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
AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Access to Care (61)
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (2)
- Adverse Events (8)
- Alcohol Use (4)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (5)
- Antibiotics (3)
- Antimicrobial Stewardship (2)
- Anxiety (3)
- Arthritis (8)
- Asthma (8)
- Autism (2)
- Back Health and Pain (2)
- Behavioral Health (56)
- Blood Pressure (17)
- Blood Thinners (2)
- Brain Injury (3)
- Breast Feeding (6)
- Cancer (57)
- Cancer: Breast Cancer (28)
- Cancer: Cervical Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Colorectal Cancer (9)
- Cancer: Lung Cancer (8)
- Cancer: Ovarian Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Prostate Cancer (8)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (41)
- Care Coordination (3)
- Caregiving (15)
- Care Management (5)
- Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (2)
- Children/Adolescents (79)
- Chronic Conditions (40)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (2)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (23)
- Colonoscopy (1)
- Communication (19)
- Community-Acquired Infections (1)
- Community-Based Practice (20)
- Community Partnerships (1)
- Comparative Effectiveness (10)
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (3)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (8)
- COVID-19 (27)
- Critical Care (5)
- Cultural Competence (35)
- Data (10)
- Dementia (8)
- Dental and Oral Health (4)
- Depression (28)
- Diabetes (50)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (15)
- Dialysis (2)
- Digestive Disease and Health (8)
- Disabilities (4)
- Disparities (269)
- Domestic Violence (4)
- Ear Infections (2)
- Education: Academic (2)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (2)
- Education: Curriculum (5)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (32)
- Elderly (62)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (18)
- Emergency Department (12)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (4)
- Evidence-Based Practice (14)
- Eye Disease and Health (2)
- Family Health and History (8)
- Genetics (8)
- Guidelines (3)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (3)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (30)
- Healthcare Costs (13)
- Healthcare Delivery (19)
- Healthcare Utilization (20)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (39)
- Health Insurance (26)
- Health Literacy (16)
- Health Promotion (14)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (13)
- Health Status (23)
- Health Systems (2)
- Heart Disease and Health (22)
- Hepatitis (2)
- Home Healthcare (8)
- Hospital Discharge (7)
- Hospitalization (31)
- Hospital Readmissions (12)
- Hospitals (13)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (40)
- Imaging (7)
- Implementation (5)
- Infectious Diseases (5)
- Injuries and Wounds (6)
- Inpatient Care (2)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (3)
- Kidney Disease and Health (20)
- Labor and Delivery (5)
- Lifestyle Changes (22)
- Long-Term Care (13)
- Low-Income (43)
- Maternal Care (19)
- Medicaid (23)
- Medical Devices (2)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (22)
- Medicare (29)
- Medication (48)
- Medication: Safety (3)
- Men's Health (10)
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (1)
- Mortality (35)
- Neurological Disorders (6)
- Newborns/Infants (11)
- Nursing Homes (13)
- Nutrition (7)
- Obesity (33)
- Obesity: Weight Management (12)
- Opioids (10)
- Orthopedics (3)
- Osteoporosis (3)
- Outcomes (35)
- Pain (9)
- Palliative Care (11)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (17)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (34)
- Patient Adherence/Compliance (24)
- Patient and Family Engagement (5)
- Patient Experience (24)
- Patient Safety (8)
- Patient Self-Management (7)
- Payment (2)
- Policy (18)
- Practice Patterns (8)
- Pregnancy (27)
- Pressure Ulcers (1)
- Prevention (43)
- Primary Care (21)
- Primary Care: Models of Care (4)
- Provider (2)
- Provider: Health Personnel (2)
- Provider: Pharmacist (2)
- Provider: Physician (5)
- Provider Performance (2)
- Public Health (5)
- Public Reporting (1)
- Quality Improvement (11)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (6)
- Quality Measures (4)
- Quality of Care (29)
- Quality of Life (9)
- (-) Racial and Ethnic Minorities (753)
- Registries (6)
- Rehabilitation (1)
- Research Methodologies (7)
- Respiratory Conditions (8)
- Risk (44)
- Rural/Inner-City Residents (2)
- Rural Health (9)
- Screening (35)
- Sepsis (3)
- Sex Factors (20)
- Sexual Health (10)
- Shared Decision Making (26)
- Skin Conditions (5)
- Sleep Problems (7)
- Social Determinants of Health (87)
- Social Stigma (10)
- Stress (9)
- Stroke (21)
- Substance Abuse (15)
- Surgery (36)
- Teams (1)
- Telehealth (12)
- Tobacco Use (6)
- Tobacco Use: Smoking Cessation (2)
- Training (2)
- Transitions of Care (3)
- Transplantation (14)
- Trauma (5)
- Treatments (6)
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (2)
- Uninsured (7)
- Urban Health (26)
- Vaccination (8)
- Vulnerable Populations (30)
- Web-Based (7)
- Women (65)
- Workforce (5)
- Young Adults (9)
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
26 to 50 of 753 Research Studies DisplayedAkintunde T, Howard J, Wilson D
Racial and ethnic disparities in long-term contraception use among the birthing population at an academic hospital in the Southeastern United States.
This paper discusses racial and ethnic disparities in long-term contraception among the birthing population at an academic hospital in the Southeastern US. The authors used data from 5011 patients who delivered at a large academic hospital to determine the effect of race/ethnicity and social vulnerability index (SVI) on the odds of undergoing a long-term contraceptive procedure. SVI substantially affects the odds of long-term contraception for non-Hispanic White women and birthing people. In contrast, Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black women and birthing people have significantly higher odds of undergoing a long-term contraceptive procedure. These disparities may be attributed to factors including healthcare providers, organizational and external policies.
AHRQ-funded; HS027680.
Citation: Akintunde T, Howard J, Wilson D .
Racial and ethnic disparities in long-term contraception use among the birthing population at an academic hospital in the Southeastern United States.
Proc Hum Factors Ergon Soc Annu Meet 2023 Sep; 67(1):609-13. doi: 10.1177/21695067231192873..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Maternal Care, Women
Erickson T, Daftary K, Quan VL
Capturing the diversity of dermatology-what's in a name?
This article discusses the use of the term skin of color (SOC) in dermatology and how certain individuals with less skin pigment may socially consider themselves to be SOC, while the inverse is true. The authors sought to highlight strengths and weaknesses of the current terminology used in SOC dermatology and recommend a more holistic understanding of reported differences, including a framework reflective of upstream socioeconomic, environmental, and historical factors that may be most relevant to reported associations.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Erickson T, Daftary K, Quan VL .
Capturing the diversity of dermatology-what's in a name?
Am J Clin Dermatol 2023 Sep; 24(5):675-80. doi: 10.1007/s40257-023-00800-9..
Keywords: Skin Conditions, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Smith JH, Silverberg JI
Correlation of clinician-reported outcomes with patient-reported outcomes by race and ethnicity in patients with atopic dermatitis.
This study examined the correlation of clinician-reported outcome measures (ClinROMs) with patient-reported outcomes by race and ethnicity in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). A prospective, dermatology practice-based study was conducted with children and adults with AD for patients enrolled January 2014 through September 2019. Electronic surveys were completed by patients or caregivers, including self-identified race and Hispanic ethnicity, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for average itch in the past 7 days, and Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM). Different severity indexes including Ezcema Area and Severity Index (EASI), and objective-SCORing Atopic Dermatitis Index (SCORAD) were used by a dermatologist to perform total body skin assessments. Spear correlations were performed for POEM and NRS-itch versus objective-SCORAD and EASI. Overall, 1987 patients were included in the study (age less than 18 years: 101 [5.08%], age greater or equal to 18 years: 1886 [94.92%]), including 198 (9.96%) Black, 360 (18.12%) Asian, 8 (0.40%) Multiracial/Other, 1313 (66.08%) White, and 108 (5.44%) Hispanic. Black patients had a moderate correlation for POEM with objective-SCORAD and EASI, while NRS average-itch had a weak-moderate correlation. In White patients there were strong correlations for both measures. Patients who were Asian/Pacific Islander had numerically weaker correlations of POEM but strong or very strong correlations of NRS average-itch with objective-SCORAD and EASI compared to White patients while patients with Hispanic ethnicity also showed numerically weaker correlations for POEM with objective-SCORAD and EASI, and weaker correlations of NRS average-itch with EASI.
AHRQ-funded; HS023011.
Citation: Smith JH, Silverberg JI .
Correlation of clinician-reported outcomes with patient-reported outcomes by race and ethnicity in patients with atopic dermatitis.
J Am Acad Dermatol 2023 Sep; 89(3):579-80. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.04.050..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Skin Conditions, Outcomes
Landy R, Gomez I, Caverly TJ
Methods for using race and ethnicity in prediction models for lung cancer screening eligibility.
The purpose of this study was to compare eligibility for lung cancer screening in a representative United States population by refitting the life-years gained from screening-computed tomography (LYFS-CT) model to exclude race and ethnicity versus a counterfactual eligibility method that recalculates life expectancy for racial and ethnic minority individuals utilizing the same covariates but substitutes White race and utilizes the higher predicted life expectancy, preventing historically underserved groups from being penalized. The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2015-2018 included 25,601 individuals aged 50 to 80 years who ever smoked. The study found that removing race and ethnicity from the submodels underestimated lung cancer death risk and all-cause mortality in African American individuals. It also overestimated mortality in Hispanic American and Asian American individuals. As a result, the LYFS-CT NoRace model increased Hispanic American and Asian American eligibility by 108% and 73%, respectively, while decreasing African American eligibility by 39%. Utilizing LYFS-CT with the counterfactual all-cause mortality model better maintained calibration across groups and increased African American eligibility by 13% without decreasing eligibility for Hispanic American and Asian American individuals.
AHRQ-funded; HS026198.
Citation: Landy R, Gomez I, Caverly TJ .
Methods for using race and ethnicity in prediction models for lung cancer screening eligibility.
JAMA Netw Open 2023 Sep; 6(9):e2331155. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.31155..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Cancer: Lung Cancer, Cancer, Screening, Prevention
Kim D, Swaminathan S, Lee Y
Racial and ethnic disparities in excess deaths after COVID-19 vaccine deployment among persons with kidney failure.
COVID-19 resulted in clear racial/ethnic disparities in excess deaths among persons with kidney failure. It is not clear whether or how these disparities changed throughout the pandemic, especially after the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines. The purpose of this study was to examine disparities in excess mortality for the Medicare population with kidney failure from March 2020, through December 2021. The study found that there were 686,719 patients with kidney failure in January 2020. Researchers reported an increase in excess deaths beginning March 1, 2020, with a peak in January 2021. From March 1, 2020, through January 30, 2021, and there were substantial disparities in excess deaths across racial/ethnic groups. The number of excess deaths was 5582, 4303, and 2679 for non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic patients, respectively. The percent excess deaths was 31.9% for Hispanic patients, 27.5% for non-Hispanic Black patients, and 16.4% for non-Hispanic White patients. After the wide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines since the end of January 2021, the lowest percent excess deaths was observed among Hispanic patients, followed by Black patients, and White patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS028285.
Citation: Kim D, Swaminathan S, Lee Y .
Racial and ethnic disparities in excess deaths after COVID-19 vaccine deployment among persons with kidney failure.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2023 Sep; 18(9):1207-09. doi: 10.2215/cjn.0000000000000226..
Keywords: COVID-19, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Vaccination, Kidney Disease and Health, Mortality
Karvonen KL, Anunwah E, Chambers Butcher BD
Structural racism operationalized via adverse social events in a single-center neonatal intensive care unit.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to assess structural racism in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by establishing whether variations in adverse social events occur by racialized groups. The study included 3,290 infants hospitalized in a single center NICU in the Racial and Ethnic Justice in Outcomes in Neonatal Intensive Care (REJOICE) study, and researchers included demographics and adverse social events including infant urine toxicology screening, child protective services (CPS) referrals, behavioral contracts, and security emergency response calls were collected from electronic medical records. The study found that 6.2% of families experienced an adverse social event. Black families had a greater likelihood of having experienced a CPS referral and a urine toxicology screen. American Indian and Alaskan Native families also had a greater likelihood of experiencing CPS referrals and urine toxicology screens. Black families had a greater likelihood of experiencing behavioral contracts and security emergency response calls. Latinx families had a similar risk of adverse events, and Asian families were less likely to experience adverse events.
AHRQ-funded; HS028473; HS026383.
Citation: Karvonen KL, Anunwah E, Chambers Butcher BD .
Structural racism operationalized via adverse social events in a single-center neonatal intensive care unit.
J Pediatr 2023 Sep; 260:113499. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.113499..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Newborns/Infants, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care
Cheng TL, Mistry KB
AHRQ Author: Mistry KB
Clarity on disparity: who, what, when, where, why, and how.
This purpose of this article was to explain a comprehensive framework of health disparities descriptors that can offer a systematic approach to advance the understanding of causes of health disparities and facilitate action steps to ensure health equity.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Cheng TL, Mistry KB .
Clarity on disparity: who, what, when, where, why, and how.
Pediatr Clin North Am 2023 Aug; 70(4):639-50. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2023.03.003..
Keywords: Disparities, Social Determinants of Health, Newborns/Infants, Mortality, Health Status, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Access to Care
Krishnan JA, Margellos-Anast H, Kumar R
Coordinated Health Care Interventions for Childhood Asthma Gaps in Outcomes (CHICAGO) plan.
The purpose of this clinical trial was to compare an emergency-department- (ED) only intervention and home visits by community health workers for 6 months (ED-plus-home) and enhanced usual care (UC). The study enrolled children aged 5 to 11 years with uncontrolled asthma. The primary outcomes were change over 6 months in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Asthma Impact Scale score in children and Satisfaction with Participation in Social Roles score in caregivers. The secondary outcomes included guideline-recommended ED discharge care and self-management. The study found that of the 373 children recruited, only 63% completed the 6-month follow-up visit. Differences in Asthma Impact Scores or caregivers' Satisfaction with Participation in Social Roles scores were not significant. However, in the intervention groups guideline-recommended ED discharge care improved significantly versus in the UC group, and self-management behaviors were significantly improved in the ED-plus-home group versus in the ED-only and UC groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS027804.
Citation: Krishnan JA, Margellos-Anast H, Kumar R .
Coordinated Health Care Interventions for Childhood Asthma Gaps in Outcomes (CHICAGO) plan.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Glob 2023 Aug; 2(3). doi: 10.1016/j.jacig.2023.100100..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Asthma, Respiratory Conditions, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Emergency Department, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Ramirez M, De Anda S, Jin H
Health information-seeking behavior of Latino caregivers of people living with dementia: a mixed-methods study.
This study examined the health information-seeking behavior of Latino caregivers of people living with dementia. This mixed-methods study used a structured survey and semi-structured interviews with 21 Latino caregivers in Los Angeles, California. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with six healthcare and social service providers. The results showed that caregivers sought information on what changes to expect as dementia progresses to be better prepared. The most common action they used was to search the Internet. However, those who did were concerned about the quality of information.
AHRQ-funded; HS00046,HS026369.
Citation: Ramirez M, De Anda S, Jin H .
Health information-seeking behavior of Latino caregivers of people living with dementia: a mixed-methods study.
J Appl Gerontol 2023 Aug; 42(8):1738-48. doi: 10.1177/07334648231163430..
Keywords: Caregiving, Dementia, Neurological Disorders, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Hua Y, Temkin-Greener H, Cai S
Primary care telemedicine use among assisted living residents with dementia during COVID-19: race and dual enrollment status.
The purpose of this study was to explore primary care telemedicine use among Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) who resided in Assisted Living Facilities (Als) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on possible racial and socioeconomic differences. The study found that at the start of the pandemic in quarter 2 of 2020, Black residents were less likely to have telemedicine visits than their White counterparts. In the following two quarters, Black residents were more likely to receive primary care via telemedicine than White residents; a similar difference was observed between Hispanic and White residents, but with smaller effect sizes. Compared with nondual residents, dual residents were more likely to receive primary care via telemedicine in Q3. In addition, residents in AL communities with a higher proportion of dual residents, compared with those in low-dual ALs, were less likely to receive primary care via telemedicine throughout the study period. However, the difference in telemedicine use between higher vs lower dual ALs narrowed over time.
AHRQ-funded; HS026893.
Citation: Hua Y, Temkin-Greener H, Cai S .
Primary care telemedicine use among assisted living residents with dementia during COVID-19: race and dual enrollment status.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2023 Aug; 24(8):1157-58.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2023.05.005..
Keywords: COVID-19, Primary Care, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Dementia, Neurological Disorders, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Elderly
Campbell JI, Shanahan KH, Bartick M
Racial and ethnic differences in length of stay for US Children hospitalized for acute osteomyelitis.
The objective of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between race/ethnicity and length of stay (LOS) for US children with acute osteomyelitis. Data was taken from the Kids' Inpatient Database. The median LOS was 5 days, but the findings indicated that Black, Hispanic, and other non-White race/ethnicity children with acute osteomyelitis experienced longer LOS than White children. The researchers concluded that elucidation of the mechanisms underlying these race- and ethnicity-based differences, including social drivers, may improve management and outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS000063.
Citation: Campbell JI, Shanahan KH, Bartick M .
Racial and ethnic differences in length of stay for US Children hospitalized for acute osteomyelitis.
J Pediatr 2023 Aug; 259:113424. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.113424..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Hospitalization
Wang M, Wadhwani SI, Cullaro G
Racial and ethnic disparities among patients hospitalized for acute cholangitis in the United States.
Researchers used HCUP NIS data to analyze hospitalizations from 2009-18 to determine whether race/ethnicity is associated with hospitalization outcomes among patients admitted with acute cholangitis. Their analysis included patients aged 18 or older who were hospitalized with an ICD9/10 diagnosis of cholangitis. Results indicated that black patients had higher in-hospital mortality rates, were associated with fewer and delayed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures, and had longer length of stay. The researchers concluded that future studies with more granular social determinants of health data should explore underlying reasons for these disparities to develop interventions aimed at reducing racial disparities in outcomes among patients with acute cholangitis.
AHRQ-funded; HS027369.
Citation: Wang M, Wadhwani SI, Cullaro G .
Racial and ethnic disparities among patients hospitalized for acute cholangitis in the United States.
J Clin Gastroenterol 2023 Aug 1; 57(7):731-36. doi: 10.1097/mcg.0000000000001743..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Bonner SN, Powell CA, Stewart JW
Surgical care for racial and ethnic minorities and interventions to address inequities: a narrative review.
The purpose of this review was to explore effective interventions to reduce inequities and identify gaps in intervention-based research with a goal of increasing awareness of surgeons, surgical trainees, researchers, and policy makers of the evidence-based interventions known to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in surgical care for prioritization of resource allocation and implementation. The researchers reviewed the PubMed database for English-language studies published from January 2012 through June 2022 to evaluate interventions to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in surgical care. A narrative review of literature was conducted identifying interventions that have been related with reduction in racial and ethnic disparities in surgical care. The study found that attaining surgical equity will necessitate implementing evidence-based interventions to improve quality for racial and ethnic minorities, prioritizing funding for intervention-based research, utilizing implementation science and community based-participatory research methods, and principles of learning health systems.
AHRQ-funded; HS026030.
Citation: Bonner SN, Powell CA, Stewart JW .
Surgical care for racial and ethnic minorities and interventions to address inequities: a narrative review.
Ann Surg 2023 Aug 1; 278(2):184-92. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000005858..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Surgery
Martino SC, Haas A, Hays RD
Use of patient experience scales differs by education and Asian race/ethnicity : evidence from a vignette study.
Extreme response tendency (ERT) in survey administration refers to the level to which a survey respondent tends to choose extreme values on a response scale rather than intermediate values. A person with high ERT has a greater likelihood than a person with low ERT to select extremely positive or negative options for responses. ERT is known to be lower among Asian adults and those who attended college, creating implications for response interpretation. The purpose of this study was to explore the combined effect of education and race/ethnicity on reports about patient experience to fully understand the healthcare inequities affecting Asian people. The researchers reanalyzed data from a sample of Asian and White participants who were presented a series of 5 standardized vignettes describing physician–patient encounters with varying levels of physician responsiveness toward a patient describing ongoing headaches. The only difference between vignettes was the physician’s level of responsiveness to patients’ concerns. Respondents answered three questions about the level to which the doctor listened carefully to the patient, showed respect for what the patient had to say, spent enough time with the patient. The study found that respondents provided more favorable evaluations as the physician behavior described became more responsive. Interaction terms indicate that the Asian-White difference changed from positive to negative as the care depicted improved. Asian participants evaluated the vignette depicting the least responsive physician behavior more positively than White participants and the most responsive behavior less positively. Interaction coefficients from education-stratified models revealed that the tendency for Asian participants to give more negative evaluations as care improves was more than twice as strong in the lower than the higher education group. For Vignette 1 (worst care), Asian participants in the lower and higher education groups evaluated the physician’s behavior 16.7 and 4.3 points more favorably than White participants, respectively. For Vignette 5 (best care), Asian participants in the lower and higher education groups evaluated the physician’s behavior 10.1 and 5.0 points less favorably than White participants, respectively.
AHRQ-funded; HS029321.
Citation: Martino SC, Haas A, Hays RD .
Use of patient experience scales differs by education and Asian race/ethnicity : evidence from a vignette study.
J Gen Intern Med 2023 Aug; 38(11):2629-32. doi: 10.1007/s11606-023-08197-1..
Keywords: Patient Experience, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Chen EH, Dessie AS, Druck J
Executive summary of the SAEM 2022 consensus conference to address racism in emergency medicine clinical research, training, and leadership.
This article summarizes the executive summary of the 2022 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) consensus conference, "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Developing a Research Agenda for Addressing Racism in Emergency Medicine”. The conference convened a diverse group of researchers, educators, administrative leaders, and health care providers to help address the impact of racism in three domains in academic emergency medicine: clinical research, education and training, and academic leadership. The planning committee identified the three fundamental domains to develop a research agenda and created workgroups who completed a literature search to identify gaps in knowledge domain to generate consensus recommendations for priority research. RESULTS: For clinical research, three research gaps with six questions were identified: remedies for bias and systematic racism (3), biases and heuristics in clinical care (2), and racism in study design (1). For education and training, the workgroup identified three research gaps with seven questions: curriculum and assessment (2), recruitment (1), and learning environment (4). For the academic leadership workgroup, three research gaps with five questions were identified: understanding the current diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) landscape and culture (1), analyzing programs that improve DEI and identifying factors that lead to improved diversity (3), and quantifying the value of professional stewardship activities (1).
AHRQ-funded; HS028770.
Citation: Chen EH, Dessie AS, Druck J .
Executive summary of the SAEM 2022 consensus conference to address racism in emergency medicine clinical research, training, and leadership.
Acad Emerg Med 2023 Jul; 30(7):765-72. doi: 10.1111/acem.14727..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Olfson M, Zuvekas SH, McClellan C
AHRQ Author: Zuvekas SH, McClellan C
Racial-ethnic disparities in outpatient mental health care in the United States.
Using data from the 2018-19 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, researchers compared national rates and patterns of use for outpatient mental health care among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White individuals. Analyses focused on individuals using psychotropic medications, psychotherapy, or both, and receipt of minimally adequate mental health care. The results showed that the rate of outpatient mental health service use was more than twice as high for White individuals, and that Black and Hispanic patients were significantly less likely to receive psychotropic medications; Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to receive psychotherapy. No significant differences were found in patients who received minimally adequate treatment for depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or disruptive behavior disorders. The authors concluded that achieving racial-ethnic equity will require dedicated efforts to promote greater mental health service access for Black and Hispanic persons in need.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Olfson M, Zuvekas SH, McClellan C .
Racial-ethnic disparities in outpatient mental health care in the United States.
Psychiatr Serv 2023 Jul; 74(7):674-83. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20220365..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Behavioral Health, Ambulatory Care and Surgery
Weiner SG, Lo YC, Carroll AD
The incidence and disparities in use of stigmatizing language in clinical notes for patients with substance use disorder.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of stigmatizing language in clinical notes related to patients with substance use disorders and to detect patient- and provider-level differences. Results showed that the majority of patients with substance-related diagnoses had at least one note containing stigmatizing language. There were also several patient characteristic disparities associated with patients who had stigmatizing language in their notes. The author concluded that more clinician interventions about use of stigmatizing language are needed.
AHRQ-funded; HS026753.
Citation: Weiner SG, Lo YC, Carroll AD .
The incidence and disparities in use of stigmatizing language in clinical notes for patients with substance use disorder.
J Addict Med 2023 Jul-Aug; 17(4):424-30. doi: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001145..
Keywords: Disparities, Cultural Competence, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Blebu BE, Liu PY, Harrington M
Implementation of cross-sector partnerships: a description of implementation factors related to addressing social determinants to reduce racial disparities in adverse birth outcomes.
The purpose of this mixed methods design study was to integrate the perspectives of healthcare staff and community-based partner organizations to describe the implementation of a cross-sector partnership developed for the purpose of addressing social and structural determinants in pregnancy. The researchers utilized in-depth interviews and social network analysis to incorporate the perspectives of healthcare clinicians and staff with the views of community-based partner organizations to identify implementation factors related to cross-sector partnerships. The study identified 7 implementation variables related to 3 themes: strengths of a network approach to cross-sector collaboration, relationship-centered care, and barriers and facilitators of cross-sector partnerships. The study results highlighted establishing relationships between healthcare staff, patients, and community-based partner organizations.
AHRQ-funded; HS026407.
Citation: Blebu BE, Liu PY, Harrington M .
Implementation of cross-sector partnerships: a description of implementation factors related to addressing social determinants to reduce racial disparities in adverse birth outcomes.
Front Public Health 2023 Jun 16; 11:1106740. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1106740..
Keywords: Social Determinants of Health, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Maternal Care, Women, Implementation
Jain A, Brooks JR, Alford CC
AHRQ Author: Jain A, Alford CC, Chang CS, Mueller NM, Umscheid CA, Bierman AS
Awareness of racial and ethnic bias and potential solutions to address bias with use of health care algorithms.
This AHRQ-authored study examined the increased use of health care algorithms in health decision tools, and whether including a patient's race or ethnicity among their inputs can lead clinicians and decision-makers to make choices that vary by race and potentially affect inequities. This qualitative survey included 42 organization representatives (e.g., clinical professional societies, universities, government agencies, payers, and health technology organizations) and individuals. The respondents identified 18 algorithms currently in use with the potential for bias. Seven qualitative themes with 31 subthemes were identified including: (1) algorithms are in widespread use and have significant repercussions, (2) bias can result from algorithms whether or not they explicitly include race, (3) clinicians and patients are often unaware of the use of algorithms and potential for bias, (4) race is a social construct used as a proxy for clinical variables, (5) there is a lack of standardization in how race and social determinants of health are collected and defined, (6) bias can be introduced at all stages of algorithm development, and (7) algorithms should be discussed as part of shared decision-making between the patient and clinician.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Jain A, Brooks JR, Alford CC .
Awareness of racial and ethnic bias and potential solutions to address bias with use of health care algorithms.
JAMA Health Forum 2023 Jun 2; 4(6):e231197. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.1197..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Healthcare Delivery, Evidence-Based Practice
Griesemer I, Birken SA, Rini C
Mechanisms to enhance racial equity in health care: developing a model to facilitate translation of the ACCURE intervention.
The purpose of this study was to explore the Accountability for Cancer Care through Undoing Racism and Equity (ACCURE) program, which altered systems of care at two United States cancer centers and eliminated the Black-White racial disparity in treatment completion in patients with early-stage breast and lung cancer. The study objective was to identify and document critical characteristics of ACCURE to enable translation of the intervention to other care settings. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 participants who were involved in the design and implementation of ACCURE. The study found that participants described transparency and accountability as mechanisms of change that were operationalized through ACCURE's key features. Intervention features were designed to improve either institutional transparency or accountability of the care system to community values and patient needs for minimally biased, tailored communication, and support.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Griesemer I, Birken SA, Rini C .
Mechanisms to enhance racial equity in health care: developing a model to facilitate translation of the ACCURE intervention.
SSM Qual Res Health 2023 Jun; 3:100204. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100204..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Feyman Y, Avila CJ, Auty S
Racial and ethnic disparities in excess mortality among U.S. veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study examined whether minority veterans experienced higher rates of all-cause mortality than White veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors used administrative data from the Veterans Health Administration’s Corporate Data Warehouse. Veterans were excluded in the analysis if they were missing county of residence or race-ethnicity data. Overall, veteran mortality rates were 16% above normal during March-December 2020 which equates to 42,348 excess deaths. Non-Hispanic White veterans experienced the smallest relative increase in mortality (17%), while Native American veterans had the highest increase (40%). Black Veterans (32%) and Hispanic Veterans (26%) had somewhat lower excess mortality, although these changes were significantly higher compared to White veterans. Disparities were smaller compared to the general population.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Feyman Y, Avila CJ, Auty S .
Racial and ethnic disparities in excess mortality among U.S. veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Serv Res 2023 Jun; 58(3):642-53. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14112..
Keywords: COVID-19, Mortality, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities
Roberts ET, Kwon Y, Hames AG
Racial and ethnic disparities in health care use and access associated with loss of Medicaid supplemental insurance eligibility above the federal poverty level.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether exceeding the income threshold for Medicaid, which causes a sudden loss of Medicaid eligibility, is related with higher racial and ethnic disparities in access to and use of care. The researchers evaluated Medicare beneficiaries with incomes 0% to 200% of FPL from the 2008 to 2018 biennial waves of the Health and Retirement Study linked to Medicare administrative data. To identify racial and ethnic disparities related with the loss of Medicaid eligibility, the researchers compared discontinuities in outcomes among Black and Hispanic beneficiaries and White beneficiaries. Analyses were conducted between January 1, 2022, and October 1, 2022. The primary outcomes were patient-reported challenges accessing care due to cost and outpatient service use, medication fills, and hospitalizations measured from Medicare administrative data. The study included 8,144 participants representing 151,282, 957 weighted person-years in the community-dwelling population of Medicare beneficiaries aged 50 years and older and incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Study findings indicate that exceeding the Medicaid eligibility threshold was related with a 43.8 percentage point (pp) lower probability of Medicaid enrollment among Black and Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries and a 31.0 pp lower probability of Medicaid enrollment among White beneficiaries. Among Black and Hispanic beneficiaries, exceeding the threshold was associated with increased cost-related barriers to care, lower outpatient use, and fewer medication fills, but it was not associated with a statistically significant discontinuity in hospitalizations. Discontinuities in these outcomes were smaller or nonsignificant among White beneficiaries. Consequently, exceeding the threshold was associated with widened disparities, including greater reductions in outpatient service use and medication fills among Black and Hispanic vs White beneficiaries.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: Roberts ET, Kwon Y, Hames AG .
Racial and ethnic disparities in health care use and access associated with loss of Medicaid supplemental insurance eligibility above the federal poverty level.
JAMA Intern Med 2023 Jun; 183(6):534-43. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.0512..
Keywords: Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medicaid, Access to Care, Health Insurance, Low-Income, Access to Care
Khor S, Heagerty PJ, Basu A
Racial disparities in the ascertainment of cancer recurrence in electronic health records.
This study examined whether the accuracy of a proxy for colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence differed by race/ethnicity and the possible mechanisms that drove the differences. Using data from a large integrated health care system, the authors identified a stratified random sample of 282 Black/African American (AA), Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients with CRC who received primary treatment. The recurrence proxy was found to have excellent overall accuracy (positive predictive value [PPV] 89.4%; negative predictive value 96.5%; mean difference in timing 1.96 months); however, accuracy varied by race/ethnicity. Compared with NHW patients, PPV was 14.9% lower among Hispanic patients and 4.3% lower among Black/AA patients. The proxy disproportionately inflated the 5-year recurrence incidence for Hispanic patients by 10.6%. Compared with NHW patients, proxy recurrences for Hispanic patients were almost three times as likely to have been misclassified as positive (adjusted risk ratio 2.91). The authors theorize that higher false positives among racial/ethnic minorities may be related to higher prevalence of noncancerous lung-related problems and substantial delays in primary treatment because of insufficient patient-provider communication and abnormal treatment patterns.
AHRQ-funded; HS013853.
Citation: Khor S, Heagerty PJ, Basu A .
Racial disparities in the ascertainment of cancer recurrence in electronic health records.
JCO Clin Cancer Inform 2023 Jun; 7:e2300004. doi: 10.1200/cci.23.00004..
Keywords: Cancer, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities
Enzinger AC, Ghosh K, Keating NL
Racial and ethnic disparities in opioid access and urine drug screening among older patients with poor-prognosis cancer near the end of life.
This research characterized racial and ethnic disparities and trends in opioid access and urine drug screening (UDS) among older patients dying of cancer, and to explore potential mechanisms. Among 18,549 non-Hispanic White (White), Black, and Hispanic Medicare decedents older than 65 years with poor-prognosis cancers, the authors examined 2007-2019 trends in opioid prescription fills and potency (morphine milligram equivalents [MMEs] per day [MMEDs]) near the end of life (EOL), defined as 30 days before death or hospice enrollment. They found that between 2007 and 2019, White, Black, and Hispanic decedents experienced steady declines in EOL opioid access and rapid expansion of UDS. Compared with White patients, Black and Hispanic patients were less likely to receive any opioid (Black, -4.3 percentage points; Hispanic, -3.6 percentage points) and long-acting opioids (Black, -3.1 percentage points; Hispanic, -2.2 percentage points). They also received lower daily doses (Black, -10.5 MMED; Hispanic, -9.1 MMED) and lower total doses (Black, -210 MMEs; Hispanic, -179 MMEs). Black patients were also more likely to undergo UDS (0.5 percentage points).
AHRQ-funded; HS024072.
Citation: Enzinger AC, Ghosh K, Keating NL .
Racial and ethnic disparities in opioid access and urine drug screening among older patients with poor-prognosis cancer near the end of life.
J Clin Oncol 2023 May 10; 41(14):2511-22. doi: 10.1200/jco.22.01413..
Keywords: Elderly, Opioids, Medication, Cancer, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Access to Care
Laytner L, Chen P, Nash S
Perspectives on non-prescription antibiotic use among Hispanic patients in the Houston Metroplex.
This study examined non-prescription use of antibiotics among Hispanic adults in the Houston area. The study included Hispanic primary care clinic patients with different types of health insurance coverage in the Houston metroplex who endorsed non-prescription use in a previous survey. Semistructured interviews were conducted in English or Spanish with 35 participants primarily female (68.6%) and aged 27 to 66. Participants reported obtaining antibiotics through under-the-counter US markets, trusted persons, and purchased without a prescription abroad. Factors contributing to non-prescription use included beliefs that the doctor visit was unnecessary, limited access to healthcare, and communication difficulties. However, participants expressed confidence in medical recommendations from pharmacists and trusted community members.
AHRQ-funded; HS026901.
Citation: Laytner L, Chen P, Nash S .
Perspectives on non-prescription antibiotic use among Hispanic patients in the Houston Metroplex.
J Am Board Fam Med 2023 May 8; 36(3):390-404. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.220416R1..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Antibiotics, Medication, Antimicrobial Stewardship