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
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (3)
- Adverse Events (11)
- Antibiotics (1)
- Antimicrobial Stewardship (1)
- Asthma (1)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Caregiving (1)
- Care Management (1)
- Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) (1)
- (-) Children/Adolescents (20)
- Critical Care (4)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (2)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (1)
- Emergency Department (2)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (1)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (2)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Hospitals (2)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (5)
- Long-Term Care (1)
- Medical Devices (1)
- Medical Errors (3)
- Medication (4)
- Medication: Safety (4)
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (1)
- Mortality (1)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (1)
- Opioids (1)
- Outcomes (1)
- (-) Patient Safety (20)
- Policy (1)
- Public Health (1)
- Quality Improvement (2)
- Quality of Care (3)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Registries (2)
- Risk (1)
- Sepsis (1)
- Shared Decision Making (1)
- Simulation (1)
- Surgery (1)
- Surveys on Patient Safety Culture (1)
- Training (1)
- Transplantation (1)
- Treatments (1)
- Vaccination (1)
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 20 of 20 Research Studies DisplayedBranca A, Tellez D, Berkenbosch J
The new trainee effect in tracheal intubation procedural safety across PICUs in North America: a report from National Emergency Airway Registry for Children.
Researchers evaluated the effect of the timing of the PICU fellow academic cycle on tracheal intubation-associated events in a retrospective cohort study of 37 PICUs participating in the National Emergency Airway Registry for Children.. They found that the New Trainee Effect in tracheal intubation safety outcomes was not observed in various types of PICUs. There was a significant improvement in pediatric critical care medicine fellows' first attempt success and a significant decline in tracheal intubation-associated event rates, indicating substantial skills acquisition throughout pediatric critical care medicine fellowship.
AHRQ-funded; HS021583; HS022464; HS024511.
Citation: Branca A, Tellez D, Berkenbosch J .
The new trainee effect in tracheal intubation procedural safety across PICUs in North America: a report from National Emergency Airway Registry for Children.
Pediatr Crit Care Med 2020 Dec;21(12):1042-50. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000002480..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Critical Care, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Registries, Education: Continuing Medical Education, Training
Luo B, McLoone M, Rasooly IR
Analysis: protocol for a new method to measure physiologic monitor alarm responsiveness.
A team of researchers including biomedical engineers, human factors engineers, information technology specialists, nurses, physicians, facilitators from a hospital’s simulation center, clinical informaticians, and hospital administrative leadership worked with three units at a pediatric hospital to design and conduct simulations on newly implemented monitoring technology that will be used for patient critical alarms. The system was tested using a simulation with existing hospital technology to transmit an unambiguously critical alarm that appeared to originate from an actual patient to the nurse’s mobile device, with discreet observers measuring responses.
AHRQ-funded; HS026620.
Citation: Luo B, McLoone M, Rasooly IR .
Analysis: protocol for a new method to measure physiologic monitor alarm responsiveness.
Biomed Instrum Technol 2020 Nov/Dec;54(6):389-96. doi: 10.2345/0899-8205-54.6.389..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Hospitals, Simulation, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Toce MS, Michelson K, Hudgins J
Association of state-level opioid-reduction policies with pediatric opioid poisoning.
Opioid-reduction policies have been enacted by US states to address the opioid epidemic. Evidence of an association between policy implementation and decreased rates of pediatric opioid poisoning provides further justification for expanded implementation of these policies. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of 3 state-level opioid-reduction policies with the rate of opioid poisoning in children and adolescents.
AHRQ-funded; HS026503.
Citation: Toce MS, Michelson K, Hudgins J .
Association of state-level opioid-reduction policies with pediatric opioid poisoning.
JAMA Pediatr 2020 Oct;174(10):961-68. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.1980..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Opioids, Medication: Safety, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Policy
Slatnick LR, Thornhill D, Deakyne Davies
Disseminated intravascular coagulation is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in children in the emergency department with suspected sepsis.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of early disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) on illness severity in children using a database of emergency department ED encounters for children with suspected sepsis, in view of similar associations in adults. The investigators concluded that a DIC score of ≥3 was an independent predictor for both vasopressor use and mortality in this pediatric cohort, distinct from the adult overt DIC score cutoff of ≥5.
AHRQ-funded; HS025696.
Citation: Slatnick LR, Thornhill D, Deakyne Davies .
Disseminated intravascular coagulation is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in children in the emergency department with suspected sepsis.
J Pediatr 2020 Oct;225:198-206.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.06.022..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Sepsis, Adverse Events, Mortality, Patient Safety, Outcomes
Emeriaud G, Napolitano N, Polikoff P
Impact of failure of noninvasive ventilation on the safety of pediatric tracheal intubation.
This prospective multicenter cohort study’s objective was to assess whether noninvasive ventilation failure in critically ill children was associated with severe tracheal intubation-associated events and severe oxygen desaturation during tracheal intubation. Data from the National Emergency Airway Registry for Children was used to examine data from thirteen PICUs (in 12 institutions) in the United States and Canada. The study included 956 tracheal intubation encounters, with 424 (44%) occurring after noninvasive ventilation failure with a median of 13 hours of noninvasive ventilation. The failure group included more infants (47% vs 33%) and patients with a respiratory diagnosis (56% vs 30%). Noninvasive ventilation failure was not associated with severe tracheal intubation-associated events without noninvasive ventilation but was associated with severe desaturation (15% vs 9%) without noninvasive ventilation.
AHRQ-funded; HS021583; HS022464; HS024511.
Citation: Emeriaud G, Napolitano N, Polikoff P .
Impact of failure of noninvasive ventilation on the safety of pediatric tracheal intubation.
Crit Care Med 2020 Oct;48(10):1503-12. doi: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000004500..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Patient Safety, Adverse Events
Hessels AJ, Murray M, Cohen B
Patient Safety Culture Survey in pediatric complex care settings: a factor analysis.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture tool slightly modified for use in the pediatric long-term care facilities (pLTC) setting. Factor analyses were performed on data collected from 239 staff at 3 pLTCs. Findings showed that this study demonstrated that the Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture, with minimal modification, may be an appropriate instrument to measure patient safety culture in pLTC settings. Recommendations included additional psychometric testing to validate further the use of this instrument in this setting, including examining the relationship to safety outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS021470.
Citation: Hessels AJ, Murray M, Cohen B .
Patient Safety Culture Survey in pediatric complex care settings: a factor analysis.
J Patient Saf 2020 Sep;16(3):223-31. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000279..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Surveys on Patient Safety Culture, Patient Safety, Long-Term Care
Vyles D, Antoon JW, Norton A
Children with reported penicillin allergy: public health impact and safety of delabeling.
The objectives of this study were to: 1.) Review the relevant literature related to children with reported penicillin allergy 2.) Highlight the different ways in which children could be delabeled and 3.) Evaluate the public health impact that a penicillin allergy has for children. The investigators concluded that penicillin allergy was overdiagnosed, often incorrectly, and the label was frequently first applied during childhood.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Vyles D, Antoon JW, Norton A .
Children with reported penicillin allergy: public health impact and safety of delabeling.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2020 Jun;124(6):558-65. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2020.03.012..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Public Health
Dadlez NM, Adelman J, Bundy DG
Contributing factors for pediatric ambulatory diagnostic process errors: Project RedDE.
This study examined root causes of three common pediatric diagnostic errors by having 31 practices enrolled in a national QI collaborative perform monthly “mini-RCAs” (mini root cause analyses). The diagnoses errors studied were missed adolescent depression, missed elevated blood pressure, and missed actionable laboratory values. Twenty-eight practices submitted 184 mini-RCAs with the most common causes being patient volume (adolescent depression and elevated BP), inadequate staffing (adolescent depression), clinic milieu (elevated BP), written communication and provider knowledge (actionable laboratory values), and electronic health records (EHRs) – (elevated BP and actionable laboratory values). The median number of mini-RCAs submitted was 6.
AHRQ-funded; HS024538; HS024713; HS026121.
Citation: Dadlez NM, Adelman J, Bundy DG .
Contributing factors for pediatric ambulatory diagnostic process errors: Project RedDE.
Pediatr Qual Saf 2020 May-Jun;5(3):e299. doi: 10.1097/pq9.0000000000000299..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Patient Safety
Cifra CL, Ten Eyck P, Dawson JD
Factors associated with diagnostic error on admission to a PICU: a pilot study.
This pilot retrospective cohort study examined errors in pediatric ICUs (PICUs) for children during the first 12 hours after PICU admission. A structured tool (Safer Dx) was used to identify diagnostic error in an academic tertiary institution. Out of 50 patients, 4 (8%) had diagnostic errors. The errors were in diagnoses of chronic ear infection, intracranial pressure (two cases), and Bartonella encephalitis. This pilot study will be expanded into a larger and more definitive multicenter study.
AHRQ-funded; HS022087.
Citation: Cifra CL, Ten Eyck P, Dawson JD .
Factors associated with diagnostic error on admission to a PICU: a pilot study.
Pediatr Crit Care Med 2020 May;21(5):e311-e15. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000002257..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Critical Care, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Hospitals
Johnson MD, Zorc JJ, Nelson DS
Intravenous magnesium in asthma pharmacotherapy: variability in use in the PECARN Registry.
Researchers examined the use, efficacy, and safety of intravenous magnesium sulfate (IVMg) in children with asthma whose emergency department (ED) management is recorded in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) Registry. They found that, in PECARN Registry EDs, administration of IVMg occurred late in ED treatment, for a minority of the children likely to benefit, with variation between sites, which suggested the current clinical role for IVMg in preventing hospitalization was limited. Discharge after IVMg administration would likely be safe. They recommended further research to assess the efficacy and safety of early IVMg administration.
AHRQ-funded; HS020270.
Citation: Johnson MD, Zorc JJ, Nelson DS .
Intravenous magnesium in asthma pharmacotherapy: variability in use in the PECARN Registry.
J Pediatr 2020 May;220:165-74.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.01.062..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Asthma, Medication, Emergency Department, Registries, Treatments, Patient Safety, Medication: Safety
Hayden JD, Horter L, Parsons T
Metabolic monitoring rates of youth treated with second-generation antipsychotics in usual care: results of a large US national commercial health plan.
Researchers examined metabolic monitoring rates in commercially insured children and adolescents treated with a second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) during calendar years (CYs) 2016 and 2017. They concluded that, given the known potential for adverse cardiometabolic effects, rates of metabolic monitoring associated with SGA use in children and adolescents urgently need to be improved. They recommended determining barriers to routine monitoring, particularly of lipids, and developing interventions to enhance metabolic monitoring.
AHRQ-funded; HS026001.
Citation: Hayden JD, Horter L, Parsons T .
Metabolic monitoring rates of youth treated with second-generation antipsychotics in usual care: results of a large US national commercial health plan.
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2020 Mar;30(2):119-22. doi: 10.1089/cap.2019.0087..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medication, Behavioral Health, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety
Woods-Hill CZ, Srinivasan L, Schriver E
Novel risk factors for central-line associated bloodstream infections in critically ill children.
Central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) cause morbidity and mortality in critically ill children. In this study the investigators examined novel and/or modifiable risk factors for CLABSI to identify new potential targets for infection prevention strategies. They found that novel risk factors for CLABSI in PICU patients included acute behavioral health needs and >80 CVC accessed in the 3 days before CLABSI. They suggest that interventions focused on these factors may reduce CLABSIs in this high-risk population.
AHRQ-funded; HS025642.
Citation: Woods-Hill CZ, Srinivasan L, Schriver E .
Novel risk factors for central-line associated bloodstream infections in critically ill children.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2020 Jan;41(1):67-72. doi: 10.1017/ice.2019.302..
Keywords: Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Children/Adolescents, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Risk, Patient Safety
Woods-Hill CZ, Koontz DW, King AF
Practices, perceptions, and attitudes in the evaluation of critically ill children for bacteremia: a national survey.
Sending blood cultures in children at low risk of bacteremia can contribute to a cascade of unnecessary antibiotic exposure, adverse effects, and increased costs. In this study, the investigators aimed to describe practice variation, clinician beliefs, and attitudes about blood culture testing in critically ill children. They concluded that there is variation in blood culture practices in the pediatric ICU. Fear and reflexive habits are common drivers of cultures. These practices may contribute to over-testing for bacteremia.
AHRQ-funded; HS025642.
Citation: Woods-Hill CZ, Koontz DW, King AF .
Practices, perceptions, and attitudes in the evaluation of critically ill children for bacteremia: a national survey.
Pediatr Crit Care Med 2020 Jan;21(1):e23-e29. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000002176..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Critical Care, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Shared Decision Making
Feldman AG, Curtis DJ, Moore SL
Under-immunization of pediatric transplant recipients: a call to action for the pediatric community.
This article is a call to action for pediatric solid organ transplant recipients to receive their recommended immunizations. Vaccine-preventable infections (VIPs) occur in 1 in 6 pediatric transplant recipients and these hospitalizations result in significant morbidity, mortality, graft injury, and cost. There has been an increase in the overall population in non-medical vaccine exemptions, which reduces herd immunity and creates greater risk for patients undergoing or already having received transplants.
AHRQ-funded; HS026510.
Citation: Feldman AG, Curtis DJ, Moore SL .
Under-immunization of pediatric transplant recipients: a call to action for the pediatric community.
Pediatr Res 2020 Jan;87(2):277-81. doi: 10.1038/s41390-019-0507-4..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Transplantation, Vaccination, Adverse Events, Patient Safety
Fritz SA, Hogan PG, Singh LN
Contamination of environmental surfaces with Staphylococcus aureus in households with children infected with methicillin-resistant S aureus.
This study of the households of 50 children with active or recent culture-positive community-associated methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection found MRSA-contaminated surfaces in 23 of the 50 households, most frequently form the bed linens (18 percent), television remote control (16 percent), and bathroom hand towel (15 percent).
AHRQ-funded; HS021736
Citation: Fritz SA, Hogan PG, Singh LN .
Contamination of environmental surfaces with Staphylococcus aureus in households with children infected with methicillin-resistant S aureus.
JAMA Pediatr. 2014 Nov;168(11):1030-8. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.1218..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Children/Adolescents, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Sexton JB, Sharek PJ, Thomas EJ
Exposure to Leadership WalkRounds in neonatal intensive care units is associated with a better patient safety culture and less caregiver burnout.
The aims of this study were to evaluate the association between WalkRound (WR) feedback, patient safety culture, and caregiver burnout. It found that more WR feedback was associated with better safety culture results and lower burnout rates in the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
AHRQ-funded; HS014246.
Citation: Sexton JB, Sharek PJ, Thomas EJ .
Exposure to Leadership WalkRounds in neonatal intensive care units is associated with a better patient safety culture and less caregiver burnout.
BMJ Qual Saf. 2014 Oct;23(10):814-22. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2013-002042..
Keywords: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Patient Safety, Caregiving, Children/Adolescents
Nguyen C, Hernandez-Boussard T, Davies SM
Cleft palate surgery: an evaluation of length of stay, complications, and costs by hospital type.
The purpose of this study was to assess length of stay (LOS), complication rates, costs, and charges of cleft palate repair by various hospital types. Results showed that pediatric hospitals had higher comorbidities yet shorter LOS. Pediatric resources significantly decreased the relative rate of LOS greater than 2 days, and median costs and charges increased by 41% with LOS greater than 2 days.
AHRQ-funded; HS018558.
Citation: Nguyen C, Hernandez-Boussard T, Davies SM .
Cleft palate surgery: an evaluation of length of stay, complications, and costs by hospital type.
Cleft Palate Craniofac J 2014 Jul;51(4):412-9. doi: 10.1597/12-150.
.
.
Keywords: Adverse Events, Children/Adolescents, Patient Safety, Children/Adolescents, Surgery
Cottrell EK, O'Brien K, Curry M
Understanding safety in prehospital emergency medical services for children.
This paper adds to the qualitative understanding of the nature of and contributors to safety events in the prehospital emergency care of children. The findings of this study suggest that factors at the systems, team, child/family, and individual provider level system contribute to errors in prehospital emergency care. These factors may be modifiable through interventions and systems improvements.
AHRQ-funded; HS019456.
Citation: Cottrell EK, O'Brien K, Curry M .
Understanding safety in prehospital emergency medical services for children.
Prehosp Emerg Care 2014 Jul-Sep;18(3):350-8. doi: 10.3109/10903127.2013.869640.
.
.
Keywords: Care Management, Children/Adolescents, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Quality of Care, Patient Safety
Hwang TJ, Kesselheim AS, Bourgeois FT
Postmarketing trials and pediatric device approvals.
The authors sought to describe the current state of trial evidence underpinning the approval of pediatric devices. They found that most high-risk pediatric devices are approved on the basis of trials in patients 18 years of age or older, with few pediatric patients exposed to the devices before market availability. Also, few postmarketing studies require additional study in pediatric patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS018465.
Citation: Hwang TJ, Kesselheim AS, Bourgeois FT .
Postmarketing trials and pediatric device approvals.
Pediatrics 2014 May;133(5):e1197-202. doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-3348.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medical Devices, Patient Safety, Children/Adolescents
Starmer AJ, Sectish TC, Simon DW
Rates of medical errors and preventable adverse events among hospitalized children following implementation of a resident handoff bundle.
The researchers sought to determine whether introduction of a multifaceted handoff program was associated with reduced rates of medical errors and preventable adverse events, fewer omissions of key data in written handoffs, improved verbal handoffs, and changes in resident-physician workflow. They found that implementation of a handoff bundle was associated with a significant reduction in medical errors and preventable adverse events among hospitalized children.
AHRQ-funded; HS019456.
Citation: Starmer AJ, Sectish TC, Simon DW .
Rates of medical errors and preventable adverse events among hospitalized children following implementation of a resident handoff bundle.
JAMA 2013 Dec 4;310(21):2262-70. doi: 10.1001/jama.2013.281961..
Keywords: Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Children/Adolescents, Hospitalization, Patient Safety