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- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
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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 13 of 13 Research Studies DisplayedGraves JA, Nshuti L, Everson J
Breadth and exclusivity of hospital and physician networks in US insurance markets.
The goal of this study was to quantify network breadth and overlap among primary care physician (PCP), cardiology, and general acute care hospital networks for employer-based (large group and small group), individually purchased (marketplace), Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicaid managed care (MMC) plans. The main outcomes measured were percentage of in-network physicians and/or hospitals within a 60-minute drive from a hypothetical patient in a given zip code (breadth), and the number of physicians and/or hospitals within each network that overlapped with other insurers' networks, expressed as a percentage of the total possible number of shared connections (exclusivity). Networks were categorized by network breadth size and analyzed by insurance type, state, and insurance, physician, and/or hospital market concentration level, as measured by the Hirschman-Herfindahl index. Markets with concentrated primary care and insurance markets had the broadest and least exclusive primary care networks among large-group commercial plans. Markets with the least concentration had the narrowest and most exclusive networks. Rising levels of insurer and market concentration were associated with broader and less exclusive healthcare networks. The authors suggest that this means that patients could switch to a lower-cost, narrow network plan without losing-in-network coverage to their PCP.
AHRQ-funded; HS025976; HS026395.
Citation: Graves JA, Nshuti L, Everson J .
Breadth and exclusivity of hospital and physician networks in US insurance markets.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Dec;3(12):e2029419. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.29419..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Learning Health Systems, Health Systems, Primary Care, Hospitals, Healthcare Delivery
Machta RM, Reschovsky JD, Jones DJ
AHRQ Author: Furukawa MF
Health system integration with physician specialties varies across markets and system types.
Data from the AHRQ Compendium of US Health Systems and the IQVIA OneKey database was used to examine the change from 2016 to 2018 in the percentage of physicians in systems, focusing on primary care and the 10 most numerous non-hospital based specialties across 382 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the US. The authors also categorized systems by ownership, mission, and payment program participation and examined how these characteristics were related to their patterns of physician integration in 2018. Findings were that specialists with lucrative hospital services were the most commonly integrated with systems, including hematology-oncology, cardiology, and general surgery. High market concentration by insurers and hospital-systems was associated with lower rates of physician integration. In addition, systems with academic medical centers (AMCs) and publicly owned systems unrelated to the physicians’ potential contribution to hospital revenue, and investor-owned systems demonstrated more limited physician integration.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201600001C.
Citation: Machta RM, Reschovsky JD, Jones DJ .
Health system integration with physician specialties varies across markets and system types.
Health Serv Res 2020 Dec;55(Suppl 3):1062-72. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13584..
Keywords: Health Systems, Healthcare Delivery, Primary Care
Qureshi N, Quigley DD, Hays RD
Nationwide qualitative study of practice leader perspectives on what it takes to transform into a patient-centered medical home.
The purpose of this study was to examine reasons practices obtained and maintained patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recognition and what resources were needed. The investigators concluded that PCMH efforts necessitated support and assistance to frontline, on-site practice leaders leading care delivery changes. They suggested that change efforts should include financial incentives (e.g., direct payment or additional reimbursement), leadership direction and support, and internal or external staff with experience with the PCMH application process, implementation changes, and QI expertise in monitoring process and outcome data.
AHRQ-funded; HS016980.
Citation: Qureshi N, Quigley DD, Hays RD .
Nationwide qualitative study of practice leader perspectives on what it takes to transform into a patient-centered medical home.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Dec;35(12):3501-09. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06052-1..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Healthcare Delivery
Harvey JB, Vanderbrink J, Mahmud Y
Understanding how health systems facilitate primary care redesign.
The objectives of this study were to understand how health systems are facilitating primary care redesign (PCR), examine the PCR initiatives taking place within systems, and identify barriers to this work. A sample of 24 health systems in 4 states was used to identify how system leaders define and implement initiatives to redesign primary care delivery and identify challenges. Codes based on the theoretical PCR literature was used and researchers also created new codes. Semi-structured telephone interviews with 162 system executives and physician organization leaders from 24 systems were conducted. Initiatives to redesign the delivery of primary care were described by leaders, but many were still in the early stages. Motivating factors for team-based care included improvement efficiency and enhancing clinician job satisfaction. Changes in payment and risk assumption as well as community needs were commonly cited as motivators for population health management and care coordination. Challenges health systems face in redesigning primary included return on investment and slower than anticipated rate in moving from fee-for-service to value-based payment.
AHRQ-funded; HS024067.
Citation: Harvey JB, Vanderbrink J, Mahmud Y .
Understanding how health systems facilitate primary care redesign.
Health Serv Res 2020 Dec;55(Suppl 3):1144-54. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13576..
Keywords: Health Systems, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery
Callejo-Black A, Wagner DV, Ramanujam K
A systematic review of external validity in pediatric integrated primary care trials.
This study used the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework to conduct a systematic review of external validity reporting in integrated primary care (IPC) interventions for mental health concerns. A literature search was conducted to identify relevant literature from 1998 to 2018 reporting on open, randomized or quasi-randomized trials of IPC interventions that targeted child (ages 0-18 years) psychological symptoms. The authors included 39 publications describing 25 studies in the review. Publications rarely reported indicators of external validity, including the representatives of participants (12%), rate of adoption clinics or providers (16%), cost of implementation (8%), or evidence of maintenance (16%). Few studies also included key pragmatic factors such as cost or organizational change processes related to implementation and maintenance.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Callejo-Black A, Wagner DV, Ramanujam K .
A systematic review of external validity in pediatric integrated primary care trials.
J Pediatr Psychol 2020 Oct 1;45(9):1039-52. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsaa068..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Primary Care, Behavioral Health, Healthcare Delivery, Evidence-Based Practice, Health Services Research (HSR), Research Methodologies
Islam N, Rogers ES, Schoenthaler EA
A cross-cutting workforce solution for implementing community-clinical linkage models.
This article discusses the use of employing community health workers (CHWs) in primary care practices to create community-clinical linkage models to address the underlying role of social determinants of health and achieve health equity. Federal initiatives such as EvidenceNOW and Million Hearts have supported a renewed focus on small, independently owned practices. These initiatives emphasize the role of practice facilitation. The authors drew from the literature and propose that small, independently owned practices strategically employ practice facilitators to help integrate CHWs into their primary care teams. These facilitators help provide a “population health management” infrastructure to develop effective partnerships. Several ways that practice facilitation can help do this is outlined in this paper.
AHRQ-funded; HS023922.
Citation: Islam N, Rogers ES, Schoenthaler EA .
A cross-cutting workforce solution for implementing community-clinical linkage models.
Am J Public Health 2020 Jul;110(S2):S191-s93. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2020.305692..
Keywords: Community-Based Practice, Primary Care, Workforce, Primary Care: Models of Care, Healthcare Delivery
Upadhya KK, Psoter KJ, Connor KA
AHRQ Author: Mistry KB
Cluster randomized trial of a pre/interconception health intervention for mothers in pediatric visits.
Recognizing that pediatric primary care focuses on family health and is an important location of contact for women of childbearing age, this project assessed the effectiveness of a pre/interconception women's health intervention delivered during pediatric primary care using a cluster randomized trial. The investigators concluded that pediatric visits are an opportune location for addressing maternal health. They indicated that this intervention demonstrated feasibility and improved outcomes for some but not all outcome.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Upadhya KK, Psoter KJ, Connor KA .
Cluster randomized trial of a pre/interconception health intervention for mothers in pediatric visits.
Acad Pediatr 2020 Jul;20(5):660-69. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2019.10.003..
Keywords: Family Health and History, Pregnancy, Women, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery
Cohen DJ, Wyte-Lake T, Dorr DA
Unmet information needs of clinical teams delivering care to complex patients and design strategies to address those needs.
The authors sought to identify the unmet information needs of clinical teams delivering care to patients with complex medical, social, and economic needs, and to propose principles for redesigning electronic health records (EHR) to address these needs. They concluded that developing EHR tools that are simple, accessible, easy to use, and able to be updated by a range of professionals is critical. They recommended that the identified information needs and design principles inform developers and implementers working in community health centers and other settings where complex patients receive care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023324.
Citation: Cohen DJ, Wyte-Lake T, Dorr DA .
Unmet information needs of clinical teams delivering care to complex patients and design strategies to address those needs.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2020 May;27(5):690-99. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa010..
Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Teams, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Social Determinants of Health, Community-Based Practice, Primary Care
Persell SD, Liss DT, Walunas TL
Effects of 2 forms of practice facilitation on cardiovascular prevention in primary care: a practice-randomized, comparative effectiveness trial.
Effective quality improvement (QI) strategies are needed for small practices. The objective of this study was to compare practice facilitation implementing point-of-care (POC) QI strategies alone versus facilitation implementing point-of-care plus population management (POC+PM) strategies on preventive cardiovascular care. The investigators concluded that facilitator-led QI promoting population management approaches plus POC improvement strategies was not clearly superior to POC strategies alone.
AHRQ-funded; HS023921.
Citation: Persell SD, Liss DT, Walunas TL .
Effects of 2 forms of practice facilitation on cardiovascular prevention in primary care: a practice-randomized, comparative effectiveness trial.
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Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Prevention, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Comparative Effectiveness, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Management, Healthcare Delivery
Sweeney SM, Hemler JR, Baron AN
Dedicated workforce required to support large-scale practice improvement.
Facilitation is an effective approach for helping practices implement sustainable evidence-based practice improvements. Few studies examine the facilitation infrastructure and support needed for large-scale dissemination and implementation initiatives. In this paper, the authors discuss a project by the Agency for Health care Research and Quality in which it funded 7 Cooperatives, each of which worked with over 200 primary care practices to rapidly disseminate and implement improvements in cardiovascular preventive care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Sweeney SM, Hemler JR, Baron AN .
Dedicated workforce required to support large-scale practice improvement.
J Am Board Fam Med 2020 Mar-Apr;33(2):230-39. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2020.02.190261..
Keywords: Practice Improvement, Primary Care, Cardiovascular Conditions, Healthcare Delivery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Prevention, Implementation, Evidence-Based Practice
Golberstein E, Joseph JM, Druss BG
The use of psychiatric econsults in primary care.
This study examined the use of an electronic consultation tool (eConsult) by primary care physicians (PCPs) with psychiatrists. The authors investigated the use of psychiatric eConsults in a large integrated delivery system in Minnesota (Allina Health). The tool was introduced in 22 of its primary care clinics on August 1, 2015. Patients had no fee and psychiatrists received 0.75 work relative value units for each eConsult. Out of 95,105 encounters across 219 PCPs from August 2015 through December 2016 only 256 (0.27%) had a psychiatric eConsult order. Among 37.606 encounters with a primary mental health diagnosis only 138 (0.37%) had an eConsult order. Anxiety and depressive disorders were the most common diagnosis types for PCP visits without an eConsult order as well as bipolar disorder, but schizophrenia and psychotic disorder diagnoses were more common with eConsult orders. Over half of eConsults were for medication-related issues, 33% for a specific mental health diagnosis, and 15% for psychiatry without any details. Most PCPs (63%) never ordered an eConsult but the top ten users of eConsults accounted for 46% of the total orders.
AHRQ-funded; HS025245.
Citation: Golberstein E, Joseph JM, Druss BG .
The use of psychiatric econsults in primary care.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Feb;35(2):616-17. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05048-w..
Keywords: Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Behavioral Health, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery
Parchman ML, Ike B, Osterhage KP
Barriers and facilitators to implementing changes in opioid prescribing in rural primary care clinics.
This paper discusses the barriers and facilitators to implementing changes in opioid prescription in rural areas using the Six Building Blocks evidence-based program to reduce opioid prescription in primary care practices. The program was implemented at 6 rural and rural-serving organizations with 20 clinic locations over a 15-month period. Interviews and focus groups with conducted with the organizations at the end of the program period. Facilitators included a desire to help patients and their community; external pressures to make changes in opioid management; a desire to reduce workplace stress; external support for the clinic; supportive clinic leadership; and receptivity of patients. Barriers included competing demands on clinicians and staff; a culture of clinician autonomy; inadequate data systems; and a lack of patient resources in rural areas.
AHRQ-funded; HS023750.
Citation: Parchman ML, Ike B, Osterhage KP .
Barriers and facilitators to implementing changes in opioid prescribing in rural primary care clinics.
J Clin Transl Sci 2020 Jan 10;4(5):425-30. doi: 10.1017/cts.2019.448..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Rural Health, Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Implementation, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Healthcare Delivery
Knox M, Murphy EJ, Leslie T
e-Consult implementation success: lessons from 5 county-based delivery systems.
This study evaluated organizational factors for e-consult implementation across five publicly financed, county-based health systems in California. Health system leaders whose systems received grant funding to plan and implement e-consult were interviewed to discuss platform selection, electronic health record compatibility, primary care clinician and specialist opinions, and project governance. Findings showed that three of the 5 systems successfully implemented e-consults. Existing primary care clinician-specialist relationships emerged as the strongest facilitator. E-consult-EHR technology integration was also important. These findings add to existing e-consult implementation literature that emphasizes reimbursement and leadership champions.
AHRQ-funded; HS022241.
Citation: Knox M, Murphy EJ, Leslie T .
e-Consult implementation success: lessons from 5 county-based delivery systems.
Am J Manag Care 2020 Jan;26(1):e21-e27. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2020.42149..
Keywords: Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Healthcare Delivery, Implementation, Primary Care, Ambulatory Care and Surgery