National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 67 Research Studies DisplayedBingham CA, Harris JG, Qui T
Pediatric Rheumatology Care and Outcomes Improvement Network's quality measure set to improve care of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
The objective of this study was to describe the selection, development, and implementation of quality measures for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) by the Pediatric Rheumatology Care and Outcomes Improvement Network (PR-COIN), a multihospital learning health network. Clinicians in PR-COIN and parents of children with JIA collaboratively selected outcome quality measures and a committee of rheumatologists and data analysts developed operational definitions. Initial measures were clinical inactive disease, low pain score, and optimal physical functioning; the revised set included additional measures of disease activity, data quality, and a balancing measure. The authors concluded that PR-COIN's set of JIA quality measures is the first comprehensive set used at the point-of-care for a large cohort of JIA patients in a variety of pediatric rheumatology practice settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS021114.
Citation: Bingham CA, Harris JG, Qui T .
Pediatric Rheumatology Care and Outcomes Improvement Network's quality measure set to improve care of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Arthritis Care Res 2023 Dec; 75(12):2442-52. doi: 10.1002/acr.25168.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Arthritis, Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Evidence-Based Practice
Lindner SR, Balasubramanian B, Marino M
Estimating the cardiovascular disease risk reduction of a quality improvement initiative in primary care: findings from EvidenceNOW.
The purpose of this study was to estimate decreases in 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk associated with EvidenceNOW, an initiative spanning multiple states that sought to improve cardiovascular preventive care by providing supportive interventions such as practice facilitation to address the “ABCS”: (A)spirin for high-risk patients, (B)lood pressure control for hypertensive people, (C)holesterol management, and (S)moking screening and cessation counseling. The researchers conducted an analytic modeling study that combined 1) data from 1,278 EvidenceNOW practices collected from 2015 to 2017; (2) patient-level information of 1,295 individuals who participated in the 2015 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; and (3) 10-year ASCVD risk prediction equations. The study found the average 10-year ASCVD risk of these patients before intervention was 10.11%. Improvements in ABCS due to EvidenceNOW reduced their 10-year ASCVD risk to 10.03% which would prevent 3,169 ASCVD events over 10 years and $150 million in 90-day direct medical costs.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Lindner SR, Balasubramanian B, Marino M .
Estimating the cardiovascular disease risk reduction of a quality improvement initiative in primary care: findings from EvidenceNOW.
J Am Board Fam Med 2023 May 8; 36(3):462-76. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.220331R1..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Blood Pressure
McHugh M, Philbin S, Carroll AJ
An approach to evaluating multisector partnerships to support evidence-based quality improvement in primary care.
This study’s goal was to describe an approach for evaluating the development and effectiveness of a multisector partnership using data from the first year of the Healthy Hearts for Michigan (HH4M) Cooperative, a multisector partnership of nine organizations tasked with designing and implementing evidence-based QI strategies for hypertension management and tobacco cessation in 50 rural primary care practices. A 49-item survey focused on factors that facilitate or hinder multisector partnerships, drawing on implementation science and partnership, engagement, and collaboration research was developed. All 44 members of the HH4M Cooperative (79.5% response rate) were surveyed, interviews conducted with 14 members. Having a clear purpose and trust and respect among members were the strengths reported. A need for common terminology, clarification of roles and functions, and improvement in communication across workgroups were areas for improvement. The Cooperative’s biggest challenge was the lack of engagement from physician practices due to capacity constraints, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
AHRQ-funded; HS027954.
Citation: McHugh M, Philbin S, Carroll AJ .
An approach to evaluating multisector partnerships to support evidence-based quality improvement in primary care.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2023 Apr;49(4):199-206. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2023.01.002.
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Evidence-Based Practice, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Kuzel AJ, Cuellar A, Nichols L
The EvidenceNOW practice support initiative: the Heart of Virginia Healthcare.
The purpose of this study was for The Heart of Virginia Health care (HVH) collaborative (one of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Evidence Now project’s 7 collaboratives) to test different ways to improve performance and outcomes on ABCS clinical quality measures (appropriate Aspirin use, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol control, and Smoking cessation counseling) within small primary care practices. The researchers recruited 264 eligible practices and randomized them to 3 cohorts in a stepped wedge design, with 173, utilizing 16 different EHRs, participated through the entire initiative. Trained coaches delivered the practice support curriculum to improve performance on the ABCS measures. The program included an initial kickoff meeting, 3 months of focused support, 9 months of continued support, and access to online materials and faculty. The intervention phase was shortened due to difficulty in recruiting a sufficient number of practices. The study found that the short HVH intervention had a small but statistically significant positive average effects on appropriate use of aspirin and other anti-thrombotics, small negative effects on blood pressure control, except for those practices which did not attend the kickoff, and small negative effects on smoking cessation counseling. The researchers concluded that the truncation of the intervention contributed to the lack of substantial improvements in the ABCS.
AHRQ-funded; HS023913.
Citation: Kuzel AJ, Cuellar A, Nichols L .
The EvidenceNOW practice support initiative: the Heart of Virginia Healthcare.
J Am Board Fam Med 2022 Oct 18;35(5):979-89. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.05.210021..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Primary Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Healthcare Delivery
Franklin PD, Bond CP, Rothrock NE
Strategies for effective implementation of patient-reported outcome measures in arthroplasty practice.
This study’s goal was to synthesize patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) implementation strategies that are successfully used by hundreds of arthroplasty surgeons and early PROM-adopter clinical systems. The authors developed guidelines to inform clinical care, drive quality-improvement activities, and support reporting for payer-sponsored incentives. They also outlined future research that is needed to define methods for optimal patient engagement, technology infrastructure, and operational systems to seamlessly integrate PROM collection in clinical care.
AHRQ-funded; HS018910.
Citation: Franklin PD, Bond CP, Rothrock NE .
Strategies for effective implementation of patient-reported outcome measures in arthroplasty practice.
J Bone Joint Surg Am 2021 Dec 15;103(24):e97. doi: 10.2106/jbjs.20.02072..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Orthopedics, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Implementation, Outcomes
Cardell CF, Knapp L, Cohen ME
Successful implementation of enhanced recovery in elective colorectal surgery is variable and dependent on the local environment.
This study looked at the results of a national colorectal enhanced recovery program (ERP) to improve patient outcomes. A total of 207 hospitals participated between 2017 and 2020. Quantitative (patient-level process and outcome) and qualitative (survey and structured interviews with hospital teams) data were collected and analyzed. Results shows that 62 hospitals were characterized as High Performance, and 52 as High Improvement. High Performance hospitals were larger with more annual colorectal surgeries. Fewer barriers to staff-buy-in and competing priorities, and more experience with standardized perioperative care were also characteristics of High Performance hospitals. High Improvement hospitals had lower baseline process measure (PM) adherence and less experience with perioperative care but had positive trends in annual patient outcomes such as annual morbidity, readmission, and prolonged length of stay compared to Low Improvement Hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Cardell CF, Knapp L, Cohen ME .
Successful implementation of enhanced recovery in elective colorectal surgery is variable and dependent on the local environment.
Ann Surg 2021 Oct 1;274(4):605-12. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000005069..
Keywords: Surgery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Provider Performance
Berry CA, Nguyen AM, Cuthel AM
Measuring implementation strategy fidelity in HealthyHearts NYC: a complex intervention using practice facilitation in primary care.
This study measured implementation strategy fidelity for the HealthyHearts NYC intervention program, an AHRQ-funded program that uses practice facilitation (PF) to improve adoption of cardiovascular disease evidence-based guidelines in primary care practices. Data from 257 practices measured fidelity using 4 categories: frequency, duration, content, and coverage. Almost all (94.2%) of practices received at least the 13 PF visits with an average 26.3 hours spent at each site by facilitators. Most practices (95.7%) completed all Task List items, and 71.2% were educated on all Chronic Care Models, with the majority (65.8%) receiving full coverage.
AHRQ-funded; HS023922.
Citation: Berry CA, Nguyen AM, Cuthel AM .
Measuring implementation strategy fidelity in HealthyHearts NYC: a complex intervention using practice facilitation in primary care.
Am J Med Qual 2021 Jul-Aug;36(4):270-76. doi: 10.1177/1062860620959450..
Keywords: Implementation, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Practice Improvement, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care: Models of Care
Cohen DJ, Sweeney SM, Miller WL
Improving smoking and blood pressure outcomes: the interplay between operational changes and local context.
This study identified conditions and operational changes linked to improvements in smoking and blood pressure (BP) outcomes in primary care using samples and interviews from a subset of 104 practices participating in EvidenceNOW, a multisite cardiovascular disease prevention initiative. The authors calculated Clinical Quality Measure improvements, with targets of 10-point or greater absolute improvements in the proportion of patients with smoking screening, and if relevant, counseling and the proportion of hypertensive patients with adequately controlled BP. Primary care staff were surveyed and interviewed. In clinician-owned practices, implementing a workflow to routinely screen and counsel patients on smoking cessation resources, or implementing a documentation change or a referral to a resource alone led to an improvement of at least 10 points in the smoking outcome. These improvements did not occur though in health- or hospital system-owned practices or in Federally Qualified Health Centers. BP outcome improved by at least 10 points among solo practices after medical assistants learned how to take an accurate BP. Among larger, clinician-owned practices, BP outcomes improvement took place when staff took a second BP measurement after the first measurement was elevated and when staff learned where to document this information in the electronic health record. For larger and health- and hospital system-owned practices, 50 or more hours of facilitation was needed to improve BP outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Cohen DJ, Sweeney SM, Miller WL .
Improving smoking and blood pressure outcomes: the interplay between operational changes and local context.
Ann Fam Med 2021 May-Jun;19(3):240-48. doi: 10.1370/afm.2668..
Keywords: Blood Pressure, Tobacco Use, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Cardiovascular Conditions, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Prevention, Outcomes
Paul R, Niedner M, Brilli R
Metric development for the multicenter Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes (IPSO) Collaborative.
A 56 US hospital collaborative, Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes (IPSO), has developed variables, metrics and a data analysis plan to track quality improvement (QI)-based patient outcomes over time. Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes expands on previous pediatric sepsis QI efforts by improving electronic data capture and uniformity across sites. This paper describes the metric development for the multicenter IPSO Collaborative.
AHRQ-funded; HS025696.
Citation: Paul R, Niedner M, Brilli R .
Metric development for the multicenter Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes (IPSO) Collaborative.
Pediatrics 2021 May;147(5):e2020017889. doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-017889..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Sepsis, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice
Hu QL, Grant MC, Hornor MA
Technical evidence review for emergency major abdominal operation conducted for the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery.
This technical evidence review focuses on the use of enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs) for emergency major abdominal surgery conducted for the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery (ISCR). This national ERP initiative is funded by AHRQ and implemented in 2017 through a collaboration with American College of Surgeons, and Johns Hopkins Medicine Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality. Five common emergency general surgery (EGS) procedures were focused on: perforated peptic ulcer repair, colectomy, lysis of adhesions, small bowel resection, and exploratory laparotomy. The authors identified seventeen candidate components for emergency major abdominal ERP. The components span the continuum of care from preoperative setting to hospital discharge. For every component they conducted a systematic literature review to find relevant studies. Each component was examined for rationale, evidence, and summary and recommendations. Many were supported by evidence and guidelines specific to their particular operation. Key gaps in literature were highlighted, specifically lack of evidence specific to these operations across many ERP processes.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Hu QL, Grant MC, Hornor MA .
Technical evidence review for emergency major abdominal operation conducted for the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery.
J Am Coll Surg 2020 Dec;231(6):743-64.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2020.08.772..
Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Surgery, Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Fernald DH, Mullen R,, Hall T
Exemplary practices in cardiovascular care: results on clinical quality measures from the EvidenceNOW Southwest Cooperative.
The authors identified practice characteristics associated with high performance on four cardiovascular disease cardiovascular clinical quality measures (CQMs). They found that multiple strategies - registries, prompts and protocols, patient self-management support, and patient-team partnership activities - were associated with delivering high-quality cardiovascular care over time, measured by CQMs.
AHRQ-funded; HS023904.
Citation: Fernald DH, Mullen R,, Hall T .
Exemplary practices in cardiovascular care: results on clinical quality measures from the EvidenceNOW Southwest Cooperative.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Nov;35(11):3197-204. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06094-5..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care
Mangrum R, Stewart MD, Gifford DR
Omissions of care in nursing homes: a uniform definition for research and quality improvement.
The goal of this study was to create a uniform definition of omission of care in US nursing homes. Lack of a uniform definition has made efforts to prevent them challenging. Subject matter experts and a broad range of nursing home stakeholders were brought together in iterative rounds of engagement to identify key concepts and aspects of omissions of care and develop a consensus-based definition. The concise definition decided on was: “Omissions of care in nursing homes encompass situations when care–either clinical or nonclinical–is not provided for a resident and results in additional monitoring or intervention or increases the risk of an undesirable or adverse physical, emotional, or psychosocial outcome for the resident."
AHRQ-funded; 233201500014I.
Citation: Mangrum R, Stewart MD, Gifford DR .
Omissions of care in nursing homes: a uniform definition for research and quality improvement.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2020 Nov;21(11):1587-91.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.08.016..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Risk, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Kaiser SV, Johnson MD, Walls TA
Pathways to improve pediatric asthma care: a multisite, national study of emergency department asthma pathway implementation.
This quality improvement study’s aim was to determine the effects of pediatric asthma pathway implementation in a diverse, national sample of emergency departments (EDs). Desired outcomes included systemic corticosteroid administration within 60 minutes (primary), assessment of severity at ED triage, chest radiograph use, hospital admission or transfer for higher level of care, and ED length of stay. Charts were reviewed each month by EDs for children ages 2-17 years with a primary diagnosis of asthma. A total of 83 EDs were enrolled, with 37 of them children’s hospitals, and 46 community hospitals. Seventy-three percent completed the study (n = 22,963). There was a significant increase in systematic corticosteroid administration within 60 minutes of arrival as well as increased odds of severity assessment at triage and decreased rate of change in odds of hospital admission/transfer. Chest radiograph or ED length of stay was not associated with pathway implementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS024592.
Citation: Kaiser SV, Johnson MD, Walls TA .
Pathways to improve pediatric asthma care: a multisite, national study of emergency department asthma pathway implementation.
J Pediatr 2020 Aug;223:100-07.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.02.080..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Asthma, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Management, Healthcare Delivery, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Outcomes
Persell SD, Liss DT, Walunas TL
Effects of 2 forms of practice facilitation on cardiovascular prevention in primary care: a practice-randomized, comparative effectiveness trial.
Effective quality improvement (QI) strategies are needed for small practices. The objective of this study was to compare practice facilitation implementing point-of-care (POC) QI strategies alone versus facilitation implementing point-of-care plus population management (POC+PM) strategies on preventive cardiovascular care. The investigators concluded that facilitator-led QI promoting population management approaches plus POC improvement strategies was not clearly superior to POC strategies alone.
AHRQ-funded; HS023921.
Citation: Persell SD, Liss DT, Walunas TL .
Effects of 2 forms of practice facilitation on cardiovascular prevention in primary care: a practice-randomized, comparative effectiveness trial.
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Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Prevention, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Comparative Effectiveness, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Management, Healthcare Delivery
Hernandez-Boussard T, Blayney DW, Brooks JD
Leveraging digital data to inform and improve quality cancer care.
Efficient capture of routine clinical care and patient outcomes is needed at a population-level, as is evidence on important treatment-related side effects and their effect on well-being and clinical outcomes. The increasing availability of electronic health records (EHR) offers new opportunities to generate population-level patient-centered evidence on oncologic care that can better guide treatment decisions and patient-valued care. This study discussed how to leverage digital data to inform and improve quality cancer care.
AHRQ-funded; R01 HS024096.
Citation: Hernandez-Boussard T, Blayney DW, Brooks JD .
Leveraging digital data to inform and improve quality cancer care.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020 Apr;29(4):816-22. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.Epi-19-0873..
Keywords: Cancer, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Improvement, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice
Nguyen AM, Cuthel A, Padgett DK
How practice facilitation strategies differ by practice context.
The purpose of this study was to identify contextual factors that drive facilitators' strategies to meet practice improvement goals, and how these strategies are tailored to practice context. This study was conducted as part of a larger study, HealthyHearts New York City, which evaluated the impact of practice facilitation on adoption of cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment guidelines.
AHRQ-funded; HS023922.
Citation: Nguyen AM, Cuthel A, Padgett DK .
How practice facilitation strategies differ by practice context.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Mar;35(3):824-31. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05350-7..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Evidence-Based Practice, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care: Models of Care
Tang AB, Childers CP, Dworsky JQ
Surgeon work captured by the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program across specialties.
The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database is increasingly used for surgical research. However, it is unclear how well this database represents the breadth of work performed by different specialties. Using the 2017 NSQIP participant use file and the 2017 Medicare Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary file, the investigators evaluated (1) what proportion of surgical work was captured by NSQIP, (2) what procedures and disciplines were undersampled, and (3) the overall concordance between the NSQIP sample and a national sample.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Tang AB, Childers CP, Dworsky JQ .
Surgeon work captured by the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program across specialties.
Surgery 2020 Mar;167(3):550-55. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2019.11.013..
Keywords: Surgery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Provider: Physician, Provider, Medicare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Colton K, Richards CT, Pruitt PB
Early stroke recognition and time-based emergency care performance metrics for intracerebral hemorrhage.
This study compared time for early stroke recognition for intracerebral hemorrhage for hospitals with and without stroke teams. An observational cohort study was conducted at an urban comprehensive stroke center from 2009 to 2017 with 204 cases included. Stroke team activation resulted in faster emergency care compared to no activation. This process resulted in shorter onset-to-arrival times, higher NIH Stroke Scale scores, and higher Glasgow Coma Scale scores.
AHRQ-funded; HS023437.
Citation: Colton K, Richards CT, Pruitt PB .
Early stroke recognition and time-based emergency care performance metrics for intracerebral hemorrhage.
J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2020 Feb;29(2):104552. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2019.104552..
Keywords: Stroke, Emergency Department, Provider Performance, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Quality Improvement, Quality Indicators (QIs), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Hospitals
Hu QL, Livhits MJ, Ko CY MJ, Ko CY
Same-day discharge is not associated with increased readmissions or complications after thyroid operations.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether same-day discharge following thyroid surgery resulted in increased rehospitalization. Data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Targeted Thyroidectomy database was used to identify patients who underwent thyroid resections. Results showed that, in a national cohort of patients undergoing thyroid surgery, same-day discharge was not associated with greater rates of readmission or complications when compared with discharge 1 or 2 days after thyroid surgery.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Hu QL, Livhits MJ, Ko CY MJ, Ko CY .
Same-day discharge is not associated with increased readmissions or complications after thyroid operations.
Surgery 2020 Jan;167(1):117-23. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2019.06.054..
Keywords: Surgery, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Hospital Readmissions, Hospital Discharge, Adverse Events, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Liss DT, Peprah YA, Brown T
Using electronic health records to measure quality improvement efforts: findings from a large practice facilitation initiative.
This study described primary care practices' ability to obtain measures with reporting periods aligning with a large quality improvement initiative. Facilitators reported barriers to data collection such as practices lacking optional EHR features, and EHRs' inability to produce reporting periods across two calendar years. The authors conclude that EHR vendors' compliance with federal reporting requirements is not necessarily sufficient to support real-world quality improvement work. They recommended improvements in the flexibility and usability of EHRs' quality measurement functions, particularly for smaller practices.
AHRQ-funded; HS023921.
Citation: Liss DT, Peprah YA, Brown T .
Using electronic health records to measure quality improvement efforts: findings from a large practice facilitation initiative.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2020 Jan;46(1):11-17. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2019.09.006..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Grant MC, Gibbons MM, Ko CY
Evidence review conducted for the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery: focus on anesthesiology for gynecologic surgery.
This paper is an evidence review of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for gynecologic surgery that will be used as part of AHRQ’s Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery. This initiative was developed in partnership with the American College of Surgeons and the Johns Hopkins Medicine Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality. The authors conducted a literature review of the various anesthesia components which may influence outcomes and facilitate recovery after gynecological surgery. They included interventions for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases of care and then summarized the best available evidence for ERAS for gynecological surgery. The best evidence was summarized for recommendations to be used in the initiative.
Citation: Grant MC, Gibbons MM, Ko CY .
Evidence review conducted for the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery: focus on anesthesiology for gynecologic surgery.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Surgery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Women
Keshvani N, Berger K, Gupta A
Improving respiratory rate accuracy in the hospital: a quality improvement initiative.
Researchers initiated a quality improvement (QI) initiative in hospitals to improve respiratory rate measurement accuracy. Time-keeping devices were added to vital sign carts and patient care assistants were retrained on a newly modified workflow that included concomitant respiratory rate (RR) measurement during automated blood pressure measurement. The median RR measurement rate increased postintervention. This intervention was associated with a 7.8% reduced incidence of tachypnea-specific systemic inflammatory response syndrome. This QI initiative was interdisciplinary, low-cost, and low-tech.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Keshvani N, Berger K, Gupta A .
Improving respiratory rate accuracy in the hospital: a quality improvement initiative.
J Hosp Med 2019 Nov 1;14(10):673-77. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3232..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Improvement, Inpatient Care, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Outcomes
White CM, Coleman CI, Jackman K
AHRQ series on improving translation of evidence: linking evidence reports and performance measures to help learning health systems use new information for improvement.
This paper analyzed ways to enhance usability of AHRQ’s Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) reports. The reports are often lengthy and difficult for users to navigate. A quality measure index was created to allow health systems to more efficiently access relevant information. A test was created where two tables were embedded in an EPC report. The first identified quality measures covered by the report descriptively. The second contained page numbers in the executive summary which hyperlinked to those pages with the quality measures. An exercise with two health system-targeted scenarios was then created. The participants were timed how long it took to find answers to scenario questions and gave feedback. It was found that it took 63.4% less time to find quality measure information with the hyperlinked indexing tables than without. The participants felt that the tables were easy to use and more user friendly to health systems.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2019 Oct;45(10):706-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2019.05.002.
Citation: White CM, Coleman CI, Jackman K .
AHRQ series on improving translation of evidence: linking evidence reports and performance measures to help learning health systems use new information for improvement.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2019 Oct;45(10):706-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2019.05.002..
Keywords: Implementation, Evidence-Based Practice, Health Systems, Learning Health Systems, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Provider Performance, Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Rogers ES, Cuthel AM, Berry CA
Clinician perspectives on the benefits of practice facilitation for small primary care practices.
This study examined the effectiveness of practice facilitation to improve cardiovascular disease in 257 small independent primary care practices (SIPs) enrolled in the AHRQ-funded EvidenceNOW initiative called HealthyHearts. These SIPs were enrolled in HealthyHearts NYC in New York City. Interviews were conducted with SIPs with 3 or fewer office staff and their answers were compared with interviews with practices with more than 3 office staff. Three facilitation benefits were found to the most important, including 1. Creating awareness of quality gaps; 2. Connecting practices to information, resources, and strategies, and; 3. Optimizing the HER for QI goals.
AHRQ-funded; HS023922.
Citation: Rogers ES, Cuthel AM, Berry CA .
Clinician perspectives on the benefits of practice facilitation for small primary care practices.
Ann Fam Med 2019 Aug 12;17(Suppl 1):S17-s23. doi: 10.1370/afm.2427..
Keywords: Primary Care, Provider: Clinician, Provider: Physician, Provider, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Knierim KE, Hall TL, Dickinson LM
Primary care practices' ability to report electronic clinical quality measures in the EvidenceNOW Southwest Initiative to Improve Heart Health.
The objective of this study was to determine how quickly primary care practices can report electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) and to identify the practice characteristics associated with faster reporting. Examining the EvidenceNOW Southwest initiative, the researchers’ results showed that the time to report eCQMs varied by measure and practice type, with very few practices reporting quickly. Additional support for practices to succeed in new programs that require eCQM reporting was recommended.
AHRQ-funded; HS023904.
Citation: Knierim KE, Hall TL, Dickinson LM .
Primary care practices' ability to report electronic clinical quality measures in the EvidenceNOW Southwest Initiative to Improve Heart Health.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 Aug 2;2(8):e198569. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.8569..
Keywords: Primary Care, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)