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- Access to Care (1)
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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
1 to 9 of 9 Research Studies DisplayedFraze TK, Beidler LB, De Marchis EH
"Beyond just a supplement": administrators' visions for the future of virtual primary care services.
The purpose of this study was to examine what health care organization administrators think about the future of virtual primary care services post-pandemic. In March-April 2021, the administrators of 17 health care organizations participated in semistructured qualitative phone interviews. The researchers explored how the administrators thought their organizations would offer virtual services after the pandemic. The study found that all the participants anticipated that their organization’s virtual primary care services would exist after the pandemic, with the main goals of 1) optimizing medical services; 2) enhancing the patient experience; and 3) increasing loyalty among patients, and the primary motivation being to remain competitive and financial solvency. The researchers concluded that administrators of health care organizations are examining how virtual services can continue after the pandemic, and what roles they will play in the delivery of services.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Fraze TK, Beidler LB, De Marchis EH .
"Beyond just a supplement": administrators' visions for the future of virtual primary care services.
J Am Board Fam Med 2022 May-Jun;35(3):527-36. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.03.210479..
Keywords: Primary Care, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Healthcare Delivery, COVID-19
Misra-Hebert AD, Hu B, Pantalone KM
Primary care health care use for patients with type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study sought to examine factors associated with total and virtual primary care use for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used electronic medical records in the Cleveland Clinic Health System comparing prepandemic use from August 2019 to March 2020 (baseline period 0) to two pandemic periods: March to June 2020 (period 1) when in-person visits were converted to virtual; and July to November 2020 when in-person visits resumed (period 2). Demographic characteristics were obtained including age, sex, race, insurance type, median income estimated by zip code and baseline HbA1C. The study included 76,015 patients with T2D who completed a primary care visit in baseline period 0. Cohort median age was 66.2 years, 50.7% women, 21.7% Black, 71.0% White and 7.4 Other. Insurance distribution was 43.2% private, 46.5% Medicare, and 9.5% Medicaid. Median income was estimated at $59,000 and baseline HbA1C was ≤ 7% for 59.6% of patients. There were higher odds of Black patients, those with uncontrolled T2D, and those with Medicare and Medicare using virtual visits during the 2 postpandemic periods suggesting that virtual visits may be a preference for those groups. Older and male patients had lower odds of visit completion.
AHRQ-funded; HS024128.
Citation: Misra-Hebert AD, Hu B, Pantalone KM .
Primary care health care use for patients with type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Diabetes Care 2021 Sep;44(9):e173-e74. doi: 10.2337/dc21-0853..
Keywords: COVID-19, Diabetes, Primary Care, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Healthcare Delivery, Access to Care, Chronic Conditions
Bhargava R, Gayre G, Huang J
Patient e-visit use and outcomes for common symptoms in an integrated health care delivery system.
The authors evaluated patients’ adoption and success of primary care e-visits by monitoring the 7-day follow-up care needed within an integrated health care delivery system. They found that e-visits offered quick, safe patient access to virtual health care for specific conditions without needing a scheduled visit, transportation, or time off of work. Their results suggested that a predominance of e-visits delivered clinical care successfully without follow-up visits or messages.
AHRQ-funded; HS25189.
Citation: Bhargava R, Gayre G, Huang J .
Patient e-visit use and outcomes for common symptoms in an integrated health care delivery system.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Mar;4(3):e212174. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.2174..
Keywords: Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery
Cohen DJ, Wyte-Lake T, Dorr DA
Unmet information needs of clinical teams delivering care to complex patients and design strategies to address those needs.
The authors sought to identify the unmet information needs of clinical teams delivering care to patients with complex medical, social, and economic needs, and to propose principles for redesigning electronic health records (EHR) to address these needs. They concluded that developing EHR tools that are simple, accessible, easy to use, and able to be updated by a range of professionals is critical. They recommended that the identified information needs and design principles inform developers and implementers working in community health centers and other settings where complex patients receive care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023324.
Citation: Cohen DJ, Wyte-Lake T, Dorr DA .
Unmet information needs of clinical teams delivering care to complex patients and design strategies to address those needs.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2020 May;27(5):690-99. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa010..
Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Teams, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Social Determinants of Health, Community-Based Practice, Primary Care
Golberstein E, Joseph JM, Druss BG
The use of psychiatric econsults in primary care.
This study examined the use of an electronic consultation tool (eConsult) by primary care physicians (PCPs) with psychiatrists. The authors investigated the use of psychiatric eConsults in a large integrated delivery system in Minnesota (Allina Health). The tool was introduced in 22 of its primary care clinics on August 1, 2015. Patients had no fee and psychiatrists received 0.75 work relative value units for each eConsult. Out of 95,105 encounters across 219 PCPs from August 2015 through December 2016 only 256 (0.27%) had a psychiatric eConsult order. Among 37.606 encounters with a primary mental health diagnosis only 138 (0.37%) had an eConsult order. Anxiety and depressive disorders were the most common diagnosis types for PCP visits without an eConsult order as well as bipolar disorder, but schizophrenia and psychotic disorder diagnoses were more common with eConsult orders. Over half of eConsults were for medication-related issues, 33% for a specific mental health diagnosis, and 15% for psychiatry without any details. Most PCPs (63%) never ordered an eConsult but the top ten users of eConsults accounted for 46% of the total orders.
AHRQ-funded; HS025245.
Citation: Golberstein E, Joseph JM, Druss BG .
The use of psychiatric econsults in primary care.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Feb;35(2):616-17. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05048-w..
Keywords: Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Behavioral Health, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery
Knox M, Murphy EJ, Leslie T
e-Consult implementation success: lessons from 5 county-based delivery systems.
This study evaluated organizational factors for e-consult implementation across five publicly financed, county-based health systems in California. Health system leaders whose systems received grant funding to plan and implement e-consult were interviewed to discuss platform selection, electronic health record compatibility, primary care clinician and specialist opinions, and project governance. Findings showed that three of the 5 systems successfully implemented e-consults. Existing primary care clinician-specialist relationships emerged as the strongest facilitator. E-consult-EHR technology integration was also important. These findings add to existing e-consult implementation literature that emphasizes reimbursement and leadership champions.
AHRQ-funded; HS022241.
Citation: Knox M, Murphy EJ, Leslie T .
e-Consult implementation success: lessons from 5 county-based delivery systems.
Am J Manag Care 2020 Jan;26(1):e21-e27. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2020.42149..
Keywords: Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Healthcare Delivery, Implementation, Primary Care, Ambulatory Care and Surgery
Bailey SR, Heintzman JD, Marino M
Smoking-cessation assistance: before and after stage 1 meaningful use implementation.
This study examined whether smoking status assessment, cessation assistance, and odds of being a current smoker changed after Stage 1 Meaningful Use (MU) implementation. Its findings suggest that incentives for MU of electronic health records increase the odds of smoking assessment and cessation assistance, which could lead to decreased smoking rates among vulnerable populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS021522.
Citation: Bailey SR, Heintzman JD, Marino M .
Smoking-cessation assistance: before and after stage 1 meaningful use implementation.
Am J Prev Med 2017 Aug;53(2):192-200. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.02.006.
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Keywords: Behavioral Health, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Healthcare Delivery, Primary Care, Tobacco Use
Phillips RL, Jr., Bazemore AW, DeVoe JE
A family medicine health technology strategy for achieving the triple aim for US health care.
To inform the Family Medicine for America's Health (FMAHealth) initiative, this paper explores strategies and tactics that family medicine could pursue to improve the utility of technology for primary care and to help primary care become a leader in rapid development, testing, and implementation of new technologies. These strategies were also designed with a broader stakeholder audience in mind, intending to reach beyond the work being done by FMAHealth.
AHRQ-funded; HS022583.
Citation: Phillips RL, Jr., Bazemore AW, DeVoe JE .
A family medicine health technology strategy for achieving the triple aim for US health care.
Fam Med 2015 Sep;47(8):628-35.
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Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Healthcare Delivery, Primary Care, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Jones JB, Weiner JP, Shah NR
The wired patient: patterns of electronic patient portal use among patients with cardiac disease or diabetes.
The researchers described the types and patterns of portal users in an integrated delivery system. They found naturally occurring groups of EHR Web portal users within a population of adult primary care patients with chronic conditions. More than half of the patient cohort exhibited distinct patterns of portal use linked to key features.
AHRQ-funded; HS016228.
Citation: Jones JB, Weiner JP, Shah NR .
The wired patient: patterns of electronic patient portal use among patients with cardiac disease or diabetes.
J Med Internet Res 2015 Feb 20;17(2):e42. doi: 10.2196/jmir.3157..
Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Chronic Conditions