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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Access to Care (1)
- Asthma (2)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- Case Study (1)
- Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) (1)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (2)
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- Community-Based Practice (1)
- Comparative Effectiveness (1)
- Cultural Competence (2)
- Dental and Oral Health (1)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (6)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (2)
- Emergency Department (1)
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- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (1)
- Healthcare Utilization (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (4)
- (-) Health Literacy (17)
- Health Promotion (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospitals (1)
- Medication (2)
- Obesity (1)
- Obesity: Weight Management (1)
- Outcomes (1)
- Patient Adherence/Compliance (1)
- Patient and Family Engagement (2)
- Primary Care (3)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (2)
- Respiratory Conditions (2)
- Shared Decision Making (1)
- Stroke (1)
- Surgery (1)
- Telehealth (2)
- Tools & Toolkits (2)
- Urban Health (1)
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) (1)
- Web-Based (1)
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
1 to 17 of 17 Research Studies DisplayedSilverstein GD, Styke SC, Kaur S
The relationship between depressive symptoms, eHealth literacy, and asthma outcomes in the context of a mobile health intervention.
This study’s objective was to evaluate the associations between health/eHealth literacy and depressive symptoms with app usage and clinical outcomes. The authors recruited adults with persistent asthma to utilize the ASTHMAXcel PRO mobile app. Participants completed the following questionnaires: Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess for depressive symptoms, Asthma Control Test (ACT), Mini Asthma Quality of Life (QOL) Questionnaire, and the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) tool to measure health literacy. Subsets of participant data were available on eHealth literacy (eHeals) (n = 24) and average number of app logins across 2 months (n = 40). The average participant age was 44.0 years, with 74% identifying as female. Increased depressive symptoms were associated with worse asthma control and asthma QOL, but not eHealth literacy. Higher eHealth literacy was associated with worse asthma QOL and more app logins. NVS scores weren’t associated with any measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS025645.
Citation: Silverstein GD, Styke SC, Kaur S .
The relationship between depressive symptoms, eHealth literacy, and asthma outcomes in the context of a mobile health intervention.
Psychosom Med 2023 Sep 1; 85(7):605-11. doi: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001170..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Asthma, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Education: Patient and Caregiver, Outcomes, Respiratory Conditions, Chronic Conditions
Lucy AT, Rakestraw SL, Stringer C
Readability of patient education materials for bariatric surgery.
This paper examined readability and reading level of online bariatric surgery and standardized perioperative electronic medical record (EMR) patient education materials (PEM). National organizations recommend that PEM not exceed a sixth grade reading level. One institution was used to assess readability of PEM. Text readability was assessed by seven validated instruments and mean readability scores calculated with standard deviations and compared using unpaired t-tests. A total of 32 webpages and seven EMR education documents were assessed. Web pages were overall assessed as "difficult to read" compared to "standard/average" readability EMR materials. All web pages were at or above high school reading levels, with the highest reading levels being pages with nutrition information and the lowest reading level patient testimonials. EMR materials were found to be at sixth to ninth grade reading level.
AHRQ-funded; HS023009.
Citation: Lucy AT, Rakestraw SL, Stringer C .
Readability of patient education materials for bariatric surgery.
Surg Endosc 2023 Aug; 37(8):6519-25. doi: 10.1007/s00464-023-10153-3..
Keywords: Surgery, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Obesity: Weight Management, Obesity, Health Literacy
Ahmed N, Brown J, Parau C
Bridging the digital health divide: characterizing patient portal users and nonusers in the U.S.
The purpose of this study was to 1) review variations in demographics between patient portal users and nonusers; and 2) review variations in health literacy, patient self-efficacy, and technology utilization and attitudes between patient portal users and nonusers. The researchers collected data from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) workers between December 2021 and January 2022. 489 Participants completed an online survey with questions on their attitudes about media and technology, attitudes about their health, their access to technology, health literacy, patient self-efficacy, and patient portal use. The study results indicated qualitative differences between users and nonusers of patient portals as related to type of neighborhood, income, education, disability status, comorbidity, type of insurance, and the presence or absence of primary care providers. Quantitative results supported the qualitative results, revealing that participants with insurance, a primary care provider, or a disability or comorbid condition had a greater likelihood of having a patient portal account.
AHRQ-funded; HS026298.
Citation: Ahmed N, Brown J, Parau C .
Bridging the digital health divide: characterizing patient portal users and nonusers in the U.S.
Med Care 2023 Jul; 61(7):448-55. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001869..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Literacy
Stallings SC, Richmond SC, Canedo JR
Assessing patient-level knowledge of precision medicine in a community health center setting.
Researchers used a mixed-methods approach to identify patient-level factors that influenced understanding of cancer risk among federally qualified community health center (FQCHC) patients. Participants were English-speaking adults aged 40-79 years enrolled in focus groups; they completed surveys to assess patient-level understanding of precision medicine, numeracy, and health literacy. The findings suggested that patients may lack familiarity with precision medicine concepts relevant for understanding cancer treatment decisions. The researchers concluded that future educational efforts might help to bridge the gap in patient understanding and facilitate equitable opportunities for precision medicine for patients, including those seeking care from community health centers.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Stallings SC, Richmond SC, Canedo JR .
Assessing patient-level knowledge of precision medicine in a community health center setting.
J Community Genet 2023 Apr; 14(2):197-210. doi: 10.1007/s12687-023-00632-4..
Keywords: Community-Based Practice, Health Literacy, Genetics
Arcia A, Pho AT, Lor M
Comparison of newest vital sign and brief health literacy screen scores in a large, urban Hispanic cohort.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Newest Vital Sign (NVS) and Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS) scores in a large cohort of English- and Spanish-speaking urban Hispanic adults. Scores on both measures showed good internal consistency but NVS items had high difficulty; greater than 50% of respondents scored 0. The correlation between measures was weak. The study concluded that health literacy scores were poor predictors of objective scores.
AHRQ-funded; HS019853; HS022961.
Citation: Arcia A, Pho AT, Lor M .
Comparison of newest vital sign and brief health literacy screen scores in a large, urban Hispanic cohort.
Patient Educ Couns 2023 Apr; 109:107628. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2023.107628
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Keywords: Health Literacy, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Urban Health
Lane S, Fitzsimmons E, Zelefsky A
Assessing electronic health literacy at an urban academic hospital.
The purpose of this study was to explore electronic health literacy (EHL) in patients at an urban, academic hospital in the Bronx, and evaluate for relationships between EHL levels and different demographic variables. The researchers designed a cross-sectional, observational study in adults 18 years or more who presented for services at the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care (MECCC) Department of Radiation Oncology or the Montefiore Department of Medicine in the Bronx. The study evaluated EHL using the existing, validated eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) survey and the researchers’ newly developed eHealth Literacy Objective Scale-Scenario Based (eHeLiOS-SB) tool. The study found that there was a statistically significant relationship between age and EHL as evaluated by both eHEALS and eHeLiOS-SB, with lower EHL scores for older adults. A specific question designed to evaluate attitudes toward digital health technologies revealed that the majority of participants held a positive attitude toward those types of applications.
AHRQ-funded; HS025645.
Citation: Lane S, Fitzsimmons E, Zelefsky A .
Assessing electronic health literacy at an urban academic hospital.
Appl Clin Inform 2023 Mar; 14(2):365-73. doi: 10.1055/a-2041-4500..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Bachmann JM, Goggins KM, Nwosu SK
Perceived health competence predicts health behavior and health-related quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease.
The authors sought to evaluate the effect of perceived health competence on health behavior and health-related quality of life. They found that perceived health competence was highly associated with health behaviors and health-related quality of life, while low perceived health competence was associated with a decrease in health-related quality of life between hospitalization and 90 days after discharge. They concluded that perceived health competence predicts health behavior and health-related quality of life in patients hospitalized with cardiovascular disease as well as change in health-related quality of life after discharge.
AHRQ-funded; HS022990.
Citation: Bachmann JM, Goggins KM, Nwosu SK .
Perceived health competence predicts health behavior and health-related quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease.
Patient Educ Couns 2016 Dec;99(12):2071-79. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2016.07.020.
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Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Health Literacy, Patient Adherence/Compliance, Quality of Life
Mabachi NM, Cifuentes M, Barnard J
AHRQ Author: Brach C
Demonstration of the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit: lessons for quality improvement.
AHRQ’s Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit was developed to help primary care practices assess and make changes to improve communication with and support for patients. Twelve diverse primary care practices implemented assigned tools over a 6-month period. Qualitative results revealed challenges practices experienced during implementation, including competing demands, bureaucratic hurdles, technological challenges, limited quality improvement experience, and limited leadership support.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Mabachi NM, Cifuentes M, Barnard J .
Demonstration of the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit: lessons for quality improvement.
J Ambul Care Manage 2016 Jul-Sep;39(3):199-208. doi: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000102..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Quality Improvement, Tools & Toolkits, Primary Care, Clinician-Patient Communication
Press VG, Arora VM, Trela KC
Effectiveness of interventions to teach metered-dose and diskus inhaler techniques. A randomized trial.
This study evaluated the relative effects of two different educational strategies (teach-to-goal instruction vs. brief verbal instruction) in adults hospitalized with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It concluded that, Acute care events were less common among teach-to-goal participants than brief intervention participants at 30 days (17 percent vs. 36 percent,), but not at 90 days.
AHRQ-funded; HS016967.
Citation: Press VG, Arora VM, Trela KC .
Effectiveness of interventions to teach metered-dose and diskus inhaler techniques. A randomized trial.
Ann Am Thorac Soc 2016 Jun;13(6):816-24. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201509-603OC.
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Keywords: Asthma, Respiratory Conditions, Comparative Effectiveness, Health Literacy, Medication
Yun K, Paul P, Subedi P
Help-seeking behavior and health care navigation by Bhutanese refugees.
The objective of this study was to document barriers to care, help-seeking behaviors, and the impact of a community-based patient navigation intervention on patient activation levels among Bhutanese refugees in the U.S. Following the intervention, only one-third reported the lowest level of patient activation and one-third were highly activated. Bhutanese refugees overcome healthcare access barriers by seeking help from a network of support that begins within the community.
AHRQ-funded; HS021706.
Citation: Yun K, Paul P, Subedi P .
Help-seeking behavior and health care navigation by Bhutanese refugees.
J Community Health 2016 Jun;41(3):526-34. doi: 10.1007/s10900-015-0126-x.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Cultural Competence, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Literacy, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Bishop WP, Craddock Lee SJ, Skinner CS
Validity of single-item screening for limited health literacy in English and Spanish speakers.
The researchers evaluated 3 single-item screening measures for limited health literacy in a community-based population of English and Spanish speakers. They found that for English speakers, no difference was seen among the items. For Spanish speakers, "ability to read" identified inadequate literacy better than "help reading hospital materials."
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Bishop WP, Craddock Lee SJ, Skinner CS .
Validity of single-item screening for limited health literacy in English and Spanish speakers.
Am J Public Health 2016 May;106(5):889-92. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2016.303092.
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Keywords: Cultural Competence, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Literacy
Brach C
AHRQ Author: Brach C
Even in an emergency, doctors must make informed consent an informed choice.
When a stroke is suspected, a daughter is pressured to consent to her father's treatment without fully understanding the risks.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Brach C .
Even in an emergency, doctors must make informed consent an informed choice.
Health Aff 2016 Apr;35(4):739-43. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1407.
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Keywords: Case Study, Shared Decision Making, Emergency Department, Health Literacy, Patient and Family Engagement, Stroke
Burgette JM, Lee JY, Baker AD
Is dental utilization associated with oral health literacy?
The objectives of this study were to examine the pattern of association between dental utilization and oral health literacy (OHL). After adjusting for age, education, race, marital status, self-efficacy, and dental knowledge, multiple linear regression showed that dental utilization was not a significant predictor of OHL.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Burgette JM, Lee JY, Baker AD .
Is dental utilization associated with oral health literacy?
J Dent Res 2016 Feb;95(2):160-6. doi: 10.1177/0022034515617457..
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Healthcare Utilization, Health Literacy
Masnick M, Morgan DJ, Sorkin JD
Lack of patient understanding of hospital-acquired infection data published on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare Website.
This study assessed the interpretability of hospital-acquired infection (HAI) data as presented on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare website among patients who might benefit from access to these data. It concluded that current public HAI data presentation methods may be inadequate. When presented with numeric HAI data, study participants incorrectly compared hospitals on the basis of HAI data in more than 40% of the responses.
AHRQ-funded; HS018111.
Citation: Masnick M, Morgan DJ, Sorkin JD .
Lack of patient understanding of hospital-acquired infection data published on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare Website.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016 Feb;37(2):182-7. doi: 10.1017/ice.2015.260.
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Keywords: Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI), Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Literacy, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Arcia A, Suero-Tejeda N, Bales ME
Sometimes more is more: iterative participatory design of infographics for engagement of community members with varying levels of health literacy.
The study objective was to collaborate with community members to develop tailored infographics that support comprehension of health information, engage the viewer, and may have the potential to motivate health-promoting behaviors. It concluded that carefully designed infographics can be useful tools to support comprehension and thus help patients engage with their own health data.
AHRQ-funded; HS019853; HS022961
Citation: Arcia A, Suero-Tejeda N, Bales ME .
Sometimes more is more: iterative participatory design of infographics for engagement of community members with varying levels of health literacy.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2016 Jan;23(1):174-83. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv079.
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Keywords: Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Literacy, Health Promotion, Patient and Family Engagement, Web-Based
Weiss BD, Brega AG, LeBlanc WG
AHRQ Author: Brach C
Improving the effectiveness of medication review: guidance from the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit.
The objective of this study was to determine whether the medication review tool in AHRQ’s Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit can help to improve medication reviews in primary care practices. It found that eEvaluation before and after implementation revealed a 3-fold increase in the percentage of patients who brought all their prescription medications and a 6-fold increase in the number of prescription medications brought to office visits.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290200710008.
Citation: Weiss BD, Brega AG, LeBlanc WG .
Improving the effectiveness of medication review: guidance from the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit.
J Am Board Fam Med 2016 Jan-Feb;29(1):18-23. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2016.01.150163.
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Keywords: Health Literacy, Medication, Primary Care, Tools & Toolkits
Mirsky JB, Tieu L, Lyles C
Readability assessment of patient-provider electronic messages in a primary care setting.
The purpose of this study was to generate hypotheses about the readability of patient and provider electronic messages. It found that patients used more words in their initial e-mails compared to providers, but the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Levels (FKGLs) were similar, and 68 percent of provider messages were written below an FKGL = 8.
AHRQ-funded; HS023558; HS022408.
Citation: Mirsky JB, Tieu L, Lyles C .
Readability assessment of patient-provider electronic messages in a primary care setting.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2016 Jan;23(1):202-6. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv087.
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Keywords: Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Literacy, Primary Care, Clinician-Patient Communication