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
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
- Adverse Events (3)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- Care Management (1)
- Communication (1)
- Critical Care (1)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (1)
- Guidelines (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
- Healthcare Delivery (1)
- Healthcare Utilization (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospitals (2)
- Implementation (1)
- Injuries and Wounds (1)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (4)
- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
- Labor and Delivery (4)
- Maternal Care (1)
- Medication (2)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Mortality (1)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (4)
- (-) Newborns/Infants (13)
- Nursing (3)
- Outcomes (4)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Patient Safety (5)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Pregnancy (4)
- Prevention (1)
- Provider Performance (1)
- Quality Improvement (7)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (2)
- (-) Quality of Care (13)
- Registries (1)
- Teams (1)
- TeamSTEPPS (1)
- Tools & Toolkits (1)
- Training (1)
- Women (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 13 of 13 Research Studies DisplayedLefrak L, Schaffer KE, Bohnert J
Blood culture procedures and practices in the neonatal intensive care unit: a survey of a large multicenter collaborative in California.
The objective of this Web-based survey was to describe variation in bedside and laboratory-level blood culture practices in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Participants were 28 NICUs in an antimicrobial stewardship quality improvement program in the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative. Results showed that recommended practices for blood culturing were not routinely performed. Most NICUs did not have a procedural competency, did not document sample volume, did not receive a culture contamination report, and/or did not require reporting to the provider if less than 1 mL of blood was drawn. Skin asepsis procedure varied across NICUs.
AHRQ-funded; HS026168.
Citation: Lefrak L, Schaffer KE, Bohnert J .
Blood culture procedures and practices in the neonatal intensive care unit: a survey of a large multicenter collaborative in California.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2023 Oct; 44(10):1576=81. doi: 10.1017/ice.2023.33..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Inpatient Care, Quality of Care
Lake ET, Staiger D, Smith JG
The association of missed nursing care with very low birthweight infant outcomes.
This study examined the association of missed nursing care and health outcomes of very low birthweight (VLBW) infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The authors used 2016 hospital administrative discharge abstracts for VLBW newborns (n = 7,595) and NICU registered nurse survey responses (n = 6,963) from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators. Mortality, morbidity, and length of stay (LOS) was examined in 190 sample hospitals from 19 states in all regions. There was a significant association between higher odds of bloodstream infection and longer LOS, but not mortality or severe intraventricular hemorrhage and missed nursing care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024918.
Citation: Lake ET, Staiger D, Smith JG .
The association of missed nursing care with very low birthweight infant outcomes.
Med Care Res Rev 2023 Jun; 80(3):293-302. doi: 10.1177/10775587221150950..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Quality Indicators (QIs), Nursing, Newborns/Infants, Outcomes, Healthcare Utilization, Quality of Care
Nether KG, Thomas EJ, Khan A
Implementing a robust process improvement program in the neonatal intensive care unit to reduce harm.
This article describes the results of a robust process improvement (RPI) program implemented in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to improve processes and reduce harm. A total of 67 participants completed pretraining and post-training surveys after initiatives for improvements in central line blood stream infection handling, very low birth weight infant nutrition, and unplanned extubations. Training scores (0-10 scale) improved from an average of 4.45-7.60 for confidence in leading process improvement work, 2.36 to 7.49 for RPI knowledge, and 2.19 to 7.30 for confidence in using RPI tools.
AHRQ-funded; HS024459.
Citation: Nether KG, Thomas EJ, Khan A .
Implementing a robust process improvement program in the neonatal intensive care unit to reduce harm.
J Healthc Qual 2022 Jan-Feb;44(1):23-30. doi: 10.1097/jhq.0000000000000310..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Fris E, Sedlock E, Etchegaray J
Development and testing of the Stakeholder Quality Improvement Perspectives Survey (SQuIPS).
The authors created a theory-informed survey that quality improvement (QI) teams can use to understand stakeholder perceptions of an intervention. Through a cross-sectional survey of QI stakeholders, they found that The Stakeholder Quality Improvement Perspectives Survey was feasible for QI teams to use, and it identified stakeholder perspectives about QI interventions that leaders used to alter their QI interventions to potentially increase the likelihood of stakeholder acceptance of the intervention.
AHRQ-funded; HS024459.
Citation: Fris E, Sedlock E, Etchegaray J .
Development and testing of the Stakeholder Quality Improvement Perspectives Survey (SQuIPS).
BMJ Open Qual 2021 Dec;10(4). doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2020-001332..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Patient Safety, Newborns/Infants
Gephart SM, Newnam K, Weiss A
Feasibility and acceptability of a Neonatal Project ECHO (NeoECHO) as a dissemination and implementation strategy to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis.
Investigators examined the feasibility and acceptability of the care tools bundle NeoECHO to disseminate NEC-Zero education and describe the intentions of internal facilitators and clinicians to initiate quality improvement changes. They found that NeoECHO was an acceptable and feasible way to engage under-resourced NICUs and share NEC-Zero evidence and tools. They recommended more research to examine the impact of NeoECHO on care processes and patient outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS022908.
Citation: Gephart SM, Newnam K, Weiss A .
Feasibility and acceptability of a Neonatal Project ECHO (NeoECHO) as a dissemination and implementation strategy to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis.
Worldviews Evid Based Nurs 2021 Dec;18(6):361-70. doi: 10.1111/wvn.12529..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Implementation
Lake ET, Staiger DO, Cramer E
Association of patient acuity and missed nursing care in U.S. neonatal intensive care units.
The health outcomes of infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) may be jeopardized when required nursing care is missed. The authors conducted a correlational study of using 2016 NICU registered nurse survey responses from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators. They found that 36% of nurses missed one or more care activities on their past shift. The most common activities missed involved patient comfort and counseling and parent education. They recommended that nurses' assignments account for patient acuity. NICU nurse staffing and work environments warrant attention to reduce missed care and promote optimal infant and family outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024918.
Citation: Lake ET, Staiger DO, Cramer E .
Association of patient acuity and missed nursing care in U.S. neonatal intensive care units.
Med Care Res Rev 2020 Oct;77(5):451-60. doi: 10.1177/1077558718806743..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Nursing, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality of Care
Hansen JE, Brown DW, Hanke SP
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor prescription for patients with single ventricle physiology enrolled in the NPC-QIC registry.
This study examined trends in the routine use of angiotension-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) during palliation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which is considered controversial. The authors used patients enrolled in the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPC-QIC) registry from 2008 to 2016 who had been prescribed ACEI between stage 1 palliation (stage I Norwood procedure) discharge and stage 2 palliation (stage II superior cavopulmonary anastomosis procedure) admission. ACEI prescriptions declined from 45% in the pre-2010 period to 36.8% from 2011 to 2016. No difference was found in interstage mortality, change in atrioventricular valve regurgitation, or change in ventricular dysfunction between groups. Atrioventricular septal defect, and preoperative mechanical ventilation were associated with increased ACEI prescription.
AHRQ-funded; HS021114.
Citation: Hansen JE, Brown DW, Hanke SP .
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor prescription for patients with single ventricle physiology enrolled in the NPC-QIC registry.
J Am Heart Assoc 2020 May 18;9(10):e014823. doi: 10.1161/jaha.119.014823..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Medication, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Practice Patterns, Registries, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Herrick HM, Lorch S, Hsu JY
Impact of flow disruptions in the delivery room.
The goal of this study was to identify the impact of flow disruptions during neonatal resuscitation and to determine their association with key process and outcome measures. Delivery-room resuscitations of neonates less 32 weeks gestational age were video recorded for observation. Results showed that flow disruptions occurred frequently during neonatal resuscitation and recommendations included measuring flow disruptions as a feasible method to assess the impact of human factors in the delivery room and to identify modifiable factors and practices to improve patient care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023538; HS026491; HS026625; HS023806.
Citation: Herrick HM, Lorch S, Hsu JY .
Impact of flow disruptions in the delivery room.
Resuscitation 2020 May;150:29-35. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2020.02.037.
.
.
Keywords: Workflow, Labor and Delivery, Newborns/Infants, Patient Safety, Healthcare Delivery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Stoops C, Stone S, Evans E
Baby NINJA (Nephrotoxic Injury Negated by Just-in-Time Action): reduction of nephrotoxic medication-associated acute kidney injury in the neonatal intensive care unit.
The purpose of this study was to test if acute kidney injury (AKI) is preventable in patients in the neonatal intensive care unit and if infants at high-risk of nephrotoxic medication-induced AKI can be identified using a systematic surveillance program previously used in the pediatric non-intensive care unit setting. The authors concluded that a systematic surveillance program to identify high-risk infants can prevent nephrotoxic-induced AKI and has the potential to prevent short and long-term consequences of AKI in critically ill infants.
AHRQ-funded; HS023763.
Citation: Stoops C, Stone S, Evans E .
Baby NINJA (Nephrotoxic Injury Negated by Just-in-Time Action): reduction of nephrotoxic medication-associated acute kidney injury in the neonatal intensive care unit.
J Pediatr 2019 Dec;215:223-28.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.08.046..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Kidney Disease and Health, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Prevention, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events
Campbell KH, Illuzzi JL, Lee HC
Optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes and associated hospital characteristics.
The goal of this study was to examine hospital variation in both maternal and neonatal morbidities and to identify institutional characteristics associated with hospital performance in a combined measure of maternal and neonatal outcomes. The authors found that hospitals with low maternal morbidity rates may not have low neonatal morbidity rates and vice versa, highlighting the importance of assessing joint maternal-newborn outcomes in order to fully characterize a hospital's obstetrical performance.
AHRQ-funded; HS023801.
Citation: Campbell KH, Illuzzi JL, Lee HC .
Optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes and associated hospital characteristics.
Birth 2019 Jun;46(2):289-99. doi: 10.1111/birt.12400.
.
.
Keywords: Hospitals, Newborns/Infants, Outcomes, Pregnancy, Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Women
Vanderlaan J, Rochat R, Williams B
Associations between hospital maternal service level and delivery outcomes.
This study explored the associations between delivery hospital self-reported level of maternal service, as defined by the American Hospital Association, and both maternal and neonatal outcomes among women at high maternal risk, as defined by the Obstetric Comorbidity Index. The investigators concluded that for the group of pregnant women in need of maternal transfer, delivery hospital self-reported level of maternal care was not associated with the odds of poor maternal or neonatal outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024655.
Citation: Vanderlaan J, Rochat R, Williams B .
Associations between hospital maternal service level and delivery outcomes.
Womens Health Issues 2019 May - Jun;29(3):252-58. doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2019.02.004..
Keywords: Maternal Care, Labor and Delivery, Pregnancy, Women, Outcomes, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Newborns/Infants, Mortality
McArdle J, Sorensen A, Fowler CI
Strategies to improve management of shoulder dystocia under the AHRQ Safety Program for Perinatal Care.
The purpose of this study using TeamSTEPPS was to assess the implementation of safety strategies to improve management of births complicated by shoulder dystocia in labor and delivery units. Results suggested that successful management of shoulder dystocia requires a rapid, standardized, and coordinated response. The Safety Program for Perinatal Care strategies to increase safety of shoulder dystocia management are scalable, replicable, and adaptable to unit needs and circumstances.
AHRQ-funded; 2902010000241.
Citation: McArdle J, Sorensen A, Fowler CI .
Strategies to improve management of shoulder dystocia under the AHRQ Safety Program for Perinatal Care.
J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 2018 Mar;47(2):191-201. doi: 10.1016/j.jogn.2017.11.014.
.
.
Keywords: Labor and Delivery, Newborns/Infants, Pregnancy, Adverse Events, TeamSTEPPS, Injuries and Wounds, Care Management, Education: Continuing Medical Education, Training, Tools & Toolkits, Patient Safety, Nursing, Communication, Quality of Care
Burstein PD, Zalenski DM, Edwards JL
Changing labor and delivery practice: focus on achieving practice and documentation standardization with the goal of improving neonatal outcomes.
The researchers established a multifactorial shoulder dystocia response and management protocol to promote sustainable practice change. In the first year, there was a threefold increase in shoulder dystocia reporting, which continued in years 2 and 3. In the first year, 96 percent of clinicians completed all training elements. Overall teams reached a 99 percent adoption rate of the shoulder dystocia protocol.
AHRQ-funded; HS019608.
Citation: Burstein PD, Zalenski DM, Edwards JL .
Changing labor and delivery practice: focus on achieving practice and documentation standardization with the goal of improving neonatal outcomes.
Health Serv Res 2016 Dec;51 Suppl 3:2472-86. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12589.
.
.
Keywords: Labor and Delivery, Newborns/Infants, Adverse Events, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Guidelines, Evidence-Based Practice, Pregnancy, Teams