National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- Data Innovations
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
Topics
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Colorectal Cancer (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (5)
- Care Coordination (2)
- Care Management (2)
- Chronic Conditions (2)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (1)
- Colonoscopy (1)
- Comparative Effectiveness (1)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (4)
- Healthcare Delivery (5)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (3)
- Implementation (6)
- Medication (1)
- Opioids (1)
- Organizational Change (2)
- Pain (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (8)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (3)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Patient Experience (3)
- Practice Improvement (2)
- Prevention (1)
- Primary Care (18)
- (-) Primary Care: Models of Care (19)
- Provider (2)
- (-) Quality Improvement (19)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (1)
- Quality of Care (18)
- Rural Health (1)
- Screening (1)
- Teams (2)
- Workflow (2)
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 19 of 19 Research Studies DisplayedBerry CA, Nguyen AM, Cuthel AM
Measuring implementation strategy fidelity in HealthyHearts NYC: a complex intervention using practice facilitation in primary care.
This study measured implementation strategy fidelity for the HealthyHearts NYC intervention program, an AHRQ-funded program that uses practice facilitation (PF) to improve adoption of cardiovascular disease evidence-based guidelines in primary care practices. Data from 257 practices measured fidelity using 4 categories: frequency, duration, content, and coverage. Almost all (94.2%) of practices received at least the 13 PF visits with an average 26.3 hours spent at each site by facilitators. Most practices (95.7%) completed all Task List items, and 71.2% were educated on all Chronic Care Models, with the majority (65.8%) receiving full coverage.
AHRQ-funded; HS023922.
Citation: Berry CA, Nguyen AM, Cuthel AM .
Measuring implementation strategy fidelity in HealthyHearts NYC: a complex intervention using practice facilitation in primary care.
Am J Med Qual 2021 Jul-Aug;36(4):270-76. doi: 10.1177/1062860620959450..
Keywords: Implementation, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Practice Improvement, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care: Models of Care
Fagnan LJ, Ramsey K, Kline T
Place matters: closing the gap on rural primary care quality improvement capacity-the Healthy Hearts Northwest study.
This study compared rural independent and health system primary care practices with urban practices to external practice facilitation support in terms of recruitment, readiness, engagement, retention, and change in quality improvement (QI) capacity and quality metric performing. The Healthy Hearts Northwest quality improvement initiative consisting of 135 small or medium-sized primary care practices were used. The practices were stratified by geography, rural or urban, and by ownership. Changes in 3 clinical quality measures (CQMs): appropriate aspirin use, blood pressure (BP) control, and tobacco use screening, were measured at baseline in 2015 and follow-up in 2017. Rural practices were more likely to enroll than urban practices. Rural independent practices had the lowest QI capacity at baseline, making the largest gain in establishing a regular QI process. They made the greatest improvement in meeting the BP control CQM and the smoking cessation metric, from 72.3% to 86.7%.
AHRQ-funded; HS023908; HS023921.
Citation: Fagnan LJ, Ramsey K, Kline T .
Place matters: closing the gap on rural primary care quality improvement capacity-the Healthy Hearts Northwest study.
J Am Board Fam Med 2021 Jul-Aug;34(4):753-61. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.04.210011..
Keywords: Rural Health, Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Practice Improvement, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions
Hung DY, Mujal G, Jin A
Patient experiences after implementing lean primary care redesigns.
The authors examined the effect of Lean primary care redesigns on patient satisfaction with care and timeliness of care received. After implementation of Lean redesigns, they found that patients reported a 44.8 percent increase in satisfaction with the adequacy of time spent with care providers during office visits. They also reported 71.6 percent higher satisfaction with their care provider's ability to listen to their concerns and a 55.4 percent increase in perceived staff helpfulness at the visit. The amount of time elapsed between a patient request for a routine appointment and the scheduled visit day decreased. On the day of the visit, patient wait times to be seen also decreased gradually.
AHRQ-funded; HS024529.
Citation: Hung DY, Mujal G, Jin A .
Patient experiences after implementing lean primary care redesigns.
Health Serv Res 2021 Jun;56(3):363-70. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13605..
Keywords: Patient Experience, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Workflow, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Hung DY, Truong QA, Liang SY
Implementing lean quality improvement in primary care: impact on efficiency in performing common clinical tasks.
Investigators examined 3-year impacts of Lean implementation on the amount of time taken for physicians to complete common clinical tasks. They found that Lean redesigns led to improvements in timely completion of 3 out of 4 common clinical tasks, thus supporting the use of Lean techniques to engage teams in routine aspects of patient care. They recommended more research to understand the mechanisms by which Lean promotes quality improvement and effectiveness of care team workflows.
AHRQ-funded; HS024529.
Citation: Hung DY, Truong QA, Liang SY .
Implementing lean quality improvement in primary care: impact on efficiency in performing common clinical tasks.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Feb;36(2):274-79. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06317-9..
Keywords: Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Implementation, Workflow, Teams, Healthcare Delivery
Qureshi N, Quigley DD, Hays RD
Nationwide qualitative study of practice leader perspectives on what it takes to transform into a patient-centered medical home.
The purpose of this study was to examine reasons practices obtained and maintained patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recognition and what resources were needed. The investigators concluded that PCMH efforts necessitated support and assistance to frontline, on-site practice leaders leading care delivery changes. They suggested that change efforts should include financial incentives (e.g., direct payment or additional reimbursement), leadership direction and support, and internal or external staff with experience with the PCMH application process, implementation changes, and QI expertise in monitoring process and outcome data.
AHRQ-funded; HS016980.
Citation: Qureshi N, Quigley DD, Hays RD .
Nationwide qualitative study of practice leader perspectives on what it takes to transform into a patient-centered medical home.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Dec;35(12):3501-09. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06052-1..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Healthcare Delivery
Quigley DD, Qureshi N, Masarweh LA
Practice leaders report targeting several types of changes in care experienced by patients during patient-centered medical home transformation.
This study looked at how primary care practices implemented changes during the transition to becoming a patient-centered medical home (PCMH). The authors examined 105 primary care practice leader experiences during PCMH transformation using semi-structured interviews. Practices most commonly targeted changes in care coordination (30%), access to care (25%), and provider communication (24%). Reported areas for PCMH transformation were measured by Clinician & Group CAHPS, PCMH CAHPS, or supplemental CAHPS survey items, including team-based care (35%), providing more on-site services (28%), care management (22%), patient-centered culture (18%), and chronic condition health education (13%). Many PCMH changes are captured by CAHPS survey items, but some are not.
AHRQ-funded; HS025920.
Citation: Quigley DD, Qureshi N, Masarweh LA .
Practice leaders report targeting several types of changes in care experienced by patients during patient-centered medical home transformation.
J Patient Exp 2020 Dec;7(6):1509-18. doi: 10.1177/2374373520934231..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient Experience, Care Coordination, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Implementation
Aysola J, Xu C, Huo H
The relationships between patient experience and quality and utilization of primary care services.
This study examined the associations between visit-triggered patient-reported experience measures and both quality of care measures and the number of missed primary care appointments. A cross-sectional analysis of 8355 primary care patients from 22 primary care practices was conducted. Outcomes measured included: smoking cessation discussion, diabetes eye examination referral, mammography, colonoscopy screening, current smoking status, diabetes control hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure control, cholesterol control LDL among patients with diabetes, and visit no shows 2 and 5 years after the index visit. The authors found that patient experience can be an important stand-alone metric of care quality, although it may not relate to clinical outcomes or process measures in the outpatient setting.
AHRQ-funded; HS021706.
Citation: Aysola J, Xu C, Huo H .
The relationships between patient experience and quality and utilization of primary care services.
J Patient Exp 2020 Dec;7(6):1678-84. doi: 10.1177/2374373520924190..
Keywords: Patient Experience, Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Soylu TG, Cuellar AE, Goldberg DG
Readiness and implementation of quality improvement strategies among small- and medium-sized primary care practices: an observational study.
Grounded in organizational readiness theory, the authors examined how readiness and practice characteristics affect QI strategy implementation. The study was a component of a larger practice-level intervention, Heart of Virginia Healthcare, which sought to transform primary care while improving cardiovascular care. The investigators concluded that QI strategy implementation varied by practice ownership. Independent practices focused on patient care-related activities.
AHRQ-funded; HS023913.
Citation: Soylu TG, Cuellar AE, Goldberg DG .
Readiness and implementation of quality improvement strategies among small- and medium-sized primary care practices: an observational study.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Oct;35(10):2882-88. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-05978-w..
Keywords: Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Implementation
Dickinson WP, Nease DE, Rhyne RL
Practice transformation support and patient engagement to improve cardiovascular care: from EvidenceNOW Southwest (ENSW).
The purpose of this study was to improve cardiovascular care through supporting primary care practices' adoption of evidence-based guidelines; a cluster randomized trial compared standard practice support--practice facilitation, practice assessment with feedback, health information technology assistance, and collaborative learning sessions--and standard support plus patient engagement support. Findings showed that practice transformation support can assist practices with improving quality of care. Patient engagement in practice transformation can further enhance practices' implementation of aspects of new models of care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023904.
Citation: Dickinson WP, Nease DE, Rhyne RL .
Practice transformation support and patient engagement to improve cardiovascular care: from EvidenceNOW Southwest (ENSW).
J Am Board Fam Med 2020 Sep-Oct;33(5):675-86. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2020.05.190395..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Patient and Family Engagement, Evidence-Based Practice, Implementation, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Persell SD, Liss DT, Walunas TL
Effects of 2 forms of practice facilitation on cardiovascular prevention in primary care: a practice-randomized, comparative effectiveness trial.
Effective quality improvement (QI) strategies are needed for small practices. The objective of this study was to compare practice facilitation implementing point-of-care (POC) QI strategies alone versus facilitation implementing point-of-care plus population management (POC+PM) strategies on preventive cardiovascular care. The investigators concluded that facilitator-led QI promoting population management approaches plus POC improvement strategies was not clearly superior to POC strategies alone.
AHRQ-funded; HS023921.
Citation: Persell SD, Liss DT, Walunas TL .
Effects of 2 forms of practice facilitation on cardiovascular prevention in primary care: a practice-randomized, comparative effectiveness trial.
.
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Prevention, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Comparative Effectiveness, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Management, Healthcare Delivery
Nguyen AM, Cuthel A, Padgett DK
How practice facilitation strategies differ by practice context.
The purpose of this study was to identify contextual factors that drive facilitators' strategies to meet practice improvement goals, and how these strategies are tailored to practice context. This study was conducted as part of a larger study, HealthyHearts New York City, which evaluated the impact of practice facilitation on adoption of cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment guidelines.
AHRQ-funded; HS023922.
Citation: Nguyen AM, Cuthel A, Padgett DK .
How practice facilitation strategies differ by practice context.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Mar;35(3):824-31. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05350-7..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Evidence-Based Practice, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care: Models of Care
Schuttner L, Wong ES, Rosland AM
Association of the patient-centered medical home implementation with chronic disease quality in patients with multimorbidity.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to examine the association of Patient-Aligned Care Team (PACT) implementation, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) PCMH model, and care quality for multimorbid patients enrolled in VA primary care from 2012 to 2014. The investigators found that for one-third of metrics (5/15), greater implementation of PACT in 2012 was associated with higher predicted probability of meeting the quality metric in 2013-2014. This association persisted for only two metrics among patients with > 5 chronic diseases.
AHRQ-funded; HS026369.
Citation: Schuttner L, Wong ES, Rosland AM .
Association of the patient-centered medical home implementation with chronic disease quality in patients with multimorbidity.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Oct;35(10):2932-38. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06076-7..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Implementation, Chronic Conditions, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Ike B, Baldwin LM, Sutton S
Staff and clinician work-life perceptions after implementing systems-based improvements to opioid management.
The authors assessed the impact of implementing the Six Building Blocks on the work-life of primary care providers and staff. Six rural and rural-serving primary care organizations implemented the Six Building Blocks, with assistance from practice facilitators, clinical experts, and informatics specialists. The authors found that clinicians and staff reported improvement in their work-life after implementing the Six Building Blocks Program to improve opioid medication management and recommended further research on patient experiences specific to practice redesign programs.
AHRQ-funded; HS023750.
Citation: Ike B, Baldwin LM, Sutton S .
Staff and clinician work-life perceptions after implementing systems-based improvements to opioid management.
J Am Board Fam Med 2019 Sep-Oct;32(5):715-23. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2019.05.190027.
.
.
Keywords: Opioids, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Care Management, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Quality Improvement, Medication, Provider, Clinician-Patient Communication
Davis MM, Gunn R, Pham R
Key collaborative factors when Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations work with primary care clinics to improve colorectal cancer screening: relationships, data, and quality improvement infrastructure.
This study focused on ways that Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are implementing interventions with primary care clinics to improve colorectal cancer screening. The researchers conducted a comparative case study of 14 Medicaid ACOs in Oregon and their contracted primary care clinics. They focused on interventions that reduced structural barriers (12 ACOs), delivered provider assessment and feedback (11 ACOs), and provided patient reminders (7 ACOs). There was an unintended consequence of potential exclusion of smaller clinics and metric focus and fatigue.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Davis MM, Gunn R, Pham R .
Key collaborative factors when Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations work with primary care clinics to improve colorectal cancer screening: relationships, data, and quality improvement infrastructure.
Prev Chronic Dis 2019 Aug 15;16:E107. doi: 10.5888/pcd16.180395..
Keywords: Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Screening, Colonoscopy, Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Cancer, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Coordination, Patient-Centered Healthcare
Shah T, Patel-Teague S, Kroupa L
Impact of a national QI programme on reducing electronic health record notifications to clinicians.
In this study, the investigators evaluated the impact of a national, multicomponent, quality improvement (QI) programme designed to reduce low-value EHR notifications. The investigators found that, based on prior estimates on time to process notifications, this national QI programme potentially saved 1.5 hours per week per PCP to enable higher value work. The investigators also found that the number of daily notifications remained high, suggesting the need for additional multifaceted interventions and protected clinical time to help manage them.
AHRQ-funded; HS022087.
Citation: Shah T, Patel-Teague S, Kroupa L .
Impact of a national QI programme on reducing electronic health record notifications to clinicians.
BMJ Qual Saf 2019 Jan;28(1):10-14. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2017-007447..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care
Reed JE, Kaplan HC, Ismail SA
A new typology for understanding context: qualitative exploration of the model for understanding success in quality (MUSIQ).
The objective of this study was to advance understanding of the complex and dynamic interaction between context, intervention, and implementation strategies. Using the Model for Understanding Success in Quality (MUSIQ), the authors aimed to better understand the roles of, and inter-relationships between, contextual factors within quality improvement and implementation initiatives.
AHRQ-funded; HS021114.
Citation: Reed JE, Kaplan HC, Ismail SA .
A new typology for understanding context: qualitative exploration of the model for understanding success in quality (MUSIQ).
BMC Health Serv Res 2018 Jul 25;18(1):584. doi: 10.1186/s12913-018-3348-7..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Primary Care: Models of Care
Fiscella K, Mauksch L, Bodenheimer T
Improving care teams' functioning: recommendations from team science.
In this paper, the authors examine the application of team science to developing and sustaining primary care teams. They highlight six core team elements and conclude that implementation of effective team-based models in primary care requires adaptation of core team science elements coupled with relevant, practical training and organizational support, including adequate time to train, plan, and debrief.
AHRQ-funded; HS022440.
Citation: Fiscella K, Mauksch L, Bodenheimer T .
Improving care teams' functioning: recommendations from team science.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2017 Jul;43(7):361-68. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2017.03.009..
Keywords: Teams, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Provider
McNellis RJ, Genevro JL, Meyers DS
AHRQ Author: McNellis RJ, Genevro JL, Meyers DS
Lessons learned from the study of primary care transformation.
This article discusses the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model. The authors conclude that the transformation of primary care is essential to achieving the triple aim of better outcomes, better value, and better experience of care, and that the PCMH may be the most viable solution in the current health care environment.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: McNellis RJ, Genevro JL, Meyers DS .
Lessons learned from the study of primary care transformation.
Ann Fam Med 2013 May-Jun;11 Suppl 1:S1-5. doi: 10.1370/afm.1548.
.
.
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Taylor EF, Machta RM, Meyers DS
AHRQ Author: Meyers DS, Genevro J
Enhancing the primary care team to provide redesigned care: the roles of practice facilitators and care managers.
This article discusses how practice facilitators and care managers can play important but distinct roles in redesigning and improving care delivery in order to deliver coordinated, accessible, comprehensive, and patient-centered care.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Taylor EF, Machta RM, Meyers DS .
Enhancing the primary care team to provide redesigned care: the roles of practice facilitators and care managers.
Ann Fam Med 2013 Jan-Feb;11(1):80-3. doi: 10.1370/afm.1462.
.
.
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care