National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- Data Innovations
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Adverse Events (3)
- Blood Clots (1)
- Cancer: Prostate Cancer (1)
- Caregiving (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Disparities (1)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (1)
- Elderly (2)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospital Readmissions (3)
- Hospitals (1)
- Imaging (1)
- Long-Term Care (1)
- Medicare (1)
- Mortality (2)
- Nursing Homes (1)
- Palliative Care (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Pneumonia (1)
- Primary Care (2)
- Provider Performance (2)
- Public Reporting (2)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- (-) Quality Indicators (QIs) (12)
- Quality Measures (2)
- Quality of Care (8)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Risk (1)
- Shared Decision Making (1)
- Surgery (1)
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 12 of 12 Research Studies DisplayedKanzaria HK, Hall MK, Moore CL
Emergency department diagnostic imaging: the journey to quality.
The authors examine the current state of quality measurement as it pertains to ED imaging. They also review relevant policies and discuss both the associated challenges and the facilitators of using quality measures to help optimize ED imaging. Understanding such factors will help ensure the delivery of diagnostic imaging that is appropriate, high-quality, and patient-centered.
AHRQ-funded; HS023498.
Citation: Kanzaria HK, Hall MK, Moore CL .
Emergency department diagnostic imaging: the journey to quality.
Acad Emerg Med 2015 Dec;22(12):1380-4. doi: 10.1111/acem.12817.
.
.
Keywords: Emergency Department, Imaging, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality of Care
Rajaram R, Ju MH, Bilimoria KY
National evaluation of hospital readmission after pulmonary resection.
The study’s objectives were to (1) assess readmission rates and timing after pulmonary resection, (2) report the most common reasons for rehospitalization, and (3) identify risk factors for unplanned readmission after pulmonary resection. It found that experiencing a postoperative complication was strongly associated with unplanned readmission.
AHRQ-funded; HS000078.
Citation: Rajaram R, Ju MH, Bilimoria KY .
National evaluation of hospital readmission after pulmonary resection.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2015 Dec;150(6):1508-14.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2015.05.047..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Risk, Surgery, Quality Indicators (QIs), Adverse Events
Morgans AK, van Bommel AC, Stowell C
Development of a standardized set of patient-centered outcomes for advanced prostate cancer: an international effort for a unified approach.
The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement assembled a multidisciplinary working group to develop a standard set of outcomes relevant to men with advanced prostate cancer to follow during routine clinical care. The international multidisciplinary group identified clinical data and patient-reported outcome measures that serve as a basis for international health outcome comparisons and quality-of-care assessments. The set will be revised annually.
AHRQ-funded; HS022990.
Citation: Morgans AK, van Bommel AC, Stowell C .
Development of a standardized set of patient-centered outcomes for advanced prostate cancer: an international effort for a unified approach.
Eur Urol 2015 Nov;68(5):891-8. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2015.06.007.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer: Prostate Cancer, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality of Life, Adverse Events, Quality Indicators (QIs)
Mukamel DB, Ladd H, Li Y
AHRQ Author: Ngo-Metzger Q
Have racial disparities in ambulatory care sensitive admissions abated over time?
The researchers evaluated whether disparities in quality of ambulatory care have abated during the decade of 2000 by asking whether there were there differences in ambulatory care sensitive hospital admissions rates by race? In 2003 the overall Prevention Quality Indicators (PQI) admission rates were higher for African Americans (around 16.5/1000) than for whites (around 15/1000). By 2009, the overall and the chronic PQI admission rates declined significantly for whites but not for African Americans.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Mukamel DB, Ladd H, Li Y .
Have racial disparities in ambulatory care sensitive admissions abated over time?
Med Care 2015 Nov;53(11):931-9. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000426..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Disparities, Quality Indicators (QIs), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Quality of Care
Litvin CB, Ornstein SM, Wessell AM
"Meaningful" clinical quality measures for primary care physicians.
The authors systematically solicited recommendations from Meaningful Use (MU) exemplars to inform Stage 3 MU clinical quality measure (CQM) requirements. There was consensus that CQMs should be evidence-based and focus on high-priority conditions relevant to primary care providers. Participants thought the emphasis of CQMs should largely be on outcomes and that reporting of CQMs should limit the burden on providers.
AHRQ-funded; HS022701; HS018984.
Citation: Litvin CB, Ornstein SM, Wessell AM .
"Meaningful" clinical quality measures for primary care physicians.
Am J Manag Care 2015 Oct;21(10):e583-90..
Keywords: Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Primary Care, Quality of Care
Khan A, Nakamura MM, Zaslavsky AM
Same-hospital readmission rates as a measure of pediatric quality of care.
This study determined the prevalence of 30-day pediatric different hospital readmission (DHRs); to assess the effect of DHR on readmission performance; and to identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with DHR. It concluded that DHRs differentially affect hospitals’ pediatric readmission rates and anticipated performance, making same-hospital readmissions an incomplete surrogate for all-hospital readmissions—particularly for certain hospital types.
AHRQ-funded; HS000063; HS020513.
Citation: Khan A, Nakamura MM, Zaslavsky AM .
Same-hospital readmission rates as a measure of pediatric quality of care.
JAMA Pediatr 2015 Oct;169(10):905-12. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.1129..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Quality of Care, Hospital Readmissions, Quality Indicators (QIs), Children/Adolescents
Mukamel DB, Ye Z, Glance LG
Does mandating nursing home participation in quality reporting make a difference? Evidence from Massachusetts.
This study investigated one of the mechanisms that may detract from the effectiveness of quality report cards: voluntary versus mandatory participation of nursing homes in public quality reporting. It found that once reporting became mandatory, nonvolunteers improved more than volunteers in all but 2 staffing measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS021844.
Citation: Mukamel DB, Ye Z, Glance LG .
Does mandating nursing home participation in quality reporting make a difference? Evidence from Massachusetts.
Med Care 2015 Aug;53(8):713-9. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000390..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Public Reporting, Provider Performance, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Elderly
Goldman LE, Chu PW, Bacchetti P
Effect of present-on-admission (POA) reporting accuracy on hospital performance assessments using risk-adjusted mortality.
This study evaluated how the accuracy of present-on-admission (POA) reporting affects hospital 30-day acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality assessments. It finds that the use of POA indicators in administrative data significantly alters risk-adjusted hospital assessments that do not incorporate a method for distinguishing between comorbidities and complications.
AHRQ-funded; HS018090.
Citation: Goldman LE, Chu PW, Bacchetti P .
Effect of present-on-admission (POA) reporting accuracy on hospital performance assessments using risk-adjusted mortality.
Health Serv Res 2015 Jun;50(3):922-38. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12239.
.
.
Keywords: Hospitals, Mortality, Heart Disease and Health, Quality Indicators (QIs)
Smith B, McDuff J, Naierman N
What consumers want to know about quality when choosing a hospice provider.
This study drew on focus group and survey data collected in 5 metropolitan areas to learn more about hospice quality data. The researchers found that participants placed top priority on measures related to pain and symptom management. The National Quality Forum-approved measures resonate well with consumers, who also appear to be ready for access to data on the quality of hospice providers.
AHRQ-funded; HS021870.
Citation: Smith B, McDuff J, Naierman N .
What consumers want to know about quality when choosing a hospice provider.
Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2015 Jun;32(4):393-400. doi: 10.1177/1049909114524475.
.
.
Keywords: Caregiving, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Shared Decision Making, Palliative Care, Provider Performance, Public Reporting, Quality of Care, Quality Indicators (QIs)
Sjoding MW, Iwashyna TJ, Dimick JB
Gaming hospital-level pneumonia 30-day mortality and readmission measures by legitimate changes to diagnostic coding.
The researchers sought to determine the degree to which hospitals can game mortality or readmission measures and change their rankings by recoding patients with pneumonia. They concluded that hospitals can improve apparent pneumonia mortality and readmission rates by recoding pneumonia patients. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should consider changes to their methods used to calculate hospital-level pneumonia outcome measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS020672.
Citation: Sjoding MW, Iwashyna TJ, Dimick JB .
Gaming hospital-level pneumonia 30-day mortality and readmission measures by legitimate changes to diagnostic coding.
Crit Care Med 2015 May;43(5):989-95. doi: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000000862..
Keywords: Elderly, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Mortality, Pneumonia, Quality Indicators (QIs)
Ornstein SM, Nemeth LS, Nietert PJ
Learning from primary care meaningful use exemplars.
This report presents the results of a multimethod study combining an EHR-based clinical quality measurements (CQM) performance assessment, a provider survey, and focus groups among high CQM performers. It concluded that purposeful use of EHR functionality coupled with staff education in a milieu where Quality Improvement is valued and supported is associated with higher performance on CQM.
AHRQ-funded; HS022701; HS018984.
Citation: Ornstein SM, Nemeth LS, Nietert PJ .
Learning from primary care meaningful use exemplars.
J Am Board Fam Med 2015 May-Jun;28(3):360-70. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2015.03.140219..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Primary Care, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality of Care
Chung JW, Ju MH, Kinnier CV
Postoperative venous thromboembolism outcomes measure: analytic exploration of potential misclassification of hospital quality due to surveillance bias.
The authors discuss problems associated with AHRQ’s Patient Safety Indicator (PS112), Postoperative Venous Thromboembolism such as identifying truly poor-quality hospitals from those that only seem to be poor-quality because of hospital-to-hospital variations in imaging rates for venous thromboembolism (VTE). They call for the development of administrative codes that enable reliable identification and exclusion of sub-clinical VTE from the measure numerator.
AHRQ-funded; HS021857
Citation: Chung JW, Ju MH, Kinnier CV .
Postoperative venous thromboembolism outcomes measure: analytic exploration of potential misclassification of hospital quality due to surveillance bias.
Ann Surg. 2015 Mar;261(3):443-4. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000000850..
Keywords: Quality Indicators (QIs), Blood Clots, Quality of Care, Adverse Events