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
- Cardiovascular Conditions (3)
- Children/Adolescents (3)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- Disparities (2)
- Elderly (3)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (2)
- Health Insurance (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (2)
- Hospital Discharge (4)
- Hospitalization (3)
- (-) Hospital Readmissions (17)
- (-) Hospitals (17)
- Medicaid (1)
- Medicare (7)
- Mortality (2)
- Neurological Disorders (1)
- Nursing Homes (1)
- Orthopedics (1)
- Outcomes (3)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Payment (2)
- Pneumonia (1)
- Policy (1)
- Prevention (1)
- Provider Performance (4)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (1)
- Quality Measures (1)
- Quality of Care (3)
- Respiratory Conditions (2)
- Sickle Cell Disease (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 17 of 17 Research Studies DisplayedNash KA, Weerahandi H, Yu H
Measuring equity in readmission as a distinct assessment of hospital performance.
This study examined the measure of equitable readmissions in hospitals as developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Objectives were to define a measure of equitable readmissions; identify hospitals with equitable readmissions by insurance (dual eligible vs non-dual eligible) or patient race (Black vs White); and compare hospitals with and without equitable readmissions by hospital characteristics and performance on accountability measures (quality, cost, and value). The authors used data from a cross-section of hospitals who were eligible for the CMS Hospital-Wide Readmission measure using Medicare data from July 2018 through June 2019. Of 4638 hospitals, they found that 74% served a sufficient number of dual-eligible patients, and 42% served a sufficient number of Black patients to apply CMS Disparity Methods by insurance and race. Of these eligible hospitals, 17% had equitable readmission rates by insurance and 30% by race. Hospitals with equitable readmissions by insurance or race cared for a lower percentage of Black patients (insurance, 1.9% vs 3.3%, race, 7.6% vs 9.3%), and differed from nonequitable hospitals in multiple domains (teaching status, geography, size. In examining equity by insurance, hospitals with low costs were more likely to have equitable readmissions, and there was no relationship between quality and value, and equity. In examining equity by race, hospitals with high overall quality were more likely to have equitable readmissions, and there was no relationship between cost and value, and equity.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882.
Citation: Nash KA, Weerahandi H, Yu H .
Measuring equity in readmission as a distinct assessment of hospital performance.
JAMA 2024 Jan 9; 331(2):111-23. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.24874..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Provider Performance, Disparities
Meddings J, Smith SN, Hofer TP
Mixed messages to consumers from Medicare: Hospital Compare grades versus value-based payment penalty.
This study examined the discrepancy of ratings with hospitals with low readmission grades for heart failure (HF) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on the Hospital Compare website, yet received penalties for excessive readmissions under the hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. A retrospective data analysis was conducted of 2956 hospitals that had publicly reported HF grades on Hospital Compare. Of those, 92% were graded as “no different” than the national rate for HD readmissions, yet included 48.6% that were scored as having excessive HF admissions and 87% received an overall readmission penalty. Of the 120 hospitals graded as “better”, none were scored as having excessive HF readmissions and 50% were penalized. There were similar results for AMI.
AHRQ-funded; HS018334; HS019767.
Citation: Meddings J, Smith SN, Hofer TP .
Mixed messages to consumers from Medicare: Hospital Compare grades versus value-based payment penalty.
Am J Manag Care 2018 Dec;24(12):e399-e403..
Keywords: Medicare, Hospital Readmissions, Heart Disease and Health, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Cardiovascular Conditions, Provider Performance, Payment
Agarwal D, Werner RM
Effect of hospital and post-acute care provider participation in accountable care organizations on patient outcomes and Medicare spending.
The purpose of this study was to test for differences in patient outcomes when hospital and post-acute care (PAC) providers participated in accountable care organizations (ACOs). The investigators concluded that hospital and skilled nursing facilities (SNF) participation in an ACO was associated with lower readmission rates, Medicare spending on SNF, and SNF length of stay.
AHRQ-funded; HS024266.
Citation: Agarwal D, Werner RM .
Effect of hospital and post-acute care provider participation in accountable care organizations on patient outcomes and Medicare spending.
Health Serv Res 2018 Dec;53(6):5035-56. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13023..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Medicare, Nursing Homes, Outcomes
Huckfeldt P, Escarce J, Wilcock A
HF mortality trends under Medicare readmissions reduction program at penalized and nonpenalized hospitals.
After announcement and implementation of the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), 30-day readmissions declined rapidly among seniors with heart failure (HF) while 30-day mortality rose. This raised questions about whether the policy was responsible, because lower HF readmission rates have historically been associated with higher mortality. In this study, the investigators compared trends in heart failure (HF) mortality at penalized and nonpenalized hospitals nationally.
AHRQ-funded; HS024284.
Citation: Huckfeldt P, Escarce J, Wilcock A .
HF mortality trends under Medicare readmissions reduction program at penalized and nonpenalized hospitals.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2018 Nov 13;72(20):2539-40. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.2174..
Keywords: Mortality, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Hospitals, Provider Performance, Payment
Heslin KC, Owens PL, Simpson LA
AHRQ Author: Heslin KC Owens PL
Annual report on health care for children and youth in the united states: focus on 30-day unplanned inpatient readmissions, 2009 to 2014.
The authors describe trends in unplanned 30-day all-condition hospital readmissions for children aged 1 to 17 years between 2009 and 2014. Using HCUP data, they found that the rate of readmission was essentially stable between 2009 and 2014. In 2009, the most common reason for readmission was sickle cell anemia, whereas in 2014 the most common reason was epilepsy. Pneumonia fell from the second to the sixth most common reason for readmission over this period. The authors suggest that their study provides a baseline assessment for examining trends in 30-day unplanned pediatric readmissions, an important quality metric as the provisions of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act and the Affordable Care Act are changed and implemented in the future.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Heslin KC, Owens PL, Simpson LA .
Annual report on health care for children and youth in the united states: focus on 30-day unplanned inpatient readmissions, 2009 to 2014.
Acad Pediatr 2018 Nov - Dec;18(8):857-72. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2018.06.006..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Sickle Cell Disease, Pneumonia, Neurological Disorders
Kaiser SV, Lam R, Joseph GB
Limitations of using pediatric respiratory illness readmissions to compare hospital performance.
Researcher sought to determine if a National Quality Forum (NQF)-endorsed measure for pediatric lower respiratory illness (LRI) 30-day readmission rates can meaningfully identify high- and low-performing hospitals. Subjects were children with LRI (bronchiolitis, influenza, or pneumonia as primary diagnosis, or with an LRI as a secondary diagnosis with a primary diagnosis of respiratory failure, sepsis, bacteremia, or asthma) from all hospital admissions in California from 2012 to 2014. The researchers were unable to identify meaningful variation in hospital performance without broadening the metric definition and merging multiple years of data. They recommend that utilizers of pediatric-quality measures consider modifying metrics to better evaluate the quality of pediatric care at low-volume hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS024385; HS022835; HS024592; HS025297.
Citation: Kaiser SV, Lam R, Joseph GB .
Limitations of using pediatric respiratory illness readmissions to compare hospital performance.
J Hosp Med 2018 Nov;13(11):737-42. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2988..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Respiratory Conditions, Provider Performance, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Middleton A, Kuo YF, Graham JE
Readmission patterns over 90-day episodes of care among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries discharged to post-acute care.
This retrospective cohort study’s objective was to examine readmission patterns over 90-day episodes of care in patients discharged from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Data was used from a national cohort of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries discharged from SNF care from July 2013 to July 2014. The cohort studied were adults 65 years and older who were hospitalized for stroke, joint replacement, or hip fracture, and had survived 90 days post-discharge. Patients with hemorrhagic stroke were more likely than those with ischemic stroke to be rehospitalized over the first 30 days after discharge. For patients receiving nonelective joint replacements, readmissions increased from the 30 to 90-day period post-acute discharge.
AHRQ-funded; HS022134.
Citation: Middleton A, Kuo YF, Graham JE .
Readmission patterns over 90-day episodes of care among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries discharged to post-acute care.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2018 Oct;19(10):896-901. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2018.03.006..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospital Discharge, Medicare, Hospitals, Elderly
Mittal M, Wang CE, Goben AH
Proprietary management and higher readmission rates: a correlation.
This study examined readmission rates of patients for six diseases including acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, coronary artery bypass graft, pneumonia, COPD, and total hip or total knee arthroplasty from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Readmissions Reduction Production (HRRP) for 2012 to 2015. The type of hospital ownership was the variable that was being studied. There were statistically higher readmission rates in proprietary (for profit) hospitals compared to government and non-profit hospitals. This was true regardless of their location.
AHRQ-funded; HS024679.
Citation: Mittal M, Wang CE, Goben AH .
Proprietary management and higher readmission rates: a correlation.
PLoS One 2018 Sep 18;13(9):e0204272. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204272..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Orthopedics, Respiratory Conditions
Blecker S, Herrin J, Kwon JY
Effect of hospital readmission reduction on patients at low, medium, and high risk of readmission in the Medicare population.
This study examined the effect of hospital readmission reduction on patients at low, medium, and high risk of readmission in Medicare beneficiaries. The researchers theorized that the hospitals could be filled with more high-risk patients. National data from January 2009 to June 2015 was used to examine 5 specialty cohorts. The readmission rate was 16.2% for unplanned readmission within 30 days. There was a higher risk of readmission for surgery/gynecology and neurology cohorts but no significant increase in predicted risk for hospitalizations in medicine, cardiovascular, or cardiorespiratory cohorts.
AHRQ-funded; HS023683; HS022882.
Citation: Blecker S, Herrin J, Kwon JY .
Effect of hospital readmission reduction on patients at low, medium, and high risk of readmission in the Medicare population.
J Hosp Med 2018 Aug;13(8):537-43. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2936..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Hospitals, Elderly, Hospitalization
Graham KL, Auerbac AD, Schnipper JL
Preventability of early versus late hospital readmissions in a national cohort of general medicine patients.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether readmissions within 7 days of discharge differed from those between 8 and 30 days after discharge with respect to preventability. The investigators found that early readmissions were more likely to be preventable and amenable to hospital-based interventions. Late readmissions were less likely to be preventable and were more amenable to ambulatory and home-based interventions.
AHRQ-funded; HS022241.
Citation: Graham KL, Auerbac AD, Schnipper JL .
Preventability of early versus late hospital readmissions in a national cohort of general medicine patients.
Ann Intern Med 2018 Jun 5;168(11):766-74. doi: 10.7326/m17-1724..
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Hospitalization, Prevention
Casucci S, Lin L, Hewner S
Estimating the causal effects of chronic disease combinations on 30-day hospital readmissions based on observational Medicaid data.
The purpose of this study was to demonstrate how observational causal inference methods can generate insights into the impact of chronic disease combinations on patients' 30-day hospital readmissions. The investigators concluded that multi-hypothesis causal analysis, a new methodological tool, generates meaningful insights from health care claims data, guiding the design of care and intervention programs.
AHRQ-funded; HS022575.
Citation: Casucci S, Lin L, Hewner S .
Estimating the causal effects of chronic disease combinations on 30-day hospital readmissions based on observational Medicaid data.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2018 Jun;25(6):670-78. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocx141.
.
.
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Medicaid, Hospitals
Middleton A, Downer B, Haas A
Functional status is associated with 30-day potentially preventable readmissions following skilled nursing facility discharge among Medicare beneficiaries.
This retrospective cohort study’s objective was to determine the association between patients’ functional status at discharge from skilled nursing facility (SNF) care and 30-day potentially preventable readmissions. Data was used from a national cohort of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries discharged from SNF care from July 2013 to July 2014. The average age was 81.4 years, 67% were women, and 86.3% non-Hispanic white. Functional data used from the Minimum Data Set was self-care, mobility, and cognition domains. The overall rate of 30-day potentially preventable readmissions was 5.7%. The 5 most common conditions for readmissions were congestive heart failure, septicemia, urinary tract infection, bacterial pneumonia, and renal failure. Mobility was the most dependent category followed by self-care and cognition.
AHRQ-funded; HS022134.
Citation: Middleton A, Downer B, Haas A .
Functional status is associated with 30-day potentially preventable readmissions following skilled nursing facility discharge among Medicare beneficiaries.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2018 Apr;19(4):348-54.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2017.12.003..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Medicare, Elderly
Sills MR, Macy ML, Kocher KE
Return visit admissions may not indicate quality of emergency department care for children.
The goal of this retrospective analysis was to test the hypothesis that in-hospital outcomes are worse among children admitted during a return ED visit than among those admitted during an index visit. Children who were hospitalized in Florida and New York hospitals during a return visit within 7 days were classified as "ED return admissions" or "readmissions"; in-hospital outcomes for ED return admissions and readmissions were compared to "index admissions without return admission". The results indicate that children who are initially discharged from the ED and then have a return admission had lower severity but similar cost in comparison with children who experienced an index admission without a return admission. The authors conclude that this suggests that ED return visit admissions do not involve worse outcomes than index admissions.
AHRQ-funded; HS024160; HS016418.
Citation: Sills MR, Macy ML, Kocher KE .
Return visit admissions may not indicate quality of emergency department care for children.
Acad Emerg Med 2018 Mar;25(3):283-92. doi: 10.1111/acem.13324..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Outcomes
Ibrahim AM, Dimick JB, Sinha SS
Association of coded severity with readmission reduction after the hospital readmissions reduction program.
This research letter describes a study which examined coding by hospitals used to determine rates of readmission under the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). Hospitals who go above a certain rate are subject to financial penalties for 3 targed medical conditions. It was determined that hospitals have begun to change their coding to show increased severity of illness in many of those readmissions. Data came from discharges from the Medicare Provider Analysis and review file between 2008 and 2014. Researchers compared coding severity levels from before HRRP was implemented and post April 1, 2010 when it began.
AHRQ-funded; HS024525; HS024728.
Citation: Ibrahim AM, Dimick JB, Sinha SS .
Association of coded severity with readmission reduction after the hospital readmissions reduction program.
JAMA Intern Med 2018 Feb;178(2):290-92. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.6148..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Medicare, Policy
Yang L, Liu C, Huang C
Patients' perceptions of interactions with hospital staff are associated with hospital readmissions: a national survey of 4535 hospitals.
The researchers examined the extent to which patients' experience with hospital care is related to hospital readmission. Their finding suggests that hospitals with better staff responsiveness were significantly more likely to have lower 30-day readmissions for all conditions. The effect size depended on the baseline readmission rates, with the largest effect on hospitals in the upper 75th quartile.
AHRQ-funded; HS021844.
Citation: Yang L, Liu C, Huang C .
Patients' perceptions of interactions with hospital staff are associated with hospital readmissions: a national survey of 4535 hospitals.
BMC Health Serv Res 2018 Jan 29;18(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s12913-018-2848-9.
.
.
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Hospitals, Patient Experience, Patient Experience, Hospital Readmissions
Burke RE, Jones CD, Hosokawa P
Influence of nonindex hospital readmission on length of stay and mortality.
The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of nonindex 30-day readmissions in a nationally representative sample of all payers and associations with outcomes. The investigators conclude that nonindex readmissions are common and associated with worse outcomes; the common findings across cohorts highlighted the importance for hospitals and care systems participating in value-based payment models.
AHRQ-funded; HS024569.
Citation: Burke RE, Jones CD, Hosokawa P .
Influence of nonindex hospital readmission on length of stay and mortality.
Med Care 2018 Jan;56(1):85-90. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000829..
Keywords: Hospitals, Mortality, Outcomes, Hospital Readmissions
Basu J, Hanchate A, Bierman A
AHRQ Author: Basu J, Bierman A
Racial/ethnic disparities in readmissions in US hospitals: the role of insurance coverage.
This study examined differences in rates of 30-day readmissions across patients by race/ethnicity and the extent to which these differences were moderated by insurance coverage. It found higher readmission risk for non-Hispanic blacks, compared with non-Hispanic whites, among those covered by Medicare and private insurance, but lower risk among uninsured and similar risk among Medicaid.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Basu J, Hanchate A, Bierman A .
Racial/ethnic disparities in readmissions in US hospitals: the role of insurance coverage.
Inquiry 2018 Jan-Dec;55:46958018774180. doi: 10.1177/0046958018774180.
.
.
Keywords: Disparities, Health Insurance, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitals, Hospital Readmissions