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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
26 to 50 of 306 Research Studies DisplayedWyse JJ, Mackey K, Lovejoy TI
Expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder through locally-initiated implementation.
The purpose of this study was to identify and describe locally- and internally-developed approaches to improve patient access to medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The researchers utilized the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to guide qualitative interviews and ethnographic observations to examine the planning, design, and implementation of a locally-initiated process to expand access to MOUD. The study found that a self-appointed local team successfully developed and implemented a Primary Care-based Buprenorphine Clinic and E-Consult Service to expand access to MOUD to patients across the health care system, including national and local policy changes, identifying appropriate and widely supported models of care delivery and consultation, and increasing staff investment in the efforts by including them in collaborative planning and problem-solving. The study concluded that a local team can plan, develop and build new processes of care that are customized to meet local needs and contribute to long-term sustainability in the community.
AHRQ-funded; HS026370.
Citation: Wyse JJ, Mackey K, Lovejoy TI .
Expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder through locally-initiated implementation.
Addict Sci Clin Pract 2022 Jun 20;17(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s13722-022-00312-7..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Medication, Access to Care, Practice Patterns, Implementation
Yu J, Wang AA, Zimmerman LP
A cohort analysis of statin treatment patterns among small-sized primary care practices.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort analysis study was to describe statin treatment patterns in small-sized primary care practices and explore the patient and practice factors that are related to lack of statin treatment. The researchers included all statin-eligible adults (13,330) who received care at one of 53 Healthy Hearts in the Heartland (H3) practices, a cardiovascular care quality improvement initiative, between 2013 and 2016. The study found that among 43% of patients (5,780), there was no record of moderate- to high-intensity statin therapy. A lack of appropriate intensity statin therapy was independently associated with the female sex, a younger age, and lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Also associated with lower appropriate intensity statin use was a higher proportion of patients insured by Medicaid and having only family medicine trained physicians (vs. having at least one internal medicine trained physician) at the practice. A lack of appropriate intensity statin therapy was greater in independent practices than in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). The study concluded that factors influencing lack of statin treatment vary by practice setting, emphasizing the role of approaches that are customized to individual settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS023921.
Citation: Yu J, Wang AA, Zimmerman LP .
A cohort analysis of statin treatment patterns among small-sized primary care practices.
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Jun;37(8):1845-52. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07191-9..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Medication, Practice Patterns, Primary Care
Fitzgerald DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA
Determinants of hospital variability in perioperative red blood cell transfusions during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
This observational cohort study’s objective was to identify to what extent distinguishing patient and procedural characteristics can explain center-level transfusion variation during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. The study used patients from the Perfusion Measures and Outcomes Registry from 43 adult cardiac surgical programs from July 2011 through June 2017. Of the 22,272 adult patients undergoing isolate CABG surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass, 7241 (32.5%) received at least 1 U allogeneic red blood cells. Patients who received transfusions were older (68 vs 64 years), were women (41.5% vs 15.9%), and had a lower body surface area, respectively. The majority of center-level transfusion variations could not be explained through models containing both patient and intraoperative factors.
AHRQ-funded; HS026003.
Citation: Fitzgerald DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA .
Determinants of hospital variability in perioperative red blood cell transfusions during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2022 Mar;163(3):1015-24.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.04.141..
Keywords: Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospitals, Practice Patterns, Disparities
Olsen MA, Greenberg JK, Peacock K
Lack of association of post-discharge prophylactic antibiotics with decreased risk of surgical site infection following spinal fusion.
This study’s objective was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with post-discharge prophylactic antibiotic use after spinal fusion and whether use was associated with decreased risk of surgical site infection (SSI). The study cohort included persons aged 10-64 years undergoing 156,446 spinal fusion procedures between January 2010 and July 2015. Excluded patients included complicated cases and those coded for infection from 30 days before to 2 days after surgical admission. Outpatient oral antibiotic prescriptions were identified within 2 days of surgical discharge. ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes were used to identify SSI within 90 days of surgery. Post-discharge prophylactic antibiotics were used in 9223 surgeries. SSIs occurred after 2557 procedures (1.6%). Factors significantly associated with post-discharge antibiotic use included history of lymphoma, diabetes, 3-7 versus 1-2 vertebral levels fused, and non-infectious postoperative complications. Analysis showed antibiotic use was not associated with decreased SSI risk after spinal fusion.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455; HS027075.
Citation: Olsen MA, Greenberg JK, Peacock K .
Lack of association of post-discharge prophylactic antibiotics with decreased risk of surgical site infection following spinal fusion.
J Antimicrob Chemother 2022 Mar 31;77(4):1178-84. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkab475..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Medication, Surgery, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Practice Patterns
Encinosa W, Bernard D, Selden TM
AHRQ Author: Encinosa W, Bernard D, Selden TM
Opioid and non-opioid analgesic prescribing before and after the CDC's 2016 opioid guideline.
This study examined opioid and non-opioid prescribing before and after the issuing of CDC’s 2016 opioid guideline. The authors developed a theory of physician prescribing behavior under the CDC’s two-pronged incentive structure. They used MEPS survey data to empirically corroborate the theory that the regulations and guidelines have the intended effects of reducing opioid prescriptions for acute and chronic pain, as well as the predicted unintended effects-income effects cause regulations on acute pain treatment to increase chronic pain opioid prescriptions and the chronic pain treatment guidelines spillover to reduce opioids for acute pain. They also found that the guidelines work as intended in terms of the reduced usage, with chronic pain patients shifting to non-opioids and tapering off opioid doses.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Encinosa W, Bernard D, Selden TM .
Opioid and non-opioid analgesic prescribing before and after the CDC's 2016 opioid guideline.
Int J Health Econ Manag 2022 Mar;22(1):1-52. doi: 10.1007/s10754-021-09307-4..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Opioids, Practice Patterns, Medication, Pain, Chronic Conditions
Radhakrishnan A, Reyes-Gastelum D, Abrahamse P
Physician specialties involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment: implications for improving health care disparities.
The authors sought to characterize providers involved in diagnosing and treating thyroid cancer. Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer from the Georgia and Los Angeles County Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries were surveyed. The authors found that, among thyroid cancer patients, 40.6% reported being informed of their diagnosis by their surgeon, 37.9% by their endocrinologist, and 13.5% by their primary care physician (PCP). The researchers concluded that PCPs were involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment, and their involvement was greater among older patients and patients of minority race/ethnicity.
AHRQ-funded; HS024512.
Citation: Radhakrishnan A, Reyes-Gastelum D, Abrahamse P .
Physician specialties involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment: implications for improving health care disparities.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022 Feb 17;107(3):e1096-e105. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab781..
Keywords: Cancer, Disparities, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Practice Patterns, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Rikin S, Perez HR, Zhang C
Changes in outpatient opioid prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time series analysis.
Changes in health care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted opioid prescribing. This study evaluated the impact of restrictions on in-person care on opioid prescribing in the outpatient setting. The hypothesis was that after restrictions to in-person care were implemented, there would be a reduction in the number of chronic and non-chronic opioid prescriptions.
AHRQ-funded; HS026396.
Citation: Rikin S, Perez HR, Zhang C .
Changes in outpatient opioid prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time series analysis.
J Prim Care Community Health 2022 Jan-Dec;13:21501319221076926. doi: 10.1177/21501319221076926..
Keywords: COVID-19, Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Healthcare Delivery
Joseph JM, Gori D, Curtin C
Gaps in standardized postoperative pain management quality measures: a systematic review.
Poor pain control in patients can lead to chronic pain, chronic opiate use or addiction, and patient suffering, making postoperative pain an important clinical issue. The researchers state that it is unclear whether measures for managing pain after surgery exist, warranting the study goal of assessment of the availability of postoperative pain management quality measures, including National Quality Forum-endorsed measures. In November 2019, the researchers conducted a systematic literature review using the National Quality Forum Quality Positioning System, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Indicators, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Measures Inventory Tool databases, to identify quality measures for the period between March 11, 2015, and March 11, 2020. The review identified 19 pain management quality measures, 5 of which were endorsed by the National Quality Forum. Three of the non-endorsed measures were specific to postoperative pain, with none of the endorsed measures specific to post-operative pain. The study concluded that there is a need for published, endorsed, rigorous postoperative pain quality measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS024096; HS027434.
Citation: Joseph JM, Gori D, Curtin C .
Gaps in standardized postoperative pain management quality measures: a systematic review.
Surgery 2022 Feb;171(2):453-58. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2021.08.004..
Keywords: Pain, Surgery, Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Practice Patterns
Levin Z, Chang J, Karaca-Mandic P
Characteristics of hydroxychloroquine dispensing in the United States, January to May 2020.
This research letter describes a comparison of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) prescription trends from January to May 2020. The authors identified HCQ dispensing from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse and identified 66,253 enrollees with 134,417 HCQ fills during the study period. Nearly 13,000 new fillers (67.2%) did not have a diagnostic indication of lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, malaria or Sjogren’s syndrome. Among previous fillers, 15.1% had no indication. The most common diagnosis was RA among indicated users. The rate of HCQ fills per 1,000 enrollees increased substantially in mid-March among both new and previous HCQ fillers. For prior fillers, rates increased due to an anticipated shortage of the drug due to people using it for COVID-19 prevention.
AHRQ-funded; HS025164.
Citation: Levin Z, Chang J, Karaca-Mandic P .
Characteristics of hydroxychloroquine dispensing in the United States, January to May 2020.
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Jan;37(1):176-78. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07175-9..
Keywords: COVID-19, Medication, Practice Patterns
Stevens JP, Hatfield LA, Nyweide DJ
Comparison of health outcomes among patients admitted on busy vs less busy days for hospitalists.
Increasingly, hospitalized patients are cared for by hospitalists. When caseloads are higher or patients require more acute care than usual, hospitalists may respond to their cognitive and time constraints by shifting diagnostic or procedural work to specialist colleagues, thereby delaying discharges or missing preventable safety events. This cohort study used Medicare claims data to analyze health outcomes of Medicare patients admitted to the hospital and being treated by hospitalists on busy vs less busy days.
AHRQ-funded; HS024288.
Citation: Stevens JP, Hatfield LA, Nyweide DJ .
Comparison of health outcomes among patients admitted on busy vs less busy days for hospitalists.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Jan;5(1):e2144261. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.44261..
Keywords: Outcomes, Emergency Department, Practice Patterns, Hospital Readmissions
Kang MM, Hasan Y, Waller J
Has hypofractionated whole-breast radiation therapy become the standard of care in the United States? An updated report from National Cancer Database.
This study examined trends in the use of hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (HF-WBI) over time in the United States and factors related to its adoption for patients undergoing a lumpectomy from 2004 to 2016. Lumpectomy patients in the National Cancer Database were identified, with 688,079 early-stage invasive breast cancer patients, and 248,218 patients diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ. Among invasive cancer patients, HB-WBI use increased from 0.7% in 2004 to 38.1% in 2016. Among ductal carcinoma in situ patients, HB-WBI use increased significantly from 0.42% in 2004 to 34.3% in 2016. Factors associated with HB-WBI use included age, geographic location, race/ethnicity, tumor stage, grade, treating facility type, and volume.
AHRQ-funded; HS025806.
Citation: Kang MM, Hasan Y, Waller J .
Has hypofractionated whole-breast radiation therapy become the standard of care in the United States? An updated report from National Cancer Database.
Clin Breast Cancer 2022 Jan;22(1):e8-e20. doi: 10.1016/j.clbc.2021.05.016..
Keywords: Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Treatments, Practice Patterns
Agbalajobi OM, Gmelin T, Moon AM
Characteristics of opioid prescribing to outpatients with chronic liver diseases: a call for action.
This retrospective cohort study investigated opioid prescribing patterns among patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) at a single medical center. These patients (12,425) were followed for one year from October 2015 to September 2016. Nearly half (47%) were prescribed opioids over a one-year period, with 17% receiving high-risk prescriptions. Characteristics associated with high-risk opioid prescriptions included female gender, Medicaid insurance, cirrhosis and baseline chronic pain, depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and Charlson comorbidity score. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was associated with decreased high-risk opioid prescriptions.
AHRQ-funded; HS019461.
Citation: Agbalajobi OM, Gmelin T, Moon AM .
Characteristics of opioid prescribing to outpatients with chronic liver diseases: a call for action.
PLoS One 2021 Dec 17;16(12):e0261377. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261377..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Pain, Chronic Conditions
Sankar A, Swanson KM, Zhou J
Association of fluoroquinolone prescribing rates with black box warnings from the US Food and Drug Administration.
This study examined the association of black box warnings in 2013 and 2016 with prescribing rates for fluoroquinolone. This cross-sectional study used Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries and OneKey data on physicians and their organizations from 2011 through 2017. Sample eligibility was restricted to outpatient visits for sinusitis, bronchitis, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Prescription rates were compared with the prewarning period (baseline period), before and after the 2013 warning (postwarning period 1), and before and after the 2016 warning (postwarning period 2). The sample consisted of 1,238,397 unique patients with a total of 2,720,071 outpatient acute care visits. The immediate prescribing levels in postwarning period 1 increased by 3.42 percentage points and declined by -0.77 percentage points in postwarning period 2. In postwarning period 1, prescribing levels for physicians who were affiliated with hospitals with a top 10th percentile case mix index compared to those without an affiliation decreased by -1.13 percentage points, whereas the levels for primary care physicians declined by -1.34 percentage points compared with non-primary care physicians in postwarning period 2. Physicians at teaching hospitals were the only clinicians who showed a decline in postwarning period 1.
AHRQ-funded; HS025164; HS025402.
Citation: Sankar A, Swanson KM, Zhou J .
Association of fluoroquinolone prescribing rates with black box warnings from the US Food and Drug Administration.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Dec;4(12):e2136662. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.36662..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Medication, Practice Patterns
Clark AW, Durkin MJ, Olsen MA
Rural-urban differences in antibiotic prescribing for uncomplicated urinary tract infection.
This study examined rural-urban differences in temporal trends and risk of inappropriate antibiotic use by agent and duration among women with uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI). This observational cohort study identified US commercially insured women aged 18-44 coded for uncomplicated UTI and prescribed an antibiotic from the IBM MarketScan Commercial Database (2010-2015). Of the 670,450 women with uncomplicated UTIs, a large proportion received antibiotic prescriptions for inappropriate agents (46.7%) or durations (76.1%). Rural women were more likely to receive prescriptions with inappropriately long durations than urban women. There was a slight decline in patients who received inappropriate agents and durations from 2011 to 2015. Rural-urban differences varied over time by agent, geographic region, and provider specialty.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Clark AW, Durkin MJ, Olsen MA .
Rural-urban differences in antibiotic prescribing for uncomplicated urinary tract infection.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2021 Dec;42(12):1437-44. doi: 10.1017/ice.2021.21..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Practice Patterns
Cerda M, Wheeler-Martin K, Bruzelius E
Spatiotemporal analysis of the association between pain management clinic laws and opioid prescribing and overdose deaths.
The authors investigated the impact of pain management clinic laws. They analyzed data on county-level, opioid overdose deaths via the National Vital Statistics System and patients filling long-duration or high-dose opioid prescriptions in the US 2010-2018. Their findings suggested that laws with criminal penalties were associated with intended reductions in high-risk opioid prescribing and some opioid overdoses but raised concerns regarding unintended consequences on heroin/synthetic overdoses.
AHRQ-funded; HS023258.
Citation: Cerda M, Wheeler-Martin K, Bruzelius E .
Spatiotemporal analysis of the association between pain management clinic laws and opioid prescribing and overdose deaths.
Am J Epidemiol 2021 Dec;190(12):2592-603. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwab192..
Keywords: Opioids, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Medication, Practice Patterns, Policy
Bushnell GA, Rynn MA, Crystal S
Simultaneous benzodiazepine and SSRI initiation in young people with anxiety disorders.
Researchers investigated how often adolescents and young adults with anxiety disorders simultaneously initiate benzodiazepine (BZD) treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment and examined whether SSRI treatment duration varies by simultaneous BZD initiation. Using a commercial claims database, they found that 4% of adolescents and 17% of young adults simultaneously initiated BZD treatment, varying by age, anxiety disorder, comorbidities, health care utilization, and provider type. They concluded that simultaneous initiation of both treatments is relatively common in young adults with anxiety disorders and was not associated with longer SSRI persistence.
AHRQ-funded; HS026001.
Citation: Bushnell GA, Rynn MA, Crystal S .
Simultaneous benzodiazepine and SSRI initiation in young people with anxiety disorders.
J Clin Psychiatry 2021 Oct 19;82(6). doi: 10.4088/JCP.20m13863..
Keywords: Anxiety, Behavioral Health, Medication, Practice Patterns, Children/Adolescents, Young Adults
Richards AR, Linder JA
Behavioral economics and ambulatory antibiotic stewardship: a narrative review.
Behavioral economics recognizes that contextual, psychological, social, and emotional factors powerfully influence decision-making. Behavioral economics has the potential to provide a better understanding of, and, through subtle environmental changes, or "nudges," improve persistent quality-of-care challenges, like ambulatory antibiotic overprescribing. In this study, the investigators conducted a Medline search and performed a narrative review that examined the use of behavioral economics to understand the rationale for, and improvement of, ambulatory antibiotic prescribing.
AHRQ-funded; 2332015000201; HS026506; HS028127.
Citation: Richards AR, Linder JA .
Behavioral economics and ambulatory antibiotic stewardship: a narrative review.
Clin Ther 2021 Oct;43(10):1654-67. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2021.08.004..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Practice Patterns, Respiratory Conditions
Zachrison KS, Sharma R, Wang Y
National trends in telestroke utilization in a US commercial platform prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this study, the objective was to describe characteristics of telestroke consultations among a national sample of telestroke sites on one of the most commonly used common vendor platforms, prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The investigators concluded that among spoke sites using a commercial telestroke platform over a seven-year time horizon, times to consult start and alteplase bolus decreased over time. Similar to academic networks, duration of telestroke participation in this commercial network was associated with faster alteplase delivery, suggesting practice improves performance.
AHRQ-funded; HS024561.
Citation: Zachrison KS, Sharma R, Wang Y .
National trends in telestroke utilization in a US commercial platform prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2021 Oct;30(10):106035. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.106035..
Keywords: COVID-19, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Stroke, Cardiovascular Conditions, Practice Patterns
Everhart A, Desai NR, Dowd B
Physician variation in the de-adoption of ineffective statin and fibrate therapy.
The objective of this study was to describe physicians' variation in de-adopting concurrent statin and fibrate therapy for type 2 diabetic patients following a reversal in clinical evidence. Researchers modeled fibrate use among Medicare Advantage and commercially insured type 2 diabetic statin users before and after the publication of the ACCORD lipid trial. Findings showed that, on average, physicians decreased fibrate prescribing following the trial; however, many physicians increased prescribing following the trial. Observable physician characteristics did not explain variations in prescribing.
AHRQ-funded; HS025164; HS000036.
Citation: Everhart A, Desai NR, Dowd B .
Physician variation in the de-adoption of ineffective statin and fibrate therapy.
Health Serv Res 2021 Oct;56(5):919-31. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13630..
Keywords: Diabetes, Medication, Practice Patterns, Chronic Conditions
Renny MH, Yin HS, Jent V
Temporal trends in opioid prescribing practices in children, adolescents, and younger adults in the US from 2006 to 2018.
Prescription opioids are involved in more than half of opioid overdoses among younger persons. Understanding opioid prescribing practices is essential for developing appropriate interventions for this population. The objective of this study was to examine temporal trends in opioid prescribing practices in children, adolescents, and younger adults in the US from 2006 to 2018.
AHRQ-funded; HS026120.
Citation: Renny MH, Yin HS, Jent V .
Temporal trends in opioid prescribing practices in children, adolescents, and younger adults in the US from 2006 to 2018.
JAMA Pediatr 2021 Oct;175(10):1043-52. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.1832..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Young Adults, Opioids, Practice Patterns, Medication
Smulowitz PB, O'Malley AJ, McWilliams JM
Variation in rates of hospital admission from the emergency department among Medicare patients at the regional, hospital, and physician levels.
Rates of admission from the emergency department (ED) vary widely across regions of the country, hospitals within regions, and physicians within hospitals. The study objective was to determine the extent to which variation in admission decisions was described by differences in admission rates at these 3 levels. The investigators concluded that within-area variation, both across hospitals within a region and across physicians within a hospital, was a more substantial component of observed variation in admission rates from the ED than regional level variation.
AHRQ-funded; HS025408.
Citation: Smulowitz PB, O'Malley AJ, McWilliams JM .
Variation in rates of hospital admission from the emergency department among Medicare patients at the regional, hospital, and physician levels.
Ann Emerg Med 2021 Oct;78(4):474-83. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2021.03.020..
Keywords: Medicare, Hospitalization, Emergency Department, Practice Patterns
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
Khidir H, McWilliams JM, O'Malley AJ
Analysis of consistency in emergency department physician variation in propensity for admission across patient sociodemographic groups.
The authors estimated the consistency of ED physician admission propensities across categories of patient sex, race and ethnicity, and Medicaid enrollment. They found that, although overall rates of admission differ systematically by patient sociodemographic factors, an individual physician's propensity to admit relative to other physicians appears to be applied consistently across sociodemographic groups of patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS025408.
Citation: Khidir H, McWilliams JM, O'Malley AJ .
Analysis of consistency in emergency department physician variation in propensity for admission across patient sociodemographic groups.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Sep;4(9):e2125193. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.25193..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Practice Patterns
Heins SE, Castillo RC
Changes in opioid prescribing following the implementation of state policies limiting morphine equivalent daily dose in a commercially insured population.
The study’s objective was to evaluate the impact of state-level morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) policies on opioid prescribing among the privately insured using claims data from 9 policy states and 2 control states and a comparative interrupted time series design. Findings showed that MEDD policies were associated with decreased use of any opioids relative to control states, but with no change in high-dose prescribing. Recommendations included further research to understand the mechanisms through which MEDD policies may influence prescribing behavior.
AHRQ-funded; HS025557.
Citation: Heins SE, Castillo RC .
Changes in opioid prescribing following the implementation of state policies limiting morphine equivalent daily dose in a commercially insured population.
Med Care 2021 Sep;59(9):801-07. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001587..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Policy, Practice Patterns
Patel E, Kandrack R
Differences in the number of services provided by nurse practitioners and physicians during primary care visits.
Due to differential training, nurse practitioners (NPs) and physicians may provide different quantities of services to patients. The purpose of this study was to assess differences in the number of laboratory, imagining, and procedural services provided by primary care NPs and physicians. The investigators found that NPs provided fewer laboratory and imaging services than physicians during primary care visits.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Patel E, Kandrack R .
Differences in the number of services provided by nurse practitioners and physicians during primary care visits.
Nurs Outlook 2021 Sep-Oct;69(5):886-91. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2021.04.003..
Keywords: Primary Care, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider: Nurse