National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
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Search All Research Studies
Topics
- Access to Care (1)
- Asthma (1)
- Behavioral Health (2)
- Case Study (1)
- Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (3)
- Children/Adolescents (7)
- Chronic Conditions (2)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (2)
- Diabetes (1)
- Disabilities (1)
- Disparities (3)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
- Healthcare Costs (3)
- (-) Health Insurance (17)
- Hospitals (3)
- Medicaid (3)
- Medicare (2)
- Medication (2)
- Organizational Change (1)
- Outcomes (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Patient Experience (2)
- Patient Safety (1)
- Payment (3)
- Policy (1)
- Primary Care (1)
- Provider Performance (1)
- Quality Improvement (4)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (2)
- Quality Measures (2)
- (-) Quality of Care (17)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
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 17 of 17 Research Studies DisplayedJiang DH, Mundell BF, Shah ND
Impact of high deductible health plans on diabetes care quality and outcomes: systematic review.
The authors sought to provide a systematic literature review of the impact of high deductible health plans (HDHPs) on the utilizations of services required for optimal management of diabetes and subsequent health outcomes. They found that, although HDHPs reduce some health care utilization and costs, they appear to do so at the expense of limiting high-value care and medication adherence.
AHRQ-funded; HS025517; HS024075; HS025164; HS025402.
Citation: Jiang DH, Mundell BF, Shah ND .
Impact of high deductible health plans on diabetes care quality and outcomes: systematic review.
Endocr Pract 2021 Nov;27(11):1156-64. doi: 10.1016/j.eprac.2021.07.001..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Diabetes, Chronic Conditions, Outcomes, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Markovitz AA, Ayanian JZ, Warrier A
Medicare Advantage plan double bonuses drive racial disparity in payments, yield no quality or enrollment improvements.
Using national data for 2008-18, investigators found that double bonuses were not associated with either improvements in plan quality or increased Medicare Advantage enrollment. Additionally, double bonuses increased payments to plans to care for Black beneficiaries by $60 per year, compared with $91 for White beneficiaries. These findings suggest that double bonuses not only fail to improve quality and enrollment but also foster a racially inequitable distribution of Medicare funds that disfavors Black beneficiaries. This study supports eliminating double bonuses, thereby saving Medicare an estimated $1.8 billion per year.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053.
Citation: Markovitz AA, Ayanian JZ, Warrier A .
Medicare Advantage plan double bonuses drive racial disparity in payments, yield no quality or enrollment improvements.
Health Aff 2021 Sep;40(9):1411-19. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00349..
Keywords: Medicare, Health Insurance, Payment, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Schechter SB, Pantell MS, Parikh K
Impact of a national quality collaborative on pediatric asthma care quality by insurance status.
The objective of this study was to assess whether disparities in asthma care and outcomes based on insurance type existed before a national quality improvement (QI) collaborative, and to determine the effects of the collaborative on these disparities. The investigators concluded that at baseline, children with public insurance had higher asthma health care utilization than those with private insurance, despite receiving more evidence-based care.
AHRQ-funded; HS026383; HS024554; HS024592.
Citation: Schechter SB, Pantell MS, Parikh K .
Impact of a national quality collaborative on pediatric asthma care quality by insurance status.
Acad Pediatr 2021 Aug;21(6):1018-24. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.02.009..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Asthma, Chronic Conditions, Disparities, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Health Insurance
Zhou RA, Beaulieu ND, Cutler D
Primary care quality and cost for privately insured patients in and out of US health systems: evidence from four states.
The purpose of this study was to characterize physician health system membership in four states between 2012 and 2016 and to compare primary care quality and cost between in-system providers and non-system providers for the commercially insured population. Investigators concluded that a growing share of physicians were part of a health system from 2012 to 2016.
AHRQ-funded; HS024072.
Citation: Zhou RA, Beaulieu ND, Cutler D .
Primary care quality and cost for privately insured patients in and out of US health systems: evidence from four states.
Health Serv Res 2020 Dec;55(Suppl 3):1098-106. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13590.
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Keywords: Primary Care, Quality of Care, Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs
Olin S, Storfer-Isser A, Morden E
Quality measures for managing prescription of antipsychotic medication among youths: factors associated with health plan performance.
This study examined the performance of health plans on two Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures: metabolic monitoring of children and adolescents prescribed an antipsychotic and use of first-line psychosocial care for children and adolescents prescribed an antipsychotic for a nonindicated use. This study then identified key plan characteristics and other contextual factors associated with health plan performance on quality measures related to pediatric antipsychotic prescribing. Findings suggested that quality measures, in conjunction with policies such as prior authorization, can encourage better care delivery to vulnerable populations.
ARHQ-funded; HS020503; HS025296.
Citation: Olin S, Storfer-Isser A, Morden E .
Quality measures for managing prescription of antipsychotic medication among youths: factors associated with health plan performance.
Psychiatr Serv 2019 Nov;70(11):1020-26. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201900089..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medication, Behavioral Health, Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Health Insurance
Sankaran R, Sukul D, Nuliyalu U
Changes in hospital safety following penalties in the US Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program: retrospective cohort study.
This study evaluated the association between hospital penalization in the US Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP) and changes in clinical outcomes. Out of the total of 724 hospitals were penalized in fiscal year 2015, 708 were included in the study. The majority of the penalized hospitals were large teaching institutions and have a greater share of low-income patients than non-penalized hospitals. After penalization, there was a non-significant change in hospital acquired conditions, 30-day readmission rates, and 30-day mortality. This might mean that disparities in care could be exacerbated.
AHRQ-funded; HS026244.
Citation: Sankaran R, Sukul D, Nuliyalu U .
Changes in hospital safety following penalties in the US Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program: retrospective cohort study.
BMJ 2019 Jul 3;366:l4109. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l4109..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Medicare, Patient Safety, Provider Performance, Payment, Quality of Care, Quality Indicators (QIs)
Hanson C, Herring B, Trish E
Do health insurance and hospital market concentration influence hospital patients' experience of care?
Researchers examined the effects of insurance and hospital market concentration on hospital patients' experience of care. They found that changes in patient satisfaction are positively associated with increases in insurance concentration and negatively associated with increases in hospital concentration. They concluded that their findings add to the evidence on the harms of hospital consolidation but suggest that insurer consolidation may improve patient experience.
AHRQ-funded; HS026333.
Citation: Hanson C, Herring B, Trish E .
Do health insurance and hospital market concentration influence hospital patients' experience of care?
Health Serv Res 2019 May 16;54(4):805-15. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13168..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Health Insurance, Hospitals, Patient Experience, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Chien AT, Toomey SL, Kuo DZ
Care quality and spending among commercially insured children with disabilities.
Researchers examined the prevalence of children with disabilities (CWD) within a commercially insured population and compared outpatient care quality and annual health plan spending levels for CWD relative to children with complex medical conditions without disabilities; children with chronic conditions that are not complex; and children without disabling, complex, or chronic conditions. The cross-sectional study comprised over 1M person-years of Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts data for beneficiaries aged from 1 to 19 years. The researchers found that CWD were prevalent in the commercially insured population, with these children experiencing suboptimal levels of care which were comparable to non-CWD groups. They concluded that improving the care value for CWD involves a deeper understanding of what higher spending delivers and additional aspects of care quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS025299.
Citation: Chien AT, Toomey SL, Kuo DZ .
Care quality and spending among commercially insured children with disabilities.
Acad Pediatr 2019 Apr;19(3):291-99. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2018.06.004..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Children/Adolescents, Disabilities, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance
Ireys HT, Brach C, Anglin G
AHRQ Author: Brach C
After the demonstration: what states sustained after the end of federal grants to improve children's health care quality.
As part of the CHIPRA Quality Demonstration Grant Program’s multifaceted evaluation, this study examined the extent to which states sustained key program activities after the demonstration ended. It concluded that as a result of the federal government's investment in this grant program, many demonstration states are in a strong position to extend and spread specific strategies for improving the quality of care for children in Medicaid and CHIP.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 29020090002191.
Citation: Ireys HT, Brach C, Anglin G .
After the demonstration: what states sustained after the end of federal grants to improve children's health care quality.
Matern Child Health J 2018 Feb;22(2):195-203. doi: 10.1007/s10995-017-2391-z.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Quality of Care, Health Insurance, Medicaid
Burton RA, Peters RA, Devers KJ
Perspectives on implementing quality improvement collaboratives effectively: qualitative findings from the CHIPRA quality demonstration grant program.
The most frequently pursued intervention in the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) quality demonstration (2010-2015) was quality improvement collaboratives. This study was conducted to identify which aspects of these collaboratives were viewed by organizers and participants as working well and which were not. It found that aspects of collaboratives that interviewees valued were aimed at attracting participation, maintaining engagement, or facilitating learning.
AHRQ-funded; 2902009000191.
Citation: Burton RA, Peters RA, Devers KJ .
Perspectives on implementing quality improvement collaboratives effectively: qualitative findings from the CHIPRA quality demonstration grant program.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2018 Jan;44(1):12-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2017.08.004.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Health Insurance, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Ndumele CD, Cohen MS, Cleary PD
Association of state access standards with accessibility to specialists for Medicaid managed care enrollees.
The researchers compared ratings of access to specialists for adult Medicaid and commercial enrollees before and after the implementation of specialty access standards. Overall, there was no significant improvement in timely access to specialty services for Medicaid managed care enrollees in the period following implementation of standard(s) nor was there any impact of access standards on insurance-based disparities in access.
AHRQ-funded; HS016978; HS017589.
Citation: Ndumele CD, Cohen MS, Cleary PD .
Association of state access standards with accessibility to specialists for Medicaid managed care enrollees.
JAMA Intern Med 2017 Oct;177(10):1445-51. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.3766.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Quality of Care, Health Insurance, Patient Experience
Ndumele CD, Schpero WL, Schlesinger MJ
Association between health plan exit from Medicaid managed care and quality of care, 2006-2014.
This study aimed to determine the frequency and interstate variation of health plan exit from Medicaid managed care and evaluate the relationship between health plan exit and market-level quality. It found that between 2006 and 2014, health plan exit from the US Medicaid program was frequent; however the exits were not associated with significant overall changes in quality or patient experience in the plans in the Medicaid market.
AHRQ-funded; HS017589; HS016978.
Citation: Ndumele CD, Schpero WL, Schlesinger MJ .
Association between health plan exit from Medicaid managed care and quality of care, 2006-2014.
JAMA 2017 Jun 27;317(24):2524-31. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.7118.
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Keywords: Medicaid, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Quality of Care
Popescu I, Heslin KC, Coffey RM
AHRQ Author: Heslin KC, Washington RE
Differences in use of high-quality and low-quality hospitals among working-age individuals by insurance type.
This study found that compared with patients who have private insurance, those with Medicaid or no insurance were more likely to be minorities and to reside in areas with low-socioeconomic status. The probability of admission to high-quality hospitals was similar for patients with Medicaid (23.3 percent) and private insurance (23.0 percent) but was significantly lower for patients without insurance (19.8 percent) compared with the other 2 insurance groups.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Popescu I, Heslin KC, Coffey RM .
Differences in use of high-quality and low-quality hospitals among working-age individuals by insurance type.
Med Care 2017 Feb;55(2):148-54. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000633.
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Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Health Insurance, Disparities, Quality of Care, Hospitals
Christensen AL, Petersen DM, Burton RA
What factors influence states' capacity to report children's health care quality measures? A multiple-case study.
The objective of this study was to describe factors that influence the ability of state Medicaid agencies to report the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) core set of children's health care quality measures . Reporting capacity was influenced by a state's Medicaid data availability, ability to link to other state data systems, past experience with quality measurement, staff time and technical expertise, and demand for the measures.
AHRQ-funded; 290200900019I; 29032004T.
Citation: Christensen AL, Petersen DM, Burton RA .
What factors influence states' capacity to report children's health care quality measures? A multiple-case study.
Matern Child Health J 2017 Jan;21(1):187-98. doi: 10.1007/s10995-016-2108-8.
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Keywords: Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Children/Adolescents, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Policy, Case Study
Nembhard IM, Tucker AL
Applying organizational learning research to Accountable Care Organizations.
In this article, the authors discuss seven lessons from the organizational learning literature that can help Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) overcome the inherent challenges of learning how to work together in radically new ways. The article concludes by outlining opportunities for future research on organizational learning in ACOs.
AHRQ-funded; HS018987.
Citation: Nembhard IM, Tucker AL .
Applying organizational learning research to Accountable Care Organizations.
Med Care Res Rev 2016 Dec;73(6):673-84. doi: 10.1177/1077558716640415..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Organizational Change, Health Insurance
Watkins KE, Smith B, Akincigil A
The quality of medication treatment for mental disorders in the department of Veterans Affairs and in private-sector plans.
The objective of this paper was to compare the quality of mental health care provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with care provided to a comparable population treated in the private sector. The researchers found that VA performance was superior to that of the private sector by more than 30%. They concluded that their findings demonstrate the significant advantages that accrue from an organized, nationwide system of care and suggested that the much higher performance of the VA has important clinical and policy implications.
AHRQ-funded; HS003258; HS021112.
Citation: Watkins KE, Smith B, Akincigil A .
The quality of medication treatment for mental disorders in the department of Veterans Affairs and in private-sector plans.
Psychiatr Serv 2016 Apr;67(4):391-6. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201400537.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Health Insurance, Medication, Behavioral Health
Chien AT, Schiavoni KH, Sprecher E
How accountable care organizations responded to pediatric incentives in the alternative quality contract.
The authors characterized the pediatric infrastructure of adult-oriented accountable care organizations (ACOs) and obtained leaders' perspectives on their ACOs' response to pediatric incentives. They found that most ACOs augmented their pediatric quality improvement and spending reduction efforts when faced with pediatric incentives.
AHRQ-funded; HS017146.
Citation: Chien AT, Schiavoni KH, Sprecher E .
How accountable care organizations responded to pediatric incentives in the alternative quality contract.
Acad Pediatr 2016 Mar;16(2):200-7. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2015.10.008.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Insurance, Quality of Care, Payment, Quality Indicators (QIs)