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 5 of 5 Research Studies DisplayedWolf RM, Hall M, Williams DJ
Disparities in pharmacologic restraint for children hospitalized in mental health crisis.
This retrospective cohort study examined associations between pharmacologic restraint use and race and ethnicity among children (aged 5-≤18 years) admitted for mental health conditions to acute care nonpsychiatric children's hospitals. Study period was 2018 to 2022 and was conducted at 41 US children’s hospitals and included a cohort of 61,503 hospitalizations. Compared with non-Hispanic Black children, children of non-Hispanic White (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.81), Asian (aOR, 0.82), or other race and ethnicity (aOR, 0.68) were less likely to receive pharmacologic restraint, with no significant difference with Hispanic children. When stratified by sex, racial/ethnic differences were magnified in males, except for Hispanic males, and not found in females. Sensitivity analysis revealed amplified disparities for all racial/ethnic groups, including Hispanic youth.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Wolf RM, Hall M, Williams DJ .
Disparities in pharmacologic restraint for children hospitalized in mental health crisis.
Pediatrics 2024 Jan; 153(1). doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-061353..
Keywords: Disparities, Children/Adolescents, Behavioral Health, Inpatient Care, Hospitals, Medication
Cutler GJ, Bergmann KR, Doupnik SK
Pediatric mental health emergency department visits and access to Inpatient care: a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The purpose of this study was to explore the author’s previous research findings on trends in pediatric emergency department (ED) visits for mental health (MH) vs non-mental health in light of more recent related data corresponding with the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that recent research supports the dramatic increase in pediatric MH ED visits found in the author’s previous research and provides additional evidence that the increase has been driven by specific MH diagnoses. The researchers conclude that depressive disorders, self-harm behavior, and non-alcohol substance use disorders should be prioritized for the development of ED- and hospital-based strategies, and that EDs, hospitals, health systems, and the government urgently need to increase capacity for MH services and identify innovative solutions to improve access to high quality MH care for children.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Cutler GJ, Bergmann KR, Doupnik SK .
Pediatric mental health emergency department visits and access to Inpatient care: a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Aug;22(6):889-91. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.03.015..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Behavioral Health, Emergency Department, Access to Care, Public Health, Inpatient Care
Connell SK, Burkhart Q, Tolpadi A
Quality of care for youth hospitalized for suicidal ideation and self-harm.
The authors examined performance on quality measures for pediatric inpatient suicidal ideation/self-harm care, and whether performance is associated with reutilization. Subjects were patients aged 5 to 17 years hospitalized for suicidal ideation/self-harm. Their findings revealed disparities and deficits in the quality of care received by youth with suicidal ideation/self-harm. They recommended providing caregivers lethal means restriction counseling prior to discharge in order to help prevent readmission.
AHRQ-funded; HS025291.
Citation: Connell SK, Burkhart Q, Tolpadi A .
Quality of care for youth hospitalized for suicidal ideation and self-harm.
Acad Pediatr 2021 Sep-Oct;21(7):1179-86. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.05.019..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Behavioral Health, Inpatient Care, Quality Measures, Quality of Care
Lifland B, Wright DR, Mangione-Smith R
The impact of an adolescent depressive disorders clinical pathway on healthcare utilization.
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between level of adherence to an adolescent depressive disorders inpatient clinical pathway with psychiatric patients’ length of stay (LOS), cost, and readmissions. Patients in the high-adherence category were found to have significantly longer LOS and higher costs when compared to those in the low-adherence category. The authors conclude that understanding which of the care processes within the pathway are most cost-effective for improving patient-centered outcomes requires further investigation.
AHRQ-funded; HS024299.
Citation: Lifland B, Wright DR, Mangione-Smith R .
The impact of an adolescent depressive disorders clinical pathway on healthcare utilization.
Adm Policy Ment Health 2018 Nov;45(6):979-87. doi: 10.1007/s10488-018-0878-6..
Keywords: Care Management, Children/Adolescents, Depression, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization, Inpatient Care, Behavioral Health, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Parast L, Bardach NS, Burkhart Q
Development of new quality measures for hospital-based care of suicidal youth.
This study researched the value of 4 new quality measures developed to assess hospital-based care for suicidal youth. The four quality measures focused on counseling caregivers about restricting access to lethal means of self-harm, and the benefits and risks of antidepressant medications. They were divided into measures for the emergency department (ED) and inpatient measures. Survey field tests were conducted with caregivers of youth who were admitted to the ED or inpatient care for suicidality at 1 of 2 children’s hospitals between July 2013 and June 2014. Most caregivers did receive counseling about restricting their child’s access to lethal means of self-harm and also reported higher rates of counseling of benefits on antidepressants both in the ED and in the inpatient setting than the risks.
AHRQ-funded; HS020506.
Citation: Parast L, Bardach NS, Burkhart Q .
Development of new quality measures for hospital-based care of suicidal youth.
Acad Pediatr 2018 Apr;18(3):248-55. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2017.09.017..
Keywords: Caregiving, Children/Adolescents, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Education: Patient and Caregiver, Emergency Department, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Inpatient Care, Behavioral Health, Prevention, Quality of Care, Quality Measures