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
Topics
- Cancer (2)
- Cancer: Breast Cancer (2)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (2)
- Care Management (1)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (1)
- Communication (1)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- (-) Elderly (11)
- Healthcare Costs (3)
- Healthcare Utilization (2)
- Heart Disease and Health (2)
- Hospital Discharge (3)
- Hospitalization (2)
- Hospital Readmissions (1)
- Hospitals (2)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Long-Term Care (1)
- Medicare (6)
- Medication (1)
- Mortality (2)
- Nursing Homes (2)
- Opioids (1)
- Outcomes (1)
- Pain (1)
- Pneumonia (1)
- Practice Patterns (2)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Shared Decision Making (1)
- Surgery (2)
- Trauma (1)
- Women (2)
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 11 of 11 Research Studies DisplayedMaughan BC, Lin A, Caughey AB
Field trauma triage among older adults: a cost-effectiveness analysis.
The authors evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a high-sensitivity triage strategy for older adults. They used a microsimulation model with a retrospective cohort of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries transported by emergency medical services after an acute injury. They found that high-sensitivity trauma field triage is not cost-effective among older adults.
AHRQ-funded; HS023796.
Citation: Maughan BC, Lin A, Caughey AB .
Field trauma triage among older adults: a cost-effectiveness analysis.
J Am Coll Surg 2022 Feb 1;234(2):139-54. doi: 10.1097/xcs.0000000000000025..
Keywords: Elderly, Trauma, Healthcare Costs
Dossett LA, Mott NM, Bredbeck BC
Using tailored messages to target overuse of Low-Value breast cancer care in older women.
The purpose of this study was to examine the role that an individual’s maximizing-minimizing trait, an inherent preference for more or less medical care, may influence the preference for low-value care in the omission of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and post-lumpectomy radiotherapy in women 70 years of age or higher with early-stage, hormone-receptor positive invasive breast cancer. The researchers recruited women 70 years of age or higher (n=1600) who were maximizers (515), minimizers (550), or neutral (535), and presented them with a hypothetical breast cancer diagnosis and then randomized exposure to one of three follow-up messages. Messages included: 1) maximizer-tailored, 2) minimizer-tailored, or 3) neutral. The study reported that higher maximizing tendency correlated positively with electing both SLNB and radiotherapy on logistic regression. Any maximizer- or minimizer-tailoring decreased preference for SLNB in maximizing and neutral women but had no effect in minimizing women. Tailoring had no impact on radiotherapy decision, except for an increased probability of minimizers electing radiotherapy when presented with maximizer-tailored messaging. The study concluded that among women facing a hypothetical breast cancer diagnosis, tendencies for maximizing-minimizing are correlated with preferences for treatment.
AHRQ-funded; HS026030.
Citation: Dossett LA, Mott NM, Bredbeck BC .
Using tailored messages to target overuse of Low-Value breast cancer care in older women.
J Surg Res 2022 Feb;270:503-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2021.10.005..
Keywords: Elderly, Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Women, Shared Decision Making, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication
Wang T, Baskin A, Miller J
Trends in breast cancer treatment de-implementation in older patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: a mixed methods study.
Guidelines allow for the omission of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and post-lumpectomy radiotherapy in women >/= 70 years of age with hormone receptor-positive (HR +) breast cancer. Despite this, national data suggest these procedures have not been widely de-implemented. The objectives of this study were to evaluate trends in SLNB and post-lumpectomy radiotherapy utilization in patients who were eligible for omission and evaluate patient preferences as a target for de-implementation of low-value care.
AHRQ-funded; HS026030.
Citation: Wang T, Baskin A, Miller J .
Trends in breast cancer treatment de-implementation in older patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: a mixed methods study.
Ann Surg Oncol 2021 Feb;28(2):902-13. doi: 10.1245/s10434-020-08823-w..
Keywords: Elderly, Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Healthcare Utilization, Practice Patterns, Women
Ganguli I, Lupo C, Mainor AJ
Assessment of prevalence and cost of care cascades after routine testing during the Medicare annual wellness visit.
This observational cohort study looked at the prevalence and cost of care cascades after routine tests considered low value in fee-for-service Medicare patients from January 2013 through March 2015 who had gone for an annual wellness visit (AWV). Among the 75,275 AWV recipients identified, 18.6% received at least 1 low-value test including an ECG, urinalysis, or thyrotropin tests. Patients who were younger, White, and lived in urban, high-income areas were most likely to receive those tests. The cost-cascade was considered notable but of modest cost.
AHRQ-funded; HS023812.
Citation: Ganguli I, Lupo C, Mainor AJ .
Assessment of prevalence and cost of care cascades after routine testing during the Medicare annual wellness visit.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Dec;3(12):e2029891. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.29891..
Keywords: Elderly, Medicare, Healthcare Costs, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Smith JW, Knight Davis J, Quatman-Yates CC
Loss of community-dwelling status among survivors of high-acuity emergency general surgery disease.
The purpose of this study was to examine the loss of community-dwelling status 9 months after hospitalization for high-acuity emergency general surgery (HA-EGS) disease among older Americans. The investigators concluded that older Americans, known to prioritize living in the community, will experience substantial loss of independence due to HA-EGS. They indicate that long-term expectations after surviving HA-EGS must be framed from the perspective of the outcomes that older patients value the most.
AHRQ-funded; HS022694.
Citation: Smith JW, Knight Davis J, Quatman-Yates CC .
Loss of community-dwelling status among survivors of high-acuity emergency general surgery disease.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2019 Nov;67(11):2289-97. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16046..
Keywords: Elderly, Surgery, Outcomes, Quality of Life
Ganguli I, Lupo C, Mainor AJ
Prevalence and cost of care cascades after low-value preoperative electrocardiogram for cataract surgery in fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries.
This study examined the use and outcomes of preoperative electrocardiogram (EKG) for cataract surgery recipients on Medicare. The outcomes measured were cascade events if the EKG results were problematic. The study compared 110,183 cataract surgery recipients with 97,775 non-surgery participants (63.1% female). For the recipient group, 12,408 (11.3%) received a preoperative EKG (65.6% of them were female). Of those, 1978 (15.9%) had at least 1 potential cascade event. Additional tests, treatments, and cardiology visits added an additional estimated $35 million in addition to the $3.2 million spent on preoperative EKGs. Preoperative EKG recipients who were older, had more chronic conditions, lived in more cardiologist-dense areas, or had their EKG performed by a cardiac specialist rather than a primary care physician were more likely to experience a cascade event.
AHRQ-funded; HS023812.
Citation: Ganguli I, Lupo C, Mainor AJ .
Prevalence and cost of care cascades after low-value preoperative electrocardiogram for cataract surgery in fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries.
JAMA Intern Med 2019 Sep;179(9):1157-308. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.1739..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Healthcare Utilization, Surgery, Elderly
Bain AM, Werner RM, Yuan Y
Do hospitals participating in accountable care organizations discharge patients to higher quality nursing homes?
This study examined whether hospitals participating in Medicare's Shared Saving Program increased use of highly rated skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) or decreased the use of low-rated SNFs after initiation of accountable care organization (ACO) contracts, compared with non-ACO hospitals. The findings indicate that, after joining an ACO, the percentage of hospital discharges going to a high-quality SNF increased slightly; the probability of discharge from ACO-participating hospitals to low-quality SNFs did not change significantly in comparison with non-ACO hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS024266.
Citation: Bain AM, Werner RM, Yuan Y .
Do hospitals participating in accountable care organizations discharge patients to higher quality nursing homes?
J Hosp Med 2019 May;14(5):288-89. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3147..
Keywords: Elderly, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Medicare, Nursing Homes, Quality of Care
Huckfeldt P, Escarce J, Sood N
Thirty-day postdischarge mortality among black and white patients 65 years and older in the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.
The goal of this cohort study was to determine whether short-term mortality rates increased among black and white adults 65 years and older after initiation of the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) and whether trends differed by race. Using an interrupted time-series analysis, the researchers found that short-term post-discharge mortality did not appear to increase for black patients under the HRRP, suggesting that certain value-based payment policies can be implemented without harming black populations. However, mortality seemed to increase for white patients with heart failure; this situation warrants investigation.
AHRQ-funded; HS025394.
Citation: Huckfeldt P, Escarce J, Sood N .
Thirty-day postdischarge mortality among black and white patients 65 years and older in the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 Mar;2(3):e190634. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.0634..
Keywords: Medicare, Elderly, Mortality, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospital Discharge
Desai NR, Ott LS, George EJ
Variation in and hospital characteristics associated with the value of care for Medicare beneficiaries with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia.
The objectives of this study were to investigate the association between hospital-level 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) and 30-day risk-standardized payments (RSPs) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF), and pneumonia (PNA); to characterize patterns of value in care; and to identify hospital characteristics associated with high-value care (defined by having lower than median RSMRs and RSPs).
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Desai NR, Ott LS, George EJ .
Variation in and hospital characteristics associated with the value of care for Medicare beneficiaries with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia.
JAMA Netw Open 2018 Oct 5;1(6):e183519. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3519..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Elderly, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Heart Disease and Health, Inpatient Care, Medicare, Mortality, Pneumonia
Fain KM, Castillo-Salgado C, Dore DD
Inappropriate fentanyl prescribing among nursing home residents in the United States.
In this cross-sectional study, the investigators quantified transdermal fentanyl prescribing in elderly nursing home residents without prior opioid use or persistent pain, and the association of individual and facility traits with opioid-naive prescribing. The investigators concluded that most nursing home residents initiating transdermal fentanyl did not have persistent pain and many were opioid-naive. They suggest that changes in prescribing practices may be necessary to ensure Food and Drug Administration warnings are followed, particularly for vulnerable subgroups, such as the cognitively impaired.
AHRQ-funded; HS018960.
Citation: Fain KM, Castillo-Salgado C, Dore DD .
Inappropriate fentanyl prescribing among nursing home residents in the United States.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2017 Feb;18(2):138-44. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2016.08.015..
Keywords: Care Management, Chronic Conditions, Elderly, Long-Term Care, Medication, Nursing Homes, Opioids, Pain, Practice Patterns
Carey K
Measuring the hospital length of stay/readmission cost trade-off under a bundled payment mechanism.
This paper investigates the relationship between length of stay and readmission within 30 days of discharge from an acute care hospitalization. It found that the cost of an additional day of stay was offset by expected cost savings from an avoided readmission in the range of 15 to 65 percent.
AHRQ-funded; HS020995.
Citation: Carey K .
Measuring the hospital length of stay/readmission cost trade-off under a bundled payment mechanism.
Health Econ 2015 Jul;24(7):790-802. doi: 10.1002/hec.3061..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization, Elderly, Hospital Discharge, Medicare