Winners Chosen in AHRQ Challenge Competition on Digital Strategies To Support Care Transitions

AHRQ Stats

In 2016, counties with high rates of opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits had the following social determinants of health characteristics: higher percentages of economically disadvantaged residents and Medicaid recipients; higher crime rates; and more densely populated and racially segregated. (Source: AHRQ, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #260: Social Determinants of Health and County Population Rates of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits, 2016.)

Today's Headlines:

• Winners Chosen in AHRQ Challenge Competition on Digital Strategies To Support Care Transitions.
• Telehealth Use in Nursing Homes Increased After Federal Expansion in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic.
• Criteria Developed for Assessing Feasibility of Implementing Evidence-Based Practices in Clinical Settings.
• Highlights From AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network.
• Register Now for Dec. 8 and Dec. 10 Webinars on Using AHRQ’s Nationwide Emergency Department Database.
• New Research and Evidence From AHRQ.
• AHRQ in the Professional Literature.

Winners Chosen in AHRQ Challenge Competition on Digital Strategies To Support Care Transitions

Two winners have been named in AHRQ’s challenge competition aimed at developing interoperable technology solutions to engage patients and caregivers during transitions from inpatient care to home. CareLoop, of Boulder, Colorado, won the $50,000 first place prize for its Safe Discharge Communication Pathway communication platform. The innovation was designed to provide closed-loop communication among patients and family caregivers, hospital and primary care staff, and community partner care teams throughout discharges. In developing the winning entry, the CareLoop team accounted for the COVID-19 public health emergency and the consequences of social isolation on care transitions. The second-place winner, WeWa.life, of Cincinnati, was awarded $25,000 for a phone app that supports safe care transitions by focusing on discharge instructions, medication management and follow-up care. Both winning teams plan to use their awards to further develop their prototype solutions. Access more information about the challenge and winners as well as other AHRQ challenges.

Telehealth Use in Nursing Homes Increased After Federal Expansion in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Nursing homes were about 11 times as likely to use telehealth services for their residents after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an AHRQ-funded study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. Beginning March 6, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began temporarily paying for expanded use of telehealth services, including in nonrural areas, across a wider range of settings and by a broader set of healthcare providers. After reviewing telehealth use surveys given to 644 nursing homes from January 1, 2019, to August 4, 2020, researchers found the odds of a nursing home using telehealth for individual patient consultations or to conduct second opinions were more than four times as great after the CMS expansion. Researchers also found that about 16 percent of nursing homes had no telehealth use while 5 percent had the maximum use. Access the abstract.

Criteria Developed for Assessing Feasibility of Implementing Evidence-Based Practices in Clinical Settings

Five criteria can help determine the feasibility of implementing promising patient-centered outcomes research findings in clinical practice, according to an AHRQ-funded study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM). Among the criteria were acceptability of research findings among healthcare professionals responsible for implementation, the “generalizability, adaptability and ease” of implementation, and the alignment between the purpose of the intervention and “external policies and incentives” such as regulations, mandates and payment structures. The authors developed the criteria based on a literature review, key informant interviews, input from a technical expert panel and pilot testing. Although developed for AHRQ, the criteria may help other funders and healthcare organizations determine the feasibility of implementing evidence-based practices. Access the abstract.

Highlights From AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network

AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network (PSNet) highlights journal articles, books and tools related to patient safety. Articles featured this week include:

• Adverse events in Italian nursing homes during the COVID-19 epidemic: a national survey.
• Vulnerability of the medical product supply chain: the wake-up call of COVID-19.
• A multisite study of interprofessional teamwork and collaboration on general medical services.

Review additional new publications in PSNet’s current issue or access recent cases and commentaries in AHRQ’s WebM&M (Morbidity and Mortality Rounds on the Web).

Register Now for Dec. 8 and Dec. 10 Webinars on Using AHRQ’s Nationwide Emergency Department Database

Registration is open for Dec. 8 and Dec. 10 webinars on how to use AHRQ’s Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS). Both webinars will occur from 2 to 3:30 p.m. ET. and will include the same content. The NEDS, part of the agency’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), can be used to create national and regional estimates of emergency department visits, regardless of whether they result in admissions. A distinctive feature is NEDS’ large sample size, which allows for analysis across hospital types and the study of relatively uncommon disorders. Webinar presenters will provide an overview of NEDS including information about the database design, the importance of weighting the data to produce national estimates of ED visits and included data elements. Three use cases will show how to work with the database. Contact hcup@ahrq.gov for questions.

New Research and Evidence From AHRQ

• White paper: Outcome Measure Harmonization and Data Infrastructure for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research in Depression.
• Systematic review (open for comment): Physical Activity and the Health of Wheelchair Users.

AHRQ in the Professional Literature

Evaluating psychometric determinants of willingness to adopt sexual health patient portal services among black college students: a mixed-methods approach. Jackman KP, Hightow-Weidman L, Poteat T, et al. J Am Coll Health 2019 Nov 11 [Epub ahead of print.] Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Reducing delays to diagnosis in ambulatory care settings: a macrocognition perspective. Patterson ES, Su G, Sarkar U. Appl Ergon 2020 Jan;82:102965. Epub 2019 Oct 9. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Study protocol for evaluating Six Building Blocks for opioid management implementation in primary care practices. Shoemaker-Hunt SJ, Evans L, Swan H, et al. Implement Sci Commun 2020 Feb 26;1:16. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

An evaluation of the spread and scale of PatientToc™ from primary care to community pharmacy practice for the collection of patient-reported outcomes: a study protocol. Snyder ME, Chewning B, Kreling D, et al. Res Social Adm Pharm 2020 Apr 24. [Epub ahead of print.] Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Breast cancer surgery decision role perceptions and choice of surgery. Gutnik L, Allen CM, Presson AP, et al. Ann Surg Oncol 2020 Oct;27(10):3623-32. Epub 2020 Jun 3. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

A 2-year pragmatic trial of antibiotic stewardship in 27 community nursing homes. Sloane PD, Zimmerman S, Ward K, et al. J Am Geriatr Soc 2020 Jan;68(1):46-54. Epub 2019 Jul 18. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Proportion of racial minority patients and patients with low socioeconomic status cared for by physician groups after joining accountable care organizations. Lee JT, Polsky D, Fitzsimmons R, et al. JAMA Netw Open 2020 May;3(5):e204439. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Persistent barriers to timely catheter removal identified from clinical observations and interviews. Quinn M, Ameling JM, Forman J, et al. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2020 Feb;46(2):99-108. Epub 2019 Dec 23. Access the abstract on PubMed®.