National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Adverse Events (18)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Breast Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Lung Cancer (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (3)
- Care Coordination (2)
- Caregiving (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
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- Clostridium difficile Infections (1)
- Communication (1)
- Comparative Effectiveness (1)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (1)
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- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (6)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (2)
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- Health Information Technology (HIT) (2)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospital Discharge (1)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Hospital Readmissions (2)
- Hospitals (4)
- Injuries and Wounds (8)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (2)
- Medical Errors (1)
- Medical Liability (1)
- Medication (2)
- Mortality (5)
- Orthopedics (1)
- Outcomes (6)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (2)
- (-) Patient Safety (33)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Prevention (1)
- Quality Improvement (3)
- Quality of Care (4)
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- Risk (5)
- Simulation (1)
- Sleep Problems (1)
- (-) Surgery (33)
- Telehealth (1)
- Training (2)
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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 33 Research Studies DisplayedScally CP, Yin H, Birkmeyer JD
Comparing perioperative processes of care in high and low mortality centers performing pancreatic surgery.
The researchers compared high and low mortality hospitals in order to identify differences in patient care impacting safety. They concluded that high and low mortality hospitals both have high compliance with common quality measures; however, high mortality hospitals performed worse in other areas of perioperative care, indicating possible targets for quality improvement efforts.
AHRQ-funded; HS020937.
Citation: Scally CP, Yin H, Birkmeyer JD .
Comparing perioperative processes of care in high and low mortality centers performing pancreatic surgery.
J Surg Oncol 2015 Dec;112(8):866-71. doi: 10.1002/jso.24085.
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Keywords: Surgery, Mortality, Quality Improvement, Outcomes, Patient Safety
Dicks KV, Baker AW, Durkin MJ
Short operative duration and surgical site infection risk in hip and knee arthroplasty procedures.
The purpose of this paper was to determine the association between shorter operative duration and surgical site infection (SSI) and also between surgeon median operative duration and SSI risk among first-time hip and knee arthroplasties. The researchers concluded that short operative durations were not associated with a higher SSI risk for knee or hip arthroplasty procedures in their analysis.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Dicks KV, Baker AW, Durkin MJ .
Short operative duration and surgical site infection risk in hip and knee arthroplasty procedures.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015 Dec;36(12):1431-6. doi: 10.1017/ice.2015.222.
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Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Orthopedics, Patient Safety, Adverse Events, Surgery, Injuries and Wounds
Britt RC, Scerbo MW, Montano M
Intracorporeal suturing: transfer from fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery to cadavers results in substantial increase in mental workload.
The researchers hypothesized that laparoscopic suturing on genuine bowel would be more challenging than on the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS)-simulated bowel as reflected in differences on both suturing and secondary task scores. They found that the increase in mental workload is indexed by both an increase in suturing times and a decrease in the ability to attend to the secondary task.
AHRQ-funded; HS020386.
Citation: Britt RC, Scerbo MW, Montano M .
Intracorporeal suturing: transfer from fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery to cadavers results in substantial increase in mental workload.
Surgery 2015 Nov;158(5):1428-33. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2015.03.032..
Keywords: Surgery, Patient Safety, Simulation, Training
Grenda TR, Revels SL, Yin H
Lung cancer resection at hospitals with high vs low mortality rates.
The objective of this study was to evaluate perioperative outcomes in patients who underwent lung cancer resection at high-mortality hospitals [HMHs] and low-mortality hospitals [LMHs]) in order to better understand the factors related to differences in mortality rates after lung cancer resection. It concluded that failure-to-rescue rates are higher at HMHs, which may explain the large differences between hospitals in mortality rates following lung cancer resection.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053; HS020937.
Citation: Grenda TR, Revels SL, Yin H .
Lung cancer resection at hospitals with high vs low mortality rates.
JAMA Surg 2015 Nov;150(11):1034-40. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2015.2199..
Keywords: Cancer: Lung Cancer, Surgery, Mortality, Outcomes, Patient Safety
Ellis MC, Paugh TA, Dickinson TA
Nadir hematocrit on bypass and rates of acute kidney injury: does sex matter?
Recent literature has suggested that women, although more often exposed to lower nadir hematocrit (Hct), have a lower risk of postoperative renal dysfunction. The researchers assessed whether this relationship held across a large multicenter registry. They found that lower nadir Hct was associated with an increased risk of AKI, and the effect appears to be stronger among men than women.
AHRQ-funded; HS022535; HS022909.
Citation: Ellis MC, Paugh TA, Dickinson TA .
Nadir hematocrit on bypass and rates of acute kidney injury: does sex matter?
Ann Thorac Surg 2015 Nov;100(5):1549-54; discussion 54-5. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.05.080..
Keywords: Risk, Cardiovascular Conditions, Surgery, Adverse Events, Patient Safety
Kho JY, Johns BD, Thomas GW
A hybrid reality radiation-free simulator for teaching wire navigation skills.
The objective of this study was to assess the construct validity for a novel radiation-free simulator designed to teach wire navigation skills in hip fracture fixation. It found that the magnitude of improvement on successive simulator attempts was dependent on the level of expertise; tip-apex distance improved significantly in the novice group, whereas it was unchanged in the experienced group.
AHRQ-funded; HS022077.
Citation: Kho JY, Johns BD, Thomas GW .
A hybrid reality radiation-free simulator for teaching wire navigation skills.
J Orthop Trauma 2015 Oct;29(10):e385-90. doi: 10.1097/bot.0000000000000372..
Keywords: Surgery, Training, Health Information Technology (HIT), Injuries and Wounds, Patient Safety
Weinger MB, Slagle JM, Kuntz AH
A multimodal intervention improves postanesthesia care unit handovers.
The researchers introduced a multimodal intervention in an adult and a pediatric postanesthesia care unit (PACU) to improve postoperative handovers between anesthesia providers (APs) and PACU registered nurses (RNs). They concluded that a multimodal intervention substantially improved interprofessional PACU handovers, including those by clinicians who had not undergone formal simulation training.
AHRQ-funded; HS016651.
Citation: Weinger MB, Slagle JM, Kuntz AH .
A multimodal intervention improves postanesthesia care unit handovers.
Anesth Analg 2015 Oct;121(4):957-71. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000000670..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Care Coordination, Surgery
McElroy LM, Macapagal KR, Collins KM
Clinician perceptions of operating room to intensive care unit handoffs and implications for patient safety: a qualitative study.
The goal of this study is to use qualitative research methods to describe clinician perceptions of OR-to-ICU handoffs, and to elucidate attributes of the handoff process associated with high quality, as well as those with poor quality that can lead to patient harm. The findings suggest that ambiguous roles and conflicting expectations of team members during the OR-to-ICU handoff can increase risk of patient harm.
AHRQ-funded; HS000078.
Citation: McElroy LM, Macapagal KR, Collins KM .
Clinician perceptions of operating room to intensive care unit handoffs and implications for patient safety: a qualitative study.
Am J Surg 2015 Oct;210(4):629-35. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2015.05.008..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Surgery, Adverse Events, Care Coordination
Patorno E, Wang SV, Schneeweiss S
Patterns of beta-blocker initiation in patients undergoing intermediate to high-risk noncardiac surgery.
The objective of this study is to examine patterns of β-Blocker initiation among patients undergoing noncardiac elective surgery in the US. It concluded that after a period of a rapidly increasing trend, perioperative β-Blocker initiation decreased sharply in the second half of 2008 and continued to decrease afterwards.
AHRQ-funded; HS022193.
Citation: Patorno E, Wang SV, Schneeweiss S .
Patterns of beta-blocker initiation in patients undergoing intermediate to high-risk noncardiac surgery.
Am Heart J 2015 Oct;170(4):812-20.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2015.06.028..
Keywords: Surgery, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Patient Safety, Medication
Wiseman JT, Fernandes-Taylor S, Barnes ML
Predictors of surgical site infection after hospital discharge in patients undergoing major vascular surgery.
This study explored the factors that lead to postdischarge surgical site infections (SSI), investigated the differences between risk factors for in-hospital vs postdischarge SSI, and developed a scoring system to identify patients who might benefit from postdischarge monitoring of their wounds. In a comparative analysis, it found that comorbidities were the primary driver of postdischarge SSI, whereas in-hospital factors (operative time, emergency case status) and complications predicted in-hospital SSI.
AHRQ-funded; HS023395.
Citation: Wiseman JT, Fernandes-Taylor S, Barnes ML .
Predictors of surgical site infection after hospital discharge in patients undergoing major vascular surgery.
J Vasc Surg 2015 Oct;62(4):1023-31.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2015.04.453..
Keywords: Surgery, Hospital Discharge, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Injuries and Wounds, Adverse Events
Alruwaily AF, Eisner BH, Bierlein MJ
Statin use and risk of sepsis after percutaneous nephrolithotomy.
The researchers examined the association between statin medication use and sepsis risk after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). They found that statin use is not associated with reductions in postoperative sepsis, nonfebrile urinary tract infections, ICU utilization, or hospital length of stay after PCNL.
AHRQ-funded; HS020927.
Citation: Alruwaily AF, Eisner BH, Bierlein MJ .
Statin use and risk of sepsis after percutaneous nephrolithotomy.
J Endourol 2015 Oct;29(10):1126-30. doi: 10.1089/end.2015.0042..
Keywords: Medication, Risk, Surgery, Adverse Events, Patient Safety
Wiseman JT, Fernandes-Taylor S, Barnes ML
Conceptualizing smartphone use in outpatient wound assessment: patients' and caregivers' willingness to use technology.
The researchers surveyed a vulnerable patient population to evaluate smartphone capability and willingness to adopt this technology. Their survey demonstrated that an older patient cohort with significant comorbidity is able and willing to adopt a smartphone-based postoperative monitoring program.
AHRQ-funded; HS023395.
Citation: Wiseman JT, Fernandes-Taylor S, Barnes ML .
Conceptualizing smartphone use in outpatient wound assessment: patients' and caregivers' willingness to use technology.
J Surg Res 2015 Sep;198(1):245-51. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2015.05.011..
Keywords: Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Surgery, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Injuries and Wounds, Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Caregiving
Thompson DA, Marsteller JA, Pronovost PJ
Locating errors through networked surveillance: A multimethod approach to peer assessment, hazard identification, and prioritization of patient safety efforts in cardiac surgery.
The objectives of the study were to develop a scientifically sound and feasible peer-to-peer assessment model that allows health-care organizations to evaluate patient safety in cardiovascular operating rooms and to establish safety priorities for improvement. It identified 6 top priority hazard themes: safety culture, teamwork and communication, infection prevention, transitions of care, failure to adhere to practices or policies, and operating room layout and equipment.
AHRQ-funded; HS013904.
Citation: Thompson DA, Marsteller JA, Pronovost PJ .
Locating errors through networked surveillance: A multimethod approach to peer assessment, hazard identification, and prioritization of patient safety efforts in cardiac surgery.
J Patient Saf 2015 Sep;11(3):143-51. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000059..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Surgery, Cardiovascular Conditions, Prevention
McElroy LM, Collins KM, Koller FL
Operating room to intensive care unit handoffs and the risks of patient harm.
The goal of this study was to assess systems and processes involved in the operating room(OR) to intensive care unit (ICU) handoff in an attempt to understand the criticality of specific steps of the handoff. In total, 81 process failures were identified, Process failures with the greatest risk of harm were lack of preliminary OR to ICU communication, team member absence during handoff communication, and transport equipment malfunction.
AHRQ-funded; HS000078.
Citation: McElroy LM, Collins KM, Koller FL .
Operating room to intensive care unit handoffs and the risks of patient harm.
Surgery 2015 Sep;158(3):588-94. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2015.03.061..
Keywords: Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Patient Safety, Surgery, Communication, Adverse Events
Likosky DS, Paone G, Zhang M
Red blood cell transfusions impact pneumonia rates after coronary artery bypass grafting.
This study describes the relationship between red blood cell (RBC) transfusion and postoperative pneumonia after CABG. It found a significant volume dependent association between an increasing number of RBCs and the odds of pneumonia, which persisted after risk adjustment. It included a total of 16,182 consecutive patients who underwent isolated CABG between 2011 and 2013 at 1 of 33 hospitals in the state of Michigan.
AHRQ-funded; HS022535; HS022909.
Citation: Likosky DS, Paone G, Zhang M .
Red blood cell transfusions impact pneumonia rates after coronary artery bypass grafting.
Ann Thorac Surg 2015 Sep;100(3):794-801. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.03.089..
Keywords: Surgery, Cardiovascular Conditions, Patient Safety
Durkin MJ, Dicks KV, Baker AW
Seasonal variation of common surgical site infections: does season matter?
The researchers evaluated seasonal variation in the rate of surgical site infections (SSI) following commonly performed surgical procedures. Using data from the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network, they found that the rate of SSI following commonly performed surgical procedures was higher during the summer compared with the remainder of the year.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Durkin MJ, Dicks KV, Baker AW .
Seasonal variation of common surgical site infections: does season matter?
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015 Sep;36(9):1011-6. doi: 10.1017/ice.2015.121.
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Keywords: Adverse Events, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Surgery, Patient Safety, Injuries and Wounds
Healy MA, Krell RW, Abdelsattar ZM
Pancreatic resection results in a statewide surgical collaborative.
This study sought to investigate changes over time in adverse outcomes after pancreatectomy across hospitals with different caseloads in a statewide surgical collaborative. It concluded that participation in regional quality collaboratives by lower-volume hospitals can attenuate the volume–outcome relationship for pancreatic surgery.
AHRQ-funded; HS20937; HS000053.
Citation: Healy MA, Krell RW, Abdelsattar ZM .
Pancreatic resection results in a statewide surgical collaborative.
Ann Surg Oncol 2015 Aug;22(8):2468-74. doi: 10.1245/s10434-015-4529-9..
Keywords: Surgery, Patient Safety, Adverse Events, Hospitals, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Abdelsattar ZM, Hendren S, Wong SL
The impact of untreated obstructive sleep apnea on cardiopulmonary complications in general and vascular surgery: a cohort study.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether preoperatively untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects postoperative outcomes. It found that compared with treated OSA, untreated OSA was independently associated with more cardiopulmonary complications (risk-adjusted rates 6.7 percent versus 4.0 percent; particularly unplanned reintubations and myocardial infarction.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053.
Citation: Abdelsattar ZM, Hendren S, Wong SL .
The impact of untreated obstructive sleep apnea on cardiopulmonary complications in general and vascular surgery: a cohort study.
Sleep 2015 Aug;38(8):1205-10. doi: 10.5665/sleep.4892..
Keywords: Sleep Problems, Surgery, Patient Safety, Risk, Heart Disease and Health, Respiratory Conditions, Chronic Conditions
Moghavem N, Morrison D, Ratliff JK
Cranial neurosurgical 30-day readmissions by clinical indication.
The objects of this study were to determine population-level, 30-day, all-cause readmission rates for cranial neurosurgery and identify factors associated with readmission. It fund that the frequency of 30-day readmission rates for patients undergoing cranial neurosurgery varied by diagnosis between 14% and 24%. Important patient characteristics and comorbidities that were associated with an increased readmission risk were identified.
AHRQ-funded; HS018558.
Citation: Moghavem N, Morrison D, Ratliff JK .
Cranial neurosurgical 30-day readmissions by clinical indication.
J Neurosurg 2015 Jul;123(1):189-97. doi: 10.3171/2014.12.jns14447..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Surgery, Patient Safety, Outcomes
Durkin MJ, Dicks KV, Baker AW
Postoperative infection in spine surgery: does the month matter?
The authors evaluated for seasonal variation of surgical site infection (SSI) following spine surgery in a network of nonteaching community hospitals. They found that the rate of SSI following fusion or spinal laminectomy/laminoplasty was higher during the summer in this network of community hospitals, most likely due to S. aureus rather than the July effect.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Durkin MJ, Dicks KV, Baker AW .
Postoperative infection in spine surgery: does the month matter?
J Neurosurg Spine 2015 Jul;23(1):128-34. doi: 10.3171/2014.10.spine14559.
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Keywords: Surgery, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Injuries and Wounds, Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Hospitals, Outcomes, Quality of Care
Gonzalez AA, Abdelsattar ZM, Dimick JB
Time-to-readmission and mortality after high-risk surgery.
This study used 5 years of data on Medicare beneficiaries undergoing high-risk surgical procedures to investigate whether postdischarge mortality varies by time to readmission. It found that surgical readmissions within 10 days of discharge are disproportionately common and associated with increased mortality independent of index complications.
AHRQ-funded; HS017765; HS000053.
Citation: Gonzalez AA, Abdelsattar ZM, Dimick JB .
Time-to-readmission and mortality after high-risk surgery.
Ann Surg 2015 Jul;262(1):53-9. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000000912..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Mortality, Hospital Readmissions, Adverse Events, Surgery
Abdelsattar ZM, Hendren S, Wong SL
Variation in transfusion practices and the effect on outcomes after noncardiac surgery.
The researchers assessed the hospital-level variation in transfusion practices for packed red blood cells and the patient-level effects on outcomes after noncardiac general or vascular surgery, using population-based prospectively collected data. They found that postoperative transfusions after noncardiac surgery are associated with increased adverse postoperative outcomes, with the exception of postoperative myocardial infarction.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053.
Citation: Abdelsattar ZM, Hendren S, Wong SL .
Variation in transfusion practices and the effect on outcomes after noncardiac surgery.
Ann Surg 2015 Jul;262(1):1-6. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000001264..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Surgery, Outcomes, Adverse Events
Saeed MJ, Dubberke ER, Fraser VJ
Procedure-specific surgical site infection incidence varies widely within certain National Healthcare Safety Network surgery groups.
The objective of this study was to determine surgical site infection (SSI) incidence for clinically defined subgroups within 5 heterogeneous National Healthcare Safety Network surgery categories (amputation; bile duct, liver or pancreas; breast; colon; and hernia) in community hospitals in California, Florida, and New York. The 90-day SSI rates varied significantly within each of the 5 subgroups.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Saeed MJ, Dubberke ER, Fraser VJ .
Procedure-specific surgical site infection incidence varies widely within certain National Healthcare Safety Network surgery groups.
Am J Infect Control 2015 Jun;43(6):617-23. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2015.02.012..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Surgery, Patient Safety, Adverse Events
Singer SJ, Jiang W, Huang LC
Surgical team member assessment of the safety of surgery practice in 38 South Carolina hospitals.
This study assessed surgical team member perceptions of multiple dimensions of safe surgical practice in 38 South Carolina hospitals participating in a statewide initiative to implement surgical safety checklists. It found that overall, 78 percent of responses were positive about surgical safety at respondent’s hospitals, but in each survey dimension, from 16 percent to 40 percent of responses were neutral/negative.
AHRQ-funded; HS019631.
Citation: Singer SJ, Jiang W, Huang LC .
Surgical team member assessment of the safety of surgery practice in 38 South Carolina hospitals.
Med Care Res Rev 2015 Jun;72(3):298-323. doi: 10.1177/1077558715577479..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Surgery, Hospitals
Roxbury CR, Yang J, Salazar J
Safety and postoperative adverse events in pediatric otologic surgery: analysis of American College of Surgeons NSQIP-P 30-day outcomes.
This study described safety and postoperative sequelae of pediatric otologic surgery and identify predictive factors for postoperative events. It found that pediatric otologic procedures are common and have low rates of global 30-day postoperative events. Tympanomastoidectomy and cochlear implantation have the highest risk of 30-day readmission.
AHRQ-funded; HS022932.
Citation: Roxbury CR, Yang J, Salazar J .
Safety and postoperative adverse events in pediatric otologic surgery: analysis of American College of Surgeons NSQIP-P 30-day outcomes.
Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2015 May;152(5):790-5. doi: 10.1177/0194599815575711..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Children/Adolescents, Surgery, Patient Safety, Children/Adolescents, Quality Improvement