National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
- Adverse Events (1)
- Caregiving (2)
- Children/Adolescents (2)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (1)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (9)
- (-) Communication (18)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Disparities (1)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (4)
- Elderly (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
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- Evidence-Based Practice (2)
- Eye Disease and Health (2)
- Guidelines (1)
- Healthcare Delivery (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (3)
- Health Literacy (3)
- Health Promotion (1)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (1)
- Hospital Discharge (1)
- Medical Errors (1)
- Medication (2)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Provider: Pharmacist (1)
- Provider Performance (1)
- Public Health (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (2)
- Shared Decision Making (1)
- Teams (1)
- Transitions of Care (1)
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (1)
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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
1 to 18 of 18 Research Studies DisplayedWust KL, Carayon P, Werner NE
Older adult patients and care partners as knowledge brokers in fragmented health care.
This study explores the knowledge broker roles of older adult patients and their care partners during emergency department (ED) visits. The research concludes that patients and care partners serve as information liaisons between fragmented care systems, providing details on diagnostic testing, medications, health history, and care accommodations. They engage in proactive and reactive knowledge brokering within and across ED work systems, aiding in communication and care coordination to mitigate healthcare fragmentation.
AHRQ-funded; HS026624.
Citation: Wust KL, Carayon P, Werner NE .
Older adult patients and care partners as knowledge brokers in fragmented health care.
Hum Factors 2024 Mar; 66(3):701-13. doi: 10.1177/00187208221092847.
Keywords: Elderly, Emergency Department, Caregiving, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication
Barwise AK, Curtis S, Diedrich DA
Using artificial intelligence to promote equitable care for inpatients with language barriers and complex medical needs: clinical stakeholder perspectives.
The objectives of this planned qualitative study were to use machine learning predictive analytics to identify patients with language barriers and complex medical needs in order to prioritize them for in-person interpreters. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with clinicians, interpreters, and staff involved in caring for patients or organizing interpreters to understand perceived risks and benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) in this domain. Perceived risks included concerns about transparency, accuracy, redundancy, privacy, stigmatization among patients, alert fatigue, and supply-demand issues; perceived benefits included increased awareness of in-person interpreters, improved standard of care, and prioritization for interpreter utilization. They concluded that the use of AI to identify and prioritize patients for interpreter services has the potential to improve standard of care and address healthcare disparities among patients with language barriers.
AHRQ-funded; HS028475.
Citation: Barwise AK, Curtis S, Diedrich DA .
Using artificial intelligence to promote equitable care for inpatients with language barriers and complex medical needs: clinical stakeholder perspectives.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2024 Feb 16; 31(3):611-21. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocad224.
Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Disparities, Communication, Clinician-Patient Communication
Sleath B, Beznos B, Carpenter DM
African American patient-provider communication about glaucoma vision quality-of-life.
A study was conducted to examine African American patient-provider communication about glaucoma-related quality-of-life. Patients completed a vision quality-of-life assessment to examine patient-provider characteristics, patient demographics, and socio-demographics. The study determined that patients with worse literacy, more severe glaucoma, or depression are likely to have a lower vision quality-of-life.
AHRQ-funded; HS025370.
Citation: Sleath B, Beznos B, Carpenter DM .
African American patient-provider communication about glaucoma vision quality-of-life.
Eye 2024 Feb; 38(2):343-48. doi: 10.1038/s41433-023-02693-8..
Keywords: Eye Disease and Health, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Quality of Life
Beznos B, Sayner R, Carpenter DM
Do African American patients with glaucoma ask their eye providers the questions they have?
The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to test the effectiveness of a pre-visit video/glaucoma question prompt-list to increase question-asking during medical visits. Participants were adult African American patients with glaucoma and a history of non-adherence to glaucoma medications, The questions that patients checked on the question prompt list were described, and how often the same checked questions were asked during medical visits noted. The findings indicated that although patients with glaucoma had questions about glaucoma and their medications, few asked all their questions during visits. The researchers concluded that future research should focus on ways to improve question asking using a question prompt list.
AHRQ-funded; HS025370.
Citation: Beznos B, Sayner R, Carpenter DM .
Do African American patients with glaucoma ask their eye providers the questions they have?
Eye 2024 Feb; 38(2):279-83. doi: 10.1038/s41433-023-02674-x..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Eye Disease and Health, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication
Liu SK, Bourgeois F, Dong J
What's going well: a qualitative analysis of positive patient and family feedback in the context of the diagnostic process.
This paper evaluated positive patient/family feedback to generate broader perspectives on what constitutes a "good" diagnostic process (DxP). Eligible participants included patients/families living with chronic conditions with visits in three urban pediatric subspecialty clinics (site 1) and one rural adult primary care clinic (site 2) who were then invited to complete a survey between December 2020 and March 2020. The authors adapted the Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool (HCAT) to conduct a qualitative analysis on a subset of patient/family responses with ≥20 words. A total of 7,075 surveys were completed before 18,129 visits (39 %) at site 1, and 460 surveys were completed prior to 706 (65 %) visits at site 2. Positive feedback was provided by 1,578 participants, ranging from 1-79 words. Categories of 272 comments with ≥20 words described: Relationships (60 %), Clinical Care (36 %), and Environment (4 %). In the Relationships category patients/families most commonly noted: thorough and competent attention (46 %), clear communication and listening (41 %) and emotional support and human connection (39 %). For Clinical Care, patients highlighted: timeliness (31 %), effective clinical management (30 %), and coordination of care (25 %).
AHRQ-funded; HS027367.
Citation: Liu SK, Bourgeois F, Dong J .
What's going well: a qualitative analysis of positive patient and family feedback in the context of the diagnostic process.
Diagnosis 2024 Feb 1; 11(1):63-72. doi: 10.1515/dx-2023-0075.
Keywords: Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Patient and Family Engagement
Nacht CL, Jacobson N, Shiyanbola O
Perception of physicians' notes among parents of different health literacy levels.
The study explored how parents of varying health literacy levels perceive accessing physicians' notes during pediatric hospitalization. Thematic analysis of interviews with 28 parents revealed benefits like information recall and autonomy, with challenges including receiving bad news before face-to-face communication. The study found that parents with limited literacy found notes especially helpful for understanding the care of the child while reducing worry. Simplifying medical terms could enhance note accessibility for all parents, ensuring equitable access to healthcare information.
AHRQ-funded; HS027214.
Citation: Nacht CL, Jacobson N, Shiyanbola O .
Perception of physicians' notes among parents of different health literacy levels.
Hosp Pediatr 2024 Feb; 14(2):108-15. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2023-007240.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Literacy, Caregiving, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication
Mangal S, Berger L, Bruzzese JM
Seeing things the same way: perspectives and lessons learned from research-design collaborations.
This paper summarizes the experiences of health researchers in their collaborations with creative professionals such as graphic designers, illustrators, or user interface/user experience designers in creating information visualizations. The authors offer suggestions for determining design needs, communicating with design professionals, and carrying out the design process. They assert that successful collaborations are predicated on careful and intentional planning at the outset of a project, a thorough understanding of each party's scope expertise, clear communication, and ample time for the design process to unfold.
AHRQ-funded; HS022961.
Citation: Mangal S, Berger L, Bruzzese JM .
Seeing things the same way: perspectives and lessons learned from research-design collaborations.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2024 Jan 18; 31(2):542-47. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocad124..
Keywords: Communication
Carroll AR, Johnson JA, Stassun JC
Health literacy-informed communication to reduce discharge medication errors in hospitalized children: a randomized clinical trial.
This study’s objective was to test a health literacy-informed communication intervention to decrease liquid medication dosing errors compared with standard counseling in hospitalized children. This parallel, randomized clinical trial was conducted from June 22, 2021, to August 20, 2022, at a tertiary care, US children's hospital. English- and Spanish-speaking caregivers of hospitalized children 6 years or younger prescribed a new, scheduled liquid medication at discharge were included in the analysis. Observed dosing errors were the main outcome measured, and secondary outcomes included caregiver-reported medication knowledge. Among 198 randomized caregivers (mean age 31.4 years; 186 women [93.9%]; 36 [18.2%] Hispanic or Latino and 158 [79.8%] White), the primary outcome was available for 151 (76.3%). The observed mean (SD) percentage dosing error was 1.0% (2.2 percentage points) among the intervention group and 3.3% (5.1 percentage points) among the standard counseling group (absolute difference, 2.3 percentage points). Twenty-four of 79 caregivers in the intervention group (30.4%) measured an incorrect dose compared with 39 of 72 (54.2%) in the standard counseling group. The intervention enhanced caregiver-reported medication knowledge compared with the standard counseling group for medication dose (71 of 76 [93.4%] vs 55 of 69 [79.7%]), duration of administration (65 of 76 [85.5%] vs 49 of 69 [71.0%], and correct reporting of 2 or more medication adverse effects (60 of 76 [78.9%] vs 13 of 69 [18.8%]).
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Carroll AR, Johnson JA, Stassun JC .
Health literacy-informed communication to reduce discharge medication errors in hospitalized children: a randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Netw Open 2024 Jan 2; 7(1):e2350969. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50969..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Literacy, Communication, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medical Errors, Clinician-Patient Communication, Hospital Discharge, Medication: Safety
Wooldridge AR, Carayon P, Hoonakker P
Team cognition in handoffs: relating system factors, team cognition functions and outcomes in two handoff processes.
This study investigated how team cognition occurs in care transitions from operating room (OR) to intensive care unit (ICU) and then sought to understand how the sociotechnical system and team cognition are related. The authors conducted the study in an academic, Level 1 trauma center in the Midwestern US. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 healthcare workers that included physicians (surgery, anesthesia, pediatric critical care) and nurses (OR, ICU). Three cognition functions in hand-offs were described by participants: (1) information exchange, (2) assessment, and (3) planning and decision making; information exchange was mentioned most. Inter-professional handoffs facilitated information exchange but included large teams with diverse backgrounds communicating that can decrease efficiency. Intra-professional handoffs decreased team size and role diversity, which may simplify communication but can increase information loss. Participants in inter-professional handoffs reflected on outcomes significantly more in relation to system factors and team cognition, while participants in intra-professional handoffs discussed handoffs as a task.
AHRQ-funded; HS023837.
Citation: Wooldridge AR, Carayon P, Hoonakker P .
Team cognition in handoffs: relating system factors, team cognition functions and outcomes in two handoff processes.
Hum Factors 2024 Jan; 66(1):271-93. doi: 10.1177/00187208221086342..
Keywords: Teams, Transitions of Care, Communication
Schwitzer G
Addressing tensions when popular media and evidence-based care collide.
This paper documents recurring problems in media messages about health-care interventions and offers suggestions for new or expanded efforts to improve the public dialogue about health care. It concluded that inaccurate, imbalanced, incomplete news stories may drown out more careful scrutiny of the evidence by many influential news organizations.
AHRQ-funded; 290200810015C
Citation: Schwitzer G .
Addressing tensions when popular media and evidence-based care collide.
BMC Med Inform Decis Making 2013;13 Suppl 3:S3. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-13-s3-s3..
Keywords: Communication, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Evidence-Based Practice
Jensen JD, Krakow M, John KK
Against conventional wisdom: when the public, the media, and medical practice collide.
In 2009, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released new mammography screening guidelines that sparked a torrent of criticism. The goal of this article is to articulate how conflicts of this type arise and to review possible means of redress. The authors concluded that science is routinely simplified as it is prepared for public consumption. In line with the model of information overload, this practice may increase short-term adherence to recommendations at the expense of long-term message consistency and trust in science.
AHRQ-funded; 290200810015C
Citation: Jensen JD, Krakow M, John KK .
Against conventional wisdom: when the public, the media, and medical practice collide.
BMC Med Inform Decis Making 2013;13 Suppl 3:S4. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-13-s3-s4..
Keywords: Communication, Evidence-Based Practice, Guidelines, Health Services Research (HSR), U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)
Quigley DD, Martino SC, Brown JA
Evaluating the content of the communication items in the CAHPS clinician and group survey and supplemental items with what high-performing physicians say they do.
The authors examined the content of the CAHPS® Clinician and Group Survey and found that the survey items captured many of the most commonly mentioned doctor-patient communication behaviors and practices identified by high-performing physicians. However, three key aspects of communication--nonverbal communication, greeting patients, and tracking personal information about patients--were not captured by the current survey.
AHRQ-funded; HS016980.
Citation: Quigley DD, Martino SC, Brown JA .
Evaluating the content of the communication items in the CAHPS clinician and group survey and supplemental items with what high-performing physicians say they do.
Patient. 2013;6(3):169-77. doi: 10.1007/s40271-013-0016-1..
Keywords: Communication, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Quality of Care, Clinician-Patient Communication, Provider Performance
Baur C, Brach C
AHRQ Author: Brach C
Pharmacy research on health literacy can contribute to national goals and health care system improvements.
Three key points about health literacy underscore the articles in this special issue: 1. Effective health communication utilizes both the spoken and written word; 2. A number of health literacy tools can help pharmacists implement health literacy practices; 3. Readability assessments can be a step on a path toward more productive provider–patient communication.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Baur C, Brach C .
Pharmacy research on health literacy can contribute to national goals and health care system improvements.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2013 Sep-Oct;9(5):498-502. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2013.06.012.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Communication, Health Literacy, Provider: Pharmacist
Del Fiol G, Curtis C, Cimino JJ
Disseminating context-specific access to online knowledge resources within electronic health record systems.
This paper describes OpenInfobutton (www.openinfobutton.org): a standards-based, open source Web service that was designed to disseminate infobutton capabilities in multiple electronic health record systems and healthcare organizations. Included in this overview are the OpenInfobutton architecture, knowledge resource integration, and experiences at five large healthcare organizations.
AHRQ-funded; HS018352.
Citation: Del Fiol G, Curtis C, Cimino JJ .
Disseminating context-specific access to online knowledge resources within electronic health record systems.
Stud Health Technol Inform 2013;192:672-6..
Keywords: Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Communication, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Web-Based
Wilcox L, Patel R, Back A
Patient-clinician communication: the roadmap for HCI.
The authors discussed their view of a workshop, envisioning opening up a dialogue among researchers and clinicians who wish to discuss directions for future research and focusing on exploring how technologies available today, as well as projected for the future, can support the communication needs of clinicians and patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS021393.
Citation: Wilcox L, Patel R, Back A .
Patient-clinician communication: the roadmap for HCI.
Ext Abstr Hum Factors Computing Syst 2013 Apr 27;2013:3291-94. doi: 10.1145/2468356.2479669.
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Keywords: Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Clinician-Patient Communication
Santa JS
Communicating information about "what not to do" to consumers.
The author reports on ways in which Consumer Reports magazine has communicated information about health services to its readers. Over a 5-year period, the author shows that the magazine as it learned more about how to communicate “what not to do” to consumers, was ultimately able to enhance the effectiveness of this difficult message.
AHRQ-funded; 290200810015C
Citation: Santa JS .
Communicating information about "what not to do" to consumers.
BMC Med Inform Decis Making 2013;13 Suppl 3:S2. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-13-s3-s2..
Keywords: Communication, Education: Patient and Caregiver
Sanders Thompson VL
Making decisions in a complex information environment: evidential preference and information we trust.
This article discusses the role of information sources and evidential preferences—including the influence of health professionals, general and ethnicity-specific media, Internet sources, personal experiences, and family and friends and their testimonials and anecdotal evidence in health decisions. It also contains recommendations for health communication practices, professional training, and future research directions.
AHRQ-funded; 290200810015C
Citation: Sanders Thompson VL .
Making decisions in a complex information environment: evidential preference and information we trust.
BMC Med Inform Decis Making 2013;13 Suppl 3:S7. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-13-s3-s7..
Keywords: Communication, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Shared Decision Making
Kravitz RL, Bell RA
Media, messages, and medication: strategies to reconcile what patients hear, what they want, and what they need from medications.
This analysis takes the form of a critical, integrative synthesis of research from the fields of medicine, marketing, public health, and health communications. The authors conclude that the problem is not a lack of information: rather, it is knowing what information to trust.
AHRQ-funded; 290200810015C
Citation: Kravitz RL, Bell RA .
Media, messages, and medication: strategies to reconcile what patients hear, what they want, and what they need from medications.
BMC Med Inform Decis Making 2013;13 Suppl 3:S5. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-13-s3-s5..
Keywords: Communication, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Promotion, Medication, Public Health