National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- Data Innovations
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Access to Care (3)
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (3)
- Adverse Events (7)
- Alcohol Use (1)
- Antibiotics (1)
- Behavioral Health (4)
- Blood Thinners (2)
- Brain Injury (2)
- Cancer (8)
- Cancer: Breast Cancer (3)
- Cancer: Lung Cancer (2)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (4)
- Care Coordination (1)
- Caregiving (6)
- Chronic Conditions (6)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (1)
- COVID-19 (3)
- Decision Making (6)
- Dementia (10)
- Diabetes (3)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (2)
- Dialysis (1)
- Disparities (3)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (2)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (1)
- (-) Elderly (84)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Emergency Department (7)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (3)
- Falls (2)
- Guidelines (2)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
- Healthcare Costs (2)
- Healthcare Delivery (3)
- Healthcare Utilization (5)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (2)
- Health Insurance (2)
- Health Promotion (1)
- Health Status (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (3)
- Home Healthcare (8)
- Hospital Discharge (2)
- Hospitalization (5)
- Hospital Readmissions (2)
- Hospitals (2)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (1)
- Imaging (1)
- Infectious Diseases (2)
- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
- Long-Term Care (16)
- Low-Income (3)
- Medicaid (2)
- Medicare (16)
- Medication (17)
- Medication: Safety (6)
- Mortality (5)
- Neurological Disorders (4)
- Nursing Homes (25)
- Nutrition (1)
- Obesity (1)
- Opioids (4)
- Outcomes (3)
- Pain (1)
- Palliative Care (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Patient Safety (7)
- Payment (1)
- Pneumonia (1)
- Policy (1)
- Practice Patterns (3)
- Prevention (2)
- Primary Care (4)
- Primary Care: Models of Care (1)
- Provider (1)
- Provider: Health Personnel (1)
- Provider: Pharmacist (3)
- Public Health (1)
- Quality Improvement (3)
- Quality Measures (2)
- Quality of Care (4)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (5)
- Rehabilitation (4)
- Respiratory Conditions (1)
- Risk (2)
- Rural Health (1)
- Screening (2)
- Sepsis (1)
- Stroke (1)
- Substance Abuse (1)
- Surgery (7)
- Teams (1)
- Telehealth (1)
- Training (3)
- Transitions of Care (5)
- Trauma (2)
- Treatments (1)
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (1)
- Urban Health (1)
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) (1)
- Vulnerable Populations (1)
- Women (3)
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 84 Research Studies DisplayedRhee TG, Sint K, Olfson M
Association of ECT with risks of all-cause mortality and suicide in older Medicare patients.
This observational study examined the effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on suicide and all-cause mortality risk in Medicare psychiatric patients age 65 or older. Patients receiving ECT were exact matched to control subjects in a 1-to-3 ratio on age, gender, principal hospital diagnosis, past-year psychiatric hospitalizations, past-year suicide attempts, and Elixhauser comorbidity index. A total of 10,46 patients were in the ECT group and 31,160 in the control group. Compared with the control group, patients receiving ECT had lower all-cause mortality for up to 1 year following hospital discharge. For death by suicide, ECT was associated with short-lived effects which waned over time.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Rhee TG, Sint K, Olfson M .
Association of ECT with risks of all-cause mortality and suicide in older Medicare patients.
Am J Psychiatry 2021 Dec;178(12):1089-97. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.21040351..
Keywords: Elderly, Behavioral Health, Mortality, Treatments
Fashaw-Walters SA, McCreedy E, Bynum JPW
Disproportionate increases in schizophrenia diagnoses among Black nursing home residents with ADRD.
Investigators examined how race and Alzheimer's and related dementia (ADRD) status influenced the rate of schizophrenia diagnoses among nursing home (NH) residents following the CMS National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care. Using 2011-2015 Minimum Data Set 3.0 assessments, they found that, following the partnership, black NH residents with ADRD were more likely to have a schizophrenia diagnosis documented on their minimum data set assessments, and schizophrenia rates increased for black NH residents with ADRD only.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Fashaw-Walters SA, McCreedy E, Bynum JPW .
Disproportionate increases in schizophrenia diagnoses among Black nursing home residents with ADRD.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2021 Dec;69(12):3623-30. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17464..
Keywords: Elderly, Dementia, Nursing Homes, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Long-Term Care
Cornelio N, McInerney MP, Mellor JM
Increasing Medicaid's stagnant asset test for people eligible for Medicare and Medicaid will help vulnerable seniors.
Researchers examined states' income and asset tests for full-benefit Medicaid during the period 2006-18 and examined how alternative asset tests would affect eligibility for community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries ages sixty-five and older. They found that increasing asset limits would lessen restrictions on Medicaid eligibility that arise from stagnant asset tests, broadening eligibility for certain low-income Medicare beneficiaries and allowing them to retain higher, yet still modest, savings.
AHRQ-funded; HS025422; HS026727; HS027698.
Citation: Cornelio N, McInerney MP, Mellor JM .
Increasing Medicaid's stagnant asset test for people eligible for Medicare and Medicaid will help vulnerable seniors.
Health Affairs 2021 Dec;40(12):1943-52. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00841..
Keywords: Elderly, Medicaid, Medicare, Low-Income, Vulnerable Populations
Werner RM, Templeton Z, Apathy N
Trends in post-acute care in US nursing homes: 2001-2017.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to describe recent trends in post-acute care provision within nursing homes, focusing specifically on nursing homes' degree of specialization in post-acute care. The investigators concluded that over the last 2 decades, post-acute care has become increasingly concentrated in a subset of nursing homes, which tend to be for-profit, part of a chain, and less likely to serve racial and ethnic minorities and persons on Medicaid.
AHRQ-funded; HS026116.
Citation: Werner RM, Templeton Z, Apathy N .
Trends in post-acute care in US nursing homes: 2001-2017.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2021 Dec;22(12):2491-95.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.06.015..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Xiong KZ, Shah S, Stone JA
Using a scenario-based hybrid approach to understand participant health behavior.
This study described a scenario-based hybrid approach that included a simulation exercise and a situational interview to understand how older adults first select and then take OTC medication. The authors concluded that the scenario-based hybrid approach not only yielded detailed information about behavior, but also allowed investigators to discern participants' decision-making, influences, and the rationales they used when selecting and taking OTC medications.
AHRQ-funded; HS024490.
Citation: Xiong KZ, Shah S, Stone JA .
Using a scenario-based hybrid approach to understand participant health behavior.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2021 Dec;17(12):2070-74. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2021.02.020..
Keywords: Elderly, Medication, Decision Making
Morris AO, Gilson A, Chui MA
Utilizing a cognitive engineering approach to conduct a hierarchical task analysis to understand complex older adult decision-making during over-the-counter medication selection.
This study characterized older adults' cognitive decision-making process when seeking to self-medicate with over-the-counter (OTC) medications from their community pharmacy, and demonstrated how hierarchical task analysis (HTA) can be used to evaluate a pharmacy intervention's impact on their decision-making. Findings showed that, while selecting an OTC, older adults considered quantity, cost, form, regimen, safety, strength, appropriateness of OTC safety, generic/name-brand, past experiences, and ingredients. The study intervention reduced by half the number of factors considered. Findings suggested that HTA-informed decision profiles may provide pharmacists with critical insights into safety issues that older adults may not be considering so that pharmacists can support their decision-making.
AHRQ-funded; HS024490.
Citation: Morris AO, Gilson A, Chui MA .
Utilizing a cognitive engineering approach to conduct a hierarchical task analysis to understand complex older adult decision-making during over-the-counter medication selection.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2021 Dec;17(12):2116-26. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2021.07.005..
Keywords: Elderly, Decision Making, Medication
McInerney M, Mellor JM, Sabik LM. M, Mellor JM, Sabik LM
Welcome mats and on-ramps for older adults: the impact of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid Expansions on Dual Enrollment in Medicare and Medicaid.
The authors examined whether Medicaid participation by low-income adults age 65 and up increased as a result of Medicaid expansions to working-age adults under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Using American Community Survey data and state variation in ACA Medicaid expansions, they found that Medicaid expansions to working-age adults increased Medicaid participation among low-income older adults by 4.4 percent. They also found evidence of an “on-ramp” effect, which is an important mechanism behind welcome mat effects among some older adults.
AHRQ-funded; HS025422.
Citation: McInerney M, Mellor JM, Sabik LM. M, Mellor JM, Sabik LM .
Welcome mats and on-ramps for older adults: the impact of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid Expansions on Dual Enrollment in Medicare and Medicaid.
J Policy Anal Manage 2021 Win;40(1):12-41. doi: 10.1002/pam.22259..
Keywords: Elderly, Medicaid, Medicare, Low-Income, Health Insurance, Policy
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
Tucher Keeney, T Cohen, AJ
Conceptualizing food insecurity among older adults: development of a summary indicator in the National Health and Aging Trends Study.
Measurement of food insecurity in older adults is focused on financial barriers to food access. Given that older adults are particularly susceptible to additional access-related barriers including functional limitations and lack of social support, the objective of this study was to construct a summary indicator of food insecurity incorporating these domains. The investigators concluded that food insecurity among older adults is broader than lacking adequate financial resources to obtain food; it is also associated with social and functional limitations.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Tucher Keeney, T Cohen, AJ .
Conceptualizing food insecurity among older adults: development of a summary indicator in the National Health and Aging Trends Study.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021 Nov 15;76(10):2063-72. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa147..
Keywords: Elderly, Nutrition, Health Status
Orth J, Li Y, Simning A
Nursing home residents with dementia: association between place of death and patient safety culture.
This study examined the association of place of death and patient safety culture among nursing home (NH) residents with dementia. The authors examined the estimated effects of patient safety culture (PSC) among 11,957 long-stay NH residents with dementia, aged 65+ who died in NHs or hospitals shortly following discharge from one of 800 US NHs in 2017. Residents with dementia in NHs with higher PSC scores in communication openness had lower odds of in-hospital death, with the strongest effect in NHs located in states with higher minimum NH nurse staffing requirements.
AHRQ-funded; HS024923.
Citation: Orth J, Li Y, Simning A .
Nursing home residents with dementia: association between place of death and patient safety culture.
Gerontologist 2021 Nov 15;61(8):1296-306. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaa188..
Keywords: Elderly, Dementia, Nursing Homes, Mortality, Patient Safety
Garrett SB, Nicosia F, Thompson N
Barriers and facilitators to older adults' use of nonpharmacologic approaches for chronic pain: a person-focused model.
This study examined the factors that influence older adults’ living with chronic pain use of nonpharmacologic approaches as complements to or substitutes for pharmacologic treatments for pain. The authors conducted 25 semistructured qualitative interviews with adults with multiple morbidities living with chronic pain for 6 months or more. Transcripts were coded to identify factors that hindered or encouraged participants’ use of various nonpharmacologic approaches. Three factors were grouped together: awareness of nonpharmacologic approaches as relevant to their pain, appeal of the approach, and access to the approach.
AHRQ-funded; HS022241.
Citation: Garrett SB, Nicosia F, Thompson N .
Barriers and facilitators to older adults' use of nonpharmacologic approaches for chronic pain: a person-focused model.
Pain 2021 Nov;162(11):2769-79. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002260..
Keywords: Elderly, Pain, Chronic Conditions
Guo W, Li Y, Temkin-Greener H. W, Li Y, Temkin-Greener H
Community discharge among post-acute nursing home residents: an association with patient safety culture?
Researchers examined whether better patient safety culture (PSC) in skilled nursing facilities was associated with higher likelihood of successful community discharge for post-acute care residents. PSC scores were obtained from a national, random survey conducted in 2017. They found that post-acute care residents who were successfully discharged to community were more likely to be female, white, Medicare-only, cognitively intact, and admitted following a surgery. The multivariable analyses showed that teamwork and supervisor expectations and actions promoting resident safety were significantly associated with the increased likelihood of successful community discharge.
AHRQ-funded; HS024923.
Citation: Guo W, Li Y, Temkin-Greener H. W, Li Y, Temkin-Greener H .
Community discharge among post-acute nursing home residents: an association with patient safety culture?
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2021 Nov;22(11):2384-88.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.04.022..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Patient Safety
Vaughan CP, Hwang U, Vandenberg AE
Early prescribing outcomes after exporting the EQUIPPED medication safety improvement programme.
Enhancing quality of prescribing practices for older adults discharged from the Emergency Department (EQUIPPED) aims to reduce the monthly proportion of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) prescribed to older adults discharged from the ED to 5% or less. In this paper, the investigator described prescribing outcomes at three academic health systems adapting and sequentially implementing the EQUIPPED medication safety programme.
AHRQ-funded; HS024499.
Citation: Vaughan CP, Hwang U, Vandenberg AE .
Early prescribing outcomes after exporting the EQUIPPED medication safety improvement programme.
BMJ Open Qual 2021 Nov;10(4). doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001369..
Keywords: Elderly, Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety, Emergency Department, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Herb J, Staley BS, Roberson M
Use and disparities in parathyroidectomy for symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism in the Medicare population.
The investigators’ objective was to determine national usage and disparities in parathyroidectomy for symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism among insured older adults. Data was obtained using Medicare claims. They found that parathyroidectomy was underused and recommended that quality improvement efforts, rooted in equitable care, be undertaken to increase access to parathyroidectomy for this disease.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Herb J, Staley BS, Roberson M .
Use and disparities in parathyroidectomy for symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism in the Medicare population.
Surgery 2021 Nov;170(5):1376-82. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2021.05.026..
Keywords: Elderly, Disparities, Medicare, Surgery, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Baughman AW, Renton M, Wehbi NK
Building community and resilience in Massachusetts nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Researchers discuss the partnership of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association and Hebrew SeniorLife with AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network (the Network). This educational program provided 16 weeks of free weekly virtual sessions to 295 eligible nursing homes. The Network weekly meetings were a source of connection, emotional support, and validation and may be a valuable mechanism to support resilience and wellbeing for nursing home staff.
AHRQ-funded; 75Q80120C00003.
Citation: Baughman AW, Renton M, Wehbi NK .
Building community and resilience in Massachusetts nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2021 Oct;69(10):2716-21. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17389..
Keywords: COVID-19, Elderly, Nursing Homes, Evidence-Based Practice, Provider: Health Personnel, Education: Continuing Medical Education, Training
Ma C, McDonald MV, Feldman PH
Continuity of nursing care in home health: impact on rehospitalization among older adults with dementia.
The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to examine the association between continuity of nursing care in home health care (HHC) and rehospitalization among persons with dementia (PWD). Multiple years of HHC assessment, administrative, and human resources data from a large urban not-for-profit home health agency was used. Findings showed that wide variations exist in continuity of nursing care to PWD. Consistency in nurse staff when providing HHC visits to PWD is critical for preventing rehospitalizations.
AHRQ-funded; HS023593.
Citation: Ma C, McDonald MV, Feldman PH .
Continuity of nursing care in home health: impact on rehospitalization among older adults with dementia.
Med Care 2021 Oct;59(10):913-20. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001599..
Keywords: Elderly, Home Healthcare, Dementia, Neurological Disorders, Hospital Readmissions
Werner NE, Rutkowski RA, Krause S
Disparate perspectives: exploring healthcare professionals' misaligned mental models of older adults' transitions of care between the emergency department and skilled nursing facility.
Care transitions that occur across healthcare system boundaries represent a unique challenge for maintaining high quality care and patient safety, as these systems are typically not aligned to perform the care transition process. In this article, the investigators explored healthcare professionals' mental models of older adults' transitions between the emergency department (ED) and skilled nursing facility (SNF).
AHRQ-funded; HS026624.
Citation: Werner NE, Rutkowski RA, Krause S .
Disparate perspectives: exploring healthcare professionals' misaligned mental models of older adults' transitions of care between the emergency department and skilled nursing facility.
Appl Ergon 2021 Oct;96:103509. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103509..
Keywords: Elderly, Transitions of Care, Emergency Department, Nursing Homes, Healthcare Delivery
Hahn EE, Munoz-Plaza CE, Lee EA
Patient and physician perspectives of deprescribing potentially inappropriate medications in older adults with a history of falls: a qualitative study.
Investigators explored patient and clinician experiences with and perceptions of deprescribing potentially inappropriate medications in patients with a history of falls. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with primary care physicians from Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC), and guided patient feedback sessions with patient members of the KPSC Regional Patient Advisory Committee. The investigators found that key barriers to deprescribing included primary care physician trepidation about raising a contentious topic and insufficient patient awareness of the potential seriousness of falls. They suggested a need for multifaceted, multilevel deprescribing approaches with clinician training strategies, patient educational resources, and a focus on building trusting patient-clinician relationships.
AHRQ-funded; HS024437.
Citation: Hahn EE, Munoz-Plaza CE, Lee EA .
Patient and physician perspectives of deprescribing potentially inappropriate medications in older adults with a history of falls: a qualitative study.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Oct;36(10):3015-22. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06493-8..
Keywords: Elderly, Medication, Falls
Holler E, Meagher AD, Ortiz D
Preinjury functional independence is not associated with discharge location in older trauma patients.
This study’s purpose was to evaluate the association between pre-injury Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz ADL) functional status and discharge to a facility in non-neurologically injured trauma patients. Data from 207 subjects in the Trauma Medical Home study cohort was obtained. Patients were predominantly white (89.4%) and female (52.2%). The most common trauma injury was a fall (48.3%), followed by automobile crash (41.1%). There was no relationship between pre-injury independence and the likelihood of discharge home. Over half of patients (51.7%) were discharged home, 37.7% to subacute rehabilitation., 10.1% to acute rehabilitation, and 0.5% to long-term acute care. Patients who self-reported depression and anxiety who weren’t sent home was associated with age, being single, and being female.
AHRQ-funded; HS026390.
Citation: Holler E, Meagher AD, Ortiz D .
Preinjury functional independence is not associated with discharge location in older trauma patients.
J Surg Res 2021 Oct;266:413-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2021.04.029..
Keywords: Elderly, Trauma, Hospital Discharge
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
Herzig SJ, Anderson TS, Jung Y
Relative risks of adverse events among older adults receiving opioids versus NSAIDs after hospital discharge: a nationwide cohort study.
This retrospective cohort study’s objective was to determine the incidence and risk of post-discharge adverse events among opioid claims in the week after hospital discharge, compared to those with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) claims alone. A national sample of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older who were hospitalized in the United States in 2016 was used. Beneficiaries who were admitted from or discharged to a facility were excluded. The authors used 3:1 propensity matching to match beneficiaries with an opioid claim in the week after discharge (13,385) with beneficiaries with NSAID claim alone (4,677). Beneficiaries receiving opioids had a higher incidence of death, healthcare utilization, and any potential adverse effect compared to those with an NSAID claim only. Specific adverse effects included higher relative risk of fall/fracture, nausea/vomiting, and slowed colonic motility.
AHRQ-funded; HS026215.
Citation: Herzig SJ, Anderson TS, Jung Y .
Relative risks of adverse events among older adults receiving opioids versus NSAIDs after hospital discharge: a nationwide cohort study.
PLoS Med 2021 Sep 27;18(9):e1003804. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003804..
Keywords: Elderly, Opioids, Medication, Medication: Safety, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Risk, Hospital Discharge
Luo Z, Gritz M, Connelly L
A survey of primary care practices on their use of the intensive behavioral therapy for obese Medicare patients.
The objective of this study was to fill the gap in knowledge on systematic differences between primary care practices (PCP) that do or do not provide intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) for obese Medicare patients. The investigators concluded that although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services established payment codes for PCPs to deliver IBT for obesity in 2011, very few providers submitted fee-for-service claims for these services after almost 10 years.
AHRQ-funded; HS024843.
Citation: Luo Z, Gritz M, Connelly L .
A survey of primary care practices on their use of the intensive behavioral therapy for obese Medicare patients.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Sep;36(9):2700-08. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-06596-w..
Keywords: Primary Care, Obesity, Behavioral Health, Medicare, Elderly
Abrahamson K, Davila H, Kirk L
Can a nursing home psychotropic reduction project be successfully implemented in assisted living?
This study’s objective was to compare implementation of a psychotropic medication reduction project across nursing homes (NH) and assisted living (AL) facilities. Fifteen NHs and 14 AL facilities within a single corporate chain participated. In-person and telephone interviews with 62 staff members from participating NH and AL facilities were conducted to investigate project implementation experience. Implementation at nursing homes made more dramatic changes in residents’ lives and medication use than at assisted living facilities. AL staff identified numerous barriers to implementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS018464.
Citation: Abrahamson K, Davila H, Kirk L .
Can a nursing home psychotropic reduction project be successfully implemented in assisted living?
J Appl Gerontol 2021 Sep;40(9):1071-79. doi: 10.1177/0733464820948328..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Medication, Dementia
Hua CL, Thomas KS, Bunker J
Changes in the agreement between the Minimum Data Set and hospital Medicare claims measures of dementia.
The objective of this study was to examine the agreement between a clinical Minimum Data Set measure of dementia and a diagnosis of dementia documented on a hospital claim across three points in time. A second objective was to examine the extent to which the agreement varied by age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Findings showed that hospital claims for patients aged 66–75 were less likely to be accurate than those for other age groups and suggests that physicians do not always look for signs of dementia in younger adults. Additionally, Asian patients were less likely to have a diagnosis of dementia documented during hospitalization, which could be related to language barriers between patients and clinicians.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Hua CL, Thomas KS, Bunker J .
Changes in the agreement between the Minimum Data Set and hospital Medicare claims measures of dementia.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2021 Sep;69(9):2672-75. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17201..
Keywords: Elderly, Dementia, Neurological Disorders, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medicare
Papaleontiou M, Norton EC, Reyes-Gastelum D
Competing causes of death in older adults with thyroid cancer.
Understanding the impact of comorbidities and competing risks of death when caring for older adults with thyroid cancer is key for personalized management. The objective of this study was to determine whether older adults with thyroid cancer are more likely to die from thyroid cancer or other etiologies and determine patient factors associated with each.
AHRQ-funded; HS024512.
Citation: Papaleontiou M, Norton EC, Reyes-Gastelum D .
Competing causes of death in older adults with thyroid cancer.
Thyroid 2021 Sep;31(9):1359-65. doi: 10.1089/thy.2020.0929..
Keywords: Elderly, Cancer, Mortality