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
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Arthritis (1)
- Asthma (1)
- Blood Pressure (1)
- Cancer (2)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- Care Coordination (2)
- Caregiving (6)
- Children/Adolescents (5)
- Chronic Conditions (5)
- (-) Clinician-Patient Communication (62)
- Communication (40)
- COVID-19 (1)
- Cultural Competence (3)
- Data (1)
- Diabetes (2)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (2)
- Digestive Disease and Health (3)
- Disparities (2)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (2)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (3)
- Elderly (5)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (27)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (2)
- Healthcare Delivery (2)
- (-) Health Information Technology (HIT) (62)
- Health Literacy (8)
- Hospitalization (3)
- Hospitals (1)
- Implementation (1)
- Inpatient Care (4)
- Lifestyle Changes (1)
- Medication (2)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Newborns/Infants (1)
- Nursing (1)
- Nutrition (2)
- Obesity (2)
- Opioids (1)
- Outcomes (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (5)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (3)
- Patient Adherence/Compliance (1)
- Patient and Family Engagement (11)
- Patient Experience (7)
- Patient Safety (1)
- Patient Self-Management (5)
- Policy (2)
- Practice Patterns (2)
- Primary Care (8)
- Provider (1)
- Provider: Pharmacist (1)
- Provider: Physician (1)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Registries (1)
- Research Methodologies (1)
- Risk (1)
- Shared Decision Making (4)
- Social Media (2)
- Teams (1)
- Telehealth (8)
- Tools & Toolkits (1)
- Transplantation (1)
- Vaccination (1)
- Web-Based (6)
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
26 to 50 of 62 Research Studies DisplayedChung CF, Wang Q, Schroeder J
Identifying and planning for individualized change: patient-provider collaboration using lightweight food diaries in healthy eating and irritable bowel syndrome.
This study examined if the use of a photo-based food diary app will help patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) help gather food and symptom data to help their doctors with disease management. The investigators designed and developed Foodprint which includes a mobile and web app and pre-visit note to go to experts which communicate an individual’s expectations and questions. A control group and a group with IBS were used to determine the effectiveness of Foodprint.
AHRQ-funded; HS023654.
Citation: Chung CF, Wang Q, Schroeder J .
Identifying and planning for individualized change: patient-provider collaboration using lightweight food diaries in healthy eating and irritable bowel syndrome.
Proc ACM Interact Mob Wearable Ubiquitous Technol 2019 Mar;3(1). doi: 10.1145/3314394..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Digestive Disease and Health, Health Information Technology (HIT), Lifestyle Changes, Nutrition, Patient Self-Management
Son H, Nahm ES
Older adults' experience using patient portals in communities: challenges and opportunities.
The purpose of this study was to assess the perceived usability of patient portals currently used by older adults. 272 older adults were recruited from an online trial testing the effects of a 3-week Theory-Based Patient Portal eLearning Program. Self-efficacy and perceived usability of patient portals were both low; difficulties with using patient portals were primarily associated with login/access and specific portal functions. Favored features were review of medical information and eMessaging.
AHRQ-funded; HS024739.
Citation: Son H, Nahm ES .
Older adults' experience using patient portals in communities: challenges and opportunities.
Comput Inform Nurs 2019 Jan;37(1):4-10. doi: 10.1097/cin.0000000000000476..
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Elderly, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Experience, Web-Based
Quintana Y, Fahy D, Crotty B
InfoSAGE: Supporting elders and families through online family networks.
With an increasingly elderly population, families are finding it increasingly challenging to coordinate care for their older family members. This paper reports on the findings of InfoSAGE, an online private social network that has tools for communication and care coordination for elders and their families.
AHRQ-funded; HS021495; HS024869.
Citation: Quintana Y, Fahy D, Crotty B .
InfoSAGE: Supporting elders and families through online family networks.
AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2018 Dec 5;2018:932-41..
Keywords: Elderly, Caregiving, Health Information Technology (HIT), Communication, Clinician-Patient Communication, Care Coordination
Quintana Y, Crotty B, Fahy D
Information sharing across generations and environments (InfoSAGE): study design and methodology protocol.
This open prospective cohort study aimed to assess a novel, Internet based, family-centric communication and collaboration platform created to address the information needs of elders and their informal caregivers in a community setting. It used a mixed methods approach, utilizing qualitative survey data along with website usage analytic data.
AHRQ-funded; HS021495.
Citation: Quintana Y, Crotty B, Fahy D .
Information sharing across generations and environments (InfoSAGE): study design and methodology protocol.
BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2018 Nov 20;18(1):105. doi: 10.1186/s12911-018-0697-4.
.
BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2018 Nov 20;18(1):105. doi: 10.1186/s12911-018-0697-4.
.
Keywords: Caregiving, Communication, Shared Decision Making, Elderly, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient-Centered Healthcare, Clinician-Patient Communication, Web-Based
Sieck CJ, Walker DM, Hefner JL
Understanding secure messaging in the inpatient environment: a new avenue for communication and patient engagement.
Patient portals, and the secure messaging feature in particular, have been studied in the outpatient setting, but research in the inpatient setting is relatively less mature. In this study, the investigators analyzed and categorized messages sent within an inpatient portal to understand the topics discussed in secure messaging in the inpatient environment. They concluded that their analysis of secure message content suggested certain message types and topics such as Alerts/Requests and Questions about symptoms and treatment plans were particularly important to patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024091; HS024349; HS024379.
Citation: Sieck CJ, Walker DM, Hefner JL .
Understanding secure messaging in the inpatient environment: a new avenue for communication and patient engagement.
Appl Clin Inform 2018 Oct;9(4):860-68. doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1675814..
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Inpatient Care, Patient and Family Engagement
Hefner JL, Sieck CJ, McAlearney AS
Training to optimize collaborative use of an inpatient portal.
Inpatient portals are an emerging technology that can facilitate collaborative interactions between patients and care teams, but little is known about how organizations attempt to implement and facilitate inpatient portal use for their providers. The investigators found that interviews with 220 care team members and 4 IT staff identified 3 new areas of training needed to optimize inpatient portal implementation and use that extend beyond training to use other technologies.
AHRQ-funded; HS024379; HS024091; HS024767.
Citation: Hefner JL, Sieck CJ, McAlearney AS .
Training to optimize collaborative use of an inpatient portal.
Appl Clin Inform 2018 Jul;9(3):558-64. doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1666993..
Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Inpatient Care
Mogul DB, Henderson ML, Bridges JFP
Expanding the Facebook platform to engage and educate online communities.
This article discusses the development and use of a mobile application (app) called Liver Space that was developed through Facebook’s platform. This app is for the pediatric liver community including patients and caregivers. Unlike most Facebook health groups, this one is vetted by healthcare providers who are specialists. The app provides up-to-date information and includes emerging news, summaries from important scholarly journals and human interest stories. There is an “ask an expert” function incorporated into Liver Space. Also included in the app is the ability for users to track their labs and weight and to graph the data.
AHRQ-funded; HS023876.
Citation: Mogul DB, Henderson ML, Bridges JFP .
Expanding the Facebook platform to engage and educate online communities.
Am J Gastroenterol 2018 Apr;113(4):457-58. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2017.450..
Keywords: Social Media, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient and Family Engagement, Patient Self-Management
Street RL, Liu L, Farber NJ
Keystrokes, mouse clicks, and gazing at the computer: how physician interaction with the EHR affects patient participation.
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the different ways physicians interact with the computer vary in their effects on patient participation in the consultation, physicians' efforts to facilitate patient involvement, and silence. The investigators found that patients may be more reluctant to actively participate in medical encounters when physicians are more physically engaged with the computer (e.g., keyboard activity) than when their behavior is less demonstrative (e.g., gazing at EHR).
AHRQ-funded; HS021290.
Citation: Street RL, Liu L, Farber NJ .
Keystrokes, mouse clicks, and gazing at the computer: how physician interaction with the EHR affects patient participation.
J Gen Intern Med 2018 Apr;33(4):423-28. doi: 10.1007/s11606-017-4228-2..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Experience, Patient and Family Engagement, Clinician-Patient Communication
Mogul DB, Nagy PG, Bridges JFP
Building stronger online communities through the creation of Facebook-integrated health applications.
Social media, such as Facebook, provides a powerful mechanism to connect individuals with similar diseases, but current platforms do not achieve their full potential to help patients communicate with one another or with the medical community. The authors of this viewpoint article believe that an opportunity exists for health care professionals to strengthen online communities by creating apps that use the Facebook platform or a programming interface. Development of such apps are discussed, with an eye toward the needs of the patient, parent, or caregiver as end-users and involving their input.
AHRQ-funded; HS023876.
Citation: Mogul DB, Nagy PG, Bridges JFP .
Building stronger online communities through the creation of Facebook-integrated health applications.
JAMA Pediatr 2017 Oct;171(10):933-34. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.2300..
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Information Technology (HIT), Social Media, Web-Based
Tai-Seale M, Olson CW, Li J
Electronic health record logs indicate that physicians split time evenly between seeing patients and desktop medicine.
The researchers used data on physicians' time allocation patterns captured by over thirty-one million EHR transactions in the period 2011-14 recorded by 471 primary care physicians, who collectively worked on 765,129 patients' EHRs. Their results suggest that the physicians logged an average of 3.08 hours on office visits and 3.17 hours on desktop medicine each day.
AHRQ-funded; HS019167.
Citation: Tai-Seale M, Olson CW, Li J .
Electronic health record logs indicate that physicians split time evenly between seeing patients and desktop medicine.
Health Aff 2017 Apr;36(4):655-62. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0811.
.
.
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Primary Care, Practice Patterns
Schroeder J, Hoffswell J, Chung CF
Supporting patient-provider collaboration to identify individual triggers using food and symptom journals.
The researchers examined patient-provider collaboration to interpret patient-generated data. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) management often requires patient-provider collaboration using a patient's food and symptom journal to identify the patient's triggers. Drawing upon individual and collaborative interviews with patients and providers, the researchers found that collaborative review helps improve data comprehension and build mutual trust.
AHRQ-funded; HS023654.
Citation: Schroeder J, Hoffswell J, Chung CF .
Supporting patient-provider collaboration to identify individual triggers using food and symptom journals.
CSCW 2017 Feb 25;2017:1726-39. doi: 10.1145/2998181.2998276.
.
.
Keywords: Digestive Disease and Health, Health Information Technology (HIT), Nutrition, Clinician-Patient Communication, Patient Self-Management
Haas JS, Baer HJ, Eibensteiner K
A cluster randomized trial of a personalized multi-condition risk assessment in primary care.
This study evaluated whether collection of risk factors to generate electronic health record (EHR)-linked health risk appraisal (HRA) for coronary heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer was associated with improved patient-provider communication, risk assessment, and plans for breast cancer screening. It concluded that patient-reported risk factors and EHR-linked multi-condition HRAs in primary care can modestly improve communication and promote accuracy of self-perceived risk.
AHRQ-funded; HS018644.
Citation: Haas JS, Baer HJ, Eibensteiner K .
A cluster randomized trial of a personalized multi-condition risk assessment in primary care.
Am J Prev Med 2017 Jan;52(1):100-05. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2016.07.013.
.
.
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Primary Care, Clinician-Patient Communication, Risk
Ratanawongsa N, Barton JL, Lyles CR
Computer use, language, and literacy in safety net clinic communication.
The researchers investigated the associations between safety net clinician computer use and patient-provider communication for patients with limited health literacy (LHL) and limited English proficiency (LEP). They found that higher clinician computer use was associated with more biomedical focus with LEP/LHL patients, and clinician verbal dominance and lower ratings with patients with adequate English proficiency and health literacy.
AHRQ-funded; HS022561.
Citation: Ratanawongsa N, Barton JL, Lyles CR .
Computer use, language, and literacy in safety net clinic communication.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2017 Jan;24(1):106-12. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocw062.
.
.
Keywords: Communication, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Literacy, Clinician-Patient Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Abraham J, Kannampallil TG, Patel VL
Impact of structured rounding tools on time allocation during multidisciplinary rounds: an observational study.
The aim of this study was to investigate whether disproportionate time allocation effects during multidisciplinary rounds (MDRs) persist with the use of structured rounding tools. It concluded that the use of structured rounding tools potentially mitigates disproportionate time allocation and communication breakdowns during rounds with the more structured system-based Handoff Intervention Tool (HAND-IT), almost completely eliminating such effects.
AHRQ-funded; HS017586.
Citation: Abraham J, Kannampallil TG, Patel VL .
Impact of structured rounding tools on time allocation during multidisciplinary rounds: an observational study.
JMIR Hum Factors 2016 Dec 09;3(2):e29. doi: 10.2196/humanfactors.6642.
.
.
Keywords: Tools & Toolkits, Clinician-Patient Communication, Teams, Health Information Technology (HIT), Care Coordination
Prochaska MT, Press VG, Meltzer DO
Patient perceptions of wearable face-mounted computing technology and the effect on the doctor-patient relationship.
The authors aimed to determine patients' perception of and their privacy concerns with Google Glass. They found that the majority, 64% of respondents, appeared open to and would want their doctor to use face-mounted wearable computers such as Google Glass, even when they were unfamiliar with this technology. Although some patients expressed concerns about privacy, the authors found that patients were much less concerned about wearable technologies affecting the trust they have in their physician.
AHRQ-funded; HS023007.
Citation: Prochaska MT, Press VG, Meltzer DO .
Patient perceptions of wearable face-mounted computing technology and the effect on the doctor-patient relationship.
Appl Clin Inform 2016 Oct 12;7(4):946-53. doi: 10.4338/aci-2016-06-le-0094.
.
.
Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Hospitalization, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient Experience, Clinician-Patient Communication
Cato KD, Bockting W, Larson E
Did I tell you that? Ethical issues related to using computational methods to discover non-disclosed patient characteristics.
Using the Belmont Report's principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice as a framework, the authors examined the ethical issues posed by electronic phenotyping. Ethical issues identified include the ability of the patient to consent for the use of their information, the ability to suppress pediatric information, and ensuring that the potential benefits justify the risks of harm to patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS022961.
Citation: Cato KD, Bockting W, Larson E .
Did I tell you that? Ethical issues related to using computational methods to discover non-disclosed patient characteristics.
J Empir Res Hum Res Ethics 2016 Jul;11(3):214-9. doi: 10.1177/1556264616661611.
.
.
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Data, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Registries, Research Methodologies
Bae J, Encinosa WE
AHRQ Author: Encinosa WE
National estimates of the impact of electronic health records on the workload of primary care physicians.
This study examines whether electronic health records (EHR) is associated with increases in face time with the patient per visit and increases in the physician's patient volume per week. It found that among young physicians, EHR use is associated with a decline in weekly patient volume, while EHR use among older physicians is associated with an increase in volume, regardless of initial practice size.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Bae J, Encinosa WE .
National estimates of the impact of electronic health records on the workload of primary care physicians.
BMC Health Serv Res 2016 May 10;16(1):172. doi: 10.1186/s12913-016-1422-6.
.
.
Keywords: Primary Care, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Clinician-Patient Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Chung CF, Dew K, Cole A
Boundary negotiating artifacts in personal informatics: patient-provider collaboration with patient-generated data.
This paper examines patient expectations and current collaboration practices around patient-generated data. It finds that collaboration occurs in every stage of self- tracking and that patients and providers create boundary negotiating artifacts to support the collaboration. Building upon current practices with patient-generated data, the authors use these theories of patient and provider collaboration to analyze misunderstandings and privacy concerns.
AHRQ-funded; HS023654.
Citation: Chung CF, Dew K, Cole A .
Boundary negotiating artifacts in personal informatics: patient-provider collaboration with patient-generated data.
CSCW 2016 Feb 27:770-86. doi: 10.1145/2818048.2819926..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Health Information Technology (HIT), Clinician-Patient Communication, Patient Self-Management
Garg SK, Lyles CR, Ackerman S
Qualitative analysis of programmatic initiatives to text patients with mobile devices in resource-limited health systems.
The researchers interviewed safety net health systems piloting texting initiatives to study facilitators and barriers to real-world implementation. Sites interviewed applied texting for programs related to medication adherence and monitoring, appointment reminders, care coordination, and health education and promotion. Patient privacy government regulations emerged as a crucial barrier. A technical challenge was the inablitiy to integrate texting platforms with electronic health records. The authors concluded that inadequate data management capabilities and unclear privacy and security regulations for mobile health technology slowed the initial implementation and limited the clinical use of texting in the safety net and scope of pilots.
AHRQ-funded; HS022047; HS022408.
Citation: Garg SK, Lyles CR, Ackerman S .
Qualitative analysis of programmatic initiatives to text patients with mobile devices in resource-limited health systems.
BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2016 Feb 6;16:16. doi: 10.1186/s12911-016-0258-7.
.
.
Keywords: Communication, Primary Care, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Clinician-Patient Communication
Prey JE, Polubriaginof F, Kuperman GJ
International perspectives on sharing clinical data with patients.
The researchers investigated the current state of approaches for providing patients with access to their own clinical information. Participants span 16 countries across six continents, and the authors found that there is considerable variability in the level of maturity, the degree of government involvement, the technical infrastructure, and the plans for future development across the world. They concluded that we are still in the early stages of deploying patient engagement technologies and have yet to identify optimal strategies in this arena.
AHRQ-funded; HS021393; HS21816.
Citation: Prey JE, Polubriaginof F, Kuperman GJ .
International perspectives on sharing clinical data with patients.
Int J Med Inform 2016 Feb;86:135-41. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2015.11.007.
.
.
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient and Family Engagement
Ratanawongsa N, Barton JL, Lyles CR
Association between clinician computer use and communication with patients in safety-net clinics.
The researchers studied associations between clinician computer use and communication with patients with diverse chronic diseases in safety-net clinics. They found that high computer use by clinicians in safety-net clinics was associated with lower patient satisfaction and observable communication differences.
AHRQ-funded; HS022561; HS022408.
Citation: Ratanawongsa N, Barton JL, Lyles CR .
Association between clinician computer use and communication with patients in safety-net clinics.
JAMA Intern Med 2016 Jan;176(1):125-8. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.6186.
.
.
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Chronic Conditions, Patient Experience, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Lee JL, Choudhry NK, Wu AW
Patient use of email, Facebook, and physician websites to communicate with physicians: a national online survey of retail pharmacy users.
The researchers explored patient behavior and interest in using the Internet to contact physicians. They surveyed CVS customers with at least one chronic condition in the household and found strong interest among patients in the use of email and Facebook to communicate with their physicians. They identified a gap between patient interest and what physicians may currently provide. They suggested the adoption of secure Web messaging systems as a possible solution that addresses both institutional concerns and patient demand.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Lee JL, Choudhry NK, Wu AW .
Patient use of email, Facebook, and physician websites to communicate with physicians: a national online survey of retail pharmacy users.
J Gen Intern Med 2016 Jan;31(1):45-51. doi: 10.1007/s11606-015-3374-7.
.
.
Keywords: Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Clinician-Patient Communication, Provider: Pharmacist, Web-Based
Mirsky JB, Tieu L, Lyles C
Readability assessment of patient-provider electronic messages in a primary care setting.
The purpose of this study was to generate hypotheses about the readability of patient and provider electronic messages. It found that patients used more words in their initial e-mails compared to providers, but the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Levels (FKGLs) were similar, and 68 percent of provider messages were written below an FKGL = 8.
AHRQ-funded; HS023558; HS022408.
Citation: Mirsky JB, Tieu L, Lyles C .
Readability assessment of patient-provider electronic messages in a primary care setting.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2016 Jan;23(1):202-6. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv087.
.
.
Keywords: Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Literacy, Primary Care, Clinician-Patient Communication
Spehar B, Tye-Murray N, Myerson J
Real-time captioning for improving informed consent: Patient and physician benefits.
The goals of the study were to assess hearing-impaired patients' recall of an informed consent discussion about regional anesthesia using real-time captioning and to determine whether the physicians found the system useful for monitoring their own performance. It found that real-time speech-to-text captioning improved recall in hearing-impaired patients and proved useful for determining the information provided during an informed consent encounter.
AHRQ-funded; HS022265.
Citation: Spehar B, Tye-Murray N, Myerson J .
Real-time captioning for improving informed consent: Patient and physician benefits.
Reg Anesth Pain Med 2016 Jan-Feb;41(1):65-8. doi: 10.1097/aap.0000000000000347.
.
.
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Shared Decision Making, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient and Family Engagement
Gatwood J, Balkrishnan R, Erickson SR
The impact of tailored text messages on health beliefs and medication adherence in adults with diabetes: a randomized pilot study.
The purpose of this pilot study was to test the effectiveness of tailored text messages focusing on improving medication adherence and health beliefs in adults with diabetes. It found that declines in medication adherence were observed in both groups over time but no significant differences were observed between groups or from baseline to the end of the active study period.
AHRQ-funded; HS021976.
Citation: Gatwood J, Balkrishnan R, Erickson SR .
The impact of tailored text messages on health beliefs and medication adherence in adults with diabetes: a randomized pilot study.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2016 Jan-Feb;12(1):130-40. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2015.04.007.
.
.
Keywords: Diabetes, Medication, Patient Adherence/Compliance, Health Information Technology (HIT), Clinician-Patient Communication