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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 41 Research Studies DisplayedSabbatini AK, Merck LH, Froemming AT
Optimizing patient-centered communication and multidisciplinary care coordination in emergency diagnostic imaging: a research agenda.
This article summarizes findings reached during the patient-centered outcomes session of the 2015 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference "Diagnostic Imaging in the Emergency Department: A Research Agenda to Optimize Utilization." The primary objective was to develop a research agenda focused on 1) defining component parts of the emergency diagnostic imaging care coordination process, 2) identifying gaps in communication that affect emergency diagnostic imaging, and 3) defining optimal methods of communication.
AHRQ-funded; HS022982.
Citation: Sabbatini AK, Merck LH, Froemming AT .
Optimizing patient-centered communication and multidisciplinary care coordination in emergency diagnostic imaging: a research agenda.
Acad Emerg Med 2015 Dec;22(12):1427-34. doi: 10.1111/acem.12826.
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Keywords: Communication, Emergency Department, Health Services Research (HSR), Imaging, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Calo WA, Cubillos L, Breen J
Experiences of Latinos with limited English proficiency with patient registration systems and their interactions with clinic front office staff: an exploratory study to inform community-based translational research in North Carolina.
This study explored Latino patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) experiences with, and expectations for, interactions with patient registration systems and front office staff. It found that Latino patients in North Carolina experienced health services barriers unique to their LEP background. Participants identified ways in which the lack of cultural and linguistic competence of front office staff negatively affect their experiences seeking health services.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Calo WA, Cubillos L, Breen J .
Experiences of Latinos with limited English proficiency with patient registration systems and their interactions with clinic front office staff: an exploratory study to inform community-based translational research in North Carolina.
BMC Health Serv Res 2015 Dec 23;15:570. doi: 10.1186/s12913-015-1235-z.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Communication, Health Services Research (HSR), Clinician-Patient Communication, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Michelson KA, Ho T, Pelletier A
A mobile, collaborative, real time task list for inpatient environments.
The researchers created a mobile, collaborative, real-time task list application on the iOS platform. They then described their experience designing and piloting the application with an inpatient pediatric ward team at an academic pediatric hospital. They found that physicians preferred the immediacy and familiarity of paper, and did not experience an efficiency benefit when using the electronic tasklist.
AHRQ-funded; HS000063.
Citation: Michelson KA, Ho T, Pelletier A .
A mobile, collaborative, real time task list for inpatient environments.
Appl Clin Inform 2015 Nov 18;6(4):677-83. doi: 10.4338/aci-2015-05-cr-0050.
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Keywords: Care Management, Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Inpatient Care, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Dykes PC, Stade D, Dalal A
Strategies for managing mobile devices for use by hospitalized inpatients.
The authors implemented the PROSPECT (Promoting Respect and Ongoing Safety through Patient-centeredness, Engagement, Communication and Technology) project at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The goal of PROSPECT is to transform the hospital environment by providing a suite of e-tools to facilitate teamwork. In this paper, the authors described decisions and challenges faced and related the strategies used and lessons learned.
AHRQ-funded; HS023535.
Citation: Dykes PC, Stade D, Dalal A .
Strategies for managing mobile devices for use by hospitalized inpatients.
AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2015 Nov 5;2015:522-31.
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Keywords: Communication, Inpatient Care, Patient and Family Engagement, Patient Safety, Teams
Meeker D, Jiang X, Matheny ME
A system to build distributed multivariate models and manage disparate data sharing policies: implementation in the scalable national network for effectiveness research.
The authors’ objective was to implement infrastructure that supports the functionality of some existing research networks (e.g., cohort discovery, workflow management, and estimation of multivariate analytic models on centralized data) while adding additional important new features. They were able to implement massively parallel (map-reduce) computation methods and a new policy management system to enable each study initiated by network participants to define the ways in which data may be processed, managed, queried, and shared.
AHRQ-funded; HS019913.
Citation: Meeker D, Jiang X, Matheny ME .
A system to build distributed multivariate models and manage disparate data sharing policies: implementation in the scalable national network for effectiveness research.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2015 Nov;22(6):1187-95. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv017..
Keywords: Communication, Comparative Effectiveness, Data, Health Information Technology (HIT), Policy, Research Methodologies
Hahn EA, Burns JL, Jacobs EA
Health literacy and patient-reported outcomes: a cross-sectional study of underserved English- and Spanish-speaking patients with type 2 diabetes.
The investigators examined associations between patient characteristics, health behaviors, and health outcomes and explored the role of health literacy as a potential mediator of outcomes. They found that health literacy was not associated with diabetes self-care, health status, or satisfaction with communication, and it did not mediate the effects of other factors on these outcomes. Diabetes self-efficacy was significantly associated with health behaviors and outcomes. The association between Spanish language preference and poorer health was not mediated by this group's lower health literacy.
AHRQ-funded; HS019335.
Citation: Hahn EA, Burns JL, Jacobs EA .
Health literacy and patient-reported outcomes: a cross-sectional study of underserved English- and Spanish-speaking patients with type 2 diabetes.
J Health Commun 2015;20 Suppl 2:4-15. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2015.1061071.
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Keywords: Communication, Diabetes, Health Literacy, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Schussler-Fiorenza Rose SM, Gangnon RE, Chewning B
Increasing discussion rates of incontinence in primary care: a randomized controlled trial.
The study’s aim was to evaluate whether the use of an electronic pelvic floor assessment questionnaire (ePAQ-PF) improves communication about incontinence in primary care. It found that use of the ePAQ-PF prior to clinic visits increases discussion of urinary and fecal incontinence, particularly clinician-initiated discussion.
AHRQ-funded; HS017028.
Citation: Schussler-Fiorenza Rose SM, Gangnon RE, Chewning B .
Increasing discussion rates of incontinence in primary care: a randomized controlled trial.
J Womens Health 2015 Nov;24(11):940-9. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2015.5230..
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Primary Care, Women
Rangachari P, Madaio M, Rethemeyer RK
Cumulative impact of periodic top-down communications on infection prevention practices and outcomes in two units.
The authors investigated the challenge of consistent implementation of evidence-based infection prevention practices at the unit level. Their results showed that the interventions cumulatively had a significant desired impact on central catheter use and helped validate the theoretical literature and identify evidence-based management strategies for practice change at the unit level. Further, periodic top-down communications have the potential to modify interprofessional knowledge exchanges and enable practice change at the unit level, leading to significantly improved outcomes and reduced costs.
AHRQ-funded; HS019785.
Citation: Rangachari P, Madaio M, Rethemeyer RK .
Cumulative impact of periodic top-down communications on infection prevention practices and outcomes in two units.
Health Care Manage Rev 2015 Oct-Dec;40(4):324-36. doi: 10.1097/hmr.0000000000000038.
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Keywords: Communication, Evidence-Based Practice, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Children/Adolescents, Prevention
Attanasio L, Kozhimannil KB
Patient-reported communication quality and perceived discrimination in maternity care.
The researchers assessed racial/ethnic disparities in patient-reported communication problems and perceived discrimination in maternity care among women nationally and measured racial/ethnic variation in the correlates of these outcomes. They found that over 40 percent of women reported communication problems in prenatal care, and 24 percent perceived discrimination during their hospitalization for birth.
AHRQ-funded; HS000036.
Citation: Attanasio L, Kozhimannil KB .
Patient-reported communication quality and perceived discrimination in maternity care.
Med Care 2015 Oct;53(10):863-71. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000411..
Keywords: Communication, Disparities, Maternal Care, Clinician-Patient Communication, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Crotty BH, Walker J, Dierks M
Information sharing preferences of older patients and their families.
This study identified how patients older than 75 years (hereinafter, elders) and family caregivers of such patients approach sharing of health information, with the hope of applying the results to collaborative patient portals. It found that information sharing and control are complex issues even under the most well-meaning circumstances. While elders may delegate control and share information with family, they want to retain granular control of their information.
AHRQ-funded; HS021495.
Citation: Crotty BH, Walker J, Dierks M .
Information sharing preferences of older patients and their families.
JAMA Intern Med 2015 Sep;175(9):1492-7. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.2903..
Keywords: Caregiving, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Elderly, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)
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
Narayanaswami P, Gronseth G, Dubinsky R
The impact of social media on dissemination and implementation of clinical practice guidelines: a longitudinal observational study.
The researchers’ aim was to develop and evaluate an innovative dissemination strategy by adding social media-based dissemination methods to traditional methods for the clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) “Complementary and alternative medicine in multiple sclerosis.” They found that social media-based dissemination methods did not confer additional benefit over print-, email-, and Internet-based methods in increasing CPG awareness and changing intent in physicians or patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS022004.
Citation: Narayanaswami P, Gronseth G, Dubinsky R .
The impact of social media on dissemination and implementation of clinical practice guidelines: a longitudinal observational study.
J Med Internet Res 2015 Aug 13;17(8):e193. doi: 10.2196/jmir.4414..
Keywords: Communication, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Evidence-Based Practice, Guidelines, Social Media, Implementation
Linzer M, Poplau S, Grossman E
A cluster randomized trial of interventions to improve work conditions and clinician burnout in primary care: results from the Healthy Work Place (HWP) Study.
This study aimed to assess if improvements in work conditions reduce clinician stress and burnout. It found that burnout was more likely to improve with workflow interventions and with targeted QI projects than in controls. Also, interventions in communication or workflow led to greater improvements in clinician satisfaction.
AHRQ-funded; HS018160.
Citation: Linzer M, Poplau S, Grossman E .
A cluster randomized trial of interventions to improve work conditions and clinician burnout in primary care: results from the Healthy Work Place (HWP) Study.
J Gen Intern Med 2015 Aug;30(8):1105-11. doi: 10.1007/s11606-015-3235-4..
Keywords: Burnout, Stress, Primary Care, Workflow, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Communication
Morgans AK, Schapira L
Confronting therapeutic failure: a conversation guide.
The authors review the classic six-step SPIKES (setting, perception, invitation for information, knowledge, empathy, summarize and strategize) protocol for giving bad news that has been widely adopted since it was first published in this journal in 2005. They also offer practical tips derived from a thorough review of the evidence and our clinical experience.
AHRQ-funded; HS022990.
Citation: Morgans AK, Schapira L .
Confronting therapeutic failure: a conversation guide.
Oncologist 2015 Aug;20(8):946-51. doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2015-0050..
Keywords: Cancer, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Rosenbluth G, Bale JF, Starmer AJ
Variation in printed handoff documents: results and recommendations from a multicenter needs assessment.
The objective of this study was to determine whether variability exists in the content of printed handoff documents and to identify key data elements that should be uniformly included in these documents. It identified substantial variation in both the structure and content of printed handoff documents. Only 4 of 23 possible data elements (17 percent) were uniformly present in all sites’ handoff documents.
AHRQ-funded; HS019456.
Citation: Rosenbluth G, Bale JF, Starmer AJ .
Variation in printed handoff documents: results and recommendations from a multicenter needs assessment.
J Hosp Med 2015 Aug;10(8):517-24. doi: 10.1002/jhm.2380..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Medical Errors, Communication, Comparative Effectiveness, Care Coordination
Morrato EH, Rabin B, Proctor J
Bringing it home: expanding the local reach of dissemination and implementation training via a university-based workshop.
The Colorado Research in Implementation Science Program (CRISP) developed and delivered an introductory D&I workshop adapted from national programs to extend training reach and foster a local learning community for D&I. This paper describes the context of the local training environment, findings from a pre-workshop needs assessment survey, training design and structure, and post-workshop evaluation. Lessons learned may inform others intending to develop local D&I training workshop.
AHRQ-funded; HS021138.
Citation: Morrato EH, Rabin B, Proctor J .
Bringing it home: expanding the local reach of dissemination and implementation training via a university-based workshop.
Implement Sci 2015 Jul 4;10:94. doi: 10.1186/s13012-015-0281-6..
Keywords: Communication, Education: Continuing Medical Education, Evidence-Based Practice, Guidelines, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Training, Implementation
Nembhard IM, Labao I, Savage S
Breaking the silence: determinants of voice for quality improvement in hospitals.
The researchers examined the drivers of “voice” for health professionals in hospitals. “Voice” is understood as the discretionary communication of ideas, suggestions, concerns, or opinions about work-related issues with the intent to improve organizational or unit functioning. They found that factors related to individuals (e.g., tenure), work (e.g., work configuration), organizational context (e.g., culture), data (e.g., benchmarking), and the external environment (e.g., attention) influenced health professionals’ voice.
AHRQ-funded; HS018987.
Citation: Nembhard IM, Labao I, Savage S .
Breaking the silence: determinants of voice for quality improvement in hospitals.
Health Care Manage Rev 2015 Jul-Sep;40(3):225-36. doi: 10.1097/hmr.0000000000000028..
Keywords: Hospitals, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Communication, Organizational Change, Health Services Research (HSR)
Kim KK, Joseph JG, Ohno-Machado L
Comparison of consumers' views on electronic data sharing for healthcare and research.
The researchers surveyed California consumers to learn their views of privacy, security, and consent in electronic data sharing for healthcare and research together. They found considerable concern that health information exchanges will worsen privacy (40.3 percent) and security (42.5 percent). Consumers are in favor of electronic data sharing but elements of transparency are important: individual control, who has access, and the purpose for use of data.
AHRQ-funded; HS019913.
Citation: Kim KK, Joseph JG, Ohno-Machado L .
Comparison of consumers' views on electronic data sharing for healthcare and research.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2015 Jul;22(4):821-30. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv014..
Keywords: Communication, Data, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Exchange (HIE), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient-Centered Healthcare
Carrington JM, Gephart SM, Verran JA
Development of an instrument to measure the unintended consequences of EHRs.
The authors examined the creation and design of an instrument measuring unintended consequences of electronic health records. They suggested that other researchers will find their methods article informative for similar undertakings.
AHRQ-funded; HS022908.
Citation: Carrington JM, Gephart SM, Verran JA .
Development of an instrument to measure the unintended consequences of EHRs.
West J Nurs Res 2015 Jul;37(7):842-58. doi: 10.1177/0193945915576083.
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Keywords: Communication, Decision Making, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Nursing, Patient Safety
Tjia J, Field T, Mazor K
Dissemination of evidence-based antipsychotic prescribing guidelines to nursing homes: a cluster randomized trial.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of efforts to translate and disseminate evidence-based guidelines about atypical antipsychotic use to nursing homes (NHs). It found that RE-AIM indicators suggest some success in disseminating the toolkit and differences in reach, adoption, and implementation according to dissemination strategy but no measurable effect on antipsychotic prescribing trends.
AHRQ-funded; HS019351.
Citation: Tjia J, Field T, Mazor K .
Dissemination of evidence-based antipsychotic prescribing guidelines to nursing homes: a cluster randomized trial.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2015 Jul;63(7):1289-98. doi: 10.1111/jgs.13488..
Keywords: Communication, Evidence-Based Practice, Guidelines, Long-Term Care, Medication, Nursing Homes, Practice Patterns, Tools & Toolkits, Implementation
Alexander GL
Nurse assistant communication strategies about pressure ulcers in nursing homes.
The author explored strategies nursing assistants use to communicate pressure ulcer prevention practices in nursing homes with variable information technology sophistication measures. Three major themes emerged: Passing on Information, Keeping Track of Needs, and Information Access.
AHRQ-funded; HS016862.
Citation: Alexander GL .
Nurse assistant communication strategies about pressure ulcers in nursing homes.
West J Nurs Res 2015 Jul;37(7):984-1004. doi: 10.1177/0193945914555201.
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Keywords: Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Nursing Homes, Pressure Ulcers, Prevention
Crotty BH, Mostaghimi A, O'Brien J
Prevalence and risk profile of unread messages to patients in a patient web portal.
The researchers sought to assess the prevalence and risk profile of unread messages in a mature patient portal. They found that overall, secure messaging appears a safe form of communication, but systems to notify senders when messages are unread may have value. While most clinical messages were read, many outreach messages were not.
AHRQ-funded; HS021495.
Citation: Crotty BH, Mostaghimi A, O'Brien J .
Prevalence and risk profile of unread messages to patients in a patient web portal.
Appl Clin Inform 2015 Jun 12;6(2):375-82. doi: 10.4338/aci-2015-01-cr-0006..
Keywords: Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Web-Based, Patient Safety
Manojlovich M, Adler-Milstein J, Harrod M
The effect of health information technology on health care provider communication: a mixed-method protocol.
The purpose of this study is to describe, in detail, how health information and communication technologies facilitate or hinder communication between nurses and physicians. It seeks to (1) identify the range of health information and communication technologies used in a national sample of medical-surgical acute care units, and (2) describe communication practices and work relationships that may be influenced by health information and communication technologies in these same settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS022305.
Citation: Manojlovich M, Adler-Milstein J, Harrod M .
The effect of health information technology on health care provider communication: a mixed-method protocol.
JMIR Res Protoc 2015 Jun 11;4(2):e72. doi: 10.2196/resprot.4463..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Safety, Medical Errors
Borden WB, Chiang YP, Kronick R
AHRQ Author: Kronick, R
Bringing patient-centered outcomes research to life.
Achieving better health outcomes requires both the generation of new patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) knowledge and the appropriate and timely dissemination of that knowledge into practice. This article highlights the work AHRQ has done, is doing, and will do to improve the uptake of PCOR findings.
AHRQ-authored
Citation: Borden WB, Chiang YP, Kronick R .
Bringing patient-centered outcomes research to life.
Value Health. 2015 Jun;18(4):355-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jval.2015.01.010..
Keywords: Communication, Evidence-Based Practice, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Implementation
Leeman J, Myers AE, Ribisl KM
Disseminating policy and environmental change interventions: insights from obesity prevention and tobacco control.
This paper describes the approach that two projects developed to disseminate policy and environmental change interventions. The Center for Training and Research Translation (Center TRT) disseminates evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to promote physical activity and healthy eating. Counter Tobacco disseminates EBIs to counter tobacco product sales and marketing in the retail environment.
AHRQ-funded; HS019468.
Citation: Leeman J, Myers AE, Ribisl KM .
Disseminating policy and environmental change interventions: insights from obesity prevention and tobacco control.
Int J Behav Med 2015 Jun;22(3):301-11. doi: 10.1007/s12529-014-9427-1..
Keywords: Communication, Evidence-Based Practice, Obesity, Policy, Prevention, Public Health, Tobacco Use, Implementation