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
1 to 10 of 10 Research Studies DisplayedHegland TA, Owens PL, Selden TM
AHRQ Author: Hegland TA, Owens PL, Selden TM
New evidence on geographic disparities in United States hospital capacity.
The purpose of this study was to describe hospital capacity across the United States. The researchers combined American Hospital Association Survey, Hospital Compare, and American Community Survey data with the 2017 near-census of U.S. hospital inpatient discharges from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). The study found that 0.11 more beds per 1000 population were supplied to zip codes where Non-Hispanic individuals live than zip codes where non-Hispanic White individuals live. However, the hospitals supplying this capacity have 0.36 fewer staff per bed and perform worse on many care quality measures. Zip codes in the most urban parts of America have the least hospital capacity (2.11 beds per 1000 persons) from across the rural-urban continuum. While more rural areas have higher capacity levels, urban areas have advantages in staff and capital per bed. The researchers did not find systematic differences in care quality between rural and urban areas. The study concluded that lower hospital care quality and resource intensity plays a key role in racial, ethnic, and income disparities in hospital care related outcomes.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hegland TA, Owens PL, Selden TM .
New evidence on geographic disparities in United States hospital capacity.
Health Serv Res 2022 Oct;57(5):1006-19. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14010..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Disparities, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Waters TM, Burns N, Kaplan CM
Combined impact of medicare's hospital pay for performance programs on quality and safety outcomes is mixed.
The authors examined the combined impact of Medicare's pay for performance (P4P) programs on clinical areas and populations targeted by the programs, as well as those outside their focus. Using HCUP data, and consistent with previous studies for individual programs, they detected minimal, if any, effect of Medicare's hospital P4P programs on quality and safety. They recommended a redesigning of the P4P programs before continuing to expand them.
AHRQ-funded; HS025148.
Citation: Waters TM, Burns N, Kaplan CM .
Combined impact of medicare's hospital pay for performance programs on quality and safety outcomes is mixed.
BMC Health Serv Res 2022 Jul 28;22(1):958. doi: 10.1186/s12913-022-08348-w..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Medicare, Payment, Provider Performance, Hospitals, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient Safety
Jiang HJ, Fingar KR, Liang L
AHRQ Author: Jiang HJ, Liang L
Quality of care before and after mergers and acquisitions of rural hospitals.
Researchers sought to examine changes in quality of care for patients at rural hospitals that merged compared with those that remained independent. Using HCUP data, they found that rural hospital mergers were associated with better mortality outcomes for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hip fracture, and pneumonia. They concluded that their finding is important to enhancing rural health care and reducing urban-rural disparities in quality of care.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201800001C.
Citation: Jiang HJ, Fingar KR, Liang L .
Quality of care before and after mergers and acquisitions of rural hospitals.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Sep;4(9):e2124662. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.24662..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitals, Rural Health, Quality of Care
Jacobs PD, Basu J
AHRQ Author: Jacobs PD, Basu J
Medicare Advantage and postdischarge quality: evidence from hospital readmissions.
This study compared relative readmission rates for beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Medicare (TM). HCUP State Inpatient Databases data for 4 states was used from 2009 and 2014. The outcome compared was the probability of a hospital readmission within 30 days of an index admission. There were significantly lower all-cause readmission rates among MA enrollees relative to those in TM in both 2009 and 2014, but MA enrollment was not associated with an increased reduction in readmission rates relative to TM during that time period.
AHRQ-authored
Citation: Jacobs PD, Basu J .
Medicare Advantage and postdischarge quality: evidence from hospital readmissions.
Am J Manag Care 2020 Dec;26(12):524-29. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2020.88540..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Elderly, Medicare, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Provider Performance
Montalbano A, Quinonez RA, Hall M
Achievable benchmarks of care for pediatric readmissions.
This study’s objective was to calculate mean readmission rates and the Achievable Benchmarks of Care (ABCs) for pediatric diagnoses by different hospital types: metropolitan teaching, metropolitan nonteaching, and nonmetropolitan hospitals. The authors used a cross-sectional retrospective study of 30-day, all-cause same-hospital readmission of patients less than 18 years of age using the 2014 HCUP National Readmission Database. They calculated mean readmission and corresponding ABCs for the 17 most common readmission diagnosis. They found that sickle cell disease (SCD), bipolar and major depressive disorders were the most common reasons for readmission.
AHRQ-funded; HS024554.
Citation: Montalbano A, Quinonez RA, Hall M .
Achievable benchmarks of care for pediatric readmissions.
J Hosp Med 2019 Sep;14(9):534-40. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3201..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Quality of Care
Henke RM, Karaca Z, Moore B
AHRQ Author: Karaca Z, Wong HS
Impact of health system affiliation on hospital resource use intensity and quality of care.
This study assessed the impact of hospital affiliation, centralization, and managed care plan ownership on inpatient cost and quality. It found that hospitals affiliated with health systems had a higher cost per discharge and better quality of care compared with independent hospitals. Centralized systems in particular had the highest cost per discharge and longest stays. Independent hospitals with managed care plans had a higher cost per discharge.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Henke RM, Karaca Z, Moore B .
Impact of health system affiliation on hospital resource use intensity and quality of care.
Health Serv Res 2018 Feb;53(1):63-86. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12631..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Quality of Care, Health Systems, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitals
Cutler E, Karaca Z, Henke R
AHRQ Author: Karaca Z, Wong HS
The effects of Medicare accountable organizations on inpatient mortality rates.
This study examined whether Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have improved hospital quality of care, specifically focusing on preventable inpatient mortality. The investigators concluded that, on average, Medicare ACO hospitals are not associated with improved mortality rates for the studied inpatient quality indicator conditions. They suggest that stakeholders may potentially consider providing ACOs with incentives or designing new programs for ACOs to target inpatient mortality reductions.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Cutler E, Karaca Z, Henke R .
The effects of Medicare accountable organizations on inpatient mortality rates.
Inquiry 2018 Jan-Dec;55:46958018800092. doi: 10.1177/0046958018800092..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitals, Medicare, Mortality
Popescu I, Heslin KC, Coffey RM
AHRQ Author: Heslin KC, Washington RE
Differences in use of high-quality and low-quality hospitals among working-age individuals by insurance type.
This study found that compared with patients who have private insurance, those with Medicaid or no insurance were more likely to be minorities and to reside in areas with low-socioeconomic status. The probability of admission to high-quality hospitals was similar for patients with Medicaid (23.3 percent) and private insurance (23.0 percent) but was significantly lower for patients without insurance (19.8 percent) compared with the other 2 insurance groups.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Popescu I, Heslin KC, Coffey RM .
Differences in use of high-quality and low-quality hospitals among working-age individuals by insurance type.
Med Care 2017 Feb;55(2):148-54. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000633.
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Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Health Insurance, Disparities, Quality of Care, Hospitals
Yanamadala S, Morrison D, Curtin C
Electronic health records and quality of care: an observational study modeling impact on mortality, readmissions, and complications.
The authors assessed the relationship between electronic health records (EHR) adoption and patient outcomes. Their results indicate that patients receiving medical and surgical care at hospitals with no EHR system have similar outcomes compared to patients seeking care at hospitals with a full EHR system. They concluded that EHRs may play a smaller role than expected in patient outcomes and overall quality of care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024096.
Citation: Yanamadala S, Morrison D, Curtin C .
Electronic health records and quality of care: an observational study modeling impact on mortality, readmissions, and complications.
Medicine (Baltimore) 2016 May;95(19):e3332. doi: 10.1097/md.0000000000003332.
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Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Quality of Care, Mortality, Hospitals
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