National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- Data Innovations
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Access to Care (2)
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (2)
- Antibiotics (2)
- Antimicrobial Stewardship (2)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Brain Injury (1)
- Burnout (1)
- Cancer (43)
- Cancer: Lung Cancer (4)
- Cancer: Prostate Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Skin Cancer (2)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (10)
- Care Coordination (1)
- Caregiving (16)
- Care Management (6)
- Case Study (1)
- Children/Adolescents (10)
- Chronic Conditions (12)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (3)
- Communication (5)
- Community-Based Practice (4)
- Comparative Effectiveness (5)
- COVID-19 (1)
- Critical Care (4)
- Cultural Competence (1)
- Dementia (3)
- Depression (1)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Disparities (7)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (6)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (2)
- Elderly (27)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (5)
- Family Health and History (1)
- Guidelines (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
- Healthcare Costs (8)
- Healthcare Delivery (10)
- Healthcare Utilization (12)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (4)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (1)
- Health Status (2)
- Heart Disease and Health (11)
- Home Healthcare (4)
- Hospital Discharge (1)
- Hospitalization (7)
- Hospital Readmissions (2)
- Hospitals (2)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (1)
- Implementation (2)
- Inpatient Care (8)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (5)
- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
- Learning Health Systems (1)
- Long-Term Care (6)
- Medicare (9)
- Medication (7)
- Men's Health (1)
- Mortality (7)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (1)
- Neurological Disorders (5)
- Newborns/Infants (1)
- Nursing Homes (2)
- Opioids (2)
- Outcomes (6)
- Pain (7)
- (-) Palliative Care (139)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (10)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (25)
- Patient and Family Engagement (2)
- Patient Experience (3)
- Patient Safety (4)
- Policy (3)
- Practice Patterns (6)
- Provider (2)
- Provider: Clinician (2)
- Provider: Health Personnel (2)
- Provider: Nurse (1)
- Provider: Physician (4)
- Provider Performance (1)
- Public Health (1)
- Public Reporting (1)
- Quality Improvement (7)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (2)
- Quality Measures (7)
- Quality of Care (22)
- Quality of Life (11)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (11)
- Registries (3)
- Research Methodologies (2)
- Respiratory Conditions (6)
- Risk (3)
- Rural Health (1)
- Sex Factors (1)
- Shared Decision Making (6)
- Social Determinants of Health (1)
- Surgery (7)
- Teams (1)
- Telehealth (2)
- Training (3)
- Transitions of Care (3)
- Treatments (1)
- Urban Health (1)
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) (1)
- Women (1)
- Workforce (2)
- Young Adults (1)
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 139 Research Studies DisplayedPozzar RA, Wall JA, Tavormina A
Experiences of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis-related complex care needs and their caregivers.
The study explored the needs of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) and caregivers during care transitions. Findings showed limited prognostic understanding and advance care planning among patients, with most caregivers providing daily care without proper training. Many participants experienced anxiety and depression. Interviewees emphasized the lack of guidance and called for health system changes. The study concluded that interventions providing clinical training, facilitating serious illness conversations, and offering psychosocial support are necessary.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Pozzar RA, Wall JA, Tavormina A .
Experiences of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis-related complex care needs and their caregivers.
Gynecol Oncol 2024 Feb; 181:68-75. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2023.12.013.
Keywords: Cancer, Caregiving, Palliative Care, Women
Kaufman BG, Holland DE, Vanderboom CE
Implementation costs of technology-enhanced transitional palliative care for rural caregivers.
Rural FCG experience higher levels of burden accessing coordinated care for their loved ones during and after hospitalization than urban family caregivers (FCG). The role of technology-enhanced transitional palliative care (TPC) on caregiver outcomes is currently being assessed in a randomized control trial. The purpose of this study was to assess resource use and health system costs of this FCG-focused TPC intervention and potential Medicare reimbursement mechanisms. The researchers randomized rural caregivers of hospitalized patients into an 8-week intervention which included video visits conducted by a registered nurse certified in palliative care, and supplemented with phone calls and texts (n = 215), or attentional control. The researchers estimated labor costs for a registered nurse and compared to scenario analyses utilizing a nurse practitioner or social worker wages. Medicare reimbursement scenarios included Transitional Care Management (TCM) and Chronic Care Management (CCM) CPT codes. The researchers found the base case, TPC cost was $395 per FCG conducted by a registered nurse, compared to $337 and $585 if conducted by a social worker or nurse practitioner, respectively. Reimbursement in the CCM-only scenario was $348 and $274 for complex and non-complex patients, respectively. Average Medicare reimbursement in the TCM-only scenario was $322 and $260 for high or moderate complexity patients, respectively. Reimbursement in the TCM+CCM scenario was $496 and $397, for high/complex and moderate/non-complex patients, respectively.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379.
Citation: Kaufman BG, Holland DE, Vanderboom CE .
Implementation costs of technology-enhanced transitional palliative care for rural caregivers.
Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2024 Jan; 41(1):38-44. doi: 10.1177/10499091231156145..
Keywords: Rural Health, Caregiving, Palliative Care, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Eaton TL, Lincoln TE, Lewis A
Palliative care in survivors of critical illness: a qualitative study of post-intensive care unit program clinicians.
This paper’s goal was to understand beliefs, attitudes, and experiences of post-intensive care unit (ICU) program clinicians regarding palliative care and to explore barriers and facilitators to incorporating palliative care into critical illness survivorship care. The authors conducted semistructured interviews with 29 international members (United States, United Kingdom, Canada) of the Critical and Acute Illness Recovery Organization post-ICU clinic collaborative. All clinicians described components of palliative care as essential to post-ICU clinic practice, including symptom management, patient/family support, facilitation of goal-concordant care, expectation management and anticipatory guidance, spiritual support, and discussion of future health care wishes and advance care planning. These clinician-level facilitators promoted palliative care strategies including first-hand experience, perceived value, and a positive attitude regarding palliative care. Clinician-level barriers discussed included insufficient palliative care knowledge, lack of self-efficacy, and a perceived need to protect ICU survivors from interventions the clinician felt may adversely affect recovery or change the care trajectory. System-level barriers mentioned were time constraints, cost, and lack of specialty palliative care services.
AHRQ-funded; HS027210.
Citation: Eaton TL, Lincoln TE, Lewis A .
Palliative care in survivors of critical illness: a qualitative study of post-intensive care unit program clinicians.
J Palliat Med 2023 Dec; 26(12):1644-53. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2023.0034..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Critical Care
Guo W, Cai S, Caprio T
End-of-life care transitions in assisted living: associations with state staffing and training regulations.
This study’s objective was to examine the frequency and categories of end-of-life care transitions among assisted living community decedents and their associations with state staffing and training regulations. This cohort study included Medicare beneficiaries who resided in assisted living facilities and had validated death dates in 2018-2019 (N = 113,662). The authors found end-of-life care transitions were observed among 34.89% of our study sample in the last 30 days before death, and among 17.25% in the last 7 days. Higher frequency of care transitions in the last 7 days of life was associated with higher regulatory specificity of licensed [incidence risk ratio (IRR) = 1.08] and direct care worker staffing (IRR = 1.22). Greater regulatory specificity of direct care worker training (IRR = 0.75) was associated with fewer transitions. Similar associations were found for direct care worker staffing (IRR = 1.15) and training (IRR = 0.79) and transitions within 30 days of death. There were significant variations in the number of care transitions in different states.
AHRQ-funded; HS026893.
Citation: Guo W, Cai S, Caprio T .
End-of-life care transitions in assisted living: associations with state staffing and training regulations.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2023 Jun; 24(6):827-32.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2023.02.002..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Long-Term Care, Policy, Palliative Care, Elderly
Wu A, Zhou J, Quinlan N
Early palliative care consultation offsets hospitalization duration and costs for elderly patients with traumatic brain injuries: insights from a level 1 trauma center.
The purpose of this study was to identify variables and outcomes related to inpatient palliative care (PC) consultation for patients age 65+ with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The researchers included individuals over age 65 presenting from January 2013-September 2020 with TBI and intracranial hemorrhage. The study found that inpatient PC consultation was uncommon; with only 4% of 576 patients receiving. Features associated with likelihood of consultation were severe TBI and pre-existing dementia. Patients with PC consults had longer overall and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stays (LOS), more days intubated and higher costs. However, those patients with earlier-than-average PC consultation had shorter overall and ICU LOS as well as fewer ventilator days on a ventilator and lower costs. The study concluded that older patients with TBI have a greater likelihood of receiving PC consultation based on pre-existing dementia and severe TBI and patients with PC consultations had worse LOS and higher costs, but those impacts were diminished by earlier involvement from the PC.
AHRQ-funded; HS028747.
Citation: Wu A, Zhou J, Quinlan N .
Early palliative care consultation offsets hospitalization duration and costs for elderly patients with traumatic brain injuries: insights from a level 1 trauma center.
J Clin Neurosci 2023 Feb; 108:1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2022.12.013..
Keywords: Elderly, Palliative Care, Hospitalization, Brain Injury
Stockdill ML, Dionne-Odom JN, Wells R
African American recruitment in early heart failure palliative care trials: outcomes and comparison with the ENABLE CHF-PC randomized trial.
This study examined African American (AA) clinical trial recruitment and enrollment in a palliative care randomized controlled trial (RCT) for heart failure (HF) patients and compared patient baseline characteristics to other HF palliative care RCTs. The authors used the ENABLE CHF-PC (Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends: Comprehensive Heartcare for Patients and Caregivers) RCT using bivariate statistics to compare racial and patient characteristics and differences through recruitment stages. They then compared the baseline sample characteristics among three palliative HF trials. They screened 785 patients, of whom 566 with NYHA classification III-IV were approached, with 461 enrolled and then 415 randomized. African Americans were more likely to consent than Caucasians (55%), were younger, had a lower ejection fraction, were more likely to be single, and lack an advanced directive. AAs reported higher goal setting, care coordination, and used more “denial” coping strategies. Compared to two recent HF RCTs, the ENABLE CHF-PC sample had a higher proportion of AAs.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Stockdill ML, Dionne-Odom JN, Wells R .
African American recruitment in early heart failure palliative care trials: outcomes and comparison with the ENABLE CHF-PC randomized trial.
J Palliat Care 2023 Jan;38(1):52-61. doi: 10.1177/0825859720975978..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Palliative Care, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions
Wu A, Ugiliweneza B, Wang D
Trends and outcomes of early and late palliative care consultation for adult patients with glioblastoma: a seer-Medicare retrospective study.
This study investigates differences in palliative care (PC) timing on outcomes for patients with glioblastoma (GBM) using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Medicare data. Findings showed that, despite an overall increase in PC consultations, only a minority of GBM patients receive PC. Patients with late PC had the longest survival times and had greater hospice use in the last month of life compared to other subgroups.
AHRQ-funded; HS028747.
Citation: Wu A, Ugiliweneza B, Wang D .
Trends and outcomes of early and late palliative care consultation for adult patients with glioblastoma: a seer-Medicare retrospective study.
Neurooncol Pract 2022 Aug;9(4):299-309. doi: 10.1093/nop/npac026.
.
.
Keywords: Palliative Care, Cancer, Quality of Life, Healthcare Costs
Jin MC, Hsin G, Ratliff J
Modifiers of and disparities in palliative and supportive care timing and utilization among neurosurgical patients with malignant central nervous system tumors.
This study analyzed a cohort of privately insured patients with malignant brain or spinal tumors derived from the Optum Clinformatics Datamart Database to investigate health disparities and access and utilization of palliative care and supportive services. The authors introduced a novel construct, “provider patient racial diversity index” (provider pRDI) which is a measure of the proportion of non-white minority patients a provider encounters to approximate a provider's patient demographics and suggest a provider's cultural sensitivity and exposure to diversity. Their analysis demonstrated low rates of palliative care, home health, and social work services among racial minority patients, with Hispanics having the lowest likelihood of engagement with all three categories of supportive services. Patients who saw providers categorized into high provider pRDI (categories II and III) were increasingly more likely to interface with supportive care services and at an earlier point in their disease courses.
AHRQ-funded; HS028747.
Citation: Jin MC, Hsin G, Ratliff J .
Modifiers of and disparities in palliative and supportive care timing and utilization among neurosurgical patients with malignant central nervous system tumors.
Cancers 2022 May 23;14(10). doi: 10.3390/cancers14102567..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Disparities, Cancer
Temkin-Greener H, Guo W, Hua Y
End-of-life care in assisted living communities: race and ethnicity, dual enrollment status, and state regulations.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships between death at home and home hospice care with race, ethnicity, community characteristics, strictness of state-level regulations for assisted living facilities, dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollment, and other individual characteristics. The researchers found that almost 60% of the 100,783 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries residing in 16,560 assisted living communities who died in 2018-2019, died at home. Of those individuals, 84% were with home hospice care. Dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollment was a more important predictor of death at home than race or ethnicity; yet race was a stronger predictor than dual enrollment for hospice care at death. In states with lower regulatory strictness for assisted living communities, residents were less likely to die at home. The study concludes that these results imply an important role for state regulation of assisted living facilities and can help guide efforts to ensure equitable access to the individual’s preference for end-of-life-care.
Citation: Temkin-Greener H, Guo W, Hua Y .
End-of-life care in assisted living communities: race and ethnicity, dual enrollment status, and state regulations.
Health Aff 2022 May;41(5):654-62. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01677..
Keywords: Elderly, Palliative Care, Long-Term Care, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Washington KT, Kukulka K, Govindarjan R
Engaging specialist palliative care in the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a patient-, family-, and provider-based approach.
Investigators sought to describe key stakeholders' perspectives on specialist palliative care and its integration into the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Individual interviews were conducted with 42 stakeholders; the interview transcriptions were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis techniques. The investigators found that stakeholders expressed limited or inaccurate understandings of palliative care's definition and purpose. Stakeholders generally supported the integration of specialist palliative care into ALS management and recognized the value of early integration of palliative services in both the community and the clinical setting.
AHRQ-funded; HS022140.
Citation: Washington KT, Kukulka K, Govindarjan R .
Engaging specialist palliative care in the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a patient-, family-, and provider-based approach.
J Palliat Care 2022 Apr;37(2):170-76. doi: 10.1177/0825859719895827..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Neurological Disorders
Gray NA, Kamal AH, Hanson LC
Clinician perspectives guiding approach to comprehensiveness of palliative care assessment.
This paper discusses the results of a two-part web-based survey of palliative care clinicians from five academic groups in the United States. The objective was to describe clinicians’ assessment practices and factors influencing their approach to quality palliative care in contrast to the National Consensus Project guidelines for palliative care. Nineteen out of 25 invited clinicians completed the survey, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. The majority (62%) reported that their usual practice was to tailor the focus of the consultation, mainly due to time limitations and workload, followed by beliefs that comprehensive assessment was unnecessary, and absence of the full interdisciplinary team. Most participants cited reason for consult as factors influencing a tailored approach. Physical symptoms were the most commonly assessed factor (81%), with spiritual and cultural factors least commonly (24% and 19%, respectively) listed. Although most clinicians reported usually tailoring their consultations, mean importance scores for almost all assessment elements were high (mean of 7.1 on a 0-9 importance scale).
AHRQ-funded; HS022763.
Citation: Gray NA, Kamal AH, Hanson LC .
Clinician perspectives guiding approach to comprehensiveness of palliative care assessment.
J Palliat Med 2022 Feb;25(2):307-11. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2021.0391..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Provider: Nurse
Dionne-Odom JN, Wells RD, Guastaferro K
An early palliative care telehealth coaching intervention to enhance advanced cancer family caregivers' decision support skills: the CASCADE pilot factorial trial.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of the modules of a telehealth palliative care decision support training program (CASCADE training- CAre Supporters Coached to be Adept DEcision Partners) for caregivers of cancer patients. The researchers conducted a pilot trial between October 2019 and October 2020 in which 46 dyads of newly diagnosed cancer patients and their caregivers were randomized and assigned to one of eight experimental conditions. Each experimental condition included a combination of one of three CASCADE modules. Measures of decision support and caregiver and patient distress, training feasibility, and training acceptability were collected. The study found that the individual CASCADE modules were reported to have a possible benefit for decision support and caregiver distress, and that the average caregiver rating for recommending the program was 9.9 on a scale of 1(Not at all likely) to 10 (Extremely likely). The study concluded that the pilot trial was a success and justify and warrant a full-scale trial.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Dionne-Odom JN, Wells RD, Guastaferro K .
An early palliative care telehealth coaching intervention to enhance advanced cancer family caregivers' decision support skills: the CASCADE pilot factorial trial.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2022 Jan;63(1):11-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.07.023..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Cancer, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Caregiving
Chyr LC, DeGroot L, Waldfogel JM
Implementation and effectiveness of integrating palliative care into ambulatory care of noncancer serious chronic illness: mixed methods review and meta-analysis.
The purpose of this study was to assess the implementation of models for integrating palliative care into ambulatory care for adults with noncancer serious chronic illness. Between January 2000 to May 2020, the researchers reviewed 3 electronic databases and included qualitative, mixed methods studies, and randomized and nonrandomized controlled trial studies. Quantitative analysis included 14 studies of 2,934 US adult patients. The study found that when compared to usual care the models assessed were not more effective for improving patient health-related quality of life (HRQOL) or for patient depressive symptom scores. Qualitative analysis included 5 studies of 146 patients. There was variance in patient preferences for appropriate timing of palliative care; barriers to implementation included costs, additional visits, and travel. The researchers concluded that models were not more effective than usual care for improving HRQOL or depressive symptom scores and may have little to no effect on decreasing overall symptom burden but were more effective for increasing AD documentation.
AHRQ-funded; 2902015000061
Citation: Chyr LC, DeGroot L, Waldfogel JM .
Implementation and effectiveness of integrating palliative care into ambulatory care of noncancer serious chronic illness: mixed methods review and meta-analysis.
Ann Fam Med 2022 Jan-Feb;20(1):77-83. doi: 10.1370/afm.2754..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Palliative Care, Implementation, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Quality of Life
Marcus KL, Kao PC, Ma C
Symptoms and suffering at end of life for children with complex chronic conditions.
The objective of this study was to evaluate symptoms and suffering at end of life for children with noncancer, noncardiac complex chronic conditions (CCCs), as well as parental distress related to their child’s suffering. Nearly one-third of bereaved parents of children with CCCs who completed the survey reported high suffering in their child's final days of life. Parental preparedness was associated with lower perceived suffering. The authors concluded that future research should target symptoms contributing to parent and child distress and assess whether enhancing parent preparedness reduces perceived child suffering.
AHRQ-funded; HS022986.
Citation: Marcus KL, Kao PC, Ma C .
Symptoms and suffering at end of life for children with complex chronic conditions.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2022 Jan; 63(1):88-97. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.07.010..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Chronic Conditions, Palliative Care, Pain
Czosek RJ, Anderson JB, Baskar S
Predictors and outcomes of heart block during surgical stage I palliation of patients with a single ventricle: a report from the NPC-QIC.
This study investigated patient and surgical risks of heart block and its effect on 12-month transplant-free survival in children with a single ventricle. In total, 1423 patients were identified from the National Pediatric Cardiology Improvement Collaborative with and without heart block. One-year outcomes were analyzed. A very small percentage (2%) developed heart block during their surgical admission. Associated risk factors for block included heterotaxy syndrome and atrial flutter/fibrillation. Patients with complete heart block had lower 12-month survival, which wasn’t true for patients with second degree block. At 12 months of age, 43% of patients with heart block died and were more likely to experience mortality than patients without heart block.
AHRQ-funded; HS021114.
Citation: Czosek RJ, Anderson JB, Baskar S .
Predictors and outcomes of heart block during surgical stage I palliation of patients with a single ventricle: a report from the NPC-QIC.
Heart Rhythm 2021 Nov;18(11):1876-83. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2021.05.019..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Surgery, Palliative Care, Risk, Outcomes
Kaufmann TL, Getz KD, Hsu JY
Identification of patient-reported outcome phenotypes among oncology patients with palliative care needs.
This retrospective study used patient-reported outcome (PRO) data to characterize oncology patients with palliative care needs. The objective was to determine if PRO data can identify latent phenotypes that characterize indications for specialty palliative care referral. Self-reported symptoms were collected on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Symptom from solid tumor oncology patients (n = 745) referred to outpatient palliative care at eight community and academic sites from October 2012 to October 2018. The authors identified four PRO phenotypes: low symptoms (39.6%); moderate pain/fatigue + mood (24.2%); moderate pain/fatigue + appetite + dypsnea (27%); and high symptoms (9.3%). A secondary analysis of 421 patients found that two brief items assessing social and existential needs aligned with higher severity symptoms and psychological distress phenotypes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023681.
Citation: Kaufmann TL, Getz KD, Hsu JY .
Identification of patient-reported outcome phenotypes among oncology patients with palliative care needs.
JCO Oncol Pract 2021 Oct;17(10):e1473-e88. doi: 10.1200/op.20.00849..
Keywords: Cancer, Palliative Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes
Enzinger AC, Ghosh K, Keating NL
US trends in opioid access among patients with poor prognosis cancer near the end-of-life.
This study looked at trends in opioid prescriptions for cancer patients near the end-of-life (EOL) defined as the 30 days before death or hospice enrollment. The authors looked at Medicare part D data from 2007 to 2017 for 270,632 Medicare fee-for-service decedents with poor prognosis cancers. During that time, the proportion of decedents with poor prognosis cancers receiving 1 or greater opioid prescriptions near EOL declined 15.5% and the proportion receiving 1 or greater long-acting opioid prescriptions declined 36.5% to 18.1%. The mean daily dose fell from 24.5%, from 85.6 morphine milligram equivalents per day (MMED) to 64.6. The total amount of opioids prescribed fell from 1,075 morphine milligram equivalents per decedent to 666 morphine milligram equivalents per decedents. At the same time, the proportion of patients with pain-related ED visits increase 50.8% from 13.2% to 19.9%.
AHRQ-funded; HS024072.
Citation: Enzinger AC, Ghosh K, Keating NL .
US trends in opioid access among patients with poor prognosis cancer near the end-of-life.
J Clin Oncol 2021 Sep 10;39(26):2948-58. doi: 10.1200/jco.21.00476..
Keywords: Cancer, Opioids, Palliative Care, Pain, Access to Care, Medication, Practice Patterns
Wells R, Dionne-Odom JN, Azuero A
Examining adherence and dose effect of an early palliative care intervention for advanced heart failure patients.
The objective of this study was to examine the "dose" effect of PC intervention completion vs. noncompletion on quality of life (QoL) and healthcare use in patients with advanced heart failure (HF) over 32 weeks. The investigators concluded that higher intervention completion rates of an early PC intervention was associated with QoL improvements in patients with advanced HF.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Wells R, Dionne-Odom JN, Azuero A .
Examining adherence and dose effect of an early palliative care intervention for advanced heart failure patients.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2021 Sep;62(3):471-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.01.136..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Quality of Life, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Wells RD, Guastaferro K, Azuero A
Applying the multiphase optimization strategy for the development of optimized interventions in palliative care.
This article provides a brief overview and application of Multiphase Optimization Strategy, a framework informed by engineering principles, that uses a systematic process to empirically identify an intervention comprised of components that positively contribute to desired outcomes under real-life constraints. The paper includes the authors’ insights from conducting a pilot factorial trial of an early palliative care intervention to enhance the decision support skills of advanced cancer family caregivers (Project CASCADE).
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Wells RD, Guastaferro K, Azuero A .
Applying the multiphase optimization strategy for the development of optimized interventions in palliative care.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2021 Jul;62(1):174-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.11.017..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Research Methodologies
Bogetz JF, Revette A, DeCourcey DD
Clinical care strategies that support parents of children with complex chronic conditions.
This paper examines the best clinical care strategies that support parents of children with complex chronic conditions facing inpatient and end-of-life care in the ICU. Qualitative analysis of 21 open-response items from the cross-sectional “Survey of Caring for Children with Complex Chronic Conditions” was done. Open-ended responses from 110 of 114 survey respondents who were parents of children who received care at a large academic institution and died between 2006 and 2015 were analyzed. Most of the children had congenital/chromosomal complex chronic conditions and had died an average of 3.9 years prior to their parents’ study participation. The respondents emphasized the relational aspects of clinical care including inclusivity of their expertise on their child’s needs, recognition of their unique experiences as parents, and maintenance of connection with clinicians through bereavement.
AHRQ-funded; HS022986.
Citation: Bogetz JF, Revette A, DeCourcey DD .
Clinical care strategies that support parents of children with complex chronic conditions.
Pediatr Crit Care Med 2021 Jul;22(7):595-602. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000002726..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Chronic Conditions, Palliative Care, Inpatient Care
Lee K, Gani F, Canner JK
Racial disparities in utilization of palliative care among patients admitted with advanced solid organ malignancies.
The primary objective of this study was to describe racial differences in the use of inpatient palliative care consultations (IPCC) for patients with advanced cancer who are admitted to a hospital in the United States. Hospital admissions of patients with advanced cancers were identified through the National Inpatient Dataset. Findings showed that death during hospitalization was a significant modifier of the relationship between race and receipt of palliative care consultation. There were significant racial disparities in the utilization of IPCC for patients with advanced cancer.
AHRQ-funded; HS024736.
Citation: Lee K, Gani F, Canner JK .
Racial disparities in utilization of palliative care among patients admitted with advanced solid organ malignancies.
Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2021 Jun;38(6):539-46. doi: 10.1177/1049909120922779..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Palliative Care, Cancer, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Healthcare Utilization, Inpatient Care, Chronic Conditions
Sedhom R, Nudotor R, Freund KM
Can community health workers increase palliative care use for African American patients? A pilot study.
African American patients with cancer underutilize advance care planning (ACP) and palliative care (PC). This feasibility study investigated whether community health workers (CHWs) could improve ACP and PC utilization for African American patients with advanced cancer. The investigators concluded that utilization of CHWs to address PC domains and social determinants of health was feasible. Although study enrollment was identified as a potential barrier, most recruited patients were retained on study.
AHRQ-funded; HS024736.
Citation: Sedhom R, Nudotor R, Freund KM .
Can community health workers increase palliative care use for African American patients? A pilot study.
JCO Oncol Pract 2021 Feb;17(2):e158-e67. doi: 10.1200/op.20.00574..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Community-Based Practice, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Orth J, Li Y, Simning A
End-of-life care among nursing home residents with dementia varies by nursing home and market characteristics.
This study’s objectives were to examine variations in end-of-life (EOL) care/outcomes among decedents with Alzheimer's disease/related dementias (ADRD) and to identify associations with nursing home (NH)/market characteristics. Findings showed that decedents with ADRD in NHs that were nonprofit, had Alzheimer's units, higher licensed nurse staffing, and in more competitive markets, had better EOL care/outcomes. Recommendations included modifications to state Medicaid NH payments to promote better EOL care/outcomes and future research to understand NH care practices associated with presence of Alzheimer's units in order to identify mechanisms possibly promoting higher-quality EOL care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024923.
Citation: Orth J, Li Y, Simning A .
End-of-life care among nursing home residents with dementia varies by nursing home and market characteristics.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2021 Feb;22(2):320-28.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.06.021..
Keywords: Elderly, Palliative Care, Dementia, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care
Kamal AH, Check DK, Bull J
Associations of patient characteristics and care setting with complexity of specialty palliative care visits.
Information routinely collected during a palliative care consultation request may help predict the level of complexity of that patient encounter. In this retrospective cohort analysis, the investigators examined whether patient and consultation characteristics, as captured in consultation requests, were associated with the number of unmet palliative care needs that emerge during consultation, as an indicator of complexity.
AHRQ-funded; HS023681.
Citation: Kamal AH, Check DK, Bull J .
Associations of patient characteristics and care setting with complexity of specialty palliative care visits.
J Palliat Med 2021 Jan;24(1):83-90. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2020.0149..
Keywords: Palliative Care
Quigley DD, McCleskey SG
Improving care experiences for patients and caregivers at end of life: a systematic review.
End-of-life care is increasing as the US population ages. Approaches to providing high-quality end-of-life care vary across setting, diseases, and populations. Several data collection tools measure patient and/or caregiver care experiences at end of life and can be used for quality improvement. Previous reviews examined palliative care improvements or available measures but none explicitly on improving care experiences. In this study, the researchers reviewed literature on improving patient and/or caregiver end-of-life care experiences.
AHRQ-funded; HS025920.
Citation: Quigley DD, McCleskey SG .
Improving care experiences for patients and caregivers at end of life: a systematic review.
Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2021 Jan;38(1):84-93. doi: 10.1177/1049909120931468..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Caregiving, Patient Experience, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care