the relation between health literacy and health-related quality of life among cancer patients. Their cross-sectional survey found that health literacy is positively and independently associated with health-related quality of life among cancer patients. Their findings support adoption of health literacy best practices by cancer care systems.
AHRQ-funded; HS000083.
Citation: Halverson JL, Martinez-Donate AP, Palta M .
Health literacy and health-related quality of life among a population-based sample of cancer patients.
J Health Commun 2015;20(11):1320-9. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2015.1018638..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Quality of Life, Cancer