National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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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 25 of 70 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
Williams D, Stout MJ, Rosenbloom JI
Preeclampsia predicts risk of hospitalization for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
Preeclampsia is associated with increased risk of future heart failure (HF), but the relationship between preeclampsia and HF subtypes are not well-established. The objective of this analysis was to identify the risk of HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) following a delivery complicated by preeclampsia/eclampsia. The investigators concluded that preeclampsia/eclampsia was an independent risk factor for future hospitalizations for HFpEF.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Williams D, Stout MJ, Rosenbloom JI .
Preeclampsia predicts risk of hospitalization for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2021 Dec 7;78(23):2281-90. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2021.09.1360..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospitalization, Risk, Labor and Delivery, Pregnancy, Women
Alrawashdeh M, Klompas M, Kimmel S
Epidemiology, outcomes, and trends of patients with sepsis and opioid-related hospitalizations in U.S. hospitals.
This study examined the epidemiology, outcomes, and trends of patients with sepsis and opioid-related hospitalizations in U.S. hospitals from January 2009 to September 2015. This retrospective cohort study looked at about 373 hospitals with a total of 6,715,286 hospitalizations. Using ICD-9 CM codes, 5.6% had sepsis, 1.9% had opioid-related hospitalizations, and 0.1% had both. Patients hospitalized with both diagnoses were younger and healthier, had more bloodstream infections from Gram-positive and fungal pathogens, and had lower in-hospital mortality rates. Of 1,803 patients with opioid-related hospitalizations who died in-hospital, 51.5% had sepsis. From 2009 to 2015, the proportion of sepsis hospitalizations that were opioid-related increased by 77%.
AHRQ-funded; HS025008.
Citation: Alrawashdeh M, Klompas M, Kimmel S .
Epidemiology, outcomes, and trends of patients with sepsis and opioid-related hospitalizations in U.S. hospitals.
Crit Care Med 2021 Dec;49(12):2102-11. doi: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000005141..
Keywords: Sepsis, Opioids, Hospitalization
Mueller SK, Shannon E, Dalal A
Patient and physician experience with interhospital transfer: a qualitative study.
This qualitative study explored patients’ and involved physicians’ experience with interhospital transfer (IHT) to understand specific factors that may impact the quality and safety of this care transition. Individual interviews were conducted with adult patients transferred to cardiology, general medicine, and oncology services at a tertiary care academic medical center, as well as their transferring physician, accepting attending physician, and accepting/admitting resident physician. Participants included 10 adults (6 cardiology, 2 medicine, and 2 oncology), 9 accepting attending physicians, 12 accepting and/or admitting resident physicians, and 5 transferring physicians. Emergent themes demonstrated that participants held a shared understanding for the reason for the transfer and relayed a general dissatisfaction regarding the timing and lack of advanced notification of transfer. The authors found distinct differences in IHT experience by stakeholder group - with physicians relaying discontent on intrahospital chains of communication and interhospital information exchange, and patient participants focused more readily on the physical aspects of IHT.
AHRQ-funded; HS023331.
Citation: Mueller SK, Shannon E, Dalal A .
Patient and physician experience with interhospital transfer: a qualitative study.
J Patient Saf 2021 Dec 1;17(8):e752-e57. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000501..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Hospitals, Hospitalization, Provider: Physician, Patient Experience
Tandan M, Zimmerman S, Sloane PD
Which nursing home residents with pneumonia are managed on-site and which are hospitalized? Results from 2 years' surveillance in 14 US homes.
Pneumonia is a frequent cause of hospitalization among nursing home (NH) residents, but little information is available as to how clinical presentation and other characteristics relate to hospitalization, and the differential use of antimicrobials based on hospitalization status. This study examined how hospitalized and nonhospitalized NH residents with pneumonia differ. The investigators concluded that respiratory rate was associated with hospitalization but was not documented for more than a quarter of residents.
AHRQ-funded; HS022298.
Citation: Tandan M, Zimmerman S, Sloane PD .
Which nursing home residents with pneumonia are managed on-site and which are hospitalized? Results from 2 years' surveillance in 14 US homes.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2020 Dec;21(12):1862-68.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.07.028..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Pneumonia, Respiratory Conditions, Hospitalization
Ingraham NE, Purcell LN, Karam BS
Racial and ethnic disparities in hospital admissions from COVID-19: determining the impact of neighborhood deprivation and primary language.
This retrospective cohort study evaluated neighborhood-level deprivation and English language proficiency effects on disproportionate outcomes seen in racial and ethnic minorities diagnosed with COVID-19. Health records of 12 Midwest hospitals and 60 clinics in Minnesota between March 4 and August 19, 2020 were used. COVID-19 hospitalization rates were evaluated against the patient’s Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and primary language. A total of 5577 individuals were included, with 866 hospitalized within 45 days of diagnosis. Hospitalized patients were older, and more likely to be male. Minority/race ethnicity was associated with COVID-19 severity, but ADI was not associated with increased hospitalization. Non-English speaking significantly increased odds of hospital admission across and within minority groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS024532; HS26732; HS026379.
Citation: Ingraham NE, Purcell LN, Karam BS .
Racial and ethnic disparities in hospital admissions from COVID-19: determining the impact of neighborhood deprivation and primary language.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Nov;36(11):3462-70. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-06790-w..
Keywords: COVID-19, Hospitalization, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities
Keenan KE, Rothberg MB, Herzig SJ
Association between opioids prescribed to medical inpatients with pain and long-term opioid use.
This study’s objective was to identify the association between opioid exposure during a medical hospitalization and opioid use 6 to 12 months later. This observational cohort study used electronic health record data from 10 hospitals in the Cleveland Clinic Health System in 2016. Eligible patients were opioid-naïve adults with pain 18 years and older. The authors estimated the odds of long-term opioid use (defined as ≥2 prescriptions for at least 30 pills 6 to 12 months posthospitalization) by opioid exposure during the hospitalization. Among the 2971 patients in the study, 64% received opioids during their hospitalization, and 28% were discharged with opioids. A total of 3% of patients had long-term use with a higher pain score associated with greater odds of long-term use.
AHRQ-funded; HS026215.
Citation: Keenan KE, Rothberg MB, Herzig SJ .
Association between opioids prescribed to medical inpatients with pain and long-term opioid use.
South Med J 2021 Oct;114(10):623-29. doi: 10.14423/smj.0000000000001307..
Keywords: Opioids, Hospitalization, Pain, Substance Abuse, Medication
Taber DJ, Fleming JN, Su Z
Significant hospitalization cost savings to the payer with a pharmacist-led mobile health intervention to improve medication safety in kidney transplant recipients.
This paper examined hospitalization cost savings to the payer with a pharmacist-led mobile health intervention to improve medication safety in kidney transplant recipients. This study was an economic analysis of a 12-month, parallel arm, randomized controlled trial in adult kidney recipients 6 to 36 months posttransplant (NCT03247322). All participants received usual posttransplant care, while the intervention arm received supplemental clinical pharmacist-led medication therapy monitoring and management, via a smartphone-enabled mHealth app, integrated with risk-based televisits.
AHRQ-funded; HS023754.
Citation: Taber DJ, Fleming JN, Su Z .
Significant hospitalization cost savings to the payer with a pharmacist-led mobile health intervention to improve medication safety in kidney transplant recipients.
Am J Transplant 2021 Oct;21(10):3428-35. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16737..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Provider: Pharmacist, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Transplantation, Hospitalization, Medication: Safety, Medication
Field TS, Fouayzi H, Crawfo TS, Fouayzi H, Crawford S
The association of nursing home characteristics and quality with adverse events after a hospitalization.
This prospective cohort analysis measured the association of long-stay nursing home residents returning to the facility after a hospitalization and adverse events (AEs). Thirty-two nursing homes in New England states participated with a total of 555 long-stay residents contributing 762 returns from hospitalizations. The authors measured the association between AEs developing in the 45 days following discharge back to long-term care and characteristics of the nursing homes including bed size, ownership, 5-star quality ratings, registered nurse and nursing assistant hours, and the individual Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) quality indicators. They found no association of AEs with most nursing home characteristics. Several individual quality indicators were associated with AEs. The highest tertile of residents with depression had a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.65 and the highest tertile of the percentage taking antipsychotic medications had an HR of 1.58. Residents needing increased assistance with activities of daily living was statistically significant, but not monotonic.
AHRQ-funded; HS024422.
Citation: Field TS, Fouayzi H, Crawfo TS, Fouayzi H, Crawford S .
The association of nursing home characteristics and quality with adverse events after a hospitalization.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2021 Oct;22(10):2196-200. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.02.027..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Adverse Events, Hospitalization
Smulowitz PB, O'Malley AJ, McWilliams JM
Variation in rates of hospital admission from the emergency department among Medicare patients at the regional, hospital, and physician levels.
Rates of admission from the emergency department (ED) vary widely across regions of the country, hospitals within regions, and physicians within hospitals. The study objective was to determine the extent to which variation in admission decisions was described by differences in admission rates at these 3 levels. The investigators concluded that within-area variation, both across hospitals within a region and across physicians within a hospital, was a more substantial component of observed variation in admission rates from the ED than regional level variation.
AHRQ-funded; HS025408.
Citation: Smulowitz PB, O'Malley AJ, McWilliams JM .
Variation in rates of hospital admission from the emergency department among Medicare patients at the regional, hospital, and physician levels.
Ann Emerg Med 2021 Oct;78(4):474-83. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2021.03.020..
Keywords: Medicare, Hospitalization, Emergency Department, Practice Patterns
Schondelmeyer AC, Bettencourt AP, Xiao R
Evaluation of an educational outreach and audit and feedback program to reduce continuous pulse oximetry use in hospitalized infants with stable bronchiolitis: a nonrandomized clinical trial.
National guidelines recommend against continuous pulse oximetry use for hospitalized children with bronchiolitis who are not receiving supplemental oxygen, yet guideline-discordant use remains high. The objective of this study was to evaluate deimplementation outcomes of educational outreach and audit and feedback strategies aiming to reduce guideline-discordant continuous pulse oximetry use in children hospitalized with bronchiolitis who are not receiving supplemental oxygen.
AHRQ-funded; HS026763.
Citation: Schondelmeyer AC, Bettencourt AP, Xiao R .
Evaluation of an educational outreach and audit and feedback program to reduce continuous pulse oximetry use in hospitalized infants with stable bronchiolitis: a nonrandomized clinical trial.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Sep;4(9):e2122826. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.22826..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Hospitalization, Guidelines, Practice Patterns, Training, Respiratory Conditions
Smulowitz PB, O'Malley AJ, Khidir H
National trends In ED visits, hospital admissions, and mortality for Medicare patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Concerns about avoidance or delays in seeking emergency care during the COVID-19 pandemic are widespread, but national data on emergency department (ED) visits and subsequent rates of hospitalization and outcomes are lacking. In this study, the investigators examined trends in ED visits and rates of hospitalization and thirty-day mortality conditional on an ED visit for non-COVID-19 conditions during several stages of the pandemic and for areas that were considered COVID-19 hot spots versus those that were not.
AHRQ-funded; HS025408.
Citation: Smulowitz PB, O'Malley AJ, Khidir H .
National trends In ED visits, hospital admissions, and mortality for Medicare patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Aff 2021 Sep;40(9):1457-64. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00561..
Keywords: COVID-19, Public Health, Emergency Department, Hospitalization
Klein IA, Rosenberg SM, Reynolds KL
Impact of cancer history on outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Researchers investigated whether a current cancer diagnosis or cancer history is an independent risk factor for death in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. They found that patients with a history of cancer hospitalized for COVID-19 had similar mortality to matched hospitalized patients with COVID-19 without cancer, and a lower risk of complications, while patients with active cancer or recent cancer treatment had a similar risk for adverse outcomes compared with survivors of cancer. They concluded that active cancer, systemic cancer therapy, and a cancer history are not independent risk factors for death from COVID-19 among hospitalized patients, and hospitalized patients without cancer are more likely to have severe COVID-19.
AHRQ-funded; HS023680.
Citation: Klein IA, Rosenberg SM, Reynolds KL .
Impact of cancer history on outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Oncologist 2021 Aug;26(8):685-93. doi: 10.1002/onco.13794..
Keywords: COVID-19, Cancer, Risk, Mortality, Hospitalization, Outcomes
Song J, Woo K, Shang J
Predictive risk models for wound infection-related hospitalization or ED visits in home health care using machine-learning algorithms.
Wound infection is prevalent in home healthcare (HHC) and often leads to hospitalizations. However, none of the previous studies of wounds in HHC have used data from clinical notes. Therefore, in this paper, the authors created a more accurate description of a patient's condition by extracting risk factors from clinical notes to build predictive models to identify a patient's risk of wound infection in HHC.
AHRQ-funded; HS024915.
Citation: Song J, Woo K, Shang J .
Predictive risk models for wound infection-related hospitalization or ED visits in home health care using machine-learning algorithms.
Adv Skin Wound Care 2021 Aug;34(8):1-12. doi: 10.1097/01.Asw.0000755928.30524.22..
Keywords: Home Healthcare, Injuries and Wounds, Risk, Hospitalization
Dixon BE, Grannis SJ, Lembcke LR
The synchronicity of COVID-19 disparities: statewide epidemiologic trends in SARS-CoV-2 morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality among racial minorities and in rural America.
Researchers sought to examine trends in COVID-19 morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality over time for minority and rural populations, especially during the U.S. fall surge. Data were taken from a statewide cohort of adult residents in Indiana tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The researchers found that, by the fall of 2020, hospitalization and mortality rates in rural areas surpassed those of urban areas, and gaps between black/brown and white populations narrowed. Cumulative morbidity and mortality were highest among minority groups and in rural communities. They concluded that the synchronicity of disparities in COVID-19 by race and geography suggested that health officials explicitly measure disparities and adjust mitigation as well as vaccination strategies to protect those sub-populations with greater disease burden.
AHRQ-funded; HS025502.
Citation: Dixon BE, Grannis SJ, Lembcke LR .
The synchronicity of COVID-19 disparities: statewide epidemiologic trends in SARS-CoV-2 morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality among racial minorities and in rural America.
PLoS One 2021 Jul 23;16(7):e0255063. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255063..
Keywords: COVID-19, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Hospitalization, Mortality, Rural Health
Lord K, Rothenberg C, Parwani V
Association between emergency department chief complaint and adverse hospitalization outcomes: a simple early warning system?
Researchers sought to examine the association between the emergency department chief complaint and specific adverse outcomes after admission to a general medicine floor. They found that chief complaint may be an early identifier of those patients uniquely at risk for adverse hospitalization outcomes. Patients presenting with seizure, leg swelling, and shortness of breath who were subsequently admitted to a general medical floor were more likely to suffer care escalations, Rapid Response Team activation, or mortality. Conversely, patients with chief complaints of loss of consciousness, headache, and chest pain were at low risk of adverse outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Lord K, Rothenberg C, Parwani V .
Association between emergency department chief complaint and adverse hospitalization outcomes: a simple early warning system?
Am J Emerg Med 2021 Jul;45:548-50. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2020.07.040..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Hospitalization, Adverse Events
Chou LN, Kuo YF, Raji MA
Potentially inappropriate medication prescribing by nurse practitioners and physicians.
This study compared prescribing rates for potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) by physicians and nurse practitioners (NPs). The authors used 100% Texas Medicare data to define physician and NP visits in 2016. Rates of visits with a PIM prescription from the same provider was measured by initial and refill visits. There were 24.1 per 1000 visits for PIM prescriptions, 9.0 per 1000 visits for an initial PM and 15.1 per 1000 visits for a refill PIM. Visits to an NP was less likely to result in an initial and refill PIM visit than a visit to a physician. There was a strong association of lower odds of a black enrollee receiving a PIM by an NP than white enrollees. There was also less likelihood of receiving a PIM refill from an NP in older patients and in those with more comorbidities.
AHRQ-funded; HS020642; HS020642.
Citation: Chou LN, Kuo YF, Raji MA .
Potentially inappropriate medication prescribing by nurse practitioners and physicians.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2021 Jul;69(7):1916-24. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17120..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Provider: Physician, Provider: Nurse, Hospitalization, Practice Patterns, Ambulatory Care and Surgery
Chua KP, Fendrick AM, Conti RM
Prevalence and magnitude of potential surprise bills for childbirth.
This research letter describes a cross-sectional study that examined surprise bills that are received for childbirths and newborn hospitalizations, and whether new legislation to protect families from surprise bills would have a benefit. The authors analyzed 2019 data from Optum’s deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart and identified families with an in-network delivery in 2019 that could be linked to 1 or more in-network newborn hospitalization that was covered by the same family plan. The analysis included 95,384 families, and of those 17,949 (18.8%) had 1 or more potential surprise bill for the delivery, newborn hospitalization(s), or both. The median total liability for potential surprise bills was $744 for 6417 families, with total liability exceeding $2000. Among 32,203, and 63,181 deliveries with and without 1 or more cesarean delivery, 6594 (20.5%) and 5597 (8.9%) had 1 or more potential surprise bill, with a median liability of $1825 respectively. For 5970 and 90,991 newborn hospitalizations with or without 1 or more neonatal intensive care claim, 15.5% and 8.9% had 1 or more potential surprise bill, with a median liability of $1282 and $262 respectively. While this study was limited by lack of information whether these families actually received surprise bills, the findings suggest that federal protections against surprise bills could benefit many families.
AHRQ-funded; HS025465.
Citation: Chua KP, Fendrick AM, Conti RM .
Prevalence and magnitude of potential surprise bills for childbirth.
JAMA Health Forum 2021 Jul; 2(7):e211460. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.1460..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Maternal Care, Newborns/Infants, Hospitalization
Chow JY, Nijhawan AE, Mathews WC
Hospitalization rates among persons with HIV who gained Medicaid or private insurance after the Affordable Care Act in 2014.
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether gaining inpatient healthcare coverage had an effect on hospitalization rates among persons with HIV following implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2014. Hospitalization data from 2015 were obtained on adults receiving longitudinal care at HIV clinics; all patients were previously uninsured and supported by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) in 2013. Findings showed that acquiring inpatient coverage was not associated with a change in hospitalization rates.
AHRQ-funded; 290201100007C.
Citation: Chow JY, Nijhawan AE, Mathews WC .
Hospitalization rates among persons with HIV who gained Medicaid or private insurance after the Affordable Care Act in 2014.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2021 Jun 1;87(2):776-80. doi: 10.1097/qai.0000000000002645..
Keywords: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hospitalization, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Access to Care, Policy
Masonbrink AR, Harris M, Hall M
Safety events in children's hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted hospitals, potentially affecting quality and safety. The objective of this study was to compare pediatric hospitalization safety events during the pandemic versus previous years. The investigators concluded that postoperative sepsis rates increased among children hospitalized during COVID-19. They suggest that efforts are needed to improve safety of postoperative care for hospitalized children.
AHRQ-funded; HS024554; HS024592.
Citation: Masonbrink AR, Harris M, Hall M .
Safety events in children's hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hosp Pediatr 2021 Jun;11(6):e95-e100. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2020-004937..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Patient Safety, Sepsis, Adverse Events, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Inpatient Care, Infectious Diseases, Public Health
Vaughn VM, Gandhi T, Petty LA
Empiric antibacterial therapy and community-onset bacterial coinfection in patients hospitalized with COVID-19: a multi-hospital cohort study.
A randomly sampled cohort of 1705 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was used. Data was collected on early empiric antibacterial therapy within 2 days of hospitalization, empiric antibacterial therapy and community-onset bacterial co-infections. Of the 1705 patients, 56.6% were prescribed early empiric antibacterial therapy, with 3.5% having a confirmed community-onset bacterial infection. Use varied across hospitals, ranging from 27% to 84%. Patients were more likely to receive the therapy if they were older, had more severe illness, had a lobar infiltrate, or were admitted to a for-profit hospital. Over the one-month period empiric antibacterial use decreased.
AHRQ-funded; HS026530; HS026725.
Citation: Vaughn VM, Gandhi T, Petty LA .
Empiric antibacterial therapy and community-onset bacterial coinfection in patients hospitalized with COVID-19: a multi-hospital cohort study.
Clin Infect Dis 2021 May 18;72(10):e533-e41. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1239..
Keywords: COVID-19, Infectious Diseases, Community-Acquired Infections, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Hospitalization
Zellmer BM, Nacht CL, Coller RJ
BedsideNotes: sharing physicians' notes with parents during hospitalization.
Physicians increasingly share ambulatory visit notes with patients to meet new federal requirements, and evidence suggests patient experiences improve without overburdening physicians. Whether sharing inpatient notes with parents of hospitalized children yields similar outcomes is unknown. In this pilot study, the investigators evaluated parent and physician perceptions of sharing notes with parents during hospitalization. The investigators concluded that parents all valued having access to physicians' notes during their child's hospital stay; however, some physicians remained concerned about the potential negative consequences of sharing.
AHRQ-funded; HS027214.
Citation: Zellmer BM, Nacht CL, Coller RJ .
BedsideNotes: sharing physicians' notes with parents during hospitalization.
Hosp Pediatr 2021 May;11(5):503-08. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2020-005447..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Caregiving, Hospitalization
Wang J, Ying M, Temkin-Greener H
Care-partner support and hospitalization in assisted living during transitional home health care.
This study examined the impact of care-partner support on outcomes among assisted living (AL) residents. Variation in care-partner and its impact on hospitalizations among AL residents receiving Medicare home health (HH) services was investigated. Analysis of national data from various databases was used and a total of 741,926 participants were identified with Medicare HH admissions in 2017. Care-partner support during the HH admission was measured in seven domains: activity of daily living (ADLs), instrumental activities of ADLs), medication administration, treatment, medical equipment, home safety, and transportation. Care-partner support was categorized as assistance not needed, care-partner currently providing assistance, care-partner needs additional training/support to provide assistance, and care-partner is unavailable/unlikely to provide assistance. Among the cohort, inadequate care-partner support was identified for all seven domains ranging from 13.1% for transportation to 49.8% for treatment and was unavailable for 0.9% for transportation to 11.0% for treatment. Having inadequate or unavailable care-partner support was related to increased risk of hospitalization by 8.9% for treatment to 41.3% for medication administration.
AHRQ-funded; HS026893.
Citation: Wang J, Ying M, Temkin-Greener H .
Care-partner support and hospitalization in assisted living during transitional home health care.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2021 May;69(5):1231-39. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17005..
Keywords: Elderly, Transitions of Care, Caregiving, Hospitalization, Home Healthcare, Long-Term Care
Zubiago J, Murphy M, Guardado R
Increased HIV testing in people who use drugs hospitalized in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, due to lapses in harm reduction services, several public health experts forecasted subsequent increases in diagnosis of HIV in PWUD. As many inpatient hospitals reworked patient flow during the COVID-19 surge, the investigators hypothesized that HIV testing in PWUD would decrease. To answer this question, they compiled a deidentified list of hospitalized patients with electronic medical record indicators of substance use-a positive urine toxicology screen, prescribed medications to treat opioid use disorder, a positive CIWA score, or a positive CAGE score-admitted between January, 2020 and August, 2020.
AHRQ-funded; HS026008.
Citation: Zubiago J, Murphy M, Guardado R .
Increased HIV testing in people who use drugs hospitalized in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
J Subst Abuse Treat 2021 May;124:108266. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2020.108266..
Keywords: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Opioids, Substance Abuse, Alcohol Use, Hospitalization, COVID-19, Public Health, Screening
Pollack LM, Lowder JL, Keller M
Racial/ethnic differences in the risk of surgical complications and posthysterectomy hospitalization among women undergoing hysterectomy for benign conditions.
The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate whether 30- and 90-day surgical complication and postoperative hospitalization rates after hysterectomy for benign conditions differed by race/ethnicity and whether the differences remained after controlling for patient, hospital, and surgical characteristics. The investigators concluded that Black and Asian/Pacific Islander women had higher risk of some 30- and 90-day surgical complications after hysterectomy than white women. Black and Hispanic women had higher risk of posthysterectomy hospitalization.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Pollack LM, Lowder JL, Keller M .
Racial/ethnic differences in the risk of surgical complications and posthysterectomy hospitalization among women undergoing hysterectomy for benign conditions.
J Minim Invasive Gynecol 2021 May;28(5):1022-32.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.jmig.2020.12.032..
Keywords: Surgery, Risk, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Adverse Events, Hospitalization, Women