National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Cardiovascular Conditions (7)
- Care Management (1)
- Communication (1)
- Comparative Effectiveness (1)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (8)
- (-) Healthcare Delivery (20)
- Heart Disease and Health (3)
- Implementation (4)
- Organizational Change (5)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (10)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (5)
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- Practice Improvement (7)
- Prevention (5)
- (-) Primary Care (20)
- Primary Care: Models of Care (5)
- Provider Performance (1)
- (-) Quality Improvement (20)
- Quality of Care (16)
- Teams (2)
- Urban Health (1)
- Vulnerable Populations (1)
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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 20 of 20 Research Studies DisplayedKuzel AJ, Cuellar A, Nichols L
The EvidenceNOW practice support initiative: the Heart of Virginia Healthcare.
The purpose of this study was for The Heart of Virginia Health care (HVH) collaborative (one of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Evidence Now project’s 7 collaboratives) to test different ways to improve performance and outcomes on ABCS clinical quality measures (appropriate Aspirin use, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol control, and Smoking cessation counseling) within small primary care practices. The researchers recruited 264 eligible practices and randomized them to 3 cohorts in a stepped wedge design, with 173, utilizing 16 different EHRs, participated through the entire initiative. Trained coaches delivered the practice support curriculum to improve performance on the ABCS measures. The program included an initial kickoff meeting, 3 months of focused support, 9 months of continued support, and access to online materials and faculty. The intervention phase was shortened due to difficulty in recruiting a sufficient number of practices. The study found that the short HVH intervention had a small but statistically significant positive average effects on appropriate use of aspirin and other anti-thrombotics, small negative effects on blood pressure control, except for those practices which did not attend the kickoff, and small negative effects on smoking cessation counseling. The researchers concluded that the truncation of the intervention contributed to the lack of substantial improvements in the ABCS.
AHRQ-funded; HS023913.
Citation: Kuzel AJ, Cuellar A, Nichols L .
The EvidenceNOW practice support initiative: the Heart of Virginia Healthcare.
J Am Board Fam Med 2022 Oct 18;35(5):979-89. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.05.210021..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Primary Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Healthcare Delivery
Quigley DD, Slaughter M, Qureshi N
Practices and changes associated with patient-centered medical home transformation.
Knowing which patient-centered medical home (PCMH) care delivery changes and quality improvement (QI) practices further PCMH implementation is essential. In this study, the investigators used the 2008-2017 National Committee of Quality Assurance (NCQA) PCMH directory of 15,188 primary care practices that received Level 1, 2, or 3 NCQA PCMH recognition to: 1.) construct a stratified national sample of 105 practices engaged in PCMH transformation and 2.) examine their QI practices and PCMH changes associated with PCMH transformation.
AHRQ-funded; HS016980; HS025920.
Citation: Quigley DD, Slaughter M, Qureshi N .
Practices and changes associated with patient-centered medical home transformation.
Am J Manag Care 2021 Sep;27(9):386-93. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2021.88740..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care, Practice Improvement, Healthcare Delivery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Quigley DD, Qureshi N, AlMasarweh L
Using CAHPS patient experience data for patient-centered medical home transformation.
The purpose of this study was to examine how primary care practices used the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey and its patient-centered medical home (PCMH) items during their PCMH transition. The investigators concluded that CAHPS surveys were considered actionable for PCMH transformation and used in standardizing and coordinating care. The CAHPS PCMH items were considered integral to the continuous QI needed for moving beyond formal PCMH recognition and maximizing transformation.
AHRQ-funded; HS016980; HS025920.
Citation: Quigley DD, Qureshi N, AlMasarweh L .
Using CAHPS patient experience data for patient-centered medical home transformation.
Am J Manag Care 2021 Sep;27(9):e322-e29. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2021.88745..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Patient Experience, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care, Practice Improvement, Healthcare Delivery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
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
Solberg LI, Kuzel A, Parchman ML
A taxonomy for external support for practice transformation.
There is no commonly accepted comprehensive framework for describing the practical specifics of external support for practice change. In this study, the researchers’goal was to develop a taxonomy that could be used by both external groups or researchers and health care leaders. The leaders of 8 grants from Agency for Research and Quality for the EvidenceNOW study of improving cardiovascular preventive services in over 1500 primary care practices nationwide worked collaboratively over 18 months to develop descriptions of key domains that might comprehensively characterize any external support intervention.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Solberg LI, Kuzel A, Parchman ML .
A taxonomy for external support for practice transformation.
J Am Board Fam Med 2021 Jan-Feb;34(1):32-39. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.01.200225..
Keywords: Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Cardiovascular Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Prevention, Quality Improvement, Practice Improvement, Quality of Care
Qureshi N, Quigley DD, Hays RD
Nationwide qualitative study of practice leader perspectives on what it takes to transform into a patient-centered medical home.
The purpose of this study was to examine reasons practices obtained and maintained patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recognition and what resources were needed. The investigators concluded that PCMH efforts necessitated support and assistance to frontline, on-site practice leaders leading care delivery changes. They suggested that change efforts should include financial incentives (e.g., direct payment or additional reimbursement), leadership direction and support, and internal or external staff with experience with the PCMH application process, implementation changes, and QI expertise in monitoring process and outcome data.
AHRQ-funded; HS016980.
Citation: Qureshi N, Quigley DD, Hays RD .
Nationwide qualitative study of practice leader perspectives on what it takes to transform into a patient-centered medical home.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Dec;35(12):3501-09. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06052-1..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Healthcare Delivery
Persell SD, Liss DT, Walunas TL
Effects of 2 forms of practice facilitation on cardiovascular prevention in primary care: a practice-randomized, comparative effectiveness trial.
Effective quality improvement (QI) strategies are needed for small practices. The objective of this study was to compare practice facilitation implementing point-of-care (POC) QI strategies alone versus facilitation implementing point-of-care plus population management (POC+PM) strategies on preventive cardiovascular care. The investigators concluded that facilitator-led QI promoting population management approaches plus POC improvement strategies was not clearly superior to POC strategies alone.
AHRQ-funded; HS023921.
Citation: Persell SD, Liss DT, Walunas TL .
Effects of 2 forms of practice facilitation on cardiovascular prevention in primary care: a practice-randomized, comparative effectiveness trial.
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Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Prevention, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Comparative Effectiveness, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Management, Healthcare Delivery
Sweeney SM, Hemler JR, Baron AN
Dedicated workforce required to support large-scale practice improvement.
Facilitation is an effective approach for helping practices implement sustainable evidence-based practice improvements. Few studies examine the facilitation infrastructure and support needed for large-scale dissemination and implementation initiatives. In this paper, the authors discuss a project by the Agency for Health care Research and Quality in which it funded 7 Cooperatives, each of which worked with over 200 primary care practices to rapidly disseminate and implement improvements in cardiovascular preventive care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Sweeney SM, Hemler JR, Baron AN .
Dedicated workforce required to support large-scale practice improvement.
J Am Board Fam Med 2020 Mar-Apr;33(2):230-39. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2020.02.190261..
Keywords: Practice Improvement, Primary Care, Cardiovascular Conditions, Healthcare Delivery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Prevention, Implementation, Evidence-Based Practice
Lindner S, Solberg LI, Miller WL
Does ownership make a difference in primary care practice?
This study looked into whether ownership of a primary care practice makes a difference in structural characteristics, quality improvement practices, and cardiovascular preventive care. This analysis was done was part of an evaluation of the EvidenceNOW: Advancing Heart Health in Primary Care Initiative by AHRQ. Physician-owned practices, health system or medical group practices, and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) were compared using 15 survey-based measures, and 4 electronic health record-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention quality measures known as ABCS (aspirin prevention, blood pressure control, cholesterol management, and smoking cessation support). Physician-owned practices were solo 45% of the time as opposed to 8.1% for health system practices and 12.8% for FQHCs. FQHCs were more likely to use quality improvement practices followed by health system practices. ABCS use was similar across ownership types with the exception of smoking cessation support.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Lindner S, Solberg LI, Miller WL .
Does ownership make a difference in primary care practice?
J Am Board Fam Med 2019 May-Jun;32(3):398-407. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2019.03.180271..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Healthcare Delivery
Hung DY, Harrison MI, Liang SY
AHRQ Author: Harrison MI
Contextual conditions and performance improvement in primary care.
This study examined organizational features of primary care clinics that had gone through Lean redesigns and had experienced the greatest performance improvements. They surveyed 1333 physicians and staff in 43 primary care clinics across a large primary care system. They found that clinics with prior experience with quality improvement had the highest increases in efficiency. Clinics reporting the highest levels of burnout and work stress before the redesign also made efficiency gains. Physician productivity gains was associated with a history of change, staff participation and leadership support. The greatest improvements in patient satisfaction occurred where there was the lowest stress levels with highest levels of teamwork, staff engagement and leadership support.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 2902010000221.
Citation: Hung DY, Harrison MI, Liang SY .
Contextual conditions and performance improvement in primary care.
Qual Manag Health Care 2019 Apr/Jun;28(2):70-77. doi: 10.1097/qmh.0000000000000198..
Keywords: Organizational Change, Healthcare Delivery, Primary Care, Provider Performance, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Workflow
Chou AF, Homco JB, Nagykaldi Z
Disseminating, implementing, and evaluating patient-centered outcomes to improve cardiovascular care using a stepped-wedge design: healthy hearts for Oklahoma.
The Healthy Hearts for Oklahoma (H2O) Study proposes to build a quality improvement (QI) infrastructure by (1) constructing a sustainable Oklahoma Primary Healthcare Improvement Collaborative (OPHIC) to support dissemination and implementation (D&I) of QI methods; and (2) providing QI support in primary care practices to better manage patients at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. H2O has 263 small primary care practices across Oklahoma that receive the bundled QI intervention to improve ABCS (aspirin therapy, blood pressure control, cholesterol management, and smoking cessation) performance. The infrastructure established as a result of this funding will help reach medically underserved Oklahomans, particularly among rural and tribal populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS023919.
Citation: Chou AF, Homco JB, Nagykaldi Z .
Disseminating, implementing, and evaluating patient-centered outcomes to improve cardiovascular care using a stepped-wedge design: healthy hearts for Oklahoma.
BMC Health Serv Res 2018 Jun 4;18(1):404. doi: 10.1186/s12913-018-3189-4.
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Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Communication, Heart Disease and Health, Healthcare Delivery, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care, Prevention, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
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
Balasubramanian BA, Marino M, Cohen DJ
Use of quality improvement strategies among small to medium-size us primary care practices.
This study examined variations in use of QI strategies among 1,181 small to medium-size primary care practices engaged in a national initiative spanning 12 US States to improve quality of care for heart health and assessed factors associated with those variations. It concluded that there is substantial variation in the use of QI strategies among small to medium-size primary care practices across 12 US States.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Balasubramanian BA, Marino M, Cohen DJ .
Use of quality improvement strategies among small to medium-size us primary care practices.
Ann Fam Med 2018 Apr;16(Suppl 1):S35-s43. doi: 10.1370/afm.2172.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care, Quality Improvement
Ono SS, Crabtree BF, Hemler JR
Taking innovation to scale in primary care practices: the functions of health care extension.
Health care extension is an approach to providing external support to primary care practices with the aim of diffusing innovation. EvidenceNOW was launched to rapidly disseminate and implement evidence-based guidelines for cardiovascular preventive care in the primary care setting. This article describes how cooperatives varied in their approaches to extension and provides early empirical evidence that health care extension is a feasible and potentially useful approach for providing quality improvement.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Ono SS, Crabtree BF, Hemler JR .
Taking innovation to scale in primary care practices: the functions of health care extension.
Health Aff 2018 Feb;37(2):222-30. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1100.
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Keywords: Primary Care, Implementation, Cardiovascular Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Healthcare Delivery, Practice Improvement, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Prevention
Quigley DD, Predmore ZS, Chen AY
Implementation and sequencing of practice transformation in urban practices with underserved patients.
Researchers conducted interviews at 14 primary care practices undergoing patient-centered medical home (PCMH) transformation in a large urban federally qualified health center in California and used grounded theory to identify common themes and patterns. They concluded that full PCMH transformation took time and effort and relied on a sequential approach, with an early focus on foundational changes that included use of a robust quality improvement strategy.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Quigley DD, Predmore ZS, Chen AY .
Implementation and sequencing of practice transformation in urban practices with underserved patients.
Qual Manag Health Care 2017 Jan/Mar;26(1):7-14. doi: 10.1097/qmh.0000000000000118.
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Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Urban Health, Vulnerable Populations, Practice Improvement, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Implementation, Teams
Hung D, Gray C, Martinez M
AHRQ Author: Harrison MI
Acceptance of Lean redesigns in primary care: a contextual analysis.
The aim of this study was to identify contextual factors most critical to implementing and scaling Lean redesigns across all primary care clinics in a large, ambulatory care delivery system. It found that acceptance was influenced by time and intensity of exposure to changes, "top-down" versus "bottom-up" implementation styles, and degrees of employee engagement in developing new workflows.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 2902010000221.
Citation: Hung D, Gray C, Martinez M .
Acceptance of Lean redesigns in primary care: a contextual analysis.
Health Care Manage Rev 2016 Jul/Sep;42(3):203-12. doi: 10.1097/hmr.0000000000000106.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Primary Care, Quality Improvement
Solberg LI, Stuck LH, Crain AL
Organizational factors and change strategies associated with medical home transformation.
The researchers surveyed leaders of the first 132 primary care practices in Minnesota to achieve medical home certification. The Change Process Capability Questionnaire survey and the Physician Practice Connections survey showed that 80% to 100% of these certified clinics had 15 of the 18 organizational factors important for improving care processes and that 60% to 90% had successfully used 16 improvement strategies.
AHRQ-funded; HS019161.
Citation: Solberg LI, Stuck LH, Crain AL .
Organizational factors and change strategies associated with medical home transformation.
Am J Med Qual 2015 Jul-Aug;30(4):337-44. doi: 10.1177/1062860614532307.
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Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care, Practice Improvement, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Healthcare Delivery
DeVoe JE, Stenger R
Aligning provider incentives to improve primary healthcare delivery in the United States.
This critical review uses a theoretical framework from game-theory models to discuss some of the dominant primary care provider payment models and how they create 'prisoner's dilemmas' that have stalled past reform efforts, then illustrates an escape from the dilemma. It concludes that a blend of guaranteed payment and selective incentives designed to encourage primary care providers to deliver high quality care, efficient and equitable care and to eliminate incentives towards over-servicing could reach outcomes leading to shared benefits for everyone involved.
AHRQ-funded; HS014645; HS016181.
Citation: DeVoe JE, Stenger R .
Aligning provider incentives to improve primary healthcare delivery in the United States.
OA Fam Med 2013 Jun 1;1(1):7.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Payment, Primary Care, Quality Improvement
McNellis RJ, Genevro JL, Meyers DS
AHRQ Author: McNellis RJ, Genevro JL, Meyers DS
Lessons learned from the study of primary care transformation.
This article discusses the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model. The authors conclude that the transformation of primary care is essential to achieving the triple aim of better outcomes, better value, and better experience of care, and that the PCMH may be the most viable solution in the current health care environment.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: McNellis RJ, Genevro JL, Meyers DS .
Lessons learned from the study of primary care transformation.
Ann Fam Med 2013 May-Jun;11 Suppl 1:S1-5. doi: 10.1370/afm.1548.
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Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Taylor EF, Machta RM, Meyers DS
AHRQ Author: Meyers DS, Genevro J
Enhancing the primary care team to provide redesigned care: the roles of practice facilitators and care managers.
This article discusses how practice facilitators and care managers can play important but distinct roles in redesigning and improving care delivery in order to deliver coordinated, accessible, comprehensive, and patient-centered care.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Taylor EF, Machta RM, Meyers DS .
Enhancing the primary care team to provide redesigned care: the roles of practice facilitators and care managers.
Ann Fam Med 2013 Jan-Feb;11(1):80-3. doi: 10.1370/afm.1462.
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Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care