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
- Arthritis (2)
- (-) Back Health and Pain (11)
- Caregiving (1)
- Care Management (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Chronic Conditions (4)
- Elderly (2)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (2)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Healthcare Utilization (1)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (1)
- Imaging (2)
- Medication (2)
- Opioids (2)
- Outcomes (1)
- Pain (5)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (2)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Practice Patterns (2)
- Primary Care (2)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Registries (1)
- Research Methodologies (1)
- Shared Decision Making (2)
- Surgery (5)
- Treatments (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 11 of 11 Research Studies DisplayedAroke EN, Jackson P, Overstreet DS
Race, social status, and depressive symptoms: a moderated mediation analysis of chronic low back pain interference and severity.
Clin J Pain 2020 Sep;36(9):658-66. doi: 10.1097/ajp.0000000000000849.
Citation: Aroke EN, Jackson P, Overstreet DS .
Race, social status, and depressive symptoms: a moderated mediation analysis of chronic low back pain interference and severity.
Clin J Pain 2020 Sep;36(9):658-66. doi: 10.1097/ajp.0000000000000849.
.
.
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Chronic Conditions, Pain, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
O'Reilly-Jacob M, Perloff J, Buerhaus P
Comparing the rates of low-value back images ordered by physicians and nurse practitioners for Medicare beneficiaries in primary care.
This study measures the rates of low-value back images ordered by primary care physicians and nurse practitioners for Medicare beneficiaries, and there was no detectable difference between the two groups in 2012 and 2013.
AHRQ-funded; HS00062.
Citation: O'Reilly-Jacob M, Perloff J, Buerhaus P .
Comparing the rates of low-value back images ordered by physicians and nurse practitioners for Medicare beneficiaries in primary care.
Nurs Outlook 2019 Nov - Dec;67(6):713-24. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2019.05.005..
Keywords: Imaging, Back Health and Pain, Primary Care, Imaging, Pain
Colloca L, Lee SE, Luhowy MN
Relieving acute pain (RAP) study: a proof-of-concept protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
This study hypothesizes that dose-extending placebos can be an effective treatment in relieving clinical acute pain in trauma patients who take opioids. Publishing this study protocol will enable researchers and funding bodies to stay up to date in their fields by providing exposure to research activity that may not be otherwise widely publicized.
AHRQ-funded; HS022135.
Citation: Colloca L, Lee SE, Luhowy MN .
Relieving acute pain (RAP) study: a proof-of-concept protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
BMJ Open 2019 Nov 11;9(11):e030623. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030623..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Opioids, Medication
Garrity B, Berry Crofton, C
Parent-to-parent advice on considering spinal fusion in children with neuromuscular scoliosis.
The purpose of this study was to convey advice from families whose children recently underwent spinal fusion to families whose children are under consideration for initial spinal fusion for neuromuscular scoliosis and to providers who counsel families on this decision. Results showed that parents of children who had recently undergone spinal fusion had strong perceptions about what information to convey to families considering surgery, which may improve communication between future parents and physicians. Further investigation is needed to assess how best to incorporate the wisdom and experiences of parent peers into shared decisionmaking and preparation for spinal fusion in children with neuromuscular scoliosis.
AHRQ-funded; HS024453.
Citation: Garrity B, Berry Crofton, C .
Parent-to-parent advice on considering spinal fusion in children with neuromuscular scoliosis.
J Pediatr 2019 Oct;213:149-54. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.05.055..
Keywords: Shared Decision Making, Patient and Family Engagement, Caregiving, Children/Adolescents, Back Health and Pain, Surgery
Brodney S, Fowler FJ, Barry MJ
Comparison of three measures of shared decision making: SDM Process_4, CollaboRATE, and SURE scales.
This study compared 3 different shared decision making (SDM) aids for patients facing surgery for hip or knee osteoarthritis, lumbar herniated disc or lumber spinal stenosis (backs). Patients were surveys after they used one of the following patient decision aids (PDAs): SMD Process_4, CollaboRATE, or SURE. The sample size was 649 with a mean age of 63.3 years, 51% female, and 60% were college educated. Most patients (69%) were facing hip or knee surgery. Results showed that the PDAs did aid patients – especially for hips/knees and were different for each PDA.
AHRQ-funded; HS025718.
Citation: Brodney S, Fowler FJ, Barry MJ .
Comparison of three measures of shared decision making: SDM Process_4, CollaboRATE, and SURE scales.
Med Decis Making 2019 Aug;39(6):673-80. doi: 10.1177/0272989x19855951..
Keywords: Shared Decision Making, Surgery, Arthritis, Back Health and Pain
Kim HS, Kaplan SH, McCarthy DM
A comparison of analgesic prescribing among ED back and neck pain visits receiving physical therapy versus usual care.
Researchers used a retrospective cohort study to examine whether physical therapy (PT) is associated with lower analgesic prescribing in the emergency department (ED) setting. They found that, in this single center study, ED back and neck pain visits receiving PT were no less likely to receive an opioid prescription and were more likely to receive a benzodiazepine than visits receiving usual care. They conclude that, although prior studies demonstrated that PT may reduce opioid utilization in the subsequent year, these results indicated that analgesic prescribing is not reduced at the initial ED encounter.
AHRQ-funded; HS023011.
Citation: Kim HS, Kaplan SH, McCarthy DM .
A comparison of analgesic prescribing among ED back and neck pain visits receiving physical therapy versus usual care.
Am J Emerg Med 2019 Jul;37(7):1322-26. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.10.009..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Emergency Department, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Pain, Back Health and Pain, Outcomes, Evidence-Based Practice
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
Fritz JM, Rundell SD, Dougherty P
Deconstructing chronic low back pain in the older adult-step by step evidence and expert-based recommendations for evaluation and treatment. Part vi: Lumbar spinal stenosis.
This article is the sixth in a series of articles designed to deconstruct chronic low back pain (CLBP) in older adults. It focuses on the evaluation and management of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), the most common condition for which older adults undergo spinal surgery. It concluded that lumbar spinal stenosis exists not uncommonly in older adults with CLBP and management often can be accomplished without surgery.
AHRQ-funded; HS022982.
Citation: Fritz JM, Rundell SD, Dougherty P .
Deconstructing chronic low back pain in the older adult-step by step evidence and expert-based recommendations for evaluation and treatment. Part vi: Lumbar spinal stenosis.
Pain Med 2016 Mar;17(3):501-10. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnw011..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Elderly, Chronic Conditions, Treatments, Surgery
Tan A, Zhou J, Kuo YF
Variation among primary care physicians in the use of imaging for older patients with acute low back pain.
The authors sought to estimate the variation among primary care providers (PCPs) in the use of diagnostic imaging for older patients with non-specific acute low back pain. They used Texas Medicare claims data and tracked whether each patient received lumbar imaging within 4 weeks of the initial visit. They found that the specific physician seen by a patient accounted for 25 % of the variability in whether imaging was performed and that the use of imaging by individual physicians was stable over time.
AHRQ-funded; HS022134.
Citation: Tan A, Zhou J, Kuo YF .
Variation among primary care physicians in the use of imaging for older patients with acute low back pain.
J Gen Intern Med 2016 Feb;31(2):156-63. doi: 10.1007/s11606-015-3475-3.
.
.
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Elderly, Imaging, Primary Care, Practice Patterns
Chimenti PC, Drinkwater CJ, Li W
Factors associated with early improvement in low back pain after total hip arthroplasty: A multi-center prospective cohort analyses.
This study identified factors associated with an improvement in low back pain (LBP) at six-month follow-up after total hip arthroplasty (THA). It found that among patients reporting severe or moderate LBP preoperatively, 56 percent improved 6 months after surgery. Patients without improvement were more likely to be on Medicare, have a high school education or less, have household income less than $45,000 and have one or more comorbid conditions.
AHRQ-funded; HS018910.
Citation: Chimenti PC, Drinkwater CJ, Li W .
Factors associated with early improvement in low back pain after total hip arthroplasty: A multi-center prospective cohort analyses.
J Arthroplasty 2016 Jan;31(1):176-9. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2015.07.028.
.
.
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Arthritis, Surgery, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Registries
Berliner E
AHRQ Author: Berliner E
Multisociety letter to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: serious methodological flaws plague technology assessment on pain management injection therapies for low back pain.
The recent publication of an AHRQ report on Pain Management Injection Therapies for Low Back Pain has raised significant concerns for physicians who utilize injection procedures to treat patients suffering with pain and functional limitations resulting from spinal pathology. The authors are concerned that the methodology used by the report cannot and does not make such determinations, and that the conclusions may lead to egregious denial of access to these procedures for many patients suffering from low back pain.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Berliner E .
Multisociety letter to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: serious methodological flaws plague technology assessment on pain management injection therapies for low back pain.
Pain Med 2016 Jan;17(1):10-15. doi: 10.1111/pme.12934..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Care Management, Chronic Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Health Services Research (HSR), Pain, Research Methodologies