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 Events (1)
- Asthma (1)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Cancer (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- (-) Children/Adolescents (17)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (2)
- Domestic Violence (1)
- Emergency Department (3)
- (-) Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (17)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Healthcare Utilization (1)
- Hospitalization (11)
- Hospital Readmissions (2)
- Hospitals (1)
- Imaging (1)
- Infectious Diseases (2)
- Influenza (1)
- Injuries and Wounds (2)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (1)
- Newborns/Infants (1)
- Outcomes (2)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Pneumonia (1)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Quality of Care (2)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Respiratory Conditions (4)
- Sepsis (1)
- Trauma (1)
- Vaccination (2)
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 DisplayedZins ZP, Wheeler KK, Brink F
Trends in US physician diagnosis of child physical abuse and neglect injuries, 2006-2014.
The purpose of this study was to determine if US child physical abuse and neglect injury rates changed from 2006 to 2014, whether definitive diagnoses of physical abuse and neglect were used more often over time, and what patient factors influenced definitive physical maltreatment diagnoses. The investigators found that definitive diagnoses of physical abuse and neglect increased over the study period and were associated with hospital volume and patient characteristics which may reflect provider experience and possible bias.
AHRQ-funded; HS024263.
Citation: Zins ZP, Wheeler KK, Brink F .
Trends in US physician diagnosis of child physical abuse and neglect injuries, 2006-2014.
Child Abuse Negl 2019 Dec;98:104179. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104179..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Domestic Violence, Injuries and Wounds, Emergency Department, Hospitalization
Gray DT, Mizrahi T
AHRQ Author: Gray DT, Mizrahi T
Trends in appendicitis and perforated appendicitis prevalence in children in the United States, 2001-2015,
This cross-sectional study examined trends in appendicitis and perforated appendicitis in children in the United States from 2001 to 2015 using State Inpatient Databases (SIDS) HCUP data. Investigators found that rates of perforated appendicitis rose during that time period.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Gray DT, Mizrahi T .
Trends in appendicitis and perforated appendicitis prevalence in children in the United States, 2001-2015,
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Oct;3(10):e2023484. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.23484..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Goldstein E, Finelli L, O'Halloran A
AHRQ Author: Karaca Z, Steiner C
Hospitalizations associated with respiratory syncytial virus and influenza in children, including children diagnosed with asthma.
This study examined hospitalization rates in children associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza, including children with asthma. HCUP hospitalization data and additional data to estimate RSV and influenza-associated hospitalization with a respiratory cause was analyzed in different subpopulations of US children between 2003 and 2010. Annual rates of RSV-associated hospitalization was highest in infants and young children, and declined rapidly with age. Influenza hospitalizations also were highest in young children and declined by age 12-17 years. Higher rates of RSV-related and influenza hospitalization in the youngest children with a prior diagnosis of asthma was also found.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Goldstein E, Finelli L, O'Halloran A .
Hospitalizations associated with respiratory syncytial virus and influenza in children, including children diagnosed with asthma.
Epidemiology 2019 Nov;30(6):918-26. doi: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001092..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Asthma, Influenza, Respiratory Conditions, Hospitalization, Chronic Conditions
Montalbano A, Quinonez RA, Hall M
Achievable benchmarks of care for pediatric readmissions.
This study’s objective was to calculate mean readmission rates and the Achievable Benchmarks of Care (ABCs) for pediatric diagnoses by different hospital types: metropolitan teaching, metropolitan nonteaching, and nonmetropolitan hospitals. The authors used a cross-sectional retrospective study of 30-day, all-cause same-hospital readmission of patients less than 18 years of age using the 2014 HCUP National Readmission Database. They calculated mean readmission and corresponding ABCs for the 17 most common readmission diagnosis. They found that sickle cell disease (SCD), bipolar and major depressive disorders were the most common reasons for readmission.
AHRQ-funded; HS024554.
Citation: Montalbano A, Quinonez RA, Hall M .
Achievable benchmarks of care for pediatric readmissions.
J Hosp Med 2019 Sep;14(9):534-40. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3201..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Quality of Care
Hartman ME, Saeed MJ, Powell KN
The comparative epidemiology of pediatric severe sepsis.
The purpose of this study was to determine if the coding strategies used to identify severe sepsis in administrative data sets could identify cases with comparable case mix, hospitalization characteristics, and outcomes as a cohort of children diagnosed with severe sepsis. HCUP data was used. Results showed that the ICD-9-CM codes for "severe sepsis" and "septic shock" identify smaller but higher acuity cohorts of patients that more closely resemble the children enrolled in the largest clinical trial of pediatric severe sepsis to date.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Hartman ME, Saeed MJ, Powell KN .
The comparative epidemiology of pediatric severe sepsis.
J Intensive Care Med 2019 Jun;34(6):472-79. doi: 10.1177/0885066617735783..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Sepsis
Glick AF, Tomopoulos S, Fierman AH S, Tomopoulos AH
AHRQ Author: Elixhauser A
Association between outdoor air pollution levels and inpatient outcomes in pediatric pneumonia hospitalizations, 2007 to 2008.
Pneumonia is a leading cause of pediatric admissions. Although air pollutants are associated with poor outcomes, few national studies have examined associations between pollutant levels and inpatient pediatric pneumonia outcomes. In this study, the investigators examined the relationship between ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter with a diameter </=2.5 microm (PM2.5) and outcomes related to disease severity. They concluded that greater levels of O3 and PM2.5 were associated with more severe presentations of pneumonia.
AHRQ-authored
Citation: Glick AF, Tomopoulos S, Fierman AH S, Tomopoulos AH .
Association between outdoor air pollution levels and inpatient outcomes in pediatric pneumonia hospitalizations, 2007 to 2008.
Acad Pediatr 2019 May - Jun;19(4):414-20. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2018.12.001..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Pneumonia, Respiratory Conditions, Hospitalization, Outcomes
Baker JM, Tate JE, Steiner CA
AHRQ Author: Steiner CA
Longer-term direct and indirect effects of infant rotavirus vaccination across all ages in the US; 2000 - 2013: analysis of a large hospital discharge dataset.
Rotavirus disease dramatically declined among children under 5 years of age since the rotavirus vaccine was introduced in 2006. In this study, data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database were used to conduct a time-series analysis of monthly hospital discharges across age groups for acute gastroenteritis and rotavirus from 2000-2013, in order to elucidate population level impacts.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Baker JM, Tate JE, Steiner CA .
Longer-term direct and indirect effects of infant rotavirus vaccination across all ages in the US; 2000 - 2013: analysis of a large hospital discharge dataset.
Clin Infect Dis 2019 Mar 15;68(6):976-83. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciy580..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Infectious Diseases, Vaccination
Bucholz EM, Toomey SL, Schuster MA
Trends in pediatric hospitalizations and readmissions: 2010-2016.
In this study, the authors examined recent trends in pediatric hospitalizations and readmissions at a national level using data from the 2010-2016 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Readmissions Database and National Inpatient Sample. The investigators concluded that pediatric admissions declined from 2010 to 2016 as 30-day readmission rates increased. The increase in readmission rates was associated with greater numbers of admissions for children with chronic conditions.
AHRQ-funded; HS020513; HS025299.
Citation: Bucholz EM, Toomey SL, Schuster MA .
Trends in pediatric hospitalizations and readmissions: 2010-2016.
Pediatrics 2019 Jan 29;143(2):pii: e20181958. doi: 10.1542/peds.2018-1958..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization
Myers SR, Branas CC, French B
A national analysis of pediatric trauma care utilization and outcomes in the United States.
The goal of this study was to provide the first national description of the proportion of injured children treated at pediatric trauma centers, and to clarify the presumed benefit of pediatric trauma center verification by comparing injury mortality across hospital types. The study used data from the 2006 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids Inpatient Database combined with national trauma center inventories. The results of the study may provide evidence that treatment of injured children at verified pediatric trauma centers may improve outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS017960; HS018604.
Citation: Myers SR, Branas CC, French B .
A national analysis of pediatric trauma care utilization and outcomes in the United States.
Pediatr Emerg Care 2019 Jan;35(1):1-7. doi: 10.1097/pec.0000000000000902..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Utilization, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Injuries and Wounds, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Trauma
Berry JG, Zaslavsky AM, Toomey SL
Recognizing differences in hospital quality performance for pediatric inpatient care.
This study was a retrospective analysis of hospital discharges for children aged 0 to 17 years from 3,974 hospitals in 44 states in the 2009 Kids’ Inpatient Database. It found that most children are admitted to hospitals in which all-condition measures of quality have adequate power to show modest differences in performance from average, but most condition-specific measures do not.
AHRQ-funded; HS020513.
Citation: Berry JG, Zaslavsky AM, Toomey SL .
Recognizing differences in hospital quality performance for pediatric inpatient care.
Pediatrics 2015 Aug;136(2):251-62. doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-3131..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Hospitalization, Quality of Care
Leshem E, Tate JE, Steiner CA
AHRQ Author: Steiner CA
Acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations among US children following implementation of the rotavirus vaccine.
Because laboratory testing and coding for rotavirus are not routinely performed for patients with diarrhea, the researchers examined both all-cause acute gastroenteritis and rotavirus-coded hospitalizations among children younger than 5 years from 2000 through 2012. They found that, in 2012, when vaccine coverage was highest, the greatest reductions were observed for all-cause acute gastroenteritis (55 percent) and rotavirus-coded (94 percent) hospitalizations.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Leshem E, Tate JE, Steiner CA .
Acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations among US children following implementation of the rotavirus vaccine.
JAMA 2015 Jun 9;313(22):2282-4. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.5571..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Vaccination, Children/Adolescents, Adverse Events
Mueller EL, Sabbatini A, Gebremariam A
Why pediatric patients with cancer visit the emergency department: United States, 2006-2010.
The authors explored reasons prompting emergency department (ED) visits and factors associated with hospital admission among pediatric patients with cancer. They concluded that fever with neutropenia was the most common reason for ED visits among pediatric patients with cancer and was the condition most strongly associated with admission, and that socioeconomic factors appeared to influence ED disposition for this population.
AHRQ-funded; HS022982.
Citation: Mueller EL, Sabbatini A, Gebremariam A .
Why pediatric patients with cancer visit the emergency department: United States, 2006-2010.
Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015 Mar;62(3):490-5. doi: 10.1002/pbc.25288.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Emergency Department, Hospitalization
Torio CM, Encinosa WE, Berdahl T
AHRQ Author: Torio CM, Encinosa WE, Berdahl T
Annual report on health care for children and youth in the United States: national estimates of cost, utilization and expenditures for children with mental health conditions.
This study examined national trends in hospital utilization, costs, and expenditures for children with mental health conditions between 2006 and 2011. It found that hospitalizations for all listed mental health conditions increased by nearly 50 percent among children aged 10 to 14 years and by 21 percent for emergency department visits.
AHRQ-authored
Citation: Torio CM, Encinosa WE, Berdahl T .
Annual report on health care for children and youth in the United States: national estimates of cost, utilization and expenditures for children with mental health conditions.
Acad Pediatr. 2015 Jan-Feb;15(1):19-35. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2014.07.007..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Behavioral Health
Pitzer VE, Viboud C, Alonso WJ
AHRQ Author: Steiner CA
Environmental drivers of the spatiotemporal dynamics of respiratory syncytial virus in the United States.
The authors examined the association between environmental variables and state-specific measures of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) seasonality. They found that states with low mean vapor pressure and the largest seasonal variation in potential evapotranspiration tended to experience biennial patterns of RSV activity, with alternating years of "early-big" and "late-small" epidemics. Their results successfully connected environmental drivers to the epidemic dynamics of RSV; however, the results do not fully explain why RSV activity begins in Florida, one of the warmest states, when RSV is a winter-seasonal pathogen.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Pitzer VE, Viboud C, Alonso WJ .
Environmental drivers of the spatiotemporal dynamics of respiratory syncytial virus in the United States.
PLoS Pathog 2015 Jan;11(1):e1004591. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004591.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Newborns/Infants, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Conditions
Foote EM, Singleton RJ, Holman RC
AHRQ Author: Steiner CA
Lower respiratory tract infection hospitalizations among American Indian/Alaska Native children and the general United States child population.
The authors described the change in lower respiratory tract infection-associated hospitalization rates for American Indian and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) children and for the general US child population aged less than 5 years. They found that the 2009-2011 AI/AN child average annual LRTI-associated hospitalization rate was 1.5 times higher than the US child rate. The Alaska and Southwest regions had the highest rates. The disparity was greatest for infant pneumonia-associated and 2009-2010 H1N1 influenza-associated hospitalizations.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Foote EM, Singleton RJ, Holman RC .
Lower respiratory tract infection hospitalizations among American Indian/Alaska Native children and the general United States child population.
Int J Circumpolar Health 2015;74:29256. doi: 10.3402/ijch.v74.29256.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Respiratory Conditions
Simeone RM, Oster ME, Cassell CH
AHRQ Author: Gray DT
Pediatric inpatient hospital resource use for congenital heart defects.
The authors sought to estimate healthcare costs for infants, children, and adolescents with congenital heart defects (CHDs). Using the 2009 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), they found that hospitalizations for children with CHDs have disproportionately high hospital costs compared with other pediatric hospitalizations, and the 17% of hospitalizations with critical CHD diagnoses accounted for 27% of CHD hospital costs.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Simeone RM, Oster ME, Cassell CH .
Pediatric inpatient hospital resource use for congenital heart defects.
Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol 2014 Dec;100(12):934-43. doi: 10.1002/bdra.23262.
.
.
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization
Johnson EK, Graham DA, Chow JS
Nationwide emergency department imaging practices for pediatric urolithiasis: room for improvement.
The researchers describe the national use of computed tomography (CT) versus ultrasound imaging for pediatric patients seen at emergency departments (EDs) for suspected urolithiasis (SU) during the period 2006-2010. Use of CT was much higher than use of ultrasound, although it dropped off after 2007. Lowest CT use was seen at EDs that care for more children.
AHRQ-funded; HS019485
Citation: Johnson EK, Graham DA, Chow JS .
Nationwide emergency department imaging practices for pediatric urolithiasis: room for improvement.
J Urol. 2014 Jul;192(1):200-6. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2014.01.028..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Imaging, Children/Adolescents, Practice Patterns