National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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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
76 to 100 of 248 Research Studies DisplayedWestafer LM, Kunz A, Bugajska P
Provider perspectives on the use of evidence-based risk stratification tools in the evaluation of pulmonary embolism: a qualitative study.
Providers often pursue imaging in patients at low risk of pulmonary embolism (PE), resulting in imaging yields <10% and false-positive imaging rates of 10% to 25%. Attempts to curb overtesting have had only modest success and no interventions have used implementation science frameworks. The objective of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to the adoption of evidence-based diagnostic testing for PE.
AHRQ-funded; HS025701.
Citation: Westafer LM, Kunz A, Bugajska P .
Provider perspectives on the use of evidence-based risk stratification tools in the evaluation of pulmonary embolism: a qualitative study.
Acad Emerg Med 2020 Jun;27(6):447-56. doi: 10.1111/acem.13908..
Keywords: Respiratory Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Imaging, Shared Decision Making, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider: Clinician, Provider
Fink HA, Linskens EJ, Silverman PC
Accuracy of biomarker testing for neuropathologically defined Alzheimer disease in older adults with dementia
This study is a systematic review of biomarker and test accuracy for identification of Alzheimer Disease (AD) in older adults. Studies with low or medium risk of bias were analyzed, and two reviewers rated risk of bias. Fifteen brain imaging studies and 9 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies met analysis criteria and were included. The meta-analysis found that in methodologically heterogeneous studies of uncertain applicability to typical clinical settings, the biomarkers amyloid PET, 18F-FDG proton emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were highly sensitive for neuropathologic AD. Single studies suggested that adding amyloid PET, 18F-FDG PET, and CSF test combinations may add accuracy to clinical evaluation.
AHRQ-funded; 290201500008I.
Citation: Fink HA, Linskens EJ, Silverman PC .
Accuracy of biomarker testing for neuropathologically defined Alzheimer disease in older adults with dementia
Ann Intern Med 2020 May 19;172(10):669-77. doi: 10.7326/m19-3888..
Keywords: Elderly, Dementia, Neurological Disorders, Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice
Henry MK, Feudtner C, Fortin K
Occult head injuries in infants evaluated for physical abuse.
Abusive head injuries in infants may be occult but clinically or forensically important. Data conflict regarding yield of neuroimaging in detecting occult head injuries in infants evaluated for physical abuse, with prior studies identifying yields of 4.3-37.3 %. The objectives of this study were (1) To quantify yield of computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging in identification of occult head injuries in infants with concerns for physical abuse and (2) To evaluate risk factors for occult head injuries.
AHRQ-funded; HS024194.
Citation: Henry MK, Feudtner C, Fortin K .
Occult head injuries in infants evaluated for physical abuse.
Child Abuse Negl 2020 May;103:104431. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104431..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Brain Injury, Domestic Violence, Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Injuries and Wounds
Thiessen M, Vogel JA, Byyny RL
Emergency ultrasound literature and adherence to standards for reporting of diagnostic accuracy criteria.
Given the wide usage of emergency point-of-care ultrasound (EUS) among emergency physicians (EPs), rigorous study surrounding its accuracy is essential. The Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) criteria were established to ensure robust reporting methodology for diagnostic studies. Adherence to the STARD criteria among EUS diagnostic studies has yet to be reported. In this study, the objective was to evaluate a body of EUS literature shortly after STARD publication for its baseline adherence to the STARD criteria.
AHRQ-funded; HS023901.
Citation: Thiessen M, Vogel JA, Byyny RL .
Emergency ultrasound literature and adherence to standards for reporting of diagnostic accuracy criteria.
J Emerg Med 2020 Apr;58(4):636-46. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2019.09.029..
Keywords: Imaging, Emergency Department, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Lacson R, Wang A, Cochon L
Factors associated with optimal follow-up in women with BI-RADS 3 breast findings.
Investigators assessed the rate of and the factors associated with optimal follow-up in patients with BI-RADS 3 breast findings. They found that follow-up of BI-RADS 3 breast imaging findings is optimal in only 74% of women. They recommended further interventions to promote follow-up targeting younger, unmarried women, those with Hispanic ethnicity, and women without history of breast cancer and without insurance coverage.
AHRQ-funded; HS024722.
Citation: Lacson R, Wang A, Cochon L .
Factors associated with optimal follow-up in women with BI-RADS 3 breast findings.
J Am Coll Radiol 2020 Apr;17(4):469-74. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2019.10.003..
Keywords: Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Imaging, Screening, Women, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Richardson S, Cohen S, Khan S
Higher imaging yield when clinical decision support is used.
Increased utilization of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for the evaluation of pulmonary embolism has been associated with decreasing diagnostic yields and rising concerns about the harms of unnecessary testing. The objective of this study was to determine whether clinical decision support (CDS) use would be associated with increased imaging yields after controlling for selection bias.
AHRQ-funded; HS022061.
Citation: Richardson S, Cohen S, Khan S .
Higher imaging yield when clinical decision support is used.
J Am Coll Radiol 2020 Apr;17(4):496-503. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2019.11.021.
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Keywords: Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Shared Decision Making, Blood Clots
Kotok D, Yang L, Evankovich JW
The evolution of radiographic edema in ARDS and its association with clinical outcomes: a prospective cohort study in adult patients.
The authors assessed the longitudinal evolution of radiographic edema using chest X-rays in patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and examined its association with prognostic biomarkers, ARDS sub-phenotypes, and outcomes. They found that the Radiographic Assessment of Lung Edema (RALE) score was easily implementable with high inter-rater reliability. They concluded that the longitudinal RALE scoring appeared to be a reproducible approach to track the evolution of radiographic edema in patients with ARDS and could potentially predict prolonged need for mechanical ventilation.
AHRQ-funded; HS025455.
Citation: Kotok D, Yang L, Evankovich JW .
The evolution of radiographic edema in ARDS and its association with clinical outcomes: a prospective cohort study in adult patients.
J Crit Care 2020 Apr;56:222-28. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2020.01.012..
Keywords: Respiratory Conditions, Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Sprague BL, Coley RY, Kerlikowske K
Assessment of radiologist performance in breast cancer screening using digital breast tomosynthesis vs digital mammography.
Many US radiologists have screening mammography recall rates above the expert-recommended threshold of 12%. The influence of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) on the distribution of radiologist recall rates is uncertain. The objective of this study was to evaluate radiologists' recall and cancer detection rates before and after beginning interpretation of DBT examinations.
AHRQ-funded; HS018366.
Citation: Sprague BL, Coley RY, Kerlikowske K .
Assessment of radiologist performance in breast cancer screening using digital breast tomosynthesis vs digital mammography.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Mar 2;3(3):e201759. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.1759..
Keywords: Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Imaging, Screening, Women, Prevention, Provider Performance
Kocher KE, Arora R, Bassin BS
Baseline performance of real-world clinical practice within a statewide emergency medicine quality network: the Michigan Emergency Department Improvement Collaborative (MEDIC).
The Michigan Emergency Department Improvement Collaborative (MEDIC) has baseline performance data to identify practice variation across 15 diverse emergency departments on key emergency care quality indicators. The authors assessed MEDIC quality measures and found that performance varied greatly, with demonstrated opportunity for improvement. They conclude that MEDIC provides a robust platform for emergency physician engagement across emergency department practice settings to improve care and is a model for other states.
AHRQ-funded; HS024160.
Citation: Kocher KE, Arora R, Bassin BS .
Baseline performance of real-world clinical practice within a statewide emergency medicine quality network: the Michigan Emergency Department Improvement Collaborative (MEDIC).
Ann Emerg Med 2020 Feb;75(2):192-205. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.04.033..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Quality Improvement, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Hong AS, Levin D, Parker L
Trends in diagnostic imaging utilization among Medicare and commercially insured adults from 2003 through 2016.
This study examined trends in use of noninvasive diagnostic imaging (NDI) among commercially insured individuals compared to Medicare enrollees from 2003 through 2016. There was more of an increase among Medicare enrollees than commercially insured patients, but both showed upward trends until the early 2010’s where trends began to be flat or decline. The notable exception was for CT imaging among commercially insured patients aged 45-64 years and Medicare enrollees after 2012.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Hong AS, Levin D, Parker L .
Trends in diagnostic imaging utilization among Medicare and commercially insured adults from 2003 through 2016.
Radiology 2020 Feb;294(2):342-50. doi: 10.1148/radiol.2019191116..
Keywords: Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medicare, Imaging, Healthcare Utilization, Health Insurance
Sheehan SE, Safdar N, Singh H
Detection and remediation of misidentification errors in radiology examination ordering.
In this study, the investigators described the pilot testing of a quality improvement methodology using electronic trigger tools and preimaging checklists to detect "wrong-side" misidentification errors in radiology examination ordering, and to measure staff adherence to departmental policy in error remediation. The investigators concluded that their trigger tool enabled the detection of substantially more imaging ordering misidentification errors than preimaging safety checklists alone, with a high positive predictive value.
AHRQ-funded; HS022087; HS017820.
Citation: Sheehan SE, Safdar N, Singh H .
Detection and remediation of misidentification errors in radiology examination ordering.
Appl Clin Inform 2020 Jan;11(1):79-87. doi: 10.1055/s-0039-3402730..
Keywords: Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Patient Safety, Imaging, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Aneja S, Chang E, Omuro A
Applications of artificial intelligence in neuro-oncology.
This article explores the promise that artificial intelligence algorithms has for improving understanding of brain tumors and help drive future innovations in neuro-oncology.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Aneja S, Chang E, Omuro A .
Applications of artificial intelligence in neuro-oncology.
Curr Opin Neurol 2019 Dec;32(6):850-56. doi: 10.1097/wco.0000000000000761.
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Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Cancer, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Imaging
Lacson R, Gujrathi I, Healey M
Closing the loop on unscheduled diagnostic imaging orders: a systems-based approach.
This study looked at the impact of implementing a tool called SCORE (System for Coordinating Orders for Radiology Exams), whose objective is to manage unscheduled orders for outpatient diagnostic imaging in an electronic health record (EHR) with embedded computerized physician order entry. The rate of unscheduled imaging orders was compared before SCORE (October 2017 to September 2018) and after (October 2018 to June 2019). There was a 49% reduction in unscheduled orders after SCORE implementation at a large academic institution.
AHRQ-funded; HS024722.
Citation: Lacson R, Gujrathi I, Healey M .
Closing the loop on unscheduled diagnostic imaging orders: a systems-based approach.
J Am Coll Radiol 2021 Jan;18(1 Pt A):60-67. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2020.09.031..
Keywords: Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Safety
Levy AE, Shah NR, Matheny ME
Determining post-test risk in a national sample of stress nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging reports: implications for natural language processing tools.
The authors investigated whether Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools could potentially help estimate myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) risk. Subjects were VA patients who underwent stress MPI and coronary angiography 2009-11; stress test reports were randomly selected for analysis. The authors found that post-test ischemic risk was determinable but rarely reported in this sample of stress MPI reports. They conclude that this supports the potential use of NLP to help clarify risk and recommend further study of NLP in this context.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Levy AE, Shah NR, Matheny ME .
Determining post-test risk in a national sample of stress nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging reports: implications for natural language processing tools.
J Nucl Cardiol 2019 Dec;26(6):1878-85. doi: 10.1007/s12350-018-1275-y..
Keywords: Imaging, Risk, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health
Montgomery KB, Holder AM, Burgan CM
Is it time for synoptic reporting in melanoma nodal surveillance ultrasonography?
Previous qualitative research has identified a potential gap between surgeons’ and radiologists’ awareness of Second Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial (MSLT-II) criteria. The purpose of this study was to explore how these criteria have been adopted and reported outside of clinical trial settings or utilized by surgical teams when interpreting ultrasound results. The study found that of the 269 nodal ultrasounds performed in 78 patients, 81.0% reported normal findings versus 19% abnormal findings. Researchers indicated that only 15% of normal ultrasounds had one or more MSLT-II criteria reported versus 88.9% abnormal ultrasounds. While 37% of abnormal ultrasounds had only one MSLT-II criterion reported, 27.8% had two criteria and 24.1% had three criteria. Of the eight abnormal ultrasounds with biopsy recommendation, 75% had two or more MSLT-II criteria reported. Clinically actionable recommendations were provided in 94.9% of normal ultrasounds compared with 64.8% of abnormal ultrasounds.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Montgomery KB, Holder AM, Burgan CM .
Is it time for synoptic reporting in melanoma nodal surveillance ultrasonography?
Ann Surg Oncol 2023 Sep; 30(9):5327-28. doi: 10.1245/s10434-023-13749-0..
Keywords: Cancer: Skin Cancer, Cancer, Skin Conditions, Imaging
O'Reilly-Jacob M, Perloff J, Buerhaus P
Comparing the rates of low-value back images ordered by physicians and nurse practitioners for Medicare beneficiaries in primary care.
This study measures the rates of low-value back images ordered by primary care physicians and nurse practitioners for Medicare beneficiaries, and there was no detectable difference between the two groups in 2012 and 2013.
AHRQ-funded; HS00062.
Citation: O'Reilly-Jacob M, Perloff J, Buerhaus P .
Comparing the rates of low-value back images ordered by physicians and nurse practitioners for Medicare beneficiaries in primary care.
Nurs Outlook 2019 Nov - Dec;67(6):713-24. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2019.05.005..
Keywords: Imaging, Back Health and Pain, Primary Care, Imaging, Pain
Ray X, Bojechko C, Moore KL
Evaluating the sensitivity of Halcyon's automatic transit image acquisition for treatment error detection: a phantom study using static IMRT.
The Varian Halcyon electronic portal imaging detector is always in-line with the beam and automatically acquires transit images for every patient with full-field coverage. These images could be used for "every patient, every monitor unit" quality assurance (QA) and eventually adaptive radiotherapy. This study evaluated the imager's sensitivity to potential clinical errors and day-to-day variations from clinical exit images.
AHRQ-funded; HS025440.
Citation: Ray X, Bojechko C, Moore KL .
Evaluating the sensitivity of Halcyon's automatic transit image acquisition for treatment error detection: a phantom study using static IMRT.
J Appl Clin Med Phys 2019 Nov;20(11):131-43. doi: 10.1002/acm2.12749..
Keywords: Imaging, Quality of Care
Kang SK, Garry K, Chung R
Natural language processing for identification of incidental pulmonary nodules in radiology reports.
The authors developed natural language processing (NLP) to identify incidental lung nodules (ILNs) in radiology reports for assessment of management recommendations using the electronic health records for patients who underwent chest CT before and after implementation of a department-wide dictation macro of the Fleischner Society recommendations. They concluded that NLP reliably automates identification of ILNs in unstructured reports, pertinent to quality improvement efforts for ILN management.
AHRQ-funded; HS024376.
Citation: Kang SK, Garry K, Chung R .
Natural language processing for identification of incidental pulmonary nodules in radiology reports.
J Am Coll Radiol 2019 Nov;16(11):1587-94. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2019.04.026..
Keywords: Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Health Information Technology (HIT), Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Fu Y, Wu X, Thomas AM
Automatic large quantity landmark pairs detection in 4DCT lung images.
A new method was developed to automatically and precisely detect a large quantity of landmark pairs between lung computed tomography (CT) image pairs. The detected landmark pairs could be used as benchmark datasets for more accurate and informative quantitative evaluation of DIR algorithms. Target registration errors (TREs) were measured for 300 manually labeled landmark pairs in 10 lung 4DCT benchmark datasets (DIRLAB) with 97% of landmark pairs having a TRE smaller than 2 mm.
AHRQ-funded; HS022888.
Citation: Fu Y, Wu X, Thomas AM .
Automatic large quantity landmark pairs detection in 4DCT lung images.
Med Phys 2019 Oct;46(10):4490-501. doi: 10.1002/mp.13726..
Keywords: Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Mower WR, Crisp JG, Krishnadasan A
Effect of initial bedside ultrasonography on emergency department skin and soft tissue infection management.
Researchers examined the utility of emergency department (ED) ultrasonography in treatment of skin and soft tissue infections. Study participants were ED patients with skin and soft tissue infections; the study also surveyed clinicians with regard to their pre-ultrasonography certainty about the presence or absence of an abscess, their planned management, post-ultrasonography findings, and actual management. The researchers found that ultrasonography rarely changed management when clinicians were certain about the presence or absence of an abscess. When clinicians were uncertain, ultrasonography changed drainage decisions in approximately one quarter of cases, of which most were appropriate.
AHRQ-funded; HS009699.
Citation: Mower WR, Crisp JG, Krishnadasan A .
Effect of initial bedside ultrasonography on emergency department skin and soft tissue infection management.
Ann Emerg Med 2019 Sep;74(3):372-80. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.02.002..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Imaging, Skin Conditions
Moore CL, Carpenter CR, Heilbrun ME
Imaging in suspected renal colic: systematic review of the literature and multispecialty consensus.
This study conducted a Delphi process consensus on 29 specific clinical scenarios when kidney stones are suspected due to renal colic. The authors wanted to create an evidence-based, multispecialty consensus on optimal imaging for suspected renal colic in the acute setting. A 9-member panel was conducted with 3 physician representatives from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), 3 from the American College of Radiology, and 3 from the American Urology Association. First a systematic literature review was conducted. Out of 6,337 records, there were 232 relevant articles. Out of the 29 clinical scenarios examined, 15 were rated as perfect, 8 were excellent, and 3 good and 3 moderate.
AHRQ-funded; HS023778.
Citation: Moore CL, Carpenter CR, Heilbrun ME .
Imaging in suspected renal colic: systematic review of the literature and multispecialty consensus.
Ann Emerg Med 2019 Sep;74(3):391-99. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.04.021..
Keywords: Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Emergency Department
Deng F, Li MD, Wong A
Quality of documentation of contrast agent allergies in electronic health records.
The purpose of this study was to describe and appraise contrast agent allergy documentation in the electronic health record (EHR). The investigators concluded that contrast allergy records in EHRs were diverse and commonly low quality. They suggest that continued EHR enhancements and training are needed to support contrast allergy documentation to facilitate improved patient care and medical research.
AHRQ-funded; HS025375.
Citation: Deng F, Li MD, Wong A .
Quality of documentation of contrast agent allergies in electronic health records.
J Am Coll Radiol 2019 Aug;16(8):1027-35. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2019.01.027..
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Imaging
Kirk PS, Borza T, Caram MEV
Characterising potential bone scan overuse amongst men treated with radical prostatectomy.
The authors characterized bone scan use after radical prostatectomy (RP) using data from a large, national integrated delivery system. They found a substantial rate of bone scan utilization after RP. The majority were performed for prostate-specific antigen levels in which the likelihood of a positive test was low. They recommended more judicious use of imaging in the post-RP setting.
AHRQ-funded; HS025707.
Citation: Kirk PS, Borza T, Caram MEV .
Characterising potential bone scan overuse amongst men treated with radical prostatectomy.
BJU Int 2019 Jul;124(1):55-61. doi: 10.1111/bju.14551..
Keywords: Cancer: Prostate Cancer, Cancer, Surgery, Imaging, Healthcare Utilization
Shah NR, Ahmed ST, Winchester DE
Facility-level variation in stress test utilization in veterans with ischemic heart disease.
The aim of this study was to quantify variation in cardiac stress test utilization across the Veterans Health Administration (VA) in patients with established ischemic heart disease (IHD). The investigators used VA datasets to identify adults with IHD (myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, and/or coronary artery bypass grafting) with a primary care clinic visit at the VA in fiscal year 2014.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Shah NR, Ahmed ST, Winchester DE .
Facility-level variation in stress test utilization in veterans with ischemic heart disease.
JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Jul;12(7 Pt 1):1292-93. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2019.02.020..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Healthcare Utilization, Practice Patterns, Imaging
Armstrong MJ, Gronseth GS, Day GS
Patient stakeholder versus physician preferences regarding amyloid PET testing.
Patient and caregiver perspectives on amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) use are largely unexplored, particularly as compared with clinician views. In this study, the investigators surveyed clinicians, patients, caregivers, and dementia advocates on topics relating to an evidence-based guideline on amyloid PET use. They found that patients and caregivers emphasized the importance of having a dementia diagnosis and placed more value on testing and outcomes for asymptomatic populations than clinicians.
AHRQ-funded; HS024159.
Citation: Armstrong MJ, Gronseth GS, Day GS .
Patient stakeholder versus physician preferences regarding amyloid PET testing.
Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2019 Jul-Sep;33(3):246-53. doi: 10.1097/wad.0000000000000311..
Keywords: Shared Decision Making, Dementia, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Evidence-Based Practice, Guidelines, Imaging, Neurological Disorders, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Provider, Provider: Physician