National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Topics
- Adverse Events (2)
- Brain Injury (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- Care Coordination (3)
- Care Management (2)
- Children/Adolescents (4)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Communication (2)
- COVID-19 (2)
- Critical Care (1)
- Elderly (2)
- Emergency Department (6)
- Emergency Preparedness (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (2)
- (-) Healthcare Delivery (23)
- Healthcare Utilization (2)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (2)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (2)
- Home Healthcare (3)
- Hospital Discharge (3)
- Hospitalization (2)
- Hospital Readmissions (2)
- Hospitals (10)
- Inpatient Care (2)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (3)
- Medicaid (1)
- Medical Errors (1)
- Medication (1)
- Mortality (1)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (1)
- Newborns/Infants (1)
- Nursing (1)
- Nursing Homes (2)
- Outcomes (4)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Patient Safety (6)
- Primary Care (1)
- Primary Care: Models of Care (1)
- Provider (4)
- Provider: Clinician (1)
- Provider: Nurse (1)
- Provider: Physician (1)
- Public Health (1)
- Quality of Care (2)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Rehabilitation (1)
- Rural Health (1)
- Shared Decision Making (1)
- Stroke (2)
- Surgery (5)
- Teams (1)
- Telehealth (1)
- (-) Transitions of Care (23)
- Trauma (3)
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 23 of 23 Research Studies DisplayedUsher MC, Tignanelli CJ, Hilliard B
Responding to COVID-19 through interhospital resource coordination: a mixed-methods evaluation
Researchers sought to describe a novel hospital system approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic, including multihospital coordination capability and transfer of COVID-19 patients to a single, dedicated hospital. They found that, with standardized communication, interhospital transfers were a safe and effective method of cohorting COVID-19 patients, were well-received by health care providers, and had the potential to improve care quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379; HS026732.
Citation: Usher MC, Tignanelli CJ, Hilliard B .
Responding to COVID-19 through interhospital resource coordination: a mixed-methods evaluation
J Patient Saf 2022 Jun 1;18(4):287-94. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000916..
Keywords: COVID-19, Hospitals, Healthcare Delivery, Public Health, Care Coordination, Transitions of Care
Gilmartin HM, Warsavage T, Hines A
Effectiveness of the rural transitions nurse program for veterans: a multicenter implementation study.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of the rural Transitions Nurse Program (TNP), a program to help veterans transferred from rural areas to urban VA Medical Centers for care. A case-control study was conducted from April 2017 to September 2019 with 3001 veterans enrolled in TNP and 6002 matched controls. Interventions were led by a transition nurse who assessed discharge readiness, provided postdischarge communication with primary care providers (PCPs), and called the Veteran within 72 h of discharge home to assess needs, and encouraged follow-up appointment attendance. Controls had no change to their care. Primary outcomes evaluated were PCP visits within 14 days of discharge and all-cause 30-day readmissions, with secondary outcomes 30-day emergency department (ED) visits and 30-day mortality. Patients were matched by their length of stay, prior hospitalizations and PCP visits, urban/rural status, and 32 Elixhauser comorbidities. The veterans enrolled in TNP were more likely to see their PCP within 14 days of discharge than their matched controls. TNP enrollment was not associated with reduced 30-day ED visits or readmissions but was associated with reduced 30-day mortality.
AHRQ-funded; HS024569.
Citation: Gilmartin HM, Warsavage T, Hines A .
Effectiveness of the rural transitions nurse program for veterans: a multicenter implementation study.
J Hosp Med 2022 Mar;17(3):149-57. doi: 10.1002/jhm.12802..
Keywords: Rural Health, Transitions of Care, Nursing, Healthcare Delivery
Werner NE, Rutkowski RA, Krause S
Disparate perspectives: exploring healthcare professionals' misaligned mental models of older adults' transitions of care between the emergency department and skilled nursing facility.
Care transitions that occur across healthcare system boundaries represent a unique challenge for maintaining high quality care and patient safety, as these systems are typically not aligned to perform the care transition process. In this article, the investigators explored healthcare professionals' mental models of older adults' transitions between the emergency department (ED) and skilled nursing facility (SNF).
AHRQ-funded; HS026624.
Citation: Werner NE, Rutkowski RA, Krause S .
Disparate perspectives: exploring healthcare professionals' misaligned mental models of older adults' transitions of care between the emergency department and skilled nursing facility.
Appl Ergon 2021 Oct;96:103509. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103509..
Keywords: Elderly, Transitions of Care, Emergency Department, Nursing Homes, Healthcare Delivery
Fernandes-Taylor S, Yang DY, Schumacher J
Factors associated with Interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients from emergency departments.
This study looked at the factors contributing to transfer of emergency general surgery (EGS) patients to another hospital. Data from the AHRQ Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) from 2010-2014 was analyzed. The transfer rate during that time was 1.9%. Patients with Medicare or other insurance had higher odds of transfer compared to patients with private health insurance. Odds of transfer increased with a greater number of comorbid conditions as well as resuscitation, intestinal obstruction, and conditions of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Transfers were more likely to originate from rural hospitals or Level I or II trauma centers.
AHRQ-funded; HS025224.
Citation: Fernandes-Taylor S, Yang DY, Schumacher J .
Factors associated with Interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients from emergency departments.
Am J Emerg Med 2021 Feb;40:83-88. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2020.12.012..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Surgery, Emergency Department, Transitions of Care, Hospitals, Healthcare Delivery
Ma AL, Cohen RS, Lee HC
Learning from wildfire disaster experience in California NICUs.
The authors’ objective was to learn how personnel working in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of California hospitals handled issues of neonatal transfer during wildfire disasters in recent years; their ultimate goal was to share lessons learned with healthcare teams on disaster preparedness. They found that while describing disaster preparedness, equipment (such as bassinets and backpacks), ambulance access/transport and documentation/charting were noted as important and essential. They concluded that teamwork, willingness to do other tasks that are not part of typical job descriptions, and unconventional strategies contributed to the success of keeping NICU babies safe when California wildfire strikes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023506.
Citation: Ma AL, Cohen RS, Lee HC .
Learning from wildfire disaster experience in California NICUs.
Children 2020 Oct;7(10):E155. doi: 10.3390/children7100155..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Transitions of Care, Emergency Preparedness, Teams, Healthcare Delivery
Keeney T
Physical therapy in the COVID-19 pandemic: forging a paradigm shift for rehabilitation in acute care.
This point-of-view article discusses the importance of physical therapy for COVID-19 survivors in home and community-based settings as well as in post-acute care facilities, concluding that it is necessary to react to new and difficult circumstances with growth and self-advocacy in order to forge a future characterized by intensive skilled rehabilitation services in the inpatient setting, simultaneously benefiting the health care systems and the patient populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Keeney T .
Physical therapy in the COVID-19 pandemic: forging a paradigm shift for rehabilitation in acute care.
Phys Ther 2020 Aug 12;100(8):1265-67. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzaa097..
Keywords: Rehabilitation, COVID-19, Transitions of Care, Home Healthcare, Healthcare Delivery
Zhu W, Patterson BW, Smith M
A Markov chain model for transient analysis of handoff process in emergency departments.
Transfer of care between multiple units or facilities is of significant importance for patient safety, care quality, and operation efficiency. Such transfers are often referred to as handoffs in hospitals, which need to be carried out timely, safely, and smoothly with accurate information. This paper introduced a Markov chain model to study the transients of handoff process in hospital emergency departments.
AHRQ-funded; HS026624.
Citation: Zhu W, Patterson BW, Smith M .
A Markov chain model for transient analysis of handoff process in emergency departments.
IEEE Robot Autom Lett 2020 Jul;5(3):4360-67. doi: 10.1109/lra.2020.2996066..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Hospitals, Transitions of Care, Healthcare Delivery, Patient Safety
Wooldridge AR, Carayon P, Hoonakker P
Work system barriers and facilitators in inpatient care transitions of pediatric trauma patients.
Hospital-based care of pediatric trauma patients includes transitions between units that are critical for quality of care and patient safety. Using a macroergonomics approach, the investigators identified work system barriers and facilitators in care transitions. They interviewed eighteen healthcare professionals involved in transitions from emergency department (ED) to operating room (OR), OR to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and ED to PICU.
AHRQ-funded; HS023837.
Citation: Wooldridge AR, Carayon P, Hoonakker P .
Work system barriers and facilitators in inpatient care transitions of pediatric trauma patients.
Appl Ergon 2020 May;85:103059. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103059..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Inpatient Care, Transitions of Care, Healthcare Delivery, Trauma, Hospitals
Saluja S, Hochman M, Bourgoin A
Primary care: the new frontier for reducing readmissions.
To date, efforts to reduce hospital readmissions have centered largely on hospitals. In a recently published environmental scan, the investigators examined the literature focusing on primary care-based efforts to reduce readmissions. They found that multi-component care transitions programs that are initiated early in the hospitalization and are part of broader primary care practice transformation appear most promising.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500019I.
Citation: Saluja S, Hochman M, Bourgoin A .
Primary care: the new frontier for reducing readmissions.
J Gen Intern Med 2019 Dec;34(12):2894-97. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05428-2.
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Keywords: Primary Care, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Transitions of Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Healthcare Delivery
Hussain FS, Sosa T, Ambroggio L
Emergency transfers: an important predictor of adverse outcomes in hospitalized children.
This case-control study aimed to determine the predictive validity of an emergency transfer (ET) for outcomes in a free-standing children's hospital. Controls were matched in terms of age, hospital unit, and time of year. Patients who experienced an ET had a significantly higher likelihood of in-hospital mortality (22% vs 9%), longer ICU length of stay (4.9 vs 2.2 days), and longer posttransfer length of stay (26.4 vs 14.7 days) compared with controls (P < .03 for each).
AHRQ-funded; HS023827.
Citation: Hussain FS, Sosa T, Ambroggio L .
Emergency transfers: an important predictor of adverse outcomes in hospitalized children.
J Hosp Med 2019 Aug;14(8):482-85. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3219..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Children/Adolescents, Critical Care, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Adverse Events, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Inpatient Care, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Healthcare Delivery
Ingraham A, Wang X, Havlena J
Factors associated with the interhospital transfer of emergency general surgery patients.
Researchers used data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to determine patient- and hospital-level factors associated with interhospital emergency general surgery (EGS) transfers. They identified that hospital-level characteristics more strongly predicted the need for transfer than patient-related factors. They recommended considering these factors in order to facilitate transfer decision-making.
AHRQ-funded; HS025224.
Citation: Ingraham A, Wang X, Havlena J .
Factors associated with the interhospital transfer of emergency general surgery patients.
J Surg Res 2019 Aug;240:191-200. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2018.11.053..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Emergency Department, Surgery, Shared Decision Making, Hospitals, Healthcare Delivery, Transitions of Care
Hoonakker PLT, Wooldridge AR, Hose BZ
Information flow during pediatric trauma care transitions: things falling through the cracks.
In order to investigate information flow during pediatric trauma care transitions, researchers interviewed 18 clinicians about communication and coordination between the emergency department, operating room, and pediatric intensive care unit, then surveyed the clinicians about patient safety during these transitions. They found that, despite the fact that the many services and units involved in pediatric trauma cooperate well together during trauma cases, important patient care information is often lost when transitioning patients between units. To manage the transition of this fragile and complex population better, they recommend finding ways to manage the information flow during these transitions better by, for instance, providing technological support to ensure shared mental models.
AHRQ-funded; HS023837.
Citation: Hoonakker PLT, Wooldridge AR, Hose BZ .
Information flow during pediatric trauma care transitions: things falling through the cracks.
Intern Emerg Med 2019 Aug;14(5):797-805. doi: 10.1007/s11739-019-02110-7..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Communication, Emergency Department, Healthcare Delivery, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Patient Safety, Provider, Provider: Clinician, Surgery, Transitions of Care, Trauma
Wyatt DL
AHRQ Author: Wyatt DL
Employing technology to make care transitions safer.
This commentary discusses the potential for errors in patient handoffs; important information about medications and instructions regarding patient care may be overlooked when the patient is referred to special care, moved to a new hospital setting, or discharged. The problem is especially acute for patients with multiple chronic conditions who often undergo frequent transitions to new care settings and healthcare providers. The author describes AHRQ’s funding opportunities for health information technology interventions that aim to improve communication and coordination during care transitions, such as location-based smartphone alerts, a patient-centered discharge toolkit, and a ‘smart pillbox’ electronic medication adherence reporting project.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Wyatt DL .
Employing technology to make care transitions safer.
J Nurs Care Qual 2019 Jul/Sep;34(3):185-88. doi: 10.1097/ncq.0000000000000417..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Care Coordination, Chronic Conditions, Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Healthcare Delivery, Hospital Discharge, Medical Errors, Medication, Patient Safety, Transitions of Care
Fraze TK, Beidler LB, Briggs ADM
'Eyes in the home': ACOs use home visits to improve care management, identify needs, and reduce hospital use.
Researchers used national survey data from physician practices and accountable care organizations (ACOs), paired with qualitative interviews, to learn about home visiting programs. They found that interviewed ACOs reported using home visits as part of care management and care transitions programs as well as to evaluate patients' home environments and identify needs, most often using nonphysician staff. Further, home visit implementation for some types of patients can be challenging because of barriers related to reimbursement, staffing, and resources.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Fraze TK, Beidler LB, Briggs ADM .
'Eyes in the home': ACOs use home visits to improve care management, identify needs, and reduce hospital use.
Health Aff 2019 Jun;38(6):1021-27. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00003..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Home Healthcare, Healthcare Delivery, Care Management
Lauerman MH, Herrera AV, Albrecht JS
Interhospital transfers with wide variability in emergency general surgery.
This study examined modern hospital practices for interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients. A retrospective review of the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission database was conducted from 2013 to 2015. The majority of patients (94.1%) were not transferred with only 3.2% transferred to a hospital and 2.7% transferred from a hospital. For individual hospitals, there was a range of 0-30.5% of encounters transferred to a hospital, 0.02-14.62% transferred from a hospital and 69.25-99.95% not transferred.
AHRQ-funded; HS024560.
Citation: Lauerman MH, Herrera AV, Albrecht JS .
Interhospital transfers with wide variability in emergency general surgery.
Am Surg 2019 Jun;85(6):595-600..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Healthcare Delivery, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Outcomes, Quality of Care, Surgery, Transitions of Care
Mueller SK, Schnipper JL
Physician perspectives on interhospital transfers.
This study examined physician perspectives of the common problems that occur during acute care hospital interhospital transfers. The process tends to be nonstandardized which creates a number of issues. These issues include: patients sometimes, frequently, or always arriving without required specialized care (56% of the time), arriving with unrealistic expectations of care (77.2% of responses), arrived more than 24 hours after accepted transfer in 80.1% of responses, and arrived without necessary transfer records 86.9% of the time. The last issue and also time of day of arrival many physicians felt posed a risk to the transferred patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS023331.
Citation: Mueller SK, Schnipper JL .
Physician perspectives on interhospital transfers.
J Patient Saf 2019 Jun;15(2):86-89. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000312..
Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Hospitals, Patient Safety, Provider, Provider: Physician, Transitions of Care
Fabius CD, Robison J
Differences in living arrangements among older adults transitioning into the community: examining the impact of race and choice.
The federal Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration program allows nursing home residents to use Medicaid funds for home and community-based services rather than institutional care. Race, choice in housing, and challenges faced prior to transitioning may impact living arrangements following a discharge into the community. This study examined the influence of these factors on living arrangements for 659 program participants age 65 or older.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Fabius CD, Robison J .
Differences in living arrangements among older adults transitioning into the community: examining the impact of race and choice.
J Appl Gerontol 2019 Apr;38(4):454-78. doi: 10.1177/0733464816687496..
Keywords: Elderly, Transitions of Care, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medicaid, Nursing Homes, Home Healthcare, Healthcare Delivery
Shah S, Xian Y, Sheng S
Use, temporal trends, and outcomes of endovascular therapy after interhospital transfer in the United States.
This study examined the use, trends and outcomes of endovascular therapy (EVT) after interhospital transfer in the United Sates. This cohort study analyzed trends from over 1.8 million patients with ischemic stroke admitted to 2143 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke participating hospitals between 2012 and 2017. There were differences in mortality for interhospital transfer patients, although those differences disappeared after adjusting for delay in EVT initiation.
AHRQ-funded; HS024561.
Citation: Shah S, Xian Y, Sheng S .
Use, temporal trends, and outcomes of endovascular therapy after interhospital transfer in the United States.
Circulation 2019 Mar 26;139(13):1568-77. doi: 10.1161/circulationaha.118.036509..
Keywords: Stroke, Cardiovascular Conditions, Transitions of Care, Outcomes, Healthcare Delivery, Hospitals, Mortality, Quality of Care
Auger KA, Shah SS, Tubbs-Cooley HL
Effects of a 1-time nurse-led telephone call after pediatric discharge: the H2O II randomized clinical trial.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether a single nurse-led telephone call after pediatric discharge decreased the 30-day reutilization rate for urgent care services and enhanced overall transition success. The investigators concluded that although postdischarge nurse contact did not decrease the reutilization rate of postdischarge urgent health care services, the method showed promise to bolster postdischarge education.
AHRQ-funded; HS024735.
Citation: Auger KA, Shah SS, Tubbs-Cooley HL .
Effects of a 1-time nurse-led telephone call after pediatric discharge: the H2O II randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Pediatr 2018 Sep;172(9):e181482. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.1482..
Keywords: Care Coordination, Children/Adolescents, Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Services Research (HSR), Healthcare Delivery, Healthcare Utilization, Hospital Discharge, Outcomes, Provider, Provider: Nurse, Telehealth, Transitions of Care
Mueller SK, Zheng J, Orav J
Interhospital transfer and receipt of specialty procedures.
This study examines the practice of transferring patients between acute care hospitals, and whether the patient actually receives the specialty services at the new hospital which is the reason for the transfer. A retrospective analysis used 2013 100% Master Beneficiary Summary and Inpatient claims files from the CMS. The cohort were aged 65 and above, continuously enrolled in Medicare A and B, with an acute care hospitalization claim, and transferred to another acute hospital with a primary diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, gastrointestinal bleed, renal failure, or hip fracture/dislocation. Of the 19,613 included beneficiaries, between 32.4% and 89.1% did not receive any associated specialty procedure at the receiving hospital.
AHRQ-funded; HS023331.
Citation: Mueller SK, Zheng J, Orav J .
Interhospital transfer and receipt of specialty procedures.
J Hosp Med 2018 Jun;13(6):383-87. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2875..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Patient Safety, Surgery, Healthcare Delivery
Balaban RB, Zhang F, Vialle-Valentin CE
Impact of a patient navigator program on hospital-based and outpatient utilization over 180 days in a safety-net health system.
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a care transition program using patient navigators (PNs) on health service utilization among high-risk safety-net patients over a 180-day period. The investigators concluded that a PN program serving high-risk safety-net patients differentially impacted patients based on age, and among younger patients, outcomes varied over time. The investigators suggest that their findings highlight the importance for future research to evaluate care transition programs among different subpopulations and over longer time peri
AHRQ-funded; HS020628.
Citation: Balaban RB, Zhang F, Vialle-Valentin CE .
Impact of a patient navigator program on hospital-based and outpatient utilization over 180 days in a safety-net health system.
J Gen Intern Med 2017 Sep;32(9):981-89. doi: 10.1007/s11606-017-4074-2..
Keywords: Care Management, Healthcare Delivery, Healthcare Utilization, Hospital Readmissions, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Transitions of Care
Sauser Zachrison K, Schwamm LH
Implementation of rapid treatment and interfacility transport for patients with suspected stroke by large-vessel occlusion: in one door and out the other.
This editorial discusses an article in this same issue of JAMA Neurology (McTaggart et al) that describes the results of the implementation of a standard protocol for patients with suspected emergent large-vessel occlusion (ELVO), and the protocol’s impact on both the process of care and patient outcomes. The editorial concludes that the McTaggart article challenges the medical community to develop an interdisciplinary, team-based, protocol-based approach to patients with potential ELVOs, and that work across the disciplines is needed to achieve an acceptable false-positive rate for the system.
AHRQ-funded; HS024561.
Citation: Sauser Zachrison K, Schwamm LH .
Implementation of rapid treatment and interfacility transport for patients with suspected stroke by large-vessel occlusion: in one door and out the other.
JAMA Neurol 2017 Jul;74(7):765-66. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.0324..
Keywords: Brain Injury, Health Services Research (HSR), Healthcare Delivery, Stroke, Transitions of Care, Trauma
Werner NE, Gurses AP, Leff B
Improving care transitions across healthcare settings through a human factors approach.
This article describes how a systems' approach known as Human Factors and Ergonomics can complement and further strengthen efforts to improve care transitions.
AHRQ-funded; HS022916.
Citation: Werner NE, Gurses AP, Leff B .
Improving care transitions across healthcare settings through a human factors approach.
J Healthc Qual 2016 Nov/Dec;38(6):328-43. doi: 10.1097/jhq.0000000000000025.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Provider, Hospital Discharge, Patient Safety, Transitions of Care