National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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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
126 to 150 of 12214 Research Studies DisplayedQuinn M, Horowitz JK, Krein SL
The role of hospital-based vascular access teams and implications for patient safety: a multi-methods study.
The purpose of this study was to examine the roles, functions, and composition of vascular access teams (VATs) related to the use and management of PICC and midline catheters. The researchers administered an online survey of 62 hospitals participating in a quality improvement consortium and qualitative interviews with 74 hospital-based clinicians in 10 sites. The study found that more than 77% of hospitals had an on-site VAT. The average team size was seven nurses; their main function was device insertion. Findings from the interviews revealed variations in team characteristics and functions. Interviewees characterized the broad role that teams play in device insertion, care, and removal, and in educating/training hospital staff. The researchers found that teams' role in decision making, especially related to appropriate device selection, was limited an was met with physician resistance in some cases.
AHRQ-funded; HS025891.
Citation: Quinn M, Horowitz JK, Krein SL .
The role of hospital-based vascular access teams and implications for patient safety: a multi-methods study.
J Hosp Med 2024 Jan; 19(1):13-23. doi: 10.1002/jhm.13253..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Inpatient Care, Cardiovascular Conditions
Balbin CA, Kawamoto K
The SIMPLE architectural pattern for integrating patient-facing apps into clinical workflows: desiderata and application for lung cancer screening.
To address the need for electronic health record (EHR) systems to accept the connection of any patient-facing digital health app using the SMART on FHIR standard, the authors proposed the Standards-based Implementation Maximizing Portability Leveraging the EHR (SIMPLE). SIMPLE’s architectural pattern was designed to meet several key requirements, such as not requiring patients to install new software; not retaining patient data outside of the EHR; leveraging existing personal health record (PHR) capabilities to optimize user experience; and maximizing portability.
AHRQ-funded; HS028791.
Citation: Balbin CA, Kawamoto K .
The SIMPLE architectural pattern for integrating patient-facing apps into clinical workflows: desiderata and application for lung cancer screening.
AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2024 Jan 11; 2023:844-53..
Keywords: Workflow, Health Information Technology (HIT), Cancer: Lung Cancer, Cancer, Screening
Cuca YP, Horvat C, Corless IB IB
The social, mental, and physical health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with HIV: protocol of an observational international multisite study.
The authors described the protocol for an international multisite observational study based on the SPIRIT guidelines to examine impact on the health and HIV outcomes for immunocompromised individuals such as people with HIV (PWH) from COVID-19 and from the strategies enacted to contain it. Investigators will recruit PWH to complete the study online or in-person. Study questions will address demographics, HIV continuum of care indicators, mental and social health, COVID-19 and vaccination knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and fears; and overall outcomes. Results of this study can inform responses to future public health crises to minimize impacts on vulnerable populations such as PWH.
AHRQ-funded; HS028523.
Citation: Cuca YP, Horvat C, Corless IB IB .
The social, mental, and physical health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with HIV: protocol of an observational international multisite study.
J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care 2024 Jan-Feb; 35(1):60-74. doi: 10.1097/jnc.0000000000000444..
Keywords: COVID-19, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Chronic Conditions
Berbakov ME, Hoffins EL, Stone JA
AHRQ-funded; HS028475.
A study team collaborated with Aurora Pharmacy, Inc. to develop Senior Safe, a community pharmacy-based intervention designed to increase awareness of safe over-the-counter medication use for older adults. Senior Safe was adapted through pilot testing and a randomized control trial before a finalized version was provided to Aurora Pharmacy to integrate into all its pharmacy sites. The authors concluded that this multiphase study illustrated that refining an intervention is possible and welcomed by pharmacy staff, but requires time, resources, and funds to create an impactful, sustainable community pharmacy intervention.
AHRQ-funded; HS024490; HS027737.
Citation: Berbakov ME, Hoffins EL, Stone JA .
AHRQ-funded; HS028475.
J Am Pharm Assoc 2024 Jan-Feb; 64(1):159-68. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2023.11.009.
Keywords: Medication, Medication: Safety, Provider: Pharmacist, Patient Safety, Community-Based Practice
Mitchell JM, Kranz AM, Steiner ED
Barriers and strategies used to continue school-based health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study examined perceived barriers and strategies adopted to continue the delivery of school-based health services when schools reopened in Fall of 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and to assess whether these barriers and strategies varied by locality. The authors developed and subsequently conducted an online survey of school nurses who worked at the 1178 public elementary schools in Virginia in May 2021 to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the delivery of school-based health services. They compared perceived barriers, strategies adopted and the effectiveness of strategies to continue the delivery of school-based health services by geographic locality (city vs. rural; suburban vs. rural and city vs. suburban). More than half of urban schools expected nine of ten potential barriers to affect the delivery of school-based health services during Fall 2021. More than half of responding schools located in urban, suburban, and rural areas indicated that external barriers outside of their control, including insufficient funding and families not able to bring students to school, were likely to be barriers to delivering care. There was no variation in strategies identified as “very effective” by locality.
AHRQ-funded; HS025430.
Citation: Mitchell JM, Kranz AM, Steiner ED .
Barriers and strategies used to continue school-based health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Matern Child Health J 2024 Jan; 28(1):155-64. doi: 10.1007/s10995-023-03824-z.
Keywords: COVID-19, Children/Adolescents, Access to Care
Hekman DJ, Barton HJ, Maru AP
Dashboarding to monitor machine-learning-based clinical decision support interventions.
This case report described the creation of a dashboard that allowed the intervention development team and operational stakeholders to identify potential issues that may require corrective action by bridging the monitoring gap between model outputs and patient outcomes. The authors proposed that monitoring machine-learning-based clinical decision support (ML-CDS) algorithms with regular dashboards that allow both context-level views of the system and drilled down views of specific components is a critical part of implementing these algorithms to ensure that these tools function appropriately within the broader care system.
AHRQ-funded; HS027735.
Citation: Hekman DJ, Barton HJ, Maru AP .
Dashboarding to monitor machine-learning-based clinical decision support interventions.
Appl Clin Inform 2024 Jan; 15(1):164-69. doi: 10.1055/a-2219-5175.
Keywords: Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Martwick J, Kaufmann J, Bailey S
Impact of healthcare location concordance on receipt of preventive care among children whose parents have a substance use and/or mental health diagnosis.
This study examined the association of children with parents with >1 substance use and/or other mental health (SU/MH) diagnoses and parent-child clinic concordance with rates of well-child checks (WCCs) and childhood vaccinations. This retrospective cohort study used electronic health record data from the OCHIN network of community health organizations (CHOs) from 2010 to 2018. This included 280 CHOs across 17 states and 41,413 parents with >1 SU/MH diagnosis linked to 65,417 children ages 0 to 17 years, each with >1 visit to an OCHIN clinic during the study period. The authors found that among children utilizing the same clinic as their parent versus children using a different clinic (reference group), there were greater WCC rates in the first 15 months of life; no difference in WCC rates in ages 3 to 17; higher odds for vaccine completion before age 2; and lower odds for vaccine completion before age 18.
AHRQ-funded; HS025962.
Citation: Martwick J, Kaufmann J, Bailey S .
Impact of healthcare location concordance on receipt of preventive care among children whose parents have a substance use and/or mental health diagnosis.
J Prim Care Community Health 2024 Jan-Dec; 15. doi: 10.1177/21501319241229925.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Prevention, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Vaccination, Healthcare Utilization
James TG, DeJonckheere M, Guetterman TC
Integrating transformative considerations and quantitative results through a participant selection joint display in explanatory sequential mixed methods studies.
This article presents a method of integrating transformative sampling considerations in explanatory sequential designs through a participant selection joint display in explanatory sequential mixed methods studies. The presented approach addressed concerns regarding transparency of research decisions in these studies, while providing a method of centering the transformative paradigm in mixed methods integration procedures.
AHRQ-funded; HS027537.
Citation: James TG, DeJonckheere M, Guetterman TC .
Integrating transformative considerations and quantitative results through a participant selection joint display in explanatory sequential mixed methods studies.
J Mix Methods Res 2024 Jan; 18(1):14-30. doi: 10.1177/15586898221149470.
Keywords: Research Methodologies
Kyler KE, Hall M, Antoon JW
Major drug-drug interaction exposure among Medicaid-insured children in the outpatient setting.
This study’s objective was to determine the prevalence of major drug-drug interactions (DDI) exposure and factors associated with higher DDI exposure rates among children in an outpatient setting. The authors performed a cross-sectional study of children aged 0 to 18 years with ≥1 ambulatory encounter, and ≥2 dispensed outpatient prescriptions using the 2019 Marketscan Medicaid database. Primary outcomes were the prevalence and rate of major DDI exposure. Out of 781,019 children with ≥2 medication exposures, 21.4% experienced ≥1 major DDI exposure. The odds of exposure increased with age and with medical and mental health complexity. Frequently mentioned drugs included Clonidine, psychiatric medications, and asthma medications. The highest adverse physiologic effect exposure rate per 100 children included: increased drug concentrations (14.6), central nervous system depression (13.6), and heart rate-corrected QT interval prolongation (9.9).
AHRQ-funded; HS028979.
Citation: Kyler KE, Hall M, Antoon JW .
Major drug-drug interaction exposure among Medicaid-insured children in the outpatient setting.
Pediatrics 2024 Jan; 153(2):e2023063506. doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-063506.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medicaid, Medication: Safety
Handley SC, Salazar EG, Kunz SN
Transfer patterns among infants born at 28 to 34 weeks' gestation.
The objective of this observational study was to examine transfer frequency, indication, timing, and trajectory among very and moderate preterm infants. Data was taken from the Vermont Oxford Network NICU admissions database, 2016-2021. The results showed that 4.3% of very and moderate preterm infants were transferred; the most common reason for transfer was growth or discharge planning, followed by medical and diagnostic services. The proportion of infants who were transferred decreased with increasing gestational age, as did the median age at time of transfer. The authors noted that this does not reflect immediate care needs after birth, but rather the provision of risk-appropriate care.
AHRQ-funded; HS025749.
Citation: Handley SC, Salazar EG, Kunz SN .
Transfer patterns among infants born at 28 to 34 weeks' gestation.
Pediatrics 2024 Jan 1; 153(2). doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-063118.
Keywords: Newborns/Infants
Geary CR, Hook M, Popejoy L
Ambulatory care coordination data gathering and use.
The purpose of this study was to identify information gathered and used to support care coordination in ambulatory settings. Survey respondents, most of whom were nurses, provided demographic information and their practice patterns, including use of electronic health records. Most described at least a partial use of electronic health records, but two respondents described paper documentation systems. The authors concluded that the responses demonstrated significant heterogeneity in ambulatory care coordination data usage, but noted that additional research is needed to identify common data elements to support knowledge development in the context of a learning health system.
AHRQ-funded; HS028000.
Citation: Geary CR, Hook M, Popejoy L .
Ambulatory care coordination data gathering and use.
Comput Inform Nurs 2024 Jan; 42(1):63-70. doi: 10.1097/cin.0000000000001069.
Keywords: Care Coordination, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Graaf G, Hughes PM, deJong NA
Family support services and reported parent coping among caregivers of children with emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorders.
Researchers examined the association of family support services with caregiver mental health and well-being, as well as caregiver coping, among families of children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Data was taken from the National Survey of Children's Health. Results showed that adequate care coordination was associated with higher rates of caregiver-reported positive coping for CSHCN caregivers who had no source of emotional support. Emotional support services were also associated with increased reports of positive coping. The researchers concluded that mobilization of resources that can aid caregivers in coordinating care and provide emotional support may play a key role in positive caregiver coping for families of CSHCN.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Graaf G, Hughes PM, deJong NA .
Family support services and reported parent coping among caregivers of children with emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorders.
J Dev Behav Pediatr 2024 Jan; 45(1):e54-e62. doi: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000001230.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Caregiving, Disabilities, Behavioral Health
Jeffery AD, Reale C, Faiman J
Inpatient nurses' preferences and decisions with risk information visualization.
The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of 4 different risk information formats on inpatient nurses' preferences and decisions with an acute clinical deterioration decision-support system. The researchers implemented a comparative usability evaluation in which participants provided responses to multiple user interface options in a simulated setting. Qualitative data was collected using think aloud methods, asking participants which action they would perform after each time point in 3 different patient scenarios. The 6 participants preferred the probability format over relative risk ratios (n = 2), absolute differences (n = 2), and number of persons out of 100 (n = 0). Participants preferred average lines, having a trend graph to supplement the risk estimate, and consistent colors between trend graphs and possible actions. Participants did not prefer too much text information or the presence of confidence intervals. The utilization of the probability format was related with higher concordance in actions taken by participants compared to the other 3 risk information formats.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Jeffery AD, Reale C, Faiman J .
Inpatient nurses' preferences and decisions with risk information visualization.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2023 Dec 22; 31(1):61-69. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocad209..
Keywords: Provider: Nurse, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Zhang K, Potter RF, Marino J
Comparative genomics reveals the correlations of stress response genes and bacteriophages in developing antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus saprophyticus.
The study explored resistance patterns in Staphylococcus saprophyticus, a common cause of UTIs in women. Genomic analysis linked antibiotic resistance genes to susceptibility, identifying associations with SCCmec configurations and phage elements. This database aids in resistance surveillance for precise diagnosis and treatment, potentially curbing resistance transmission.
AHRQ-funded; HS027621.
Citation: Zhang K, Potter RF, Marino J .
Comparative genomics reveals the correlations of stress response genes and bacteriophages in developing antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus saprophyticus.
mSystems 2023 Dec 21; 8(6):e0069723. doi: 10.1128/msystems.00697-23..
Keywords: Genetics, Antibiotics, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Medication
Wurcel AG, Guardado R, Grussing ED
Racial differences in testing for infectious diseases: an analysis of jail intake data.
This analysis examines HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing in Middlesex House of Corrections (MHOC) in Massachusetts. Only 38% of incarcerated individuals who requested testing received it. Black non-Hispanic and Hispanic individuals were more likely to request and complete testing compared to white individuals. These disparities may reflect broader issues of access to care. The study highlights the need for improved testing completion rates and interdisciplinary collaboration in jails.
AHRQ-funded; HS026008.
Citation: Wurcel AG, Guardado R, Grussing ED .
Racial differences in testing for infectious diseases: an analysis of jail intake data.
PLoS One 2023 Dec 20; 18(12):e0288254. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288254.
Keywords: Hepatitis, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Vulnerable Populations
Wiehe SE, Nelson TL, Aalsma MC
HIV care continuum among people living with HIV and history of arrest and mental health diagnosis.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to explore relationships between the overlap of justice involvement and psychiatric comorbidities with HIV outcomes among people living with HIV (PLWH). The researchers included 5,730 PLWH 13 years of age and older living in Marion County Indiana in 2018. The study found that linkage to care (LTC) decreased among those with an arrest vs those without an arrest. Mental health diagnoses had no significant impact on LTC. The researchers controlled for demographics and substance use disorder and the resulting analyses indicated a protective effect of arrest history on the likelihood of retention in care (RIC) and undetectable viral load (UVL). Having a diagnosis of a mental health issue also increased the likelihood of RIC and UVL. The study results were mediated by outpatient care use, but an arrest or the diagnosis of a mental health issue increased the likelihood of RIC among PLWH and a history of low use of outpatient services.
AHRQ-funded; HS023318; HS024296.
Citation: Wiehe SE, Nelson TL, Aalsma MC .
HIV care continuum among people living with HIV and history of arrest and mental health diagnosis.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2023 Dec 15; 94(5):403-11. doi: 10.1097/qai.0000000000003296..
Keywords: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Ray M, Zhao S, Wang S
Improving hospital quality risk-adjustment models using interactions identified by hierarchical group lasso regularisation.
This study’s goal was to see if using hierarchical group lasso regularization (HGLR) improved hospital quality risk adjustment (RA) models. The authors analyzed patient discharge de-identified data from 14 State Inpatient Databases, AHRQ Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, California Department of Health Care Access and Information, and New York State Department of Health. They used HGLR to identify first-order interactions in several AHRQ inpatient quality indicators (IQI) - IQI 09 (Pancreatic Resection Mortality Rate), IQI 11 (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Mortality Rate), and Patient Safety Indicator 14 (Postoperative Wound Dehiscence Rate). These RA models were compared with stratum-specific and composite main effects models with covariates selected by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). HGLR identified clinical meaning interactions for all models, with model performance similar or superior for composite models with HGLR-selected features, compared to those with LASSO-selected features. HGLR was found to be scalable to handle a large number of covariates and their interactions and is customizable to use multiple CPU cores to reduce analysis time.
AHRQ-funded; 290201200003I.
Citation: Ray M, Zhao S, Wang S .
Improving hospital quality risk-adjustment models using interactions identified by hierarchical group lasso regularisation.
BMC Health Serv Res 2023 Dec 15; 23(1):1419. doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-10423-9..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Hospitals, Risk
Ferrari RM, Atkins DL, Wangen M
Patient perspectives on a proposed pharmacy-based colorectal cancer screening program.
The objective of this study was to assess patient perspectives on receiving fecal immunochemical colorectal cancer (CRC) screening tests through pharmacies. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with participants in North Carolina and Washington. Survey participants reported pharmacy-based CRC screening programs to be highly acceptable, citing convenience, ease of access, and avoidance of co-pays, but they also had concerns about privacy and coordination with primary care providers. The researchers concluded that CRC screening in pharmacies is potentially a good option, provided patients have privacy and their primary care providers are informed.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Ferrari RM, Atkins DL, Wangen M .
Patient perspectives on a proposed pharmacy-based colorectal cancer screening program.
Transl Behav Med 2023 Dec 15; 13(12):909-18. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibad057..
Keywords: Provider: Pharmacist, Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Colonoscopy, Screening, Prevention
Frimpong JA, Liu X, Liu L
AHRQ Author: Liu L
Adoption of electronic health record among substance use disorder treatment programs: nationwide cross-sectional survey study.
The purpose of this study was to explore the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems in substance use disorder (SUD) programs, with an emphasis on changes in adoption from 2014 to 2017, and identify organizational-level variables related with EHR adoption. The researchers utilized data from the 2014 and 2017 National Drug Abuse Treatment System Surveys, and analyzed 1,027 SUD programs. The study found the adoption of EHR increased significantly from 57.6% in 2014 to 69.2% in 2017. Nearly one-third of SUD programs had not yet adopted an EHR system by 2017. The researchers identified a significant increase in technology use and ownership by a parent company and a decrease in the percentage of uninsured patients in 2017 compared to 2014. Further analysis revealed significant differences by adoption status for three main barriers to adoption: 1. Costs of start-up, 2. Ongoing financial costs, and 3. Privacy or security concerns. Programs that used computerized scheduling and billing systems had a greater likelihood of adopting EHR. Ownership type, such as private nonprofit and public, or interest in taking part in a patient-centered medical home were related with a greater likelihood to adopt EHR. Overall, SUD programs were more likely to adopt an EHR system in 2017 compared to 2014.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Frimpong JA, Liu X, Liu L .
Adoption of electronic health record among substance use disorder treatment programs: nationwide cross-sectional survey study.
J Med Internet Res 2023 Dec 14; 25:e45238. doi: 10.2196/45238..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health
Lopez K, Li H, Lipkin-Moore Z
Deep learning prediction of hospital readmissions for asthma and COPD.
The purpose of this observational study was to identify Electronic Health Record (EHR) features of severe asthma and COPD exacerbations and assess the performance of four machine learning (ML) and one deep learning (DL) model in predicting readmissions using EHR data. The study included 31, 2017 patients hospitalized with asthma and COPD exacerbations. The study found that Black and Hispanic patients had a greater likelihood of readmission for asthma. Patients with COPD readmissions included a high percentage of Blacks and Hispanics. To identify patients at high risk of readmission, index hospitalization data of a subset of 2,682 patients, 777 with asthma and 1,905 with COPD, was analyzed with four ML models, and one DL model. The researchers discovered that multilayer perceptron, the DL method, had the best sensitivity and specificity compared to the four ML methods implemented in the same dataset.
AHRQ-funded; HS027626.
Citation: Lopez K, Li H, Lipkin-Moore Z .
Deep learning prediction of hospital readmissions for asthma and COPD.
Respir Res 2023 Dec 13; 24(1):311. doi: 10.1186/s12931-023-02628-7..
Keywords: Asthma, Respiratory Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Bhaumik D, Schlesinger MJ
How exposure to patient narratives affects stereotyped choices of primary care clinicians.
Researchers examined whether patient narratives alter the impact of stereotyping on choice of primary care clinicians, specifically the assumption that female doctors will be more attentive to empathic relationships with patients. Individuals selected from a nationally representative Internet panel participated in a survey that provided performance data about 12 fictitious primary care physicians and included a randomized set of narrative feedback from patients. The results showed that exposure to patient narratives that do not disrupt gendered stereotypes increased the likelihood of choosing a female clinician; however, when a sufficient proportion of patient comments run counter to stereotypes, even a minority of narratives is sufficient to disrupt gendered-expectations and alter choices.
AHRQ-funded; HS016978.
Citation: Bhaumik D, Schlesinger MJ .
How exposure to patient narratives affects stereotyped choices of primary care clinicians.
PLoS One 2023 Dec 7; 18(12):e0295243. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295243..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Primary Care
Watterson TL, Stone JA, Kleinschmidt PC
CancelRx case study: implications for clinic and community pharmacy work systems.
This study examined the impact of implementation of CancelRx, a health IT system that automatically communicates medication discontinuations from the clinic electronic health record to the community pharmacy dispensing platform, theoretically improving communication. The system was implemented across a Midwest academic health system in October 2017, using their 15 outpatient community pharmacies to test it. Interviews were conducted with 9 medical assistants, 12 community pharmacists, and 3 pharmacy administrators employed by the health system across 3-time periods between 2017 and 2018: 3-months prior to CancelRx implementation, 3-months after CancelRx implementation, and 9-months after CancelRx implementation. While CancelRx automated and streamlined how medication discontinuation messages were received and processed, it also increased workload and introduced new errors.
AHRQ-funded; HS025793.
Citation: Watterson TL, Stone JA, Kleinschmidt PC .
CancelRx case study: implications for clinic and community pharmacy work systems.
BMC Health Serv Res 2023 Dec 6; 23(1):1360. doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-10396-9..
Keywords: Cancer, Provider: Pharmacist, Medication
Cartujano-Barrera F, Mejia RM, Radusky PD
Prevalence and correlates of current cigarette smoking among transgender women in Argentina.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Cartujano-Barrera F, Mejia RM, Radusky PD .
Prevalence and correlates of current cigarette smoking among transgender women in Argentina.
Front Public Health 2023 Dec 5; 11:1279969. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1279969..
Keywords: Tobacco Use, Tobacco Use: Smoking Cessation
Azimi H, Johnson L, Loudermilk C
Medication regimen complexity (MRC-ICU) for in-hospital mortality prediction in COVID-19 patients.
This study’s purpose was to assess if a patient’s medication regimen complexity-intensive care unit (MRC-ICU) score could predict in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19. This single-center, observational study was conducted from August 2020 to January 2021. The primary outcome was the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) for in-hospital mortality for the 48-hour MRC-ICU. The authors assessed age, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), and World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Severity Classification. They included 149 patients who had a median SOFA score of 8 (IQR 5-11), and median MRC-ICU score at 48 hours of 15. The in-hospital mortality rate of 36%. The AUROC for MRC-ICU was 0.71 compared to 0.66 for age, 0.81 SOFA, and 0.72 for the WHO Severity Classification. Univariate analysis was used to compare the 4 characteristics. SOFA, MRC-ICU, and WHO Severity Classification all demonstrated significant association with in-hospital mortality, while SOFA, MRC-ICU, and WHO Severity Classification demonstrated significant association with WHO Severity Classification at 7 days. All 4 characteristics showed significant association with mortality; however, only age and SOFA remained significant following multivariate analysis.
AHRQ-funded; HS028485; HS029009.
Citation: Azimi H, Johnson L, Loudermilk C .
Medication regimen complexity (MRC-ICU) for in-hospital mortality prediction in COVID-19 patients.
Hosp Pharm 2023 Dec; 58(6):564-68. doi: 10.1177/00185787231169460..
Keywords: COVID-19, Medication, Mortality, Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
Rains A, Sibley AL, Levander XA
"I would do anything but that": attitudes towards sex work among rural people who use drugs.
This study explored how people who use drugs in rural counties across the United States appraise sex work by themselves or other community members. The authors used qualitative interview data that came from the Rural Opioid Initiative (ROI), a project coordinated by research teams across 65 rural counties in 10 states. These interviews were individual and conducted from 2018 to 2020, with all participants reporting past 30-day opioid use and/or any injection drug use. Across sites, 355 interviews were conducted with a mean participant age of 36, 55% male, and 93% white. Negative attitudes were expressed towards sex work as a function of its criminal-legal repercussions or was framed as morally transgressive. Many appraisals were gendered, with the behavior described as being “easier” for women who were often described as "whores," with more neutral terms used to describe men. Some participants viewed sex work as an implicit “exchange” for drugs.
AHRQ-funded; HS026370.
Citation: Rains A, Sibley AL, Levander XA .
"I would do anything but that": attitudes towards sex work among rural people who use drugs.
Int J Drug Policy 2023 Dec; 122:104237. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104237..
Keywords: Rural Health, Vulnerable Populations, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health