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 113 Research Studies DisplayedLemke AA, Harris-Wai JN
Stakeholder engagement in policy development: challenges and opportunities for human genomics.
The purpose of this paper is to examine how stakeholder engagement is used to develop policies in genomics research and public health areas, as well as to identify future priorities for conducting evidence-based stakeholder engagements. It concluded that several challenges of using stakeholder engagement as a tool for genomics policy development remain, and little evidence regarding how to best incorporate stakeholder feedback into policy-making processes is currently available.
AHRQ-funded; HS023547.
Citation: Lemke AA, Harris-Wai JN .
Stakeholder engagement in policy development: challenges and opportunities for human genomics.
Genet Med 2015 Dec;17(12):949-57. doi: 10.1038/gim.2015.8.
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Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Genetics, Patient and Family Engagement, Policy, Public Health
Schlesinger M, Grob R, Shaller D
Using patient-reported information to improve clinical practice.
The purposes of this study were to assess what is known about the relationship between patient experience measures and incentives designed to improve care, and to identify how public policy and medical practices can promote patient-valued outcomes in health systems with strong financial incentives. It concluded that unless public policies are attentive to patients' perspectives, stronger financial incentives for clinicians can threaten aspects of care that patients most value.
AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Schlesinger M, Grob R, Shaller D .
Using patient-reported information to improve clinical practice.
Health Serv Res 2015 Dec;50 Suppl 2:2116-54. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12420.
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Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient Experience, Provider Performance, Policy, Payment, Public Reporting
Meeker D, Jiang X, Matheny ME
A system to build distributed multivariate models and manage disparate data sharing policies: implementation in the scalable national network for effectiveness research.
The authors’ objective was to implement infrastructure that supports the functionality of some existing research networks (e.g., cohort discovery, workflow management, and estimation of multivariate analytic models on centralized data) while adding additional important new features. They were able to implement massively parallel (map-reduce) computation methods and a new policy management system to enable each study initiated by network participants to define the ways in which data may be processed, managed, queried, and shared.
AHRQ-funded; HS019913.
Citation: Meeker D, Jiang X, Matheny ME .
A system to build distributed multivariate models and manage disparate data sharing policies: implementation in the scalable national network for effectiveness research.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2015 Nov;22(6):1187-95. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv017..
Keywords: Communication, Comparative Effectiveness, Data, Health Information Technology (HIT), Policy, Research Methodologies
Ross RE, Garfield LD, Brown DS
The Affordable Care Act and implications for health care services for American Indian and Alaska Native individuals.
This paper summarizes the Affordable Care Act provisions that directly and/or indirectly affect the service delivery of health care provided by tribes and the Indian Health Service.
AHRQ-funded; HS020269.
Citation: Ross RE, Garfield LD, Brown DS .
The Affordable Care Act and implications for health care services for American Indian and Alaska Native individuals.
J Health Care Poor Underserved 2015 Nov;26(4):1081-8. doi: 10.1353/hpu.2015.0129.
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Keywords: Disparities, Policy, Health Status, Health Services Research (HSR), Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Whittle HJ, Palar K, Hufstedler LL
Food insecurity, chronic illness, and gentrification in the San Francisco Bay Area: an example of structural violence in United States public policy.
This study sought to explore the experiences and structural determinants of food insecurity among a group of low-income PLHIV in the San Francisco Bay Area. It found that the lived experience of food insecurity among participants included periods of insufficient quantity of food and resultant hunger, as well as long-term struggles with quality of food that led to concerns about the poor health effects of a cheap diet.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Whittle HJ, Palar K, Hufstedler LL .
Food insecurity, chronic illness, and gentrification in the San Francisco Bay Area: an example of structural violence in United States public policy.
Soc Sci Med 2015 Oct;143:154-61. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.08.027..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Policy, Social Determinants of Health, Nutrition, Vulnerable Populations
DeLia D
Monte Carlo analysis of payer and provider risks in shared savings arrangements.
This article provides a thorough empirical analysis of random variation in shared savings arrangements. Among all the accountable care organizations (ACOs) examined, the observed savings rate can be several percentage points higher or lower than the assumed true savings rate, leading to large probabilities of Type I and Type II error in determining the existence of savings.
AHRQ-funded; HS023493.
Citation: DeLia D .
Monte Carlo analysis of payer and provider risks in shared savings arrangements.
Med Care Res Rev 2015 Oct;73(5):511-31. doi: 10.1177/1077558715618320.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Policy
Polisena J, Garritty C, Umscheid CA
Rapid Review Summit: an overview and initiation of a research agenda.
This discussion paper highlights the important discussions that occurred during the Rapid Review Summit: Then, Now and in the Future, focusing on the initial development of a research agenda that resulted from the presentations and discussions. The research topics centered on three key areas of interest: (1) how to conduct a rapid review; (2) investigating the validity and utility of rapid reviews; and (3) how to improve access to rapid reviews.
AHRQ-funded; HS018987.
Citation: Polisena J, Garritty C, Umscheid CA .
Rapid Review Summit: an overview and initiation of a research agenda.
Syst Rev 2015 Sep 26;4:111. doi: 10.1186/s13643-015-0111-6.
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Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Healthcare Delivery, Policy, Research Methodologies
Portela M, Sommers BD
On the outskirts of national health reform: a comparative assessment of health insurance and access to care in Puerto Rico and the United States.
This article presents an overview of Puerto Rico’s health care system and a comparative analysis of coverage and access to care in Puerto Rico and the mainland United States. It found that uninsured rates were significantly lower in Puerto Rico;. Medicaid was far more common in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican residents were more likely than those in the mainland United States to have a usual source of care and to have had a checkup within the past year.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Portela M, Sommers BD .
On the outskirts of national health reform: a comparative assessment of health insurance and access to care in Puerto Rico and the United States.
Milbank Q 2015 Sep;93(3):584-608. doi: 10.1111/1468-0009.12138..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Access to Care, Policy, Medicaid, Uninsured
Song Z, Chopra V, McMahon LF
Addressing the primary care workforce crisis.
In this commentary, the authors propose that CMS explicitly reward teaching hospitals if a certain share of their graduates (they propose 30%) remain in primary care 3 years after residency, either through additional payments or release of a withhold. This step could help address the shortage of primary care physicians that now calls for more policy attention and urgency.
AHRQ-funded; HS022835.
Citation: Song Z, Chopra V, McMahon LF .
Addressing the primary care workforce crisis.
Am J Manag Care 2015 Aug;21(8):e452-4..
Keywords: Education: Continuing Medical Education, Policy, Primary Care, Provider, Workforce
Kawai AT, Calderwood MS, Jin R
Impact of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services hospital-acquired conditions policy on billing rates for 2 targeted healthcare-associated infections.
The 2008 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hospital-acquired conditions policy limited additional payment for conditions deemed reasonably preventable. This study examined whether this policy was associated with decreases in billing rates for 2 targeted conditions, vascular catheter-associated infections (VCAI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). The CMS policy appears to have been associated with immediate reductions in billing rates for VCAI and CAUTI, followed by a slight decreasing trend or leveling-off in rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS018414.
Citation: Kawai AT, Calderwood MS, Jin R .
Impact of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services hospital-acquired conditions policy on billing rates for 2 targeted healthcare-associated infections.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015 Aug;36(8):871-7. doi: 10.1017/ice.2015.86.
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Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Policy, Medicare, Payment, Hospitals, Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI), Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Healthcare Costs
Hoffman JA, Rosenfeld L, Schmidt N
Implementation of competitive food and beverage standards in a sample of Massachusetts Schools: the NOURISH Study (Nutrition Opportunities to Understand Reforms Involving Student Health).
This study examined the extent to which a sample of Massachusetts middle schools and high schools sold foods and beverages that were compliant with the state competitive food and beverage standards after the first year of implementation, and complied with four additional aspects of the regulation. The multilevel models used in the study demonstrated a 47-percentage-point increase in food and 46-percentage-point increase in beverage compliance in Massachusetts schools from 2012 to 2013.
AHRQ-funded; HS000055.
Citation: Hoffman JA, Rosenfeld L, Schmidt N .
Implementation of competitive food and beverage standards in a sample of Massachusetts Schools: the NOURISH Study (Nutrition Opportunities to Understand Reforms Involving Student Health).
J Acad Nutr Diet 2015 Aug;115(8):1299-307.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2015.04.019..
Keywords: Nutrition, Children/Adolescents, Education, Policy
Schulz J, DeCamp M, Berkowitz SA
Medicare Shared Savings Program: public reporting and shared savings distributions.
The objectives of this paper are to determine if Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) accountable care organizations (ACOs) are meeting public reporting requirements related to shared savings plans, to quantitate the composition of shared savings distribution plans, and to investigate whether early ACO success is associated with specific plan or ACO characteristics. The authors found that just over one-half of MSSP ACOs report detailed shared savings distribution plans online, and these plans vary widely. They concluded that there appears to be no single shared savings distribution plan determinate of ACO success.
AHRQ-funded; HS023684.
Citation: Schulz J, DeCamp M, Berkowitz SA .
Medicare Shared Savings Program: public reporting and shared savings distributions.
Am J Manag Care 2015 Aug;21(8):546-53.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Payment, Policy, Medicare, Public Reporting
Toro-Diaz H, Mayorga ME, Barritt AS
Predicting liver transplant capacity using discrete event simulation.
The researchers constructed a discrete event simulation model informed by current donor characteristics to predict future liver transplant trends through the year 2030. They found that by altering assumptions about the future donor pool, their model can be used to develop policy interventions to prevent a further decline in this lifesaving therapy.
AHRQ-funded; HS019468.
Citation: Toro-Diaz H, Mayorga ME, Barritt AS .
Predicting liver transplant capacity using discrete event simulation.
Med Decis Making 2015 Aug;35(6):784-96. doi: 10.1177/0272989x14559055.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Health Services Research (HSR), Policy, Transplantation
Dusetzina SB, Ellis S, Freedman RA
How do payers respond to regulatory actions? The case of bevacizumab.
This study examined payer-specific trends in bevacizumab use after the FDA's regulatory actions in granting and revoking an approved indication for metastatic breast cancer. It concluded that although insurers varied in public statements regarding coverage intentions, bevacizumab use declined similarly among all payers, suggesting that provider decision making, rather than payer-specific coverage policies, drove reductions.
AHRQ-funded; HS0189960.
Citation: Dusetzina SB, Ellis S, Freedman RA .
How do payers respond to regulatory actions? The case of bevacizumab.
J Oncol Pract 2015 Jul;11(4):313-8. doi: 10.1200/jop.2015.004218.
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Keywords: Policy, Medication, Health Insurance, Policy
Bachhuber MA, McGinty EE, Kennedy-Hendricks A
Messaging to increase public support for naloxone distribution policies in the United States: results from a randomized survey experiment.
The investigators conducted a web-based survey (GfK Knowledge Panel) about barriers to public support for naloxone distribution. They concluded that public support for naloxone distribution can be improved through education and sympathetic portrayals of the population who stands to benefit from these policies.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Bachhuber MA, McGinty EE, Kennedy-Hendricks A .
Messaging to increase public support for naloxone distribution policies in the United States: results from a randomized survey experiment.
PLoS One 2015 Jul;10(7):e0130050. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130050.
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Keywords: Medication, Opioids, Policy, Substance Abuse
Feemster KA
Remembering the benefits of vaccination.
This commentary discussed the issue of vaccination and tightening exemptions for school entry. The author pointed out that events show that the success of vaccines can be fragile, as the measles cases associated with Disneyland were preceded by 644 cases in 2014. And 2012 saw more than 40,000 cases of pertussis, the largest number since 1960. These events provided a dramatic reminder that vaccines remain an important and necessary public health tool.
AHRQ-funded; HS020939.
Citation: Feemster KA .
Remembering the benefits of vaccination.
JAMA Pediatr 2015 Jul;169(7):624-6. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.0647.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Infectious Diseases, Patient Safety, Policy, Vaccination
Herring B, Trish E
The distributional effects of the Affordable Care Act's Cadillac tax by worker income.
The authors discuss a provision of the ACA that will introduce a 40 percent excise tax on health benefits exceeding a $10,200 threshold for single coverage and a $27,500 threshold for family coverage, annually. They argue that the low-income workers receive a relatively smaller subsidy to offset a portion of the Cadillac tax while the high-income workers receive a relatively larger subsidy to offset a portion of the Cadillac tax. All this adds up to a regressive effect.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Herring B, Trish E .
The distributional effects of the Affordable Care Act's Cadillac tax by worker income.
AMA J Ethics 2015 Jul;17(7):672-9. doi: 10.1001/journalofethics.2015.17.7.sect1-1507..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Policy
Shih T, Chen LM, Nallamothu BK
Will bundled payments change health care? Examining the evidence thus far in cardiovascular care.
The authors explore bundled payment initiatives and their potential advantages and disadvantages, focusing their review on previous and current bundled payment programs for cardiovascular conditions. They conclude by discussing what implications these programs might have as healthcare reform takes further shape in the coming years.
AHRQ-funded; HS020671.
Citation: Shih T, Chen LM, Nallamothu BK .
Will bundled payments change health care? Examining the evidence thus far in cardiovascular care.
Circulation 2015 Jun 16;131(24):2151-8. doi: 10.1161/circulationaha.114.010393..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Evidence-Based Practice, Cardiovascular Conditions, Policy
Lee BY, Schreiber B, Wateska AR
The Benin experience: how computational modeling can assist major vaccine policy changes in low and middle income countries.
The authors discuss some of the key steps and lessons learned in their Benin experience that helped computational modeling inform and lead to major policy change. The key steps are: engagement of Ministry of Health, identifying in-country “champions,” directed and efficient data collection, defining a finite set of realistic scenarios, making the study methodology transparent, presenting the results in a clear manner, and facilitating decision-making and advocacy.
AHRQ-funded; HS023317.
Citation: Lee BY, Schreiber B, Wateska AR .
The Benin experience: how computational modeling can assist major vaccine policy changes in low and middle income countries.
Vaccine 2015 Jun 9;33(25):2858-61. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.04.022..
Keywords: Genetics, Policy, Vaccination
Atkins DN, Bradford WD
Association between increased emergency contraception availability and risky sexual practices.
The researchers use a national survey of youth to explore the relationship between increased emergency contraception (EC) availability and the probability of risky sexual practices for women over age 18. They found that FDA approval of behind the counter sales of an EC pill was associated with a reduction in the probability of sexual activity, and in the likelihood of reporting multiple partnerships; however, there was no relationship between the new policy and unprotected sexual activity.
AHRQ-funded; HS011326
Citation: Atkins DN, Bradford WD .
Association between increased emergency contraception availability and risky sexual practices.
Health Serv Res. 2015 Jun;50(3):809-29. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12251.
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Keywords: Women, Sexual Health, Young Adults, Policy
Kim HS, Anderson JD, Saghafi O
Cyclic vomiting presentations following marijuana liberalization in Colorado.
This paper's primary objective was to determine the prevalence of patients presenting with cyclic vomiting before and after the liberalization of medical marijuana in Colorado in 2009. Its secondary objective was to describe the odds of marijuana use among cyclic vomiting visits in these same time periods. The researchers found that the prevalence of cyclic vomiting presentations nearly doubled after the liberalization of medical marijuana, with said patients more likely to endorse marijuana use.
AHRQ-funded; HS000078.
Citation: Kim HS, Anderson JD, Saghafi O .
Cyclic vomiting presentations following marijuana liberalization in Colorado.
Acad Emerg Med 2015 Jun;22(6):694-9. doi: 10.1111/acem.12655.
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Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Policy, Substance Abuse
Leeman J, Myers AE, Ribisl KM
Disseminating policy and environmental change interventions: insights from obesity prevention and tobacco control.
This paper describes the approach that two projects developed to disseminate policy and environmental change interventions. The Center for Training and Research Translation (Center TRT) disseminates evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to promote physical activity and healthy eating. Counter Tobacco disseminates EBIs to counter tobacco product sales and marketing in the retail environment.
AHRQ-funded; HS019468.
Citation: Leeman J, Myers AE, Ribisl KM .
Disseminating policy and environmental change interventions: insights from obesity prevention and tobacco control.
Int J Behav Med 2015 Jun;22(3):301-11. doi: 10.1007/s12529-014-9427-1..
Keywords: Communication, Evidence-Based Practice, Obesity, Policy, Prevention, Public Health, Tobacco Use, Implementation
Padula WV, Makic MB, Wald HL
Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers at academic medical centers in the United States, 2008-2012: tracking changes since the CMS nonpayment policy.
This study was conducted to define changes in hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU) incidence and variance since 2008. It found that HAPU incidence rates decreased significantly among 210 University HealthSystems Consortium academic medical centers after the enactment of the CMS nonpayment policy. This suggests that governmental policy was a significant driver of change in clinical practice for wound care and created incentives for preventive efforts on the part of hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS023710.
Citation: Padula WV, Makic MB, Wald HL .
Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers at academic medical centers in the United States, 2008-2012: tracking changes since the CMS nonpayment policy.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2015 Jun;41(6):257-63..
Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Policy, Pressure Ulcers, Prevention, Quality Improvement
Keohane LM, Grebla RC, Mor V
Medicare Advantage members' expected out-of-pocket spending for inpatient and skilled nursing facility services.
In 2011, new federal regulations restricted inpatient and skilled nursing facility cost sharing and mandated limits on out-of-pocket spending in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. The authors found that some MA beneficiaries may still have difficulty affording acute and postacute care despite greater regulation of cost sharing.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Keohane LM, Grebla RC, Mor V .
Medicare Advantage members' expected out-of-pocket spending for inpatient and skilled nursing facility services.
Health Aff 2015 Jun;34(6):1019-27. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.1146.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Hospitalization, Policy, Medicare, Nursing Homes
Sommers BD, Maylone B, Nguyen KH
The impact of state policies on ACA applications and enrollment among low-income adults in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Texas.
The researchers surveyed nearly 3,000 low-income adults in late 2014 to compare experiences in three states with markedly different policies: Kentucky, Arkansas, and Texas. They found that application rates, successful enrollment, and positive experiences with the ACA were highest in Kentucky, followed by Arkansas, with Texas performing worst. Limited awareness remains a critical barrier: Fewer than half of adults had heard some or a lot about the coverage expansions.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Sommers BD, Maylone B, Nguyen KH .
The impact of state policies on ACA applications and enrollment among low-income adults in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Texas.
Health Aff 2015 Jun;34(6):1010-8. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0215..
Keywords: Policy, Low-Income, Medicaid, Health Insurance