National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Search All Research Studies
Topics
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Cancer (4)
- Cancer: Lung Cancer (2)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Digestive Disease and Health (1)
- (-) Disparities (9)
- Elderly (2)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospitals (1)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (1)
- Medication (3)
- Opioids (1)
- Palliative Care (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (2)
- (-) Practice Patterns (9)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (5)
- Surgery (2)
AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 9 of 9 Research Studies DisplayedFitzgerald DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA
Determinants of hospital variability in perioperative red blood cell transfusions during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
This observational cohort study’s objective was to identify to what extent distinguishing patient and procedural characteristics can explain center-level transfusion variation during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. The study used patients from the Perfusion Measures and Outcomes Registry from 43 adult cardiac surgical programs from July 2011 through June 2017. Of the 22,272 adult patients undergoing isolate CABG surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass, 7241 (32.5%) received at least 1 U allogeneic red blood cells. Patients who received transfusions were older (68 vs 64 years), were women (41.5% vs 15.9%), and had a lower body surface area, respectively. The majority of center-level transfusion variations could not be explained through models containing both patient and intraoperative factors.
AHRQ-funded; HS026003.
Citation: Fitzgerald DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA .
Determinants of hospital variability in perioperative red blood cell transfusions during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2022 Mar;163(3):1015-24.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.04.141..
Keywords: Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospitals, Practice Patterns, Disparities
Radhakrishnan A, Reyes-Gastelum D, Abrahamse P
Physician specialties involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment: implications for improving health care disparities.
The authors sought to characterize providers involved in diagnosing and treating thyroid cancer. Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer from the Georgia and Los Angeles County Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries were surveyed. The authors found that, among thyroid cancer patients, 40.6% reported being informed of their diagnosis by their surgeon, 37.9% by their endocrinologist, and 13.5% by their primary care physician (PCP). The researchers concluded that PCPs were involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment, and their involvement was greater among older patients and patients of minority race/ethnicity.
AHRQ-funded; HS024512.
Citation: Radhakrishnan A, Reyes-Gastelum D, Abrahamse P .
Physician specialties involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment: implications for improving health care disparities.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022 Feb 17;107(3):e1096-e105. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab781..
Keywords: Cancer, Disparities, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Practice Patterns, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Morden NE, Chyn D, Wood A
Racial inequality in prescription opioid receipt - role of individual health systems.
The purpose of this study was to explore the contribution of individual health systems in the receipt of prescription opioids among racial groups in the United States. Medicare claims data for 2016-2017 was used to obtain a random 40% national sample of fee-for-service, Black and White beneficiaries 18 to 64 years of age and identify 310 racially diverse systems. Findings showed that, within individual health systems, Black and White patients received markedly different opioid doses. These system-specific findings could facilitate exploration of the causes and consequences of these differences.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Morden NE, Chyn D, Wood A .
Racial inequality in prescription opioid receipt - role of individual health systems.
N Engl J Med 2021 Jul 22;385(4):342-51. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa2034159..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Practice Patterns
Ezer N, Mhango G, Bagiella E
Racial disparities in resection of early stage non-small cell lung cancer: variability among surgeons.
This study examined racial disparities in resection surgery of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These disparities are well documented. The authors identified 19,624 patients with stage I-II NSCLC 65 years and older from the SEER-Medicare database. They studied patients evaluated by a surgeon within 6 months of diagnosis. Black patients were less likely to undergo resection with resection rates varying among surgeons. Thoracic surgeon specialists were less likely to have any disparities with resection rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS019670.
Citation: Ezer N, Mhango G, Bagiella E .
Racial disparities in resection of early stage non-small cell lung cancer: variability among surgeons.
Med Care 2020 Apr;58(4):392-98. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001280..
Keywords: Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Cancer: Lung Cancer, Cancer, Surgery, Practice Patterns
Goyal MK, Johnson TJ, Chamberlain JM
Racial and ethnic differences in antibiotic use for viral illness in emergency departments.
The researchers sought to investigate whether patient race and ethnicity was associated with differences in antibiotic prescribing for viral acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in the pediatric emergency department (PED). They found that compared with non-Hispanic (NH) white children, NH black and Hispanic children were less likely to receive antibiotics for viral ARTIs in the PED.
AHRQ-funded; HS020270.
Citation: Goyal MK, Johnson TJ, Chamberlain JM .
Racial and ethnic differences in antibiotic use for viral illness in emergency departments.
Pediatrics 2017 Oct;140(4). doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-0203.
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Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Emergency Department, Children/Adolescents, Disparities, Practice Patterns
Govani SM, Wiitala WL, Stidham RW
Age disparities in the use of steroid-sparing therapy for inflammatory bowel disease.
The investigators compared the use of steroids and steroid-sparing therapies and rates of complications among elderly and younger patients in a national cohort of veterans with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). They found that, after starting steroids, fracture rates increased in the elderly patients with IBD, whereas increases in venous thromboembolism and infections after starting steroids affected both age groups. Additonally, elderly veterans were less likely to receive steroids and steroid-sparing medications than younger veterans.
AHRQ-funded; HS024122.
Citation: Govani SM, Wiitala WL, Stidham RW .
Age disparities in the use of steroid-sparing therapy for inflammatory bowel disease.
Inflamm Bowel Dis 2016 Aug;22(8):1923-8. doi: 10.1097/mib.0000000000000817.
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Keywords: Digestive Disease and Health, Disparities, Elderly, Medication, Practice Patterns
Dimou F, Sineshaw H, Parmar AD
Trends in receipt and timing of multimodality therapy in early-stage pancreatic cancer.
The researchers described treatment patterns and time trends with regard to age and treatment center in the receipt of multimodality therapy for early-stage pancreatic cancer. They concluded that despite increased use of multimodality therapy, it remains underutilized in all patients and especially in older patients. Receipt of multimodality therapy and neoadjuvant therapy is highly dependent on treatment at NCI-designated cancer centers.
AHRQ-funded; HS022134.
Citation: Dimou F, Sineshaw H, Parmar AD .
Trends in receipt and timing of multimodality therapy in early-stage pancreatic cancer.
J Gastrointest Surg 2016 Jan;20(1):93-103; discussion 03. doi: 10.1007/s11605-015-2952-7.
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Keywords: Cancer, Disparities, Practice Patterns, Elderly, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Du XL, Parikh RC, Lairson DR
Racial and geographic disparities in the patterns of care and costs at the end of life for patients with lung cancer in 2007-2010 after the 2006 introduction of bevacizumab.
The authors examined racial/ethnic and geographical disparities in cancer care and costs during the last 6 months of life for lung cancer decedents after the FDA's approval of bevacizumab. They found that there were substantial racial/ethnic and geographic disparities in the types of cancer care and costs in the last 6 months of life among lung cancer decedents, regardless of the length of survival times and hospice care status.
AHRQ-funded; HS018956.
Citation: Du XL, Parikh RC, Lairson DR .
Racial and geographic disparities in the patterns of care and costs at the end of life for patients with lung cancer in 2007-2010 after the 2006 introduction of bevacizumab.
Lung Cancer 2015 Dec;90(3):442-50. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2015.09.017.
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Keywords: Cancer, Cancer: Lung Cancer, Disparities, Healthcare Costs, Medication, Palliative Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Practice Patterns, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Cook BL, Zuvekas SH, Carson N
AHRQ Author: Zuvekas SH
Assessing racial/ethnic disparities in treatment across episodes of mental health care.
The authors investigated disparities in mental health care episodes, aligning their analyses with decisions to start or drop treatment, and choices made during treatment. Using MEPS data, they found that, compared with whites, blacks and Latinos had less initiation and adequacy of care. Black and Latino episodes were shorter and had fewer psychotropic drug fills; black episodes had a greater proportion of specialist visits and Latino episodes had a greater proportion of primary care physician visits. Blacks were more likely to have an episode with acute psychiatric care.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Cook BL, Zuvekas SH, Carson N .
Assessing racial/ethnic disparities in treatment across episodes of mental health care.
Health Serv Res 2014 Feb;49(1):206-29. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12095.
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Keywords: Disparities, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Behavioral Health, Practice Patterns, Racial and Ethnic Minorities