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
- Access to Care (1)
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (4)
- Adverse Events (11)
- Arthritis (2)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Blood Pressure (1)
- Blood Thinners (3)
- Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Colorectal Cancer (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (88)
- Care Management (1)
- Case Study (1)
- Children/Adolescents (4)
- Chronic Conditions (9)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (2)
- Colonoscopy (1)
- Community-Acquired Infections (1)
- Community-Based Practice (1)
- Comparative Effectiveness (5)
- Dementia (1)
- Depression (1)
- Diabetes (4)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (4)
- Dialysis (1)
- Disparities (5)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (1)
- Elderly (18)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (4)
- Emergency Department (2)
- Evidence-Based Practice (18)
- Guidelines (4)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (2)
- Healthcare Costs (3)
- Healthcare Delivery (1)
- Healthcare Utilization (4)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (7)
- Health Literacy (1)
- Health Status (2)
- (-) Heart Disease and Health (127)
- Home Healthcare (1)
- Hospital Discharge (7)
- Hospitalization (14)
- Hospital Readmissions (13)
- Hospitals (8)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (2)
- Imaging (4)
- Implementation (1)
- Injuries and Wounds (1)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (2)
- Kidney Disease and Health (6)
- Long-Term Care (1)
- Medicaid (1)
- Medical Devices (6)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (2)
- Medicare (12)
- Medication (25)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Men's Health (1)
- Mortality (17)
- Neurological Disorders (1)
- Newborns/Infants (1)
- Nursing Homes (3)
- Nutrition (2)
- Outcomes (19)
- Palliative Care (2)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (5)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (25)
- Patient Adherence/Compliance (7)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Patient Safety (8)
- Patient Self-Management (2)
- Pneumonia (2)
- Policy (2)
- Practice Patterns (6)
- Prevention (8)
- Primary Care (4)
- Provider (1)
- Provider: Clinician (1)
- Provider: Physician (1)
- Provider Performance (2)
- Public Reporting (1)
- Quality Improvement (8)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (2)
- Quality Measures (2)
- Quality of Care (9)
- Quality of Life (8)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (4)
- Registries (9)
- Rehabilitation (3)
- Research Methodologies (2)
- Respiratory Conditions (5)
- Risk (21)
- Rural Health (1)
- Screening (4)
- Sepsis (1)
- Sex Factors (2)
- Sexual Health (2)
- Shared Decision Making (8)
- Sleep Problems (1)
- Social Determinants of Health (2)
- Social Media (1)
- Stroke (3)
- Surgery (17)
- Telehealth (4)
- Training (1)
- Transitions of Care (2)
- Transplantation (2)
- Treatments (3)
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (4)
- Women (1)
- Young Adults (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 25 of 127 Research Studies DisplayedBernard D, Fang Z
AHRQ Author: Bernard D
Financial burdens and barriers to care among nonelderly adults with heart disease: 2010-2015.
Researchers examined the prevalence of high burdens and barriers to care among adults with heart disease treatment. Using MEPS data, they found that public insurance provides protection against high burdens but not against forgoing or delaying care. They recommended that future research investigate whether, and to what extent, barriers to care are associated with worse health outcomes and higher costs in the long term.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Bernard D, Fang Z .
Financial burdens and barriers to care among nonelderly adults with heart disease: 2010-2015.
J Am Heart Assoc 2019 Dec 17;8(24):e008831. doi: 10.1161/jaha.118.008831..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Healthcare Costs, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Access to Care
Kelly JP, DeVore AD, Wu J
Rhythm control versus rate control in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: insights from get with the guidelines-heart failure.
Researchers analyzed the Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) registry linked to Medicare claims data to describe current treatments for rate versus rhythm control and subsequent outcomes in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and atrial fibrillation. They found that rhythm control in patients aged 65 and older with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and AF was associated with a lower risk of one-year all-cause mortality. They recommended future prospective randomized studies to explore this potential benefit.
AHRQ-funded; HS021092.
Citation: Kelly JP, DeVore AD, Wu J .
Rhythm control versus rate control in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: insights from get with the guidelines-heart failure.
J Am Heart Assoc 2019 Dec 17;8(24):e011560. doi: 10.1161/jaha.118.011560.
.
.
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Guidelines, Evidence-Based Practice, Registries, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Patel DK, Duncan MS, Shah AS
Association of cardiac rehabilitation with decreased hospitalization and mortality risk after cardiac valve surgery.
Investigators sought to characterize cardiac rehabilitation (CR) enrollment after cardiac valve surgery and its association with outcomes, including hospitalizations and mortality. Subjects were all fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries undergoing open cardiac valve surgery in 2014, identified by inpatient diagnosis codes for open aortic, mitral, tricuspid, and pulmonary valve surgery. They found that fewer than half of Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cardiac valve surgery enrolled in CR programs, and there were marked racial/ethnic disparities among those who do. They recommend further study on barriers to CR enrollment in this population.
AHRQ-funded; HS022990.
Citation: Patel DK, Duncan MS, Shah AS .
Association of cardiac rehabilitation with decreased hospitalization and mortality risk after cardiac valve surgery.
JAMA Cardiol 2019 Dec;4(12):11887-1301. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2019.4032..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Rehabilitation, Hospitalization, Surgery, Mortality, Risk, Elderly
Kundi H, Strom JB, Valsdottir LR
Trends in isolated surgical aortic valve replacement according to hospital-based transcatheter aortic valve replacement volumes.
This research analyzed trends in isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) procedures with the advent of the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure. Hospitalizations of adults from January 2011 through December 2014 was analyzed with data from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review database using ICD-9 Revision-Clinical Modification procedure codes. The annual value of isolated SAVR went down as TAVR volumes increased which also decreased short- and long-term mortality over the study period.
AHRQ-funded; HS024520.
Citation: Kundi H, Strom JB, Valsdottir LR .
Trends in isolated surgical aortic valve replacement according to hospital-based transcatheter aortic valve replacement volumes.
JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2018 Nov 12;11(21):2148-56. doi: 10.1016/j.jcin.2018.07.002..
Keywords: Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospitals
Levy AE, Shah NR, Matheny ME
Determining post-test risk in a national sample of stress nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging reports: implications for natural language processing tools.
The authors investigated whether Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools could potentially help estimate myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) risk. Subjects were VA patients who underwent stress MPI and coronary angiography 2009-11; stress test reports were randomly selected for analysis. The authors found that post-test ischemic risk was determinable but rarely reported in this sample of stress MPI reports. They conclude that this supports the potential use of NLP to help clarify risk and recommend further study of NLP in this context.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Levy AE, Shah NR, Matheny ME .
Determining post-test risk in a national sample of stress nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging reports: implications for natural language processing tools.
J Nucl Cardiol 2019 Dec;26(6):1878-85. doi: 10.1007/s12350-018-1275-y..
Keywords: Imaging, Risk, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health
Goyal P, Gorodeski EZ, Marcum ZA
Cardiac rehabilitation to optimize medication regimens in heart failure.
This paper discusses the use of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) to optimize medication regimens for older adults with heart failure. Challenges in CR are discussed length and strategies were offered for leveraged CR.
AHRQ-funded; HS022982.
Citation: Goyal P, Gorodeski EZ, Marcum ZA .
Cardiac rehabilitation to optimize medication regimens in heart failure.
Clin Geriatr Med 2019 Nov;35(4):549-60. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2019.06.001..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Rehabilitation, Medication, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient Adherence/Compliance, Chronic Conditions
Blecker S, Austrian JS, Horwitz LI
Interrupting providers with clinical decision support to improve care for heart failure.
The goal of this study was to develop a clinical decision support (CDS) system to recommend an angiotenson converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor during hospitalization so it could be promoted for continuation at discharge. Patients who were hospitalized with reduced ejection fraction were pseudo-randomized to deliver interruptive or non-interruptive CDS alerts to providers based on the patients’ even or odd medical record number. The utilization rate was higher for interruptive alert versus non-interruptive alert hospitalizations for a sample of 958. This resulted in improved quality of care for heart failure patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS023683.
Citation: Blecker S, Austrian JS, Horwitz LI .
Interrupting providers with clinical decision support to improve care for heart failure.
Int J Med Inform 2019 Nov;131:103956. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2019.103956..
Keywords: Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Shared Decision Making, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Ngo-Metzger Q, Zuvekas S, Shafer P
AHRQ Author: Ngo-Metzger Q, Zuvekas S, Shafer P, Tracer H, Borsky AE, Bierman AS
Ngo-Metzger Q, Zuvekas S, Shafer P, Tracer H, Borsky AE, Bierman AS. Statin use in the U.S. for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease remains suboptimal.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the leading cause of mortality in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the rates of statin use for secondary prevention of ASCVD events in the United States over the last decade and determine whether disparities in the treatment of ASCVD still persist among women and racial/ethnic minorities.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Ngo-Metzger Q, Zuvekas S, Shafer P .
Ngo-Metzger Q, Zuvekas S, Shafer P, Tracer H, Borsky AE, Bierman AS. Statin use in the U.S. for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease remains suboptimal.
J Am Board Fam Med 2019 Nov-Dec;32(6):807-17. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2019.06.180313..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Cardiovascular Conditions, Medication, Healthcare Utilization, Prevention, Heart Disease and Health, Disparities
Goldstone AB, Chiu P, Baiocchi M
Interfacility transfer of Medicare beneficiaries with acute type a aortic dissection and regionalization of care in the United States.
Researchers investigated the hypothesis that regionalizing care at high-volume hospitals for acute type A aortic dissections will lower mortality. Operative mortality and long-term survival were compared for Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with an acute type A aortic dissection who were transferred versus not transferred, underwent surgery at high-volume versus low-volume hospitals, and were rerouted versus not rerouted to a high-volume hospital for treatment. The researchers found that, despite delaying surgery, a regionalization policy that transfers patients to high-volume hospitals was associated with a 7.2% absolute risk reduction in operative mortality. They recommended that policymakers evaluate the feasibility and benefits of regionalizing the surgical treatment of acute type A aortic dissection in the United States.
AHRQ-funded; HS022192.
Citation: Goldstone AB, Chiu P, Baiocchi M .
Interfacility transfer of Medicare beneficiaries with acute type a aortic dissection and regionalization of care in the United States.
Circulation 2019 Oct 8;140(15):1239-50. doi: 10.1161/circulationaha.118.038867..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Medicare, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Risk, Evidence-Based Practice, Mortality, Hospitals
Angraal S, Nuti SV, Masoudi FA
Digoxin use and associated adverse events among older adults.
The authors describe national-level trends of digoxin use, hospitalizations for toxicity, and subsequent outcomes over the past two decades. They found that, while digoxin prescriptions have decreased, the drug is still widely prescribed. However, the rate of hospitalizations for digoxin toxicity and adverse outcomes associated with these hospitalizations have decreased. They concluded that these findings reflect the changing clinical practice of digoxin use, aligned with the changes in clinical guidelines.
AHRQ-funded; HS025164; HS025402; HS025517.
Citation: Angraal S, Nuti SV, Masoudi FA .
Digoxin use and associated adverse events among older adults.
Am J Med 2019 Oct;132(10):1191-98. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2019.04.022.
.
.
Keywords: Medication, Elderly, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospitalization, Practice Patterns
Brescia AA, Wu X, Paone G
Effect of sex on nadir hematocrit and rates of acute kidney injury in coronary artery bypass.
Researchers explored whether there a sex-related difference on nadir hematocrit and rates of acute kidney injury in coronary artery bypass. A prospective, observational study was conducted of 17,363 patients not on dialysis undergoing the procedure between 2011 and 2016 across 41 institutions from the Perfusion Measure and Outcomes registry. There was no sex-related differences found for nadir hematocrit or rates of acute kidney injury.
AHRQ-funded; HS026003; HS022535.
Citation: Brescia AA, Wu X, Paone G .
Effect of sex on nadir hematocrit and rates of acute kidney injury in coronary artery bypass.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2019 Oct;158(4):1073-80.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2019.03.042..
Keywords: Injuries and Wounds, Sex Factors, Kidney Disease and Health, Adverse Events, Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions
Sterling MR, Echeverria SE, Commodore-Mensah Y
Health equity and implementation science in heart, lung, blood, and sleep-related research: emerging themes from the 2018 Saunders-Watkins Leadership Workshop.
This article discusses the key themes from a 2-day workshop that was held at the National Institutes of Health in May 2018 to promote health equity and implementation science in heart, lung, and sleep-related research. This inaugural workshop was named the Saunders-Watkins Leadership Workshop. Recommendations are offered for the future direction of this research.
AHRQ-funded; HS000066.
Citation: Sterling MR, Echeverria SE, Commodore-Mensah Y .
Health equity and implementation science in heart, lung, blood, and sleep-related research: emerging themes from the 2018 Saunders-Watkins Leadership Workshop.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2019 Oct;12(10):e005586. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.119.005586..
Keywords: Implementation, Evidence-Based Practice, Disparities, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Respiratory Conditions, Sleep Problems
Wang SV, Rogers JR, Jin Y
Stepped-wedge randomised trial to evaluate population health intervention designed to increase appropriate anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Clinical guidelines recommend anticoagulation for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) at high risk of stroke; however, studies report 40% of this population is not anticoagulated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a population health intervention to increase anticoagulation use in high-risk patients with AF. The investigators concluded that algorithms to identify underuse of anticoagulation among patients with AF in healthcare databases may not capture clinical subtleties or patient preferences and may overestimate the extent of undertreatment.
AHRQ-funded; HS022193.
Citation: Wang SV, Rogers JR, Jin Y .
Stepped-wedge randomised trial to evaluate population health intervention designed to increase appropriate anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation.
BMJ Qual Saf 2019 Oct;28(10):835-42. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2019-009367..
Keywords: Blood Thinners, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Medication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Shared Decision Making, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Practice Patterns, Healthcare Utilization
Popescu I, Sood N, Joshi S
Trends in the use of skilled nursing facility and home health care under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: an interrupted time-series analysis.
Medicare's Hospital Readmission Reduction Program penalizes hospitals with elevated 30-day readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia. The authors investigated if, in order to reduce readmissions, hospitals may have increased referrals to skilled nursing facilities and home health care. They found that hospitals might be shifting to more intensive postacute care to avoid readmissions among seniors with pneumonia. At the same time, penalized hospitals' efforts to prevent readmissions may be keeping higher proportions of their patients in the community.
AHRQ-funded; HS024284; HS025394.
Citation: Popescu I, Sood N, Joshi S .
Trends in the use of skilled nursing facility and home health care under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: an interrupted time-series analysis.
Med Care 2019 Oct;57(10):757-65. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001184..
Keywords: Home Healthcare, Nursing Homes, Chronic Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Long-Term Care, Hospitals, Heart Disease and Health, Pneumonia, Cardiovascular Conditions
Kundi H, Popma JJ, Valsdottir LR
The value of claims-based nontraditional risk factors in predicting long-term mortality after MitraClip procedure.
The goals of this study were to identify nontraditional risk factors coded in administrative claims data and to evaluate their ability to improve prediction of long-term mortality in patients undergoing percutaneous mitral valve repair. Patients undergoing transcatheter mitral valve repair using MitraClip implantation were identified among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries; researchers used nested Cox regression models to identify claims codes predictive of long-term mortality. Four groups of variables were introduced: cardiac, noncardiac, and nontraditional risk factors, and presentation characteristics. The authors conclude that risk-prediction models, which include nontraditional risk factors as identified in claims data, can be used to predict long-term mortality risk more accurately in patients who have undergone MitraClip procedures.
AHRQ-funded; HS024520.
Citation: Kundi H, Popma JJ, Valsdottir LR .
The value of claims-based nontraditional risk factors in predicting long-term mortality after MitraClip procedure.
Can J Cardiol 2018 Dec;34(12):1648-54. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2018.10.002..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Elderly, Mortality, Heart Disease and Health, Medicare, Risk, Surgery
Bath J, Smith JB, Kruse RL
Association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with outcomes after elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.
This study investigated postoperative outcomes from elective abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery (AAA) repair using neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as the predictor. Inpatients from the Cerner Health Facts database undergoing elective AAA repair from 2008 to 2015 were selected using ICD-9 procedure codes. Patients with a high postoperative NLR experienced longer hospital stays; higher rates of in-hospital death; high rates of renal failure, cardiac problems, respiratory problems, and infection compared to patients with a low postoperative NLR. The authors recommend future study of NLR to help provide clinically important risk profiles.
AHRQ-funded; HS022140.
Citation: Bath J, Smith JB, Kruse RL .
Association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with outcomes after elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.
J Vasc Nurs 2019 Sep;37(3):213-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jvn.2019.06.001..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Surgery, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Evidence-Based Practice
Sukul D, Ryan AM, Yan P
Cardiologist participation in accountable care organizations and changes in spending and quality for Medicare patients with cardiovascular disease.
Despite widespread adoption of Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs), healthcare spending reductions have been modest. This may relate to variable participation in ACOs by specialist physicians, who disproportionately drive spending. In this study, the investigators analyzed national Medicare data to examine whether specialist participation in Medicare ACOs was associated with changes in healthcare spending and clinical quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS024728; HS025615; HS024525.
Citation: Sukul D, Ryan AM, Yan P .
Cardiologist participation in accountable care organizations and changes in spending and quality for Medicare patients with cardiovascular disease.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2019 Sep;12(9):e005438. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.118.005438..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Healthcare Costs, Heart Disease and Health, Medicare, Quality of Care
Rogers ES, Cuthel AM, Berry CA
Clinician perspectives on the benefits of practice facilitation for small primary care practices.
This study examined the effectiveness of practice facilitation to improve cardiovascular disease in 257 small independent primary care practices (SIPs) enrolled in the AHRQ-funded EvidenceNOW initiative called HealthyHearts. These SIPs were enrolled in HealthyHearts NYC in New York City. Interviews were conducted with SIPs with 3 or fewer office staff and their answers were compared with interviews with practices with more than 3 office staff. Three facilitation benefits were found to the most important, including 1. Creating awareness of quality gaps; 2. Connecting practices to information, resources, and strategies, and; 3. Optimizing the HER for QI goals.
AHRQ-funded; HS023922.
Citation: Rogers ES, Cuthel AM, Berry CA .
Clinician perspectives on the benefits of practice facilitation for small primary care practices.
Ann Fam Med 2019 Aug 12;17(Suppl 1):S17-s23. doi: 10.1370/afm.2427..
Keywords: Primary Care, Provider: Clinician, Provider: Physician, Provider, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Durstenfeld MS, Katz SD, Park H
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist use after hospitalization of patients with heart failure and post-discharge outcomes: a single-center retrospective cohort study.
The purpose of this paper was to describe contemporary mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) prescription for heart failure patients before and after the full scope of hospitalizations and the association between MRA discharge prescription and post-hospitalization outcomes. Results showed that, among hospitalized patients with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction, 75% did not receive MRA before or after hospitalization, and nearly 90% of eligible patients did not have MRA initiated. These results suggest that hospitalization may represent an opportunity to initiate guideline-directed heart failure therapy.
AHRQ-funded; HS023683.
Citation: Durstenfeld MS, Katz SD, Park H .
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist use after hospitalization of patients with heart failure and post-discharge outcomes: a single-center retrospective cohort study.
BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019 Aug 9;19(1):194. doi: 10.1186/s12872-019-1175-3..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Medication, Practice Patterns, Outcomes
Knierim KE, Hall TL, Dickinson LM
Primary care practices' ability to report electronic clinical quality measures in the EvidenceNOW Southwest Initiative to Improve Heart Health.
The objective of this study was to determine how quickly primary care practices can report electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) and to identify the practice characteristics associated with faster reporting. Examining the EvidenceNOW Southwest initiative, the researchers’ results showed that the time to report eCQMs varied by measure and practice type, with very few practices reporting quickly. Additional support for practices to succeed in new programs that require eCQM reporting was recommended.
AHRQ-funded; HS023904.
Citation: Knierim KE, Hall TL, Dickinson LM .
Primary care practices' ability to report electronic clinical quality measures in the EvidenceNOW Southwest Initiative to Improve Heart Health.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 Aug 2;2(8):e198569. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.8569..
Keywords: Primary Care, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Fanaroff AC, Vora AN, Chen AY
Hospital participation in clinical trials for patients with acute myocardial infarction: results from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry.
Using the nationwide Chest Pain-MI registry, the authors described the proportion of hospitals that enrolled patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) in clinical trials from 2009 to 2014. They concluded that hospitals are becoming less likely to engage in clinical trials for patients with MI, and that patients admitted to hospitals that participated in clinical trials more often received guideline-adherent care and had better long-term outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS021092.
Citation: Fanaroff AC, Vora AN, Chen AY .
Hospital participation in clinical trials for patients with acute myocardial infarction: results from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry.
Am Heart J 2019 Aug;214:184-93. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2019.05.011..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Registries, Research Methodologies
Reeder HT, Shen C, Buxton AE
Joint shock/death risk prediction model for patients considering implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.
This study’s goal was to develop a joint shock/death risk prediction tool for patients who received implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). Secondary analysis of patients was conducted as part of the SCD-HeFT trial (Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial). An illness-death regression model was applied for both ICD shocks and deaths. Among 803 ICD recipients, 430 (53.5%) did not receive an ICD shock or die, 206 (25.7%) received at least 1 shock but did not die, 113 (14.1%) died before receiving a shock, and 54 (6.7%) received at least 1 shock but still died. This predictive performance can be used as a tool for individualized counseling for patients contemplating an ICD.
AHRQ-funded; HS024520.
Citation: Reeder HT, Shen C, Buxton AE .
Joint shock/death risk prediction model for patients considering implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2019 Aug;12(8):e005675. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.119.005675..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Medical Devices, Risk, Shared Decision Making, Mortality
Mentias A, Shantha G, Adeola O
Role of diabetes and insulin use in the risk of stroke and acute myocardial infarction in patients with atrial fibrillation: a Medicare analysis.
This study examined the role of diabetes and insulin use in the risk of stroke and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). A cohort of Medicare beneficiaries newly diagnoses with AF from 2011 to 2013 were identified. The cohort was divided into those with diabetes requiring insulin (6.7%), those with diabetes not requiring insulin (31.3%) and non-diabetics (62%). Diabetics requiring insulin were at the greatest risk of stroke and AMI, and diabetics not requiring insulin were at slightly lower risk, but non-diabetics had the lowest risk.
AHRQ-funded; HS023104.
Citation: Mentias A, Shantha G, Adeola O .
Role of diabetes and insulin use in the risk of stroke and acute myocardial infarction in patients with atrial fibrillation: a Medicare analysis.
Am Heart J 2019 Aug;214:158-66. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2019.05.003..
Keywords: Diabetes, Stroke, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Risk, Chronic Conditions, Elderly
Parchman ML, Anderson ML, Coleman K
Assessing quality improvement capacity in primary care practices.
The Healthy Hearts Northwest (H2N) Study is part of an AHRQ initiative to build quality improvement (QI) capacity in primary care with a focus on cardiovascular risk factors. The three main risk factors are appropriate aspirin use, blood pressure control, and tobacco screening/cessation. A practice facilitator (PF) met with clinicians and staff in the participating practices to discuss the results for each item on the Quality Improvement Capacity Assessment (QICA) scale. The score was associated with prior experience managing change and moderately associated with two of the three risk factors: aspirin use and blood pressure control. The QICA was found to be a useful assessment tool to measure QI capacity within a practice.
AHRQ-funded; HS023908.
Citation: Parchman ML, Anderson ML, Coleman K .
Assessing quality improvement capacity in primary care practices.
BMC Fam Pract 2019 Jul 25;20(1):103. doi: 10.1186/s12875-019-1000-1.
.
.
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Heart Disease and Health, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Kundi H, Popma JJ, Reynolds MR
Frailty and related outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter valve therapies in a nationwide cohort.
In this study, the investigators sought to identify the prevalence and related outcomes of frail individuals undergoing transcatheter mitral valve repair and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Patients aged 65 and older were included in the study if they had at least one procedural code for transcatheter mitral valve repair or TAVR between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016 in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare Provider and Review database.
Citation: Kundi H, Popma JJ, Reynolds MR .
Frailty and related outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter valve therapies in a nationwide cohort.
Eur Heart J 2019 Jul 14;40(27):2231-39. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehz187.
.
.
Keywords: Elderly, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Surgery, Outcomes, Treatments