National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Access to Care (1)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- COVID-19 (1)
- Data (1)
- Diabetes (1)
- Disparities (9)
- Elderly (3)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Health Insurance (2)
- Health Systems (1)
- Home Healthcare (2)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Hospital Readmissions (2)
- Hospitals (1)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (1)
- Low-Income (2)
- (-) Medicare (13)
- Mortality (1)
- Outcomes (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Payment (1)
- Provider Performance (1)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality Measures (1)
- Quality of Care (2)
- (-) Racial and Ethnic Minorities (13)
- Research Methodologies (1)
- Social Determinants of Health (2)
- Surgery (2)
- Telehealth (1)
- Uninsured (1)
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 13 of 13 Research Studies DisplayedSong Zhang, Zhang X, Patterson LJ
Racial and ethnic disparities in hospitalization outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study assessed assess racial and ethnic differences in hospitalization outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic among Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare claims from the Social Security Administration was used to determine in-hospital mortality and mortality inclusive of discharges to hospice and discharges to postacute care. Over 31 million Medicare recipients in the database were analyzed with over 14 million hospitalizations from January 2019 to February 2021. There was a decline in non-COVID-19 and an emergence of COVID-19 hospitalizations among beneficiaries of different racial and ethnic minority groups through February 2021. In-hospital mortality was not significantly different among Black patients relative to White patients but was 3.5 percentage points higher among Hispanic patients and other racial and ethnic minority groups. There were disparities in discharges to hospice and postacute care as well.
AHRQ-funded; HS024072.
Citation: Song Zhang, Zhang X, Patterson LJ .
Racial and ethnic disparities in hospitalization outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JAMA Health Forum 2021 Dec 23;2(12):e214223. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.4223..
Keywords: COVID-19, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Medicare, Hospitalization, Outcomes, Mortality
Herb J, Staley BS, Roberson M
Use and disparities in parathyroidectomy for symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism in the Medicare population.
The investigators’ objective was to determine national usage and disparities in parathyroidectomy for symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism among insured older adults. Data was obtained using Medicare claims. They found that parathyroidectomy was underused and recommended that quality improvement efforts, rooted in equitable care, be undertaken to increase access to parathyroidectomy for this disease.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Herb J, Staley BS, Roberson M .
Use and disparities in parathyroidectomy for symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism in the Medicare population.
Surgery 2021 Nov;170(5):1376-82. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2021.05.026..
Keywords: Elderly, Disparities, Medicare, Surgery, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Grafova IB, Jarrín OF
Beyond Black and White: mapping misclassification of Medicare beneficiaries race and ethnicity.
This study examined state-level variation in racial/ethnic misclassification of race and ethnicity in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrative database using the enrollment database (EDB) beneficiary race code and the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) race code. The cohort included 4,231,370 Medicare beneficiaries who utilized home health care services in 2015. The authors found substantial variation between states in misclassification of self-identified Hispanic, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native beneficiaries.
AHRQ-funded; HS022406.
Citation: Grafova IB, Jarrín OF .
Beyond Black and White: mapping misclassification of Medicare beneficiaries race and ethnicity.
Med Care Res Rev 2021 Oct;78(5):616-26. doi: 10.1177/1077558720935733..
Keywords: Medicare, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities
Markovitz AA, Ayanian JZ, Warrier A
Medicare Advantage plan double bonuses drive racial disparity in payments, yield no quality or enrollment improvements.
Using national data for 2008-18, investigators found that double bonuses were not associated with either improvements in plan quality or increased Medicare Advantage enrollment. Additionally, double bonuses increased payments to plans to care for Black beneficiaries by $60 per year, compared with $91 for White beneficiaries. These findings suggest that double bonuses not only fail to improve quality and enrollment but also foster a racially inequitable distribution of Medicare funds that disfavors Black beneficiaries. This study supports eliminating double bonuses, thereby saving Medicare an estimated $1.8 billion per year.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053.
Citation: Markovitz AA, Ayanian JZ, Warrier A .
Medicare Advantage plan double bonuses drive racial disparity in payments, yield no quality or enrollment improvements.
Health Aff 2021 Sep;40(9):1411-19. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00349..
Keywords: Medicare, Health Insurance, Payment, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Meyers DJ, Rahman M, Mor V
Association of Medicare Advantage Star Ratings with racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in quality of care.
This cross-sectional study looked at racial/ethnic minority and socioeconomic disparities in ratings for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, which disproportionately enroll these populations. A total of 1,578,564 enrollees were included in this analysis that used 22 measures of quality and satisfaction at the individual enrollee level, aggregated into simulated star ratings from 2-5 stratified by socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity. Low SES enrollees had simulated stratified star ratings 0.5 stars lower than individuals with high SES in the same contract. Black enrollees had simulated star ratings that were 0.3 stars lower and Hispanic enrollees had 0.1 lower simulated star ratings than White enrollees in the same contract. There was a larger difference in ratings with 4.5 to 5-star contracts with Black and Hispanic enrollees with Whites, and no statistical difference in 2.0 to 2.5 star-rated contracts. There was only low correlation between simulated ratings for enrollees of low SES and high SES.
AHRQ-funded; HS02705101.
Citation: Meyers DJ, Rahman M, Mor V .
Association of Medicare Advantage Star Ratings with racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in quality of care.
JAMA Health Forum 2021 Jun;2(6):e210793..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Medicare, Patient Experience, Disparities, Quality Measures, Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Smith JM, Lin H, Thomas-Hawkins C
Timing of home health care initiation and 30-day rehospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes by race and ethnicity.
Older adults with diabetes are at elevated risk of complications following hospitalization. Home health care services mitigate the risk of adverse events and facilitate a safe transition home. In the United States, when home health care services are prescribed, federal guidelines require they begin within two days of hospital discharge. This study examined the association between timing of home health care initiation and 30-day rehospitalization outcomes in a cohort of 786,734 Medicare beneficiaries following a diabetes-related index hospitalization admission during 2015.
AHRQ-funded; HS022406.
Citation: Smith JM, Lin H, Thomas-Hawkins C .
Timing of home health care initiation and 30-day rehospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes by race and ethnicity.
Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 May 25;18(11). doi: 10.3390/ijerph18115623..
Keywords: Elderly, Home Healthcare, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Diabetes, Chronic Conditions, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Timbie JW, Kranz AM, DeYoreo M
Racial and ethnic disparities in care for health system-affiliated physician organizations and non-affiliated physician organizations.
The purpose of this study was to assess racial and ethnic disparities in care for Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries and whether disparities differ between health system-affiliated physician organizations (POs) and nonaffiliated POs. The investigators found no evidence that system-affiliated POs had smaller racial and ethnic disparities than nonaffiliated POs. Where differences existed, disparities were slightly larger in affiliated POs.
AHRQ-funded; HS024067.
Citation: Timbie JW, Kranz AM, DeYoreo M .
Racial and ethnic disparities in care for health system-affiliated physician organizations and non-affiliated physician organizations.
Health Serv Res 2020 Dec;55(Suppl 3):1107-17. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13581..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Medicare, Health Systems
Roberts ET, Mehrotra A
Assessment of disparities in digital access among Medicare beneficiaries and implications for telemedicine.
In this study, the investigators examined disparities in digital access (ie, access at home to technology that enables video telemedicine visits) among Medicare beneficiaries by socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. The investigators concluded that the proportion of beneficiaries who lacked digital access was higher among those with low socioeconomic status, those 85 years or older, and in communities of color.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: Roberts ET, Mehrotra A .
Assessment of disparities in digital access among Medicare beneficiaries and implications for telemedicine.
JAMA Intern Med 2020 Oct;180(10):1386-89. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.2666..
Keywords: Elderly, Medicare, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Disparities, Access to Care, Social Determinants of Health, Low-Income, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Lee JT, Polsky D, Fitzsimmons R
Proportion of racial minority patients and patients with low socioeconomic status cared for by physician groups after joining accountable care organizations.
The purpose of this study was to test for changes in the percentage of racial minority patients and patients with low socioeconomic status cared for by physician groups after joining an accountable care organization (ACO). This cohort study’s subjects consisted of a 15% random sample of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries attributed to physician groups. ACO file were used to determine Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) participation. No changes were found in the proportions of vulnerable patients cared for by ACO-participating physician groups after joining an ACO compared with changes among nonparticipating groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS025184.
Citation: Lee JT, Polsky D, Fitzsimmons R .
Proportion of racial minority patients and patients with low socioeconomic status cared for by physician groups after joining accountable care organizations.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 May;3():e204439. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.4439.
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Keywords: Social Determinants of Health, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medicare
Jarrin OF, Nyandege AN, Grafova IB
Validity of race and ethnicity codes in Medicare administrative data compared with gold-standard self-reported race collected during routine home health care visits.
The authors compared the validity of two race/ethnicity variables found in Medicare administrative data against a gold-standard source also available in the Medicare data warehouse. They found that the race/ethnicity variables contained in Medicare administrative data for minority health disparities research can be improved through the use of self-reported race/ethnicity data. They conclude that future work to improve the accuracy of Medicare beneficiaries' race/ethnicity data should incorporate and augment the self-reported race/ethnicity data contained in assessment and survey data, available within the Medicare data warehouse.
AHRQ-funded; HS022406.
Citation: Jarrin OF, Nyandege AN, Grafova IB .
Validity of race and ethnicity codes in Medicare administrative data compared with gold-standard self-reported race collected during routine home health care visits.
Med Care 2020 Jan;58(1):e1-e8. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001216..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Home Healthcare, Medicare, Data, Disparities, Research Methodologies
Shih T, Ryan AM, Gonzalez AA
Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program in surgery may disproportionately affect minority-serving hospitals.
The authors aimed to project readmission penalties for hospitals performing cardiac surgery and examine how these penalties will affect minority-serving hospitals. They found that minority-serving hospitals would disproportionately bear the burden of readmission penalties if expanded to include cardiac surgery.
AHRQ-funded; HS018546.
Citation: Shih T, Ryan AM, Gonzalez AA .
Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program in surgery may disproportionately affect minority-serving hospitals.
Ann Surg 2015 Jun;261(6):1027-31. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000000778.
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Keywords: Hospitals, Medicare, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Hospital Readmissions, Surgery
Yehia BR, Fleishman JA, Agwu AL
AHRQ Author: Fleishman JA
Health insurance coverage for persons in HIV care, 2006-2012.
The authors examined trends in health insurance coverage at 11 US HIV clinics between 2006 and 2012. They found that Medicaid coverage was more prevalent among women than men; blacks and Hispanics than whites; and individuals with injection drug use risk compared with other transmission risk factors, with Hispanics and younger age groups more likely to be uninsured than other racial/ethnic and older age groups, respectively.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201100007C.
Citation: Yehia BR, Fleishman JA, Agwu AL .
Health insurance coverage for persons in HIV care, 2006-2012.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2014 Sep 1;67(1):102-6. doi: 10.1097/qai.0000000000000251.
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Keywords: Health Insurance, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Medicare, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Uninsured
McGarry BE, Strawderman RL, Li Y
Lower Hispanic participation in Medicare Part D may reflect program barriers.
This study found that Hispanics were 35 percent less likely than non-Hispanic whites to have Medicare Part D coverage. This difference may be driven by ethnic disparities among those eligible for the low-income Part D subsidy but not automatically enrolled in it.
AHRQ-funded; HS00044
Citation: McGarry BE, Strawderman RL, Li Y .
Lower Hispanic participation in Medicare Part D may reflect program barriers.
Health Aff. 2014 May;33(5):856-62. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2013.0671..
Keywords: Medicare, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Low-Income, Healthcare Costs