National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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- Access to Care (1)
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- (-) Hospital Readmissions (51)
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- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Research Methodologies (1)
- Respiratory Conditions (7)
- Risk (7)
- Rural/Inner-City Residents (1)
- Rural Health (1)
- Sepsis (1)
- Social Determinants of Health (4)
- Substance Abuse (3)
- Surgery (9)
- Tobacco Use (1)
- Transitions of Care (3)
- Urban Health (1)
- Vulnerable Populations (2)
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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
1 to 25 of 51 Research Studies DisplayedLopez K, Li H, Lipkin-Moore Z
Deep learning prediction of hospital readmissions for asthma and COPD.
The purpose of this observational study was to identify Electronic Health Record (EHR) features of severe asthma and COPD exacerbations and assess the performance of four machine learning (ML) and one deep learning (DL) model in predicting readmissions using EHR data. The study included 31, 2017 patients hospitalized with asthma and COPD exacerbations. The study found that Black and Hispanic patients had a greater likelihood of readmission for asthma. Patients with COPD readmissions included a high percentage of Blacks and Hispanics. To identify patients at high risk of readmission, index hospitalization data of a subset of 2,682 patients, 777 with asthma and 1,905 with COPD, was analyzed with four ML models, and one DL model. The researchers discovered that multilayer perceptron, the DL method, had the best sensitivity and specificity compared to the four ML methods implemented in the same dataset.
AHRQ-funded; HS027626.
Citation: Lopez K, Li H, Lipkin-Moore Z .
Deep learning prediction of hospital readmissions for asthma and COPD.
Respir Res 2023 Dec 13; 24(1):311. doi: 10.1186/s12931-023-02628-7..
Keywords: Asthma, Respiratory Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Parikh K, Lopez MA, Hall M
Child Opportunity Index and rehospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions at US children's hospitals.
Lower Child Opportunity Index (COI) has been related with increased health care use, but the relationship with rehospitalization(s) for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) is not known. The purpose of this multicenter retrospective cohort study was to determine the relationship between COI and ACSC rehospitalizations. 184,478 children ages 0 to 17 years with a hospital admission for ambulatory care sensitive conditions in 2017 or 2018 were included. Exposure was COI, and the primary outcome was rehospitalization within 1 year of index admission for ACSC. Of hospitalizations, 28.3% were by children from very low COI and 16.5% were by children from very high COI neighborhoods. In risk-adjusted models, ACSC rehospitalization was higher for children from very low COI than very high COI neighborhoods; any rehospitalization occurred for 18.7% from very low COI and 13.5% from very high COI neighborhoods whereas 2 or more rehospitalization occurred for 4.8% from very low COI and 3.2% from very high COI neighborhoods.
AHRQ-funded; HS024554; HS028484; HS026385.
Citation: Parikh K, Lopez MA, Hall M .
Child Opportunity Index and rehospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions at US children's hospitals.
Hosp Pediatr 2023 Nov; 13(11):1028-37. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2023-007279..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Ambulatory Care and Surgery
Ryus CR, Janke AT, Kunnath N
Association of hospital discharge against medical advice and coded housing instability in the US.
This study examined the relationship between discharge type and housing instability, then identified primary reasons for hospitalization among self-discharged patients with housing instability. This cross-sectional, retrospective study analyzed the National Inpatient Sample between January 2017 and December 2019, available from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Among 85,402,831 hospitalizations analyzed, 1.6% resulted in self-discharge. Compared to admissions with planned discharges, self-discharges were more likely to have coded housing instability. Among hospitalizations resulting in self-discharge, admissions with coded housing instability were more likely to result in self-discharge than those without coded housing instability. Relationships between housing instability and self-discharges were found among major medical conditions: septicemia, acute myocardial infarction, and respiratory failure. Alcohol-related disorders and opioid-related disorders were among the highest self-discharge volumes, but relationships were minimal.
AHRQ-funded; HS028963.
Citation: Ryus CR, Janke AT, Kunnath N .
Association of hospital discharge against medical advice and coded housing instability in the US.
J Gen Intern Med 2023 Oct; 38(13):3082-85. doi: 10.1007/s11606-023-08240-1..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospital Discharge, Social Determinants of Health, Vulnerable Populations, Hospital Readmissions
Dekeyser GJ, Martin BI, Marchand LS
Geriatric distal femur fractures treated with distal femoral replacement are associated with higher rates of readmissions and complications.
The objective of this study was to compare mortality and complications of distal femur fracture repair among elderly patients who received operative fixation versus distal femur replacement (DFR). Participants were Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older with distal femur fracture who were identified using Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services data. Most of the patients received operative fixation surgery. Results indicated that DFR was associated with significantly greater rates of infection, device-related complication, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, costs, and readmission.
AHRQ-funded; HS024714.
Citation: Dekeyser GJ, Martin BI, Marchand LS .
Geriatric distal femur fractures treated with distal femoral replacement are associated with higher rates of readmissions and complications.
J Orthop Trauma 2023 Oct; 37(10):485-91. doi: 10.1097/bot.0000000000002638..
Keywords: Elderly, Injuries and Wounds, Hospital Readmissions, Adverse Events
Squires A, Engel P, Ma C
Continuity of care versus language concordance as an intervention to reduce hospital readmissions from home health care.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relative effectiveness of continuity of care and language concordance as alternative or complementary interventions to improve health outcomes of people with limited English proficiency. Participants included over 22,000 non-English-speaking patients from the New York City area who were admitted to their home health site following hospital discharge. Findings revealed that high continuity of care and high language concordance significantly decreased readmissions, along with high continuity of care and low language concordance; low continuity of care and high language concordance did not significantly impact readmissions. The authors concluded that enhancing continuity of care for those with language barriers the US home health system may help to address disparities and reduce hospital readmission rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS023593.
Citation: Squires A, Engel P, Ma C .
Continuity of care versus language concordance as an intervention to reduce hospital readmissions from home health care.
Med Care 2023 Sep; 61(9):605-10. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001884..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Transitions of Care, Home Healthcare
Howell TC, Lumpkin S, Chaumont N
Predicting colorectal surgery readmission risk: a surgery-specific predictive model.
The purpose of this retrospective split-sample cohort study was to develop a predictive model for colorectal surgery patients for risk of 30-day readmission. The researchers included patients admitted to the colorectal surgery service who underwent surgery and were discharged from an academic tertiary hospital between 2017 and 2019. A total of 1549 patients met eligibility criteria. The study found the 30-day readmission rate of the cohort was 19.62%. Customized surgery-specific readmission models with comprehensive data sources outperformed the most utilized readmission indices in predicting 30-day readmission in colorectal surgery patients. The performance of the models were improved by utilizing more comprehensive datasets that include administrative and socioeconomic details about a patient and clinical information utilized for decision-making at the time of discharge.
AHRQ-funded; HS026363.
Citation: Howell TC, Lumpkin S, Chaumont N .
Predicting colorectal surgery readmission risk: a surgery-specific predictive model.
IISE Trans Healthc Syst Eng 2023; 13(3):175-81. doi: 10.1080/24725579.2023.2200210..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Surgery, Risk
Brajcich BC, Johnson JK, Holl JL
Evaluation of emergency department treat-and-release encounters after major gastrointestinal surgery.
The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of, reasons for, and predictors of emergency department treat-and-release encounters after gastrointestinal cancer operations. The researchers identified patients who underwent elective colorectal, esophageal, gastric, hepatobiliary, pancreatic, or small intestinal operations for cancer from the 2015-2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient and State Emergency Department Databases for New York, Maryland, and Florida. The study found that among 51,527 patients at 406 hospitals, 7.9% had an ED treat-and-release encounter, and 10.8% had an ED encounter with readmission. In total, 40.7% of ED encounters were treat-and-release encounters. 12% of ED treat-and-release encounters were for pain, 11.7% for device/ostomy complaints, and 11.4% were for wound complaints (11.4%). ED treat-and-release encounters predictors included non-Hispanic Black race/ethnicity and Medicare or Medicaid coverage.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Brajcich BC, Johnson JK, Holl JL .
Evaluation of emergency department treat-and-release encounters after major gastrointestinal surgery.
J Surg Oncol 2023 Aug; 128(2):402-08. doi: 10.1002/jso.27292..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Digestive Disease and Health, Surgery, Hospital Readmissions
Congdon M, Rauch B, Carroll B
Opportunities for diagnostic improvement among pediatric hospital readmissions.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to: 1) identify and describe diagnostic errors, termed "missed opportunities for improving diagnosis" (MOIDs) in general pediatric patients who experienced hospital readmission, 2) outline improvement opportunities, and 3) explore factors associated with increased risk of MOID. The researchers included unplanned readmissions within 15 days of discharge from a freestanding children's hospital between October 2018 and September 2020. Health records were reviewed and discussed by practicing inpatient physicians to identify MOIDs using SaferDx, an established instrument. MOIDs were evaluated using a diagnostic-specific tool to identify improvement opportunities within the diagnostic process. The study found that MOIDs were identified in 6.3% of 348 readmissions. Opportunities for improvement included: delay in considering the correct diagnosis (50%) and failure to order needed test (45%). Patients with MOIDs were older than patients without MOIDs but similar in gender, primary language, race, ethnicity, and insurance type. The researchers did not identify conditions related with higher risk of MOID. Lower respiratory tract infections accounted for 26% of admission diagnoses but only 1 (4.5%) case of MOID.
AHRQ-funded; HS028682.
Citation: Congdon M, Rauch B, Carroll B .
Opportunities for diagnostic improvement among pediatric hospital readmissions.
Hosp Pediatr 2023 Jul; 13(7):563-71. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2023-007157..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Hospitals, Hospital Readmissions
Wang Y, Eldridge N, Metersky ML
AHRQ Author: Eldridge N and Rodrick D
Relationship between in-hospital adverse events and hospital performance on 30-day all-cause mortality and readmission for patients with heart failure.
Researchers sought to evaluate the association between hospital performance on mortality and readmission with hospital performance on safety adverse event rates. Their cross-sectional study linked patient-level adverse events data from the Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System to hospital-level, heart failure (HF)-specific, 30-day, all-cause mortality and readmissions data from CMS. The study included data on over 39,000 patients with HF from over 3000 hospitals. Patients admitted with HF to hospitals with high 30-day, all-cause mortality and readmission rates had a higher risk of in-hospital adverse events. The researchers concluded that there might be common quality issues among the measure concepts in these hospitals that produce poor performance for patients with HF.
AHRQ-funded; AHRQ-authored; 290201800005C.
Citation: Wang Y, Eldridge N, Metersky ML .
Relationship between in-hospital adverse events and hospital performance on 30-day all-cause mortality and readmission for patients with heart failure.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2023 Jul; 16(7):e009573. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.122.009573..
Keywords: Hospitals, Hospital Readmissions, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Adverse Events, Provider Performance
Arbaje AI, Woodman S, Keita Fakeye MB
Senior services in US hospitals and readmission risk or mortality among Medicare beneficiaries since the Affordable Care Act.
This study examined whether there was an association between readmission risk or mortality among Medicare beneficiaries and passage of the Affordable Care Act. The study updated the Senior Care Services Scale (SCSS) which describes hospital provision of older adult services before the passage of the Affordable Care Act. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of older adults ≥65 years (n = 1,416,669), admitted to 2570 US acute-care hospitals from 2014 to 2015. Outcomes were hospital readmission, or death, within 30 and 90 days of discharge. The updated SCSS included three service groups: Inpatient Specialty Care, Post-Acute Community Care, and Home Care and Hospice. Older adults admitted to high Inpatient-Specialty-Care-scoring hospitals had lower risk of death within 30 days, and 90 days. There was no significant association between the other two groups and study outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS022916.
Citation: Arbaje AI, Woodman S, Keita Fakeye MB .
Senior services in US hospitals and readmission risk or mortality among Medicare beneficiaries since the Affordable Care Act.
J Appl Gerontol 2023 Jul; 42(7):1424-32. doi: 10.1177/07334648231161925..
Keywords: Elderly, Hospitals, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare
Loomer L, Rahman M, Mroz TM
Impact of higher payments for rural home health episodes on rehospitalizations.
This article evaluated the impact of higher Medicare payments for rural home health care on rehospitalizations. In 2010, Medicare began paying home health (HH) providers 3% more to serve rural beneficiaries. The authors used Medicare data on postacute HH episodes from 2007 to 2014 to estimate the impact of higher payments on beneficiaries outcomes using difference-in-differences analysis, comparing rehospitalizations between rural and urban postacute HH episodes before and after 2010. Their sample included 5.6 million post acute HH episodes (18% rural). After 2010 30- and 60-day rehospitalization rates declined by 10.08% and 16.49% for urban HH episodes and 9.87% and 16.08% for rural HH episodes, respectively. The difference-in-difference estimate was 0.29 percentage points and 0.57 percentage points for 30- and 60-day rehospitalization, respectively.
AHRQ-funded; HS027054.
Citation: Loomer L, Rahman M, Mroz TM .
Impact of higher payments for rural home health episodes on rehospitalizations.
J Rural Health 2023 Jun; 39(3):604-10. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12725..
Keywords: Payment, Rural Health, Rural/Inner-City Residents, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization
Meddings J, Gibbons JB, Reale BK
The impact of nurse practitioner care and accountable care organization assignment on skilled nursing services and hospital readmissions.
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) designation and nurse practitioners (NP) care delivery during skilled nursing facilities (SNF) visits and the relationship between NP care delivery during SNF visits and unplanned hospital readmissions. The researchers obtained a sample of 527,329 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with 1 or more SNF stays between 2012 and 2017 and then measured the association between patient ACO designation and evaluation and management care delivered by NPs in addition to the association between evaluation and management services delivered by NPs and hospital readmissions. The study found that ACO beneficiaries were 1.26% points more likely to receive 1 or more E&M services delivered by an NP during their SNF visits. ACO-designated beneficiaries receiving most of their E&M services from NPs during their SNF visits were at a lower risk of readmission than ACO-attributed beneficiaries receiving no NP E&M care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024698.
Citation: Meddings J, Gibbons JB, Reale BK .
The impact of nurse practitioner care and accountable care organization assignment on skilled nursing services and hospital readmissions.
Med Care 2023 Jun; 61(6):341-48. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001826..
Keywords: Nursing, Provider: Nurse, Hospital Readmissions, Provider: Clinician
Ray EM, Hinton SP, Reeder-Hayes KE
Risk factors for return to the emergency department and readmission in patients with hospital-diagnosed advanced lung cancer.
The objectives of this study were to examine the patterns of care and risk factors for subsequent acute care utilization among patients with hospital-diagnosed advanced lung cancer (ALC). Researchers identified patients with incident ALC from 2007-13 and an index hospitalization within 7 days of diagnosis in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare. Results showed that more than half of the incident ALC patients were hospitalized around the time of diagnosis; among those who survived to discharge, only 37% received systemic cancer treatment. Many patients experienced an early readmittance and most died within 6 months. The researchers conclude that such patients may benefit from increased access to palliative and other supportive care during hospitalization to prevent subsequent health care utilization.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Ray EM, Hinton SP, Reeder-Hayes KE .
Risk factors for return to the emergency department and readmission in patients with hospital-diagnosed advanced lung cancer.
Med Care 2023 Apr;61(4):237-46. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001829.
Keywords: Emergency Department, Hospital Readmissions, Cancer: Lung Cancer, Cancer, Risk
Rich KM, Guardado R, Bigham ZR
The impact of incarceration on readmissions among patients with inflammatory bowel disease hospitalized at a community hospital.
The purpose of this study was to compare the frequency of readmissions in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receiving care at a community hospital who were and were not incarcerated when they were hospitalized. The primary study outcome was all cause readmission at 1 year following an IBD-related admission. The secondary outcomes included 1. all-cause readmission at 30 days, 2. IBD-related readmission at 30 days, and 3. IBD-related readmission at 1 year. The study indicator of interest was incarceration. The study found that individuals who were incarcerated had a greater rate of all-cause readmissions at 1 year than those who were not incarcerated at the time of hospitalization.
AHRQ-funded; HS026008.
Citation: Rich KM, Guardado R, Bigham ZR .
The impact of incarceration on readmissions among patients with inflammatory bowel disease hospitalized at a community hospital.
Gastro Hep Advances 2023; 2(5):660-65..
Keywords: Vulnerable Populations, Hospital Readmissions, Access to Care
Difazio RL, Shore BJ, Melvin P
Pneumonia after hip surgery in children with neurological complex chronic conditions.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to estimate rates of postoperative pneumonia in children with neurological complex chronic conditions (CCC) undergoing hip surgery, to determine the effect of pneumonia on postoperative hospital resource use, and to identify predictors. Researchers used data from the Pediatric Health Information System for children 4 years and older with a neurological CCC who had undergone hip surgery from 2016 to 2018 in U.S. children's hospitals. Findings indicate that postoperative pneumonia in children with a neurological CCC was associated with longer length-of-stay, readmissions, and higher costs. Children who had undergone pelvic osteotomies and who had multimorbidity needed additional clinical support to prevent postoperative pneumonia and to decrease resource utilization.
AHRQ-funded; HS024453.
Citation: Difazio RL, Shore BJ, Melvin P .
Pneumonia after hip surgery in children with neurological complex chronic conditions.
Dev Med Child Neurol 2023 Feb; 65(2):232-42. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.15339..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Surgery, Neurological Disorders, Pneumonia, Respiratory Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Adverse Events
Aswani MS, Roberts ET
Social risk adjustment in the hospital readmission reduction program: pitfalls of peer grouping, measurement challenges, and potential solutions.
The objective of this study was to investigate the limitations of peer grouping and associated challenges in the measurement of social risk in Medicare's Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). Public data on hospitals in the HRRP were used to examine the relationship between hospital dual share and readmission rates within peer groups as well as changes in hospital peer group assignments, readmission rates, and penalties, and the relationship between state Medicaid eligibility rules and peer groups. The findings indicated that peer grouping is limited in the extent to which it accounts for differences in hospitals' patient populations. The authors concluded that problems arise from the construction of peer groups and the measure of social risk used to define them.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: Aswani MS, Roberts ET .
Social risk adjustment in the hospital readmission reduction program: pitfalls of peer grouping, measurement challenges, and potential solutions.
Health Serv Res 2023 Feb; 58(1):51-59. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13969..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Risk
Rojas JC, Chokkara S, Zhu M
Care quality for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the readmission penalty era.
The purpose of this study was to assess changes in the quality of care for patients hospitalized for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after the implementation of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) which levied financial penalties on hospitals for excessive COPD readmissions. The researchers reviewed the records from 995 U.S. hospitals in the Premier Healthcare Database, evaluating patients older than 40 years of age hospitalized for COPD. The study included 662,842 pre-HRRP (January 2010-September 2014) and 285,508 post-HRRP (October 2014-December 2018) admissions, and found that recommended care increased at a rate of 0.16% per month pre-HRRP and 0.01% per month post-HRRP. Nonrecommended care decreased at a rate of 0.15% per month pre-HRRP and 0.13% per month post-HRRP. Ideal care increased at a rate of 0.24% per month pre-HRRP and 0.11% per month post-HRRP. The researchers concluded that after HRRP implementation, the pre-HRRP trends toward improving care quality for inpatient COPD care slowed.
AHRQ-funded; HS027804.
Citation: Rojas JC, Chokkara S, Zhu M .
Care quality for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the readmission penalty era.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2023 Jan; 207(1):29-37. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202203-0496OC..
Keywords: Respiratory Conditions, Quality of Care, Hospital Readmissions, Chronic Conditions
Hsuan C, Braun TM, Ponce NA
Are improvements still needed to the modified hospital readmissions reduction program: a health and retirement study (2000-2014)?
This study examined whether modifications to the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) addressed concerns that it unfairly penalized safety net hospitals treating patients with high social and functional risks. Data from 2000-2014 Medicare hospital discharge, Health and Retirement Study, and other community-level data was used. The authors estimated risk-standardized readmission rates (RSRRs) for peer groups and by safety net status using four hierarchical logistic regression models. Patient data used was from 20,255 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries (65+) with eligible index hospitalizations. Hospitals were categorized by peer group, with 1 having the lowest number of at-risk patients, and 5 categorized as a safety-net hospital. Under the modifications fewer safety-net hospitals were penalized, but worsened for those in peer groups 1,2, and 3.
AHRQ-funded; HS025838.
Citation: Hsuan C, Braun TM, Ponce NA .
Are improvements still needed to the modified hospital readmissions reduction program: a health and retirement study (2000-2014)?
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Dec;35(12):3564-71. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06222-1..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Medicare
Patel SA, Krasnow M, Long K
Excess 30-day heart failure readmissions and mortality in black patients increases with neighborhood deprivation.
Researchers examined whether neighborhood environment modifies the disparity in 30-day heart failure (HF) readmissions and mortality between Black and White patients in the Southeastern United States. They created a geocoded retrospective cohort of patients hospitalized for acute HF from 2010-2018 within Emory Healthcare. They found that excess 30-day HF readmissions and mortality were present among Black patients in every neighborhood strata and increased with progressive neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation.
AHRQ-funded; HS026081.
Citation: Patel SA, Krasnow M, Long K .
Excess 30-day heart failure readmissions and mortality in black patients increases with neighborhood deprivation.
Circ Heart Fail 2020 Dec;13(12):e007947. doi: 10.1161/circheartfailure.120.007947..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Mortality, Social Determinants of Health, Low-Income, Disparities
Jacobs PD, Basu J
AHRQ Author: Jacobs PD, Basu J
Medicare Advantage and postdischarge quality: evidence from hospital readmissions.
This study compared relative readmission rates for beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Medicare (TM). HCUP State Inpatient Databases data for 4 states was used from 2009 and 2014. The outcome compared was the probability of a hospital readmission within 30 days of an index admission. There were significantly lower all-cause readmission rates among MA enrollees relative to those in TM in both 2009 and 2014, but MA enrollment was not associated with an increased reduction in readmission rates relative to TM during that time period.
AHRQ-authored
Citation: Jacobs PD, Basu J .
Medicare Advantage and postdischarge quality: evidence from hospital readmissions.
Am J Manag Care 2020 Dec;26(12):524-29. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2020.88540..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Elderly, Medicare, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Provider Performance
Auger KA, Ponti-Zins MC, Statile AM
Performance of pediatric readmission measures.
Investigators sought to assess how four different measures of pediatric readmission compare with assessment of both preventable and unplanned readmission. The four measures were: all-cause readmission, unplanned readmission/time flag classification, pediatric all-condition readmission, and potentially preventable readmission. They found that none of the existing pediatric readmission measures can reliably determine preventability. The unplanned readmission/time flag measure performed best in identifying unplanned readmissions.
AHRQ-funded; HS024735.
Citation: Auger KA, Ponti-Zins MC, Statile AM .
Performance of pediatric readmission measures.
J Hosp Med 2020 Dec;15(12):723-26. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3521..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Hospital Readmissions, Provider Performance, Quality Measures, Quality of Care
Marafino BJ, Schuler A, Liu VX
Predicting preventable hospital readmissions with causal machine learning.
This study’s goal was to assess the feasibility and potential impact of predicting preventable hospital readmissions using causal machine learning applied to data from the implementation of a readmissions prevention intervention called the Transitions Program, which used electronic health records from Kaiser Permanent Northern California (KPNC). A total of 1,539,285 index hospitalizations meeting the inclusion criteria and occurring between June 2010 and December 2010 at 21 KPNC hospitals were analyzed. There was substantial heterogeneity in patients’ response to the intervention, with patients at somewhat lower risk appearing to have the largest predicted effects. The estimates appeared to be well calibrated. The results did suggest a mismatch between risk and treatment effects.
AHRQ-funded; HS022192.
Citation: Marafino BJ, Schuler A, Liu VX .
Predicting preventable hospital readmissions with causal machine learning.
Health Serv Res 2020 Dec;55(6):993-1002. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13586..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Risk
Synhorst DC, Hall M, Harris M
Hospital observation status and readmission rates.
In several states, payers penalize hospitals when an inpatient readmission follows an inpatient stay. Observation stays are typically excluded from readmission calculations. Previous studies suggest inconsistent use of observation designations across hospitals. In this study, the investigators sought to describe variation in observation stays and examine the impact of inclusion of observation stays on readmission metrics.
AHRQ-funded; HS024735.
Citation: Synhorst DC, Hall M, Harris M .
Hospital observation status and readmission rates.
Pediatrics 2020 Nov;146(5). doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-003954..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization, Hospitals
Mohr NM, Zebrowski AM, Gaieski DF
Inpatient hospital performance is associated with post-discharge sepsis mortality.
The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that hospitals with high risk-adjusted inpatient sepsis mortality also have high post-discharge mortality, readmissions, and discharge to nursing homes. Sepsis hospitalization survivors among age-qualifying Medicare beneficiaries were followed for 180 days post-discharge; mortality, readmissions, and new admission to skilled nursing facilities were measured. Findings showed that hospitals with the highest risk-adjusted sepsis inpatient mortality also had higher post-discharge mortality and increased readmissions, suggesting that post-discharge complications were a modifiable risk that may be affected during inpatient care. Recommendations for future work include seeking to elucidate inpatient and healthcare practices that can reduce sepsis post-discharge complications.
AHRQ-funded; HS023614; HS025753.
Citation: Mohr NM, Zebrowski AM, Gaieski DF .
Inpatient hospital performance is associated with post-discharge sepsis mortality.
Crit Care 2020 Oct 27;24(1):626. doi: 10.1186/s13054-020-03341-3..
Keywords: Sepsis, Mortality, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Inpatient Care, Hospital Readmissions
Spatz ES, Bernheim SM, Horwitz LI
Community factors and hospital wide readmission rates: does context matter?
The purpose of this study was to estimate the influence of community factors on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services risk-standardized hospital-wide readmission measure (HWR)-a quality performance measure in the U.S. The investigators concluded that readmissions for a wide range of clinical conditions were influenced by factors relating to the communities in which patients reside.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882.
Citation: Spatz ES, Bernheim SM, Horwitz LI .
Community factors and hospital wide readmission rates: does context matter?
PLoS One 2020 Oct 23;15(10):e0240222. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240222..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Provider Performance, Quality Measures, Quality of Care