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) (2)
- Adverse Events (4)
- Alcohol Use (1)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Blood Pressure (2)
- Case Study (1)
- Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) (1)
- Chronic Conditions (2)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (1)
- Communication (1)
- Comparative Effectiveness (3)
- Data (1)
- Decision Making (3)
- Depression (1)
- Diabetes (5)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Disparities (1)
- Domestic Violence (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (2)
- Family Health and History (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (3)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Healthcare Utilization (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Health Insurance (2)
- Health Promotion (2)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Hospitals (1)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (1)
- Influenza (1)
- Labor and Delivery (12)
- Lifestyle Changes (2)
- Low-Income (1)
- Maternal Care (8)
- Medicaid (4)
- Medical Errors (1)
- Medical Liability (1)
- Medication (12)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Newborns/Infants (7)
- Obesity (2)
- Opioids (2)
- Outcomes (2)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Policy (1)
- Practice Patterns (2)
- (-) Pregnancy (42)
- Prevention (2)
- Primary Care (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (3)
- Risk (10)
- Screening (2)
- Sexual Health (2)
- Social Determinants of Health (3)
- Social Stigma (1)
- Substance Abuse (1)
- Tobacco Use (2)
- Treatments (1)
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (2)
- Urban Health (1)
- Vaccination (1)
- Vitamins and Supplements (1)
- Web-Based (1)
- Women (15)
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 25 of 42 Research Studies DisplayedUpadhya KK, Burke AE, Marcell AV
AHRQ Author: Mistry K
Contraceptive service needs of women with young children presenting for pediatric care.
The primary objective of this study was to characterize the need for contraceptive services and contraceptive method use among women with young children presenting to child health clinics. It found that most women presenting with young children for pediatric care indicated that they were not currently trying to become pregnant and reported current methods of pregnancy prevention that ranged from none to highly effective.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Upadhya KK, Burke AE, Marcell AV .
Contraceptive service needs of women with young children presenting for pediatric care.
Contraception 2015 Nov;92(5):508-12. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2015.07.004..
Keywords: Pregnancy, Women, Sexual Health
Patnode CD, Henderson JT, Thompson JH
Behavioral counseling and pharmacotherapy interventions for tobacco cessation in adults, including pregnant women: a review of reviews for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
The researchers reviewed the effectiveness and safety of pharmacotherapy and behavioral interventions for tobacco cessation. They concluded that behavioral and pharmacotherapy interventions improve rates of smoking cessation among the general adult population, alone or in combination. Data on the effectiveness and safety of electronic nicotine delivery systems are limited.
AHRQ-funded; 290201200015I.
Citation: Patnode CD, Henderson JT, Thompson JH .
Behavioral counseling and pharmacotherapy interventions for tobacco cessation in adults, including pregnant women: a review of reviews for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Ann Intern Med 2015 Oct 20;163(8):608-21. doi: 10.7326/m15-0171..
Keywords: Behavioral Health, Evidence-Based Practice, Medication, Pregnancy, Prevention, Tobacco Use, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), Women
Cha S, Chapman DA, Wan W
Intimate partner violence and postpartum contraceptive use: the role of race/ethnicity and prenatal birth control counseling.
The objective of the study was to examine the extent to which intimate partner violence (IPV) around the time of pregnancy is associated with postpartum contraceptive use among women in the United States. Approximately 6.2 percent of women reported IPV, and 15.5 percent reported no postpartum contraceptive use. Regardless of the timing of abuse, IPV-exposed women were significantly less likely to report contraceptive use after delivery.
AHRQ-funded; HS023724.
Citation: Cha S, Chapman DA, Wan W .
Intimate partner violence and postpartum contraceptive use: the role of race/ethnicity and prenatal birth control counseling.
Contraception 2015 Sep;92(3):268-75. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2015.04.009..
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Sexual Health, Women, Pregnancy
Swanson SA, Hernandez-Diaz S, Palmsten K
Methodological considerations in assessing the effectiveness of antidepressant medication continuation during pregnancy using administrative data.
The goal of this study is to evaluate whether standard administrative claims data can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of antidepressants. Its findings suggest that either antidepressant medications do not reduce the risk of depression relapse in pregnant women, or that administrative data alone could not be used to validly estimate the effectiveness of psychotropic medications during pregnancy.
AHRQ-funded; HS018533.
Citation: Swanson SA, Hernandez-Diaz S, Palmsten K .
Methodological considerations in assessing the effectiveness of antidepressant medication continuation during pregnancy using administrative data.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2015 Sep;24(9):934-42. doi: 10.1002/pds.3798..
Keywords: Medication, Comparative Effectiveness, Pregnancy
Pu J, Zhao B, Wang EJ
Racial/ethnic differences in gestational diabetes prevalence and contribution of common risk factors.
This study aimed to assess racial/ethnic differences in relative contribution of risk factors of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among Asian subgroups (Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese), Hispanics, non-Hispanic blacks, and non-Hispanic whites. It found that GDM was most prevalent among Asian Indians (19.3 percent). Relative risks were similar across all race/ethnic groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS019815.
Citation: Pu J, Zhao B, Wang EJ .
Racial/ethnic differences in gestational diabetes prevalence and contribution of common risk factors.
Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2015 Sep;29(5):436-43. doi: 10.1111/ppe.12209.
.
.
Keywords: Diabetes, Obesity, Pregnancy, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Risk, Women
Palmsten K, Hernandez-Diaz S, Chambers CD
The most commonly dispensed prescription medications among pregnant women enrolled in the U.S. Medicaid program.
The researchers characterize the 20 most common prescription medications and the 10 most common prescription medications classified in the former U.S. Food and Drug Administration categories D or X dispensed to pregnant women enrolled in the U.S. Medicaid program. They found that medications used to treat infections were the most commonly dispensed prescription medications.
AHRQ-funded; HS018533.
Citation: Palmsten K, Hernandez-Diaz S, Chambers CD .
The most commonly dispensed prescription medications among pregnant women enrolled in the U.S. Medicaid program.
Obstet Gynecol 2015 Sep;126(3):465-73. doi: 10.1097/aog.0000000000000982..
Keywords: Medicaid, Pregnancy, Medication
Bateman BT, Huybrechts KF, Maeda A
Calcium channel blocker exposure in late pregnancy and the risk of neonatal seizures.
This study assessed whether maternal calcium channel blocker exposure during late pregnancy is independently associated with neonatal seizures after carefully controlling for confounding factors. It found no significant increase in the risk of neonatal seizures in neonates attributable to maternal calcium channel blocker exposure in late pregnancy.
AHRQ-funded; HS018533.
Citation: Bateman BT, Huybrechts KF, Maeda A .
Calcium channel blocker exposure in late pregnancy and the risk of neonatal seizures.
Obstet Gynecol 2015 Aug;126(2):271-8. doi: 10.1097/aog.0000000000000908..
Keywords: Pregnancy, Adverse Events, Medication, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Newborns/Infants
Shorten A, Fagerlin A, Illuzzi J
Developing an Internet-based decision aid for women choosing between vaginal birth after cesarean and planned repeat cesarean.
This article is part of a series that address midwifery innovations in clinical practice, education, interprofessional collaboration, health policy, and global health. The authors outlined a framework and process used to create an Internet-based decision aid about birth choices after previous cesarean. They transformed a paper-based decision aid into a secure, interactive Web site to meet the diverse needs of women and providers.
AHRQ-funded; HS022114.
Citation: Shorten A, Fagerlin A, Illuzzi J .
Developing an Internet-based decision aid for women choosing between vaginal birth after cesarean and planned repeat cesarean.
J Midwifery Womens Health 2015 Jul-Aug;60(4):390-400. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.12298.
.
.
Keywords: Decision Making, Health Information Technology (HIT), Pregnancy, Web-Based, Women
Scifres CM, Abebe KZ, Jones KA
Gestational diabetes diagnostic methods (GD2M) pilot randomized trial.
The researchers tested the feasibility of conducting a pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) versus Carpenter-Coustan diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes (GDM), and examined patient and provider views on GDM screening. They found that both pregnant women and providers value GDM screening, and pregnant women can be recruited to a blinded, randomized GDM screening trial with minimal attrition and missing data.
AHRQ-funded; HS019461.
Citation: Scifres CM, Abebe KZ, Jones KA .
Gestational diabetes diagnostic methods (GD2M) pilot randomized trial.
Matern Child Health J 2015 Jul;19(7):1472-80. doi: 10.1007/s10995-014-1651-4..
Keywords: Diabetes, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Pregnancy, Screening, Women
Tang JW, Foster KE, Pumarino J
Perspectives on prevention of type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes: a qualitative study of Hispanic, African-American and White women.
This qualitative study explored the perspectives of Hispanic, African-American, and White women affected by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The goal is for this work to inform the development of effective approaches to engage diverse populations affected by GDM in taking steps to reduce their risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus.
AHRQ-funded; HS021141.
Citation: Tang JW, Foster KE, Pumarino J .
Perspectives on prevention of type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes: a qualitative study of Hispanic, African-American and White women.
Matern Child Health J 2015 Jul;19(7):1526-34. doi: 10.1007/s10995-014-1657-y..
Keywords: Diabetes, Lifestyle Changes, Pregnancy, Prevention, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Risk, Women
Jack B, Bickmore T, Hempstead M
Reducing preconception risks among African American women with conversational agent technology.
The researchers developed and tested “Gabby,” an online preconception conversational agent system, in a 6-month randomized controlled trial of non-pregnant African American women, most in college, to determine how well Gabby works and to identify additional areas for improvement. They found that Gabby was significantly associated with preconception risk reduction.
AHRQ-funded; 290200600012I.
Citation: Jack B, Bickmore T, Hempstead M .
Reducing preconception risks among African American women with conversational agent technology.
J Am Board Fam Med 2015 Jul-Aug;28(4):441-51. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2015.04.140327..
Keywords: Disparities, Health Promotion, Risk, Pregnancy
Huybrechts KF, Bateman BT, Palmsten K
Antidepressant use late in pregnancy and risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.
This study examined the risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) associated with exposure to different antidepressant medication classes late in pregnancy. Its findings suggest that the risk of PPHN associated with late pregnancy exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants—if present—is smaller than previous studies.
AHRQ-funded; HS018533.
Citation: Huybrechts KF, Bateman BT, Palmsten K .
Antidepressant use late in pregnancy and risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.
JAMA 2015 Jun 2;313(21):2142-51. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.5605..
Keywords: Medication, Newborns/Infants, Pregnancy, Risk
Cavazos-Rehg PA, Krauss MJ, Spitznagel EL
Maternal age and risk of labor and delivery complications.
The researchers examined associations between maternal age and prevalence of maternal morbidity during complications of labor and delivery. Using HCUP data, they found that complications with the highest odds among women 11-18 years of age included preterm delivery, chorioamnionitis, endometritis, and mild preeclampsia. Pregnant women 15-19 years old had greater odds for severe preeclampsia, eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, poor fetal growth, and fetal distress. Pregnant women 35 and older had greater odds for preterm delivery, hypertension, superimposed preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia, and decreased risk for chorioamnionitis. Women over 40 had increased odds for mild preeclampsia, fetal distress, and poor fetal growth.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Cavazos-Rehg PA, Krauss MJ, Spitznagel EL .
Maternal age and risk of labor and delivery complications.
Matern Child Health J 2015 Jun;19(6):1202-11. doi: 10.1007/s10995-014-1624-7.
.
.
Keywords: Adverse Events, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Labor and Delivery, Pregnancy, Risk
Witt WP, Mandell KC, Wisk LE
Predictors of alcohol and tobacco use prior to and during pregnancy in the US: the role of maternal stressors.
The purpose of the study was to understand the association between stressful life events prior to conception (PSLEs) and women’s alcohol and tobacco use prior to and during pregnancy, and the continuation of such use through pregnancy. It finds that PSLEs are associated with increased tobacco use prior to and during pregnancy, as well as an increased amount of alcohol use during pregnancy among U.S. women.
AHRQ-funded; HS000063; HS000083.
Citation: Witt WP, Mandell KC, Wisk LE .
Predictors of alcohol and tobacco use prior to and during pregnancy in the US: the role of maternal stressors.
Arch Womens Ment Health 2015 Jun;18(3):523-37. doi: 10.1007/s00737-014-047-9.
.
.
Keywords: Pregnancy, Lifestyle Changes, Alcohol Use, Tobacco Use, Maternal Care
Desai RJ, Huybrechts KF, Hernandez-Diaz S
Exposure to prescription opioid analgesics in utero and risk of neonatal abstinence syndrome: population based cohort study.
The study’s objective was to provide risk estimates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) based on prescription opioid duration and timing of use during pregnancy in the presence or absence of additional risk factors for NAS. It found that the risk of NAS is higher in women using long term prescription opioids when there is a history of drug or alcohol misuse and smoking.
AHRQ-funded; HS018533.
Citation: Desai RJ, Huybrechts KF, Hernandez-Diaz S .
Exposure to prescription opioid analgesics in utero and risk of neonatal abstinence syndrome: population based cohort study.
BMJ 2015 May 14;350:h2102. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h2102..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Substance Abuse, Pregnancy, Risk
Camelo Castillo W, Boggess K, Sturmer T
Association of adverse pregnancy outcomes with glyburide vs insulin in women with gestational diabetes.
The purpose of this study was to estimate the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes among women receiving glyburide compared with insulin for the treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a US population-based cohort. It found an association between glyburide (compared with insulin) and elevated risk of NICU admission, neonatal hypoglycemia, respiratory distress, birth injury, and large for gestational age in women with GDM.
AHRQ-funded; HS017950.
Citation: Camelo Castillo W, Boggess K, Sturmer T .
Association of adverse pregnancy outcomes with glyburide vs insulin in women with gestational diabetes.
JAMA Pediatr 2015 May;169(5):452-8. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.74..
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Comparative Effectiveness, Diabetes, Labor and Delivery, Maternal Care, Medication, Newborns/Infants, Outcomes, Pregnancy, Women
Witt WP, Park H, Wisk LE
Neighborhood disadvantage, preconception stressful life events, and infant birth weight.
This study investigated the impact of neighborhood conditions on the association between stressful life events prior to pregnancy and birth weight in a national sample of women living in the United States. It found that women who experienced preconception stressful life events, who had chronic conditions, or were racial/ethnic minorities had the greatest risk of having very low birth weight infants if they lived in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
AHRQ-funded; HS000083; HS000063
Citation: Witt WP, Park H, Wisk LE .
Neighborhood disadvantage, preconception stressful life events, and infant birth weight.
Am J Public Health 2015 May;105(5):1044-52. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2015.302566.
.
.
Keywords: Pregnancy, Social Determinants of Health, Chronic Conditions
Leis JA, Solomon BS, Wasserman KE
Preventing postpartum depression in a pediatric primary care clinic: a pilot study.
The goal of this study was to integrate an evidence-based preventive intervention for perinatal depression—the Mothers and Babies (MB) Course—into a pediatric primary care clinic serving low-income, minority families, and to explore intervention acceptability and preliminary outcomes. Findings from this pilot study provide preliminary evidence for the acceptability and feasibility of implementing an evidence-based preventive intervention for postpartum depression.
AHRQ-funded; HS017596.
Citation: Leis JA, Solomon BS, Wasserman KE .
Preventing postpartum depression in a pediatric primary care clinic: a pilot study.
Clin Pediatr 2015 May;54(5):487-90. doi: 10.1177/0009922814536775..
Keywords: Pregnancy, Primary Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Low-Income, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Cantor AG, Bougatsos C, Blazina I
Routine iron supplementation and screening for iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy: a systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
This study reviews screening and supplementation for iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy. Prevalence in the U.S. rises to 28.4 percent in the final trimester from 5 percent in early pregnancy. There is inconclusive evidence that prenatal iron supplementation improves maternal or infant health outcomes, but supplementation may improve maternal hematological indices.
AHRQ-funded; 290201200015I
Citation: Cantor AG, Bougatsos C, Blazina I .
Routine iron supplementation and screening for iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy: a systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Ann Intern Med. 2015 Apr 21;162(8):566-76. doi: 10.7326/m14-2932..
Keywords: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), Pregnancy, Vitamins and Supplements, Screening
Margulis AV, Palmsten K, Andrade SE
Beginning and duration of pregnancy in automated health care databases: review of estimation methods and validation results.
The authors describe methods reported in the literature to estimate the beginning or duration of pregnancy in automated health care data, and to present results of validation exercises where available. They concluded that a number of methods of varying complexity are available to estimate them. Validation studies have been performed for many of them and can serve as a guide for method selection for a particular study.
AHRQ-funded; HS018533.
Citation: Margulis AV, Palmsten K, Andrade SE .
Beginning and duration of pregnancy in automated health care databases: review of estimation methods and validation results.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2015 Apr;24(4):335-42. doi: 10.1002/pds.3743..
Keywords: Pregnancy, Comparative Effectiveness, Data
Metz TD, Allshouse AA, Faucett AM
Validation of a vaginal birth after cesarean delivery prediction model in women with two prior cesarean deliveries.
This study evaluated whether an existing vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) prediction model validated for women with one prior cesarean delivery also accurately predicts the likelihood of VBAC in women with two prior cesarean deliveries. It found that the estimates of VBAC success based on the Maternal-Fetal Medicines Units prediction model are similar to the actual rates observed among women with two prior cesarean deliveries.
AHRQ-funded; HS022143.
Citation: Metz TD, Allshouse AA, Faucett AM .
Validation of a vaginal birth after cesarean delivery prediction model in women with two prior cesarean deliveries.
Obstet Gynecol 2015 Apr;125(4):948-52. doi: 10.1097/aog.0000000000000744..
Keywords: Labor and Delivery, Pregnancy, Women
Bateman BT, Hernandez-Diaz S, Fischer MA
Statins and congenital malformations: cohort study.
The researchers undertook an epidemiologic study to assess the association between statin use in the first trimester and the risk of congenital malformations, using data derived from a large cohort of Medicaid beneficiaries. They found that women taking statins during the first trimester of pregnancy were at an increased risk of delivering an infant with malformations. The association was explained by underlying characteristics of users, mainly pre-existing diabetes.
AHRQ-funded; HS018533.
Citation: Bateman BT, Hernandez-Diaz S, Fischer MA .
Statins and congenital malformations: cohort study.
BMJ 2015 Mar 17;350:h1035. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h1035..
Keywords: Pregnancy, Medication, Risk, Newborns/Infants
Bateman BT, Huybrechts KF, Fischer MA
Chronic hypertension in pregnancy and the risk of congenital malformations: a cohort study.
The researchers sought to examine the effect of chronic hypertension on the risk of congenital malformations in a large cohort of pregnancies in Medicaid beneficiaries. In a cohort of 878,126 pregnancies, they found that both treated and untreated maternal chronic hypertension were associated with a similar 20-30 percent increase in the risk of congenital malformations in the infant after adjusting for confounding factors as compared with normotensive controls.
AHRQ-funded; HS018533.
Citation: Bateman BT, Huybrechts KF, Fischer MA .
Chronic hypertension in pregnancy and the risk of congenital malformations: a cohort study.
Am J Obstet Gynecol 2015 Mar;212(3):337.e1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2014.09.031..
Keywords: Blood Pressure, Chronic Conditions, Pregnancy, Risk, Maternal Care, Women
Dalton VK, Liang A, Hutton DW
Beyond usual care: the economic consequences of expanding treatment options in early pregnancy loss.
The objective of this study was to estimate the economic consequences of expanding options for early pregnancy loss treatment beyond expectant management and operating room surgical evacuation (usual care). It found that the cost per case was $241.29 lower for women undergoing treatment in the expanded care model as compared with the usual care model.
AHRQ-funded; HS015491.
Citation: Dalton VK, Liang A, Hutton DW .
Beyond usual care: the economic consequences of expanding treatment options in early pregnancy loss.
Am J Obstet Gynecol 2015 Feb;212(2):177.e1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2014.08.031..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Pregnancy, Treatments, Ambulatory Care and Surgery
Salihu HM, Mogos MF, Salinas-Miranda AA
National trends in maternal use of opioid drugs among pregnancy-related hospitalizations in the United States, 1998 to 2009.
AHRQ-funded; HS019997.
Citation: Salihu HM, Mogos MF, Salinas-Miranda AA .
National trends in maternal use of opioid drugs among pregnancy-related hospitalizations in the United States, 1998 to 2009.
Am J Perinatol 2015 Feb;32(3):289-98. doi: 10.1055/s-0034-1384642..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Medication, Opioids, Pregnancy