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
- Access to Care (2)
- Adverse Events (1)
- Antibiotics (1)
- Asthma (3)
- Brain Injury (2)
- Care Management (2)
- Case Study (1)
- (-) Children/Adolescents (16)
- Comparative Effectiveness (2)
- Critical Care (1)
- Disabilities (1)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (1)
- Emergency Department (3)
- Evidence-Based Practice (5)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
- Healthcare Delivery (1)
- Health Insurance (1)
- Health Literacy (1)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Hospitals (1)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (1)
- Medication (2)
- Mortality (1)
- Neurological Disorders (2)
- Obesity (1)
- (-) Outcomes (16)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (7)
- Patient Safety (1)
- Pneumonia (1)
- Prevention (1)
- Quality Improvement (2)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Registries (2)
- Respiratory Conditions (2)
- Risk (1)
- Sepsis (2)
- Sleep Problems (1)
- Social Determinants of Health (1)
- Surgery (3)
- Training (1)
- Transplantation (2)
- Trauma (2)
- Uninsured (1)
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 16 of 16 Research Studies DisplayedSlatnick LR, Thornhill D, Deakyne Davies
Disseminated intravascular coagulation is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in children in the emergency department with suspected sepsis.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of early disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) on illness severity in children using a database of emergency department ED encounters for children with suspected sepsis, in view of similar associations in adults. The investigators concluded that a DIC score of ≥3 was an independent predictor for both vasopressor use and mortality in this pediatric cohort, distinct from the adult overt DIC score cutoff of ≥5.
AHRQ-funded; HS025696.
Citation: Slatnick LR, Thornhill D, Deakyne Davies .
Disseminated intravascular coagulation is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in children in the emergency department with suspected sepsis.
J Pediatr 2020 Oct;225:198-206.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.06.022..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Sepsis, Adverse Events, Mortality, Patient Safety, Outcomes
Luther M, Poppert Cordts KM, Williams CN
Sleep disturbances after pediatric traumatic brain injury: a systematic review of prevalence, risk factors, and association with recovery.
This is a systematic review to quantify sleep wake disturbances (SWD) after pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). These SWD can place children at risk for worse outcomes since sleep is needed for brain development and healing after injury. They also evaluated interventions for SWD and the association between SWD and other post-traumatic outcomes. Literature was searched from 1999-2019 evaluating sleep or fatigue in children hospitalized for TBI. Two independent reviewers assessed quality of the studies using the Newcastle-Ottowa Score for observational studies. Out of 966 identified articles, 126 full text articles were reviewed and 24 studies were included. Studies showed at least 20% of children with TBI had some degree of SWD including trouble falling or staying asleep, fatigue, daytime fatigue, and nightmares. SWD was negatively correlated with cognitive, behavioral, and quality of life outcomes. There was moderate-high risk of bias for all studies due to small sample size and lack of validated or objective SWD measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Luther M, Poppert Cordts KM, Williams CN .
Sleep disturbances after pediatric traumatic brain injury: a systematic review of prevalence, risk factors, and association with recovery.
Sleep 2020 Oct;43(10):zsaa083. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa083..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Sleep Problems, Brain Injury, Neurological Disorders, Trauma, Risk, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Quality of Life, Evidence-Based Practice
Lindly O, Crossman M, Eaves M
Health literacy and health outcomes among children with developmental disabilities: a systematic review.
This systematic literature review focused on the impact of health literacy on health outcomes of children with developmental disabilities (DDs). A review of the literature of most of the major scientific databases was conducted. Out of 2,768 unique records identified, 53 full text articles were reviewed and four articles were included. The associations of family health literacy with health outcomes among children with DDs were mixed. Future research was recommended.
AHRQ-funded; HS000063.
Citation: Lindly O, Crossman M, Eaves M .
Health literacy and health outcomes among children with developmental disabilities: a systematic review.
Am J Intellect Dev Disabil 2020 Sep 1;125(5):389-407. doi: 10.1352/1944-7558-125.5.389..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Literacy, Disabilities, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes
Mogul DB, Perito ER, Wood N
Impact of acuity circles on outcomes for pediatric liver transplant candidates.
In December 2018, UNOS approved an allocation scheme based on recipients' geographic distance from a deceased donor ("acuity circles"). Previous analyses suggested acuity circles (AC) would reduce waitlist mortality overall, but their impact on pediatric subgroups was not considered. In this study, the investigators applied Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data from 2011-2016 towards the Liver Simulated Allocation Model (LSAM) to compare outcomes by age and illness severity for the UNOS-approved AC and the existing Donor Service Area (DSA)/Region-based allocation schemes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023876.
Citation: Mogul DB, Perito ER, Wood N .
Impact of acuity circles on outcomes for pediatric liver transplant candidates.
Transplantation 2020 Aug;104(8):1627-32. doi: 10.1097/tp.0000000000003079..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Transplantation, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Registries, Surgery, Access to Care
Kaiser SV, Johnson MD, Walls TA
Pathways to improve pediatric asthma care: a multisite, national study of emergency department asthma pathway implementation.
This quality improvement study’s aim was to determine the effects of pediatric asthma pathway implementation in a diverse, national sample of emergency departments (EDs). Desired outcomes included systemic corticosteroid administration within 60 minutes (primary), assessment of severity at ED triage, chest radiograph use, hospital admission or transfer for higher level of care, and ED length of stay. Charts were reviewed each month by EDs for children ages 2-17 years with a primary diagnosis of asthma. A total of 83 EDs were enrolled, with 37 of them children’s hospitals, and 46 community hospitals. Seventy-three percent completed the study (n = 22,963). There was a significant increase in systematic corticosteroid administration within 60 minutes of arrival as well as increased odds of severity assessment at triage and decreased rate of change in odds of hospital admission/transfer. Chest radiograph or ED length of stay was not associated with pathway implementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS024592.
Citation: Kaiser SV, Johnson MD, Walls TA .
Pathways to improve pediatric asthma care: a multisite, national study of emergency department asthma pathway implementation.
J Pediatr 2020 Aug;223:100-07.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.02.080..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Asthma, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Management, Healthcare Delivery, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Outcomes
Thomson J, Hall M, Ambroggio L
Antibiotics for aspiration pneumonia in neurologically impaired children.
The objective of the study was to compare hospital outcomes associated with commonly used antibiotic therapies for aspiration pneumonia in children with neurologic impairment (NI). The investigators concluded that anaerobic therapy appeared to be important in the treatment of aspiration pneumonia in children with NI. They suggested that while Gram-negative coverage alone was associated with worse outcomes, its addition to anaerobic therapy may not yield improved outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS025138.
Citation: Thomson J, Hall M, Ambroggio L .
Antibiotics for aspiration pneumonia in neurologically impaired children.
J Hosp Med 2020 Jul;15(7):395-402. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3338..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Pneumonia, Respiratory Conditions, Neurological Disorders, Antibiotics, Medication, Outcomes
Porter A, Brown CC, Tilford JM
Association of insurance status with treatment and outcomes in pediatric patients with severe traumatic brain injury.
This study’s objective was to determine if a health insurance disparity exists among pediatric patients with severe traumatic brain injury using data from the National Trauma Data Bank. The Bank contains data from more than 800 trauma centers in the United States. Isolated traumatic brain injury was defined as patients with a head Abbreviated Injury Scale score of 3+. Procedure codes were used to identify four primary treatment approaches combined into 2 classifications: craniotomy or craniectomy and external or intracranial ventricular draining. Condition at admission was defined including hypotension, Glasgow Coma Scale, mechanism and intent of injury, and Injury Severity Scale. Among the cohort of 12,449 patients, 91% had insurance and 9% were uninsured. Children without insurance had worse condition at admission with higher rates of hypotension and higher Injury Severity Score when compared with publicly and privately insured patients. Having insurance was associated with a 32% increase in the odds of cranial procedures, and 54% increase in the odds of monitor placement. Insurance coverage was associated 25% lower odds of inpatient mortality. Further study is needed to determine what factors lead to worse condition at admission.
Citation: Porter A, Brown CC, Tilford JM .
Association of insurance status with treatment and outcomes in pediatric patients with severe traumatic brain injury.
Crit Care Med 2020 Jul;48(7):e584-e91. doi: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000004398..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Brain Injury, Trauma, Health Insurance, Access to Care, Uninsured, Outcomes
Gigli KH, Davis BS, Yabes JG
Pediatric outcomes after regulatory mandates for sepsis care.
The authors used hospital discharge data from 2011 to 2015 to compare changes in pediatric sepsis outcomes in New York and four control states following New York’s 2013 regulations mandating that hospitals develop pediatric-specific protocols for sepsis recognition and treatment. They found that implementation of statewide sepsis regulations was generally associated with improved mortality trends in New York State, particularly in prespecified subpopulations of patients, suggesting that the regulations were successful in affecting sepsis outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS025146.
Citation: Gigli KH, Davis BS, Yabes JG .
Pediatric outcomes after regulatory mandates for sepsis care.
Pediatrics 2020 Jul;146(1). doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-3353.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Sepsis, Outcomes, Hospitals
Kaiser SV, Jennings B, Rodean J
Pathways for improving inpatient pediatric asthma care (PIPA): a multicenter, national study.
This study examined whether implementation of a pathway strategy for inpatient pediatric asthma patients improve outcomes for these patients. Outcomes measured included length of stay (LOS), early administration of metered-dose inhalers, screening for secondhand tobacco exposure and referral to cessation resources, and 7-day hospital readmissions or emergency revisits. Eighty-five hospitals were enrolled and 68 completed the study with (n=12,013) admissions. Pathways were associated with increases in early administration of metered-dose inhalers, and referral to smoking cessation resources, but no statistically significant changes in the other outcomes were observed. Most hospitals did improve in at least one outcome.
AHRQ-funded; HS024592; HS024554.
Citation: Kaiser SV, Jennings B, Rodean J .
Pathways for improving inpatient pediatric asthma care (PIPA): a multicenter, national study.
Pediatrics 2020 Jun;145(6):e20193026. doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-3026..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Asthma, Respiratory Conditions, Inpatient Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Hospitalization, Care Management
Balmaks R, Whitfill TM, Ziemele B
Pediatric readiness in the emergency department and its association with patient outcomes in critical care: a prospective cohort study.
The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of pediatric acute care and pediatric readiness and to determine their association with patient outcomes using a patient registry. Studying all Latvian Emergency Departments and the national PICU, researchers’ findings showed that a higher weighted pediatric readiness score was associated significantly with lower length of stay in both the PICU and hospital and lower 6-month mortality. Pediatric readiness in the emergency department was associated with patient outcomes in this population of pediatric patients transferred to the national PICU.
AHRQ-funded; HS020286.
Citation: Balmaks R, Whitfill TM, Ziemele B .
Pediatric readiness in the emergency department and its association with patient outcomes in critical care: a prospective cohort study.
Pediatr Crit Care Med 2020 May;21(5):e213-e20. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000002255..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Critical Care, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Outcomes
Bowring MG, Massie AB, Chu NM
Projected 20- and 30-year outcomes for pediatric liver transplant recipients in the United States.
Researchers aimed to use national registry data and parametric models to project 20- and 30-year post-transplant outcomes for recently transplanted pediatric liver transplant (LT) recipients. Using Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data, they found that projected long-term outcomes for recently transplanted pediatric LT recipients are excellent, reflective of substantial improvements in medical care, and informative for physician-patient education and decision making in the current era.
AHRQ-funded; HS023876.
Citation: Bowring MG, Massie AB, Chu NM .
Projected 20- and 30-year outcomes for pediatric liver transplant recipients in the United States.
J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2020 Mar;70(3):356-63. doi: 10.1097/mpg.0000000000002592..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Transplantation, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Surgery, Registries, Evidence-Based Practice
Cai L, Wu Y, Cheskin LI
Effect of childhood obesity prevention programmes on blood lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This study, the first systematic, quantitative study of childhood obesity prevention programs on blood lipids in high-income countries found that most interventions (70 percent) showed similar significant or no effects on adiposity- and lipid outcomes; 15 percent of interventions improved both adiposity- and lipids outcomes; 55 percent had no significant effects on either. These programs had a significant desirable effect on LDL-C and HDL-C.
AHRQ-funded; 290200710061I
Citation: Cai L, Wu Y, Cheskin LI .
Effect of childhood obesity prevention programmes on blood lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Obes Rev. 2014 Dec;15(12):933-44. doi: 10.1111/obr.12227..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Obesity, Prevention, Outcomes, Social Determinants of Health
Shah RK, Stey AM, Jantana KR
Identification of opportunities for quality improvement and outcome measurement in pediatric otolaryngology.
This study evaluated perioperative outcomes in pediatric otolaryngology through analysis of records residing in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database. It found that although the overall rate of major postoperative morbidity in pediatric otolaryngology is low, the following areas may be targeted for targeted quality-improvement interventions: tracheostomy, airway reconstruction, mastoidectomy, and abscess drainage.
AHRQ-funded; HS022932
Citation: Shah RK, Stey AM, Jantana KR .
Identification of opportunities for quality improvement and outcome measurement in pediatric otolaryngology.
JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014 Nov;140(11):1019-26. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2014.2067..
Keywords: Surgery, Children/Adolescents, Quality Improvement, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Boyer DL, Nishisaki A
Evaluating patient outcomes in medical education research: mission impossible?*.
This editorial examines evaluation of the impact of pediatric supplemental crisis resource management (CRM) training among first- and second-year residents. The author suggests that increasing CRM training and using debriefing for skill retention may link this training to patient outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS022464
Citation: Boyer DL, Nishisaki A .
Evaluating patient outcomes in medical education research: mission impossible?*.
Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2014 May;15(4):382-4. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000000116..
Keywords: Education: Continuing Medical Education, Outcomes, Children/Adolescents, Training
Schwenk H, Ramirez-Avila L, Sheu SH
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in pediatric patients: case report and literature review.
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is a rare, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system caused by JC virus. Fewer than 30 cases have been reported in HIV- and non-infected children. The researchers report the case of a 15-year-old girl with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and AIDS who presented with nystagmus, dysarthria and ataxia. They also include a literature review.
AHRQ-funded; HS019485.
Citation: Schwenk H, Ramirez-Avila L, Sheu SH .
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in pediatric patients: case report and literature review.
Pediatr Infect Dis J 2014 Apr;33(4):e99-105. doi: 10.1097/inf.0000000000000237..
Keywords: Comparative Effectiveness, Children/Adolescents, Case Study, Outcomes
Li L, Vollmer WM, Butler MG
A comparison of confounding adjustment methods for assessment of asthma controller medication effectiveness.
Using three confounding adjustment procedures—covariate-adjusted regression, propensity score regression, and high-dimemsional propensity score regression—on a population of 24,680 children with asthma, researchers found that patients treated with leukotriene antagonists were no more likely than those treated with inhaled corticosteroids to experience adverse outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS019669
Citation: Li L, Vollmer WM, Butler MG .
A comparison of confounding adjustment methods for assessment of asthma controller medication effectiveness.
Am J Epidemiol. 2014 Mar 1;179(5):648-59. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwt323..
Keywords: Comparative Effectiveness, Outcomes, Children/Adolescents, Asthma, Medication