National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
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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
26 to 50 of 73 Research Studies DisplayedCarpenter D, Hassell S, Mardon R
Ambulatory Surgery, Cost-Effectiveness, Health Care Costs, Evidence-based Practice, Organization and Administration
This paper describes the concept of using learning communities to support adoption of health care innovations. The authors assert that the learning community model of group learning can serve as an effective method to support dissemination and implementation of innovations, and to achieve desired outcomes in local settings.
AHRQ-funded; 290201100001C.
Citation: Carpenter D, Hassell S, Mardon R .
Ambulatory Surgery, Cost-Effectiveness, Health Care Costs, Evidence-based Practice, Organization and Administration
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2018 Oct;44(10):566-73. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2018.03.010..
Keywords: Organizational Change, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Wagner EH, LeRoy L, Schaefer J
AHRQ Author: Zhan C, Meyers D.
How do innovative primary care practices achieve the quadruple aim?
The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) defines excellent primary care but there is little empiric evidence that helps practices, payers, or policy makers understand how high-performing practices have improved outcomes. This paper reports findings from 38 high-performing practices. The authors describe how these practices execute 8 functions that collectively meet patient needs.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Wagner EH, LeRoy L, Schaefer J .
How do innovative primary care practices achieve the quadruple aim?
J Ambul Care Manage 2018 Oct/Dec;41(4):288-97. doi: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000249..
Keywords: Primary Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Practice Improvement, Organizational Change, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Harrison MI, Grantham S
AHRQ Author: Harrison MI
Learning from implementation setbacks: identifying and responding to contextual challenges.
The authors addressed organizational learning about implementation context during setbacks to primary care redesign in an ambulatory system. They found that redesigned teams were not implemented as widely or rapidly as anticipated and did not deliver hoped-for gains in operational metrics; however, team redesign was leading to improvements in chronic care and prevention and eased provider burden. Redesign and system leaders engaged in more thorough organizational learning. Their responses to challenges helped to strengthen the redesign's prospects, improved the delivery system's position in its labor market, and helped the system prepare to meet emerging requirements for value-based care and population health.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 2902010000341.
Citation: Harrison MI, Grantham S .
Learning from implementation setbacks: identifying and responding to contextual challenges.
Learn Health Syst 2018 Oct;2(4):e10068. doi: 10.1002/lrh2.10068..
Keywords: Organizational Change, Learning Health Systems, Health Systems, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Implementation
McDonald KM, Rodriguez HP, Shortell SM
Organizational influences on time pressure stressors and potential patient consequences in primary care.
This study examines organizational determinants and patient consequences of time pressure, theorizing two types of time pressure and based on analysis of data from surveys of care team members and their patients. Measures of the two types - encounter-level and practice-level - were not correlated, nor predicted, which supported the hypothesis. Different organizational factors are associated with each type.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: McDonald KM, Rodriguez HP, Shortell SM .
Organizational influences on time pressure stressors and potential patient consequences in primary care.
Med Care 2018 Oct;56(10):822-30. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000974..
Keywords: Organizational Change, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care
Skinner D, Franz B, Howard J
The politics of primary care expansion: lessons from cancer survivorship and substance abuse.
The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives of primary care innovators treating patient populations not traditionally considered to be within the purview of primary care. The authors indicated that their study findings suggested that the politics surrounding entrenched professional identities contributed to barriers faced by conference participants in their efforts to provide innovative care for these nontraditional populations. Specifically, obstacles surfaced in relation to sharing patients across disciplinary boundaries, which resulted in issues of possessiveness, a questioning of provider qualifications, and a lack of interprofessional trust.
AHRQ-funded; HS021287.
Citation: Skinner D, Franz B, Howard J .
The politics of primary care expansion: lessons from cancer survivorship and substance abuse.
J Healthc Manag 2018 Sep-Oct;63(5):323-36. doi: 10.1097/jhm-d-16-00030..
Keywords: Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Cancer, Substance Abuse, Policy, Healthcare Delivery, Organizational Change, Quality of Care
Hung DY, Harrison MI , Truong Q
AHRQ Author: Harrison MI
Experiences of primary care physicians and staff following lean workflow redesign.
The researchers examined the work experiences of primary care physicians and staff after implementing Lean-based workflow redesigns. They found that both physicians and nonphysician staff reported higher levels of engagement and teamwork after implementing redesigns. However, the subjects also experienced higher levels of burnout and perceptions of the workplace as stressful.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201000022I.
Citation: Hung DY, Harrison MI , Truong Q .
Experiences of primary care physicians and staff following lean workflow redesign.
BMC Health Serv Res 2018 Apr 10;18(1):274. doi: 10.1186/s12913-018-3062-5.
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Keywords: Primary Care, Workflow, Burnout, Organizational Change, Provider: Physician, Teams
Martsolf GR, Ashwood S, Friedberg MW
Linking structural capabilities and workplace climate in community health centers.
This study examined the relationship between workplace climate and structural capabilities. Twenty-five community health centers (CHCs) were surveyed to determine workplace climate. CHC directors and adult primary care clinicians and staff were surveyed. Positive attributes included a manageable workload, staff relationships, a quality improvement orientation, and manager readiness. Lower electronic record functionality did not seem to improve workplace climates.
AHRQ-funded; HS020120.
Citation: Martsolf GR, Ashwood S, Friedberg MW .
Linking structural capabilities and workplace climate in community health centers.
Inquiry 2018 Jan-Dec;55:46958018794542. doi: 10.1177/0046958018794542..
Keywords: Community-Based Practice, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Sittig DF, Singh H
Toward more proactive approaches to safety in the electronic health record era.
This article discusses a proactive approach to safety in the electronic health record era. It discusses an updated health IT Sentinel Event Alert, released in March 2015 by the Joint Commission which took a broad, sociotechnical approach in exploring the factors involved in the safe use of health IT.
AHRQ-funded; HS023602; HS022087.
Citation: Sittig DF, Singh H .
Toward more proactive approaches to safety in the electronic health record era.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2017 Oct;43(10):540-47. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2017.06.005..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Safety, Guidelines, Organizational Change, Risk
Soban LM, Kim L, Yuan AH
Organisational strategies to implement hospital pressure ulcer prevention programmes: findings from a national survey.
The researchers describe the presence and operationalisation of organisational strategies to support implementation of pressure ulcer prevention programmes across acute care hospitals in a large, integrated health-care system. Organisational strategies that support implementation of a pressure ulcer prevention programme (policy, committee, staff education, wound care specialists, and use of performance data) were reported at high level.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Soban LM, Kim L, Yuan AH .
Organisational strategies to implement hospital pressure ulcer prevention programmes: findings from a national survey.
J Nurs Manag 2017 Sep;25(6):457-67. doi: 10.1111/jonm.12416.
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Keywords: Pressure Ulcers, Prevention, Hospitals, Patient Safety, Implementation, Organizational Change
Hoff T, Scott S
The strategic nature of individual change behavior: how physicians and their staff implement medical home care.
The purpose of this study was to gain insight into patient-centered medical home (PCMH) implementation at the workplace level by understanding better how primary care physicians and staff perceive, experience, and use certain types of PCMH work for adapting to new demands. The investigators indicated that the findings showed that particular forms of PCMH work not only advanced patient care in favorable ways but also enhanced individual and organizational capacity for adapting to this innovative model and its demands.
AHRQ-funded; HS020931.
Citation: Hoff T, Scott S .
The strategic nature of individual change behavior: how physicians and their staff implement medical home care.
Health Care Manage Rev 2017 Jul/Sep;42(3):226-36. doi: 10.1097/hmr.0000000000000109..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care, Organizational Change, Practice Improvement, Implementation
Kerrissey M, Satterstrom P, Leydon N
Integrating: a managerial practice that enables implementation in fragmented health care environments.
This inductive qualitative study examines primary care clinics implementing improvement efforts in order to identify mechanisms that enable implementation despite common barriers, such as lack of time and fragmentation across stakeholder groups. It found that successfully implementing clinics exhibited the managerial practice of integrating, which was defined as achieving unity of effort among stakeholder groups in the pursuit of a shared and mutually developed goal.
AHRQ-funded; HS019508.
Citation: Kerrissey M, Satterstrom P, Leydon N .
Integrating: a managerial practice that enables implementation in fragmented health care environments.
Health Care Manage Rev 2017 Jul/Sep;42(3):213-25. doi: 10.1097/hmr.0000000000000114.
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Keywords: Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Organizational Change, Implementation, Quality of Care
Applequist J, Miller-Day M, Cronholm PF
“In principle we have agreement, but in practice it is a bit more difficult”: obtaining organizational buy-in to patient-centered medical home transformation.
The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a model of care that emphasizes the coordination of patient treatment among health care providers. Practice transformation to this model, however, presents a number of challenges. One of these challenges is getting the buy-in of all personnel to commit to making organizational changes in the journey to becoming a nationally recognized medical home. This study, grounded in stakeholder theory, investigated internal messages of buy-in as communicated by practices transitioning to this type of care.
AHRQ-funded; HS019150.
Citation: Applequist J, Miller-Day M, Cronholm PF .
“In principle we have agreement, but in practice it is a bit more difficult”: obtaining organizational buy-in to patient-centered medical home transformation.
Qual Health Res 2017 May;27(6):909-22. doi: 10.1177/1049732316680601..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Organizational Change, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care
Clark KD, Miller BF, Green LA
Implementation of behavioral health interventions in real world scenarios: managing complex change.
This paper reports the change management strategies employed by practice leaders making changes to integrate care, as observed by independent investigators. It offers an empirically based set of actionable recommendations that are relevant to a range of leaders (policymakers, medical directors) and practice members who wish to effectively manage the complex changes associated with integrated primary care.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Clark KD, Miller BF, Green LA .
Implementation of behavioral health interventions in real world scenarios: managing complex change.
Fam Syst Health 2017 Mar;35(1):36-45. doi: 10.1037/fsh0000239.
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Keywords: Behavioral Health, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care, Implementation, Organizational Change, Healthcare Delivery
Alexander G, Madsen R, Newton M
Analyzing change in nursing home information technology sophistication: a 2-year survey.
Currently, a national sample of nursing homes (NHs) is being surveyed for 3 consecutive years to determine trends in NH information technology (IT) sophistication (e.g., measures of IT capabilities, extent of IT use, IT integration with internal and external stakeholders). IT sophistication is measured in resident care, clinical support, and administrative activities. The current article provides details of the differences in NH IT sophistication reported by administrators completing Year 1 and Year 2 surveys.
AHRQ-funded; HS022497.
Citation: Alexander G, Madsen R, Newton M .
Analyzing change in nursing home information technology sophistication: a 2-year survey.
Analyzing change in nursing home information technology sophistication: a 2-year survey..
Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Nursing Homes, Organizational Change
Quigley DD, Predmore ZS, Chen AY
Implementation and sequencing of practice transformation in urban practices with underserved patients.
Researchers conducted interviews at 14 primary care practices undergoing patient-centered medical home (PCMH) transformation in a large urban federally qualified health center in California and used grounded theory to identify common themes and patterns. They concluded that full PCMH transformation took time and effort and relied on a sequential approach, with an early focus on foundational changes that included use of a robust quality improvement strategy.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Quigley DD, Predmore ZS, Chen AY .
Implementation and sequencing of practice transformation in urban practices with underserved patients.
Qual Manag Health Care 2017 Jan/Mar;26(1):7-14. doi: 10.1097/qmh.0000000000000118.
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Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Urban Health, Vulnerable Populations, Practice Improvement, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Implementation, Teams
Nembhard IM, Tucker AL
Applying organizational learning research to Accountable Care Organizations.
In this article, the authors discuss seven lessons from the organizational learning literature that can help Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) overcome the inherent challenges of learning how to work together in radically new ways. The article concludes by outlining opportunities for future research on organizational learning in ACOs.
AHRQ-funded; HS018987.
Citation: Nembhard IM, Tucker AL .
Applying organizational learning research to Accountable Care Organizations.
Med Care Res Rev 2016 Dec;73(6):673-84. doi: 10.1177/1077558716640415..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Organizational Change, Health Insurance
Rodriguez HP, Chen X, Martinez AE
Availability of primary care team members can improve teamwork and readiness for change.
Researchers conducted a survey of adult primary care providers and staff in California safety net practices to assess primary care team structure (team size, team member availability, and access to interdisciplinary expertise), teamwork, and readiness for change. Greater team member availability was associated with greater readiness for change, but the relationship was stronger for staff than for primary care providers.
AHRQ-funded; HS020120.
Citation: Rodriguez HP, Chen X, Martinez AE .
Availability of primary care team members can improve teamwork and readiness for change.
Health Care Manage Rev 2016 Oct-Dec;41(4):286-95. doi: 10.1097/hmr.0000000000000082.
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Keywords: Primary Care, Teams, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Organizational Change, Practice Improvement
Friedberg MW, Rodriguez HP, Martsolf GR
Measuring workplace climate in community clinics and health centers.
The authors assessed the psychometric properties of a survey instrument combining items from several existing surveys of workplace climate and generated a shorter instrument for future use. They concluded that survey instruments designed to measure workplace climate have substantial overlap, and the set they identified might help target and tailor clinics' quality improvement efforts.
AHRQ-funded; HS020120.
Citation: Friedberg MW, Rodriguez HP, Martsolf GR .
Measuring workplace climate in community clinics and health centers.
Med Care 2016 Oct;54(10):944-9. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000585.
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Keywords: Community-Based Practice, Provider, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Practice Improvement
Shao H, Brown L, Diana ML
Estimating the costs of supporting safety-net transformation into patient-centered medical homes in post-Katrina New Orleans.
The authors aimed to understand the characteristics of clinics that transformed into patient-centered medical homes and the incremental cost for transformation. The estimated incremental cost for clinics that underwent transformation was $37.61 per visit per 6 months, and overall it cost $24.86 per visit per 6 months in grant funds to support a clinic's transformation.
AHRQ-funded; HS022624.
Citation: Shao H, Brown L, Diana ML .
Estimating the costs of supporting safety-net transformation into patient-centered medical homes in post-Katrina New Orleans.
Medicine 2016 Sep;95(39):e4990. doi: 10.1097/md.0000000000004990.
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Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Healthcare Costs, Access to Care, Organizational Change
Hickner J, Smith SA, Yount N
Differing perceptions of safety culture across job roles in the ambulatory setting: analysis of the AHRQ Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture.
This study examines differences in patient safety culture perceptions among providers, management and staff in a large national survey of safety culture in ambulatory practices in the USA. Its findings suggest that managers need to pay attention to the training needs of office staff, since this was an area with one of the greatest gaps in perceptions. In addition, both office managers and physicians need to encourage more open communication.
AHRQ-funded; 290200710024C.
Citation: Hickner J, Smith SA, Yount N .
Differing perceptions of safety culture across job roles in the ambulatory setting: analysis of the AHRQ Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture.
BMJ Qual Saf 2016 Aug;25(8):588-94. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003914.
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Keywords: Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Organizational Change, Patient Safety, Provider
Hung D, Chung S, Martinez M
Effect of organizational culture on patient access, care continuity, and experience of primary care.
The authors examined relationships between organizational culture and patient-centered outcomes in primary care. They found that, compared with a "Group-oriented" culture, a "Rational" culture type was associated with longer appointment wait times, and both "Hierarchical" and "Developmental" culture types were associated with less care continuity, but better patient experiences with care.
AHRQ-funded; HS019815; HS019167.
Citation: Hung D, Chung S, Martinez M .
Effect of organizational culture on patient access, care continuity, and experience of primary care.
J Ambul Care Manage 2016 Jul-Sep;39(3):242-52. doi: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000116.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Organizational Change, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient Experience, Primary Care
Poghosyan L, Liu J
Nurse practitioner autonomy and relationships with leadership affect teamwork in primary care practices: a cross-sectional survey.
The authors investigated whether nurse practitioner (NP) autonomy within primary care practices and the relationships they have with leadership affect teamwork between NPs and physicians. They concluded that NP autonomy and favorable relationships with leadership improve teamwork, and they recommended that policy and organizational change focus on promoting NP autonomy and improving the relationship between NPs and leadership to improve teamwork and consequently improve patient care and outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS020999.
Citation: Poghosyan L, Liu J .
Nurse practitioner autonomy and relationships with leadership affect teamwork in primary care practices: a cross-sectional survey.
J Gen Intern Med 2016 Jul;31(7):771-7. doi: 10.1007/s11606-016-3652-z.
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Keywords: Nursing, Organizational Change, Primary Care, Teams
Rangachari P
Role of social knowledge networking technology in facilitating meaningful use of electronic health record medication reconciliation.
In this paper, Rangachari 1) conducted a narrative review of the literature on "technology use," to understand how technologies-in-practice may be transformed from limited use to meaningful use; 2) conducted a narrative review of the literature on "organizational change implementation," to understand how changes in technology use could be successfully implemented and sustained in a healthcare organizational context; and 3) applied lessons learned from the narrative literature reviews to identify strategies for the meaningful use and successful implementation of EHR Medication Reconciliation technology.
AHRQ-funded; HS024335.
Citation: Rangachari P .
Role of social knowledge networking technology in facilitating meaningful use of electronic health record medication reconciliation.
J Hosp Adm 2016 Jun;5(3):98-106. doi: 10.5430/jha.v5n3p98.
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Keywords: Health Systems, Medication, Hospitals, Organizational Change, Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
Gray CP, Harrison MI, Hung D
AHRQ Author: Harrison MI
Medical assistants as flow managers in primary care: challenges and recommendations.
Drawing on an empirical study of a large, multispecialty delivery system engaged in reconfiguration of primary care, the authors found that using medical assistants (Mas) as flow managers required overcoming several challenges. These included entrenched social and occupational hierarchies between physicians and MAs, a lack of adequate training and mentorship, and difficulty attracting and retaining talented MAs.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 2902010000221.
Citation: Gray CP, Harrison MI, Hung D .
Medical assistants as flow managers in primary care: challenges and recommendations.
J Healthc Manag 2016 May-Jun;61(3):181-91.
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Keywords: Primary Care, Organizational Change, Practice Improvement, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Workflow, Provider
Harrison MI, Paez K, Carman KL
AHRQ Author: Harrison MI
Effects of organizational context on Lean implementation in five hospital systems.
In order to help reduce gaps in knowledge of effects of intraorganizational context, the authors researched Lean implementation initiatives in five organizations and examined 12 of their Lean rapid improvement projects. They identified intraorganizational characteristics including CEO commitment to Lean and active support for it, prior organizational capacity for quality improvement-based performance improvement, and alignment of the Lean initiative with the organizational mission.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Harrison MI, Paez K, Carman KL .
Effects of organizational context on Lean implementation in five hospital systems.
Health Care Manage Rev 2016 Apr-Jun;41(2):127-44. doi: 10.1097/hmr.0000000000000049..
Keywords: Organizational Change, Hospitals, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Healthcare Delivery, Implementation