National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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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
976 to 995 of 995 Research Studies DisplayedJacob JT, Kasali A, Steinberg JP
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/193758671300701S07
The role of the hospital environment in preventing healthcare-associated infections caused by pathogens transmitted through the air.
This review assesses and synthesizes available evidence in the infection control and healthcare design literature on strategies using the built environment to reduce the transmission of pathogens in the air that cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). It found that current evidence is limited by the complexity of the interactions between pathogens and potential hosts, and in the methods used to assess impact of these strategies.
AHRQ-funded; 290201000024I.
Citation: Jacob JT, Kasali A, Steinberg JP .
The role of the hospital environment in preventing healthcare-associated infections caused by pathogens transmitted through the air.
HERD 2013 Oct;7(1 suppl):74-98..
Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Quality of Care
Denham ME, Kasali A, Steinberg JP
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/193758671300701S08
The role of water in the transmission of healthcare-associated infections: opportunities for intervention through the environment.
The purpose of this review was to assess and synthesize available evidence in the infection control and healthcare design literature on strategies using the built environment to reduce the transmission of pathogens in water that cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). It determined that current evidence clearly identifying the environment’s role in the chain of infection is limited.
AHRQ-funded; 290201000024I.
Citation: Denham ME, Kasali A, Steinberg JP .
The role of water in the transmission of healthcare-associated infections: opportunities for intervention through the environment.
HERD 2013 Oct;7(1 suppl):99-126..
Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Quality of Care
Hall KK, Kamerow DB
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/193758671300701S03
Understanding the role of facility design in the acquisition and prevention of healthcare-associated infections.
The authors characterize the HAI-Design project and discuss briefly each paper in this issue. These papers highlight how the built environment can impact patient safety through the use of a specific and high-impact example: healthcare-associated infections. The overall goal is to identify design strategies that appear to be effective in interrupting pathogen transmission and reducing HAIs.
AHRQ-funded; 290201000024I.
Citation: Hall KK, Kamerow DB .
Understanding the role of facility design in the acquisition and prevention of healthcare-associated infections.
HERD 2013 Oct;7(1 suppl):13-17..
Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Quality of Care
Hong AL, Sawyer MD, Shore A
Decreasing central-line-associated bloodstream infections in Connecticut intensive care units.
This study demonstrated that the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program, a multifaceted approach to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) could be implemented in Connecticut (following successful implementation in Michigan). The program was associated with a reduction in CLABSI rates in Connecticut, even though the State’s baseline CLABSI rate was already low.
AHRQ-funded; 290200600022
Citation: Hong AL, Sawyer MD, Shore A .
Decreasing central-line-associated bloodstream infections in Connecticut intensive care units.
J Healthc Qual. 2013 Sep-Oct;35(5):78-87. doi: 10.1111/j.1945-1474.2012.00210.x..
Keywords: Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI), Patient Safety, Quality of Care
Quigley DD, Martino SC, Brown JA
Evaluating the content of the communication items in the CAHPS clinician and group survey and supplemental items with what high-performing physicians say they do.
The authors examined the content of the CAHPS® Clinician and Group Survey and found that the survey items captured many of the most commonly mentioned doctor-patient communication behaviors and practices identified by high-performing physicians. However, three key aspects of communication--nonverbal communication, greeting patients, and tracking personal information about patients--were not captured by the current survey.
AHRQ-funded; HS016980.
Citation: Quigley DD, Martino SC, Brown JA .
Evaluating the content of the communication items in the CAHPS clinician and group survey and supplemental items with what high-performing physicians say they do.
Patient. 2013;6(3):169-77. doi: 10.1007/s40271-013-0016-1..
Keywords: Communication, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Quality of Care, Clinician-Patient Communication, Provider Performance
Beaubrun AC, Kanda E, Bond TC
Form CMS-2728 data versus erythropoietin claims data: implications for quality of care studies.
The purpose of this study was to compare predialysis erythropoietin-simulating agents (ESA) care reported on Form CMS-2728 with Medicare claims for ESA treatment submitted for patients 67 years and older at initiation of dialysis with Medicare as the primary payer. It found that the agreement between Form CMS-2728 and claims data is poor and discordant results are observed when comparing the use of these data sources to predict health outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Beaubrun AC, Kanda E, Bond TC .
Form CMS-2728 data versus erythropoietin claims data: implications for quality of care studies.
Ren Fail 2013;35(3):320-6. doi: 10.3109/0886022x.2012.747967..
Keywords: Medicare, Data, Elderly, Quality of Care, Kidney Disease and Health
Paez K, Roper RA, Andrews RM
AHRQ Author: Roper RA, Andrews RM
Health information technology and hospital patient safety: a conceptual model to guide research.
The authors developed a conceptual model to guide research in sorting out the complex relationships between health information technology (HIT) and the quality and safety of care. They found the model difficult to operationalize because available HIT adoption data did not characterize features and extent of usage, and patient safety measures did not elucidate the process failures leading to safety-related outcomes. Their findings illustrated the critical need for collecting data that are germane to HIT and the possible mechanisms by which HIT may affect inpatient safety.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Paez K, Roper RA, Andrews RM .
Health information technology and hospital patient safety: a conceptual model to guide research.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2013 Sep;39(9):415-25.
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Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Health Information Technology (HIT), Hospitals, Quality of Care, Patient Safety
Fitzgibbons Jr RJ, Ramanan B, Arya S
Long-term results of a randomized controlled trial of a nonoperative strategy (watchful waiting) for men with minimally symptomatic inguinal hernias.
This study of 254 men with minimally symptomatic inguinal hernia who were assigned to watchful waiting (WW) found that WW is a reasonable and safe strategy. However, the study which followed these patients for up to 11.5 years found that symptoms usually progressed and an operation was eventually needed, with 79 percent of men older than 65 and 62 percent of younger men receiving surgical repair.
AHRQ-funded; HS09860
Citation: Fitzgibbons Jr RJ, Ramanan B, Arya S .
Long-term results of a randomized controlled trial of a nonoperative strategy (watchful waiting) for men with minimally symptomatic inguinal hernias.
Ann Surg. 2013 Sep;258(3):508-15. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e3182a19725..
Keywords: Surgery, Men's Health, Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Shared Decision Making
Wagner LM, McDonald SM, Castle NG
Impact of voluntary accreditation on short-stay rehabilitative measures in U.S. nursing homes.
The purpose of this paper was to examine accreditation from nursing homes accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and whether this is associated with improved rehabilitation care. Findings indicated that CARF-accredited nursing homes demonstrate better quality with regard to the short-stay quality measures and that approaches beyond traditional regulation and governmental inspections are necessary to improve the quality of care in nursing homes.
AHRQ-funded; HS013983.
Citation: Wagner LM, McDonald SM, Castle NG .
Impact of voluntary accreditation on short-stay rehabilitative measures in U.S. nursing homes.
Rehabil Nurs 2013 Jul-Aug;38(4):167-77. doi: 10.1002/rnj.94.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Nursing Homes, Quality Measures, Rehabilitation
Werner RM, Konetzka RT, Kim MM
Quality improvement under nursing home compare: the association between changes in process and outcome measures.
The researchers tested the extent to which improvements in outcomes of care are explained by changes in nursing home processes. Of the 5 outcome measures examined, they found that only improvements in the percentage of nursing home residents in moderate or severe pain were associated with changes in nursing home processes of care. They concluded that understanding the mechanism behind improvements in nursing home outcomes may be key to successfully achieving broad quality improvements across nursing homes.
AHRQ-funded; HS021861.
Citation: Werner RM, Konetzka RT, Kim MM .
Quality improvement under nursing home compare: the association between changes in process and outcome measures.
Med Care 2013 Jul;51(7):582-8. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0b013e31828dbae4.
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Keywords: Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Quality Improvement, Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Provider Performance, Outcomes
Conway PH, Mostashari F, Clancy CM
AHRQ Author: Clancy CM
The future of quality measurement for improvement and accountability.
The authors describe the characteristics of the quality measurement enterprise of the future, outline a potential roadmap for the transition, and identify a set of opportunities for public- and private-sector collaboration.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Conway PH, Mostashari F, Clancy CM .
The future of quality measurement for improvement and accountability.
JAMA 2013 Jun 5;309(21):2215-6. doi: 10.1001/jama.2013.4929.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Policy, Organizational Change, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality of Care
Dimick J, Ruhter J, Sarrazin MV
Black patients more likely than whites to undergo surgery at low-quality hospitals in segregated regions.
The authors assessed the extent to which living in racially segregated areas and living in geographic proximity to low-quality hospitals contribute to the disparity of black patients undergoing surgery at lower-quality hospitals more frequently than whites. Using Medicare data, they found that black patients tended to live closer to higher-quality hospitals than white patients but were more likely to receive surgery at low-quality hospitals. To address these disparities, care navigators and public reporting of comparative quality could steer patients and their referring physicians to higher-quality hospitals, while quality improvement efforts could focus on improving outcomes for high-risk surgery at hospitals that disproportionately serve black patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS017765.
Citation: Dimick J, Ruhter J, Sarrazin MV .
Black patients more likely than whites to undergo surgery at low-quality hospitals in segregated regions.
Health Aff 2013 Jun;32(6):1046-53. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2011.1365.
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Keywords: Disparities, Quality of Care, Hospitals, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Surgery
Clancy C
AHRQ Author: Clancy C
AHRQ: CUSP – scaling up a safety framework.
In this article, the author describes the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program, or CUSP, toolkit and its role in addressing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and other patient safety factors. The author outlines the components of the core CUSP toolkit which help clinicians: learn about CUSP, assemble the team, engage senior executives, understand the science of safety, identify defects through “sensemaking”, implement teamwork and communications and apply CUSP.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Clancy C .
AHRQ: CUSP – scaling up a safety framework.
Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare 2013 May/Jun..
Keywords: Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP), Quality of Care, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Teams
McNellis RJ, Genevro JL, Meyers DS
AHRQ Author: McNellis RJ, Genevro JL, Meyers DS
Lessons learned from the study of primary care transformation.
This article discusses the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model. The authors conclude that the transformation of primary care is essential to achieving the triple aim of better outcomes, better value, and better experience of care, and that the PCMH may be the most viable solution in the current health care environment.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: McNellis RJ, Genevro JL, Meyers DS .
Lessons learned from the study of primary care transformation.
Ann Fam Med 2013 May-Jun;11 Suppl 1:S1-5. doi: 10.1370/afm.1548.
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Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Pesis-Katz I, Phelps CE, Temkin-Greener H
AHRQ Author: Spector WD
Making difficult decisions: the role of quality of care in choosing a nursing home.
The authors investigated how quality of care affects nursing home choice. They examined choices in California, Ohio, New York, and Texas, in 2001. They found that, in all states, consumers were more likely to choose nursing homes of high hotel services quality but not clinical care quality; choice was also significantly associated with shorter distance from prior residence, not-for-profit status, and larger facility size.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Pesis-Katz I, Phelps CE, Temkin-Greener H .
Making difficult decisions: the role of quality of care in choosing a nursing home.
Am J Public Health 2013 May;103(5):e31-7. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2013.301243.
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Keywords: Shared Decision Making, Quality of Care, Nursing Homes, Provider Performance, Quality of Life
Kleinman LC, Dougherty D
AHRQ Author: Dougherty D
Assessing quality improvement in health care: theory for practice.
The authors reviewed the role of theory as a means to enhance the practice of quality improvement (QI) research and to propose a novel conceptual model focused on the operations of health care. They concluded that such a theory can promote opportunities for moving the field forward and organizing the planning and interpretation of comparable studies.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Kleinman LC, Dougherty D .
Assessing quality improvement in health care: theory for practice.
Pediatrics 2013 Mar;131 Suppl 1:S110-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.2012-1427n.
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Keywords: Quality Improvement, Healthcare Delivery, Organizational Change, Quality of Care, Health Services Research (HSR)
Clancy CM, Moy E
AHRQ Author: Clancy CM, Moy E
Commentary: measuring what matters most.
The authors discuss a Milbank Quarterly best practices article by Frank and Haw and how it relates to AHRQ's National Healthcare Disparities Report, concluding that helping policymakers glean the information they most need from an overload of data noise will improve the chances that critical disparities can be recognized, targeted, and eliminated.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Clancy CM, Moy E .
Commentary: measuring what matters most.
Milbank Q 2013 Mar;91(1):201-4. doi: 10.1111/milq.12008.
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Keywords: Disparities, Quality of Care, Health Status, Policy, Social Determinants of Health
Lobach DF, Kawamoto K, Anstrom KJ
A randomized trial of population-based clinical decision support to manage health and resource use for Medicaid beneficiaries.
This study tested the impact of 3 clinical decision support modalities (emails to care managers, printed reports to clinic administrators, and letters to patients) on the use and cost of medical services for Medicaid patients. It found that some modalities can significantly reduce emergency department use and medical costs, while other interventions may have had detrimental consequences.
AHRQ-funded; HS015057
Citation: Lobach DF, Kawamoto K, Anstrom KJ .
A randomized trial of population-based clinical decision support to manage health and resource use for Medicaid beneficiaries.
J Med Syst. 2013 Feb;37(1):9922. doi: 10.1007/s10916-012-9922-3..
Keywords: Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Medicaid, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Quality of Care
Dixon BE, Rosenman M, Xia Y
A vision for the systematic monitoring and improvement of the quality of electronic health data.
In order to more systematically define, characterize and improve electronic health data quality, the authors propose a novel framework for health data stewardship. Their framework is adapted from prior data quality research outside of health, but it has been reshaped to apply a systems approach to data quality with an emphasis on health outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS020909.
Citation: Dixon BE, Rosenman M, Xia Y .
A vision for the systematic monitoring and improvement of the quality of electronic health data.
Stud Health Technol Inform 2013;192:884-8..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Taylor EF, Machta RM, Meyers DS
AHRQ Author: Meyers DS, Genevro J
Enhancing the primary care team to provide redesigned care: the roles of practice facilitators and care managers.
This article discusses how practice facilitators and care managers can play important but distinct roles in redesigning and improving care delivery in order to deliver coordinated, accessible, comprehensive, and patient-centered care.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Taylor EF, Machta RM, Meyers DS .
Enhancing the primary care team to provide redesigned care: the roles of practice facilitators and care managers.
Ann Fam Med 2013 Jan-Feb;11(1):80-3. doi: 10.1370/afm.1462.
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Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care