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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
26 to 50 of 91 Research Studies DisplayedSelden TM, Abdus S, Miller GE
AHRQ Author: Selden TM, Abdus S, Miller GE
Decomposing changes in the growth of U.S. prescription drug use and expenditures, 1999-2016.
Data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) was examined to analyze factors associated with changes in prescription drug use and expenditures in the US from 1999 to 2016. There were large increases in prescription drug use during that period, with per capita utilization increasing by nearly half and per capita expenditures more than doubled. Treatment of long-term conditions was a large driver in the increases in medication use.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Selden TM, Abdus S, Miller GE .
Decomposing changes in the growth of U.S. prescription drug use and expenditures, 1999-2016.
Health Serv Res 2019 Aug;54(4):752-63. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13164..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Medication
Gressler LE, Natafgi NM, DeForge BR
What motivates people with substance use disorders to pursue treatment? A patient-centered approach to understanding patient experiences and patient-provider interactions.
The purpose of this study was to identify and define potential positive and negative factors in patient experiences and patient-provider interactions that are associated with the pursuit and maintenance of treatment by those suffering from substance use disorders (SUD). The investigators conducted two focus groups with patients in treatment for SUD and four in-depth interviews with healthcare providers involved in the treatment of patients with SUD.
AHRQ-funded; HS022135.
Citation: Gressler LE, Natafgi NM, DeForge BR .
What motivates people with substance use disorders to pursue treatment? A patient-centered approach to understanding patient experiences and patient-provider interactions.
J Subst Use 2019;24(6):587-99. doi: 10.1080/14659891.2019.1620891..
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Shared Decision Making, Healthcare Utilization, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient Experience, Patient and Family Engagement, Substance Abuse
Kirk PS, Borza T, Caram MEV
Characterising potential bone scan overuse amongst men treated with radical prostatectomy.
The authors characterized bone scan use after radical prostatectomy (RP) using data from a large, national integrated delivery system. They found a substantial rate of bone scan utilization after RP. The majority were performed for prostate-specific antigen levels in which the likelihood of a positive test was low. They recommended more judicious use of imaging in the post-RP setting.
AHRQ-funded; HS025707.
Citation: Kirk PS, Borza T, Caram MEV .
Characterising potential bone scan overuse amongst men treated with radical prostatectomy.
BJU Int 2019 Jul;124(1):55-61. doi: 10.1111/bju.14551..
Keywords: Cancer: Prostate Cancer, Cancer, Surgery, Imaging, Healthcare Utilization
Barbash IJ, Wallace DJ, Kahn JM
Effects of changes in ICU bed supply on ICU utilization.
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between intensive care unit (ICU) bed supply and ICU admission in US hospitals. Using a difference-in-differences approach, researchers compared the risk-adjusted probability of ICU admission at hospitals that increased their ICU bed supply over time with matched hospitals that did not. Subjects were three patient groups with a low likelihood of benefiting from ICU admission: low-severity patients with acute myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism, and high-severity patients with metastatic cancer at the end of life. Results showed that increases in ICU bed supply were associated with inconsistent changes in the probability of ICU admission that varied across patient subgroups.
AHRQ-funded; HS025455.
Citation: Barbash IJ, Wallace DJ, Kahn JM .
Effects of changes in ICU bed supply on ICU utilization.
Med Care 2019 Jul;57(7):544-50. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001137..
Keywords: Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Healthcare Utilization, Hospitalization, Healthcare Delivery, Hospitals
Shah NR, Ahmed ST, Winchester DE
Facility-level variation in stress test utilization in veterans with ischemic heart disease.
The aim of this study was to quantify variation in cardiac stress test utilization across the Veterans Health Administration (VA) in patients with established ischemic heart disease (IHD). The investigators used VA datasets to identify adults with IHD (myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, and/or coronary artery bypass grafting) with a primary care clinic visit at the VA in fiscal year 2014.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Shah NR, Ahmed ST, Winchester DE .
Facility-level variation in stress test utilization in veterans with ischemic heart disease.
JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Jul;12(7 Pt 1):1292-93. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2019.02.020..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Healthcare Utilization, Practice Patterns, Imaging
Huguet N, Angier H, Rdesinski R
Cervical and colorectal cancer screening prevalence before and after Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion.
This study assessed changes in the prevalence of cervical and colorectal cancer screening from before and after the Affordable Care Act in Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states among patients seen in community health centers. Results showed that, despite increased prevalences of cervical and colorectal cancer screening in both expansion and non-expansion states across all race/ethnicity groups, rates remained suboptimal for this population of socioeconomically disadvantaged patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024270.
Citation: Huguet N, Angier H, Rdesinski R .
Cervical and colorectal cancer screening prevalence before and after Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion.
Prev Med 2019 Jul;124:91-97. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.05.003..
Keywords: Cancer, Cancer: Cervical Cancer, Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Healthcare Delivery, Healthcare Utilization, Medicaid, Policy, Prevention, Screening
Danilack VA, Brousseau EC, Paulo BA
Characteristics of women without a postpartum checkup among PRAMS participants, 2009-2011.
The authors studied whether sociodemographic characteristics and pregnancy and delivery factors were related to the likelihood of missing a postpartum checkup. They found that, compared to women who attended a postpartum checkup, women who missed the visit were younger, unmarried, less educated, with lower income, without insurance, and smokers. Also, women with intermediate or inadequate prenatal care were more likely to miss the checkup. Additionally, women were more likely to miss this checkup if their infant was born at a residence compared to a hospital and were less likely to miss the checkup if their newborn had a one-week well visit.
AHRQ-funded; HS025013.
Citation: Danilack VA, Brousseau EC, Paulo BA .
Characteristics of women without a postpartum checkup among PRAMS participants, 2009-2011.
Matern Child Health J 2019 Jul;23(7):903-09. doi: 10.1007/s10995-018-02716-x..
Keywords: Healthcare Utilization, Maternal Care, Patient Adherence/Compliance, Pregnancy, Social Determinants of Health, Women
Durojaiye AB, Levin S, Toerper M
Evaluation of multidisciplinary collaboration in pediatric trauma care using EHR data.
This study electronic health record (EHR) data to compare usage patterns from pediatric trauma patients with minor injuries at a Level I pediatric trauma center. The data was used to compare demographics, clinical and network characteristics, and emergency department (ED) length of stay (LOS). Three distinct groups were compared: fully connected, partially connected, and disconnected. The fully connected group had a decreased ED LOS compared with the partially connected group.
AHRQ-funded; HS023837.
Citation: Durojaiye AB, Levin S, Toerper M .
Evaluation of multidisciplinary collaboration in pediatric trauma care using EHR data.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2019 Jun;26(6):506-15. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocy184..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Trauma, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Emergency Department, Healthcare Utilization
Hongs S AS, Froehlich T, Clayton Hobbs S
Impact of a cancer urgent care clinic on regional emergency department visits.
In this study, the researchers investigated whether the creation of an urgent care clinic specifically for patients with cancer affected emergency department visits among adults newly diagnosed with cancer? They concluded that although only one in eight emergency department-visiting patients also used the urgent care clinic, the growth rate of emergency department visits fell by half after the urgent care clinic was established.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Hongs S AS, Froehlich T, Clayton Hobbs S .
Impact of a cancer urgent care clinic on regional emergency department visits.
J Oncol Pract 2019 Jun;15(6):e501-e09. doi: 10.1200/jop.18.00743..
Keywords: Cancer, Emergency Department, Hospitalization, Healthcare Utilization, Ambulatory Care and Surgery
Heintzman J, Kaufmann J, Ezekiel-Herrera D
Asthma/COPD disparities in diagnosis and basic care utilization among low-income primary care patients.
Obstructive pulmonary disease outcomes in the United States differ between Latinos and non-Hispanic whites. There is little objective data about diagnosis prevalence and primary care visit frequency in these disease processes. In this study, the investigators used electronic health record data to perform a retrospective cohort analysis of 34,849 low-income patients seen at Oregon community health centers between 2009 and 2013 to assess joint racial/ethnic and insurance disparities in diagnosis and visit rates between Latino and non-Hispanic white patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS021522.
Citation: Heintzman J, Kaufmann J, Ezekiel-Herrera D .
Asthma/COPD disparities in diagnosis and basic care utilization among low-income primary care patients.
J Immigr Minor Health 2019 Jun;21(3):659-63. doi: 10.1007/s10903-018-0798-2..
Keywords: Asthma, Respiratory Conditions, Chronic Conditions, Disparities, Healthcare Utilization, Low-Income, Primary Care
Colla CH, Lewis VA, Stachowski C
Changes in use of postacute care associated with accountable care organizations in hip fracture, stroke, and pneumonia hospitalized cohorts.
In this study, researchers examined changes in more and less discretionary condition-specific postacute care use associated with Medicare accountable care organization (ACO) implementation. They found that ACOs decreased spending on postacute care by decreasing use of discretionary services. In addition, ACO implementation was associated with reduced length of stay in skilled nursing facilities, while hip fracture patients used institutional postacute settings at higher rates. The authors also observed decreases in spending, readmission days, and mortality among pneumonia patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024698.
Citation: Colla CH, Lewis VA, Stachowski C .
Changes in use of postacute care associated with accountable care organizations in hip fracture, stroke, and pneumonia hospitalized cohorts.
Med Care 2019 Jun;57(6):444-52. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001121..
Keywords: Injuries and Wounds, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Hospitalization, Medicare, Pneumonia, Stroke
Vogel JA, Gannon Sungar W, Boatright D
Denver ED Trauma Organ Failure Score predicts healthcare resource utilization in adult trauma patients.
This study examined the success of the Denver Emergency Department (ED) Trauma Organ Failure (TOF) Score and the need for specialized healthcare resources for trauma patients. Outcomes measured included intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, procedures and costs. They included 3000 patients with 71% of them male, a median age of 42, and median injury severity score of 9 (IQR 5-16). Of that total, 46% were admitted to the ICU and 4% died. The tool was found to successfully predict healthcare resource utilization and can be used to identify patients early after injury that will require specialized trauma care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023901.
Citation: Vogel JA, Gannon Sungar W, Boatright D .
Denver ED Trauma Organ Failure Score predicts healthcare resource utilization in adult trauma patients.
Am J Emerg Med 2019 Jun;37(6):1108-13. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.08.073..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Healthcare Utilization, Outcomes, Trauma
Delling FN, Vittinghoff E, Dewland TA
Does cannabis legalisation change healthcare utilisation? A population-based study using the healthcare cost and utilisation project in Colorado, USA.
Researchers studied whether the legalization of cannabis in Colorado has affected healthcare utilization compared to two states where it is still illegal (New York and Oklahoma). ICD-9 was used to determine changes in healthcare utilization relative to various medical diagnoses. According to the National Academy of Science (NAS), legal cannabis use creates an increase in cannabis abuse hospitalizations and also linked to motor vehicle accidents, alcohol abuse, and overdose injury and that was true in CO. There was not a change in hospital stays and costs in CO compared to NY and OK.
AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Delling FN, Vittinghoff E, Dewland TA .
Does cannabis legalisation change healthcare utilisation? A population-based study using the healthcare cost and utilisation project in Colorado, USA.
BMJ Open 2019 May 15;9(5):e027432. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027432..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Policy, Substance Abuse
Ray EM, Riedel RF, LeBlanc TW
Assessing the impact of a novel integrated palliative care and medical oncology inpatient service on health care utilization before hospice enrollment.
The goal of this retrospective cohort study was to assess the impact of integrating specialist palliative care (PC) on health care utilization among hospitalized cancer patients before hospice enrollment. Patients in the solid tumor inpatient unit who were discharged to hospice pre- and post-integration were compared on the following outcomes: intensive care unit days, invasive procedures, subspecialty consultations, radiographic studies, hospital length of stay, and use of chemotherapy or radiation. Health care utilization was relatively low in both groups, and researchers found no significant differences in utilization between the two groups. They conclude that PC integration may not impact health care utilization during the final hospitalization before discharge to hospice, which may reflect the greater benefits of integrating PC farther ‘upstream’ from the final hospitalization.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Ray EM, Riedel RF, LeBlanc TW .
Assessing the impact of a novel integrated palliative care and medical oncology inpatient service on health care utilization before hospice enrollment.
J Palliat Med 2019 Apr;22(4):420-23. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2018.0235..
Keywords: Cancer, Healthcare Utilization, Inpatient Care, Palliative Care
Berry JG, Goodman DM, Coller RJ
Association of home respiratory equipment and supply use with health care resource utilization in children.
The purpose of this cohort study was to compare health care use and spending in children using vs not using respiratory medical equipment and supplies (RMES). The investigators found that the use of RMES was associated with high health care spending, especially with hospital and home health care. They suggest that population health initiatives in children may benefit from consideration of RMES in comprehensive risk assessment for health care spending.
AHRQ-funded; HS02513.
Citation: Berry JG, Goodman DM, Coller RJ .
Association of home respiratory equipment and supply use with health care resource utilization in children.
J Pediatr 2019 Apr;207:169-75.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.11.046..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Home Healthcare, Respiratory Conditions
Dy CJ, Brown DS, Maryam H
Two-state comparison of total joint arthroplasty utilization following Medicaid expansion.
The aim of this study was to determine whether Medicaid expansion was associated with increased utilization rates of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in Illinois (which expanded Medicaid) relative to Missouri (which did not expand Medicaid). The investigators concluded that their study demonstrated that Medicaid expansion in Illinois was associated with increased utilization of THA and TKA. They suggested that further study is needed to understand the impact of Medicaid expansion in other states and for other procedures.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Dy CJ, Brown DS, Maryam H .
Two-state comparison of total joint arthroplasty utilization following Medicaid expansion.
J Arthroplasty 2019 Apr;34(4):619-25.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2018.12.019..
Keywords: Healthcare Utilization, Medicaid, Orthopedics, Surgery
Wickwire EM, Tom SE, Scharf SM
Untreated insomnia increases all-cause health care utilization and costs among Medicare beneficiaries.
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of untreated insomnia on health care utilization (HCU) among a representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries. Insomnia was defined as the presence of at least one claim containing an insomnia-related diagnosis in any given year based on ICD-9 or at least one prescription filled for an insomnia-related medication in Part D prescription drug files. Researchers compared HCU in the year prior to insomnia diagnosis with non-sleep disordered controls during the same period. The researchers conclude that the individuals in this randomly selected, representative sample with untreated insomnia demonstrated increased HCU and costs across all points of service.
AHRQ-funded; HS024560.
Citation: Wickwire EM, Tom SE, Scharf SM .
Untreated insomnia increases all-cause health care utilization and costs among Medicare beneficiaries.
Sleep 2019 Apr;42(4). doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsz007..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Medicare, Sleep Problems
Biener AI, Decker SL, Rohde F
AHRQ Author: Deck SL, Rohde F
Source of increased health care spending in the United States.
This infographic depicts MEPS information for five medical conditions that account for nearly 1/3 of all medical expenditures in 2015. Factors include the difference in spending associated with these conditions; the number of people treated for them; per capita costs; and related ambulatory visits and prescription drug costs as a proportion of health expenditures.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Biener AI, Decker SL, Rohde F .
Source of increased health care spending in the United States.
JAMA 2019 Mar 26;321(12):1147. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.0679..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Bucher BT, Shi J, Pettit RJ
Determination of marital status of patients from structured and unstructured electronic healthcare data.
This paper describes a robust method to determine the marital status of patients, which is included as a Social Determinant of Health and considered a key driver of health care utilization. A robust method to determine marital status using structured and unstructured electronic healthcare data was developed using data from a single US academic institution. A natural language processing (NLP) pipeline was developed and validated. Performance was compared against two baseline methods: a machine learning n-gram model and structured data from the electronic health record. Overall the NLP engine had excellent to superior performance compared with the other models.
AHRQ-funded; HS025776.
Citation: Bucher BT, Shi J, Pettit RJ .
Determination of marital status of patients from structured and unstructured electronic healthcare data.
AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2020 Mar 4;2019:267-74..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Social Determinants of Health, Healthcare Utilization
Horner-Johnson W, Biel FM, Caughey AB
Differences in prenatal care by presence and type of maternal disability.
This study examined timing and frequency of prenatal care of women with disabilities by disability type. A retrospective cohort study was done of all births in California from 2000-2012. Women with intellectual/developmental disabilities, or limited hearing had the most significant risk of receiving less prenatal care compared to women with physical disabilities. However women with intellectual/developmental or physical disabilities may have a higher than normal number of prenatal visits. Delays in prenatal care may result in poorer birth outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Horner-Johnson W, Biel FM, Caughey AB .
Differences in prenatal care by presence and type of maternal disability.
Am J Prev Med 2019 Mar;56(3):376-82. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2018.10.021..
Keywords: Disabilities, Healthcare Utilization, Pregnancy, Vulnerable Populations, Women
Hanchate AD, Dyer KS, Paasche-Orlow MK
Disparities in emergency department visits among collocated racial/ethnic Medicare enrollees.
In this retrospective cohort study, the investigators estimated emergency department (ED) use differences across Medicare enrollees of different race/ethnicity who were residing in the same zip codes. The investigators found that among Medicare enrollees, blacks and Hispanics had higher ED use rates than whites overall and among subgroups by demographics and socioeconomic status.
AHRQ-funded; HS022242.
Citation: Hanchate AD, Dyer KS, Paasche-Orlow MK .
Disparities in emergency department visits among collocated racial/ethnic Medicare enrollees.
Ann Emerg Med 2019 Mar;73(3):225-35. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2018.09.007..
Keywords: Disparities, Emergency Department, Healthcare Utilization, Medicare, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Callaghan BC, Reynolds E, Banerjee M
Longitudinal pattern of pain medication utilization in peripheral neuropathy patients.
The authors of this article investigated the pattern and utilization of neuropathic pain medications in peripheral neuropathy patients. They found that opioid initiation and transition to chronic opioid therapy were frequent in the studied population despite few patients receiving more than one guideline-recommended medication. They concluded that efforts are needed to decrease opioid utilization and to increase guideline-recommended medication use in order to improve current neuropathic pain treatment.
AHRQ-funded; HS017690.
Citation: Callaghan BC, Reynolds E, Banerjee M .
Longitudinal pattern of pain medication utilization in peripheral neuropathy patients.
Pain 2019 Mar;160(3):592-99. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001439..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Guidelines, Healthcare Utilization, Medication, Neurological Disorders, Opioids, Pain, Practice Patterns
Johnston FM, Neiman JH, Parmley LE
Stakeholder perspectives on the use of community health workers to improve palliative care use by African Americans with cancer.
This study focused on the issue of lack of palliative care for African-Americans with cancer. Stakeholder interviews and focus groups were conducted with cancer patients, caregivers, health care administrators, oncologists, and community health workers (CHWs). Participants felt that CHWs could play a central role in bridging patients with their providers, information and resources. They also felt that CHWs should either come from the community, or be familiar with the history, culture, and norms of the communities from which they operate.
AHRQ-funded; HS024736.
Citation: Johnston FM, Neiman JH, Parmley LE .
Stakeholder perspectives on the use of community health workers to improve palliative care use by African Americans with cancer.
J Palliat Med 2019 Mar;22(3):302-06. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2018.0366..
Keywords: Access to Care, Cancer, Healthcare Delivery, Healthcare Utilization, Cultural Competence, Disparities, Palliative Care, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Martin BI, Mirza SK, Spina N
Trends in lumbar fusion procedure rates and associated hospital costs for degenerative spinal diseases in the United States, 2004 to 2015.
This study analyzed trends in lumbar fusion procedure rates for degenerative spinal diseases in the US from 2004 to 2015 as well as associated hospital costs. Spinal fusion is considered an appropriate procedure for spinal deformity and instability, but has limited evidence of effectiveness for primary disc herniation and spinal stenosis without instability. The analysis showed that aggregate hospital costs increased 177% during the analysis period with disc degeneration, herniation and stenosis accounted for 42.3% of the elective surgery. The largest increases in the elective surgery were for spondylolisthesis and scoliosis and has slightly decreased for those procedures with less evidence of effectiveness.
AHRQ-funded; HS024714.
Citation: Martin BI, Mirza SK, Spina N .
Trends in lumbar fusion procedure rates and associated hospital costs for degenerative spinal diseases in the United States, 2004 to 2015.
Spine 2019 Mar 1;44(5):369-76. doi: 10.1097/brs.0000000000002822..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Surgery
Hill CE, Lin CC, Burke JF
Claims data analyses unable to properly characterize the value of neurologists in epilepsy care.
The authors sought to determine the association of a neurologist visit with health care use and cost outcomes for patients with incident epilepsy using health care claims data for individuals insured by United Healthcare from 2001 to 2016. They found that patients with epilepsy who visited a neurologist had greater subsequent health care use, medical costs, and care escalation than controls. They conclude that their comparison using administrative claims was plausibly confounded by case disease severity, as suggested by higher non-epilepsy care costs, and that linking patient-centered outcomes to claims data may provide the clinical resolution to assess care value within a heterogeneous population.
AHRQ-funded; HS017690; HS022258.
Citation: Hill CE, Lin CC, Burke JF .
Claims data analyses unable to properly characterize the value of neurologists in epilepsy care.
Neurology 2019 Feb 26;92(9):e973-e87. doi: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000007004..
Keywords: Neurological Disorders, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Healthcare Utilization