National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
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- Access to Care (1)
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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
1 to 6 of 6 Research Studies DisplayedZhou M, Oakes AH, Bridges JFP
Regional supply of medical resources and systemic overuse of health care among Medicare beneficiaries.
The goal of this study was to explore health care system factors associated with regional variation in overuse of resources, as measured by the Johns Hopkins Overuse Index (JHOI). Medicare fee-for-service claims data from beneficiaries age 65 was used to calculate the JHOI for 306 hospital referral regions in the U.S. Regions with a higher density of primary care physicians had a lower JHOI, which indicates less systemic overuse. Regional characteristics associated with higher JHOI included the number of acute care hospital beds per 1000 residents and number of hospital-based anesthesiologists, pathologists, and radiologists. The authors conclude that regional variations in health care resources are associated with the level of systemic overuse of health care, and that the role of primary care doctors in reducing overuse deserves further attention.
AHRQ-funded; T32 HS000029.
Citation: Zhou M, Oakes AH, Bridges JFP .
Regional supply of medical resources and systemic overuse of health care among Medicare beneficiaries.
J Gen Intern Med 2018 Dec;33(12):2127-31. doi: 10.1007/s11606-018-4638-9..
Keywords: Access to Care, Elderly, Healthcare Delivery, Healthcare Utilization, Medicare, Practice Patterns
Axeen S
Trends in opioid use and prescribing in Medicare, 2006-2012.
The purpose of this study was to determine characteristics and trends in opioid use, questionable use, and prescribing in Medicare. The investigators conducted a retrospective analysis of a 20 percent sample of Medicare claims data. Estimates were adjusted using multivariable regression analysis. They found that opioid utilization and prescribing were increasingly heterogeneous from 2006 to 2012.
AHRQ-funded; HS024251.
Citation: Axeen S .
Trends in opioid use and prescribing in Medicare, 2006-2012.
Health Serv Res 2018 Oct;53(5):3309-28. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12846..
Keywords: Medicare, Medication, Opioids, Practice Patterns
Kuo YF, Raji MA, Liaw V
Opioid prescriptions in older Medicare beneficiaries after the 2014 federal rescheduling of hydrocodone products.
The authors sought to examine how an October 2014 Drug Enforcement Administration policy reclassified hydrocodone product from schedule III to II has affected older adults. They found that the 2014 change in hydrocodone from schedule III to schedule II was associated with modest decreases in rates of opioid use in the elderly. They also found an unexpected increase in opioid-related hospitalizations without documented opioid prescriptions, which may represent an increase in illegal use.
AHRQ-funded; HS022134.
Citation: Kuo YF, Raji MA, Liaw V .
Opioid prescriptions in older Medicare beneficiaries after the 2014 federal rescheduling of hydrocodone products.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2018 May;66(5):945-53. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15332.
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Keywords: Elderly, Medicare, Opioids, Policy, Practice Patterns
Dinan MA, Mi X, Reed SD
Initial trends in the use of the 21-gene recurrence score assay for patients with breast cancer in the Medicare population, 2005-2009.
The researchers examined trends in the use of the 21-gene recurrence score (RS) assay in routine clinical practice in a nationally representative sample of women with breast cancer. They found that the RS assay was adopted quickly in clinical practice after the Medicare coverage decision in 2006, and use appears to be consistent with guidelines and equitable across geographic and racial groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS022189.
Citation: Dinan MA, Mi X, Reed SD .
Initial trends in the use of the 21-gene recurrence score assay for patients with breast cancer in the Medicare population, 2005-2009.
JAMA Oncol 2015 May;1(2):158-66. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.43..
Keywords: Cancer, Cancer: Breast Cancer, Genetics, Guidelines, Medicare, Practice Patterns, Women
Schroeder MC, Robinson JG, Chapman CG
Use of statins by Medicare beneficiaries post myocardial infarction: poor physician quality or patient-centered care?
This study assessed whether patterns of statin use by Medicare beneficiaries post-discharge may be due to a mix of high-quality and low-quality physicians. It found that the distribution of statin fill rates across physicians was normal, with no clear distinctions in physician quality. Physicians, especially cardiologists, with relatively younger and healthier patient populations had higher rates of statin use.
AHRQ-funded; HS019574.
Citation: Schroeder MC, Robinson JG, Chapman CG .
Use of statins by Medicare beneficiaries post myocardial infarction: poor physician quality or patient-centered care?
Inquiry 2015 Feb 27;52. doi: 10.1177/0046958015571131..
Keywords: Care Management, Medication, Heart Disease and Health, Medicare, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Practice Patterns
Hollingsworth JM, Funk RJ, Garrison SA
Differences between physician social networks for cardiac surgery serving communities with high versus low proportions of black residents.
The researchers examined physician social networks, where individual physicians are tied together by a series of shared patients. They mapped these networks using medical claims data from the Medicare program and found substantial differences between physician social networks formed around CABG procedures serving health services areas with high and low proportions of black residents. Their conclusion was that physicians serving these communities are more isolated.
AHRQ-funded; HS020927.
Citation: Hollingsworth JM, Funk RJ, Garrison SA .
Differences between physician social networks for cardiac surgery serving communities with high versus low proportions of black residents.
Med Care 2015 Feb;53(2):160-7. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000291..
Keywords: Practice Patterns, Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Medicare