National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Search All Research Studies
Topics
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
- Adverse Events (5)
- Antibiotics (3)
- Antimicrobial Stewardship (2)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Caregiving (1)
- Children/Adolescents (2)
- (-) Critical Care (15)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (1)
- Healthcare Utilization (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Hospitals (2)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (12)
- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
- Medical Errors (1)
- Medication (3)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (1)
- Mortality (1)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (3)
- Neurological Disorders (1)
- (-) Newborns/Infants (15)
- Outcomes (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (2)
- Patient Safety (3)
- Prevention (1)
- Provider Performance (1)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Shared Decision Making (1)
- Stress (1)
- Teams (1)
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 15 of 15 Research Studies DisplayedQureshi N, Kroger J, Zangwill KM
Changes in perceptions of antibiotic stewardship among neonatal intensive care unit providers over the course of a learning collaborative: a prospective, multisite, mixed-methods evaluation.
The purpose of this study was to assess clinician perceptions towards the value and implementation of antibiotic stewardship (AS) in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The researchers conducted a mixed-methods study of AS perceptions utilizing surveys and interviews in 30 California NICUs before and after a multicenter collaborative (Optimizing Antibiotic Use in California NICUs [OASCN]). The study found that pre-OASCN, 24% of respondents believed there was "a lot of" or "some" inappropriate prescribing, often driven by fear of a bad outcome or hesitation to change existing practices. Clinicians reported statistically significant increases in AS importance, perceived AS activity, and more openness to change after OASCN.
AHRQ-funded; HS026168.
Citation: Qureshi N, Kroger J, Zangwill KM .
Changes in perceptions of antibiotic stewardship among neonatal intensive care unit providers over the course of a learning collaborative: a prospective, multisite, mixed-methods evaluation.
J Perinatol 2024 Jan; 44(1):62-70. doi: 10.1038/s41372-023-01823-0..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Newborns/Infants, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care
Flannery DD, Zevallos Barboza A, Mukhopadhyay S
Antibiotic use among infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units.
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine antibiotic exposure, days of therapy, types of antibiotics, and changes in use patterns among newborns in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) across the U.S. Data for almost 1.4 million infants were taken from the Premier Healthcare Database. The most common antibiotics prescribed during the study period were ampicillin, gentamicin, vancomycin, and cefotaxime. Antibiotic use declined substantially over time, primarily because of reductions in ampicillin and gentamicin. The authors noted that these findings probably reflect the penetration of national calls for neonatal antibiotic stewardship efforts and refined early-onset infection risk-assessment strategies; shortage and subsequent discontinuation of cefotaxime may have played a role in the sharp decline in its use and the related increase in ceftazidime use.
AHRQ-funded; HS027468.
Citation: Flannery DD, Zevallos Barboza A, Mukhopadhyay S .
Antibiotic use among infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units.
JAMA Pediatr 2023 Dec; 177(12):1354-56. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.3664..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Antibiotics, Medication, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care
Karvonen KL, Anunwah E, Chambers Butcher BD
Structural racism operationalized via adverse social events in a single-center neonatal intensive care unit.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to assess structural racism in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by establishing whether variations in adverse social events occur by racialized groups. The study included 3,290 infants hospitalized in a single center NICU in the Racial and Ethnic Justice in Outcomes in Neonatal Intensive Care (REJOICE) study, and researchers included demographics and adverse social events including infant urine toxicology screening, child protective services (CPS) referrals, behavioral contracts, and security emergency response calls were collected from electronic medical records. The study found that 6.2% of families experienced an adverse social event. Black families had a greater likelihood of having experienced a CPS referral and a urine toxicology screen. American Indian and Alaskan Native families also had a greater likelihood of experiencing CPS referrals and urine toxicology screens. Black families had a greater likelihood of experiencing behavioral contracts and security emergency response calls. Latinx families had a similar risk of adverse events, and Asian families were less likely to experience adverse events.
AHRQ-funded; HS028473; HS026383.
Citation: Karvonen KL, Anunwah E, Chambers Butcher BD .
Structural racism operationalized via adverse social events in a single-center neonatal intensive care unit.
J Pediatr 2023 Sep; 260:113499. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.113499..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Newborns/Infants, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care
Herrick HM, O'Reilly M, Lee S
Providing Oxygen during Intubation in the NICU Trial (POINT): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial in the neonatal intensive care unit in the USA.
This article is a study protocol describing a pilot randomized controlled trial called Providing Oxygen during Intubation in the NICU Trial or POINT. This study’s objective will be to determine among infants ≥28 weeks' corrected gestational age (cGA) who undergo intubation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) whether apnoeic oxygenation with a regular low-flow nasal cannula (NC), compared with standard of care (no additional respiratory support), reduces the magnitude of SpO(2) decline during intubation. This severe desaturation occurs in nearly half of neonatal intubations. This multicenter, prospective, unblinded, pilot randomized controlled trial recruited 120 infants, 10 in the run-in phase, and 110 in the randomization phase at two tertiary care hospitals in Pennsylvania. Patients will be randomized to 6 L NC 100% oxygen versus standard of care (no respiratory support) at time of intubation, with primary outcome the magnitude of oxygen desaturation during intubation. Secondary outcomes will include additional efficacy, safety, and feasibility outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS029029.
Citation: Herrick HM, O'Reilly M, Lee S .
Providing Oxygen during Intubation in the NICU Trial (POINT): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial in the neonatal intensive care unit in the USA.
BMJ Open 2023 Apr 13; 13(4):e073400. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073400..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care
Doherty JR, Schaefer A, Goodman DC
Texas hospital's perspectives about NICU performance measures: a mixed-methods study.
This exploratory mixed-methods study was conducted to determine Texas hospital leaders’ perspectives about neonatal intensive care (NICU) performance measures. First a survey was sent along with a copy of the Dartmouth Atlas of Neonatal Intensive Care to clinical and administrative leaders of 150 NICUs in Texas. The authors asked respondents to review the chapter that reported Texas-specific results and respond to a variety of open and closed-ended questions about the overall usefulness of the report. Secondly, they conducted semistructured qualitative interviews with a subset of survey respondents to better understand their perspectives. There was a 50% survey response rate. Respondents generally found the report to be interesting and useful, and 87.7% of all respondents reported being in favor of receiving future reports with their own hospital's data benchmarked against other anonymous NICU peers. All measures in the Atlas were considered favorably. The respondents also felt that a report with performance data would serve as a mechanism to drive change by identifying opportunities for improvement.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Doherty JR, Schaefer A, Goodman DC .
Texas hospital's perspectives about NICU performance measures: a mixed-methods study.
Qual Manag Health Care 2023 Jan-Mar;32(1):8-15. doi: 10.1097/qmh.0000000000000347..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Provider Performance, Hospitals
Klawetter S, Cetin N, Ilea P
"All these people saved her life, but she needs me too": understanding and responding to parental mental health in the NICU.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the mental health needs of parents of infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and the challenges and solutions to meeting those needs. Through interviews with 15 parents and staff at a level IV NICU in the United States, the study found: the relationship between staff and parents filter protect from trauma and distress; information needs and mental health needs change over time, a lack of continuity of care affects response to mental health concerns, and NICU plays a critical role in addressing the mental health of parents. The researchers concluded that mental health support should be integrated into and customized to the entire NICU trajectory, with emphasis on parents living in rural locations and non-English-speaking parents.
AHRQ-funded; HS026370.
Citation: Klawetter S, Cetin N, Ilea P .
"All these people saved her life, but she needs me too": understanding and responding to parental mental health in the NICU.
J Perinatol 2022 Nov;42(11):1496-503. doi: 10.1038/s41372-022-01426-1..
Keywords: Caregiving, Newborns/Infants, Critical Care, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Behavioral Health
Sullivan BA, Panda A, Wallman-Stokes A
Antibiotic spectrum index: a new tool comparing antibiotic use in three NICUs.
This study looked at a new tool called the antibiotic spectrum index (ASI) which quantifies antibiotic exposure by relative antimicrobial activity, adding information to exposure measured by days of therapy (DOT). This index was tested with very low-birth-weight infants (VLBW, <1500g) in 3 level-4 NICUs for 2 years at 2 sites and for 1 year at a third site. The authors calculated the ASI per antibiotic days and DOT per patient days for all admitted VLBW infants <32 weeks gestational age. The site with the highest DOT per patient days was found to have the lowest ASI per antibiotic days and the site with the highest mortality and infection rates were found to have the highest ASI per antibiotic days. Antibiotic utilization varied by center.
AHRQ-funded; HS026742.
Citation: Sullivan BA, Panda A, Wallman-Stokes A .
Antibiotic spectrum index: a new tool comparing antibiotic use in three NICUs.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2022 Nov;43(11):1553-57. doi: 10.1017/ice.2021.467..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Medication, Newborns/Infants, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Antimicrobial Stewardship
Shafer GJ, Singh H, Thomas EJ
Frequency of diagnostic errors in the neonatal intensive care unit: a retrospective cohort study.
The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and etiology of diagnostic errors during the first 7 days of admission for inborn neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients. The "Safer Dx NICU Instrument" was used to review electronic health records. The reviewers discovered that the frequency of diagnostic error in inborn NICU patients during the first 7 days of admission was 6.2%.
AHRQ-funded; HS027363.
Citation: Shafer GJ, Singh H, Thomas EJ .
Frequency of diagnostic errors in the neonatal intensive care unit: a retrospective cohort study.
J Perinatol 2022 Oct;42(10):1312-18. doi: 10.1038/s41372-022-01359-9..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Schuetz CR, Hogan PG, Reich PJ
Factors associated with progression to infection in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-colonized, critically ill neonates.
The purpose of this case-control study was to identify factors associated with development of symptomatic infection in infants colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The investigators concluded that progression from MRSA colonization to symptomatic infection was associated with increased morbidity and may be mitigated through decolonization.
AHRQ-funded; HS021736; HS024269.
Citation: Schuetz CR, Hogan PG, Reich PJ .
Factors associated with progression to infection in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-colonized, critically ill neonates.
J Perinatol 2021 Jun;41(6):1285-92. doi: 10.1038/s41372-021-00944-8..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Critical Care, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Umoren RA, Sawyer TL, Ades A
Team stress and adverse events during neonatal tracheal intubations: a report from NEAR4NEOS.
This study aimed to examine the association between team stress level and adverse tracheal intubation (TI)-associated events during neonatal intubations. TIs from 10 academic neonatal intensive care units were analyzed. Team stress level was rated immediately after TI using a 7-point Likert scale (1 = high stress). Associations among team stress, adverse TI-associated events, and TI characteristics were evaluated. The investigators concluded that high team stress levels during TI were more frequently reported among TIs with adverse events.
AHRQ-funded; HS024511.
Citation: Umoren RA, Sawyer TL, Ades A .
Team stress and adverse events during neonatal tracheal intubations: a report from NEAR4NEOS.
Am J Perinatol 2020 Dec;37(14):1417-24. doi: 10.1055/s-0039-1693698..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Teams, Stress, Adverse Events
Stoops C, Stone S, Evans E
Baby NINJA (Nephrotoxic Injury Negated by Just-in-Time Action): reduction of nephrotoxic medication-associated acute kidney injury in the neonatal intensive care unit.
The purpose of this study was to test if acute kidney injury (AKI) is preventable in patients in the neonatal intensive care unit and if infants at high-risk of nephrotoxic medication-induced AKI can be identified using a systematic surveillance program previously used in the pediatric non-intensive care unit setting. The authors concluded that a systematic surveillance program to identify high-risk infants can prevent nephrotoxic-induced AKI and has the potential to prevent short and long-term consequences of AKI in critically ill infants.
AHRQ-funded; HS023763.
Citation: Stoops C, Stone S, Evans E .
Baby NINJA (Nephrotoxic Injury Negated by Just-in-Time Action): reduction of nephrotoxic medication-associated acute kidney injury in the neonatal intensive care unit.
J Pediatr 2019 Dec;215:223-28.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.08.046..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Kidney Disease and Health, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Prevention, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events
Williams CN, Eriksson CO, Kirby A
Hospital mortality and functional outcomes in pediatric neurocritical care.
Pediatric neurocritical care (PNCC) outcomes research is scarce. In this study, the investigators aimed to expand knowledge about outcomes in PNCC by evaluating death and changes in Functional Status Scale (FSS) from baseline among PNCC diagnoses. The investigators concluded that PNCC patients had high rates of death and new disability at discharge, varying significantly between PNCC diagnoses. Multiple domains of disability were affected, underscoring the ongoing multidisciplinary health care needs of survivors.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Williams CN, Eriksson CO, Kirby A .
Hospital mortality and functional outcomes in pediatric neurocritical care.
Hosp Pediatr 2019 Dec;9(12):958-66. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2019-0173..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Newborns/Infants, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Neurological Disorders, Mortality, Hospitals, Inpatient Care, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Freedman S
Capacity and utilization in health care: the effect of empty beds on neonatal intensive care admission.
In this paper, the author exploited short-term variation in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) capacity that is unlikely to be correlated with unobserved demand determinants. He found that available NICU beds have little to no effect on NICU utilization for the sickest infants, but do increase utilization for those in the range of birth weights where admission decisions are likely to be more discretionary.
AHRQ-funded; HS018266.
Citation: Freedman S .
Capacity and utilization in health care: the effect of empty beds on neonatal intensive care admission.
Am Econ J Econ Policy 2016 May 1;8(2):154-85. doi: 10.1257/pol.20120393.
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Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Healthcare Utilization, Critical Care, Shared Decision Making
Sanders RC, Jr., Nett ST, Davis KF
Family presence during pediatric tracheal intubations.
The researchers described the current practice of family presence (FP) during tracheal intubation (TI) and evaluated the association with procedural and clinician (including physician, respiratory therapist, and nurse practitioner) outcomes across multiple pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). They found that FP was not associated with first attempt success, adverse TI-associated events, oxygen desaturation (<80%), or higher team stress level.
AHRQ-funded; HS022464; HS022469; HS021583.
Citation: Sanders RC, Jr., Nett ST, Davis KF .
Family presence during pediatric tracheal intubations.
JAMA Pediatr 2016 Mar 7;170(3):e154627. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.4627.
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Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Children/Adolescents, Critical Care, Adverse Events, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Rehder KJ, Giuliano JS, Jr., Napolitano N
Increased occurrence of tracheal intubation-associated events during nights and weekends in the PICU.
Little is known about how the incidence of tracheal intubation-associated events is affected by the time of day, day of the week, or presence of in-hospital attending-level intensivists. After analyzing 5,096 tracheal intubation courses from the prospective multicenter National Emergency Airway Registry for Children, the researchers found that a higher occurrence of tracheal intubation-associated events was observed during nights and weekends, due primarily to emergent intubations.
AHRQ-funded; HS022464; HS021583.
Citation: Rehder KJ, Giuliano JS, Jr., Napolitano N .
Increased occurrence of tracheal intubation-associated events during nights and weekends in the PICU.
Crit Care Med 2015 Dec;43(12):2668-74. doi: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000001313.
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Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Critical Care