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
1 to 20 of 20 Research Studies DisplayedSheetz KH, Dimick JB, Nathan H
Centralization of high-risk cancer surgery within existing hospital systems.
Centralization is often proposed as a strategy to improve the quality of certain high-risk health care services. In this study, the investigators evaluated the extent to which existing hospital systems centralize high-risk cancer surgery and whether centralization is associated with short-term clinical outcomes. The investigators concluded that greater centralization of complex cancer surgery within existing hospital systems was associated with better outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023597.
Citation: Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Nathan H .
Centralization of high-risk cancer surgery within existing hospital systems.
J Clin Oncol 2019 Dec 1;37(34):3234-42. doi: 10.1200/jco.18.02035..
Keywords: Surgery, Cancer, Risk, Hospitals, Health Systems, Quality Improvement, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality of Care, Outcomes
Kundi H, Strom JB, Valsdottir LR
Trends in isolated surgical aortic valve replacement according to hospital-based transcatheter aortic valve replacement volumes.
This research analyzed trends in isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) procedures with the advent of the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure. Hospitalizations of adults from January 2011 through December 2014 was analyzed with data from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review database using ICD-9 Revision-Clinical Modification procedure codes. The annual value of isolated SAVR went down as TAVR volumes increased which also decreased short- and long-term mortality over the study period.
AHRQ-funded; HS024520.
Citation: Kundi H, Strom JB, Valsdottir LR .
Trends in isolated surgical aortic valve replacement according to hospital-based transcatheter aortic valve replacement volumes.
JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2018 Nov 12;11(21):2148-56. doi: 10.1016/j.jcin.2018.07.002..
Keywords: Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospitals
Ellis RJ, Zhang LM, Ko CY
Variation in hospital utilization of minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy for localized pancreatic neoplasms.
The objectives of this study were to identify factors associated with use of minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy (MIDP) for localized neoplasms and to assess hospital variation in MIDP utilization. Results showed that utilization of MIDP for localized pancreatic neoplasms is highly variable; while some patient-level factors are associated with MIDP use, hospital adoption of MIDP appears to be the primary driver of utilization. Monitoring hospital-level use of MIDP may be a useful quality measure to monitor uptake of emerging techniques in pancreatic surgery.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385; HS000078.
Citation: Ellis RJ, Zhang LM, Ko CY .
Variation in hospital utilization of minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy for localized pancreatic neoplasms.
J Gastrointest Surg 2020 Dec;24(12):2780-88. doi: 10.1007/s11605-019-04414-7..
Keywords: Cancer, Surgery, Hospitals, Quality of Care
Sheetz KH, Chhabra KR, Smith ME
Association of discretionary hospital volume standards for high-risk cancer surgery with patient outcomes and access, 2005-2016.
Various clinical societies and patient advocacy organizations continue to encourage minimum volume standards at hospitals that perform certain high-risk operations. Although many clinicians and quality and safety experts believe this can improve outcomes, the extent to which hospitals have responded to these discretionary standards remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between short-term clinical outcomes and hospitals' adherence to the Leapfrog Group's minimum volume standards for high-risk cancer surgery.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053; HS023597; HS024763.
Citation: Sheetz KH, Chhabra KR, Smith ME .
Association of discretionary hospital volume standards for high-risk cancer surgery with patient outcomes and access, 2005-2016.
JAMA Surg 2019 Nov;154(11):1005-12. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2019.3017..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Hospitals, Outcomes, Surgery, Cancer
Lauerman MH, Herrera AV, Albrecht JS
Percentage of mortal encounters transferred in emergency general surgery.
The purpose of this study was to describe individual hospital transfer rates of mortal encounters. Using data from the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission database, results showed broad variability in individual hospital practices for mortality transferred to other institutions. Application of this knowledge of percentage of mortal encounters transferred includes consideration in hospital quality metrics.
AHRQ-funded; HS024560.
Citation: Lauerman MH, Herrera AV, Albrecht JS .
Percentage of mortal encounters transferred in emergency general surgery.
J Surg Res 2019 Nov;243:391-98. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.05.040.
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Keywords: Emergency Department, Surgery, Mortality, Hospitals
Smith AB, Mueller D, Garren B
Using qualitative research to reduce readmissions and optimize perioperative cystectomy care.
This study examined the need for qualitative research on meaningful patient-reported outcomes (PROs) to prevent complications and readmissions after cystectomy. The investigators looked at the potential use of mobile communication devices (mHealth) to capture patients’ experiences and to improve outcomes. Interviews were conducted with 15 readmitted patients and 10 of their partners over 45 semi-structured in-depth interviews. The most common perspectives were that patients and their caregivers were overloaded with cystectomy education; they need to know what are normal post-operative symptoms; and that using mHealth would help with patient and caregiver education.
AHRQ-funded; HS024134.
Citation: Smith AB, Mueller D, Garren B .
Using qualitative research to reduce readmissions and optimize perioperative cystectomy care.
Cancer 2019 Oct 15;125(20):3545-53. doi: 10.1002/cncr.32362..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Surgery, Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Hospitals, Patient-Centered Healthcare
Childers CP, Maggard-Gibbons M, Nuckols T
A comparison of costs: how California teaching hospitals achieved slower growth than nonteaching hospitals in operating room costs from 2005 to 2014.
This study compared risk-adjusted operating room costs between California teaching and nonteaching hospitals using financial statements from fiscal years 2005-2014. Findings showed that California teaching hospitals had lower operating room costs per minute than nonteaching hospitals because of relative labor productivity gains and slower indirect cost growth. Implications for patients and nonteaching hospitals warrant evaluation.
AHRQ-funded; HS025079.
Citation: Childers CP, Maggard-Gibbons M, Nuckols T .
A comparison of costs: how California teaching hospitals achieved slower growth than nonteaching hospitals in operating room costs from 2005 to 2014.
Acad Med 2019 Oct;94(10):1539-45. doi: 10.1097/acm.0000000000002844..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Hospitals, Surgery
Schwarzkopf R, Behery OA, Yu H
Patterns and costs of 90-day readmission for surgical and medical complications following total hip and knee arthroplasty.
Unplanned readmissions following elective total hip (THA) and knee (TKA) arthroplasty as a result of surgical complications likely have different quality improvement targets and cost implications than those for nonsurgical readmissions. In this study, the investigators compared payments, timing, and location of unplanned readmissions with Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-defined surgical complications to readmissions without such complications.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882.
Citation: Schwarzkopf R, Behery OA, Yu H .
Patterns and costs of 90-day readmission for surgical and medical complications following total hip and knee arthroplasty.
J Arthroplasty 2019 Oct;34(10):2304-07. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2019.05.046..
Keywords: Orthopedics, Surgery, Hospital Readmissions, Adverse Events, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Medicare, Hospitals
Law AC, Stevens JP, Walkey AJ
Hospital variation in gastrostomy tube use among the critically ill.
This article describes an analysis of hospital variation in gastrostomy tube use among critically ill patients in hospitals. The investigators used the AHRQ National Inpatient Sample Database from 2014. They identified hospitalized patients using ICD-9, Clinical Modification codes consistent with critical illness who received gastrostomy tubes. Overall, the median rate was 2.0 per 100 critically ill patients with no variation between hospital size.
AHRQ-funded; HS024288.
Citation: Law AC, Stevens JP, Walkey AJ .
Hospital variation in gastrostomy tube use among the critically ill.
Ann Am Thorac Soc 2019 Sep;16(9):1201-03. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201903-250RL..
Keywords: Surgery, Critical Care, Practice Patterns, Hospitals
Odell DD, Quinn CM, Matulewicz RS
Association between hospital safety culture and surgical outcomes in a statewide surgical quality improvement collaborative.
The "safety culture" within hospital systems is increasingly recognized as important to delivery of high-quality care. In this study, the investigators examined the safety culture in a statewide hospital quality improvement collaborative and its associations with surgical outcomes. The authors found, among other results that operating room safety culture scores were highest (97.7% positive) compared with the other domains, and ratings of hospital management were lowest (75.9% positive).
AHRQ-funded; HS024516.
Citation: Odell DD, Quinn CM, Matulewicz RS .
Association between hospital safety culture and surgical outcomes in a statewide surgical quality improvement collaborative.
J Am Coll Surg 2019 Aug;229(2):175-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2019.02.046..
Keywords: Hospitals, Patient Safety, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Outcomes, Surgery, Surveys on Patient Safety Culture
Ingraham A, Wang X, Havlena J
Factors associated with the interhospital transfer of emergency general surgery patients.
Researchers used data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to determine patient- and hospital-level factors associated with interhospital emergency general surgery (EGS) transfers. They identified that hospital-level characteristics more strongly predicted the need for transfer than patient-related factors. They recommended considering these factors in order to facilitate transfer decision-making.
AHRQ-funded; HS025224.
Citation: Ingraham A, Wang X, Havlena J .
Factors associated with the interhospital transfer of emergency general surgery patients.
J Surg Res 2019 Aug;240:191-200. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2018.11.053..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Emergency Department, Surgery, Shared Decision Making, Hospitals, Healthcare Delivery, Transitions of Care
Brooks JV, Williams JAR, Gorbenko K
The work of sterile processing departments: an exploratory study using qualitative interviews and a quantitative process database.
Researchers sought to describe sterile processing departments (SPDs) and to identify factors that have an impact on them. They found that relationships with operating room staff were of paramount importance in the ability of the SPD to accomplish its job. Further, data showed concern for the role of the SPD in patient safety. The authors recommended moving toward examining the entire surgical process, including the vital role of SPDs.
AHRQ-funded; 2902010000271.
Citation: Brooks JV, Williams JAR, Gorbenko K .
The work of sterile processing departments: an exploratory study using qualitative interviews and a quantitative process database.
Am J Infect Control 2019 Jul;47(7):816-21. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2018.12.010..
Keywords: Surgery, Patient Safety, Hospitals
Childers CP, Dworsky JQ, Russell MM
Comparison of cost center-specific vs hospital-wide cost-to-charge ratios for operating room services at various hospital types.
The authors assessed whether the cost center-specific cost-to-charge ratios (CCRs) for operating room services differ from the general hospital-wide CCR and whether this deviation varies by hospital type. They concluded that clinicians and payers will increasingly rely on accurate measures of cost to make value-based treatment decisions and to ensure financial solvency. They suggested that their cost-center specific CCRs be generated and used to provide more accurate measures of the cost of surgical care.
AHRQ-funded; HS025079.
Citation: Childers CP, Dworsky JQ, Russell MM .
Comparison of cost center-specific vs hospital-wide cost-to-charge ratios for operating room services at various hospital types.
JAMA Surg 2019 Jun;154(6):557-58. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2019.0146..
Keywords: Surgery, Healthcare Costs, Hospitals
Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Regenbogen SE
How patient complexity and surgical approach influence episode-based payment models for colectomy.
This study looked into how the use of bundled payment programs would affect hospital reimbursements for colectomies. National data from the 100% Medicare Provider Analysis and Review files for the years 2010 to 2014 was used. Patients undergoing colectomies were identified using diagnosis-related group codes and ICD-9, Clinical Modification codes. Reconciliation payments were simulated as the difference between actual price-standardized 90-day episode payments and estimated regional spending benchmarks. The simulated bundled payment conditions showed 51.8% of hospitals would achieve shared savings, but the average case would incur reconciliation penalties. Laparoscopies would achieve the highest savings.
AHRQ-funded; HS023597.
Citation: Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Regenbogen SE .
How patient complexity and surgical approach influence episode-based payment models for colectomy.
Dis Colon Rectum 2019 Jun;62(6):739-46. doi: 10.1097/dcr.0000000000001372..
Keywords: Surgery, Payment, Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Hospitals
Sheetz KH, Ibrahim AM, Nathan H
Variation in surgical outcomes across networks of the highest-rated US hospitals.
This longitudinal analysis of 87 hospitals in 1 of 16 networks who were affiliated with the US News & World Report Honor Roll hospitals discusses variation in surgical outcomes compared with their network affiliates. Data was used from Medicare beneficiaries who underwent colectomy, coronary artery bypass graft, or hip replacement between 2005 and 2014. Thirty-day postoperative complications, mortality, failure to rescue and readmissions were compared. Outcomes were not consistently better at Honor Roll hospitals compared with their network affiliates. Honor Roll hospitals had lower failure to rescue rates but higher complication rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS023597.
Citation: Sheetz KH, Ibrahim AM, Nathan H .
Variation in surgical outcomes across networks of the highest-rated US hospitals.
JAMA Surg 2019 Jun;154(6):510-15. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2019.0090..
Keywords: Surgery, Outcomes, Provider Performance, Hospitals, Quality of Care
Lauerman MH, Herrera AV, Albrecht JS
Interhospital transfers with wide variability in emergency general surgery.
This study examined modern hospital practices for interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients. A retrospective review of the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission database was conducted from 2013 to 2015. The majority of patients (94.1%) were not transferred with only 3.2% transferred to a hospital and 2.7% transferred from a hospital. For individual hospitals, there was a range of 0-30.5% of encounters transferred to a hospital, 0.02-14.62% transferred from a hospital and 69.25-99.95% not transferred.
AHRQ-funded; HS024560.
Citation: Lauerman MH, Herrera AV, Albrecht JS .
Interhospital transfers with wide variability in emergency general surgery.
Am Surg 2019 Jun;85(6):595-600..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Healthcare Delivery, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Outcomes, Quality of Care, Surgery, Transitions of Care
Borza T, Oerline MK, Skolarus TA
Association between hospital participation in Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations and readmission following major surgery.
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and readmission rates following major surgery. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a 20% national Medicare sample to identify beneficiaries undergoing 1 of 7 common surgical procedures: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, colectomy, cystectomy, prostatectomy, lung resection, total knee arthroplasty, and total hip arthroplasty between 2010 and 2014. Thirty-day risk-adjusted readmission rates was the primary outcome studied. Out of 2974 hospitals in the study, 389 were ACO affiliated. While rates fell for both cohorts, ACO hospitals had a higher decrease in hospitalizations over the same time period.
AHRQ-funded; HS024728; HS024525.
Citation: Borza T, Oerline MK, Skolarus TA .
Association between hospital participation in Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations and readmission following major surgery.
Ann Surg 2019 May;269(5):873-78. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000002737..
Keywords: Hospitals, Surgery, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Delivery
Rhee C, Wang Jentzsch, MS
Comparison of hospital surgical site infection rates and rankings using claims versus National Healthcare Safety Network surveillance data.
This article examines national policies that target healthcare-associated infections by use of medical claims and National Healthcare Safety Network surveillance data. The authors looked at rates and rankings for surgical site infection following colon surgery in 155 hospitals, and found low concordance between these two data sources; they conclude that this underscores the limitations of evaluating hospital quality by using claims data.
AHRQ-funded; HS025008; HS000063; HS018414.
Citation: Rhee C, Wang Jentzsch, MS .
Comparison of hospital surgical site infection rates and rankings using claims versus National Healthcare Safety Network surveillance data.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2019 Feb;40(2):208-10. doi: 10.1017/ice.2018.310..
Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Patient Safety, Surgery, Injuries and Wounds
Nathan H, Thumma JR, Ryan AM
Early impact of Medicare accountable care organizations on inpatient surgical spending.
This study evaluated whether hospital participation in accountable care organizations (ACOs) is associated with reduced Medicare spending for inpatient surgery. Medicare Shared Savings Programs (MSSP) have shown some modest success in reducing overall medical spending, but has not been studied on its impact in reducing surgical spending. Medicare claims from 2010 to 2014 were evaluated for patients aged 65 to 99 years undergoing 6 common elective surgical procedures: abdominal aortic aneurysm, colectomy, coronary artery bypass grafting, hip or knee replacement, or lung resection. A total of 341,675 patients at 427 ACO hospitals and over 1 million matched controls at non-ACO hospitals were used to compare surgical costs. There was not an overall reducing in total Medicare patients between the two hospital types.
AHRQ-funded; HS024763.
Citation: Nathan H, Thumma JR, Ryan AM .
Early impact of Medicare accountable care organizations on inpatient surgical spending.
Ann Surg 2019 Feb;269(2):191-96. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000002819..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Hospitals, Inpatient Care, Medicare, Surgery, Quality of Care
Hsu YJ, Kosinski AS, Wallace AS
Using a society database to evaluate a patient safety collaborative: the Cardiovascular Surgical Translational Study.
The authors assessed the utility of using external databases for quality improvement (QI) evaluations in the context of an innovative QI collaborative aimed to reduce three infections and improve patient safety across the cardiac surgery service line. They compared changes in each outcome between 15 intervention hospitals and 52 propensity score-matched hospitals, and found that improvement trends in several outcomes among the studied intervention hospitals were not statistically different from those in comparison hospitals. They conclude that using external databases may permit comparative effectiveness assessment by providing concurrent comparison groups, additional outcome measures, and longer follow-up.
AHRQ-funded; HS019934.
Citation: Hsu YJ, Kosinski AS, Wallace AS .
Using a society database to evaluate a patient safety collaborative: the Cardiovascular Surgical Translational Study.
J Comp Eff Res 2019 Jan;8(1):21-32. doi: 10.2217/cer-2018-0051..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality of Care, Surgery, Cardiovascular Conditions, Comparative Effectiveness, Data, Hospitals, Research Methodologies, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research