In AHRQ-Funded Study, Authors Observe COVID-19 ‘Infodemic’

AHRQ Stats: Maternal Mortality

The overall maternal mortality rate in 2020 was 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, an increase from 20.1 deaths in 2019 and 17.4 in 2018. (Source: AHRQ 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report [PDF, 15.5 MB].)

Today's Headlines:

• In AHRQ-Funded Study, Authors Observe COVID-19 ‘Infodemic’.
• Despite Increased Awareness, Adoption of Patient Engagement Strategies Remains Low.
• Surgical Teams Sought for Project To Prevent Surgical Site Infections.
• Contribute to AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program.
• AHRQ Seeks Examples of Impact for Development of Case Studies.
• AHRQ in the Professional Literature.

In AHRQ-Funded Study, Authors Observe COVID-19 ‘Infodemic’

Purchases of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin—two medications that received widespread attention after initial studies suggested that they were effective against COVID-19, but that were later discredited—spiked in both the United States and Canada after receiving popular but unwarranted attention, according to a new study in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. In the study, the authors reviewed the impact of scientific articles, public announcements and social media posts on purchases of the two medications. They concluded that COVID-19 was not just a pandemic but also an “infodemic” that ensnared research, clinical practice and health policy. The experience highlights the importance of scientific integrity and dissemination of accurate information during public health emergencies, the authors concluded. Access the abstract.

Despite Increased Awareness, Adoption of Patient Engagement Strategies Remains Low

An AHRQ-funded study published in Medical Care found that despite increased awareness about the importance of patient engagement, overall physician practice adoption of patient engagement strategies was nationally low, with health system–owned practices having the lowest adoption. Researchers, in what they say is the first study of its kind, analyzed 2017-2018 data on physician practice adoption of patient engagement strategies such as motivational interviewing, shared decision-making and shared medical appointments. They found few U.S. physician practices offered clinician or staff training for motivational interviewing and shared decision-making processes, decision aids were inconsistently available for patients and shared medical appointments were adopted by only 24 percent of practices. They also found the extent to which practices adopted patient engagement was associated with organizational capabilities including health information technology functionality, chronic care management processes, risk screening and internal patient care dissemination strategies. Access the abstract.

Surgical Teams Sought for Project To Prevent Surgical Site Infections

AHRQ is recruiting surgical teams to participate in a free 18-month project to reduce surgical site infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other pathogens. Participants will get peer-to-peer learning, online training, evidence-based guidance, tools and other resources to address infection prevention challenges. Learn more and register for one of several upcoming informational webinars.

Contribute to AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program

AHRQ encourages the public to participate in the agency’s Effective Health Care (EHC) Program, which conducts evidence reviews to inform healthcare decision-making on drugs, devices, surgeries and approaches to healthcare delivery. Since 2003, the EHC Program has published more than 300 systematic reviews and 200 research reports along with numerous research methods guides and white papers. These products have been used by clinicians, policymakers and patients to inform clinical guidance, coverage decisions and future research. Suggest a research topic, comment on key research questions and draft reports  or submit supplemental evidence and data.

AHRQ Seeks Examples of Impact for Development of Case Studies

Has your organization used an AHRQ tool to improve patient care, make a culture change or save costs? The agency would like to learn more about your use of AHRQ resources to develop Impact Case Studies. Since 2004, the agency has developed more than 400 Impact Case Studies that illustrate AHRQ’s contributions to healthcare improvement. Available online and searchable via an interactive map, the Impact Case Studies help tell the story of how AHRQ-funded research findings, data and tools have made an impact on the lives of millions of American patients. To help us share your impact story, send a short description of how and where AHRQ resources were used, along with your contact information, to ImpactCaseStudies@ahrq.hhs.gov.

AHRQ in the Professional Literature

Improving quality and safety for patients after hospital discharge: primary care as the lead integrator in postdischarge care transitions. Bourgoin A, Balaban R, Hochman M, et al. J Ambul Care Manage 2022 Oct-Dec;45(4):310-20. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Physician organizations' use of behavioral nudges to influence physician behavior. Damberg CL, Tom A, Reid RO. Am J Manag Care 2022 Sep;28(9):473-6. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Pragmatic clinical trial of population health, portal-based depression screening: the PORTAL-Depression study. Franco MI, Staab EM, Zhu M, et al. J Gen Intern Med 2022 Sep 20;1-8. [Epub ahead of print.] Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Toward safer opioid prescribing in HIV care (TOWER): a mixed-methods, cluster-randomized trial. Cedillo G, George MC, Deshpande R, et al. Addict Sci Clin Pract 2022 May 16;17(1):28. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

A statewide collaborative quality initiative to improve antibiotic duration and outcomes in patients hospitalized with uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia. Vaughn VM, Gandhi TN, Hofer TP, et al. Clin Infect Dis 2022 Aug 31;75(3):460-7. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Management and prevention of Staphylococcus aureus infections in children. Kalu IC, Kao CM, Fritz SA. Infect Dis Clin North Am 2022 Mar;36(1):73-100. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Clin-Star corner: what is new at the interface of geriatrics and nephrology? Nair D, Hall RK. J Am Geriatr Soc 2022 Aug;70(8):2219-24. Epub 2022 Jul 9. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Coincidence analysis: a novel approach to modeling nurses' workplace experience. Womack DM, Miech EJ, Fox NJ, et al. Appl Clin Inform 2022 Aug;13(4):794-802. Epub 2022 Aug 31. Access the abstract on PubMed®.