National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 4 of 4 Research Studies DisplayedMcHugh M, Heinrich J, Philbin S
Declining participation in primary care quality improvement research: a qualitative study.
This qualitative study’s aim was to identify factors leading primary care practices to decline participation in quality initiative (QI) projects, and strategies to improve the feasibility and attractiveness of QI projects in the future. The authors contacted 109 representatives of practices that had declined participation in 1 of 4 AHRQ-funded EvidenceNOW projects. The representatives were invited to either participate in a 15-minute interview or complete a 5-question questionnaire. Representatives from 31 practices responded. Reasons for declining included staff turnover, staffing shortages, and general time constraints, exacerbated by the pandemic, preventing participation in the QI projects. Secondary reasons included challenges with electronic health records, an expectation of greater financial compensation for participation, and confidence in the practices' current care practices. Tying participation to value-based programs and offering greater compensation were identified as strategies to facilitate recruitment. However, none of the respondents’ recommendations addressed the primary issues of staffing challenges and time constraints.
AHRQ-funded; HS027954.
Citation: McHugh M, Heinrich J, Philbin S .
Declining participation in primary care quality improvement research: a qualitative study.
Ann Fam Med 2023 Sep-Oct; 21(5):388-94. doi: 10.1370/afm.3007..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Practice Improvement, Organizational Change, Evidence-Based Practice
Rafferty M, Stoff L, Smith JD
Promoting evidence-based practice: the influence of novel structural change to accelerate translational rehabilitation.
The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in clinicians' use of evidence-based practice (EBP), openness toward EBP, and acceptance of organizational changes after a rehabilitation hospital transitioned to a new facility designed to accelerate clinician-researcher collaborations. Clinicians participated in three surveys before, 7-9 months, and 2.5 years after transition to the new facility. Results indicated that attitudes toward EBPs were similar over time. Acceptance of the new model of care was lowest during the second survey period. The authors concluded that organizations must be responsive to clinicians' changing concerns to adapt and sustain a collaborative translational medicine model and allow sufficient time for such transitions to occur.
AHRQ-funded; HS025077.
Citation: Rafferty M, Stoff L, Smith JD .
Promoting evidence-based practice: the influence of novel structural change to accelerate translational rehabilitation.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2023 Aug; 104(8):1289-99. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2023.02.014..
Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Organizational Change
Sorra J, Zebrak K, Yount N
Development and pilot testing of survey items to assess the culture of value and efficiency in hospitals and medical offices.
Given rising costs and changing payment models, healthcare organisations are increasingly focused on value and efficiency. The goal of this study was to develop survey items to assess clinician and staff perspectives about the extent to which the organizational culture in hospitals and medical offices supports value and efficiency. The investigators concluded when added to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Surveys on Patient Safety Culture, the item sets they developed extended those surveys by assessing additional dimensions of organizational culture that affect care delivery.
AHRQ-funded; 290201000025I.
Citation: Sorra J, Zebrak K, Yount N .
Development and pilot testing of survey items to assess the culture of value and efficiency in hospitals and medical offices.
BMJ Qual Saf 2022 Jul;31(7):493-502. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2020-012407..
Keywords: Surveys on Patient Safety Culture, Organizational Change
Zebrak K, Yount N, Sorra J
Development, pilot study, and psychometric analysis of the AHRQ Surveys on Patient Safety Culture™ (SOPS(®)) workplace safety supplemental items for hospitals.
The purpose of this AHRQ-funded study was to develop and test survey items that can be utilized together with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Surveys on Patient Safety Culture™ (SOPS(®)) Hospital Survey to evaluate how hospitals’ organizational cultures support workplace safety for both providers and staff. Based on a literature review and qualitative interviews with experts in workplace safety, the researchers identified prime areas of workplace safety culture (workplace hazards, moving patients, workplace aggression, management support for workplace safety, workplace safety reporting, and work stress or burnout) and drafted survey items to evaluate these areas. The survey items were then pilot tested on providers and staff in 28 U.S. hospitals using the SOPS Hospital Survey 2.0. Data from 6,684 respondents was analyzed and demonstrated conceptual convergence among the survey measures. The researchers concluded that both researchers and hospitals can utilize the Workplace Safety Supplemental items to evaluate the dimensions of organizational culture that support provider and staff safety and to pinpoint organizational strengths and areas for improvement.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500026I.
Citation: Zebrak K, Yount N, Sorra J .
Development, pilot study, and psychometric analysis of the AHRQ Surveys on Patient Safety Culture™ (SOPS(®)) workplace safety supplemental items for hospitals.
Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Jun 2;19(11). doi: 10.3390/ijerph19116815..
Keywords: Surveys on Patient Safety Culture, Patient Safety, Hospitals, Organizational Change