National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Search All Research Studies
Topics
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
- Care Coordination (2)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Communication (1)
- Elderly (1)
- Emergency Department (1)
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- Hospital Discharge (4)
- (-) Hospitals (10)
- Long-Term Care (1)
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- Surgery (1)
- (-) Transitions of Care (10)
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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 10 of 10 Research Studies DisplayedBourgoin A, Balaban R, Hochman M
AHRQ Author: Perfetto D, Hogan EM
Improving quality and safety for patients after hospital discharge: primary care as the lead integrator in postdischarge care transitions.
The purpose of this study was to explain primary care-based transition workflow processes for hospitalized patients. The researchers conducted interviews with primary care thought leaders, staff at 9 primary care sites, community agency staff, and recently discharged patients. The researchers found that primary care postdischarge workflows vary across the different settings, rarely include communications with the patient or the inpatient team during the hospitalization and vary widely across settings. The researchers recommended the use of principles for primary care practices to encourage active participation in the full spectrum of postdischarge care, from admission through the first postdischarge visit to primary care.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500019I/HHSP23337002T.
Citation: Bourgoin A, Balaban R, Hochman M .
Improving quality and safety for patients after hospital discharge: primary care as the lead integrator in postdischarge care transitions.
J Ambul Care Manage 2022 Oct-Dec;45(4):310-20. doi: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000433..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Hospitals, Workflow
Sather J, Littauer R, Finn E
A multimodal intervention to improve the quality and safety of interhospital care transitions for nontraumatic intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Regionalization of care has increased interhospital transfers (IHTs) of nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) to specialized centers yet exposes patients to the latent risks inherent to IHT. In this study, the researchers examined how a multimodal quality improvement intervention affected quality and safety measures for patients with ICH or SAH exposed to IHT.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Sather J, Littauer R, Finn E .
A multimodal intervention to improve the quality and safety of interhospital care transitions for nontraumatic intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2021 Feb;47(2):99-106. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2020.10.003..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Hospitals, Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Coordination
Ingraham A, Reinke CE
Optimizing safety for surgical patients undergoing interhospital transfer.
This article discusses the need for standardization and improvement of the interhospital transfer process. The authors advocate studying and adapting quality improvement efforts directed at other transitions of care so that care will improve for surgical patients transferred between acute care institutions.
AHRQ-funded; HS025224.
Citation: Ingraham A, Reinke CE .
Optimizing safety for surgical patients undergoing interhospital transfer.
Surg Clin North Am 2021 Feb;101(1):57-69. doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2020.09.002..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Surgery, Transitions of Care, Hospitals, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Zhu W, Patterson BW, Smith M
A Markov chain model for transient analysis of handoff process in emergency departments.
Transfer of care between multiple units or facilities is of significant importance for patient safety, care quality, and operation efficiency. Such transfers are often referred to as handoffs in hospitals, which need to be carried out timely, safely, and smoothly with accurate information. This paper introduced a Markov chain model to study the transients of handoff process in hospital emergency departments.
AHRQ-funded; HS026624.
Citation: Zhu W, Patterson BW, Smith M .
A Markov chain model for transient analysis of handoff process in emergency departments.
IEEE Robot Autom Lett 2020 Jul;5(3):4360-67. doi: 10.1109/lra.2020.2996066..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Hospitals, Transitions of Care, Healthcare Delivery, Patient Safety
Arbaje AI, Werner NE, Kasda EM
Learning from lawsuits: using malpractice claims data to develop care transitions planning tools.
This study used malpractice claims data to evaluate safety risks during care transitions from hospital to home and to help develop care transitions planning tools and pilot test them. The authors analyzed closed malpractice claims for 230 adult patients discharged from 4 hospital sites. Two structured focus groups were also conducted for stakeholders to review concerns. This led to the development of two care transitions planning tools – one for patients/caregivers and one for healthcare providers. Feasibility on 53 patient discharges were tested for both tools. A total of 33 risk factors corresponding to hospital work system elements, care transitions processes, and care outcomes were found using qualitative analysis. Providers found the tool easy to use and patients felt the length and response of the tool was acceptable.
AHRQ-funded; HS022916; HS019519.
Citation: Arbaje AI, Werner NE, Kasda EM .
Learning from lawsuits: using malpractice claims data to develop care transitions planning tools.
J Patient Saf 2020 Mar;16(1):52-57. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000238.
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Keywords: Medical Liability, Transitions of Care, Risk, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Patient Safety
Mueller S, Zheng J, Orav EJ
Inter-hospital transfer and patient outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.
Inter-hospital transfer (IHT, the transfer of patients between hospitals) occurs regularly and exposes patients to risks of discontinuity of care, though outcomes of transferred patients remains largely understudied. The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the association between IHT and healthcare utilisation and clinical outcomes. The investigators concluded that IHT was associated with higher costs, longer LOS and lower odds of discharge home, but was differentially associated with odds of early death and 30 -day mortality depending on patients' disease category.
AHRQ-funded; HS023331.
Citation: Mueller S, Zheng J, Orav EJ .
Inter-hospital transfer and patient outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.
BMJ Qual Saf 2019 Nov;28(11):e1. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2018-008087..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Hospitals, Patient Safety, Elderly, Outcomes, Chronic Conditions, Mortality, Medicare
Campbell Britton M, Hodshon B, Chaudhry SI
Implementing a warm handoff between hospital and skilled nursing facility clinicians.
This study focused on increasing better communication during transfers from hospitals and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Warm handoffs between hospital and SNF physicians was implemented. Participation in warm handoffs gradually increased – starting at 15.78% in stage 1 and increasing to 46.89% in stage 3. A total of 2417 patient discharges were included in this study.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Campbell Britton M, Hodshon B, Chaudhry SI .
Implementing a warm handoff between hospital and skilled nursing facility clinicians.
J Patient Saf 2019 Sep;15(3):198-204. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000529..
Keywords: Communication, Patient Safety, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Care Coordination, Hospitals, Nursing Homes
Mueller SK, Schnipper JL
Physician perspectives on interhospital transfers.
This study examined physician perspectives of the common problems that occur during acute care hospital interhospital transfers. The process tends to be nonstandardized which creates a number of issues. These issues include: patients sometimes, frequently, or always arriving without required specialized care (56% of the time), arriving with unrealistic expectations of care (77.2% of responses), arrived more than 24 hours after accepted transfer in 80.1% of responses, and arrived without necessary transfer records 86.9% of the time. The last issue and also time of day of arrival many physicians felt posed a risk to the transferred patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS023331.
Citation: Mueller SK, Schnipper JL .
Physician perspectives on interhospital transfers.
J Patient Saf 2019 Jun;15(2):86-89. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000312..
Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Hospitals, Patient Safety, Provider, Provider: Physician, Transitions of Care
Rosenberg A, Campbell Britton
A taxonomy and cultural analysis of intra-hospital patient transfers.
Existing research on intra-hospital patient transitions focuses chiefly on handoffs, or exchanges of information, between clinicians. Less is known about patient transfers within hospitals, which include but extend beyond the exchange of information. Using participant observations and interviews at a 1,541-bed, academic, tertiary medical center, the investigators explored the ways in which staff define and understand patient transfers between units.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Rosenberg A, Campbell Britton .
A taxonomy and cultural analysis of intra-hospital patient transfers.
Res Nurs Health 2018 Aug;41(4):378-88. doi: 10.1002/nur.21875..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Patient Safety, Hospitals
Kerstenetzky L, Birschbach MJ, Beach KF
Improving medication information transfer between hospitals, skilled-nursing facilities, and long-term-care pharmacies for hospital discharge transitions of care: a targeted needs assessment using the Intervention Mapping framework.
The authors of this study report on the development of a logic model that will be used to explore methods for minimizing patient care medication delays and errors while further improving handoff communication to skilled nurse facilities and long term care pharmacy staff.
AHRQ-funded; HS021984.
Citation: Kerstenetzky L, Birschbach MJ, Beach KF .
Improving medication information transfer between hospitals, skilled-nursing facilities, and long-term-care pharmacies for hospital discharge transitions of care: a targeted needs assessment using the Intervention Mapping framework.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2018 Feb;14(2):138-45. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2016.12.013..
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Long-Term Care, Medical Errors, Medication, Medication: Safety, Nursing Homes, Patient Safety, Transitions of Care