National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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- Access to Care (1)
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- (-) Elderly (13)
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- Primary Care: Models of Care (1)
- Provider Performance (2)
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- Quality of Care (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (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 DisplayedSemere W, Kaplan L, Valle K
Caregiving needs are unmet for many older homeless adults: findings from the Hope Home study.
Researchers described characteristics of older homeless-experienced adults with caregiving need and determined factors associated with having unmet need. Using data from the longitudinal study, Health Outcomes in People Experiencing Homelessness in Older Middle Age (HOPE HOME), they found that better self-rated health and being a man were associated with higher odds of unmet need. Moderate or high-risk substance use was associated with lower odds of unmet need. They recommended interventions that increase caregiving access for homeless-experienced individuals in order to avoid poor health outcomes and costly long-term-care needs due to untreated disabilities.
AHRQ-funded; HS027844.
Citation: Semere W, Kaplan L, Valle K .
Caregiving needs are unmet for many older homeless adults: findings from the Hope Home study.
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Nov;37(14):3611-19. doi: 10.1007/s11606-022-07438-z..
Keywords: Elderly, Vulnerable Populations, Caregiving, Access to Care
Hashemi A, Vasquez K, Guishard D
Implementing dash-aligned congregate meals and self-measured blood pressure in two senior centers: An open label study.
This study tested whether implementing two evidence-based interventions--DASH-aligned meals provided through an existing congregate meal program, and support for home Self-Measured Blood Pressure (SMBP) monitoring--lowers blood pressure among participants at two senior centers serving low-income, racially diverse communities. Participants were clients aged ≥60, eating ≥4 meals/week at two NYC senior centers. They received DASH-aligned congregate meals, and training in nutrition, BP management education, and personal SMBP device. Primary outcomes was a) change in systolic BP measured by independent health professionals, and b) change in percent with "controlled BP" (Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC-8) Guidelines), at Month 1 compared to Baseline. The authors enrolled 94 participants, with COVID closures interrupting implementation mid-study. Mean systolic BP at Month-1 changed by -4.41 mmHg compared to Baseline. Participants with controlled BP increased at Month 1 and changes in mean BP at Month 1 was significantly correlated with BMI, age, and baseline BP. Mean systolic mean SMBP changed by -6.9 mmHg at Months 5/6.
AHRQ-funded; HS021667.
Citation: Hashemi A, Vasquez K, Guishard D .
Implementing dash-aligned congregate meals and self-measured blood pressure in two senior centers: An open label study.
Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2022 Aug;32(8):1998-2009. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2022.05.018..
Keywords: Elderly, Blood Pressure, Community-Based Practice, Patient Self-Management, Nutrition, Lifestyle Changes, Vulnerable Populations
Lee JL, Gustavson AM, Kian L
Reimagining cross-sector collaborations post-pandemic to optimize care for vulnerable homebound older adult populations.
This research letter discusses the development process for cross-sector collaborations post-pandemic to optimize care for vulnerable homebound older adult populations. These collaborations are proposed between health, social, and academic research systems. The authors collaborated with their local Houston Meals on Wheels (MOW) program, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and the Harris County Health System. These organizations formed a Healthy Aging Committee with several healthcare professionals from different healthcare systems participating as volunteers. The goal of the Committee was to identify ways to highlight the potential benefits of nutritious meal delivery. The three institutions worked together through all stages of research, from grant writing to recruiting participants, establishing trust in their relationships, and leveraging their connections and expertise in different areas. In their first research project, they investigated the addition of a home-based exercise program with enhanced meal deliveries to improve frailty status in older adults who were frail and homebound. This pilot study had been stopped during the pandemic. The restarted study was revised so that the MOW drivers delivering frozen and shelf-stable meals in person once a week would now also provide exercise handouts for those in the treatment group to minimize face-to-face contact. Their current second research project is evaluating whether the combination of a virtual assistant device such as Amazon Alexa with meal delivery can improve mental health for homebound older adults with cognitive impairment.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379.
Citation: Lee JL, Gustavson AM, Kian L .
Reimagining cross-sector collaborations post-pandemic to optimize care for vulnerable homebound older adult populations.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2022 Jul; 70(7):1939-41. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17813..
Keywords: Elderly, Home Healthcare, Vulnerable Populations, Public Health
Wang J, Ying M, Li Y
Home health agencies with more socially vulnerable patients have poorer experience of care ratings.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between Medicare dual eligibility and race/ ethnicity when exploring Medicare-certified Home Health Agencies (CHHAs) and experience of care ratings. The researchers analyzed the 2017 national Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems and matched datasets of 10,906 CHHAs and found that CHHAs with higher concentrations of dual-eligible patients were less likely to have high experience of care ratings. In addition, CHHAs with higher proportions of racial/ ethnic minorities were less likely to have high experience of care ratings in the domains of care delivery, communication, and specific care issues.
AHRQ-funded; HS026893.
Citation: Wang J, Ying M, Li Y .
Home health agencies with more socially vulnerable patients have poorer experience of care ratings.
J Appl Gerontol 2022 Mar;41(3):661-70. doi: 10.1177/07334648211053859..
Keywords: Elderly, Home Healthcare, Vulnerable Populations, Provider Performance
Cornelio N, McInerney MP, Mellor JM
Increasing Medicaid's stagnant asset test for people eligible for Medicare and Medicaid will help vulnerable seniors.
Researchers examined states' income and asset tests for full-benefit Medicaid during the period 2006-18 and examined how alternative asset tests would affect eligibility for community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries ages sixty-five and older. They found that increasing asset limits would lessen restrictions on Medicaid eligibility that arise from stagnant asset tests, broadening eligibility for certain low-income Medicare beneficiaries and allowing them to retain higher, yet still modest, savings.
AHRQ-funded; HS025422; HS026727; HS027698.
Citation: Cornelio N, McInerney MP, Mellor JM .
Increasing Medicaid's stagnant asset test for people eligible for Medicare and Medicaid will help vulnerable seniors.
Health Affairs 2021 Dec;40(12):1943-52. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00841..
Keywords: Elderly, Medicaid, Medicare, Low-Income, Vulnerable Populations
Temkin-Greener H, Guo W, Mao Y
COVID-19 pandemic in assisted living communities: results from seven states.
The purpose of this observational study was to describe variations in COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths among assisted living (AL) residents and examine their associations with key AL characteristics. The investigators concluded that ALs with a higher proportion of minorities had more COVID-19 cases. Many of the previously identified individual risk factors were also present in this vulnerable population.
AHRQ-funded; HS024923; HS026893; HS026893.
Citation: Temkin-Greener H, Guo W, Mao Y .
COVID-19 pandemic in assisted living communities: results from seven states.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2020 Dec;68(12):2727-34. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16850..
Keywords: Elderly, Public Health, COVID-19, Nursing Homes, Vulnerable Populations, Risk
Bravo RI, Kietzman KG, Toy P
Linking primary care and community organizations to increase colorectal cancer screening rates: the HAPPI project.
This paper describes the Healthy Aging Partnerships in Prevention Initiative (HAPPI) which aims to increase colorectal cancer screening and other preventive services among underserved Latinos and African-Americans in South Los Angeles who are 50 years and older. It uses an evidence-based model (SPARC) to leverage existing resources and has multi-sectoral partnerships among different agencies, community health centers (CHCs), and a university. The authors engaged five CHCs in quality improvement activities and eight non-governmental organizations in networking and programming to increase awareness of these preventive services.
AHRQ-funded; HS010858.
Citation: Bravo RI, Kietzman KG, Toy P .
Linking primary care and community organizations to increase colorectal cancer screening rates: the HAPPI project.
Salud Publica Mex 2019 Jul-Aug;61(4):427-35. doi: 10.21149/9450..
Keywords: Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Cancer, Screening, Prevention, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Elderly, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Vulnerable Populations, Patient-Centered Healthcare
Borsky AE, Zhang E
AHRQ Author: Borsky AE
Screening for intimate partner violence, elder abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults.
This Putting Prevention into Practice case study demonstrates how a U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation can used by clinicians. This case study uses the Screening for Intimate Partner Violence, Elder Abuse, and Abuse of Vulnerable Adults recommendation as an example. Three quiz questions are given which directly link to the recommendations. The questions involve screening guidelines, screening instruments, and follow-up if there is a positive screening and detailed answers are provided.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Borsky AE, Zhang E .
Screening for intimate partner violence, elder abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults.
Am Fam Physician 2019 May 15;99(10):649-50..
Keywords: Case Study, Domestic Violence, Elderly, Evidence-Based Practice, Screening, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), Vulnerable Populations
Zuckerman RB, Wu S, Chen LM
The five-star skilled nursing facility rating system and care of disadvantaged populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Zuckerman RB, Wu S, Chen LM .
The five-star skilled nursing facility rating system and care of disadvantaged populations.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2019 Jan;67(1):108-14. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15629..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Vulnerable Populations, Medicare, Elderly, Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Hospital Discharge, Disparities
Malik S, Lee DC, Doran KM
Vulnerability of older adults in disasters: emergency department utilization by geriatric patients after Hurricane Sandy.
Older adults are a potentially medically vulnerable population with increased mortality rates during and after disasters. To evaluate the impact of a natural disaster on this population, the authors of this study performed a temporal and geospatial analysis of emergency department (ED) use by adults aged 65 years and older in New York City (NYC) following Hurricane Sandy's landfall.
AHRQ-funded; HS024172.
Citation: Malik S, Lee DC, Doran KM .
Vulnerability of older adults in disasters: emergency department utilization by geriatric patients after Hurricane Sandy.
Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2018 Apr;12(2):184-93. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2017.44..
Keywords: Elderly, Emergency Department, Vulnerable Populations, Public Health, Healthcare Utilization
Qato DM, Trivedi AN, Mor V
Disparities in discontinuing rosiglitazone following the 2007 FDA safety alert.
The researchers compared time to discontinuation of rosiglitazone after the safety alert between black and white elderly persons, and across sociodemographic and economic subgroups. They found that white race and a history of low personal income modestly predicted later discontinuation of rosiglitazone after the FDA's safety advisory in 2007.
AHRQ-funded; HS019657.
Citation: Qato DM, Trivedi AN, Mor V .
Disparities in discontinuing rosiglitazone following the 2007 FDA safety alert.
Med Care 2016 Apr;54(4):406-13. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000502..
Keywords: Medication, Disparities, Elderly, Social Determinants of Health, Vulnerable Populations
Nadpara PA, Madhavan SS, Tworek C
Disparities in lung cancer care and outcomes among elderly in a medically underserved state population-a cancer registry-linked database study.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patterns of lung cancer care and associated health outcomes among elderly residing in a rural and medically underserved area. The authors found that delays in diagnosis and treatment varied significantly: survival outcomes significantly improved with appropriate care but did not improve with timely care. They concluded that their study highlights the critical need to address disparities in receipt of guideline-concordant lung cancer care among the elderly residing in rural and medically underserved areas.
AHRQ-funded; HS018622.
Citation: Nadpara PA, Madhavan SS, Tworek C .
Disparities in lung cancer care and outcomes among elderly in a medically underserved state population-a cancer registry-linked database study.
Popul Health Manag 2016 Apr;19(2):109-19. doi: 10.1089/pop.2015.0027.
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Keywords: Disparities, Elderly, Cancer: Lung Cancer, Outcomes, Vulnerable Populations
Henwood BF, Katz ML, Gilmer TP
Aging in place within permanent supportive housing.
This study examined whether and how permanent supportive housing (PSH) programs are able to support aging in place among tenants with serious mental illness. It found that PSH is an effective way to end homelessness, yet little is known about how programs can support housing stability among aging populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS019986.
Citation: Henwood BF, Katz ML, Gilmer TP .
Aging in place within permanent supportive housing.
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2015 Jan;30(1):80-7. doi: 10.1002/gps.4120..
Keywords: Elderly, Behavioral Health, Community-Based Practice, Vulnerable Populations