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 11 of 11 Research Studies DisplayedDowding D, Merrill J, Russell D
Using feedback intervention theory to guide clinical dashboard design.
The provision of feedback to clinicians and organizations on the quality of care they provide is thought to influence clinician and organizational behavior leading to care improvements. Clinical Dashboards use data visualization techniques to provide feedback to individuals on their performance compared to quality metrics. In this paper the authors outline a theoretical approach to the design of a clinical dashboard; Feedback Intervention Theory (FIT).
AHRQ-funded; HS023855.
Citation: Dowding D, Merrill J, Russell D .
Using feedback intervention theory to guide clinical dashboard design.
AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2018 Dec 5;2018:395-403..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Meyers S, Claire Simon K, Bergman-Bock S
Structured clinical documentation to improve quality and support practice-based research in headache.
The authors developed a proprietary toolkit to aid clinicians when creating clinical documentation in electronic medical records (EMRs). This toolkit will help clinicians provide discrete data and not unstructured free text which many clinicians enter into the EMR. The toolkit collects hundreds of fields of data and interprets score tests for a number of difference assessment tools for anxiety disorder, depression, migraine disability, and insomnia. The toolkit was used at 4346 initial patient visits as of April 1, 2018. The toolkit is being shared with other clinics as part of the Neurology Practice-Based Research Network.
AHRQ-funded; HS024057.
Citation: Meyers S, Claire Simon K, Bergman-Bock S .
Structured clinical documentation to improve quality and support practice-based research in headache.
Headache 2018 Sep;58(8):1211-18. doi: 10.1111/head.13348..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Life, Tools & Toolkits, Neurological Disorders, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN)
Colin NV, Cholan RA, Sachdeva B
Understanding the impact of variations in measurement period reporting for electronic clinical quality measures.
The purpose of the study was to understand the impact of varying measurement period on the calculation of electronic Clinical Quality Measures (eCQMs). Variations in measurement periods were associated with variation in performance between clinics for 3 of the 4 eCQMs, but did not have significant differences when calculated within clinics. Variations from standard measurement periods may reflect poor data quality and accuracy.
AHRQ-funded; HS023908.
Citation: Colin NV, Cholan RA, Sachdeva B .
Understanding the impact of variations in measurement period reporting for electronic clinical quality measures.
eGEMS 2018 Jul 19;6(1):17. doi: 10.5334/egems.235..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Dowding D, Merrill JA
The development of heuristics for evaluation of dashboard visualizations.
Heuristic evaluation is used in human-computer interaction studies to assess the usability of information systems. This article develops a heuristic evaluation checklist that can be used to evaluate systems that produce information visualizations. The authors suggest that a checklist of usability heuristics for evaluating information visualization systems can contribute to assuring high quality in electronic data systems developed for health care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023855.
Citation: Dowding D, Merrill JA .
The development of heuristics for evaluation of dashboard visualizations.
Appl Clin Inform 2018 Jul;9(3):511-18. doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1666842..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Devine EB, Van Eaton E, Zadworny ME
Automating electronic clinical data capture for quality improvement and research: The CERTAIN Validation Project of Real World Evidence.
Washington State's Surgical Care Outcomes and Assessment Program (SCOAP) is a network of hospitals participating in quality improvement (QI) registries wherein data are manually abstracted from EHRs. To create the Comparative Effectiveness Research and Translation Network (CERTAIN), researchers semi-automated SCOAP data abstraction using a centralized federated data model, created a central data repository (CDR), and assessed whether these data could be used as real world evidence for QI and research. They concluded that semi-automated data abstraction may be useful, although raw data collected as a byproduct of health care delivery is not immediately available for use as real world evidence. New approaches to gathering and analyzing extant data are required.
AHRQ-funded; HS020025.
Citation: Devine EB, Van Eaton E, Zadworny ME .
Automating electronic clinical data capture for quality improvement and research: The CERTAIN Validation Project of Real World Evidence.
eGEMS 2018 May 22;6(1):8. doi: 10.5334/egems.211..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Improvement, Registries, Surgery, Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
Hemler JR, Hall JD, Cholan RA
Practice facilitator strategies for addressing electronic health record data challenges for quality improvement: EvidenceNOW.
In this paper, the authors describe the strategies facilitators use to help practices perform quality improvement (QI) when complete or accurate performance data are not available. The investigators found facilitators faced practice-level EHR data challenges, such as a lack of clinical performance data, partial or incomplete clinical performance data, and inaccurate clinical performance data.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Hemler JR, Hall JD, Cholan RA .
Practice facilitator strategies for addressing electronic health record data challenges for quality improvement: EvidenceNOW.
J Am Board Fam Med 2018 May-Jun;31(3):398-409. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2018.03.170274..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Quality Improvement, Evidence-Based Practice, Health Information Technology (HIT), Primary Care, Quality of Care
Austrian JS, Jamin CT, Doty GR
Impact of an emergency department electronic sepsis surveillance system on patient mortality and length of stay.
The goal of this study was to determine if an electronic health record (EHR) based sepsis alert system could improve quality of care and clinical outcomes for patients with sepsis. A patient-level, interrupted time series study of emergency department patients with severe sepsis or septic shock was conducted, with an intervention introduced at the approximate mid-point--a system of interruptive sepsis alerts triggered by abnormal vital signs or laboratory results. Mean length of stay for patients with sepsis decreased significantly following the introduction of the alert, but the alert system had no effect on mortality or other clinical or process measures. The researchers conclude that a more sophisticated algorithm for sepsis identification is needed to improve outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023683.
Citation: Austrian JS, Jamin CT, Doty GR .
Impact of an emergency department electronic sepsis surveillance system on patient mortality and length of stay.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2018 May;25(5):523-29. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocx072..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Emergency Department, Health Information Technology (HIT), Hospitals, Mortality, Outcomes, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Sepsis
Sequist TD, Holliday AM, Orav EJ
Physician and patient tools to improve chronic kidney disease care.
This study sought to determine if electronic health record (EHR) tools and patient engagement can improve the quality of chronic kidney disease (CKD) care. It found that, among high-risk patients, those in the intervention arm were significantly more likely to have an office visit with a nephrologist compared with those in the control arm.
AHRQ-funded; HS018226.
Citation: Sequist TD, Holliday AM, Orav EJ .
Physician and patient tools to improve chronic kidney disease care.
Am J Manag Care 2018 Apr;24(4):e107-e14.
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Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Kidney Disease and Health, Patient and Family Engagement, Quality Improvement
Cohen DJ, Dorr DA, Knierim K
Primary care practices' abilities and challenges in using electronic health record data for quality improvement.
Federal value-based payment programs require primary care practices to conduct quality improvement activities, informed by the electronic reports on clinical quality measures that their electronic health records (EHRs) generate. This study concluded that the current state of EHR measurement functionality may be insufficient to support federal initiatives that tie payment to clinical quality measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Cohen DJ, Dorr DA, Knierim K .
Primary care practices' abilities and challenges in using electronic health record data for quality improvement.
Health Aff 2018 Apr;37(4):635-43. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1254.
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Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Health Information Technology (HIT), Payment
Mold JW, Walsh M, Chou AF
The alarming rate of major disruptive events in primary care practices in Oklahoma.
This study documented the rates of major disruptive events in a cohort of primary care practices in Oklahoma. During the first year of the project, 89 major disruptive events occurred in 67 (32 percent) practices, with 20 practices experiencing multiple events. The major disruptive events reported most often during both periods were loss of personnel and implementation of electronic health records and billing systems.
AHRQ-funded; HS023919.
Citation: Mold JW, Walsh M, Chou AF .
The alarming rate of major disruptive events in primary care practices in Oklahoma.
Ann Fam Med 2018 Apr;16(Suppl 1):S52-s57. doi: 10.1370/afm.2201.
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Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Healthcare Delivery, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care, Quality Improvement
Bhise V, Sittig DF, Vaghani V
An electronic trigger based on care escalation to identify preventable adverse events in hospitalised patients.
Researchers refined the methods of the Institute of Healthcare Improvement's Global Trigger Tool application and leveraged electronic health record data to improve detection of preventable adverse events, including diagnostic errors. In the studied sample, preventable adverse events were identified, including adverse drug events, patient falls, procedure-related complications, and hospital-associated infections. The authors concluded that such e-triggers can help overcome limitations of currently available methods to detect preventable harm in hospitalized patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS022087; HS023602.
Citation: Bhise V, Sittig DF, Vaghani V .
An electronic trigger based on care escalation to identify preventable adverse events in hospitalised patients.
BMJ Qual Saf 2018 Mar;27(3):241-46. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2017-006975..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Hospitalization, Hospitals, Patient Safety, Prevention, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Quality Indicators (QIs)