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 (2)
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- (-) Cancer (43)
- Cancer: Lung Cancer (3)
- Cancer: Prostate Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Skin Cancer (2)
- Caregiving (3)
- Care Management (2)
- Case Study (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Chronic Conditions (3)
- Comparative Effectiveness (3)
- Cultural Competence (1)
- Depression (1)
- Disparities (4)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (2)
- Elderly (7)
- Evidence-Based Practice (1)
- Guidelines (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
- Healthcare Costs (6)
- Healthcare Delivery (2)
- Healthcare Utilization (7)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (2)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Hospitals (1)
- Inpatient Care (4)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (1)
- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
- Long-Term Care (1)
- Medicare (4)
- Medication (3)
- Men's Health (1)
- Mortality (1)
- Opioids (1)
- Outcomes (2)
- Pain (3)
- (-) Palliative Care (43)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (2)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (12)
- Practice Patterns (4)
- Provider: Physician (1)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality Measures (1)
- Quality of Care (3)
- Quality of Life (5)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (6)
- Registries (1)
- Respiratory Conditions (1)
- Shared Decision Making (3)
- Social Determinants of Health (1)
- Surgery (4)
- Telehealth (1)
- Training (1)
- Treatments (1)
- Women (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
26 to 43 of 43 Research Studies DisplayedSchuler MS, Joyce NR, Huskamp HA
Medicare beneficiaries with advanced lung cancer experience diverse patterns of care from diagnosis to death.
Using Medicare claims data for patients diagnosed with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer, the authors used latent class analysis to identify classes of people with different care patterns. The findings showed substantial heterogeneity in patterns of care for patients with advanced cancer, which should be accounted for in efforts to improve end-of-life care.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Schuler MS, Joyce NR, Huskamp HA .
Medicare beneficiaries with advanced lung cancer experience diverse patterns of care from diagnosis to death.
Health Aff 2017 Jul;36(7):1193-200. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0448..
Keywords: Cancer, Cancer: Lung Cancer, Care Management, Elderly, Medicare, Palliative Care
Bostwick D, Wolf S, Samsa G
Comparing the palliative care needs of those with cancer to those with common non-cancer serious illness.
Researchers compared functionality, advanced care planning, hospital admissions, prognosis, quality of life, pain, dyspnea, fatigue, and depression between patients with cancer and three non-cancer diagnoses-end-stage renal disease (ESRD), heart failure (HF), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients with COPD, ESRD, and HF were less functional and more likely to be hospitalized at time of referral to palliative care than cancer patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS022763.
Citation: Bostwick D, Wolf S, Samsa G .
Comparing the palliative care needs of those with cancer to those with common non-cancer serious illness.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2017 Jun;53(6):1079-84.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2017.02.014.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Respiratory Conditions, Kidney Disease and Health, Heart Disease and Health, Palliative Care
Iyer AS, Bakitas M
Early palliative care in advanced illness: do right by mama.
This letter describes a case study where the doctor and the family decided not to do aggressive treatment on their mother in her 80’s with metastatic lung cancer and pneumonia. After describing the intubation procedure and the use of mechanical ventilation, the family decided that palliative care was the best option. The doctor emphasizes the use of palliative care as the best outcome for many terminally ill patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS023009; HS013852.
Citation: Iyer AS, Bakitas M .
Early palliative care in advanced illness: do right by mama.
JAMA Intern Med 2017 Jun;177(6):761-62. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.0764.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Cancer: Lung Cancer, Case Study, Shared Decision Making, Elderly, Palliative Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Koroukian SM, Schiltz NK, Warner DF
Social determinants, multimorbidity, and patterns of end-of-life care in older adults dying from cancer.
In this study, the researchers examined the association between end-of-life care and each of the social determinants of health and multimorbidity (MM), hypothesizing that higher MM is associated with less aggressive care. They found that, while 61.2 percent of the patients enrolled in hospice, 24.6 percent underwent cancer-directed treatment; 55.1 percent were admitted to the hospital and/or ED; and 21.7 percent died in the hospital.
AHRQ-funded; HS023113.
Citation: Koroukian SM, Schiltz NK, Warner DF .
Social determinants, multimorbidity, and patterns of end-of-life care in older adults dying from cancer.
J Geriatr Oncol 2017 Mar;8(2):117-24. doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2016.10.001.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Elderly, Palliative Care, Social Determinants of Health
LeBlanc TW, Ritchie CS, Friedman F
Adherence to measuring what matters items when caring for patients with hematologic malignancies versus solid tumors.
The authors sought to assess adherence to Measuring What Matters (MWM) measures by palliative care clinicians caring for patients with hematologic malignancies, compared to those with solid tumors. They found that MWM adherence regarding symptom assessment and meeting emotional needs was lower for patients with hematologic malignancies compared to those with solid tumors. They concluded that this finding suggests two key areas for quality improvement initiatives in palliative care for patients with hematologic malignancies.
AHRQ-funded; HS023681; HS022763.
Citation: LeBlanc TW, Ritchie CS, Friedman F .
Adherence to measuring what matters items when caring for patients with hematologic malignancies versus solid tumors.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2016 Dec;52(6):775-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.09.004.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Quality of Care, Palliative Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Measures
Perone JA, Riall TS, Olino K
Palliative care for pancreatic and periampullary cancer.
This article summarizes surgical, endoscopic, and other palliative techniques for relief of obstructive jaundice, relief of duodenal or gastric outlet obstruction, and relief of pain due to invasion of the celiac plexus. It also introduces the utility of the palliative care triangle in clarifying a patient's and family's goals to guide decision making.
AHRQ-funded; HS022134.
Citation: Perone JA, Riall TS, Olino K .
Palliative care for pancreatic and periampullary cancer.
Surg Clin North Am 2016 Dec;96(6):1415-30. doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2016.07.012.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Palliative Care, Pain, Shared Decision Making
Hochman MJ, Kamal AH, Wolf SP
Anticholinergic drug burden in noncancer versus cancer patients near the end of life.
This article's objective is to determine anticholinergic load (ACL) and its impact in noncancer versus cancer palliative care patients. The authors concluded that ACL is associated with worse fatigue and quality of life and may not differ significantly between cancer and noncancer patients nearing end of life. Symptom management drugs are more responsible for ACL in cancer and noncancer patients, although disease management drugs contribute significantly to ACL in the latter group. They recommend more attention to reducing anticholinergic use in all patients with life-limiting illness.
AHRQ-funded; HS023681.
Citation: Hochman MJ, Kamal AH, Wolf SP .
Anticholinergic drug burden in noncancer versus cancer patients near the end of life.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2016 Nov;52(5):737-43.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.03.020.
.
.
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Cancer, Medication, Palliative Care, Quality of Life
Wang SY, Hall J, Pollack CE
Associations between end-of-life cancer care patterns and Medicare expenditures.
The authors examined the extent to which patterns of intensive end-of-life care explain geographic variation in end-of-life care expenditures among cancer decedents. The mean expenditure per cancer decedent in the last month of life was $10,800, with considerable variation in the percentage of decedents receiving intensive end-of-life care intervention. Regional patterns of late chemotherapy or late hospice use explained only approximately 1% of the expenditure difference, while the proportion of decedents who had ICU admissions within 30 days of death was a major driver of variation, explaining 37.6% of the expenditure difference. They concluded that promoting appropriate end-of-life care has the potential to reduce geographic variation in end-of-life care expenditures.
AHRQ-funded; HS023900.
Citation: Wang SY, Hall J, Pollack CE .
Associations between end-of-life cancer care patterns and Medicare expenditures.
J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2016 Aug;14(8):1001-8.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Elderly, Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Palliative Care
Wang SY, Hall J, Pollack CE
Trends in end-of-life cancer care in the Medicare program.
The researchers sought to examine contemporary trends in end-of-life cancer care and geographic variation of end-of-life care aggressiveness among Medicare beneficiaries. They found that the proportion of beneficiaries receiving at least one potentially aggressive end-of-life intervention increased in repeated hospitalization, repeated ED visits, ICU admissions, and late hospice enrollment but declined in in-hospital death. End-of-life chemotherapy use did not change significantly over time. They concluded that despite growing focus on providing appropriate end-of-life care, there has not been an improvement in aggressive end-of-life cancer care in the Medicare program.
AHRQ-funded; HS023900.
Citation: Wang SY, Hall J, Pollack CE .
Trends in end-of-life cancer care in the Medicare program.
J Geriatr Oncol 2016 Mar;7(2):116-25. doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2015.11.007.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Care Management, Elderly, Medicare, Palliative Care, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Practice Patterns
Dinan MA, Li Y, Zhang Y
Resource use in the last year of life among patients who died with versus of prostate cancer.
The researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data of men with prostate cancer. Patients who died of prostate cancer rather than from other causes had more hospice and outpatient use, less inpatient and ICU use, and lower overall costs. Efforts to shift care toward outpatient settings might provide more efficient and judicious care for patients during the end of life.
AHRQ-funded; HS022189.
Citation: Dinan MA, Li Y, Zhang Y .
Resource use in the last year of life among patients who died with versus of prostate cancer.
Clin Genitourin Cancer 2016 Feb;14(1):28-37.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.clgc.2015.07.006.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Cancer: Prostate Cancer, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Men's Health, Mortality, Palliative Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Thienprayoon R, Marks E, Funes M
Perceptions of the pediatric hospice experience among English- and Spanish-speaking families.
The objective of this study was to explore parental perspectives of the hospice experience in children with cancer, and to explore how race/ethnicity impacts this experience. Both English and Spanish speakers described the importance of honest, direct communication by medical providers, and anxieties surrounding the expectation of the moment of death. English-speaking families were more likely to return to the hospital because of unsatisfactory symptom management.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Thienprayoon R, Marks E, Funes M .
Perceptions of the pediatric hospice experience among English- and Spanish-speaking families.
J Palliat Med 2016 Jan;19(1):30-41. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2015.0137.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Palliative Care, Long-Term Care, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Cancer
Du XL, Parikh RC, Lairson DR
Racial and geographic disparities in the patterns of care and costs at the end of life for patients with lung cancer in 2007-2010 after the 2006 introduction of bevacizumab.
The authors examined racial/ethnic and geographical disparities in cancer care and costs during the last 6 months of life for lung cancer decedents after the FDA's approval of bevacizumab. They found that there were substantial racial/ethnic and geographic disparities in the types of cancer care and costs in the last 6 months of life among lung cancer decedents, regardless of the length of survival times and hospice care status.
AHRQ-funded; HS018956.
Citation: Du XL, Parikh RC, Lairson DR .
Racial and geographic disparities in the patterns of care and costs at the end of life for patients with lung cancer in 2007-2010 after the 2006 introduction of bevacizumab.
Lung Cancer 2015 Dec;90(3):442-50. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2015.09.017.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Cancer: Lung Cancer, Disparities, Healthcare Costs, Medication, Palliative Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Practice Patterns, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Huo J, Du XL, Lairson DR
Utilization of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hospice at the end of life for patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma.
The authors examined the patterns of utilization of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and hospice at the end-of-life care for patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. They found that surgery and hospice care use increased over the 8 years of this study, whereas the use of chemotherapy and radiation therapy remained consistent for patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma.
AHRQ-funded; HS018956.
Citation: Huo J, Du XL, Lairson DR .
Utilization of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hospice at the end of life for patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma.
Am J Clin Oncol 2015 Jun;38(3):235-41. doi: 10.1097/COC.0b013e31829378f9.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Cancer: Skin Cancer, Treatments, Elderly, Healthcare Utilization, Palliative Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Surgery
Kamal AH, Nipp RD, Bull JH
Quality of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer in a community consortium.
The authors formed the Carolinas Consortium for Palliative Care and collected a quality data registry to monitor their practice and to inform quality improvement efforts. They demonstrated that measures evaluating process assessment, as opposed to interventions, are better documented. They concluded that analyzing data on quality is feasible and valuable in community-based palliative care and that, overall, processes to collect data on quality using nontechnology methods may underestimate true adherence to quality measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS022763.
Citation: Kamal AH, Nipp RD, Bull JH .
Quality of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer in a community consortium.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2015 Feb;49(2):289-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2014.05.024.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Healthcare Delivery, Quality of Care, Palliative Care, Registries
Rocke DJ, Beumer HW, Taylor DH, Jr.
Physician and patient and caregiver health attitudes and their effect on Medicare resource allocation for patients with advanced cancer.
The investigators sought to determine how baseline attitudes toward quality vs quantity of life affect end-of-life resource allocation. They found that, compared with patients and caregivers, otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) physician allocations differed significantly in all 15 benefit categories except home care. They concluded that understanding the effect of baseline attitudes is important for effective end-of-life discussions.
AHRQ-funded; HS018360.
Citation: Rocke DJ, Beumer HW, Taylor DH, Jr. .
Physician and patient and caregiver health attitudes and their effect on Medicare resource allocation for patients with advanced cancer.
JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2014 Jun;140(6):497-503. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2014.494.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Caregiving, Medicare, Palliative Care, Provider: Physician, Quality of Life
Huo J, Lairson DR, Du XL
Survival and cost-effectiveness of hospice care for metastatic melanoma patients.
The authors analyzed the association of hospice use with survival and health care costs among patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. They found that the median survival time was 6.1 months for patients with no hospice care, 6.5 months for patients enrolled in hospice for 1 to 3 days, and 10.2 months for patients enrolled for 4 or more days. Patients with 4 or more days of hospice care incurred lower end-of-life costs than the comparison groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS018956.
Citation: Huo J, Lairson DR, Du XL .
Survival and cost-effectiveness of hospice care for metastatic melanoma patients.
Am J Manag Care 2014 May;20(5):366-73.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Cancer: Skin Cancer, Healthcare Costs, Palliative Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Kavalieratos D, Kamal AH, Abernethy AP
Comparing unmet needs between community-based palliative care patients with heart failure and patients with cancer.
This study characterized the unresolved symptom and treatment needs which patients with heart failure and those with cancer present to palliative care. It found that patients with HF presented with fewer unresolved symptoms; however, they were more likely to report dyspnea and more commonly experienced dyspnea-related treatment gaps.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032; HS017587
Citation: Kavalieratos D, Kamal AH, Abernethy AP .
Comparing unmet needs between community-based palliative care patients with heart failure and patients with cancer.
J Palliat Med. 2014 Apr;17(4):475-81. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2013.0526..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Cancer, Heart Disease and Health, Chronic Conditions
Martinez KA, Aslakson RA, Wilson RF
A systematic review of health care interventions for pain in patients with advanced cancer.
The authors sought to synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of pain-focused interventions in patients with advanced cancer. In nineteen studies, they found moderate strength of evidence that pain management in advanced cancer can be improved using health care interventions, particularly nurse-led patient-centered interventions.
AHRQ-funded; 290200710061.
Citation: Martinez KA, Aslakson RA, Wilson RF .
A systematic review of health care interventions for pain in patients with advanced cancer.
Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2014 Feb;31(1):79-86. doi: 10.1177/1049909113476129.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Comparative Effectiveness, Pain, Palliative Care, Quality Improvement