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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (2)
- Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Colorectal Cancer (1)
- Caregiving (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (1)
- Communication (2)
- Community-Based Practice (1)
- COVID-19 (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (3)
- Emergency Department (2)
- Healthcare Delivery (7)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (3)
- Home Healthcare (1)
- Imaging (1)
- Implementation (2)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (1)
- Lifestyle Changes (1)
- Nursing (2)
- Organizational Change (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Patient Safety (1)
- Practice Improvement (1)
- Primary Care (7)
- Primary Care: Models of Care (2)
- Provider (1)
- Quality Improvement (3)
- Quality of Care (4)
- Respiratory Conditions (1)
- Surgery (2)
- Teams (1)
- Transitions of Care (1)
- (-) Workflow (18)
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 18 of 18 Research Studies DisplayedBurden A, Potestio C, Pukenas E
Influence of perioperative handoffs on complications and outcomes.
The authors describe the perioperative environment, calling it dynamic and complex, and indicate that there are multiple distractions that can interfere with effective communication and safe patient care. They discuss various aspects involved in handoffs, concluding that an institutional culture that highlights the importance of patient safety and that encourages team collaboration has demonstrated that harm can be decreased and patient safety can be improved.
AHRQ-funded; HS026158.
Citation: Burden A, Potestio C, Pukenas E .
Influence of perioperative handoffs on complications and outcomes.
Adv Anesth 2021 Dec;39:133-48. doi: 10.1016/j.aan.2021.07.008..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Transitions of Care, Workflow
Johnson KD, Schumacher D, Lee RC
Identifying strategies for the management of interruptions for novice triage nurses using an online modified Delphi method.
This study’s purpose was to use the Delphi Method to identify strategies used by triage nurses to effectively manage interrupts that can be taught to novice nurses. A panel of nine triage, education, and operational management experts were selected. The panel participated in three Delphi rounds. Results were synthesized and summaries returned to the participants. A final consensus was reached regarding recommendations for successful strategies to address triage interruptions. Eight strategies to mitigate the impact of interruptions were identified. Six of those strategies were identified as best being taught using simulation.
AHRQ-funded; HS025844.
Citation: Johnson KD, Schumacher D, Lee RC .
Identifying strategies for the management of interruptions for novice triage nurses using an online modified Delphi method.
J Nurs Scholarsh 2021 Nov;53(6):718-26. doi: 10.1111/jnu.12683..
Keywords: Nursing, Workflow
Salwei ME, Carayon P, Hoonakker PLT
Workflow integration analysis of a human factors-based clinical decision support in the emergency department.
Numerous challenges with the implementation, acceptance, and use of health IT are related to poor usability and a lack of integration of the technologies into clinical workflow, and have, therefore, limited the potential of these technologies to improve patient safety. In this paper, the investigators propose a definition and conceptual model of health IT workflow integration. Using interviews of 12 emergency department (ED) physicians, they identified 134 excerpts of barriers and facilitators to workflow integration of a human factors (HF)-based clinical decision support (CDS) implemented in the ED.
AHRQ-funded; HS022086.
Citation: Salwei ME, Carayon P, Hoonakker PLT .
Workflow integration analysis of a human factors-based clinical decision support in the emergency department.
Appl Ergon 2021 Nov;97:103498. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103498..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Workflow, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Implementation
Benneyan JC, White T, Nehls N
Systems analysis of a dedicated ambulatory respiratory unit for seeing and ensuring follow-up of patients with COVID-19 symptoms.
This paper is a systems analysis of a dedicated ambulatory respiratory unit for patients with COVID-19 symptoms. Workflow redesigns were necessitated by COVID and included new ambulatory workflows to handle surge volumes, protect patients and staff, and ensure timely reliable care. The workflow innovations observed can possibly be used to benefit routine care. Observations found that more than 85% of follow-ups were completed within 24 hours, and no staff or patient infections were associated with unit operations. Identified issues included role confusion, staffing and gatekeeping bottlenecks, and patient reluctance to visit in person or discuss concerns on the phone.
AHRQ-funded; HS027282.
Citation: Benneyan JC, White T, Nehls N .
Systems analysis of a dedicated ambulatory respiratory unit for seeing and ensuring follow-up of patients with COVID-19 symptoms.
J Ambul Care Manage 2021 Oct-Dec;44(4):293-303. doi: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000390..
Keywords: COVID-19, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Respiratory Conditions, Workflow, Healthcare Delivery
Joseph A, Neyens D, Mihandoust S
Impact of surgical table orientation on flow disruptions and movement patterns during pediatric outpatient surgeries.
This quantitative observational study observed the impacts of surgical table orientation on flow disruptions (FDs), the number of contacts between team members, and the distance traveled. Findings showed that the orientation of the surgical table significantly influenced staff workflow and movement in the operating room, with an angled surgical table orientation being the least disruptive to surgical work. The anesthesia provider, scrub nurse, and circulating nurse experienced more FDs compared to the surgeon.
AHRQ-funded; HS024380.
Citation: Joseph A, Neyens D, Mihandoust S .
Impact of surgical table orientation on flow disruptions and movement patterns during pediatric outpatient surgeries.
Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 Jul 31;18(15). doi: 10.3390/ijerph18158114..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Surgery, Workflow
Hung DY, Mujal G, Jin A
Patient experiences after implementing lean primary care redesigns.
The authors examined the effect of Lean primary care redesigns on patient satisfaction with care and timeliness of care received. After implementation of Lean redesigns, they found that patients reported a 44.8 percent increase in satisfaction with the adequacy of time spent with care providers during office visits. They also reported 71.6 percent higher satisfaction with their care provider's ability to listen to their concerns and a 55.4 percent increase in perceived staff helpfulness at the visit. The amount of time elapsed between a patient request for a routine appointment and the scheduled visit day decreased. On the day of the visit, patient wait times to be seen also decreased gradually.
AHRQ-funded; HS024529.
Citation: Hung DY, Mujal G, Jin A .
Patient experiences after implementing lean primary care redesigns.
Health Serv Res 2021 Jun;56(3):363-70. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13605..
Keywords: Patient Experience, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Workflow, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Freedman S, Golberstein E, Huang TY
Docs with their eyes on the clock? The effect of time pressures on primary care productivity.
J Health Econ 2021 May;77:102442. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102442.
Investigators examined how time pressure, an important constraint faced by medical care providers, affects productivity in primary care. Data was taken from the electronic health records of a large integrated delivery system. They found that greater time pressure reduced the number of diagnoses recorded during a visit and increased both scheduled and unscheduled follow-up care. Further, they found evidence of increased low-value care, decreased preventive care, and decreased opioid prescribing.
Investigators examined how time pressure, an important constraint faced by medical care providers, affects productivity in primary care. Data was taken from the electronic health records of a large integrated delivery system. They found that greater time pressure reduced the number of diagnoses recorded during a visit and increased both scheduled and unscheduled follow-up care. Further, they found evidence of increased low-value care, decreased preventive care, and decreased opioid prescribing.
AHRQ-funded; HS000036.
Citation: Freedman S, Golberstein E, Huang TY .
Docs with their eyes on the clock? The effect of time pressures on primary care productivity.
J Health Econ 2021 May;77:102442. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102442..
Keywords: Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Workflow
Linke SE, Kallenberg GR, Kronick R
Integrating "Exercise Is Medicine" into primary care workflow: a study protocol.
As a major contributor to the burden of most chronic diseases, insufficient physical activity (PA) creates a significant financial burden on the health care system. Exercise Is Medicine (EIM) is a global health initiative committed to the belief that PA is integral to the prevention and treatment of diseases and should be routinely assessed as a vital sign and treated in the health care setting. This paper described an in-progress embedded quality improvement (QI) project that integrated EIM into routine clinical practice.
AHRQ-funded; HS026517.
Citation: Linke SE, Kallenberg GR, Kronick R .
Integrating "Exercise Is Medicine" into primary care workflow: a study protocol.
Transl Behav Med 2021 Apr 26;11(4):921-29. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibaa088..
Keywords: Primary Care, Lifestyle Changes, Workflow, Healthcare Delivery
Jurewicz KA, Neyens DM, Catchpole K
Observational study of anaesthesia workflow to evaluate physical workspace design and layout.
The objective of this study was to observe the relationship between task switching and physical layout, and then use the data collected to design and assess different anesthesia workspace layouts. Six videos of anesthesia providers from a single medical center in the United States were analyzed. Findings showed that current operating theater layouts do not fit work demands. The authors reported a simple method that facilitates a quick layout design assessment and showed that the anesthesia workspace can be improved to better suit workflow and patient care. They suggested that this arrangement could reduce anesthesia workload while improving task flow efficiency and potentially the safety of care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024380.
Citation: Jurewicz KA, Neyens DM, Catchpole K .
Observational study of anaesthesia workflow to evaluate physical workspace design and layout.
Br J Anaesth 2021 Mar;126(3):633-41. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2020.08.063..
Keywords: Workflow, Healthcare Delivery, Surgery
Hung DY, Truong QA, Liang SY
Implementing lean quality improvement in primary care: impact on efficiency in performing common clinical tasks.
Investigators examined 3-year impacts of Lean implementation on the amount of time taken for physicians to complete common clinical tasks. They found that Lean redesigns led to improvements in timely completion of 3 out of 4 common clinical tasks, thus supporting the use of Lean techniques to engage teams in routine aspects of patient care. They recommended more research to understand the mechanisms by which Lean promotes quality improvement and effectiveness of care team workflows.
AHRQ-funded; HS024529.
Citation: Hung DY, Truong QA, Liang SY .
Implementing lean quality improvement in primary care: impact on efficiency in performing common clinical tasks.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Feb;36(2):274-79. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06317-9..
Keywords: Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Implementation, Workflow, Teams, Healthcare Delivery
Patel VL, Denton CA, Soni HC
Physician workflow in two distinctive emergency departments: an observational study.
In this study, the investigators characterized physician workflow in two distinctive emergency departments (ED). Physician practices mediated by electronic health records (EHR) were explored within the context of organizational complexity for the delivery of care. The investigators concluded that 1.) the nature of the clinical practice and EHR-mediated workflow reflected the ED work practices; 2.) physicians in more complex organizations may be less efficient because of the fragmented workflow- however these effects could be mitigated by effort distribution through team communication, which affords inherent safety checks.
AHRQ-funded; HS022670.
Citation: Patel VL, Denton CA, Soni HC .
Physician workflow in two distinctive emergency departments: an observational study.
Appl Clin Inform 2021 Jan;12(1):141-52. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1722615..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Workflow, Healthcare Delivery, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Fong A, Hoffman DJ, Zachary Hettinger A
Identifying visual search patterns in eye gaze data; gaining insights into physician visual workflow.
The authors propose an algorithmic approach to identify different visual search patterns. They demonstrate this approach by identifying common physician visual search patterns using a simulated prototype emergency department patient tracking system. They then discuss the benefits and limitations as well as insights from this initial evaluation.
AHRQ-funded; HS020433.
Citation: Fong A, Hoffman DJ, Zachary Hettinger A .
Identifying visual search patterns in eye gaze data; gaining insights into physician visual workflow.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2016 Nov;23(6):1180-84. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv196.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Workflow
Valdez RS, Holden RJ
Health care human factors/ergonomics fieldwork in home and community settings.
The researchers offered several strategies that human factors and ergonomics professionals can use before, during, and after home and community site visits to optimize fieldwork and mitigate challenges in these settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS022930; HS018809.
Citation: Valdez RS, Holden RJ .
Health care human factors/ergonomics fieldwork in home and community settings.
Ergon Des 2016 Oct;24(4):4-9. doi: 10.1177/1064804615622111.
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Keywords: Caregiving, Community-Based Practice, Home Healthcare, Workflow
Menon S, Murphy DR, SIngh H
Workarounds and test results follow-up in electronic health record-based primary care.
This study sought to understand why primary care practitioners use workarounds to manage test results by analyzing data from a previously conducted national cross-sectional survey on test result management. It concluded that workarounds to manage EHR-based test results are common, and their use results from unmet provider information management needs.
AHRQ-funded; HS022901; HS022087.
Citation: Menon S, Murphy DR, SIngh H .
Workarounds and test results follow-up in electronic health record-based primary care.
Appl Clin Inform 2016 Jun 22;7(2):543-59. doi: 10.4338/aci-2015-10-ra-0135.
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Keywords: Communication, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Primary Care, Workflow
Gray CP, Harrison MI, Hung D
AHRQ Author: Harrison MI
Medical assistants as flow managers in primary care: challenges and recommendations.
Drawing on an empirical study of a large, multispecialty delivery system engaged in reconfiguration of primary care, the authors found that using medical assistants (Mas) as flow managers required overcoming several challenges. These included entrenched social and occupational hierarchies between physicians and MAs, a lack of adequate training and mentorship, and difficulty attracting and retaining talented MAs.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 2902010000221.
Citation: Gray CP, Harrison MI, Hung D .
Medical assistants as flow managers in primary care: challenges and recommendations.
J Healthc Manag 2016 May-Jun;61(3):181-91.
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Keywords: Primary Care, Organizational Change, Practice Improvement, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Workflow, Provider
Abraham J, Kannampallil T, Brenner C
Characterizing the structure and content of nurse handoffs: a Sequential Conversational Analysis approach.
This paper describes Sequential Conversational Analysis (SCA) - a mixed-method approach integrating qualitative conversational analysis with quantitative sequential pattern analysis. This approach allows characterization of the nature of nurse handoff communication, highlighting the relationships underlying verbal content. The authors also discuss how SCA can help in understanding the dynamics of communication in other settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS017586.
Citation: Abraham J, Kannampallil T, Brenner C .
Characterizing the structure and content of nurse handoffs: a Sequential Conversational Analysis approach.
J Biomed Inform 2016 Feb;59:76-88. doi: 10.1016/j.jbi.2015.11.009.
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Keywords: Communication, Quality of Care, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Nursing, Workflow
Acharya S, Fischer-Valuck BW, Kashani R
Online magnetic resonance image guided adaptive radiation therapy: first clinical applications.
The authors demonstrated the feasibility of online adaptive magnetic resonance (MR) image guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT) with five patients with abdominopelvic malignancies. They successfully implemented online adaptive MR-IGRT with planning and quality assurance workflow suitable for routine clinical application. Clinical trials are in development to formally evaluate adaptive treatments for a variety of disease sites.
AHRQ-funded; HS022888.
Citation: Acharya S, Fischer-Valuck BW, Kashani R .
Online magnetic resonance image guided adaptive radiation therapy: first clinical applications.
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2016 Feb;94(2):394-403. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2015.10.015.
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Keywords: Cancer, Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Imaging, Workflow
Holman GT, Beasley JW, Karsh BT
The myth of standardized workflow in primary care.
This analysis evaluates workflow variation in terms of the sequence of tasks performed during patient visits. It concluded that the prevalence of specific tasks shifts significantly as primary care visits progress to their conclusion but, notably, PCPs collect patient information throughout the visit.
AHRQ-funded; HS017115; HS017014.
Citation: Holman GT, Beasley JW, Karsh BT .
The myth of standardized workflow in primary care.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2016 Jan;23(1):29-37. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv107.
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Keywords: Primary Care, Workflow