National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Adverse Events (1)
- Brain Injury (1)
- Care Coordination (6)
- Care Management (2)
- Case Study (2)
- Children/Adolescents (4)
- Chronic Conditions (3)
- Communication (3)
- Community-Based Practice (1)
- Elderly (7)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Emergency Department (4)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (3)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (2)
- Healthcare Delivery (2)
- Healthcare Utilization (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Home Healthcare (4)
- Hospital Discharge (6)
- Hospitalization (3)
- Hospital Readmissions (4)
- Hospitals (2)
- Injuries and Wounds (1)
- Long-Term Care (2)
- Medicaid (1)
- Medicare (3)
- Medication (2)
- Nursing Homes (6)
- Palliative Care (2)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (3)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (2)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Patient Safety (5)
- Primary Care (2)
- Quality Improvement (4)
- Quality of Care (4)
- Respiratory Conditions (1)
- Risk (1)
- Shared Decision Making (2)
- Social Determinants of Health (1)
- Stroke (1)
- Surgery (3)
- TeamSTEPPS (1)
- Telehealth (1)
- (-) Transitions of Care (30)
- Trauma (1)
- Young Adults (1)
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 30 Research Studies DisplayedHernandez-Boussard T, Davies S, McDonald K
Interhospital facility transfers in the United States: a nationwide outcomes study.
This study identified and compared characteristics and outcomes of transfer and nontransfer patients. In-hospital adverse events were significantly higher in transfer patients compared with nontransfer patients. Study results suggest that transfer patients have inferior outcomes compared with nontransfer patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS018558.
Citation: Hernandez-Boussard T, Davies S, McDonald K .
Interhospital facility transfers in the United States: a nationwide outcomes study.
J Patient Saf 2017 Dec;13(4):187-91. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000148.
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Keywords: Adverse Events, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Patient Safety, Transitions of Care
Britton MC, Ouellet GM, Minges KE
Care transitions between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities: perspectives of sending and receiving providers.
This study was conducted to identify the perspectives of sending and receiving providers regarding care transitions between the hospital and skilled nursing facilities. Four main themes emerged: increasing patient complexity, identifying an optimal care setting, rising financial pressure, and barriers to effective communication. The investigators indicated that the data highlighted hospital and SNF providers' shared concerns about patient-level risk factors and escalating costs of care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Britton MC, Ouellet GM, Minges KE .
Care transitions between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities: perspectives of sending and receiving providers.
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Keywords: Communication, Long-Term Care, Nursing Homes, Risk, Transitions of Care
Werner NE, Malkana S, Gurses AP
Toward a process-level view of distributed healthcare tasks: medication management as a case study.
Researchers aimed to highlight the importance of using a process-level view in analyzing distributed healthcare tasks through a case study analysis of medication management (MM). Their findings identified key cross-system characteristics not observable at the task-level: (1) identification of emergent properties (e.g., role ambiguity, loosely-coupled teams performing MM) and associated barriers; and (2) examination of barrier propagation across system boundaries.
AHRQ-funded; HS022916.
Citation: Werner NE, Malkana S, Gurses AP .
Toward a process-level view of distributed healthcare tasks: medication management as a case study.
Appl Ergon 2017 Nov;65:255-68. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2017.06.020.
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Keywords: Care Management, Elderly, Home Healthcare, Medication, Transitions of Care
Bull J, Kamal AH, Harker M
Tracking patients in community-based palliative care through the centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Healthcare Innovation Project.
In 2014, Four Seasons Compassion for Life was awarded a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Healthcare Innovation Award to expand an existing Community-Based Palliative Care (CBPC) model into additional counties and to propose a new payment approach. The goal of this article is to evaluate the tracking of point of entry into palliative care and patient transition outcomes in the model.
AHRQ-funded; HS023681.
Citation: Bull J, Kamal AH, Harker M .
Tracking patients in community-based palliative care through the centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Healthcare Innovation Project.
J Palliat Med 2017 Nov;20(11):1231-36. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2017.0080..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Community-Based Practice, Elderly, Transitions of Care
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
McHugh JP, Foster A, Mor V JP, Foster A, Mor V
Reducing hospital readmissions through preferred networks of skilled nursing facilities.
This study used a concurrent mixed-methods approach to examine changes in rehospitalization rates and differences in practices between hospitals that did and did not develop formal skilled nursing facilities (SNF) networks.
AHRQ-funded; HS023961.
Citation: McHugh JP, Foster A, Mor V JP, Foster A, Mor V .
Reducing hospital readmissions through preferred networks of skilled nursing facilities.
Health Aff 2017 Sep;36(9):1591-98. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0211..
Keywords: Care Coordination, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Transitions of Care
Acher AW, Campbell-Flohr SA, Brenny-Fitzpatrick M
Improving patient-centered transitional care after complex abdominal surgery.
Poor-quality transitions of care from hospital to home contribute to high rates of readmission after complex abdominal surgery. The Coordinated Transitional Care (C-TraC) program improved readmission rates in medical patients, but evidence-based surgical transitional care protocols are still lacking. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an adapted surgical C-TraC protocol. The investigators concluded that a phone-based transitional care protocol for surgical patients is feasible, with <1% refusals and 95% engagement.
patients is feasible, with <1% refusals and 95% engagement.
AHRQ-funded; HS022446.
AHRQ-funded; HS022446.
Citation: Acher AW, Campbell-Flohr SA, Brenny-Fitzpatrick M .
Improving patient-centered transitional care after complex abdominal surgery.
J Am Coll Surg 2017 Aug;225(2):259-65. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2017.04.008..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Surgery, Transitions of Care
Clark B, Baron K, Tynan-McKiernan K
Perspectives of clinicians at skilled nursing facilities on 30-day hospital readmissions: a qualitative study.
The purpose of this paper was to understand the perspectives of clinicians working at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) regarding factors contributing to readmissions. SNF clinicians identified a broad range of factors that contributed to readmissions. The investigators suggest that addressing these factors may mitigate patients' risk of readmission from SNFs to acute care hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Clark B, Baron K, Tynan-McKiernan K .
Perspectives of clinicians at skilled nursing facilities on 30-day hospital readmissions: a qualitative study.
J Hosp Med 2017 Aug;12(8):632-38. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2785..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Nursing Homes, Quality Improvement, Transitions of Care
Berry J, Wilson K, Dumas H
Use of post-acute facility care in children hospitalized with acute respiratory illness.
In this retrospective analysis, the investigators assessed which children hospitalized with respiratory illness (RI) were the most likely to use post-acute facility care (PAC) for recovery. The investigators found that children with RI who were most likely to use PAC had a high prevalence of multiple chronic conditions, multiple medications, and medical technology.
AHRQ-funded; HS023092.
Citation: Berry J, Wilson K, Dumas H .
Use of post-acute facility care in children hospitalized with acute respiratory illness.
J Hosp Med 2017 Aug;12(8):626-31. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2780..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Hospitalization, Respiratory Conditions, Transitions of Care
Hewner S, Casucci S, Sullivan S
Integrating social determinants of health into primary care clinical and informational workflow during care transitions.
Care continuity during transitions between the hospital and home requires reliable communication between providers and settings and an understanding of social determinants that influence recovery. This paper describes the coordinating transitions intervention which uses real time alerts, delivered directly to the primary care practice for complex chronically ill patients discharged from an acute care setting, to facilitate nurse care coordinator led telephone outreach.
AHRQ-funded; HS022575.
Citation: Hewner S, Casucci S, Sullivan S .
Integrating social determinants of health into primary care clinical and informational workflow during care transitions.
eGEMS 2017 Jul 4;5(2):2. doi: 10.13063/2327-9214.1282..
Keywords: Care Coordination, Chronic Conditions, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Social Determinants of Health, Transitions of Care
Wang SY, Aldridge MD, Gross CP
End-of-life care transition patterns of Medicare beneficiaries.
The researchers characterized the patterns of transitions in care and factors associated with multiple transitions in the last 6 months of life of U.S. decedents (N = 660,132). They found that 218,731 had four or more transitions within the last 6 months of life. Women, blacks, individuals younger than 85, and individuals without dementia were more likely to have four or more transitions.
AHRQ-funded; HS023900.
Citation: Wang SY, Aldridge MD, Gross CP .
End-of-life care transition patterns of Medicare beneficiaries.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2017 Jul;65(7):1406-13. doi: 10.1111/jgs.14891.
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Keywords: Elderly, Medicare, Palliative Care, 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
Jones CD, Bowles KH, Richard A
High-value home health care for patients with heart failure: an opportunity to optimize transitions from hospital to home.
Providing home health nursing and therapy could promote recovery in vulnerable HF patients with post-hospital syndrome and potentially reduce readmissions. The authors argue that understanding the characteristics of effective post-acute HHC for patients with HF will inform best practices, optimal outcomes for cost, and ultimately high-value care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024569.
Citation: Jones CD, Bowles KH, Richard A .
High-value home health care for patients with heart failure: an opportunity to optimize transitions from hospital to home.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2017 May;10(5). doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.117.003676.
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Keywords: Home Healthcare, Heart Disease and Health, Transitions of Care, Care Coordination, Medicare
Fernandes-Taylor S, Gunter RL, Bennett KM
Feasibility of implementing a patient-centered postoperative wound monitoring program using smartphone images: a pilot protocol.
The researchers propose a protocol of postoperative wound monitoring using smartphone digital images. Their study will help establish the feasibility of such a program, both for patients and for the clinical care team. The feasibility trial will confirm whether patients and their caregivers can learn to use a postdischarge wound monitoring smartphone app and will assess patient and provider satisfaction.
AHRQ-funded; HS023395.
Citation: Fernandes-Taylor S, Gunter RL, Bennett KM .
Feasibility of implementing a patient-centered postoperative wound monitoring program using smartphone images: a pilot protocol.
JMIR Res Protoc 2017 Feb 22;6(2):e26. doi: 10.2196/resprot.6819.
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Keywords: Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Surgery, Injuries and Wounds, Transitions of Care
Lindquist LA, Miller RK, Saltsman WS
SGIM-AMDA-AGS consensus best practice recommendations for transitioning patients' healthcare from skilled nursing facilities to the community.
The authors assembled a cross-cutting team of experts representing primary care physicians (PCPs), home care physicians, physicians who see patients in skilled nursing facilities (SNF physicians), skilled nursing facility medical directors, human factors engineers, transitional care researchers, geriatricians, internists, family practitioners, and three major organizations: AMDA, SGIM, and AGS. This team identified issues and developed best practices perceived as feasible for SNF physician and PCP practices to accomplish.
AHRQ-funded; HS022916.
Citation: Lindquist LA, Miller RK, Saltsman WS .
SGIM-AMDA-AGS consensus best practice recommendations for transitioning patients' healthcare from skilled nursing facilities to the community.
J Gen Intern Med 2017 Feb;32(2):199-203. doi: 10.1007/s11606-016-3850-8.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Long-Term Care, Nursing Homes, Primary Care, Transitions of Care
Natafgi N, Zhu X, Baloh J
Critical access hospital use of TeamSTEPPS to implement shift-change handoff communication.
Implementation of handoff as part of TeamSTEPPS initiatives for improving shift-change communication is examined via qualitative analysis of on-site interviews and process observations in 8 critical access hospitals. Comparing implementation attributes and handoff performance across hospitals shows that the purpose of implementation did not differentiate between high and low performance, but facilitators and barriers did.
AHRQ-funded; HS018396.
Citation: Natafgi N, Zhu X, Baloh J .
Critical access hospital use of TeamSTEPPS to implement shift-change handoff communication.
J Nurs Care Qual 2017 Jan/Mar;32(1):77-86. doi: 10.1097/ncq.0000000000000203.
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Keywords: Communication, Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, TeamSTEPPS, Transitions of Care
Acher AW, LeCaire TJ, Hundt AS
Using human factors and systems engineering to evaluate readmission after complex surgery.
The study objective was to use a human factors and systems engineering approach to understand contributors to surgical readmissions from a patient and provider perspective. Patients and clinician providers identified a number of factors during the transition of care that may have contributed to readmission, including poor patient and caregiver understanding; inadequate discharge preparation for home care; insufficient educational process and materials.
AHRQ-funded; HS022446.
Citation: Acher AW, LeCaire TJ, Hundt AS .
Using human factors and systems engineering to evaluate readmission after complex surgery.
J Am Coll Surg 2015 Oct;221(4):810-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2015.06.014..
Keywords: Surgery, Hospital Readmissions, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
Sawicki GS, Garvey KC, Toomey SL
Development and validation of the adolescent assessment of preparation for transition: a novel patient experience measure.
The authors developed an adolescent-reported measure of the quality of health care transition (HCT) preparation received from pediatric health care providers. They found that the Adolescent Assessment of Preparation for Transition (ADAPT) is a reliable, validated instrument measuring the quality of HCT preparation experiences reported by adolescents with chronic disease.
AHRQ-funded; HS020513.
Citation: Sawicki GS, Garvey KC, Toomey SL .
Development and validation of the adolescent assessment of preparation for transition: a novel patient experience measure.
J Adolesc Health 2015 Sep;57(3):282-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.06.004.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Chronic Conditions, Patient Experience, Quality of Care, Transitions of Care
Gupta K, Mueller SK
Interhospital transfers: the need for standards.
Patient transfers from one hospital to another are common and occur for a multitude of reasons with varied outcomes. The authors discuss interhospital transfers and difficulties encountered by the providers who care for these patients. They recommend further research to identify more clearly which patients are most likely to benefit from transfer and why.
AHRQ-funded; HS023331.
Citation: Gupta K, Mueller SK .
Interhospital transfers: the need for standards.
J Hosp Med 2015 Jun;10(6):415-7. doi: 10.1002/jhm.2320.
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Keywords: Case Study, Shared Decision Making, Elderly, Patient Safety, Transitions of Care
Marcum ZA, Hardy SE
Medication management skills in older skilled nursing facility residents transitioning home.
The objective of this pilot study was to describe potential medication management deficiencies of older SNF residents transitioning home. It found that medication management deficiencies were found to be common in a high-risk group of elderly adults making this important transition.
AHRQ-funded; HS020831.
Citation: Marcum ZA, Hardy SE .
Medication management skills in older skilled nursing facility residents transitioning home.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2015 Jun;63(6):1266-8. doi: 10.1111/jgs.13469..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Nursing Homes, Elderly, Medication, Transitions of Care
Wisk LE, Finkelstein JA, Sawicki GS
Predictors of timing of transfer from pediatric- to adult-focused primary care.
The researchers examined the timing of transfer to adult-focused primary care providers (PCPs), the time between last pediatric-focused and first adult-focused PCP visits, and the predictors of transfer timing. They found that most youths are transferring care later than recommended and with gaps of more than a year. They further noted that while youths with chronic conditions have shorter gaps, they may need even shorter transfer intervals to ensure continuous access to care.
AHRQ-funded; HS000063; HS020513.
Citation: Wisk LE, Finkelstein JA, Sawicki GS .
Predictors of timing of transfer from pediatric- to adult-focused primary care.
JAMA Pediatr 2015 Jun;169(6):e150951. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.0951.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Chronic Conditions, Primary Care, Transitions of Care, Young Adults
Baier RR, Wysocki A, Gravenstein S
A qualitative study of choosing home health care after hospitalization: the unintended consequences of 'patient choice' requirements.
The purpose of this qualitative study is to learn how quality reports are used when choosing home care. Focus groups with 13 home health consumers and interviews with 28 hospital case managers from five hospitals revealed that both groups were unaware of public reports about home care quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS021879
Citation: Baier RR, Wysocki A, Gravenstein S .
A qualitative study of choosing home health care after hospitalization: the unintended consequences of 'patient choice' requirements.
J Gen Intern Med. 2015 May;30(5):634-40. doi: 10.1007/s11606-014-3164-7..
Keywords: Shared Decision Making, Elderly, Home Healthcare, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care
Desai AD, Popalisky J, Simon TD
The effectiveness of family-centered transition processes from hospital settings to home: a review of the literature.
The objective of this study was to conduct a targeted literature review of studies examining the effectiveness of family-centered transition processes from hospital-and emergency department (ED)-to-home for improving patient health outcomes and health care utilization. It determined that patient-tailored discharge education is associated with improved patient health outcomes in pediatric ED patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS020506.
Citation: Desai AD, Popalisky J, Simon TD .
The effectiveness of family-centered transition processes from hospital settings to home: a review of the literature.
Hosp Pediatr 2015 Apr;5(4):219-31. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2014-0097..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Hospital Discharge, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Transitions of Care
Kindermann DR, Mutter RL, Houchens RL
Emergency department transfers and transfer relationships in United States hospitals.
The study objective was to describe transfers out of hospital-based emergency departments (EDs) in a total of 97,021 ED transfer encounters. Among the 50 highest transfer rate disease categories, in U.S. EDs, patients are often transported great distances, more commonly to large teaching hospitals with greater resources.
AHRQ-funded; 290201300002C
Citation: Kindermann DR, Mutter RL, Houchens RL .
Emergency department transfers and transfer relationships in United States hospitals.
Acad Emerg Med. 2015 Feb;22(2):157-65. doi: 10.1111/acem.12586..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Emergency Department, Transitions of Care, Hospitals
Hilligoss B, Vogus TJ
Navigating care transitions: a process model of how doctors overcome organizational barriers and create awareness.
Using interviews and observations of doctors, the researchers examined transitions from an emergency department to inpatient units through a 2-year study of an academic medical center. They describe and document 3 challenges to between-unit transitions of care and identify the adaptive workarounds that doctors employ to resolve these challenges, thus addressing a significant gap in the literature on high-reliability healthcare organizations.
AHRQ-funded; HS018758
Citation: Hilligoss B, Vogus TJ .
Navigating care transitions: a process model of how doctors overcome organizational barriers and create awareness.
Med Care Res Rev. 2015 Feb;72(1):25-48. doi: 10.1177/1077558714563170..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Emergency Department, Hospitalization, Care Coordination