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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Cardiovascular Conditions (3)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Elderly (7)
- Eye Disease and Health (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (3)
- Healthcare Costs (6)
- Healthcare Utilization (1)
- Health Insurance (1)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (3)
- Hospital Discharge (3)
- (-) Hospitalization (20)
- Hospital Readmissions (5)
- Hospitals (4)
- Injuries and Wounds (1)
- Inpatient Care (3)
- Long-Term Care (3)
- (-) Medicare (20)
- Mortality (3)
- Nursing Homes (3)
- Payment (4)
- Pneumonia (3)
- Policy (3)
- Provider (1)
- Provider Performance (1)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (1)
- Quality Measures (1)
- Quality of Care (2)
- Respiratory Conditions (1)
- Risk (1)
- Sleep Problems (1)
- Social Determinants of Health (1)
- Stroke (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 20 of 20 Research Studies DisplayedFrench DD, Wang A, Prager AJ
Association of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundations' social determinants of health and Medicare ocular hospitalizations: a cross sectional data analysis.
The purpose of this paper was to determine whether social determinants of health are associated with ocular hospitalizations. Results showed that, compared to an all-condition hospitalized population, ocular hospitalizations tended to have small, yet statistically significant, associations with health behaviors, socioeconomic, and physical environment factors. Further research is recommended on how these variables affect ocular health relative to all-cause hospitalizations.
AHRQ-funded; HS000078; HS000084.
Citation: French DD, Wang A, Prager AJ .
Association of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundations' social determinants of health and Medicare ocular hospitalizations: a cross sectional data analysis.
Ophthalmol Ther 2019 Dec;8(4):611-22. doi: 10.1007/s40123-019-00220-1..
Keywords: Social Determinants of Health, Eye Disease and Health, Hospitalization, Medicare
Buxbaum JD, Lindenauer PK, Cooke CR
Changes in coding of pneumonia and impact on the hospital readmission reduction program.
Researchers evaluated whether changes in diagnosis assignment explain reductions in 30-day readmission for patients with pneumonia following the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). They conducted a retrospective cohort study of Medicare discharges in HRRP-eligible hospitals; outcomes were 30-day readmission rates for pneumonia under both "narrow" and "broad" definitions that included certain diagnoses of sepsis and aspiration pneumonia. They concluded that changes in the coding of inpatient pneumonia admissions do not explain readmission reduction following the HRRP.
AHRQ-funded; HS000055.
Citation: Buxbaum JD, Lindenauer PK, Cooke CR .
Changes in coding of pneumonia and impact on the hospital readmission reduction program.
Health Serv Res 2019 Dec;54(6):1326-34. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13207..
Keywords: Pneumonia, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Hospitalization
Werner RM, Konetzka RT, Qi M
The impact of Medicare copayments for skilled nursing facilities on length of stay, outcomes, and costs.
The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of Medicare's skilled nursing facility (SNF) copayment policy, with a large increase in the daily copayment rate on the 20th day of a benefit period, on length of stay, patient outcomes, and costs. The investigators concluded that Medicare's SNF copayment policy was associated with shorter lengths of stay and worse patient outcomes, suggesting the copayment policy had unintended and negative effects on patient outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024266.
Citation: Werner RM, Konetzka RT, Qi M .
The impact of Medicare copayments for skilled nursing facilities on length of stay, outcomes, and costs.
Health Serv Res 2019 Dec;54(6):1184-92. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13227..
Keywords: Medicare, Nursing Homes, Payment, Long-Term Care, Healthcare Costs, Elderly, Hospitalization, Hospital Discharge
McWilliams JM, Barnett ML, Roberts ET
Did hospital readmissions fall because per capita admission rates fell?
In this study examining the cause of falling hospital readmission rates, the investigators found that the probability of an admission occurring soon after another was lower when there were fewer admissions per patient. The authors indicate that the reduction in admission rates may explain much of the reduction in readmission rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: McWilliams JM, Barnett ML, Roberts ET .
Did hospital readmissions fall because per capita admission rates fell?
Health Aff 2019 Nov;38(11):1840-44. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00411..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Hospitalization, Quality of Care, Medicare
Regenbogen SE, Cain-Nielsen AH, Syrjamaki JD
Spending on postacute care after hospitalization in commercial insurance and Medicare around age sixty-five.
Postacute care costs are the primary determinant of episode spending around hospitalization. Yet there is little evidence that greater spending on postacute care improves readmission rates or functional recovery. In a population-based, statewide collaborative of Michigan hospitals, the investigators used regression discontinuity design among propensity-weighted, age-adjusted cohorts to compare postacute care spending between patients with commercial insurance and those with Medicare around age sixty-five. This paper describes the study.
AHRQ-funded; HS024698.
Citation: Regenbogen SE, Cain-Nielsen AH, Syrjamaki JD .
Spending on postacute care after hospitalization in commercial insurance and Medicare around age sixty-five.
Health Aff 2019 Sep;38(9):1505-13. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05445..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medicare, Hospitalization
Colla CH, Lewis VA, Stachowski C
Changes in use of postacute care associated with accountable care organizations in hip fracture, stroke, and pneumonia hospitalized cohorts.
In this study, researchers examined changes in more and less discretionary condition-specific postacute care use associated with Medicare accountable care organization (ACO) implementation. They found that ACOs decreased spending on postacute care by decreasing use of discretionary services. In addition, ACO implementation was associated with reduced length of stay in skilled nursing facilities, while hip fracture patients used institutional postacute settings at higher rates. The authors also observed decreases in spending, readmission days, and mortality among pneumonia patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024698.
Citation: Colla CH, Lewis VA, Stachowski C .
Changes in use of postacute care associated with accountable care organizations in hip fracture, stroke, and pneumonia hospitalized cohorts.
Med Care 2019 Jun;57(6):444-52. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001121..
Keywords: Injuries and Wounds, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Hospitalization, Medicare, Pneumonia, Stroke
Nuti SV, Li SX, Xu X
Association of in-hospital resource utilization with post-acute spending in Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction: a cross-sectional study.
This study compared costs among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 and over hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) from 2010 to 2013 in the Premiere Healthcare Database. The association of in-hospital and post-acute care resource utilization and outcomes was examined. Researchers concluded that greater resource utilization during hospitalization was not associated with meaning differences in costs or mortality rates after hospitalization.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Nuti SV, Li SX, Xu X .
Association of in-hospital resource utilization with post-acute spending in Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction: a cross-sectional study.
BMC Health Serv Res 2019 Mar 25;19(1):190. doi: 10.1186/s12913-019-4018-0..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Elderly, Healthcare Costs, Hospitalization, Medicare
Blecker S, Herrin J, Li L
Trends in hospital readmission of Medicare-covered patients with heart failure.
This study sought to compare trends in Medicare risk-adjusted, 30-day readmissions following principal heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and other hospitalizations with HF. The investigators found that patients with HF are often hospitalized for other causes, and these hospitalizations have high readmission rates. Policy changes led to decreases in readmission rates for both principal and secondary HF hospitalizations. Readmission rates in both groups remained high, suggesting that initiatives targeting all hospitalized patients with HF continue to be warranted.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882; HS023683.
Citation: Blecker S, Herrin J, Li L .
Trends in hospital readmission of Medicare-covered patients with heart failure.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2019 Mar 12;73(9):1004-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.12.040..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization, Medicare, Policy
Singh G, Agarwal A, Zhang W
Impact of PAP therapy on hospitalization rates in Medicare beneficiaries with COPD and coexisting OSA.
This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from a national sample of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and coexisting obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who had begun positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy in 2011. The effect of PAP therapy on emergency room visits and hospitalizations for all-cause and COPD-related conditions was also examined. PAP therapy was more beneficial for older adults, those with higher COPD complexity, and those with three or more comorbidities. PAP therapy in elderly patients with overlap syndrome is associated with a reduction in hospitalization for COPD-related conditions, but not for all-cause hospitalizations or ER visits.
AHRQ-funded; HS020642; HS022134.
Citation: Singh G, Agarwal A, Zhang W .
Impact of PAP therapy on hospitalization rates in Medicare beneficiaries with COPD and coexisting OSA.
Sleep Breath 2019 Mar;23(1):193-200. doi: 10.1007/s11325-018-1680-0..
Keywords: Respiratory Conditions, Sleep Problems, Hospitalization, Medicare, Chronic Conditions
Selden TM, Karaca Z, Decker S
AHRQ Author: Selden TM, Karaca Z, Decker S
Has inpatient hospital treatment before and after age 65 changed as the difference between private and Medicare payment rates has widened?
This study examined whether inpatient hospital treatment before and after age 65 changed as the difference between private and Medicare payment rates widened. Using a large discharge dataset covering the period 2001-2011, the investigators tracked changes at age 65 in multiple dimensions of hospital care.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Selden TM, Karaca Z, Decker S .
Has inpatient hospital treatment before and after age 65 changed as the difference between private and Medicare payment rates has widened?
Int J Health Econ Manag 2018 Dec;18(4):409-23. doi: 10.1007/s10754-018-9240-5..
Keywords: Payment, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Inpatient Care, Medicare
Makam AN, Nguyen OK, Kirby B
Effect of site-neutral payment policy on long-term acute care hospital use.
The purpose of this study was to assess the projected effect of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services new site-neutral payment policy, which aims to decrease unnecessary long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) admissions by reducing reimbursements for less-ill individuals by 2020. The investigators concluded that the site-neutral payment policy may limit LTACH access in existing LTAC-scarce markets, with potential adverse implications for recovery of hospitalized older adults.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Makam AN, Nguyen OK, Kirby B .
Effect of site-neutral payment policy on long-term acute care hospital use.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2018 Nov;66(11):2104-11. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15539..
Keywords: Policy, Hospitalization, Payment, Long-Term Care, Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Elderly, Hospitals
Desai NR, Ott LS, George EJ
Variation in and hospital characteristics associated with the value of care for Medicare beneficiaries with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia.
The objectives of this study were to investigate the association between hospital-level 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) and 30-day risk-standardized payments (RSPs) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF), and pneumonia (PNA); to characterize patterns of value in care; and to identify hospital characteristics associated with high-value care (defined by having lower than median RSMRs and RSPs).
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Desai NR, Ott LS, George EJ .
Variation in and hospital characteristics associated with the value of care for Medicare beneficiaries with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia.
JAMA Netw Open 2018 Oct 5;1(6):e183519. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3519..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Elderly, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Heart Disease and Health, Inpatient Care, Medicare, Mortality, Pneumonia
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
Henke RM, Karaca Z, Gibson TB
AHRQ Author: Karaca Z, Wong HS
Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare hospitalization intensity and readmissions.
This study uses 2013 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project hospital discharge data from 22 states to compare hospital cost, length of stay, and readmissions for Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage. The authors found that Medicare Advantage hospitalizations were substantially less expensive and shorter for mental health stays but costlier and longer for injury and surgical stays.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201300002C.
Citation: Henke RM, Karaca Z, Gibson TB .
Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare hospitalization intensity and readmissions.
Med Care Res Rev 2018 Aug;75(4):434-53. doi: 10.1177/1077558717692103..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization, Medicare
Holmgren AJ, Adler-Milstein J, Chen LM
Participation in a voluntary bundled payment program by organizations providing care after an acute hospitalization
This research letter addresses spending on post–acute care (PAC), or care provided after a stay in an acute care hospital. PAC is the largest driver of variation in total per capita Medicare spending. To address this, Medicare has targeted PAC spending in payment reforms including voluntary bundled payment programs. This letter discusses participation in these voluntary payment programs.
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AHRQ-funded; HS024698
Citation: Holmgren AJ, Adler-Milstein J, Chen LM .
Participation in a voluntary bundled payment program by organizations providing care after an acute hospitalization
JAMA 2018 Jul 24;320(4):402-04. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.8666..
Keywords: Payment, Health Services Research (HSR), Health Services Research (HSR), Hospitalization, Medicare
Henke RM, Karaca Z, Gibson TB
AHRQ Author: Karaca Z, Wong HS
Medicare Advantage penetration and hospital costs before and after the Affordable Care Act.
This study investigated the relationship between Medicare Advantage (MA) program growth and inpatient hospital costs and utilization before and after the ACA. Its results suggest that MA enrollment growth is associated with diminished spillover reductions in hospital admission costs after the ACA. Researchers did not observe a strong relationship between MA enrollment and inpatient days per enrollee
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201300002C.
Citation: Henke RM, Karaca Z, Gibson TB .
Medicare Advantage penetration and hospital costs before and after the Affordable Care Act.
Med Care 2018 Apr;56(4):321-28. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000885.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Policy, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Medicare
Goodwin JS, Salameh H, Zhou J
Association of hospitalist years of experience with mortality in the hospitalized Medicare population.
The purpose of the study is to describe the association of hospitalist years of experience with 30-day mortality and hospital mortality of their patients. The authors noted that patients cared for by hospitalists in their first year of practice experienced higher mortality. The authors asserted that early-career hospitalists may require additional support to ensure optimal outcomes for their patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS022134.
Citation: Goodwin JS, Salameh H, Zhou J .
Association of hospitalist years of experience with mortality in the hospitalized Medicare population.
JAMA Intern Med 2018 Feb;178(2):196-203. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.7049..
Keywords: Hospitalization, Inpatient Care, Medicare, Mortality, Provider
Middleton A, Li S, Kuo YF
New institutionalization in long-term care after hospital discharge to skilled nursing facility.
Approximately half of individuals newly admitted to long-term care (LTC) nursing homes (NHs) experienced a prior hospitalization followed by discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). The objective of this study was to examine characteristics associated with new institutionalizations of older adults on this care trajectory. Associations between risk factors and new LTC institutionalizations varied according to race and ethnicity, age, and level of cognitive function.
AHRQ-funded; HS022134.
Citation: Middleton A, Li S, Kuo YF .
New institutionalization in long-term care after hospital discharge to skilled nursing facility.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2018 Jan;66(1):56-63. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15131..
Keywords: Long-Term Care, Nursing Homes, Hospital Discharge, Elderly, Hospitalization, Medicare
Ryskina KL, Konetzka RT, Werner RM
Association between 5-Star nursing home report card ratings and potentially preventable hospitalizations.
The goal of this study was to test whether the improvements in nursing homes’ 5-star ratings were correlated with reductions in rates of hospitalization; the researchers’ hypothesis was that increased attention to ratings motivated nursing homes to make changes to improve ratings but did not affect hospitalization rate, resulting in a weakened association between ratings and hospitalizations. 2007-2010 Medicare hospital claims and nursing home clinical assessment data were used to compare the correlation between nursing homes’ ratings and hospitalization rates. Correlation weakened slightly after the ratings became publicly available. The researchers conclude that improvements in nursing home ratings after the release of Medicare's 5-star rating system were not accompanied by improvements in a broader measure of outcomes for post-acute care patients and, although this dissociation may be due to additional factors, the 5-star ratings became less meaningful as an indicator of nursing home quality for these patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS021861.
Citation: Ryskina KL, Konetzka RT, Werner RM .
Association between 5-Star nursing home report card ratings and potentially preventable hospitalizations.
Inquiry 2018 Jan-Dec;55:46958018787323. doi: 10.1177/0046958018787323..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Medicare, Quality Indicators (QIs), Provider Performance, Quality Measures, Hospitalization, Quality of Care
Chaudhry SI, Khan RF, Chen J
National trends in recurrent AMI hospitalizations 1 year after acute myocardial infarction in Medicare beneficiaries: 1999-2010.
The investigators evaluated changes in the incidence of 1-year recurrent acute myocardial infarction (AMI) hospitalization and mortality. In a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for AMI from 1999 to 2010, they found that hospitalization for recurrent AMI decreased, as did subsequent mortality, albeit to a lesser extent. The risk of recurrent AMI hospitalization declined less in black patients than in whites, increasing observed racial disparities by the end of the study period.
AHRQ-funded; HS018781.
Citation: Chaudhry SI, Khan RF, Chen J .
National trends in recurrent AMI hospitalizations 1 year after acute myocardial infarction in Medicare beneficiaries: 1999-2010.
J Am Heart Assoc 2014 Oct;3(5):e001197. doi: 10.1161/jaha.114.001197.
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Keywords: Hospitalization, Medicare, Mortality, Heart Disease and Health, Risk