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
51 to 75 of 278 Research Studies DisplayedKing CR, Abraham J, Fritz BA
Predicting self-intercepted medication ordering errors using machine learning.
Current approaches to understanding medication ordering errors rely on relatively small manually captured error samples. These approaches are resource-intensive, do not scale for computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems, and are likely to miss important risk factors associated with medication ordering errors. Previously, the investigators described a dataset of CPOE-based medication voiding accompanied by univariable and multivariable regression analyses. In this paper, they updated the analysis using machine learning (ML) models to predict erroneous medication orders and identify its contributing factors.
AHRQ-funded; HS025443.
Citation: King CR, Abraham J, Fritz BA .
Predicting self-intercepted medication ordering errors using machine learning.
PLoS One 2021 Jul 14;16(7):e0254358. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254358..
Keywords: Medication, Medical Errors, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Mackie TI, Kovacs KM, Simmel C
A best-worst scaling experiment to identify patient-centered claims-based outcomes for evaluation of pediatric antipsychotic monitoring programs.
This study utilized a best-worst scaling (BWS) experiment to identify the claims-based outcomes that matter most to patients and other relevant parties when evaluating pediatric antipsychotic monitoring programs, specifically in foster care children. Relevant parties included policymakers (n = 31), foster care alumni (n = 28), caseworkers (n=23), prescribing clinicians (n = 32), and caregivers (n = 18). Participants received surveys with a scenario on antipsychotic monitoring programs and ranked 11 candidate claims-based outcomes as most and least important. Safety indicators ranked among the top three candidate outcomes across respondent groups. Foster care alumni put “antipsychotic treatment reduction” and “increased psychosocial treatment” as the highest ranking. Caseworkers, prescribers, and caregivers gave top priority to “increased follow-up after treatment initiation”. Potential unintended consequences ranked lowest, including increased use of other psychotropic medication classes, increased psychiatric hospital stays, and increased emergency room utilization.
AHRQ-funded; HS026001.
Citation: Mackie TI, Kovacs KM, Simmel C .
A best-worst scaling experiment to identify patient-centered claims-based outcomes for evaluation of pediatric antipsychotic monitoring programs.
Health Serv Res 2021 Jun;56(3):418-31. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13610..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Policy
Lyson HC, Sharma AE, Cherian R
A qualitative analysis of outpatient medication use in community settings: observed safety vulnerabilities and recommendations for improved patient safety.
Researchers sought to analyze diverse patients' experiences throughout the medication use process to inform the development of overarching interventions that support safe medication use in community settings. They conducted approximately 18 hours of direct observation of the medication use process across multiple settings and also conducted 6 semistructured interviews with medication safety experts. Their findings underscored a need for overarching, comprehensive interventions that span the entire process of medication use, including integrated communication systems between clinicians, pharmacies, and patients, and a "patient navigator" program that assists patients in navigating the entire medication-taking process.
AHRQ-funded; HS023558.
Citation: Lyson HC, Sharma AE, Cherian R .
A qualitative analysis of outpatient medication use in community settings: observed safety vulnerabilities and recommendations for improved patient safety.
J Patient Saf 2021 Jun 1;17(4):e335-e42. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000590..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety
Worsham CM, Woo J, Jena AB
Adverse events and emergency department opioid prescriptions in adolescents.
Understanding the risks associated with opioid prescription in adolescents is critical for informing opioid policy, but the risks are challenging to quantify given the lack of randomized trial data. Using a regression discontinuity design, the investigators exploited a discontinuous increase in opioid prescribing in the emergency department (ED) when adolescents transitioned from "child" to "adult" at age eighteen to estimate the effect of an ED opioid prescription on subsequent opioid-related adverse events.
AHRQ-funded; HS026753.
Citation: Worsham CM, Woo J, Jena AB .
Adverse events and emergency department opioid prescriptions in adolescents.
Health Aff 2021 Jun;40(6):970-78. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01762..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Opioids, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Practice Patterns
Stolldorf DP, Ridner SH, Vogus TJ
Implementation strategies in the context of medication reconciliation: a qualitative study.
Medication reconciliation (MedRec) is an important patient safety initiative that aims to prevent patient harm from medication errors. Yet, the implementation and sustainability of MedRec interventions have been challenging due to contextual barriers like the lack of interprofessional communication (among pharmacists, nurses, and providers) and limited organizational capacity. Guided by the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) taxonomy, the authors report the differing strategies hospital implementation teams used to implement an evidence-based MedRec Toolkit (the MARQUIS Toolkit).
AHRQ-funded; HS025486.
Citation: Stolldorf DP, Ridner SH, Vogus TJ .
Implementation strategies in the context of medication reconciliation: a qualitative study.
Implement Sci Commun 2021 Jun 10;2(1):63. doi: 10.1186/s43058-021-00162-5..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Implementation, Communication
Harben AL, Kashy DA, Esfahanian S
Using change detection to objectively evaluate whether novel over-the-counter drug labels can increase attention to critical health information among older adults.
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs have many benefits but also carry risks, such as adverse drug reactions, which are more prevalent in older adults. Because these products do not require the oversight of a physician or pharmacist, labeling plays a key role in communicating information required for their safe and effective use. In two experiments, the investigators used a change detection task to objectively evaluate how novel label designs that employ highlighting and a warning label placed on the package's front impact attention to critical information among older participants (65 and older).
AHRQ-funded; HS025386.
Citation: Harben AL, Kashy DA, Esfahanian S .
Using change detection to objectively evaluate whether novel over-the-counter drug labels can increase attention to critical health information among older adults.
Cogn Res Princ Implic 2021 May 26;6(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s41235-021-00307-z..
Keywords: Elderly, Medication: Safety, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety
Gonzales HM, Fleming JN, Gebregziabher M
Pharmacist-led mobile health intervention and transplant medication safety: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
The goal of this study was to examine the efficacy of improving medication safety through a pharmacist-led, mobile health-based intervention. In this single-center study of adult kidney recipients 6-36 months post-transplant, findings showed that participants receiving the intervention experienced a significant reduction in medication errors and a significantly lower incidence risk of Grade 3 or higher adverse events. The intervention arm also demonstrated significantly lower rates of hospitalizations.
AHRQ-funded; HS023754.
Citation: Gonzales HM, Fleming JN, Gebregziabher M .
Pharmacist-led mobile health intervention and transplant medication safety: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2021 May 8;16(5):776-84. doi: 10.2215/cjn.15911020..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety, Transplantation, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Provider: Pharmacist, Provider, Medical Errors, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events
Kandaswamy S, Pruitt Z, Kazi S
Clinician perceptions on the use of free-text communication orders.
The aim of this study was to investigate (1) why ordering clinicians use free-text orders to communicate medication information; (2) what risks physicians and nurses perceive when free-text orders are used for communicating medication information; and (3) how electronic health records (EHRs) could be improved to encourage the safe communication of medication information. The investigators concluded that clinicians' use of free-text orders as a workaround to insufficient structured order entry can create unintended patient safety risks.
AHRQ-funded; HS025136; HS024755.
Citation: Kandaswamy S, Pruitt Z, Kazi S .
Clinician perceptions on the use of free-text communication orders.
Appl Clin Inform 2021 May;12(3):484-94. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1731002..
Keywords: Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Health Information Technology (HIT), Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety, Communication, Provider: Clinician, Provider, Risk
Herrin J, Abraham NS, Yao X
Comparative effectiveness of machine learning approaches for predicting gastrointestinal bleeds in patients receiving antithrombotic treatment.
The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to compare the performance of 3 machine learning approaches with the commonly-used HAS-BLED (hypertension, abnormal kidney and liver function, stroke, bleeding, labile international normalized ratio, older age, and drug or alcohol use) risk score in predicting antithrombotic-related gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). The machine-learning models were regularized Cox proportional hazards regression (RegCox), random survival forests, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). Findings showed that the machine learning models revealed similar performance in identifying patients at high risk for GIB after being prescribed antithrombotic agents. Two models (RegCox and XGBoost) performed modestly better than the HAS-BLED score.
AHRQ-funded; HS025402.
Citation: Herrin J, Abraham NS, Yao X .
Comparative effectiveness of machine learning approaches for predicting gastrointestinal bleeds in patients receiving antithrombotic treatment.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 May;4(5):e2110703. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.10703..
Keywords: Blood Thinners, Medication, Risk, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Comparative Effectiveness
Gurwitz JH, Kapoor A, Garber L
Effect of a multifaceted clinical pharmacist intervention on medication safety after hospitalization in persons prescribed high-risk medications: a randomized clinical trial.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether a multifaceted clinical pharmacist intervention improves medication safety for patients who are discharged from the hospital and prescribed medications within 1 or more of these high-risk drug classes: anticoagulants, diabetes agents, and opioids. The randomized clinical trial was conducted at a large multidisciplinary group practice in Massachusetts and included patients 50 years or older. Findings showed that there was not an observed lower rate of adverse drug-related incidents or clinically important medication errors during the posthospitalization period that was associated with a clinical pharmacist intervention.
AHRQ-funded; HS023774.
Citation: Gurwitz JH, Kapoor A, Garber L .
Effect of a multifaceted clinical pharmacist intervention on medication safety after hospitalization in persons prescribed high-risk medications: a randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Intern Med 2021 May;181(5):610-18. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.9285..
Keywords: Elderly, Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Provider: Pharmacist, Provider
Champion C, Sockolow PS, Bowles KH
Getting to complete and accurate medication lists during the transition to home health care.
This observational field study looked at the work that home health care (HHC) admissions nurses complete related to medication reconciliation tasks, explored the impact of shared electronic medication data (interoperability), and highlight opportunities to enhance medication reconciliation with respect to transition in care to HHC agencies. Three diverse Pennsylvania HHC agencies participated, with each using different electronic health record systems. Six nurses per site admitted 2 patients each (36 patients total) and their tasks were examined in depth. Medication reconciliation tasks included changes in number of medications and change types and calls to the health provider (doctor or pharmacy) to resolve medication-related issues. A high percentage of patients used multiple medications (more than 12 medications on average), and were high-risk (on average more than 8 medications per patient). Medication reconciliation decreased the number of prescriptions between pre- and post-reconciliation for 91% of patients with 41% of the medications requiring changes. Two-thirds of the nurses called a provider to facilitate medication changes. Interoperability reduced the number of changes required but did not eliminate changes or calls to providers.
AHRQ-funded; R01 HS024537.
Citation: Champion C, Sockolow PS, Bowles KH .
Getting to complete and accurate medication lists during the transition to home health care.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2021 May;22(5):1003-08. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.06.024..
Keywords: Medication, Medication: Safety, Transitions of Care, Home Healthcare, Patient Safety
Gilson AM, Xiong KZ, Stone JA
A pharmacy-based intervention to improve safe over-the-counter medication use in older adults.
This study assessed whether the development of a physical redesign that located a curated inventory of lower-risk over-the-counter (OTC) medications proximal to the pharmacy prescription area was helpful to discourage inappropriate use from OTC medications. An area called the Senior Section™ was developed and placed in 4 pharmacies within a single chain. Eight pharmacists and 5 technicians participated in semi-structured interviews which were transcribed. The staff viewed the Senior Section as contributing to notable improvements in proximity, medication safety, convenience, and patient selection behaviors. It also streamlined the coordination of services between pharmacists and technicians and did not interfere with existing pharmacy workflows.
AHRQ-funded; HS024490.
Citation: Gilson AM, Xiong KZ, Stone JA .
A pharmacy-based intervention to improve safe over-the-counter medication use in older adults.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2021 Mar;17(3):578-87. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.05.008..
Keywords: Elderly, Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety, Provider: Pharmacist
Kane-Gill SL, Wong A, Culley CM
JA, et al. Transforming the medication regimen review process using telemedicine to prevent adverse events.
The objective of this study was to determine the impact of pharmacist-led telemedicine services on reducing high-risk medication adverse drug events (ADEs) for nursing home (NH) residents using medication reconciliation and prospective medication regimen reviews (MRRs) on admission plus ongoing clinical decision support alerts throughout the residents' stay. Studying residents in four NHs in Southwestern Pennsylvania, findings showed that the intervention group had a 92% lower incidence of alert-specific ADEs than usual care, and all-cause hospitalization was similar between groups, as were 30-day readmissions.
AHRQ-funded; HS02420.
Citation: Kane-Gill SL, Wong A, Culley CM .
JA, et al. Transforming the medication regimen review process using telemedicine to prevent adverse events.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2021 Feb;69(2):530-38. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16946..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medical Errors, Patient Safety, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Provider: Pharmacist, Provider, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Prevention
Horton DB, Xie F, Chen L
Oral glucocorticoids and incident treatment of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and venous thromboembolism in children.
The purpose of this study was to quantify rates of incident treatment for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with oral glucocorticoid exposure in children aged 1-18 years. Participants were identified using US Medicaid claims data and included more than 930,000 children diagnosed with autoimmune diseases or a nonimmune comparator condition. Findings showed strong dose-dependent relationships between current glucocorticoid exposure and all outcomes, suggesting strong relative risks, but low absolute risks, of newly-treated VTE, diabetes, and especially hypertension in children taking high-dose oral glucocorticoids.
AHRQ-funded; HS021110.
Citation: Horton DB, Xie F, Chen L .
Oral glucocorticoids and incident treatment of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and venous thromboembolism in children.
Am J Epidemiol 2021 Feb 1;190(3):403-12. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwaa197..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Diabetes, Chronic Conditions, Blood Clots, Medication: Safety, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Risk, Patient Safety, Blood Pressure
Tamma PD, Miller MA, Cosgrove SE
AHRQ Author: Miller MA
Recalibrating our approach to the management of sepsis: how the four moments of antibiotic decision-making can help.
In this paper, the authors describe The Four Moments of Antibiotic Decision Making. The Four Moments were conceived as part of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use. The Four Moments provide a pragmatic approach to the core principle of antibiotic stewardship – ensuring patients who require antibiotic therapy promptly receive regimens associated with clinical success, while protecting patients from potential harm associated with unnecessary exposure to antibiotics.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Tamma PD, Miller MA, Cosgrove SE .
Recalibrating our approach to the management of sepsis: how the four moments of antibiotic decision-making can help.
Ann Am Thorac Soc 2021 Feb;18(2):200-03. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202005-484IP..
Keywords: Sepsis, Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Medication, Shared Decision Making, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety
Vethody C , Yu R, Keck JM
Safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of delabeling in patients with multiple drug allergy labels.
Patients with multiple drug allergy labels (MDALs) present a challenging barrier to patient care. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy, safety, and effectiveness of removing MDALs in a single clinic visit. The investigators concluded that patients with MDALs could be safely delabeled to multiple drugs in 1 visit; however, effectiveness barriers were identified. Reinforcement of drug allergy label removal information to patients, pharmacies, and primary care providers presented a targeted area for improvement.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Vethody C , Yu R, Keck JM .
Safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of delabeling in patients with multiple drug allergy labels.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2021 Feb;9(2):922-28. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.09.010..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety
Alvarez-Arango S, Yerneni S, Tang O
Vancomycin hypersensitivity reactions documented in electronic health records.
This study’s objective is to describe vancomycin hypersensitivity reaction (HSR) epidemiology in hospitals documented in electronic health records. Vancomycin is the most commonly prescribed antimicrobial in US hospitals. A cross-sectional study of patients with 1 or more encounter from 2017 to 2019 and an electronic health record vancomycin drug allergy label (DAL) in 2 US health care systems was conducted. Prevalence and trends of vancomycin DALs and assessed active DALs by HSR phenotype was determined. Out of almost 4.5 million patients, 14,426 (0.3%) had a vancomycin DAL with 18,761 documented reactions. Out of those 18,761 vancomycin HSRs, 42.1% were immediate phenotypes and 20.7% were delayed phenotypes. Common reactions were rash and red man syndrome (RMS). Anaphylaxis occurred in 6% of HSRs. RMS reaction was more likely for males and less likely for Blacks.
AHRQ-funded; HS025375.
Citation: Alvarez-Arango S, Yerneni S, Tang O .
Vancomycin hypersensitivity reactions documented in electronic health records.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2021 Feb;9(2):906-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.09.027..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Medication, Medication: Safety, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety
Abraham J, Galanter WL, Touchette D
Risk factors associated with medication ordering errors.
This study’s goal was to collect data on “voided” orders in computerized order entry systems for medication to 1) identify the nature and characteristics of medication ordering errors; 2) investigate the risk factors associated with these errors and; 3) explore potential strategies to mitigate these risk factors. Data was collected using clinician interviews and surveys within 24 hours of the voided order and using chart reviews. During the 16-month study period 1074 medication orders were voided, with 842 being true medication errors. A total of 22% reached the patient, with at least a single administration, but without causing patient harm. Interviews were conducted on 355 voided orders (33%). Errors were associated with multiple factors not just a single risk factor. The causal contributors included a combination of technological-, cognitive-, environment-, social-, and organization-level factors.
AHRQ-funded; HS025443.
Citation: Abraham J, Galanter WL, Touchette D .
Risk factors associated with medication ordering errors.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2021 Jan 15;28(1):86-94. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa264..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Medication: Safety, Medication, Medical Errors, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Risk, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Safety
Wyse J, Simmons A, Ramachandran B
"I don't mind doing what it takes to be safe." Patient perspectives of urine drug testing for pain.
This study sought to uncover patients’ beliefs regarding UDT and its implications for the patient–clinician relationship. Urine drug testing (UDT) is a standard recommendation for those prescribed long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for pain but remains underutilized. Clinician fears regarding negative patient perceptions have been identified as a barrier to conducting UDT; however, little is known about patient perspectives of UDT.
AHRQ-funded; HS026370.
Citation: Wyse J, Simmons A, Ramachandran B .
"I don't mind doing what it takes to be safe." Patient perspectives of urine drug testing for pain.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Jan;36(1):243-44. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-05688-3..
Keywords: Pain, Chronic Conditions, Opioids, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Substance Abuse
Tamma PD, Miller MA, Dullabh P
AHRQ Author: Miller MA
Association of a safety program for improving antibiotic use with antibiotic use and hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection rates among US hospitals.
Regulatory agencies and professional organizations recommend antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) in US hospitals. The optimal approach to establish robust, sustainable ASPs across diverse hospitals is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use was associated with reductions in antibiotic use across US hospitals. The investigators concluded that AHRQ Safety Program appeared to enable diverse hospitals to establish ASPs and teach frontline clinicians to self-steward their antibiotic use.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Tamma PD, Miller MA, Dullabh P .
Association of a safety program for improving antibiotic use with antibiotic use and hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection rates among US hospitals.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Feb;4(2):e210235. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.0235..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Shared Decision Making, Clostridium difficile Infections, Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Hospitals
Holden RJ, Abebe E
Medication transitions: vulnerable periods of change in need of human factors and ergonomics.
The authors present a novel view of transitions from the lens of patient ergonomics which posits that patients and other nonprofessionals experience many changes during patient work transitions toward health-related goals. Medication transitions are particularly vulnerable. Two cases of medication transitions; new and medication deprescribing are described in which the patient work lens reveals many accompanying changes, vulnerabilities, and opportunities for human factors and ergonomics.
AHRQ-funded; HS024384.
Citation: Holden RJ, Abebe E .
Medication transitions: vulnerable periods of change in need of human factors and ergonomics.
Appl Ergon 2021 Jan;90:103279. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103279..
Keywords: Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient and Family Engagement, Transitions of Care, Patient Safety
Navis A, George MC, Nmashie A
Validation of the Safer Opioid Prescribing Evaluation Tool (SOPET) for assessing adherence to the Centers for Disease Control opioid prescribing guidelines.
This study assessed the use of the Safer Opioid Prescribing Evaluation Tool (SOPET) which was designed to improve the implementation of the 2016 Centers for Disease Control Guidelines on the prescription of opioids for chronic pain. Four raters with varying levels of clinical experience were trained to use the SOPET and then used it to evaluate 21 baseline patient scenarios. Inter-rater reliability was measured using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) estimates and their 95% confidence intervals for the total SOPET score based on a mean-rating absolute-agreement, two-way random-effects model. Inter-rater reliability was found to be good for the three physician raters (0.92, 0.97, and 0.99). However, inter-rater reliability for the non-physician rater was lower (0.67).
AHRQ-funded; HS025641.
Citation: Navis A, George MC, Nmashie A .
Validation of the Safer Opioid Prescribing Evaluation Tool (SOPET) for assessing adherence to the Centers for Disease Control opioid prescribing guidelines.
Pain Med 2020 Dec 25;21(12):3655-59. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa138..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Guidelines, Practice Patterns, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice
Barnes GD
Combining antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy in cardiovascular disease.
The author describes results of a number of randomized clinical trials that have explored different combinations of anticoagulation plus antiplatelet agents aimed at minimizing bleeding risk while preserving low thrombotic event rates. Findings include shorter courses with fewer antithrombotic agents as being effective, particularly when direct oral anticoagulants are combined with clopidogrel. Combined use of very low-dose rivaroxaban plus aspirin also demonstrated benefit in atherosclerotic diseases, including coronary and peripheral artery disease. Use of proton pump inhibitor therapy while patients were taking multiple antithrombotic agents had the potential to further reduce upper gastrointestinal bleeding risk in select populations. The author recommends that applying this evidence to patients with multiple thrombotic conditions will help to avoid costly and life-threatening adverse medication events.
AHRQ-funded; HS026874; HS026322.
Citation: Barnes GD .
Combining antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy in cardiovascular disease.
Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program 2020 Dec 4;2020(1):642-48. doi: 10.1182/hematology.2020000151..
Keywords: Blood Thinners, Medication, Medication: Safety, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Cardiovascular Conditions
Salmasian H, Blanchfield BB, Joyce K
Association of display of patient photographs in the electronic health record with wrong-patient order entry errors.
Wrong-patient order entry (WPOE) errors have a high potential for harm; these errors are particularly frequent wherever workflows are complex and multitasking and interruptions are common, such as in the emergency department (ED). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the use of noninterruptive display of patient photographs in the banner of the electronic health record (EHR) is associated with a decreased rate of WPOE errors.
AHRQ-funded; HS024713.
Citation: Salmasian H, Blanchfield BB, Joyce K .
Association of display of patient photographs in the electronic health record with wrong-patient order entry errors.
AMA Netw Open 2020 Nov 2;3(11):e2019652. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.19652..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Medical Errors, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Toce MS, Michelson K, Hudgins J
Association of state-level opioid-reduction policies with pediatric opioid poisoning.
Opioid-reduction policies have been enacted by US states to address the opioid epidemic. Evidence of an association between policy implementation and decreased rates of pediatric opioid poisoning provides further justification for expanded implementation of these policies. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of 3 state-level opioid-reduction policies with the rate of opioid poisoning in children and adolescents.
AHRQ-funded; HS026503.
Citation: Toce MS, Michelson K, Hudgins J .
Association of state-level opioid-reduction policies with pediatric opioid poisoning.
JAMA Pediatr 2020 Oct;174(10):961-68. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.1980..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Opioids, Medication: Safety, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Policy