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
- Access to Care (27)
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (6)
- Adverse Events (7)
- Alcohol Use (1)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (8)
- Antibiotics (3)
- Antimicrobial Stewardship (3)
- Anxiety (3)
- Autism (1)
- Behavioral Health (23)
- Blood Clots (1)
- Blood Pressure (1)
- Blood Thinners (3)
- Burnout (5)
- Cancer (13)
- Cancer: Breast Cancer (4)
- Cancer: Colorectal Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Lung Cancer (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (11)
- Care Coordination (2)
- Caregiving (1)
- Care Management (1)
- Case Study (3)
- Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) (1)
- Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) (1)
- Children/Adolescents (47)
- Chronic Conditions (11)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (3)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (2)
- Clostridium difficile Infections (1)
- Communication (5)
- Community-Acquired Infections (2)
- Community-Based Practice (2)
- Comparative Effectiveness (1)
- (-) COVID-19 (329)
- Critical Care (15)
- Cultural Competence (1)
- Data (1)
- Dementia (1)
- Depression (2)
- Diabetes (3)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (14)
- Dialysis (1)
- Disabilities (1)
- Disparities (21)
- Education (1)
- Education: Academic (2)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (3)
- Education: Curriculum (1)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (1)
- Elderly (12)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (10)
- Emergency Department (15)
- Emergency Preparedness (10)
- Evidence-Based Practice (17)
- Family Health and History (1)
- Genetics (2)
- Guidelines (3)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (3)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (7)
- Healthcare Costs (9)
- Healthcare Delivery (33)
- Healthcare Utilization (4)
- Health Information Exchange (HIE) (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (50)
- Health Insurance (6)
- Health Literacy (1)
- Health Promotion (1)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (2)
- Health Status (2)
- Health Systems (2)
- Heart Disease and Health (2)
- Home Healthcare (1)
- Hospital Discharge (3)
- Hospitalization (20)
- Hospital Readmissions (2)
- Hospitals (22)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (3)
- Imaging (3)
- Implementation (3)
- Infectious Diseases (42)
- Influenza (3)
- Inpatient Care (10)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (12)
- Kidney Disease and Health (7)
- Labor and Delivery (1)
- Learning Health Systems (2)
- Long-Term Care (8)
- Low-Income (2)
- Maternal Care (6)
- Medicaid (6)
- Medical Errors (2)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (7)
- Medicare (4)
- Medication (24)
- Medication: Safety (2)
- Men's Health (1)
- Mortality (25)
- Neurological Disorders (2)
- Newborns/Infants (3)
- Nursing (3)
- Nursing Homes (14)
- Obesity (6)
- Obesity: Weight Management (3)
- Opioids (5)
- Outcomes (13)
- Palliative Care (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (3)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (3)
- Patient Adherence/Compliance (3)
- Patient and Family Engagement (2)
- Patient Experience (6)
- Patient Safety (9)
- Patient Self-Management (2)
- Pneumonia (1)
- Policy (12)
- Practice Patterns (4)
- Pregnancy (5)
- Prevention (12)
- Primary Care (12)
- Provider (1)
- Provider: Clinician (3)
- Provider: Health Personnel (8)
- Provider: Nurse (9)
- Provider: Physician (5)
- Public Health (93)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality of Care (2)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (27)
- Registries (2)
- Rehabilitation (2)
- Research Methodologies (4)
- Respiratory Conditions (23)
- Risk (23)
- Rural/Inner-City Residents (3)
- Rural Health (5)
- Screening (5)
- Sepsis (3)
- Shared Decision Making (5)
- Sickle Cell Disease (1)
- Simulation (3)
- Skin Conditions (1)
- Social Determinants of Health (6)
- Social Media (1)
- Social Stigma (1)
- Stress (6)
- Stroke (2)
- Substance Abuse (9)
- Surgery (14)
- Telehealth (40)
- Training (5)
- Transitions of Care (2)
- Transplantation (7)
- Treatments (4)
- Uninsured (2)
- Urban Health (5)
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) (1)
- Vaccination (24)
- Vulnerable Populations (9)
- Women (11)
- Workflow (4)
- Workforce (3)
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
101 to 125 of 329 Research Studies DisplayedCrnich CJ
Reimagining infection control in U.S. nursing homes in the era of COVID-19.
This paper provides an overview of nursing home (NH) infection and control, reviews the 2016 CMS changes to federal regulations, and proposes recommendations to sustain improvements. COVID-19 put further pressure on nursing homes who were already strained by rising numbers of infections from C. difficile and multidrug-resistant organisms. The author puts out a call for reimagining infection prevention and control using the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety framework. Additional recommendations are made to enhance NH infection prevention and control programs in the areas of people, tasks, tools, organization, built environment, and external environment.
AHRQ-funded; HS022465.
Citation: Crnich CJ .
Reimagining infection control in U.S. nursing homes in the era of COVID-19.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2022 Dec;23(12):1909-15. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2022.10.022..
Keywords: Elderly, COVID-19, Public Health, Infectious Diseases, Nursing Homes, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Prevention
Levinson Z, Cantor J, Williams MV
The association of strained ICU capacity with hospital patient racial and ethnic composition and federal relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Investigators sought to identify the association between strained intensive care unit (ICU) capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic and hospital racial and ethnic patient composition, federal pandemic relief, and other hospital characteristics. They found that hospitals with large Black patient shares experienced greater strain during the pandemic. These hospitals received more federal relief; however, funding was not targeted overall toward hospitals with high ICU occupancy rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS024067.
Citation: Levinson Z, Cantor J, Williams MV .
The association of strained ICU capacity with hospital patient racial and ethnic composition and federal relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Serv Res 2022 Dec;57(Suppl 2):279-90. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14028..
Keywords: COVID-19, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Hospitals
Krauss DM, Molefe A, Hung L
AHRQ Author: Henderson S, Miller M
Emergent themes from a quality improvement programme for CLABSI/CAUTI prevention in ICUs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this study, researchers summarized themes for maintaining infection prevention activities learned from the implementation of a quality improvement (QI) program during the COVID-19 pandemic. They concluded that future shocks such as the pandemic must be anticipated, and the healthcare system must be resilient to the resulting disruptions to healthcare-associated infection prevention activities. Their study encountered four themes for successful maintenance of infection prevention activities during the current pandemic: the value of a pre-existing infection prevention infrastructure; a flexibility in approach; broad buy-in for maintaining QI programs; and the facilitation of idea-sharing.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500016I.
Citation: Krauss DM, Molefe A, Hung L .
Emergent themes from a quality improvement programme for CLABSI/CAUTI prevention in ICUs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
BMJ Open Qual 2022 Nov;11(4):e001926. doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2022-001926..
Keywords: COVID-19, Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI), Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Critical Care, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Prevention, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Infectious Diseases
Holtrop JS, Davis MM
Primary care research is hard to do during COVID-19: challenges and solutions.
This study examined challenges in conducting primary care research during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors used their experience on over 15 individual projects during the pandemic. They identified 3 key challenges to conducting primary care research: (1) practice delivery trickle-down effects, (2) limited/changing resources and procedures for research, and (3) a generally tense milieu in US society during the pandemic. They presented strategies, informed by a set of questions, to help researchers decide how to address these challenges observed during our studies. They encouraged normalization and self-compassion; and encouraged researchers and funders to embrace pragmatic and adaptive research designs as the circumstances with COVID-19 evolve over time.
AHRQ-funded; HS027080.
Citation: Holtrop JS, Davis MM .
Primary care research is hard to do during COVID-19: challenges and solutions.
Ann Fam Med 2022 Nov-Dec; 20(6):568-72. doi: 10.1370/afm.2889..
Keywords: COVID-19, Primary Care, Health Services Research (HSR), Research Methodologies
Wu W, Bhatraju PK, Cobb N
Radiographic findings and association with clinical severity and outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID-19.
Investigators sought to describe evolution and severity of radiographic findings and to assess association with disease severity and outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients. They found that evolution of radiographic features indicates rapid disease progression and correlates with requirement for invasive MV or vasopressors but not mortality, which suggests potential non-pulmonary pathways to death in COVID-19.
AHRQ-funded; HS026369.
Citation: Wu W, Bhatraju PK, Cobb N .
Radiographic findings and association with clinical severity and outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID-19.
Curr Probl Diagn Radiol 2022 Nov-Dec;51(6):884-91. doi: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2022.04.002..
Keywords: COVID-19, Critical Care, Outcomes
Shover CL, Rosen A, Mata J
Engaging same-day peer ambassadors to increase coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination among people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Los Angeles County: a hybrid feasibility-evaluation study.
This study’s goal was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of engaging unhoused peer ambassadors (PAs) in COVID-19 vaccination efforts to reach people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Los Angeles County. A total of 117 PAs were enrolled at 103 events, participating for an average of 2 hours. Findings showed that 197 additional people were vaccinated over 167 PA hours, accounting for >25% of all vaccines given at these events, indicating that recruiting same-day unhoused PAs is a feasible, acceptable, and preliminarily effective technique to increase COVID-19 vaccination in unsheltered settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS026407.
Citation: Shover CL, Rosen A, Mata J .
Engaging same-day peer ambassadors to increase coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination among people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Los Angeles County: a hybrid feasibility-evaluation study.
J Infect Dis 2022 Oct 7;226(suppl 3):S346-s52. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac291..
Keywords: COVID-19, Vaccination, Vulnerable Populations, Public Health
Qin CX, Auerbach SR, Charnaya O
Antibody response to three SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients.
The purpose of this observational cohort study was to assess whether a third SARS-CoV-2 vaccine would improve immunogenicity in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs), and to report the antibody response and safety of a third mRNA vaccine dose (D3) in adolescent SOTRs. Forty-two participants received three BNT162b2 doses and one received three mRNA-1273 doses. Participants were 6-13 years from transplant (median 10 [IQR]), and heart transplant was the most common procedure, in 41.9% of the participants. 9.3% of participants reported pre-D1 SARS-CoV-2 infections and 9.3% reported breakthrough infections. The study found that 88.4% of adolescent SOTRs had positive antibody responses 1 month post-D3, an increase from 63–73% post-D2. 54.5% of participants with prior negative responses seroconverted and 100% with positive responses increased or remained at maximum titer. Titers remained stable 3 months post-D3. There were no vaccine-related adverse events and four breakthrough infections. The researchers concluded that although this was a convenience sample, the results suggest there is an antibody response benefit to a third SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in adolescent SOTRs.
AHRQ-funded; HS026510.
Citation: Qin CX, Auerbach SR, Charnaya O .
Antibody response to three SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients.
Am J Transplant 2022 Oct;22(10):2481-83. doi: 10.1111/ajt.17085..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Vaccination, Transplantation
Lobach DF, Boxwala A, Kashyap N
AHRQ Author: Lomotan EA, Harrison MI, Dymek C, Swiger J
Integrating a patient engagement app into an electronic health record-enabled workflow using interoperability standards.
The authors sought to use interoperability standards to integrate the COVID-19 Tracker, a patient mobile application, with an EHR. Their clinical decision support integration project benefited from a standards-based approach, but they encountered challenges due to issues concerning implementation and experience of the standards-based application programming interface, Health Level 7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) in the EHR. The authors concluded that FHIR standards may provide a promising mechanism for overcoming barriers in the integration of patient engagement apps with EHRs, but that expansion of available FHIR resources will improve workflow integration.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500023I.
Citation: Lobach DF, Boxwala A, Kashyap N .
Integrating a patient engagement app into an electronic health record-enabled workflow using interoperability standards.
Appl Clin Inform 2022 Oct;13(5):1163-71. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1758736..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient and Family Engagement, Workflow, COVID-19
Richmond J, Sanderson M, Shrubsole MJ
Psychosocial impact of COVID-19 among adults in the southeastern United States.
The authors investigated factors associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS), their results overall suggested that individuals in fair/poor health, living alone, and/or experiencing decreased physical activity and vegetable/fruit consumption have higher risk of depressive and anxiety symptoms. They recommended clinical and public health interventions to support individuals experiencing depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Richmond J, Sanderson M, Shrubsole MJ .
Psychosocial impact of COVID-19 among adults in the southeastern United States.
Prev Med 2022 Oct;163:107191. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107191..
Keywords: COVID-19, Anxiety, Depression, Behavioral Health, Public Health
Redwood R, Schulz LT, Pop-Vicas A
A perfect storm: COVID-19 and antimicrobial resistance.
The purpose of this article was to discuss key factors that contributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with an emphasis on lessons learned and next steps. The authors report that the pandemic strained healthcare systems worldwide and disrupted standard infection control and antimicrobial stewardship practices, which are essential to limit the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms and decrease selective pressure related to inappropriate or unnecessary antimicrobial therapy. Disruptions to these practices are compounded by the disproportionately long hospital and intensive care unit stays observed in critically ill COVID-19 patients, leading to secondary bacterial infections that are notoriously difficult to treat and increase the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which can drive resistance. The article further states that the pandemic has led to shortages in personal protective equipment, increased workload, and staffing issues, all of which have disrupted routine antimicrobial stewardship activities. The article concludes that COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to develop new therapeutic interventions for infectious diseases that do not rely solely on antibiotics, and stresses the importance of incorporating the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic into future efforts to combat AMR.
AHRQ-funded; HS028669.
Citation: Redwood R, Schulz LT, Pop-Vicas A .
A perfect storm: COVID-19 and antimicrobial resistance.
EMJ, Microbiol Infect Dis 2022 Sep; 2022. doi: 10.33590/emjmicrobiolinfectdis/22-00082..
Keywords: COVID-19, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication
Griffith KN, Asfaw DA, Childers RG
Changes in US veterans' access to specialty care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This research letter examined changes in US veterans’ access to specialty care during the COVID-19 pandemic through October 2021. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) completed 14,516,937 internal referrals and purchased an additional 9,904,132 referrals to community-based specialists during the study period. Before the pandemic VHA specialists completed a mean 452,148 referrals each month. Volume dropped starting in March 2020 and did not fully until recover until March 2021. Peak decline was in April 2020 by 70.7% to 132,481 referrals. Community care referrals declined by 32.9% in June 2020, but rebounded thereafter and exceeded the prepandemic baseline by March 2021. Waits for VHA specialists began rising in June 2020, peaked in July 2020 and returned to prepandemic levels by spring 2021. Mean waits for community specialists peaked in June 2020 and returned to prepandemic baseline levels by August 2020.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Griffith KN, Asfaw DA, Childers RG .
Changes in US veterans' access to specialty care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Sep;5(9):e2232515. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.32515..
Keywords: COVID-19, Access to Care
Shankar LG, Habich M, Rosenman M
Mental health emergency department visits by children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Investigators described pediatric mental health emergency department (ED) visit rates and visit characteristics before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. They found that mental health ED visit rates by children increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Shankar LG, Habich M, Rosenman M .
Mental health emergency department visits by children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Sep-Oct;22(7):1127-32. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.05.022..
Keywords: COVID-19, Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Behavioral Health, Healthcare Utilization, Public Health
Beetham T, Fiellin DA, Busch SH
Physician response to COVID-19-driven telehealth flexibility for opioid use disorder.
This study surveyed physicians who provide opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment on their preferences and practices regarding telehealth that have evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 1141 physicians who were publicly listed buprenorphine-prescribing physicians were surveyed. Most respondents found telehealth to be effective, with 54% who found it more effective than expected. Overall, 85% were in favor of temporary telehealth flexibility being permanently extended, and 77% would be likely to use telehealth after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
AHRQ-funded; HS017589.
Citation: Beetham T, Fiellin DA, Busch SH .
Physician response to COVID-19-driven telehealth flexibility for opioid use disorder.
Am J Manag Care 2022 Sep;28(9):456-63. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2022.89221..
Keywords: COVID-19, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Medication
Dikranian L, Barry S, Ata A
Sars-CoV-2 with concurrent respiratory viral infection as a risk factor for a higher level of care in hospitalized pediatric patients.
This study’s objective was to evaluate if the presence of concurrent respiratory viral infections in pediatric patients admitted to the hospital with SARS-CoV-2 was associated with an increased rate of ICU level of care. Data from 67 participating hospitals was provided through The Society of Critical Care Medicine Discovery Network Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study database. A total of 922 patients were included, with 391 requiring ICU level care and 31 having concurrent non-SARS-CoV-2 viral coinfection. After accounting for age, positive blood culture, positive sputum culture, preexisting chronic medical conditions, the presence of a viral respiratory coinfection was associated with increased need for ICU care.
AHRQ-funded; HS026485.
Citation: Dikranian L, Barry S, Ata A .
Sars-CoV-2 with concurrent respiratory viral infection as a risk factor for a higher level of care in hospitalized pediatric patients.
Pediatr Emerg Care 2022 Sep;38(9):472-76. doi: 10.1097/pec.0000000000002814..
Keywords: COVID-19, Children/Adolescents, Respiratory Conditions, Risk
Adams C, Chamberlain A, Wang Y
The role of staff in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in long-term care facilities.
The purpose of this study was to assess the role of long-term care facility (LTCF) staff in transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. From March 2020 to September the researchers evaluated residents and staff of 60 LTCFs in Georgia. The study found that after vaccines were first distributed to LTCFs in December 202, case counts, outbreak size and duration, and time-varying reproduction number [R(t)] declined rapidly. Staff cases were six times more infectious than resident cases, and unvaccinated resident cases were more infectious than vaccinated resident cases. The researchers concluded that staff were the primary drivers of COVID-19 transmission in LTCFs and vaccines slowed the transmission of the virus and contributed to a reduction in cases in LTCFs.
AHRQ-funded; HS025987.
Citation: Adams C, Chamberlain A, Wang Y .
The role of staff in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in long-term care facilities.
Epidemiology 2022 Sep 1;33(5):669-77. doi: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001510..
Keywords: COVID-19, Respiratory Conditions, Long-Term Care, Public Health
Jin DP, Samuel S, Bowden K
Just-in-time electronic health record retraining to support clinician redeployment during the COVID-19 surge.
The purpose of this study was to examine the use of training in ICU-specific electronic health record (EHR) workflows prior to redeployment of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) as ICU clinicians during the COVID-19 surge. The researchers utilized clinical informatics (CI) fellows to lead a multidisciplinary team to deploy a customized HER curriculum consisting of in-person classes and online video modules. Eighteen CRNAs participated, with 15 completing surveys immediately after the in-person training session, and 12 participants completing a post-deployment survey. The study found that all respondents of the post-training survey thought the training was useful and improved their EHR skills. Of the 12 participants who completed the post-deployment survey, all said that the training both increased their comfort in the ICU and that the concepts learned would be useful in their anesthesia role, and 91% indicated the training prepared them to work in the ICU with minimal guidance. The researchers concluded that CI fellows are uniquely prepared to deliver EHR training for clinician deployment in operational crisis response.
AHRQ-funded; HS02373.
Citation: Jin DP, Samuel S, Bowden K .
Just-in-time electronic health record retraining to support clinician redeployment during the COVID-19 surge.
Appl Clin Inform 2022 Aug 29;13(5):949-55. doi: 10.1055/a-1933-1798..
Keywords: COVID-19, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Public Health, Training, Workforce
Robinson LA, Eber MR, Hammitt JK
Valuing COVID-19 morbidity risk reductions.
The authors described and implemented an approach for approximating the value of averting nonfatal illnesses or injuries and applied it to COVID-19 in the United States. They estimated gains from averting COVID-19 morbidity of about 0.01 quality-adjusted life year (QALY) per mild case averted, 0.02 QALY per severe case, and 3.15 QALYs per critical case. They indicated that these gains translate into monetary values of about $5,300 per mild case, $11,000 per severe case, and $1.8 million per critical case.
AHRQ-funded; HS000055.
Citation: Robinson LA, Eber MR, Hammitt JK .
Valuing COVID-19 morbidity risk reductions.
J Benefit Cost Anal 2022 Summer;13(2):247-68. doi: 10.1017/bca.2022.11.
.
.
Keywords: COVID-19, Risk, Healthcare Costs
Guo W, Li Y, Temkin-Greener H
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in assisted living communities: neighborhood deprivation and state social distancing policies matter.
Investigators examined the association between COVID-19 cases in assisted living communities (ALCs) and the proportion of Medicare-Medicaid (dual) eligible minority residents, neighborhood area deprivation, and state COVID-19 policy stringency. They found that ALCs with higher proportions of dual-eligible minority residents were more likely to have COVID-19 outbreaks within their communities. Further, ALCs located in more socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods, and in states with less stringent state social distancing policies, tended to have more COVID-19 cases.
AHRQ-funded; HS026893.
Citation: Guo W, Li Y, Temkin-Greener H .
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in assisted living communities: neighborhood deprivation and state social distancing policies matter.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2022 Aug;43(8):1004-09. doi: 10.1017/ice.2022.46..
Keywords: COVID-19, Elderly, Long-Term Care, Policy, Public Health
Hails KA, Petts RA, Hostutler CA
COVID-19 distress, negative parenting, and child behavioral problems: the moderating role of parent adverse childhood experiences.
This study’s objective was to test a moderated mediation model to determine whether families’ COVID-19-related distress is associated with young children's emotional/behavioral functioning via negative parenting, and whether these relationships vary based on parents' adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Participants were 267 parents recruited from five primary care sites across the United States with children ages 1.5-5 years. Internet questionnaires were completed on measures including demographics, parent ACEs, negative parenting, parent mental health, and COVID-19 distress. Negative parenting significantly mediated the relationship between COVID-19 distress and child emotional/behavioral problems. The model accounted for 42% variance in child emotional/behavioral problems.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Hails KA, Petts RA, Hostutler CA .
COVID-19 distress, negative parenting, and child behavioral problems: the moderating role of parent adverse childhood experiences.
Child Abuse Negl 2022 Aug;130(Pt 1):105450. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105450..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Behavioral Health, Stress
Adams C, Wortley P, Chamberlain A
Declining COVID-19 case-fatality in Georgia, USA, March 2020 to March 2021: a sign of real improvement or a broadening epidemic?
This article examined whether declines in the crude US COVID-19 case fatality ratio is due to improved clinical care and/or other factors. The authors used multivariable logistic regression to examine associations between report month and mortality among confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and hospitalized cases in Georgia from March 2020 through March 2021. Mortality risk was lowest in November 2020 compared to August 2020 and remained lower until March 2021. Among hospitalized cases, mortality risk increased in December 2020 and January 2021 before declining in March 2021. The authors concluded that improved clinical management may have contributed to lower mortality risk.
AHRQ-funded; HS025987.
Citation: Adams C, Wortley P, Chamberlain A .
Declining COVID-19 case-fatality in Georgia, USA, March 2020 to March 2021: a sign of real improvement or a broadening epidemic?
Ann Epidemiol 2022 Aug;72:57-64. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2022.05.008..
Keywords: COVID-19, Public Health, Mortality
Cutler GJ, Bergmann KR, Doupnik SK
Pediatric mental health emergency department visits and access to Inpatient care: a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The purpose of this study was to explore the author’s previous research findings on trends in pediatric emergency department (ED) visits for mental health (MH) vs non-mental health in light of more recent related data corresponding with the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that recent research supports the dramatic increase in pediatric MH ED visits found in the author’s previous research and provides additional evidence that the increase has been driven by specific MH diagnoses. The researchers conclude that depressive disorders, self-harm behavior, and non-alcohol substance use disorders should be prioritized for the development of ED- and hospital-based strategies, and that EDs, hospitals, health systems, and the government urgently need to increase capacity for MH services and identify innovative solutions to improve access to high quality MH care for children.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Cutler GJ, Bergmann KR, Doupnik SK .
Pediatric mental health emergency department visits and access to Inpatient care: a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Aug;22(6):889-91. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.03.015..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Behavioral Health, Emergency Department, Access to Care, Public Health, Inpatient Care
Reeves SL, Patel PN, Madden B
Telehealth use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among children with sickle cell anemia.
This study’s goal was to determine telehealth use before and during the COVID pandemic for children ages 1-17 years old with sickle cell anemia (SCA). The authors identified children with SCA continuously enrolled in Michigan Medicaid from January 2019 to December 2020. The study population consisted of 493 children with SCA with a mean age of 8.7 years at study entry. Pre-pandemic there were 4,367 outpatient visits, with all but 19 in-person. Telehealth visits peaked in April 2020 and then began declining. The majority of telehealth visits were with hematologists, followed up adult subspecialists (27%) and pediatrics/family medicine.
AHRQ-funded; HS027632.
Citation: Reeves SL, Patel PN, Madden B .
Telehealth use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among children with sickle cell anemia.
Telemed J E Health 2022 Aug;28(8):1166-71. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2021.0132..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Sickle Cell Disease, Chronic Conditions, Access to Care
Hinson JS, Klein E, Smith A
Multisite implementation of a workflow-integrated machine learning system to optimize COVID-19 hospital admission decisions.
This study’s objective was to develop, implement, and evaluate an electronic health record (EHR) embedded clinical decision support (CDS) system that leveraged machine learning (ML) to estimate short-term risk for clinical deterioration in patients with or under investigation for COVID-19. The system translates model-generated risk for critical care needs within 24 hours and inpatient care needs within 72 hours into rapidly interpretable COVID-19 Deterioration Risk Levels made viewable within ED clinician workflow. A retrospective cohort of 21,452 ED patients who visited one of five ED study sites was used to derive ML models and were prospectively validated in 15,670 ED visits that occurred before (n = 4322) or after (n = 11,348) CDS implementation. Model performance and numerous patient-oriented outcomes including in-hospital mortality were measured across study periods. ML model performance was excellent under all conditions. AUC ranged from 0.85 to 0.91 for prediction of critical care needs and 0.80-0.90 for inpatient care needs. Total mortality was unchanged across study periods but was reduced among high-risk patients after the implementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS026640.
Citation: Hinson JS, Klein E, Smith A .
Multisite implementation of a workflow-integrated machine learning system to optimize COVID-19 hospital admission decisions.
NPJ Digit Med 2022 Jul 16;5(1):94. doi: 10.1038/s41746-022-00646-1..
Keywords: COVID-19, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Implementation, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Emergency Department, Shared Decision Making
Shao CC, McLeod MC, Gleason LT
Inequity in telemedicine use among patients with cancer in the Deep South during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The authors’ goal was to characterize telemedicine use among a large oncology population in the Deep South during the COVID-19 pandemic. They found that telemedicine use, specifically with video, was significantly lower among historically vulnerable populations. They concluded that understanding barriers to telemedicine use and preferred modalities of communication among different populations will help inform insurance reimbursement and interventions at different socioecological levels to ensure that the continued evolution of telemedicine will be equitable.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Shao CC, McLeod MC, Gleason LT .
Inequity in telemedicine use among patients with cancer in the Deep South during the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35348793
Oncologist 2022 Jul 5;27(7):555-64. doi: 10.1093/oncolo/oyac046..
Oncologist 2022 Jul 5;27(7):555-64. doi: 10.1093/oncolo/oyac046..
Keywords: COVID-19, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Cancer, Disparities
Keller SC, Caballero TM, Tamma PD
AHRQ Author: Miller MA
Assessment of changes in visits and antibiotic prescribing during the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use and the COVID-19 pandemic.
This cohort study evaluated the effectiveness of the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use aimed to improve antibiotic prescribing in ambulatory practices by engaging clinicians and staff to incorporate antibiotic stewardship into practice culture, communication, and decision-making. The study ran from December 2019 through November 2020. A total of 389 ambulatory care practices with over 6.5 million visits to 5483 clinicians were compared from the baseline to completion of the program. Participants included 82 primary care practices, 103 urgent care practices, 34 federally supported practices, 21 pediatric-only practices, 39 pediatric urgent care practices, 21 pediatric-only practices, and 14 other practice types. Of the 389 practices who completed the program, 75% submitted completed data. Visits per practice per month decreased from a mean of 1624 at baseline to a nadir of 906 early in the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020) and were 1797 at the end of the program. Total antibiotic prescribing decreased from 18.2% of visits at baseline to 9.5% at completion of the program. Acute respiratory infection (ARI) visits per practice per month decreased from a baseline of 321 to a nadir of 76 early in the pandemic (May 2020) and gradually increased through completion of the program (n = 239). Antibiotic prescribing for ARIs decreased from 39.2% at baseline to 24.7% at completion of the program.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Keller SC, Caballero TM, Tamma PD .
Assessment of changes in visits and antibiotic prescribing during the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use and the COVID-19 pandemic.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Jul;5(7):e2220512. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.20512..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, COVID-19, Public Health, Respiratory Conditions