National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- Data Innovations
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
Topics
- Care Coordination (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Communication (1)
- Data (1)
- Elderly (1)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Healthcare Delivery (1)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (1)
- (-) Hospital Discharge (8)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Hospital Readmissions (4)
- (-) Hospitals (8)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Medicare (1)
- Mortality (1)
- Nursing Homes (2)
- Outcomes (2)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Patient Safety (1)
- Provider Performance (1)
- Quality Improvement (4)
- (-) Quality of Care (8)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Registries (1)
- Sepsis (1)
- Transitions of Care (2)
- Workflow (1)
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 8 of 8 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
Mohr NM, Zebrowski AM, Gaieski DF
Inpatient hospital performance is associated with post-discharge sepsis mortality.
The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that hospitals with high risk-adjusted inpatient sepsis mortality also have high post-discharge mortality, readmissions, and discharge to nursing homes. Sepsis hospitalization survivors among age-qualifying Medicare beneficiaries were followed for 180 days post-discharge; mortality, readmissions, and new admission to skilled nursing facilities were measured. Findings showed that hospitals with the highest risk-adjusted sepsis inpatient mortality also had higher post-discharge mortality and increased readmissions, suggesting that post-discharge complications were a modifiable risk that may be affected during inpatient care. Recommendations for future work include seeking to elucidate inpatient and healthcare practices that can reduce sepsis post-discharge complications.
AHRQ-funded; HS023614; HS025753.
Citation: Mohr NM, Zebrowski AM, Gaieski DF .
Inpatient hospital performance is associated with post-discharge sepsis mortality.
Crit Care 2020 Oct 27;24(1):626. doi: 10.1186/s13054-020-03341-3..
Keywords: Sepsis, Mortality, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Inpatient Care, Hospital Readmissions
Campbell Britton M, Petersen-Pickett J, Hodshon B
Mapping the care transition from hospital to skilled nursing facility.
Researchers used process mapping to illustrate the sequence of events involved with hospital discharge and admission to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). These transitions are often associated with breakdowns in communication that may place patients at risk for adverse events. A quality improvement (QI) team worked with frontline staff at an academic medical center and two local SNFs in the northeastern United States. The final process map included care management, medicine, nursing, admissions and physical therapy service staff. The process map showed numerous activities that need to be coordinated between care teams, and highlighted specific opportunities for improving communication between different teams.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Campbell Britton M, Petersen-Pickett J, Hodshon B .
Mapping the care transition from hospital to skilled nursing facility.
J Eval Clin Pract 2020 Jun;26(3):786-90. doi: 10.1111/jep.13238..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Care Coordination, Quality Improvement, Communication, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Quality of Care
Bain AM, Werner RM, Yuan Y
Do hospitals participating in accountable care organizations discharge patients to higher quality nursing homes?
This study examined whether hospitals participating in Medicare's Shared Saving Program increased use of highly rated skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) or decreased the use of low-rated SNFs after initiation of accountable care organization (ACO) contracts, compared with non-ACO hospitals. The findings indicate that, after joining an ACO, the percentage of hospital discharges going to a high-quality SNF increased slightly; the probability of discharge from ACO-participating hospitals to low-quality SNFs did not change significantly in comparison with non-ACO hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS024266.
Citation: Bain AM, Werner RM, Yuan Y .
Do hospitals participating in accountable care organizations discharge patients to higher quality nursing homes?
J Hosp Med 2019 May;14(5):288-89. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3147..
Keywords: Elderly, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Medicare, Nursing Homes, Quality of Care
Sills MR, Macy ML, Kocher KE
Return visit admissions may not indicate quality of emergency department care for children.
The goal of this retrospective analysis was to test the hypothesis that in-hospital outcomes are worse among children admitted during a return ED visit than among those admitted during an index visit. Children who were hospitalized in Florida and New York hospitals during a return visit within 7 days were classified as "ED return admissions" or "readmissions"; in-hospital outcomes for ED return admissions and readmissions were compared to "index admissions without return admission". The results indicate that children who are initially discharged from the ED and then have a return admission had lower severity but similar cost in comparison with children who experienced an index admission without a return admission. The authors conclude that this suggests that ED return visit admissions do not involve worse outcomes than index admissions.
AHRQ-funded; HS024160; HS016418.
Citation: Sills MR, Macy ML, Kocher KE .
Return visit admissions may not indicate quality of emergency department care for children.
Acad Emerg Med 2018 Mar;25(3):283-92. doi: 10.1111/acem.13324..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Outcomes
Ellimoottil C, Syrjamaki JD, Volt JD
Validation of a claims-based algorithm to characterize episodes of care.
The Michigan Value Collaborative (MVC) developed a claims-based algorithm to provide hospitals with data on events that occur to patients beyond the hospitalization. In this article, the investigators discuss the validation of MVC's claims-based algorithm. They indicate that their findings suggest that the MVC claims-based algorithm identifies and classifies claims with high fidelity and outperforms medical records in the identification of postdischarge events.
AHRQ-funded; HS024193.
Citation: Ellimoottil C, Syrjamaki JD, Volt JD .
Validation of a claims-based algorithm to characterize episodes of care.
Am J Manag Care 2017 Nov;23(11):e382-e86..
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Blecker S, Goldfeld K, Park H
Impact of an intervention to improve weekend hospital care at an academic medical center: an observational study.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a weekend hospital intervention on processes of care and clinical outcomes. The multifaceted intervention included expanded weekend diagnostic services, improved weekend discharge processes, and increased physician and care management services on weekends. The intervention was associated with a reduction in length of stay and an increase in weekend discharges.
AHRQ-funded; HS023683.
Citation: Blecker S, Goldfeld K, Park H .
Impact of an intervention to improve weekend hospital care at an academic medical center: an observational study.
J Gen Intern Med 2015 Nov;30(11):1657-64. doi: 10.1007/s11606-015-3330-6.
.
.
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Hospitals, Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions, Healthcare Delivery, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Zingmond DS, Parikh P, Louie R
Improving hospital reporting of patient race and ethnicity--approaches to data auditing.
This study investigated new metrics to improve the reporting of patient race and ethnicity (R/E) by hospitals. It examined agreement between hospital reported R/E versus self-report among mothers delivering babies and a cancer cohort in California. It concluded that comparison between reported R/E and R/E estimates using zip code level data may be a reasonable first approach to evaluate and track hospital R/E reporting.
AHRQ-funded; HS019963.
Citation: Zingmond DS, Parikh P, Louie R .
Improving hospital reporting of patient race and ethnicity--approaches to data auditing.
Health Serv Res 2015 Aug;50 Suppl 1:1372-89. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12324..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Hospitals, Hospital Discharge, Health Services Research (HSR), Registries, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Data