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
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Anxiety (1)
- Back Health and Pain (4)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- Children/Adolescents (2)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (2)
- Communication (1)
- Comparative Effectiveness (2)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Disparities (1)
- Education (1)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (1)
- (-) Emergency Department (18)
- Evidence-Based Practice (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
- Healthcare Utilization (2)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Hospital Readmissions (1)
- Hospitals (2)
- Injuries and Wounds (2)
- Medical Errors (1)
- Medication (7)
- Opioids (9)
- Outcomes (1)
- (-) Pain (18)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (2)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Practice Patterns (3)
- Provider (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (2)
- Sickle Cell Disease (2)
- Stress (1)
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 18 of 18 Research Studies DisplayedKim HS, Strickland KJ, Seitz AL
Patient perspectives on seeking emergency care for acute low back pain and access to physical therapy in the emergency department.
This study’s purpose was to explore patient perspectives on visiting the emergency department (ED) for low back pain to inform a more patient-centered approach to emergency care. The authors conducted focus group discussions and individual interviews among patients visiting an urban academic ED for acute low back pain. They recruited participants from an ongoing prospective study of 101 patients receiving either ED-initiated physical therapy or usual care. They conducted 4 focus group discussions among 18 participants (median age 46.5 years, 66.7% women, 61.1% Black) and individual interviews with 27 participants (median age 45 years, 55.6% women, 44.4% White). They identified 5 summary themes: (1) the decision to seek emergency care for low back pain is motivated by severe pain, resulting disability, and fears about a catastrophic diagnosis, (2) participants sought various goals from their ED visit but emphasized the primacy of pain control, (3) participants were reluctant to use pain medications but also acknowledged their benefit, (4) participants perceived a number of benefits from direct access to an ED physical therapist in the ED, and (5) participation in physical therapy ultimately facilitated recovery, but the pain was a barrier to performing exercises.
AHRQ-funded; HS023011; HS027426.
Citation: Kim HS, Strickland KJ, Seitz AL .
Patient perspectives on seeking emergency care for acute low back pain and access to physical therapy in the emergency department.
Ann Emerg Med 2023 Aug; 82(2):154-63. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2022.12.028..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Back Health and Pain, Pain
Kim HS, Muschong KM, Fishman IL KM, Fishman IL
Embedded emergency department physical therapy versus usual care for acute low back pain: a protocol for the NEED-PT randomised trial.
This protocol paper discusses a study that will evaluate outcomes of having an embedded physical therapist in the emergency department (ED) for patients experiencing acute low back pain. The desired outcome is lower patient-reported opioid use post-discharge. The study will enroll patients with acute low back pain at an urban academic ED in Chicago, Illinois. This case-control study will randomize patients to either the embedded physical therapy or the usual care. The authors will follow the patients to a primary endpoint of 3 months and compare a primary outcome of change in PROMIS-Pain Interference score and secondary outcomes of change in modified Oswestry Disability Index score and patient-reported opioid use.
AHRQ-funded; HS027426.
Citation: Kim HS, Muschong KM, Fishman IL KM, Fishman IL .
Embedded emergency department physical therapy versus usual care for acute low back pain: a protocol for the NEED-PT randomised trial.
BMJ Open 2022 May 24;12(5):e061283. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061283..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Back Health and Pain, Pain
Meisel ZF, Shofer F, Dolan A
AHRQ Author: Rhodes KV
A multicentered randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of pain treatment communication tools in emergency department patients with back or kidney stone pain.
The purpose of this trial was to compare the effectiveness of three approaches for communicating opioid risk during an emergency department visit for a common painful condition. Participants were adult patients with kidney stone or musculoskeletal back pain, randomly assigned to one of three risk communication strategies: a personalized probabilistic risk visual aid, a visual aid and video narrative, or general risk information. Findings showed that an emergency medicine communication tool incorporating probabilistic risk and patient narratives was more effective than general information in mitigating preferences for opioids in the treatment of pain but was not more effective with respect to opioid use or risk recall.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Meisel ZF, Shofer F, Dolan A .
A multicentered randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of pain treatment communication tools in emergency department patients with back or kidney stone pain.
Am J Public Health 2022 Feb;112(S1):S45-s55. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2021.306511..
Keywords: Pain, Emergency Department, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Opioids, Comparative Effectiveness, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication
Goyal MK, Drendel AL, Chamberlain JM
Racial/ethnic differences in ED opioid prescriptions for long bone fractures: trends over time.
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether racial and/or ethnic differences in provision of outpatient opioid prescriptions for children discharged from the ED with long bone fractures have decreased over time. Findings showed that, as provision of opioid prescriptions declined over time, previously marked racial and/or ethnic disparities in opioid
prescription rates at ED discharge decreased.
prescription rates at ED discharge decreased.
AHRQ-funded; HS020270.
Citation: Goyal MK, Drendel AL, Chamberlain JM .
Racial/ethnic differences in ED opioid prescriptions for long bone fractures: trends over time.
Pediatrics 2021 Nov;148(5):e2021052481. doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-052481..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Opioids, Emergency Department, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Injuries and Wounds, Pain, Medication
Kim HS, Ciolino JD, Lancki N
A prospective observational study of emergency department-initiated physical therapy for acute low back pain.
The purpose of this study was to compare patient-reported outcomes in patients receiving emergency department-initiated physical therapy and patients receiving usual care for acute low back pain. Findings showed that emergency department-initiated physical therapy for low back pain was associated with greater improvement in functioning and lower use of high-risk medications over 3 months.
AHRQ-funded; HS023011.
Citation: Kim HS, Ciolino JD, Lancki N .
A prospective observational study of emergency department-initiated physical therapy for acute low back pain.
Phys Ther 2021 Mar 3;101(3). doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzaa219..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Back Health and Pain, Pain, Chronic Conditions
McCarthy DM, Kim HS, Hur SI
Patient-reported opioid pill consumption after an ed visit: how many pills are people using?
This study examined opioid use patterns after an emergency department (ED) visit. The study was conducted at an urban academic emergency department and included patients 18 years or older, not chemically using opioids, and had been newly prescribed hydrocodone-acetaminophen. They were asked to complete and return a 10-day medication diary. Two-hundred sixty patients returned completed medication diaries that included treatment for different conditions. The mean age was 45 years and 59% of the sample was female. The median number of pills prescribed was 12. Patients with renal colic used the least number of pills and patients with back pain used the most. Almost all (92.5%) of patients had leftover pills by the end of the 10 days.
AHRQ-funded; HS023459.
Citation: McCarthy DM, Kim HS, Hur SI .
Patient-reported opioid pill consumption after an ed visit: how many pills are people using?
Pain Med 2021 Feb 23;22(2):292-302. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa048..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Emergency Department, Practice Patterns, Pain
Martsolf GR, Nuckols TK, Fingar KR
AHRQ Author: Stocks C, Owens PL
Nonspecific chest pain and hospital revisits within 7 days of care: variation across emergency department, observation and inpatient visits.
The purpose of this study was to compare the rate at which patients with nonspecific chest pain return to the hospital within 7 days after index observation visits versus after index emergency department and inpatient visits. Findings showed that up to 1 in 10 patients discharged with nonspecific chest pain returned to the hospital within 1week. Compared with emergency department and inpatient care, observation visits were associated with lower revisit rates. Recommendations include further research to refine clinical standards of care for nonspecific chest pain as well as to investigate the healthcare delivery and patient factors that influence 7-day revisit rates.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201300002C.
Citation: Martsolf GR, Nuckols TK, Fingar KR .
Nonspecific chest pain and hospital revisits within 7 days of care: variation across emergency department, observation and inpatient visits.
BMC Health Serv Res 2020 Jun 8;20(1):516. doi: 10.1186/s12913-020-05200-x..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Emergency Department, Pain, Healthcare Utilization, Hospitals, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions
Goyal MK, Johnson TJ, Chamberlain JM
Racial and ethnic differences in emergency department pain management of children with fractures.
Researchers tested the hypotheses that minority children with long-bone fractures are less likely to receive analgesics, to receive opioid analgesics, and to achieve pain reduction. Using data from the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Registry, they found that there are differences in process and outcome measures by race and ethnicity in the emergency department management of pain among children with long-bone fractures. Although minority children are more likely to receive analgesics and achieve reduction in pain, they are less likely to receive opioids and achieve optimal pain reduction.
AHRQ-funded; HS020270.
Citation: Goyal MK, Johnson TJ, Chamberlain JM .
Racial and ethnic differences in emergency department pain management of children with fractures.
Pediatrics 2020 May;145(5):e20193370. doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-3370..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Emergency Department, Pain, Injuries and Wounds, Medication, Opioids, Disparities
Kim HS, Kaplan SH, McCarthy DM
A comparison of analgesic prescribing among ED back and neck pain visits receiving physical therapy versus usual care.
Researchers used a retrospective cohort study to examine whether physical therapy (PT) is associated with lower analgesic prescribing in the emergency department (ED) setting. They found that, in this single center study, ED back and neck pain visits receiving PT were no less likely to receive an opioid prescription and were more likely to receive a benzodiazepine than visits receiving usual care. They conclude that, although prior studies demonstrated that PT may reduce opioid utilization in the subsequent year, these results indicated that analgesic prescribing is not reduced at the initial ED encounter.
AHRQ-funded; HS023011.
Citation: Kim HS, Kaplan SH, McCarthy DM .
A comparison of analgesic prescribing among ED back and neck pain visits receiving physical therapy versus usual care.
Am J Emerg Med 2019 Jul;37(7):1322-26. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.10.009..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Emergency Department, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Pain, Back Health and Pain, Outcomes, Evidence-Based Practice
Vijay A, Rhee TG, Ross JS
U.S. prescribing trends of fentanyl, opioids, and other pain medications in outpatient and emergency department visits from 2006 to 2015.
This retrospective study tracked US prescribing trends of fentanyl, opioids, and other pain medications in outpatient and emergency department (ED) visits from 2006 to 2015. Data from the 2006-2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys was used. During that time period, 17.4% of office-based outpatient visits and 45% of ED visits listed a pain medication prescription. There was an increase of about 5% from 2006-2007 to 2014-2015 for outpatient visits in which any pain medication was prescribed. Fentanyl prescription rates remained stable but doubled at EDs. There was also an increase in non-opioid pain medications in both settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882; HS025164.
Citation: Vijay A, Rhee TG, Ross JS .
U.S. prescribing trends of fentanyl, opioids, and other pain medications in outpatient and emergency department visits from 2006 to 2015.
Prev Med 2019 Jun;123:123-29. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.03.022..
Keywords: Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Emergency Department, Hospitals, Medication, Opioids, Pain, Practice Patterns
Knight LMJ, Onsomu EO, Bosworth HB
Exploring emergency department provider experiences with and perceptions of weight-based versus individualized vaso-occlusive treatment protocols in sickle cell disease.
This study compared perceptions of nurses and physicians on protocols to treat sickle cell disease vaso-occlusive episodes (VOEs) in emergency rooms (ERs). Two different protocols were used for VOEs: weight –based and individualized vaso-occlusive. Nurses were less satisfied with clarity of the protocols than physicians. Pain management protocol perceptions differed widely between physicians, residents, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses.
AHRQ-funded; HS024501.
Citation: Knight LMJ, Onsomu EO, Bosworth HB .
Exploring emergency department provider experiences with and perceptions of weight-based versus individualized vaso-occlusive treatment protocols in sickle cell disease.
Adv Emerg Nurs J 2019 Jan/Mar;41(1):86-97. doi: 10.1097/tme.0000000000000232..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Medication, Opioids, Pain, Provider, Sickle Cell Disease
Stevens JP, Dechen T, Schwartzstein R
Prevalence of dyspnea among hospitalized patients at the time of admission.
Dyspnea is an uncomfortable and distressing sensation experienced by hospitalized patients. There is no large-scale study of the prevalence and intensity of patient-reported dyspnea at the time of admission to the hospital. In this study the investigators conducted a prospective cohort study among all consecutive hospitalized patients at a single tertiary care center in Boston, MA. The investigators concluded that dyspnea is a common symptom among all hospitalized patients and that routine documentation of dyspnea is feasible in a large tertiary care center.
AHRQ-funded; HS024288.
Citation: Stevens JP, Dechen T, Schwartzstein R .
Prevalence of dyspnea among hospitalized patients at the time of admission.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2018 Jul;56(1):15-22.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.02.013..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Hospitalization, Pain
Hernandez-Boussard T, Graham LA, Desai K
The fifth vital sign: postoperative pain predicts 30-day readmissions and subsequent emergency department visits.
The researchers hypothesized that inpatient postoperative pain trajectories are associated with 30-day inpatient readmission and emergency department (ED) visits. After analyzing National Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement data on inpatient general, vascular, and orthopedic surgery from 2008 to 2014, they concluded that postoperative pain trajectories identify populations at risk for 30-day readmissions and ED visits, and do not seem to be mediated by postdischarge complications.
AHRQ-funded; HS024096.
Citation: Hernandez-Boussard T, Graham LA, Desai K .
The fifth vital sign: postoperative pain predicts 30-day readmissions and subsequent emergency department visits.
Ann Surg 2017 Sep;266(3):516-24. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000002372.
.
.
Keywords: Emergency Department, Hospital Readmissions, Pain
Musey PI, Jr., Kline JA
Emergency department cardiopulmonary evaluation of low-risk chest pain patients with self-reported stress and anxiety.
This study aimed to was to measure the frequency of self-identified stress or anxiety among chest pain patients, and compare their pretest probabilities, care processes, and outcomes. It concluded that without prompting, 8 percent of patients self-identified "stress" or "anxiety" as the etiology for their chest pain. Most had low pretest probability, were over-investigated for acute coronary syndrome and pulmonary embolism and not investigated for anxiety syndromes.
AHRQ-funded; HS018519.
Citation: Musey PI, Jr., Kline JA .
Emergency department cardiopulmonary evaluation of low-risk chest pain patients with self-reported stress and anxiety.
J Emerg Med 2017 Mar;52(3):273-79. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2016.11.022.
.
.
Keywords: Anxiety, Emergency Department, Health Services Research (HSR), Pain, Stress
Beaudoin FL, Gutman R, Merchant RC
Persistent pain after motor vehicle collision: comparative effectiveness of opioids vs nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs prescribed from the emergency department-a propensity matched analysis.
This study evaluated the effect of opioid analgesics vs NSAIDs initiated from the ED on the presence of moderate to severe musculoskeletal pain and ongoing opioid use at 6 weeks in a large cohort of adult ED patients presenting to the ED after motor vehicle collision. No difference in risk for moderate to severe musculoskeletal pain at 6 weeks was observed between those discharged with opioid analgesics vs NSAIDs.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Beaudoin FL, Gutman R, Merchant RC .
Persistent pain after motor vehicle collision: comparative effectiveness of opioids vs nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs prescribed from the emergency department-a propensity matched analysis.
Pain 2017 Feb;158(2):289-95. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000756.
.
.
Keywords: Comparative Effectiveness, Emergency Department, Medication, Opioids, Pain, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Jonassaint CR, Beach MC, Haythornthwaite JA
The association between educational attainment and patterns of emergency department utilization among adults with sickle cell disease.
The authors aimed to determine what factors are related to emergency department visits in hopes of guiding treatments and early interventions. They concluded that early interventions addressing disparities in academic performance, especially for those children most at risk, may lead to improved long-term health outcomes in this population.
AHRQ-funded; HS022989.
Citation: Jonassaint CR, Beach MC, Haythornthwaite JA .
The association between educational attainment and patterns of emergency department utilization among adults with sickle cell disease.
Int J Behav Med 2016 Jun;23(3):300-09. doi: 10.1007/s12529-016-9538-y.
.
.
Keywords: Education, Emergency Department, Healthcare Utilization, Pain, Sickle Cell Disease
Medford-Davis L, Park E, Shlamovitz G
Diagnostic errors related to acute abdominal pain in the emergency department.
This study reviewed a selected high-risk cohort of patients presenting to the ED with abdominal pain to evaluate for possible diagnostic errors and associated process breakdowns. Diagnostic errors occurred in 35 of 100 high-risk cases. Over two-thirds had breakdowns involving the patient-provider encounter (most commonly history-taking or ordering additional tests) and/or follow-up and tracking of diagnostic information (most commonly follow-up of abnormal test results).
AHRQ-funded; HS022087.
Citation: Medford-Davis L, Park E, Shlamovitz G .
Diagnostic errors related to acute abdominal pain in the emergency department.
Emerg Med J 2016 Apr;33(4):253-9. doi: 10.1136/emermed-2015-204754.
.
.
Keywords: Pain, Emergency Department, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medical Errors, Clinician-Patient Communication
Meisel ZF, Smith RJ
Engaging patients around the risks of opioid misuse in the emergency.
The authors of this editorial considered a number of different types of strategies to increase patient awareness of risks and benefits associated with alternative pain management strategies in the ED. These include traditional education, communicating risks, shared decisionmaking, community interventions and “sticky” narratives. They conclude that patients, families and communities must be included in order to navigate the tight¬rope walk between providing adequate pain control and mitigating misuse and dependency.
AHRQ-funded; HS021956.
Citation: Meisel ZF, Smith RJ .
Engaging patients around the risks of opioid misuse in the emergency.
Pain Manag 2015 Sep;5(5):323-6. doi: 10.2217/pmt.15.31..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Opioids, Pain, Patient and Family Engagement