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) (4)
- Adverse Events (3)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- Communication (1)
- Elderly (3)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (2)
- Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing) (1)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (5)
- Hospital Discharge (1)
- Implementation (1)
- Injuries and Wounds (1)
- Long-Term Care (1)
- Maternal Care (1)
- Medical Errors (1)
- Medication (12)
- (-) Medication: Safety (13)
- Nursing Homes (1)
- Opioids (1)
- Outcomes (1)
- Patient Adherence/Compliance (1)
- Patient Safety (7)
- Patient Self-Management (1)
- Pregnancy (1)
- Quality Measures (1)
- Quality of Care (2)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Risk (2)
- Screening (1)
- Sleep Problems (1)
- Stroke (1)
- Substance Abuse (1)
- Surgery (1)
- Women (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 13 of 13 Research Studies DisplayedMixon AS, Neal E, Bell S
Care transitions: a leverage point for safe and effective medication use in older adults--a mini-review.
The authors discuss medication adherence in older adults across the continuum of care, describing reasons for nonadherence, methods to assess adherence, and tools to improve adherence, with particular focus on emerging techniques and technologies.
AHRQ-funded; HS019598.
Citation: Mixon AS, Neal E, Bell S .
Care transitions: a leverage point for safe and effective medication use in older adults--a mini-review.
Gerontology 2015;61(1):32-40. doi: 10.1159/000363765.
.
.
Keywords: Elderly, Hospital Discharge, Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Adherence/Compliance
Hennessy S, Strom BL
Improving postapproval drug safety surveillance: getting better information sooner.
There are often long delays between when a drug is approved and when serious adverse drug events are identified. This article discusses ways to reduce delays in identifying drug-related risks and in providing reassurance about the absence of such risks.
AHRQ-funded; HS018372.
Citation: Hennessy S, Strom BL .
Improving postapproval drug safety surveillance: getting better information sooner.
Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2015;55:75-87. doi: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-011613-135955.
.
.
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Communication, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety
Broussard CS, Frey MT, Hernandez-Diaz S
AHRQ Author: Collins Sharp BA
Developing a systematic approach to safer medication use during pregnancy: summary of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention--convened meeting.
The CDC convened an expert meeting in January 2013 to inform clinical decision making for managing health conditions in pregnancy. This report summarized their discussions of best practices for formulating an expert review process, developing evidence summaries and treatment guidance, and disseminating information.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Broussard CS, Frey MT, Hernandez-Diaz S .
Developing a systematic approach to safer medication use during pregnancy: summary of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention--convened meeting.
Am J Obstet Gynecol 2014 Sep;211(3):208-14.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2014.05.040.
.
.
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Maternal Care, Medication: Safety, Medication, Pregnancy
Petrov ME, Howard VJ, Kleindorfer D
Over-the-counter and prescription sleep medication and incident stroke: the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study.
The authors investigated the relation between sleep medication use and incident stroke. At the sleep assessment, 9.6% of the participants used prescription sleep medication and 11.1% used over-the-counter sleep aids. Over an average follow-up of 3.3 ± 1.0 years, 297 stroke events occurred. The authors found that over-the-counter sleep medication use was associated with increased risk of incident stroke; however, there was no significant association with prescription sleep medications. They concluded that over-the-counter sleep medication use may independently increase the risk of stroke beyond other risk factors in middle-aged to older individuals with no history of stroke.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Petrov ME, Howard VJ, Kleindorfer D .
Over-the-counter and prescription sleep medication and incident stroke: the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study.
J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2014 Sep;23(8):2110-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2014.03.025.
.
.
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Risk, Sleep Problems, Stroke, Cardiovascular Conditions, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Pohl JM, Tanner C, Hamilton A
Medication safety after implementation of a commercial electronic health record system in five safety-net practices: a mixed methods approach.
This study, conducted in five safety-net practices, examined the impact of implementing a commercial electronic health records system on medication safety. The authors found 130 "true" drug-drug interaction (DDI) pairs, representing 149,087 visits and 62 providers, with the largest DDI categories being related to antihypertensive medications, which are often prescribed together. They found no significant differences between physicians and nurse practitioners on the rate of DDI pairs.
AHRQ-funded; HS017191.
Citation: Pohl JM, Tanner C, Hamilton A .
Medication safety after implementation of a commercial electronic health record system in five safety-net practices: a mixed methods approach.
J Am Assoc Nurse Pract 2014 Aug;26(8):438-44. doi: 10.1002/2327-6924.12089.
.
.
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medical Errors, Patient Safety
Chrischilles EA, Hourcade JP, Doucette W
Personal health records: a randomized trial of effects on elder medication safety.
The purpose of this study was to compare patient-reported medication self-management behaviors and safety indicators among older adult participants invited to use an electronic personal health record (PHR). Among the 16.1 percent of participants who used the PHR frequently, there were significantly more changes in medication use, improved medication reconciliation behaviors, and more recognition of side effects.
AHRQ-funded; HS017034
Citation: Chrischilles EA, Hourcade JP, Doucette W .
Personal health records: a randomized trial of effects on elder medication safety.
J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2014 Jul-Aug;21(4):679-86. doi: 10.1136/amiajnl-2013-002284..
Keywords: Elderly, Medication, Medication: Safety, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Safety, Patient Self-Management
Gagne JJ, Wang SV, Rassen JA
A modular, prospective, semi-automated drug safety monitoring system for use in a distributed data environment.
The purpose of this study was to develop and test a semi-automated process for conducting routine active safety monitoring for new drugs in a network of electronic health care databases. The system identified serious risks due to some drugs, which were eventually removed from the market years later.
AHRQ-funded; HS018088; HS022193
Citation: Gagne JJ, Wang SV, Rassen JA .
A modular, prospective, semi-automated drug safety monitoring system for use in a distributed data environment.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2014 Jun;23(6):619-27. doi: 10.1002/pds.3616..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Safety, Medication
Leotsakos A, Zheng H, Croteau R
Standardization in patient safety: the WHO High 5s project.
This paper reports on a global safety initiative of the World Health Organization to facilitate development, implementation, and evaluation of Standard Operating Protocols (SOPs) within a global learning community. Thus far, 3 SOPs—correct surgery, medication reconciliation, concentrated injectable medicines—have been developed, implemented and evaluated in hospitals in 7 participating countries.
AHRQ-funded; 290201200006C
Citation: Leotsakos A, Zheng H, Croteau R .
Standardization in patient safety: the WHO High 5s project.
Int J Qual Health Care. 2014 Apr;26(2):109-16. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzu010..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Quality of Care, Surgery, Medication: Safety, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Fain K, Alexander GC
Are Food and Drug Administration prescription drug safety plans working? A case study of isotretinoin.
The authors comment on a case study analyzing pharmacy claims in order to examine the impact of the iPledge program (an FDA restricted distribution plan that included electronic registration of patients, physicians, and pharmacists plus monitoring of contraceptive use) on contraceptive use for women of childbearing age taking isotretinoin (Accutane). This drug, used for acute acne, could affect fetal development. The limited effectiveness of the program shows the difficulty of changing patient behavior.
AHRQ-funded; HS0189960
Citation: Fain K, Alexander GC .
Are Food and Drug Administration prescription drug safety plans working? A case study of isotretinoin.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2013 Dec;22(12):1258-62. doi: 10.1002/pds.3514..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Medication: Safety, Medication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Women
Abramson EL, Pfoh ER, Barron Y
The effects of electronic prescribing by community-based providers on ambulatory medication safety.
This study was conducted to assess the effect of implementing a commercial electronic health record with e-prescribing on rates and types of prescribing errors. Use of e-prescribing resulted in relatively low error rates (6.0 errors per 100 prescriptions). These rates were sustained over time but without further improvement (6.0 versus 4.5 errors per 100) prescriptions).
AHRQ-funded; HS016970.
Citation: Abramson EL, Pfoh ER, Barron Y .
The effects of electronic prescribing by community-based providers on ambulatory medication safety.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2013 Dec;39(12):545-52..
Keywords: Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Health Information Technology (HIT), Medication: Safety, Medication, Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
Hanlon JT, Schmader KE
The medication appropriateness index at 20: where it started, where it has been, and where it may be going.
The objective of this narrative review is to describe finding regarding the reliability of the Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI), a comparison of the MAI with other quality measures of potentially inappropriate prescribing, the predictive value of the MAI with important health outcomes, and the responsiveness of the MAI to change within the framework of randomized controlled trials.
AHRQ-funded; HS018721
Citation: Hanlon JT, Schmader KE .
The medication appropriateness index at 20: where it started, where it has been, and where it may be going.
Drugs Aging. 2013 Nov;30(11):893-900. doi: 10.1007/s40266-013-0118-4..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Medication, Outcomes, Quality Measures, Medication: Safety
Katz DF, Sun J, Khatri V
QTc interval screening in an opioid treatment program.
This pilot study supports the feasibility of implementing a population-based electrocardiographic monitoring program in order to decrease the QTc interval in high-risk patients undergoing methadone maintenance in an opioid treatment program. Clinical characteristics alone were inadequate to identify patients in need of electrocardiographic screening.
AHRQ-funded; HS021138
Citation: Katz DF, Sun J, Khatri V .
QTc interval screening in an opioid treatment program.
Am J Cardiol. 2013 Oct 1;112(7):1013-8. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2013.05.037..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Substance Abuse, Screening, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medication: Safety, Risk, Implementation
Moga DC, Carnahan RM, Lund BC
Risks and benefits of bladder antimuscarinics among elderly residents of Veterans Affairs Community Living Centers.
This study evaluated the risks and benefits of drugs to reduce urinary incontinence that were used by elderly VA nursing home residents. It found that the use of these drugs, known as bladder antimuscarinics, resulted in improved continence rates and better social engagement but also led to a higher risk of fractures in new users.
AHRQ-funded; HS016094
Citation: Moga DC, Carnahan RM, Lund BC .
Risks and benefits of bladder antimuscarinics among elderly residents of Veterans Affairs Community Living Centers.
J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2013 Oct;14(10):749-60. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2013.03.008..
Keywords: Elderly, Medication, Medication: Safety, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Injuries and Wounds, Patient Safety