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
51 to 75 of 171 Research Studies DisplayedChua KP, Linder JA
Prevalence of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing by antibiotic among privately and publicly insured non-elderly US patients, 2018.
The authors used 2018 commercial and Medicaid claims to assess inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics. In their analysis, 22% of antibiotic claims were inappropriate. Azithromycin had an outsized role in inappropriate prescribing. They concluded that broad-based stewardship initiatives remain important given widespread inappropriate prescribing of all antibiotics.
AHRQ-funded; HS024930; HS026506; 2332015000201.
Citation: Chua KP, Linder JA .
Prevalence of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing by antibiotic among privately and publicly insured non-elderly US patients, 2018.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Sep;36(9):2861-64. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06189-z..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Medication, Medicaid, Health Insurance
Roberts ET, Glynn A, Donohue JM
The relationship between take-up of prescription drug subsidies and Medicaid among low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
In this study, the investigators examined take-up of the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) and Medicaid among Medicare beneficiaries who qualified for both programs. They went beyond prior analyses that reported average enrollment by program by 1.) examining whether LIS take-up mirrored Medicaid enrollment at income levels where individuals qualified for limited Medicaid benefits that had low take-up rates and 2.) highlighting opportunities for policy reforms to increase participation in both programs.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: Roberts ET, Glynn A, Donohue JM .
The relationship between take-up of prescription drug subsidies and Medicaid among low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Sep;36(9):2873-76. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06241-y..
Keywords: Medicaid, Medicare, Medication, Low-Income, Health Insurance
Snyder ME, Adeoye-Olatunde OA, Gernant SA
A user-centered evaluation of medication therapy management alerts for community pharmacists: recommendations to improve usability and usefulness.
Community pharmacists provide comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) through pharmacy contracts with medication therapy management (MTM) vendors. These CMRs are documented in the vendors' web-based MTM software platforms, which often integrate alerts to assist pharmacists in the detection of medication therapy problems. The objectives of this study were to 1) assess the usability and usefulness of MTM alerts for MTM vendor-contracted community pharmacists and 2) generate recommendations for improving MTM alerts for use by community pharmacists.
AHRQ-funded; HS025005.
Citation: Snyder ME, Adeoye-Olatunde OA, Gernant SA .
A user-centered evaluation of medication therapy management alerts for community pharmacists: recommendations to improve usability and usefulness.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2021 Aug;17(8):1433-43. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.10.015..
Keywords: Medication, Provider: Pharmacist, Community-Based Practice
Auty SG, Shafer PR, Dusetzina SB
Association of Medicaid managed care drug carve outs with hepatitis C virus prescription use.
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between Medicaid-covered Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) medication fills and Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) carve outs of direct-acting antiviral HCV medications. The researchers assessed changes in fills of Medicaid-covered direct-acting antiviral HCV medications in 4 states (Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, and West Virginia) that carved out these drugs from Medicaid MCOs between 2015 and 2017. The study found that carve outs were associated with a mean quarterly increase of 22.1 HCV prescriptions per 100 000 Medicaid enrollees. This was a relative increase of 86.3% compared with synthetic control states. Compared with each state's respective synthetic control, HCV prescription fills were associated with an increase of 11.5 HCV prescription fills per 100 000 Medicaid enrollees per quarter in Indiana, 36.6 in Michigan, 20.7 in West Virginia, and 43.6 in New Hampshire. The researchers concluded that carve outs of direct-acting antiviral HCV medications from Medicaid MCO prescription drug coverage were associated with significant increases in HCV medication use.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Auty SG, Shafer PR, Dusetzina SB .
Association of Medicaid managed care drug carve outs with hepatitis C virus prescription use.
JAMA Health Forum 2021 Aug;2(8):e212285. 2021/08/27. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.2285..
Keywords: Medicaid, Hepatitis, Chronic Conditions, Medication
De Oliveira GS, Castro-Alves LJ, Kendall MC
Effectiveness of pharmacist intervention to reduce medication errors and health-care resources utilization after transitions of care: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
The main objective of the current investigation was to examine the effectiveness of pharmacist-based transition-of-care interventions on the reduction of medication errors after hospital discharge. Findings showed that pharmacist transition-of-care intervention is an effective strategy to reduce medication errors after hospital discharge and also reduces subsequent emergency room visits.
AHRQ-funded; HS024158.
Citation: De Oliveira GS, Castro-Alves LJ, Kendall MC .
Effectiveness of pharmacist intervention to reduce medication errors and health-care resources utilization after transitions of care: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
J Patient Saf 2021 Aug 1;17(5):375-80. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000283..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medical Errors, Patient Safety, Provider: Pharmacist, Transitions of Care
Caballero ML, Krantz MS, Quirce S
Hidden dangers: recognizing excipients as potential causes of drug and vaccine hypersensitivity reactions.
In this paper, the authors provided a review of the evidence-based literature outlining epidemiology and mechanisms of excipient reactions and provided strategies for heightened recognition and allergy testing.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Caballero ML, Krantz MS, Quirce S .
Hidden dangers: recognizing excipients as potential causes of drug and vaccine hypersensitivity reactions.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2021 Aug;9(8):2968-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2021.03.002..
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medication, Medication: Safety, Vaccination, Patient Safety
Van Gerwen OT, Camino AF, Bourla LN
Management of trichomoniasis in the setting of 5-nitroimidazole hypersensitivity.
Metronidazole and other 5-nitroimidazoles are the mainstay of Trichomonas vaginalis treatment, with few efficacious and safe treatment options available outside of this class. Patients with trichomoniasis and a history of a clinically confirmed hypersensitivity reaction to 5-nitroimidazoles present a management challenge for clinicians. In this study, the investigators examine management of Trichomoniasis in the setting of 5-nitroimidazole hypersensitivity.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Van Gerwen OT, Camino AF, Bourla LN .
Management of trichomoniasis in the setting of 5-nitroimidazole hypersensitivity.
Sex Transm Dis 2021 Aug;48(8):e111-e15. doi: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001326..
Keywords: Infectious Diseases, Sexual Health, Antibiotics, Medication
Ko JY, Hirai AH, Owens PL
AHRQ Author: Owens PL
Neonatal abstinence syndrome and maternal opioid-related diagnoses: analysis of ICD-10-CM transition, 2013-2017.
Researchers sought to evaluate whether the transition from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM may have affected surveillance on rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), maternal opioid use disorder (OUD), and opioid-related diagnoses. Using HCUP data, they found that the ICD-10-CM transition did not appear to affect NAS. However, coding of maternal OUD alone may not capture the same population across the transition, potentially confounding the interpretation of trend data spanning this time period.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Ko JY, Hirai AH, Owens PL .
Neonatal abstinence syndrome and maternal opioid-related diagnoses: analysis of ICD-10-CM transition, 2013-2017.
Hosp Pediatr 2021 Aug;11(8):902-08. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2021-005845..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Newborns/Infants, Opioids, Medication, Pregnancy, Substance Abuse
Hoffmann JA, Pergjika A, Konicek CE
Pharmacologic management of acute agitation in youth in the emergency department.
In this article, the authors reviewed the definition of agitation and pharmacologic management for youth with acute agitation, including common classes of medications, indications for use, and adverse effects. They also discussed the need to integrate the use of medications into a comprehensive strategy for agitation management that begins with proactive prevention of aggressive behavior, creation of a therapeutic treatment environment, and verbal de-escalation strategies.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Hoffmann JA, Pergjika A, Konicek CE .
Pharmacologic management of acute agitation in youth in the emergency department.
Pediatr Emerg Care 2021 Aug;37(8):417-22. doi: 10.1097/pec.0000000000002510..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Medication, Care Management
McCoy RG, Van Houten HK, Dunlay SM
Race and sex differences in the initiation of diabetes drugs by privately insured US adults.
The authors examined the differences in the use of three glucose-lowering medications as a function of both sex and race. They found that, compared to white men, GLP-1RA were 43% more likely to be started by White women, 12% more likely to be started by non-White men, and 21% less likely to be started by non-White women. SGLT2i were at least 10% less likely to be started by all groups compared to White men, and DPP4i were used more often by non-White than White patients of both sexes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: McCoy RG, Van Houten HK, Dunlay SM .
Race and sex differences in the initiation of diabetes drugs by privately insured US adults.
Race and sex differences in the initiation of diabetes drugs by privately insured US adults..
Keywords: Diabetes, Chronic Conditions, Medication, Sex Factors, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Vu K, Zhou J, Everhart A
Uptake of evidence by physicians: de-adoption of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents after the TREAT trial.
Variation in de-adoption of ineffective or unsafe treatments is not well-understood. In this study the investigators examined de-adoption of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) in anemia treatment among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) following new clinical evidence of harm and ineffectiveness (the TREAT trial) and the FDA's revision of its safety warning. The investigators found that physician specialty had a dominant role in prescribing decision, and specializations with higher use of treatment (nephrologists) were more responsive to new evidence of unsafety and ineffectiveness.
AHRQ-funded; HS025164.
Citation: Vu K, Zhou J, Everhart A .
Uptake of evidence by physicians: de-adoption of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents after the TREAT trial.
BMC Nephrol 2021 Aug 21;22(1):284. doi: 10.1186/s12882-021-02491-y..
Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician
Bedford T, Adediran T, Haycock NR
Patient and provider acceptability of a patient preauthorized concealed opioid reduction.
Researchers investigated patient and provider acceptance of a concealed opioid reduction for chronic pain. They conducted a cross-sectional survey with patients who are taking or have taken high dose opioids via REDcap, and with providers via a validated questionnaire. They found that patients and providers have positive attitudes toward a concealed reduction of opioid dosages. They concluded that their findings support future randomized controlled trials that compare concealed and overt opioid tapering in patients with chronic pain.
AHRQ-funded; HS022135.
Citation: Bedford T, Adediran T, Haycock NR .
Patient and provider acceptability of a patient preauthorized concealed opioid reduction.
Pain Med 2021 Jul 25;22(7):1651-59. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa454..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Pain, Chronic Conditions
Ibrahim S, Lowe JR, Bramante CT
Metformin and Covid-19: focused review of mechanisms and current literature suggesting benefit.
In the current Covid-19 pandemic, four observational studies have been published showing reduced mortality among individuals with home metformin use. This article discusses these studies.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379.
Citation: Ibrahim S, Lowe JR, Bramante CT .
Metformin and Covid-19: focused review of mechanisms and current literature suggesting benefit.
Front Endocrinol 2021 Jul 22;12:587801. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.587801..
Keywords: COVID-19, Medication, Treatments
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
Goodman KE, Cosgrove SE, Pineles L
Significant regional differences in antibiotic use across 576 US hospitals
This study’s objective was to examine adult antibiotic use across 576 hospitals and nearly 12 million encounters in 2016-2017. Findings showed that adult inpatient antibiotic use remained high, driven predominantly by broad-spectrum agents. Recommendations included better understanding of the reasons for interhospital usage differences, including by region and teaching status, in order to inform efforts to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.
AHRQ-funded; HS026205.
Citation: Goodman KE, Cosgrove SE, Pineles L .
Significant regional differences in antibiotic use across 576 US hospitals
Significant regional differences in antibiotic use across 576 US hospitals and 11 701 326 adult admissions, 2016-2017..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Hospitals
Watterson TL, Stone JA, Brown R
CancelRx: a health IT tool to reduce medication discrepancies in the outpatient setting.
Medication list discrepancies between outpatient clinics and pharmacies can lead to medication errors. Within the last decade, a new health information technology (IT), CancelRx, emerged to send a medication cancellation message from the clinic's electronic health record (EHR) to the outpatient pharmacy's software. The objective of this study was to measure the impact of CancelRx on reducing medication discrepancies between the EHR and pharmacy dispensing software.
AHRQ-funded; HS025793.
Citation: Watterson TL, Stone JA, Brown R .
CancelRx: a health IT tool to reduce medication discrepancies in the outpatient setting.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2021 Jul 14;28(7):1526-33. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocab038..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Medical Errors, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Ambulatory Care and Surgery
Wu P, Nelson SD, Zhao J
DDIWAS: high-throughput electronic health record-based screening of drug-drug interactions.
In this study, the investigators developed and evaluated Drug-Drug Interaction Wide Association Study (DDIWAS). This novel method detected potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) by leveraging data from the electronic health record (EHR) allergy list. The investigators concluded that they demonstrated the value of incorporating information mined from existing allergy lists to detect DDIs in a real-world clinical setting. They indicate that since allergy lists are routinely collected in EHRs, DDIWAS has the potential to detect and validate DDI signals across institutions.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Wu P, Nelson SD, Zhao J .
DDIWAS: high-throughput electronic health record-based screening of drug-drug interactions.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2021 Jul 14;28(7):1421-30. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocab019..
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety
King CR, Abraham J, Fritz BA
Predicting self-intercepted medication ordering errors using machine learning.
Current approaches to understanding medication ordering errors rely on relatively small manually captured error samples. These approaches are resource-intensive, do not scale for computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems, and are likely to miss important risk factors associated with medication ordering errors. Previously, the investigators described a dataset of CPOE-based medication voiding accompanied by univariable and multivariable regression analyses. In this paper, they updated the analysis using machine learning (ML) models to predict erroneous medication orders and identify its contributing factors.
AHRQ-funded; HS025443.
Citation: King CR, Abraham J, Fritz BA .
Predicting self-intercepted medication ordering errors using machine learning.
PLoS One 2021 Jul 14;16(7):e0254358. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254358..
Keywords: Medication, Medical Errors, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Lillie KM, Shaw J, Jansen KJ
Buprenorphine/naloxone for opioid use disorder among Alaska Native and American Indian people.
Opioid-related disparities are magnified among Alaska Native and American Indian (ANAI) people. Yet, no outcome studies on medication for addiction treatment, an effective treatment in other populations, among ANAI people exist. The objective of this study was to identify variables associated with buprenorphine/naloxone retention among ANAI people with opioid use disorder (OUD). The investigators concluded that younger patients and those with co-occurring substance use remained at higher risk of discontinuing buprenorphine/naloxone treatment for OUD in this population of ANAI people.
AHRQ-funded; HS023207.
Citation: Lillie KM, Shaw J, Jansen KJ .
Buprenorphine/naloxone for opioid use disorder among Alaska Native and American Indian people.
J Addict Med 2021 Jul-Aug 01;15(4):297-302. doi: 10.1097/adm.0000000000000757..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Medication, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Vulnerable Populations
Teoh L, Thompson W, Hubbard CC
Comparison of dental benzodiazepine prescriptions from the U.S., England, and Australia from 2013 to 2018.
Benzodiazepines contribute to substance use disorder and are often part of polydrug abuse, most frequently with opioids. Although dental opioid prescribing differs significantly between countries, little is known about the patterns of dental benzodiazepine prescribing. The aim of this study was to compare dental prescribing of benzodiazepines among the U.S., England, and Australia in 2013-2018.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Teoh L, Thompson W, Hubbard CC .
Comparison of dental benzodiazepine prescriptions from the U.S., England, and Australia from 2013 to 2018.
Am J Prev Med 2021 Jul;61(1):73-79. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.01.025..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Dental and Oral Health
Carayon P, Thuemling T, Parmasad V
Implementation of an antibiotic stewardship intervention to reduce prescription of fluoroquinolones: a human factors analysis in two intensive care units.
In this study, researchers conducted an in-depth analysis of an intervention aimed at limiting ICU prescriber access to fluoroquinolones (FQ) in the ICUs of two hospitals. Their results showed some differences in the implementation of the FQ intervention between the two studied ICUs, such as level and method of FQ restriction, and training and communication with physicians and pharmacists. In both ICUs, several organizational learning mechanisms helped quickly to identify problems with the intervention and to ensure that changes were made in a just-in-time manner. Despite their organizational differences, both sites developed strategies to implement the FQ intervention successfully.
AHRQ-funded; HS026226.
Citation: Carayon P, Thuemling T, Parmasad V .
Implementation of an antibiotic stewardship intervention to reduce prescription of fluoroquinolones: a human factors analysis in two intensive care units.
J Patient Saf Risk Manag 2021 Jul;26(4):161-71..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
Rogal S, Youk A, Agbalajobi O
Medication treatment of active opioid use disorder in veterans with cirrhosis.
Although opioid use disorder (OUD) is common in patients with cirrhosis, it is unclear how medication treatment for OUD (MOUD) is used in this population. In this study, the investigators aimed to assess the factors associated with MOUD and mortality in a cohort of Veterans with cirrhosis and OUD. The investigators found that few Veterans with active OUD and cirrhosis received MOUD, and those with alcohol use disorder, schizophrenia, and previous prescriptions for opioids were least likely to receive these effective therapies.
AHRQ-funded; HS019461.
Citation: Rogal S, Youk A, Agbalajobi O .
Medication treatment of active opioid use disorder in veterans with cirrhosis.
Am J Gastroenterol 2021 Jul;116(7):1406-13. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001228..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Medication
Bramante CT, Buse J, Tamaritz L
Outpatient metformin use is associated with reduced severity of COVID-19 disease in adults with overweight or obesity.
This study investigated whether outpatient metformin use is associated with reduced severity of COVID-19 in adults with overweight or obesity. Metformin can decrease interleukin-6 and tumor-necrosis factor- α, which appears to contribute to COVID-19 mortality. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of electronic health record (EHR) data that was pooled across multiple EHR systems from 12 hospitals and 60 primary care clinics in the Midwest between March and December 2020. Inclusion criteria included data for BMI > 25 kg/m(2); age range 30-85 years; and a positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test. Metformin was associated with a decrease in mortality from COVID-19 and a nonsignificant decrease in hospital admission in the overall cohort.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379.
Citation: Bramante CT, Buse J, Tamaritz L .
Outpatient metformin use is associated with reduced severity of COVID-19 disease in adults with overweight or obesity.
J Med Virol 2021 Jul;93(7):4273-79. doi: 10.1002/jmv.26873..
Keywords: COVID-19, Infectious Diseases, Obesity, Medication, Treatments, Outcomes
Bishop JR, Huang RS, Brown JT
Pharmacogenomics education, research and clinical implementation in the state of Minnesota.
This article looks at the development and implementation of formal pharmacogenomic (PGx) clinical programs at several healthcare organizations across Minnesota. These programs increase drug safety and effectiveness. The article reviews the state of PGx activities in the state of Minnesota including educational programs, research, national consortia involvement, technology, clinical implementation and utilization and reimbursement, and outlines the challenges and opportunities in equitable implementation of these activities.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379.
Citation: Bishop JR, Huang RS, Brown JT .
Pharmacogenomics education, research and clinical implementation in the state of Minnesota.
Pharmacogenomics 2021 Jul;22(11):681-91. doi: 10.2217/pgs-2021-0058..
Keywords: Medication, Implementation, Learning Health Systems, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Chou LN, Kuo YF, Raji MA
Potentially inappropriate medication prescribing by nurse practitioners and physicians.
This study compared prescribing rates for potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) by physicians and nurse practitioners (NPs). The authors used 100% Texas Medicare data to define physician and NP visits in 2016. Rates of visits with a PIM prescription from the same provider was measured by initial and refill visits. There were 24.1 per 1000 visits for PIM prescriptions, 9.0 per 1000 visits for an initial PM and 15.1 per 1000 visits for a refill PIM. Visits to an NP was less likely to result in an initial and refill PIM visit than a visit to a physician. There was a strong association of lower odds of a black enrollee receiving a PIM by an NP than white enrollees. There was also less likelihood of receiving a PIM refill from an NP in older patients and in those with more comorbidities.
AHRQ-funded; HS020642; HS020642.
Citation: Chou LN, Kuo YF, Raji MA .
Potentially inappropriate medication prescribing by nurse practitioners and physicians.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2021 Jul;69(7):1916-24. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17120..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Provider: Physician, Provider: Nurse, Hospitalization, Practice Patterns, Ambulatory Care and Surgery