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 25 of 83 Research Studies DisplayedAuerbach AD, Lee TM, Hubbard CC
Diagnostic errors in hospitalized adults who died or were transferred to intensive care.
The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to determine the prevalence, underlying causes, and harms of diagnostic errors in hospitalized adults who were transferred to an intensive care unit or who died. Data was taken from 29 academic medical centers in the U.S. in a random sample of adults hospitalized with general medical conditions. Errors were found to have contributed to temporary harm, permanent harm, or death in nearly 18% of patients; among patients who died, diagnostic error was judged to have contributed to death in 6.6% of cases. The researchers noted that problems with choosing and interpreting tests and the processes involved with clinician assessment were a high priority for improvement efforts.
AHRQ-funded; HS027369.
Citation: Auerbach AD, Lee TM, Hubbard CC .
Diagnostic errors in hospitalized adults who died or were transferred to intensive care.
JAMA Intern Med 2024 Feb; 184(2):164-73. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.7347..
Keywords: Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medical Errors, Hospitals, Inpatient Care, Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Adverse Events
Dalal AK, Schnipper JL, Raffel K
Identifying and classifying diagnostic errors in acute care across hospitals: early lessons from the Utility of Predictive Systems in Diagnostic Errors (UPSIDE) study.
This paper describes the Utility of Predictive Systems in Diagnostic Errors (UPSIDE) study, whose aim was to define the prevalence and underlying causes of diagnostic errors (DEs) in patients who die in the hospital or are transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) after the first 48 hours. This study was conducted at 31 hospitals with more than 2500 cases reviewed using electronic health records. The authors identified some insights into key requirements into building a robust DE surveillance program by developing these steps: 1) Develop a shared understanding of what constitutes a diagnostic error; 2) Use validated tools to identify diagnostic errors and classify process failures, but respect your context; 3) Develop a standard approach to using electronic health records for case reviews; 4) Ensure reliability and consistency of the case review process; and 5) Link diagnostic error case reviews to institutional safety programs. They also developed steps to establish a diagnosis error review process at the hospital level with six processes.
AHRQ-funded; HS027369; HS026613.
Citation: Dalal AK, Schnipper JL, Raffel K .
Identifying and classifying diagnostic errors in acute care across hospitals: early lessons from the Utility of Predictive Systems in Diagnostic Errors (UPSIDE) study.
J Hosp Med 2024 Feb; 19(2):140-45. doi: 10.1002/jhm.13136..
Keywords: Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Quality of Care, Hospitals
Ali KJ, Goeschel CA, DeLia DM
The PRIDx framework to engage payers in reducing diagnostic errors in healthcare.
The authors conducted a literature review and interviewed subject matter experts to develop a multi-component Payer Relationships for Improving Diagnoses (PRIDx) framework. The PRIDx framework can be used to encourage public and private payers to take specific actions to improve diagnostic safety. The authors noted that implementation of the PRIDx framework will require new types of partnerships, including external support from public and private payer organizations, and also require the creation of strong provider incentives.
AHRQ-funded; 2332015000221.
Citation: Ali KJ, Goeschel CA, DeLia DM .
The PRIDx framework to engage payers in reducing diagnostic errors in healthcare.
https://www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37795579.
Keywords: Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Quality of Care, Patient Safety
Newman-Toker DE, Nassery N, Schaffer AC
Burden of serious harms from diagnostic error in the USA.
Americans who experience serious harm from misdiagnosis annually. Serious harm is defined as permanent morbidity or morality. This cross-sectional analysis used nationally representative observational data. The authors estimated annual incident vascular events and infections from 21.5 million (M) sampled US hospital discharges (2012-2014). US-based cancer registries were used to find annual new cancers. They derived diagnostic errors and serious harms by multiplying by literature-based rates for disease-specific incidences for 15 major vascular events, infections and cancers ('Big Three' categories). Extrapolating to all diseases (including non-'Big Three' dangerous disease categories), they estimated total serious harms annually in the USA to be 795,000 (plausible range 598,000-1,023,000). Using more conservative assumptions they estimated 549,000 serious harms. These results were compatible with setting-specific serious harm estimates from inpatient, emergency department and ambulatory care. Fifteen dangerous diseases accounted for 50.7% of total serious harms and the top 5 (stroke, sepsis, pneumonia, venous thromboembolism and lung cancer) accounted for 38.7%.
AHRQ-funded; HS027614; HS029350.
Citation: Newman-Toker DE, Nassery N, Schaffer AC .
Burden of serious harms from diagnostic error in the USA.
BMJ Qual Saf 2024 Jan 19; 33(2):109-20. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2021-014130..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medical Errors, Patient Safety, Quality of Care, Adverse Events
Li J
Home health agencies with high quality of patient care star ratings reduced short-term hospitalization rates and increased days independently at home.
Accurate Medicare Quality of Patient Care home health star ratings are crucial to helping patients find high-quality care, yet critics of these ratings indicate that they are not valid. The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess whether using the highest-rated home health agency available in a ZIP code improves outcomes. The researchers included 1,870,080 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries using home health care from July 2015 through July 2016 in the United States. The study found that treatment by the highest-rated agencies available decreased risks of hospitalization, emergency department use, and institutionalization during the initial episode, and increased days independently at home by 2.6% or 3.75 days in the 180 days after the end of the initial episode. Treatment effects were stronger for agencies that were above-average, had 1 or more stars than the next-best agency, and nonrural residents. Effects were positive for both postacute and community-entry patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS026836.
Citation: Li J .
Home health agencies with high quality of patient care star ratings reduced short-term hospitalization rates and increased days independently at home.
Med Care 2024 Jan; 62(1):11-20. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001930..
Keywords: Home Healthcare, Quality of Care, Hospitalization, Provider Performance
Phillips R, Kennedy J, Jaén C
Transforming physician certification to support physician self-motivation and capacity to improve quality and safety.
The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) is making strategic investments in the next major evolution of continuous certification. The ABFM is the first certifying board to launch a registry that is designed to support physician capacity for quality assessment, improvement, data-reporting requirements, and population management. The ABFM aims to help physicians maintain the privilege of self-governance by helping them continuously earn it.
AHRQ-funded; HS022583.
Citation: Phillips R, Kennedy J, Jaén C .
Transforming physician certification to support physician self-motivation and capacity to improve quality and safety.
Journal of Enterprise Transformation 2016 Dec 14;6(3-4):162-69. doi: 10.1080/19488289.2016.1216020.
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Keywords: Education: Continuing Medical Education, Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Provider
LeBlanc TW, Ritchie CS, Friedman F
Adherence to measuring what matters items when caring for patients with hematologic malignancies versus solid tumors.
The authors sought to assess adherence to Measuring What Matters (MWM) measures by palliative care clinicians caring for patients with hematologic malignancies, compared to those with solid tumors. They found that MWM adherence regarding symptom assessment and meeting emotional needs was lower for patients with hematologic malignancies compared to those with solid tumors. They concluded that this finding suggests two key areas for quality improvement initiatives in palliative care for patients with hematologic malignancies.
AHRQ-funded; HS023681; HS022763.
Citation: LeBlanc TW, Ritchie CS, Friedman F .
Adherence to measuring what matters items when caring for patients with hematologic malignancies versus solid tumors.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2016 Dec;52(6):775-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.09.004.
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Keywords: Cancer, Quality of Care, Palliative Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Measures
Nembhard IM, Tucker AL
Applying organizational learning research to Accountable Care Organizations.
In this article, the authors discuss seven lessons from the organizational learning literature that can help Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) overcome the inherent challenges of learning how to work together in radically new ways. The article concludes by outlining opportunities for future research on organizational learning in ACOs.
AHRQ-funded; HS018987.
Citation: Nembhard IM, Tucker AL .
Applying organizational learning research to Accountable Care Organizations.
Med Care Res Rev 2016 Dec;73(6):673-84. doi: 10.1177/1077558716640415..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Organizational Change, Health Insurance
Burstein PD, Zalenski DM, Edwards JL
Changing labor and delivery practice: focus on achieving practice and documentation standardization with the goal of improving neonatal outcomes.
The researchers established a multifactorial shoulder dystocia response and management protocol to promote sustainable practice change. In the first year, there was a threefold increase in shoulder dystocia reporting, which continued in years 2 and 3. In the first year, 96 percent of clinicians completed all training elements. Overall teams reached a 99 percent adoption rate of the shoulder dystocia protocol.
AHRQ-funded; HS019608.
Citation: Burstein PD, Zalenski DM, Edwards JL .
Changing labor and delivery practice: focus on achieving practice and documentation standardization with the goal of improving neonatal outcomes.
Health Serv Res 2016 Dec;51 Suppl 3:2472-86. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12589.
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Keywords: Labor and Delivery, Newborns/Infants, Adverse Events, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Guidelines, Evidence-Based Practice, Pregnancy, Teams
Gallagher TH, Farrell ML, Karson H
Collaboration with regulators to support quality and accountability following medical errors: The Communication and Resolution Program Certification Pilot.
The Medical Quality Assurance Commission (MQAC, board of medicine) in Washington State has collaborated with the Foundation for Health Care Quality (FHCQ) on the CRP Certification pilot. A panel of physicians, risk managers, and patient advocates at FHCQ will review cases for use of the CRP key elements. After describing the process, the authors concluded that the CRP Certification program is a promising example of collaboration among institutions, insurers, and regulators to promote patient-centered accountability and learning following adverse events.
AHRQ-funded; HS019531.
Citation: Gallagher TH, Farrell ML, Karson H .
Collaboration with regulators to support quality and accountability following medical errors: The Communication and Resolution Program Certification Pilot.
Health Serv Res 2016 Dec;51 Suppl 3:2569-82. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12557.
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Keywords: Adverse Events, Communication, Medical Errors, Medical Liability, Patient Safety, Quality of Care
Rajaram R, Saddat L, Chung J
Impact of the 2011 ACGME resident duty hour reform on hospital patient experience and processes-of-care.
The investigators evaluated the association between resident duty hour reform and measures of processes-of-care and patient experience. They concluded that the 2011 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty hour reform was not associated with improvements in process-of-care and patient experience measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS000078.
Citation: Rajaram R, Saddat L, Chung J .
Impact of the 2011 ACGME resident duty hour reform on hospital patient experience and processes-of-care.
BMJ Qual Saf 2016 Dec;25(12):962-70. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2015-004794.
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Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Education: Continuing Medical Education, Quality of Care, Patient Experience, Patient Safety
Wysham NG, Hochman MJ, Wolf SP
Performance of consultative palliative care model in achieving quality metrics in the ICU.
The purpose of this paper was to assess adherence to proposed quality metrics of ICU-based palliative care by palliative care specialists. The authors found that palliative care consultations in an ICU setting are characterized by variable adherence to candidate ICU palliative care quality metrics. Although symptom management was the foremost reason for palliative care consultation, consultants infrequently documented symptom assessments. The consultants performed better in offering spiritual support and managing documented symptoms.
AHRQ-funded; HS023681.
Citation: Wysham NG, Hochman MJ, Wolf SP .
Performance of consultative palliative care model in achieving quality metrics in the ICU.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2016 Dec;52(6):873-77. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.05.026.
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Keywords: Critical Care, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Palliative Care, Quality of Care, Quality Measures
Gounder PP, Seeman SM, Holman RC
AHRQ Author: Steiner CA
Potentially preventable hospitalizations for acute and chronic conditions in Alaska, 2010-2012.
The Healthy Alaska 2020 initiative (HA2020) targeted reducing potentially preventable hospitalizations (PPH) for acute and chronic conditions among its health indicators. This study found that among 127,371 total hospitalizations, 4,911 and 6,721 were for acute and chronic PPH conditions, respectively. The overall crude PPH rate was 7.3 (3.1 for acute and 4.2 for chronic conditions).
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Gounder PP, Seeman SM, Holman RC .
Potentially preventable hospitalizations for acute and chronic conditions in Alaska, 2010-2012.
Prev Med Rep 2016 Dec;4:614-21. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.03.017.
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Keywords: Hospitalization, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Quality Indicators (QIs), Chronic Conditions, Quality of Care
Fiscella K, Sanders MR
Racial and ethnic disparities in the quality of health care.
The annual National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports document widespread and persistent racial and ethnic disparities. Recent data suggest slow progress in many areas but have documented a few notable successes in eliminating these disparities. To eliminate these disparities, continued progress will require a collective national will to ensure health care equity through expanded health insurance coverage, support for primary care, and public accountability.
AHRQ-funded; HS022440.
Citation: Fiscella K, Sanders MR .
Racial and ethnic disparities in the quality of health care.
Annu Rev Public Health 2016;37:375-94. doi: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032315-021439.
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Keywords: Disparities, Quality of Care, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Social Determinants of Health
Yazdany J, Bansback N, Clowse M
Rheumatology informatics system for effectiveness: a national informatics-enabled registry for quality improvement.
The authors reported on the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry's architecture and initial data and demonstrated how RISE is being used to improve care quality. They concluded that RISE provides critical infrastructure for improving care quality in rheumatology and is a unique data source to generate new knowledge.
AHRQ-funded; HS024412.
Citation: Yazdany J, Bansback N, Clowse M .
Rheumatology informatics system for effectiveness: a national informatics-enabled registry for quality improvement.
Arthritis Care Res 2016 Dec;68(12):1866-73. doi: 10.1002/acr.23089.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Improvement, Registries, Arthritis
Musuuza JS, Hundt AS, Zimbric M
Standardizing direct observation for assessing compliance to a daily chlorhexidine bathing protocol among hospitalized patients.
This paper describes the authors' experience training observers to conduct chlorhexidine gluconate bathing observations, and they present findings from pilot observations.
AHRQ-funded; HS024039.
Citation: Musuuza JS, Hundt AS, Zimbric M .
Standardizing direct observation for assessing compliance to a daily chlorhexidine bathing protocol among hospitalized patients.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016 Dec;37(12):1516-18. doi: 10.1017/ice.2016.214.
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Keywords: Guidelines, Quality of Care, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Prevention
Wang Y, Pandolfi MM, Fine J
Community level association between home health and nursing home performance on quality and hospital 30-day readmissions for Medicare patients.
Using CMS data from 2010 to 2012, the researchers evaluated whether community-level home health agencies and nursing home performance is associated with community-level hospital 30-day all-cause risk-standardized readmission rates for Medicare patients. They found that increasing nursing home performance by one star for all of its 4 measures and home health performance by 10 points for all of its 6 measures is associated with decreases in community-level risk-standardized readmission rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Wang Y, Pandolfi MM, Fine J .
Community level association between home health and nursing home performance on quality and hospital 30-day readmissions for Medicare patients.
Home Health Care Manag Pract 2016 Nov;28(4):201-08. doi: 10.1177/1084822316639032.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Hospital Readmissions, Home Healthcare, Nursing Homes, Provider Performance
Toomey SL, Elliott MN, Schwebel DC
Relationship between adolescent report of patient-centered care and of quality of primary care.
This study investigated whether adolescent self-report of patient-centered care (PCC) varied by patient characteristics and whether receipt of PCC is associated with measures of adolescent primary care quality. It found that adolescent-reported PCC positively correlates with measures of high-quality adolescent primary care. The study provides support for using adolescent-report of PCC as a measure of adolescent primary care quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS020513.
Citation: Toomey SL, Elliott MN, Schwebel DC .
Relationship between adolescent report of patient-centered care and of quality of primary care.
Acad Pediatr 2016 Nov - Dec;16(8):770-76. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2016.01.006.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Primary Care, Clinician-Patient Communication, Quality of Care, Access to Care
Bilimoria KY, Barnard C
The new CMS Hospital Quality Star Ratings: the stars are not aligned.
This viewpoint paper discussed the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings, released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, including issues concerning stakeholders. The authors recommended continuing vigorous work to improve the availability of meaningful measures. They concluded that current hospital rating systems do not provide comprehensive, relevant, accessible information, and current composites may mislead patients, payers, and hospitals; however, opportunities to provide meaningful hospital quality report cards are within reach.
AHRQ-funded; HS021857; HS024516.
Citation: Bilimoria KY, Barnard C .
The new CMS Hospital Quality Star Ratings: the stars are not aligned.
JAMA 2016 Nov 1;316(17):1761-62. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.13679.
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Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Quality of Care, Hospitals, Quality Improvement, Quality Measures
Bishop TF, Ryan AM, Chen MA
A randomized, controlled trial of a shared panel management program for small practices.
This study’s objective was to determine whether a shared panel management program was effective at improving quality of care for patients with uncontrolled chronic disease. It found that a shared, low-intensity panel management program run by a city health department did not improve quality of care for patients with chronic illnesses and lapses in care.
AHRQ-funded; HS018546; HS018275.
Citation: Bishop TF, Ryan AM, Chen MA .
A randomized, controlled trial of a shared panel management program for small practices.
Health Serv Res 2016 Oct;51(5):1796-813. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12455.
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Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Suter LG, Barber CE, Herrin J
American College of Rheumatology white paper on performance outcome measures in rheumatology.
The objective of this study was to highlight the opportunities and challenges of developing and implementing performance outcome measures in rheumatology for accountability purposes. The authors' hypothetical outcome measure was a measure of rheumatoid arthritis disease activity intended for evaluating Accountable Care Organization performance. They provided a summary table of key take-home points for clinicians and policymakers. The authors concluded that the most effective and meaningful measures can only be created through the close collaboration of patients, providers, measure developers, and policymakers.
AHRQ-funded; HS024412.
Citation: Suter LG, Barber CE, Herrin J .
American College of Rheumatology white paper on performance outcome measures in rheumatology.
Arthritis Care Res 2016 Oct;68(10):1390-401. doi: 10.1002/acr.22936.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Quality Measures, Outcomes, Arthritis
Friedberg MW, Rodriguez HP, Martsolf GR
Measuring workplace climate in community clinics and health centers.
The authors assessed the psychometric properties of a survey instrument combining items from several existing surveys of workplace climate and generated a shorter instrument for future use. They concluded that survey instruments designed to measure workplace climate have substantial overlap, and the set they identified might help target and tailor clinics' quality improvement efforts.
AHRQ-funded; HS020120.
Citation: Friedberg MW, Rodriguez HP, Martsolf GR .
Measuring workplace climate in community clinics and health centers.
Med Care 2016 Oct;54(10):944-9. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000585.
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Keywords: Community-Based Practice, Provider, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Practice Improvement
Yazdany J, Myslinski R, Miller A
Methods for developing the American College of Rheumatology's electronic clinical quality measures.
The authors discuss the methodologic approach recommended by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) to develop new electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) in priority areas. They recommend that the ACR’s eCQM development program evolve to address newly-identified gaps in care that are amenable to quality improvement and that input from rheumatologists continue to be a key ingredient for a measurement strategy that seeks not just to assess performance but to improve outcomes for patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024412.
Citation: Yazdany J, Myslinski R, Miller A .
Methods for developing the American College of Rheumatology's electronic clinical quality measures.
Arthritis Care Res 2016 Oct;68(10):1402-9. doi: 10.1002/acr.22985.
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Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Quality of Care, Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Measures, Quality Measures
Goff SL, Mazor KM, Pekow PS
Patient navigators and parent use of quality data: a randomized trial.
The authors explored the effectiveness of strategies to overcome barriers in vulnerable populations. They found that an intervention to reduce barriers to using publicly reported health care quality data had a modest effect on patient choice, suggesting that factors other than performance on common publicly reported quality metrics have a stronger influence on which pediatric practices women choose.
AHRQ-funded; HS021864.
Citation: Goff SL, Mazor KM, Pekow PS .
Patient navigators and parent use of quality data: a randomized trial.
Pediatrics 2016 Oct;138(4). doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-1140.
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Keywords: Shared Decision Making, Quality of Care, Public Reporting, Quality Indicators (QIs), Vulnerable Populations
Chin DL, Bang H, Manickam RN
Rethinking thirty-day hospital readmissions: shorter intervals might be better indicators of quality of care.
The researchers examined risk-standardized thirty-day risk of unplanned inpatient readmission at the hospital level for Medicare patients ages sixty-five and older in four states and for three conditions: acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia. The hospital-level quality signal captured in readmission risk was highest on the first day after discharge and declined rapidly until it reached a nadir at seven days, as indicated by a decreasing intracluster correlation coefficient.
AHRQ-funded; HS022236.
Citation: Chin DL, Bang H, Manickam RN .
Rethinking thirty-day hospital readmissions: shorter intervals might be better indicators of quality of care.
Health Aff 2016 Oct;35(10):1867-75. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0205.
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Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Quality of Care, Hospitals, Quality Indicators (QIs)