National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Search All Research Studies
Topics
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Asthma (1)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Blood Clots (1)
- Care Management (2)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (1)
- Data (1)
- Dental and Oral Health (2)
- Diabetes (1)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (2)
- Elderly (1)
- Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing) (1)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (3)
- Guidelines (2)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Imaging (1)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Medication (9)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Nursing (1)
- Obesity (1)
- Obesity: Weight Management (1)
- Opioids (5)
- Pain (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Payment (1)
- (-) Practice Patterns (19)
- Pressure Ulcers (1)
- Prevention (1)
- Primary Care (2)
- (-) Provider (19)
- Provider: Clinician (3)
- Provider: Nurse (2)
- Provider: Physician (14)
- Provider: Physician Assistant (1)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (1)
- Quality Measures (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Respiratory Conditions (3)
- Shared Decision Making (3)
- Skin Conditions (1)
- Social Media (1)
- Surgery (4)
- Training (1)
- Transplantation (1)
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (1)
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 19 of 19 Research Studies DisplayedHollenbeck BK, Oerline M, =Kaufman SR
Promotional payments made to urologists by the pharmaceutical industry and prescribing patterns for targeted therapies.
The authors measured the association between market-level promotional payments to urologists by the manufacturers of abiraterone and enzalutamide and national prescribing patterns. They found that promotional payments to urologists at the market level were strongly associated with the specialty of the physician prescribing abiraterone or enzalutamide for the first time. They recommended that future work elucidate the effects of the shift in prescribing patterns on quality of care and financial hardship for men with advanced prostate cancer.
AHRQ-funded; HS025707.
Citation: Hollenbeck BK, Oerline M, =Kaufman SR .
Promotional payments made to urologists by the pharmaceutical industry and prescribing patterns for targeted therapies.
Urology 2021 Feb;148:134-40. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2020.08.080..
Keywords: Provider: Physician, Provider, Medication, Practice Patterns
Everson J, Cheng AK, Patrick SW
Association of electronic prescribing of controlled substances with opioid prescribing rates.
The purpose of this study was to assess the association between use of electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) and trends in opioid prescribing. Results suggested that an increased use of EPCS was not associated with decreased opioid prescribing or a decrease in the amount prescribed and may have been associated with a small increase in opioid prescribing. Recommendations included levers to ensure that EPCS is integrated with outside data and that information is actively used to inform prescribing decisions.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Everson J, Cheng AK, Patrick SW .
Association of electronic prescribing of controlled substances with opioid prescribing rates.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Dec;3(12):e2027951. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.27951..
Keywords: Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Health Information Technology (HIT), Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider: Clinician, Provider
Kapoor N, Lacson R, Hammer M
Physician agreement with recommendations contained in a national guideline for the management of incidental pulmonary nodules: a case study.
This survey of physicians was used to determine agreement with recommendations in the national guideline for the management of incidental pulmonary nodules from the 2017 Fleischner Society Guidelines for Management of Incident Pulmonary Nodules (FSG). The FSG contains 18 unique recommendations which were codified into a clinical evidence logic statement (CELS) for this study. The FSG also included ratings for strength of evidence based on the American Society of Chest Physicians grading system. In order to internally grade the strength of evidence behind each recommendation, two medical librarians from the Harvard Library of Evidence analyzed each CELS independently and graded the recommendations based on the supporting clinical studies using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based levels of evidence and the US Preventive Service Task Force I-scores. Nine physicians from a single large academic institution were then surveyed via SurveyMonkey to assess agreement with each of the 18 CELS. Agreement on each recommendation ranged from 0 to 100%. This study was meant to be exploratory and to test the hypothesis that guideline nonadherence may be partly affected by lack of physician agreement with guideline component recommendations.
AHRQ-funded; HS024722.
Citation: Kapoor N, Lacson R, Hammer M .
Physician agreement with recommendations contained in a national guideline for the management of incidental pulmonary nodules: a case study.
J Am Coll Radiol 2020 Nov;17(11):1437-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2020.07.020..
Keywords: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), Guidelines, Evidence-Based Practice, Respiratory Conditions, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider
Lozada MJ, Raji MA, Goodwin JS
Opioid prescribing by primary care providers: a cross-sectional analysis of nurse practitioner, physician assistant, and physician prescribing patterns.
The purpose of this study was to identify prescription opioid over-prescribers by comparing prescribing patterns of primary care physicians (MDs), nurse practitioners (NPs), and physician assistants (PAs). Participants were a national sample of 2015 Medicare Part D enrollees. Findings showed that most NPs/PAs prescribed opioids in a pattern similar to MDs, but NPs/PAs had more outliers who prescribed high-frequency, high-dose opioids than did MDs. Recommendations included efforts to reduce opioid overprescribing including targeted provider education, risk stratification, and state legislation.
AHRQ-funded; HS020642.
Citation: Lozada MJ, Raji MA, Goodwin JS .
Opioid prescribing by primary care providers: a cross-sectional analysis of nurse practitioner, physician assistant, and physician prescribing patterns.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Sep;35(9):2584-92. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-05823-0..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Primary Care, Practice Patterns, Medication: Safety, Provider: Nurse, Provider: Physician, Provider: Physician Assistant, Provider
Cotter JM, Tyler A, Reese J
Steroid variability in pediatric inpatient asthmatics: survey on provider preferences of dexamethasone versus prednisone.
This study looked at pediatric emergency department (ED) inpatient use of dexamethasone versus prednisone by providers for asthma treatment. A survey was distributed to providers who care for inpatient asthmatics. Ninety-two providers completed the survey. When patients received dexamethasone in the ED, 44% continued dexamethasone, 14% switched to prednisone, 2% stopped steroid use, and 40% said it depended on the circumstances. Hospitalists were significantly more likely to continue dexamethasone than pulmonologists (61% versus 15%). Switching to prednisone included factors such as severity of exacerbation (73%) and asthma history (47%). Just over half of providers (5f1%) felt uncomfortable using dexamethasone because of “minimal data to support [its] use inpatient.”
AHRQ-funded; HS026512.
Citation: Cotter JM, Tyler A, Reese J .
Steroid variability in pediatric inpatient asthmatics: survey on provider preferences of dexamethasone versus prednisone.
J Asthma 2020 Sep;57(9):942-48. doi: 10.1080/02770903.2019.1622713..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Asthma, Respiratory Conditions, Medication, Inpatient Care, Care Management, Hospitalization, Emergency Department, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider
Rhee TG, Olfson M, Nierenberg AA
20-year trends in the pharmacologic treatment of bipolar disorder by psychiatrists in outpatient care settings.
Pharmacological options for treating bipolar disorder have increased over the past 20 years, with several second-generation antipsychotics receiving regulatory approval in the 1990s. In this study the authors describe trends in use of pharmacological agents in the outpatient management of bipolar disorder. The authors concluded that substantial changes occurred in the treatment of bipolar disorder over the past 20 years, with second-generation antipsychotics in large measure supplanting traditional mood stabilizers.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Rhee TG, Olfson M, Nierenberg AA .
20-year trends in the pharmacologic treatment of bipolar disorder by psychiatrists in outpatient care settings.
Am J Psychiatry 2020 Aug;177(8):706-15. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19091000..
Keywords: Behavioral Health, Medication, Practice Patterns, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Provider: Physician, Provider
Westafer LM, Kunz A, Bugajska P
Provider perspectives on the use of evidence-based risk stratification tools in the evaluation of pulmonary embolism: a qualitative study.
Providers often pursue imaging in patients at low risk of pulmonary embolism (PE), resulting in imaging yields <10% and false-positive imaging rates of 10% to 25%. Attempts to curb overtesting have had only modest success and no interventions have used implementation science frameworks. The objective of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to the adoption of evidence-based diagnostic testing for PE.
AHRQ-funded; HS025701.
Citation: Westafer LM, Kunz A, Bugajska P .
Provider perspectives on the use of evidence-based risk stratification tools in the evaluation of pulmonary embolism: a qualitative study.
Acad Emerg Med 2020 Jun;27(6):447-56. doi: 10.1111/acem.13908..
Keywords: Respiratory Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Imaging, Shared Decision Making, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider: Clinician, Provider
Baernholdt M, Yan G, Hinton ID
Effect of preventive care interventions on pressure ulcer rates in a national sample of rural and urban nursing units: Longitudinal associations over 4 years.
This study looked at the effects of nursing care interventions aimed at preventing pressure ulcers in rural and urban hospitals over a 4-year period. This longitudinal study used unit-level data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators 2010-2013. The authors analyzed 5761 units (332 rural and 5429 urban) in 772 hospitals (89 rural and 683 urban) that reported ulcer rates in two or more quarters. Outcomes from use of a three-care intervention combination was measured with decreases in pressure ulcers shown from any of those interventions (patients receiving skin assessment on admission, receiving risk assessment on admission, and receiving any risk assessment before the pressure ulcer). An increase in RN skill mix and two nurse outcomes (increase in job satisfaction and intent-to-stay) also led to decreases in ulcer rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS023147.
Citation: Baernholdt M, Yan G, Hinton ID .
Effect of preventive care interventions on pressure ulcer rates in a national sample of rural and urban nursing units: Longitudinal associations over 4 years.
Int J Nurs Stud 2020 May;105:103455. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.103455..
Keywords: Pressure Ulcers, Prevention, Skin Conditions, Nursing, Practice Patterns, Provider: Nurse, Provider, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality of Care
Suda KJ, Zhou J, Rowan SA
Overprescribing of opioids to adults by dentists in the U.S., 2011-2015.
Dentists prescribe 1 in 10 opioid prescriptions in the U.S. When opioids are necessary, national guidelines recommend the prescription of low-dose opioids for a short duration. This study assessed the appropriate prescribing of opioids by dentists before guideline implementation. The investigators concluded that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 2 opioids prescribed to adult dental patients are overprescribed.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Suda KJ, Zhou J, Rowan SA .
Overprescribing of opioids to adults by dentists in the U.S., 2011-2015.
Am J Prev Med 2020 Apr;58(4):473-86. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.11.006..
Keywords: Opioids, Dental and Oral Health, Provider, Practice Patterns, Medication
de Meireles A, Carlin AM, Cain-Nielsen A
Association between surgeon practice knowledge and venous thromboembolism.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the most common cause of mortality following bariatric surgery. This study aimed to determine practice patterns of VTE chemoprophylaxis among bariatric surgeons participating in a large statewide quality collaborative and compare the results of surgeon self-reported chemoprophylaxis prescription practices versus actual data from abstracted charts. They administered a 13-question survey to 66 surgeons to reveal VTE practice patterns such as medication type, dosage, timing, duration, and level of trainee involvement. They also examined the charts of all patients who had developed VTE during the study period and 15 other randomly selected patient charts per site. There was found to be a greater discordance between surgeon self-reported and actual perioperative VTE prophylaxis, but there was no significant discordance postoperatively. Greater perioperative discordance is associated with significantly increased risk of VTE.
AHRQ-funded; HS02362; HS024403.
Citation: de Meireles A, Carlin AM, Cain-Nielsen A .
Association between surgeon practice knowledge and venous thromboembolism.
Obes Surg 2020 Feb 16;30(6):2274-79. doi: 10.1007/s11695-020-04468-6..
Keywords: Surgery, Obesity: Weight Management, Obesity, Blood Clots, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider
Larach DB, Waljee JF, Hu HM
Patterns of initial opioid prescribing to opioid-naive patients.
Researchers sought to determine the proportion of initial opioid prescriptions for opioid-naive patients prescribed by surgeons, dentists, and emergency physicians. Data from a nationwide insurance claims dataset was used to study US adults aged 18 to 64 years. Over the study period, the researchers found that surgical patients received the highest proportion of potent opioids. They concluded that initial opioid prescribing attributable to surgical and dental care was increasing relative to primary and chronic pain care. They recommended evidence-based guideline development for surgical and dental prescribing in order to curb iatrogenic opioid morbidity and mortality.
AHRQ-funded; HS023313.
Citation: Larach DB, Waljee JF, Hu HM .
Patterns of initial opioid prescribing to opioid-naive patients.
Ann Surg 2020 Feb;271(2):290-95. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000002969..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider
Esfandiari NH, Reyes-Gastelum D, Hawley ST
Patient requests for tests and treatments impact physician management of hypothyroidism.
Researchers investigated physician-reported barriers to managing thyroid hormone therapy; randomly surveyed physicians were members of the Endocrine Society, the American Academy of Family Practice, and the American Geriatrics Society. The researchers found that physicians reported patient requests for tests and treatments as a common barrier to appropriate thyroid hormone management. They concluded that understanding physician-reported barriers to thyroid hormone management and factors associated with physician perception that patient requests are a barrier is key to improving patient care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024512.
Citation: Esfandiari NH, Reyes-Gastelum D, Hawley ST .
Patient requests for tests and treatments impact physician management of hypothyroidism.
Thyroid 2019 Nov;29(11):1536-44. doi: 10.1089/thy.2019.0383..
Keywords: Care Management, Provider: Physician, Provider, Practice Patterns
DiBrito SR, Bowring MG, Holscher CM
Acute care surgery for transplant recipients: a national survey of surgeon perspectives and practices.
This study is a survey of acute care surgeons (ACS) and transplant surgeons on their attitudes as to who would feel comfortable operating on transplant patients for nontransplant-related issues. The researchers conducted a national survey of ACS and transplant surgeons and obtained 230 ACS responses and 240 from transplant surgeons. While both ACS and transplant surgeons felt care is better at transplant centers and if the patient requires acute surgery they should be transferred to a transplant center, the ACS still felt comfortable operating and performing laparoscopy on transplant recipients.
Citation: DiBrito SR, Bowring MG, Holscher CM .
Acute care surgery for transplant recipients: a national survey of surgeon perspectives and practices.
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Keywords: Transplantation, Surgery, Provider: Physician, Provider, Practice Patterns
Mitchell AP, Rotter JS, Patel E
Association between reimbursement incentives and physician practice in oncology: a systematic review.
Investigators sought to evaluate whether the financial incentives presented by oncology reimbursement policies affect physician practice patterns. Following a literature search, 18 observational cohort studies were included, most with moderate risk of bias. The findings suggested that some oncologists may, in certain circumstances, alter treatment recommendations based on personal revenue considerations. The authors concluded that an implication of this finding is that value-based reimbursement policies may be a useful tool to better align physician incentives with patient need and increase the value of oncology care.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Mitchell AP, Rotter JS, Patel E .
Association between reimbursement incentives and physician practice in oncology: a systematic review.
JAMA Oncol 2019 Jun;5(6):893-99. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.6196..
Keywords: Practice Patterns, Payment, Provider: Physician, Provider
Suda KJ, Durkin MJ, Calip GS
Comparison of opioid prescribing by dentists in the United States and England.
The goal of this cross-sectional study was to compare opioid prescribing rates by dentists in the US and England, using data on prescriptions dispensed from outpatient pharmacies and health care settings in 2016 by dentists in both countries. Findings show that the proportion of prescriptions for opioids written by US dentists was 37 times greater than the proportion written by English dentists. US dentists also had a higher number of opioid prescriptions per 1000 population and number of prescriptions per dentist. Dihydrocodeine was the only opioid prescribed by English dentists, while US dentists prescribed a range of opioids containing hydrocodone, codeine, oxycodone, and tramadol, as well as long-acting opioids. The researchers conclude that US dentists adopt measures similar to those used in England to reduce dental opioid prescribing in the United States.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Suda KJ, Durkin MJ, Calip GS .
Comparison of opioid prescribing by dentists in the United States and England.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 May 3;2(5):e194303. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4303..
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Medication, Opioids, Pain, Practice Patterns, Provider
Kanters AE, Shubeck SP, Sandhu G
Justifying our decisions about surgical technique: evidence from coaching conversations.
The objective of this qualitative study was to determine the extent to which practicing surgeons participating in a coaching program justify their technical decisions based on their experience or based on evidence. The investigators found that practicing surgeons often justify their surgical decisions with anecdotal evidence and "lessons learned," rather than deferring to surgical literature. The authors suggest that this either represents a lack of evidence or poor uptake of existing data.
AHRQ-funded; HS023597; HS000053.
Citation: Kanters AE, Shubeck SP, Sandhu G .
Justifying our decisions about surgical technique: evidence from coaching conversations.
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Keywords: Shared Decision Making, Education: Continuing Medical Education, Provider, Practice Patterns, Surgery
McCreedy EM, Kane RL, Gollust SE
Patient-centered guidelines for geriatric diabetes care: potential missed opportunities to avoid harm.
Clinicians strive to deliver individualized, patient-centered care. However, these intentions are understudied. This research explored how patient characteristics associated with a high risk-to-benefit ratio with hypoglycemia medications affected decision making by primary care clinicians. The investigators found that primary care clinicians often chose to intensify glycemic control despite individual patient factors that warranted higher glycemic targets based on existing guidelines.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: McCreedy EM, Kane RL, Gollust SE .
Patient-centered guidelines for geriatric diabetes care: potential missed opportunities to avoid harm.
J Am Board Fam Med 2018 Mar-Apr;31(2):192-200. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2018.02.170141..
Keywords: Diabetes, Elderly, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Guidelines, Evidence-Based Practice, Shared Decision Making, Medication, Primary Care, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider: Clinician, Provider
Myers CG, Kudsi OY, Ghaferi AA
Social media as a platform for surgical learning: use and engagement patterns among robotic surgeons.
This study analyzed data from a closed-membership Facebook group for robotic surgeons to better understand surgeons' engagement with social media platforms. This analysis observed that surgeons responded to text posts with more comments, but "liked" posts containing links, photos, or video images in greater numbers.
AHRQ-funded; HS023621.
Citation: Myers CG, Kudsi OY, Ghaferi AA .
Social media as a platform for surgical learning: use and engagement patterns among robotic surgeons.
Ann Surg 2018 Feb;267(2):233-35. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000002479..
Keywords: Education: Continuing Medical Education, Provider, Practice Patterns, Social Media, Surgery, Training
DesRoches CM, Wong HS, Rich EC
AHRQ Author: Wong HS
Making the case for a new national data collection effort on physicians and their practices.
The pace of change in the U.S. health care system and the integral role played by physicians indicate a clear need for an ongoing, regular physician survey. The authors argue that the survey be designed to monitor over time the characteristics of all physicians in all specialties and the clinical, organizational, and financial contexts in which they operate.
AHRQ-authored
Citation: DesRoches CM, Wong HS, Rich EC .
Making the case for a new national data collection effort on physicians and their practices.
J Gen Intern Med 2015 Aug;30 Suppl 3:S553-4. doi: 10.1007/s11606-015-3386-3..
Keywords: Data, Practice Patterns, Provider, Provider: Physician