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) (1)
- Adverse Events (3)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Blood Thinners (1)
- Brain Injury (1)
- Cancer (2)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (4)
- Children/Adolescents (5)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Communication (1)
- Community Partnerships (1)
- Comparative Effectiveness (15)
- Data (13)
- Decision Making (1)
- Diabetes (1)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (2)
- Digestive Disease and Health (1)
- Education: Academic (1)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (2)
- Elderly (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (4)
- Emergency Department (3)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (29)
- Guidelines (6)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Healthcare Delivery (2)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (7)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (21)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospitals (1)
- Imaging (1)
- Implementation (3)
- Infectious Diseases (1)
- Injuries and Wounds (1)
- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
- Labor and Delivery (1)
- Learning Health Systems (1)
- Maternal Care (1)
- Medical Errors (1)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (1)
- Medicare (3)
- Medication (4)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Nursing Homes (1)
- Obesity (1)
- Outcomes (9)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (22)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Patient Safety (2)
- Policy (1)
- Pregnancy (2)
- Prevention (2)
- Primary Care (2)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Registries (1)
- (-) Research Methodologies (96)
- Risk (1)
- Skin Conditions (3)
- Social Determinants of Health (1)
- Social Media (1)
- Stroke (1)
- Surgery (1)
- System Design (1)
- Teams (1)
- Training (1)
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (1)
- Women (3)
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 96 Research Studies DisplayedLin L
Quantifying and presenting overall evidence in network meta-analysis.
This article classified treatment networks into three types under different assumptions; they included networks with each treatment comparison's edge width proportional to the corresponding number of studies, sample size, and precision. In addition, three new measures (ie, the effective number of studies, the effective sample size, and the effective precision) were proposed to preliminarily quantify overall evidence gained in Network meta-analysis.
AHRQ-funded; HS024743.
Citation: Lin L .
Quantifying and presenting overall evidence in network meta-analysis.
Stat Med 2018 Dec 10;37(28):4114-25. doi: 10.1002/sim.7905..
Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Research Methodologies
Miller DG, Kim SYH, Li X
Ethical acceptability of postrandomization consent in pragmatic clinical trials.
The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of the US general public toward postrandomization informed consent for pragmatic trials and to measure potential framing and other factors associated with those attitudes. Results showed that the public's generally high rate of approval of the ethics of postrandomization informed consent for pragmatic trial designs does not appear to be affected by whether postrandomization consent design is framed using traditional randomized clinical trial terminology, regardless of the stakes of the trial. Promoting better understanding of the design may increase its acceptance by the public.
AHRQ-funded; HS023898.
Citation: Miller DG, Kim SYH, Li X .
Ethical acceptability of postrandomization consent in pragmatic clinical trials.
JAMA Netw Open 2018 Dec 7;1(8):e186149. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6149..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Research Methodologies
Ishimine P, Adelgais K, Barata I
Executive summary: the 2018 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference: Aligning the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research Agenda to Reduce Health Outcome Gaps.
Emergency care providers share a compelling interest in developing an effective patient-centered, outcomes-based research agenda that can decrease variability in pediatric outcomes. The 2018 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference "Aligning the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research Agenda to Reduce Health Outcome Gaps (AEMCC)" aimed to fulfill this role. This paper discusses the conference which convened major thought leaders and stakeholders to introduce a research, scholarship, and innovation agenda for pediatric emergency care specifically to reduce health outcome gaps.
AHRQ-funded; HS026101.
Citation: Ishimine P, Adelgais K, Barata I .
Executive summary: the 2018 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference: Aligning the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research Agenda to Reduce Health Outcome Gaps.
Acad Emerg Med 2018 Dec;25(12):1317-26. doi: 10.1111/acem.13667..
Keywords: Implementation, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Outcomes, Research Methodologies
Marshall IJ, Noel-Storr A, Kuiper J
Machine learning for identifying randomized controlled trials: an evaluation and practitioner's guide.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate machine learning models for RCT classification. Models were evaluated on an external dataset. The authors demonstrate that machine learning approaches are better able to discriminate between RCTs and non-RCTs than traditional database search filters, and also provide practical guidance on the role of machine learning in systematic reviews, and rapid reviews and clinical question answering as well as an open-source software.
AHRQ-funded; HS025024.
Citation: Marshall IJ, Noel-Storr A, Kuiper J .
Machine learning for identifying randomized controlled trials: an evaluation and practitioner's guide.
Res Synth Methods 2018 Dec;9(4):602-14. doi: 10.1002/jrsm.1287..
Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Health Services Research (HSR), Research Methodologies
Nattino G, Lu B
Model assisted sensitivity analyses for hidden bias with binary outcomes.
The authors designed a model assisted sensitivity analysis to find hidden bias in observational studies. Their framework worked to fix sensitivity parameter values. They illustrated their method using a U.S. trauma care database to examine mortality difference between trauma care levels.
AHRQ-funded; HS024263.
Citation: Nattino G, Lu B .
Model assisted sensitivity analyses for hidden bias with binary outcomes.
Biometrics 2018 Dec;74(4):1141-49. doi: 10.1111/biom.12919..
Keywords: Research Methodologies
Ross JS, Waldstreicher J, Bamford S
Overview and experience of the YODA Project with clinical trial data sharing after 5 years.
This article provides an overview of the Yale University Open Data Access (YODA) Project, which has facilitated access to clinical trial data since 2013. The Project’s key decisions to establish data sharing policies are described, and the authors suggest how their experience and the experiences of their data-generator partners can be used to enhance other ongoing or future initiatives.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882; HS025164.
Citation: Ross JS, Waldstreicher J, Bamford S .
Overview and experience of the YODA Project with clinical trial data sharing after 5 years.
Sci Data 2018 Nov 27;5:180268. doi: 10.1038/sdata.2018.268..
Keywords: Data, Research Methodologies
Liu L, Zheng C, Kang J
Exploring causality mechanism in the joint analysis of longitudinal and survival data.
In this paper, the authors examine and compare different models of longitudinal and survival data to investigate causal mechanisms, specifically, those related to the role of random effects. They illustrate the methods by data from two clinical trials: an AIDS study and a liver cirrhosis study.
AHRQ-funded; HS020263.
Citation: Liu L, Zheng C, Kang J .
Exploring causality mechanism in the joint analysis of longitudinal and survival data.
Stat Med 2018 Nov 20;37(26):3733-44. doi: 10.1002/sim.7838.
.
.
Keywords: Research Methodologies
Newgard CD, Malveau S, Zive D
Building a longitudinal cohort from 9-1-1 to 1-year using existing data sources, probabilistic linkage, and multiple imputation: a validation study.
The objective of this seven-county study was to describe and validate construction of a population-based, longitudinal cohort of injured older adults from 9-1-1 call to 1-year follow-up. Results showed that a population-based emergency care cohort with long-term outcomes can be constructed from existing data sources with high accuracy and reasonable validity of resulting variables.
AHRQ-funded; HS023796.
Citation: Newgard CD, Malveau S, Zive D .
Building a longitudinal cohort from 9-1-1 to 1-year using existing data sources, probabilistic linkage, and multiple imputation: a validation study.
Acad Emerg Med 2018 Nov;25(11):1268-83. doi: 10.1111/acem.13512..
Keywords: Data, Research Methodologies, Elderly, Emergency Department, Injuries and Wounds
Desai RJ, Wyss R, Jin Y
Extension of disease risk score-based confounding adjustments for multiple outcomes of interest: an empirical evaluation.
Use of disease risk score (DRS)-based confounding adjustment when estimating treatment effects on multiple outcomes is not well studied. In this empirical cohort study, the investigators compared dabigatran initiators and warfarin initiators with respect to risks of ischemic stroke and major bleeding in 12 sequential monitoring periods (90 days each), using data from the Truven Marketscan database (Truven Health Analytics, Ann Arbor, Michigan).
AHRQ-funded; HS022193.
Citation: Desai RJ, Wyss R, Jin Y .
Extension of disease risk score-based confounding adjustments for multiple outcomes of interest: an empirical evaluation.
Am J Epidemiol 2018 Nov;187(11):2439-48. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwy130.
.
.
Keywords: Blood Thinners, Cardiovascular Conditions, Medication, Outcomes, Research Methodologies, Risk, Stroke
Wang SV, Maro JC, Baro E
Data mining for adverse drug events with a propensity score-matched tree-based scan statistic.
In this study, the investigators propose a method that combines tree-based scan statistics with propensity score-matched analysis of new initiator cohorts, a robust design for investigations of drug safety. They subsequently conducted plasmode simulations to evaluate performance. The authors suggest that TreeScan with propensity score matching shows promise as a method for screening and prioritization of potential adverse events.
AHRQ-funded; HS022193.
Citation: Wang SV, Maro JC, Baro E .
Data mining for adverse drug events with a propensity score-matched tree-based scan statistic.
Epidemiology 2018 Nov;29(6):895-903. doi: 10.1097/ede.0000000000000907..
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Medication, Medication: Safety, Data, Research Methodologies
Ma X, Lin L, Qu Z
Performance of between-study heterogeneity measures in the Cochrane Library.
The growth in comparative effectiveness research and evidence-based medicine has increased attention to systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Assessing heterogeneity is critical for performing a meta-analysis and interpreting results. This article evaluates two heterogeneity measures. To evaluate these measures' performance empirically, the investigators applied them to 20,599 meta-analyses in the Cochrane Library.
AHRQ-funded; HS024743.
Citation: Ma X, Lin L, Qu Z .
Performance of between-study heterogeneity measures in the Cochrane Library.
Epidemiology 2018 Nov;29(6):821-24. doi: 10.1097/ede.0000000000000857..
Keywords: Comparative Effectiveness, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Research Methodologies
Trinquart L, Dunn AG, Bourgeois FT
Registration of published randomized trials: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The authors of this study aimed to determine the extent to which published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were registered and registered prospectively. They found that the prevalence of trial registration increased over time, but only one in five published RCTs was prospectively registered, undermining the validity and integrity of biomedical research.
AHRQ-funded; HS024798.
Citation: Trinquart L, Dunn AG, Bourgeois FT .
Registration of published randomized trials: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
BMC Med 2018 Oct 16;16(1):173. doi: 10.1186/s12916-018-1168-6..
Keywords: Research Methodologies
Rubio DM, Mayowski CA, Norman MK
A multi-pronged approach to diversifying the workforce.
This paper describes a multi-pronged, collaborative approach to enhance the diversity of trainees and scholars at the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Clinical Research Education. It describes the Career Education and Enhancement for Health Care Research Diversity (CEED) program, designed for postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty and the CEED II program designed for medical students.
AHRQ-funded; HS023185.
Citation: Rubio DM, Mayowski CA, Norman MK .
A multi-pronged approach to diversifying the workforce.
Int J Environ Res Public Health 2018 Oct 11;15(10). doi: 10.3390/ijerph15102219..
Keywords: Education: Continuing Medical Education, Research Methodologies, Training
Eder MM, Evans E, Funes M
Defining and measuring community engagement and community-engaged research: clinical and translational science institutional practices.
The institutions that comprise the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences continue to explore and develop community-engaged research strategies and to study the role of community academic partnerships in advancing the science of community engagement. The purpose of this study was to explore CTSA institutions in relation to an Institute of Medicine recommendation that community engagement occur in all stages of translational research and be defined and evaluated consistently.
AHRQ-funded; HS020518.
Citation: Eder MM, Evans E, Funes M .
Defining and measuring community engagement and community-engaged research: clinical and translational science institutional practices.
Prog Community Health Partnersh 2018;12(2):145-56. doi: 10.1353/cpr.2018.0034..
Keywords: Community Partnerships, Evidence-Based Practice, Research Methodologies, Implementation
Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W
AHRQ Author: Chang C
PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation.
This article presents the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist and explanation. The checklist was developed by a 24-member expert panel and 2 research leads following published guidance from the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) Network.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W .
PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation.
Ann Intern Med 2018 Oct 2;169(7):467-73. doi: 10.7326/m18-0850..
Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Research Methodologies
Chang S
Scoping reviews and systematic reviews: is it an either/or question?
This editorial comments on a paper by Tricco et al., (2018), published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and entitled “PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Chang S .
Scoping reviews and systematic reviews: is it an either/or question?
Ann Intern Med 2018 Oct 2;169(7):502-03. doi: 10.7326/m18-2205..
Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Research Methodologies
Vemulakonda VM, Bush RA, Kahn MG
"Minimally invasive research?" Use of the electronic health record to facilitate research in pediatric urology.
This literature study examined the use of electronic health records (EHRs) to facilitate research in pediatric urology. The use of EHRs has been strongly encouraged by US federal agencies, including AHRQ. The researchers found that EHR use for research has strengths and weaknesses and more collaboration is needed to identify the method that best suits incorporation of research-oriented data collection into routine pediatric urologic clinical practice.
AHRQ-funded; HS024597; HS022404.
Citation: Vemulakonda VM, Bush RA, Kahn MG .
"Minimally invasive research?" Use of the electronic health record to facilitate research in pediatric urology.
J Pediatr Urol 2018 Oct;14(5):374-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jpurol.2018.04.033..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Children/Adolescents, Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Services Research (HSR), Research Methodologies
LI Z, Liu H, Tu W
Model selection in multivariate semiparametric regression.
In this paper, the authors propose a model selection procedure that simultaneously selects fixed and random effects using a maximum penalized likelihood method with the adaptive least absolute shrinkage and selection operator penalty. Through random effects selection, they determined the correlation structure among multiple outcomes and therefore addressed whether a joint model was necessary.
AHRQ-funded; HS024384.
Citation: LI Z, Liu H, Tu W .
Model selection in multivariate semiparametric regression.
Stat Methods Med Res 2018 Oct;27(10):3026-38. doi: 10.1177/0962280217690769..
Keywords: Research Methodologies
Davis MM, Lindberg P, Cross S
Aligning systems science and community-based participatory research: a case example of the Community Health Advocacy and Research Alliance (CHARA).
In this article, the investigators explored opportunities to utilize concepts from systems science to understand the development, evolution, and sustainability of 1 community-based participatory research partnership: The Community Health Advocacy and Research Alliance (CHARA). Their goal was to highlight CHARA as a case for applying the complementary approaches of CBPR and systems science to (1) improve academic/community partnership functioning and sustainability, (2) ensure that research addresses the priorities and needs of end users, and (3) support more timely application of scientific discoveries into routine practice.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Davis MM, Lindberg P, Cross S .
Aligning systems science and community-based participatory research: a case example of the Community Health Advocacy and Research Alliance (CHARA).
J Clin Transl Sci 2018 Oct;2(5):280-88. doi: 10.1017/cts.2018.334..
Keywords: Learning Health Systems, Research Methodologies
Frogner BK
Update on the stock and supply of health services researchers in the United States.
This study examines the stock and supply including educational pipeline of health services researchers (HSRers) in the United States. The study found that the average annual growth rate of HSRers appeared to be within range of national recommendations. The authors asserted that additional work is needed to assess whether supply of HSRers is meeting demand and to ensure a competent and diverse educational pipeline that meets the needs of an evolving health system.
AHRQ-funded; 233201600155.
Citation: Frogner BK .
Update on the stock and supply of health services researchers in the United States.
Health Serv Res 2018 Oct;53(Suppl 2):3945-66. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12988..
Keywords: Education: Academic, Health Services Research (HSR), Research Methodologies
Sriram V, George A, Baru R
Socialization, legitimation and the transfer of biomedical knowledge to low- and middle-income countries: analyzing the case of emergency medicine in India.
Using the concepts of socialization and legitimation, the goal of this research was to examine the transfer of medical knowledge from high-income countries to low- and middle-income countries through domestic, diasporic and foreign stakeholders, and the perceived impact of this knowledge on shaping health priorities in India.
AHRQ-funded; HS000087.
Citation: Sriram V, George A, Baru R .
Socialization, legitimation and the transfer of biomedical knowledge to low- and middle-income countries: analyzing the case of emergency medicine in India.
Int J Equity Health 2018 Sep 24;17(1):142. doi: 10.1186/s12939-018-0824-y..
Keywords: Research Methodologies
Lin L
Bias caused by sampling error in meta-analysis with small sample sizes.
This study investigated bias due to small sample sizes in meta-analyses. Researchers conducted simulation studies to assess the biased caused by sampling error. Standardized mean difference, odds ratio, and risk ratio all had noticeable bias in the simulations although mean difference did not.
AHRQ-funded; HS024743.
Citation: Lin L .
Bias caused by sampling error in meta-analysis with small sample sizes.
PLoS One 2018 Sep 13;13(9):e0204056. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204056..
Keywords: Health Services Research (HSR), Research Methodologies
Griffith LE, Gruneir A, Fisher KA
AHRQ Author: Bierman AS
Key factors to consider when measuring multimorbidity: Results from an expert panel and online survey.
The purpose of this paper was to share insights gained from discussions with experts in the fields of ageing research and multimorbidity on key factors to consider when measuring multimorbidity. The authors found that the suitability of existing multimorbidity measures for use in a specific research study depends on factors such as the purpose of the study, outcomes examined and preferences of the involved stakeholders.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Griffith LE, Gruneir A, Fisher KA .
Key factors to consider when measuring multimorbidity: Results from an expert panel and online survey.
J Comorb 2018 Sep 3;8(1):2235042x18795306. doi: 10.1177/2235042x18795306..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Research Methodologies
Rigdon J, Baiocchi M, Basu S
Near-far matching in R: the nearfar package.
To overcome problems regarding the limitations of using instrumental variables (IVs) to reduce bias created by unobserved confounders when estimating the causal treatment effect of an intervention using observational data, a study design method of "near-far matching" has been devised; this method ‘filters’ data from a cohort by matching individuals within the cohort to be ‘near’ on measured confounders and ‘far’ on levels of IV. This article introduces ‘the R package nearfar’ to facilitate the application of near-far matching to analytical problems and illustrates how the package can be used to strengthen a weak IV. Other applications, such as how to utilize the nearfar package when analyzing either continuous or binary treatments, how to prioritize variables, and how to calculate F statistics of IV strength are also illustrated.
AHRQ-funded; HS022192.
Citation: Rigdon J, Baiocchi M, Basu S .
Near-far matching in R: the nearfar package.
Journal of Statistical Software 2018;86. doi: 10.18637/jss.v086.c05..
Keywords: Research Methodologies
Thorlacius L, Ingram JR, Villumsen B
A core domain set for hidradenitis suppurativa trial outcomes: an international Delphi process.
This article describes the outcome of six stakeholder groups participating in a Delphi process to create a core outcomes set (COS) for hidradenitis suppurative (HS) research. Five anonymous e-Delphi rounds and four face-to-face consensus meetings were conducted. A total of 41 patients and 52 healthcare professionals (HCPs) from 19 countries and 4 continents participated. The consensus adopted included five domains were approved: disease course, physical signs, HS-specific quality of life, pain, and global assessments.
AHRQ-funded; HS024585.
Citation: Thorlacius L, Ingram JR, Villumsen B .
A core domain set for hidradenitis suppurativa trial outcomes: an international Delphi process.
Br J Dermatol 2018 Sep;179(3):642-50. doi: 10.1111/bjd.16672..
Keywords: Skin Conditions, Health Services Research (HSR), Research Methodologies, Quality of Life