National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Topics
- Access to Care (2)
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
- Adverse Events (2)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (1)
- Communication (1)
- COVID-19 (1)
- Dialysis (1)
- Disparities (3)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (3)
- Evidence-Based Practice (2)
- Healthcare Costs (2)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (3)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (4)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Kidney Disease and Health (6)
- Medical Errors (1)
- Medication (3)
- Medication: Safety (2)
- Mortality (3)
- Obesity (1)
- Outcomes (2)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (4)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Patient Safety (1)
- Policy (3)
- Prevention (1)
- Provider (1)
- Provider: Pharmacist (2)
- Provider: Physician (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (4)
- Registries (5)
- Respiratory Conditions (1)
- Risk (2)
- Shared Decision Making (8)
- Sickle Cell Disease (1)
- Surgery (3)
- Telehealth (2)
- (-) Transplantation (22)
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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 22 of 22 Research Studies DisplayedThorsness R, Wang V, Patzer RE
Association of social risk factors with home dialysis and kidney transplant rates in dialysis facilities.
This study examines rates of home dialysis and transplant at dialysis facilities that serve patients with high social risk to understand how they fare under the End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices Model.
AHRQ-funded; HS028285.
Citation: Thorsness R, Wang V, Patzer RE .
Association of social risk factors with home dialysis and kidney transplant rates in dialysis facilities.
JAMA 2021 Dec 14;326(22):2323-25. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.18372..
Keywords: Dialysis, Kidney Disease and Health, Transplantation, Risk
Krissberg JR, Kaufmann MB, Gupta A
Racial disparities in pediatric kidney transplantation under the new Kidney Allocation System in the United States.
This study aimed to assess how implementation of the 2014 Kidney Allocation System (KAS) affected racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric kidney transplantation access and related outcomes. The authors performed a retrospective cohort study of children <18 years of age active on the kidney transplant list from 2008 to 2019 using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Results found that all children experienced longer wait times from activation to transplantation post-KAS. Although they found that Black and Hispanic children and other children of color experienced longer times from activation to transplant compared with White children in both eras; this finding was largely attenuated after multivariable analysis. Multivariable analysis also showed that racial and ethnic disparities in time from dialysis initiation to transplantation in the pre-KAS era were lessened in the post-KAS era. No disparities were found in odds of delayed graft function, however Black and Hispanic children experienced longer times with a functioning graft in the post-KAS era.
AHRQ-funded; HS026128.
Citation: Krissberg JR, Kaufmann MB, Gupta A .
Racial disparities in pediatric kidney transplantation under the new Kidney Allocation System in the United States.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2021 Dec; 16(12):1862-71. doi: 10.2215/cjn.06740521..
Keywords: Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Kidney Disease and Health, Transplantation
Valbuena VSM, Obayemi JE, Purnell TS
Gender and racial disparities in the transplant surgery workforce.
This review explores trends in the United States (US) transplant surgery workforce with a focus on historical demographics, post-fellowship job market, and quality of life reported by transplant surgeons. Ongoing efforts to improve women and racial/ethnic minority representation in transplant surgery are highlighted in this paper. Future directions to create a transplant workforce that reflects the diversity of the US population are discussed.
AHRQ-funded; HS024600; HS000053.
Citation: Valbuena VSM, Obayemi JE, Purnell TS .
Gender and racial disparities in the transplant surgery workforce.
Curr Opin Organ Transplant 2021 Oct 1;26(5):560-66. doi: 10.1097/mot.0000000000000915..
Keywords: Workforce, Provider: Physician, Transplantation, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Taber DJ, Fleming JN, Su Z
Significant hospitalization cost savings to the payer with a pharmacist-led mobile health intervention to improve medication safety in kidney transplant recipients.
This paper examined hospitalization cost savings to the payer with a pharmacist-led mobile health intervention to improve medication safety in kidney transplant recipients. This study was an economic analysis of a 12-month, parallel arm, randomized controlled trial in adult kidney recipients 6 to 36 months posttransplant (NCT03247322). All participants received usual posttransplant care, while the intervention arm received supplemental clinical pharmacist-led medication therapy monitoring and management, via a smartphone-enabled mHealth app, integrated with risk-based televisits.
AHRQ-funded; HS023754.
Citation: Taber DJ, Fleming JN, Su Z .
Significant hospitalization cost savings to the payer with a pharmacist-led mobile health intervention to improve medication safety in kidney transplant recipients.
Am J Transplant 2021 Oct;21(10):3428-35. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16737..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Provider: Pharmacist, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Transplantation, Hospitalization, Medication: Safety, Medication
Purnell TS, Simpson DC, Callender CO
Dismantling structural racism as a root cause of racial disparities in COVID-19 and transplantation.
As the United States faces unparalleled challenges due to COVID-19, racial disparities in health and healthcare have once again taken center stage. If effective interventions to address racial disparities in transplantation, including those magnified by COVID-19, are to be designed and implemented at the national level, it is first critical to understand the complex mechanisms by which structural, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized racism influence the presence of racial disparities in healthcare and transplantation. IN this article the authors discuss their viewpoint.
AHRQ-funded; HS024600.
Citation: Purnell TS, Simpson DC, Callender CO .
Dismantling structural racism as a root cause of racial disparities in COVID-19 and transplantation.
Am J Transplant 2021 Jul;21(7):2327-32. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16543..
Keywords: COVID-19, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Transplantation, Surgery, Access to Care
Chu S, Bruin MJ, McKinney WT
Design of a patient-centered decision support tool when selecting an organ transplant center.
Patients in the US in need of a life-saving organ transplant must complete a long process of medical decisions, and a first step is to identify a transplant center to complete an evaluation. This study described a patient-centered process of testing and refinement of a new website (www.transplantcentersearch.org) that was developed to provide data to patients who are seeking a transplant center.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379; HS024527.
Citation: Chu S, Bruin MJ, McKinney WT .
Design of a patient-centered decision support tool when selecting an organ transplant center.
PLoS One 2021 May 17;16(5):e0251102. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251102..
Keywords: Transplantation, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Shared Decision Making, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Gonzales HM, Fleming JN, Gebregziabher M
Pharmacist-led mobile health intervention and transplant medication safety: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
The goal of this study was to examine the efficacy of improving medication safety through a pharmacist-led, mobile health-based intervention. In this single-center study of adult kidney recipients 6-36 months post-transplant, findings showed that participants receiving the intervention experienced a significant reduction in medication errors and a significantly lower incidence risk of Grade 3 or higher adverse events. The intervention arm also demonstrated significantly lower rates of hospitalizations.
AHRQ-funded; HS023754.
Citation: Gonzales HM, Fleming JN, Gebregziabher M .
Pharmacist-led mobile health intervention and transplant medication safety: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2021 May 8;16(5):776-84. doi: 10.2215/cjn.15911020..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety, Transplantation, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Provider: Pharmacist, Provider, Medical Errors, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events
Schaffhausen CR, Bruin MJ, Chu S
Designing a liver transplant patient and family decision support tool for organ offer decisions.
For liver transplant candidates on the waiting list, deciding to accept a donor organ with known or potential risk factors can be stressful and can lead to declined offers. Current education for patients and family often takes place during transplant evaluations and can be overwhelming and result in low retention and poor understanding of donor quality. In this study, the investigators sought to understand provider experiences when counseling patients about donor risks and donor offers.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379; HS024527.
Citation: Schaffhausen CR, Bruin MJ, Chu S .
Designing a liver transplant patient and family decision support tool for organ offer decisions.
Transplant Direct 2021 May;7(5):e695. doi: 10.1097/txd.0000000000001140..
Keywords: Transplantation, Shared Decision Making, Education: Patient and Caregiver
Schulz GL, Kelly KP, Holtmann M
Navigating decisional conflict as a family when facing the decision of stem cell transplant for a child or adolescent with sickle cell disease.
Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) face unpredictable disease, with stem cell transplant being a curative treatment option with risks. The aim of this study was to describe the level and source of decisional conflict in families of children/adolescents with SCD facing a transplant decision. The investigators concluded that varying levels and sources of decisional conflict existed in pediatric patients with SCD and their families considering transplant.
AHRQ-funded; HS022140.
Citation: Schulz GL, Kelly KP, Holtmann M .
Navigating decisional conflict as a family when facing the decision of stem cell transplant for a child or adolescent with sickle cell disease.
Patient Educ Couns 2021 May;104(5):1086-93. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2020.10.011..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Sickle Cell Disease, Chronic Conditions, Transplantation, Shared Decision Making
Bae S, Johnson M, Massie AB
Mortality and access to kidney transplantation in patients with sickle cell disease-associated kidney failure.
Patients with sickle cell disease-associated kidney failure have high mortality, which might be lowered by kidney transplantation. However, because they show higher post-transplant mortality compared with patients with other kidney failure etiologies, kidney transplantation remains controversial in this population. In this study, the investigators aimed to quantify the decrease in mortality associated with transplantation in this population and determine the chance of receiving transplantation with sickle cell disease as the cause of kidney failure as compared with other etiologies of kidney failure.
AHRQ-funded; HS024600.
Citation: Bae S, Johnson M, Massie AB .
Mortality and access to kidney transplantation in patients with sickle cell disease-associated kidney failure.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2021 Mar 8;16(3):407-14. doi: 10.2215/cjn.02720320..
Keywords: Transplantation, Access to Care, Kidney Disease and Health, Mortality
Pennington KM, Dykhoff HJ, Yao X
The impact of antifungal prophylaxis in lung transplant recipients.
This study evaluated the effect of antifungal prophylaxis on all-cause mortality and invasive fungal infections (IFI) on lung transplant recipients. Administrative claims data was used to identify adult patients who underwent lung transplantation between 2005 and 2018. The authors identified 662 lung transplant recipients. All-cause mortality was found to be significantly lower in those receiving antifungal prophylaxis compared to those who did not. Patients receiving antifungal prophylaxis also had a lower rate of IFI, but it was not statistically significant.
AHRQ-funded; HS025164; HS025402; HS025517; HS024075.
Citation: Pennington KM, Dykhoff HJ, Yao X .
The impact of antifungal prophylaxis in lung transplant recipients.
Ann Am Thorac Soc 2021 Mar;18(3):468-76. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202003-267OC..
Keywords: Transplantation, Surgery, Medication, Prevention, Respiratory Conditions, Mortality, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice
McKinney WT, Schaffhausen CR, Schladt D
Designing a patient-specific search of transplant program performance and outcomes: feedback from heart transplant candidates and recipients.
The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients provides transplant program-specific information, but it is unclear what patients and stakeholders need to know. Acceptance criteria for the candidate waitlist and donor organs vary by program and region, but there is no means to search for programs by the clinical profiles of recipients and donors. The authors examined variability in program-specific characteristics that could influence access to transplantation.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379; HS024527.
Citation: McKinney WT, Schaffhausen CR, Schladt D .
Designing a patient-specific search of transplant program performance and outcomes: feedback from heart transplant candidates and recipients.
Clin Transplant 2021 Feb;35(2):e14183. doi: 10.1111/ctr.14183..
Keywords: Transplantation, Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Registries, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Shared Decision Making
Wang W, Rees MA, Leichtman AB
Deceased donors as nondirected donors in kidney paired donation.
As proof of concept, the investigators simulated a revised kidney allocation system that included deceased donor (DD) kidneys as chain-initiating kidneys (DD-CIK) in a kidney paired donation pool (KPDP) and estimated potential increases in number of transplants. They considered chains of length 2 in which the DD-CIK gave to a candidate in the KPDP, and that candidate's incompatible donor donated to the DD waitlist.
AHRQ-funded; HS020610.
Citation: Wang W, Rees MA, Leichtman AB .
Deceased donors as nondirected donors in kidney paired donation.
Am J Transplant 2021 Jan;21(1):103-13. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16268..
Keywords: Transplantation, Kidney Disease and Health
Kumar K, Holscher CM, Luo X
Persistent regional and racial disparities in nondirected living kidney donation.
Nondirected living donors (NDLDs) are an important and growing source of kidneys to help reduce the organ shortage. The authors of this study hypothesized that the initial geographic clustering and racial disparities may have improved due to an increase in NDLDs. The authors found that despite the increased number of NDLDs, racial disparities have worsened and the center-level distribution of NDLD transplants has narrowed in recent years.
AHRQ-funded; HS024600.
Citation: Kumar K, Holscher CM, Luo X .
Persistent regional and racial disparities in nondirected living kidney donation.
Clin Transplant 2017 Dec;31(12). doi: 10.1111/ctr.13135..
Keywords: Disparities, Health Services Research (HSR), Policy, Transplantation, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Henderson ML, Thomas AG, Shaffer A
The national landscape of living kidney donor follow-up in the United States.
The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of the 2013 policy the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing issued. The policy required that transplant centers collect data on living kidney donors (LKDs) at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postdonation, with policy-defined thresholds for the proportion of complete living donor follow-up data submitted in a timely manner (60 days before or after the expected visit date).
AHRQ-funded; HS024600.
Citation: Henderson ML, Thomas AG, Shaffer A .
The national landscape of living kidney donor follow-up in the United States.
Am J Transplant 2017 Dec;17(12):3131-40. doi: 10.1111/ajt.14356..
Keywords: Health Services Research (HSR), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Policy, Registries, Transplantation
Schaffhausen CR, Bruin MJ, Chesley D
What patients and members of their support networks ask about transplant program data.
This study used qualitative document research methods to review 678 detailed Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) entries and summary counts of 55 362 United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) entries to provide a better understanding of what was asked and what requests were most common. Patients sought a wide range of information about outcomes, waiting times, program volumes, and willingness to perform transplants in candidates with specific diseases or demographics.
AHRQ-funded; HS024527.
Citation: Schaffhausen CR, Bruin MJ, Chesley D .
What patients and members of their support networks ask about transplant program data.
Clin Transplant 2017 Dec;31(12). doi: 10.1111/ctr.13125.
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Keywords: Education: Patient and Caregiver, Shared Decision Making, Health Services Research (HSR), Registries, Transplantation
Wey A, Salkowski N, Kasiske BL
Influence of kidney offer acceptance behavior on metrics of allocation efficiency.
This study investigated associations of deceased donor kidney offer acceptance with likelihood of the kidney being discarded, cold ischemia time at transplant (CIT), and likelihood of the kidney being exported outside the donation service area (DSA). The authors suggest that improving lower-than-expected offer acceptance would likely reduce discards, CIT, and exports.
AHRQ-funded; HS024527.
Citation: Wey A, Salkowski N, Kasiske BL .
Influence of kidney offer acceptance behavior on metrics of allocation efficiency.
Clin Transplant 2017 Sep;31(9). doi: 10.1111/ctr.13057..
Keywords: Health Services Research (HSR), Registries, Transplantation
Ashby VB, Leichtman AB, Rees MA
A kidney graft survival calculator that accounts for mismatches in age, sex, HLA, and body size.
Models were adjusted for year of transplant and donor and recipient characteristics, with particular attention to mismatches in age, sex, human leukocyte antigens (HLA), body size, and weight. These models were used to create a calculator of estimated graft survival for living donors. This calculator provides useful information to donors, candidates, and physicians of estimated outcomes and potentially in allowing candidates to choose among several living donors.
AHRQ-funded; HS020610.
Citation: Ashby VB, Leichtman AB, Rees MA .
A kidney graft survival calculator that accounts for mismatches in age, sex, HLA, and body size.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2017 Jul 7;12(7):1148-60. doi: 10.2215/cjn.09330916.
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Keywords: Adverse Events, Shared Decision Making, Registries, Risk, Transplantation
Chang SH, Liu X, Carlsson NP
Reexamining the association of body mass index with overall survival outcomes after liver transplantation.
The purpose of this study is to identify the range of body mass index (BMI) at liver transplantation (LT) associated with the lowest risks of posttransplant mortality by Model of End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) category. It concluded that obesity in LT patients is not necessarily associated with higher posttransplantation mortality and highlighted the importance of the interaction between BMI and MELD category to determine their survival likelihood.
AHRQ-funded; HS022330.
Citation: Chang SH, Liu X, Carlsson NP .
Reexamining the association of body mass index with overall survival outcomes after liver transplantation.
Transplant Direct 2017 Jun 12;3(7):e172. doi: 10.1097/txd.0000000000000681.
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Keywords: Obesity, Transplantation, Mortality, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes
Traino HM, West SM, Nonterah CW
Communicating About Choices in Transplantation (COACH).
This article presents pilot results of the behavioral communication intervention program, Communicating about Choices in Transplantation (COACH), designed to improve transplant candidates' communication about transplantation. The authors indicate that results provided preliminary support for the program's impact. Moreover, participant evaluations of the COACH were overwhelmingly positive. They noted that a more definitive program evaluation with a larger, more diverse sample is currently underway.
AHRQ-funded; HS018113; HS021312.
Citation: Traino HM, West SM, Nonterah CW .
Communicating About Choices in Transplantation (COACH).
Prog Transplant 2017 Mar;27(1):31-38. doi: 10.1177/1526924816679844..
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Shared Decision Making, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Kidney Disease and Health, Transplantation
Rees MA, Dunn TB, Kuhr CS
Kidney exchange to overcome financial barriers to kidney transplantation.
Organ shortage is the major limitation to kidney transplantation in the developed world. This proposal leverages the cost savings achieved through earlier transplantation over dialysis to fund the cost of kidney exchange between developed-world patient-donor pairs with immunological barriers and developing-world patient-donor pairs with financial barriers.
AHRQ-funded; HS020610.
Citation: Rees MA, Dunn TB, Kuhr CS .
Kidney exchange to overcome financial barriers to kidney transplantation.
Am J Transplant 2017 Mar;17(3):782-90. doi: 10.1111/ajt.14106.
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Keywords: Transplantation, Healthcare Costs, Policy, Kidney Disease and Health, Kidney Disease and Health
Raj M, Choi SW, Platt J
A qualitative exploration of the informed consent process in hematopoietic cell transplantation clinical research and opportunities for improvement.
This study found that providers understand informed consent to be a collaborative process requiring engagement and participation of providers, patients and caregivers. 'Markers of success' were identified including cognitive, affective and procedural markers focusing on patient understanding and comfort with the decision to participate. Opportunities for innovating the process included use of decision aids and tablet-based technology, and better use of patient portals.
AHRQ-funded; HS023613.
Citation: Raj M, Choi SW, Platt J .
A qualitative exploration of the informed consent process in hematopoietic cell transplantation clinical research and opportunities for improvement.
Bone Marrow Transplant 2017 Feb;52(2):292-98. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2016.252.
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Keywords: Shared Decision Making, Patient and Family Engagement, Transplantation