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
- Antibiotics (2)
- Antimicrobial Stewardship (1)
- (-) Decision Making (11)
- Dementia (2)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (3)
- Elderly (4)
- Guidelines (1)
- Health Status (1)
- Hospital Discharge (1)
- Long-Term Care (7)
- Medication (4)
- Mortality (1)
- Neurological Disorders (1)
- (-) Nursing Homes (11)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Payment (1)
- Policy (1)
- Provider Performance (2)
- Quality Improvement (2)
- Quality of Care (3)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Transitions of Care (1)
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) (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 11 of 11 Research Studies DisplayedKistler CE, Wretman Zimmerman, S S
Overdiagnosis of urinary tract infections by nursing home clinicians versus a clinical guideline.
The purpose of this study was to examine the concordance between clinicians' diagnosis of suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) with a clinical guideline treated as the gold standard, in order to inform overprescribing and antibiotic stewardship in nursing homes. The authors conducted a cross-sectional web-based survey of a national convenience sample of nursing-home clinicians, including a discrete choice experiment with 19 randomly selected scenarios of nursing-home residents with possible UTIs. Responses were compared to the guideline. The results indicated that nursing-home clinicians tend to over-diagnose UTI. The authors concluded that this necessitates systems-based interventions to augment clinical decisionmaking.
AHRQ-funded; HS024519.
Citation: Kistler CE, Wretman Zimmerman, S S .
Overdiagnosis of urinary tract infections by nursing home clinicians versus a clinical guideline.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2022 Apr;70(4):1070-81. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17638..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Guidelines, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Decision Making
Rosenthal M, Poling J, Wec A
"Medication is just one piece of the whole puzzle": how nursing homes change their use of antipsychotic medications.
This article investigated health professionals’ experiences with decision-making during changes under the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes and its companion coalitions. These programs were introduced in 2012 for the purpose of encouraging reductions in antipsychotic use and increasing use of nonpharmacological treatments for dementia. Interviews were conducted with 40 nursing home physicians and staff in seven states. The authors found that reducing antipsychotics is more time and resource-intensive than relying on medication. However, respondents supported reductions in antipsychotic use. They indicated that with supported staffing, effective communications, and training, they could create or implement individualized treatments.
AHRQ-funded; HS023464.
Citation: Rosenthal M, Poling J, Wec A .
"Medication is just one piece of the whole puzzle": how nursing homes change their use of antipsychotic medications.
J Appl Gerontol 2022 Jan;41(1):62-72. doi: 10.1177/0733464820958919..
Keywords: Elderly, Medication, Nursing Homes, Dementia, Neurological Disorders, Long-Term Care, Decision Making
Hanlon JT, Perera S, Schweon S
Improvements in antibiotic appropriateness for cystitis in older nursing home residents: a quality improvement study with randomized assignment.
This study evaluated the impact of an educational quality improvement initiative on the appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing restricted to uncomplicated cystitis in older noncatheterized nursing home residents. This 1-year case-control study used 25 participating nursing homes that were randomized to the intervention or usual care group by strata that included state, urban/rural status, bed size, and geographic separation. A total of 75 cases of cystitis were found in the intervention groups and 92 in the control groups. The intervention group had a nonsignificant 21% reduction in the risk of antibiotic prescribing. There was a favorable comparison in appropriateness of duration. However, the intervention group had more problems with drug-drug interactions than the control group (8% vs 1%). There were also more problems with dosage in the intervention group. Both groups had similar rates of problems with choice or effectiveness (44% vs 45%). The most common antibiotic class that was prescribed inappropriately was quinolones.
AHRQ-funded; R18 HS023779.
Citation: Hanlon JT, Perera S, Schweon S .
Improvements in antibiotic appropriateness for cystitis in older nursing home residents: a quality improvement study with randomized assignment.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2021 Jan;22(1):173-77. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.07.040..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Antibiotics, Medication, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Decision Making
Beeber AS, Kistler CE, Zimmerman S
Nurse decision-making for suspected urinary tract infections in nursing homes: potential targets to reduce antibiotic overuse.
This study’s goal was to determine what information is most important to registered nurses (RNs) decisions to call clinicians about suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs) in nursing home residents. An online survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 881 RNs recruited from a health care research panel. Clinical scenarios from 10 categories of resident characteristics were used: UTI risk, resident type, functional status, mental status, lower urinary tract status, body temperature, physical exam, urinalysis, antibiotic request, and goals of care. Participants were randomized into 2 deliberation conditions: self-paced (n=437) and forced deliberation (n=444). Painful or difficult urinary, obvious blood in urine and temperature at 101.5° had the highest odds of a RN calling a clinician by the forced-deliberation group. For the self-paced group, painful or difficult urination had the highest odds.
AHRQ-funded; HS024519.
Citation: Beeber AS, Kistler CE, Zimmerman S .
Nurse decision-making for suspected urinary tract infections in nursing homes: potential targets to reduce antibiotic overuse.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2021 Jan;22(1):156-63. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.06.053..
Keywords: Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Medication, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Decision Making, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Abrahamson K, Hass Z, Arling G
Shall I stay or shall I go? The choice to remain in the nursing home among residents with high potential for discharge.
This study examines why private-pay nursing home (NH) residents who expressed a desire for discharge and had relatively low-care needs chose to remain in the NH. The Minnesota Return to Community Initiative (RTCI) is a program that assists those residents to return to the community. Those who remained were more likely to beolder, more cognitively impaired, unmarried, had behavior problems, or diagnosed with dementia. At a 90-day assessment, residents who remained in the facility had a small decline in cognitive status, their continence improved, and they become more independent in activities of daily living (ADLs). Seventy-four percent of those remaining reported a perception of health barriers to discharge.
AHRQ-funded; HS020224.
Citation: Abrahamson K, Hass Z, Arling G .
Shall I stay or shall I go? The choice to remain in the nursing home among residents with high potential for discharge.
J Appl Gerontol 2020 Aug;39(8):863-70. doi: 10.1177/0733464818807818..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Transitions of Care, Decision Making
Ogarek JA, McCreedy EM, Thomas KS
Minimum data set changes in health, end-stage disease and symptoms and signs scale: a revised measure to predict mortality in nursing home residents.
The purpose of this study was to revise the Minimum Data Set (MDS) Changes in Health, End-stage disease and Symptoms and Signs (CHESS) scale, an MDS 2.0-based measure widely used to predict mortality in institutional settings, in response to the release of MDS 3.0. The MDS-CHESS 3.0 predicts mortality in newly admitted and long-stay nursing home populations. The additional relationship to hospitalizations and successful discharges to community increases the utility of this scale as a potential risk adjustment tool.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Ogarek JA, McCreedy EM, Thomas KS .
Minimum data set changes in health, end-stage disease and symptoms and signs scale: a revised measure to predict mortality in nursing home residents.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2018 May;66(5):976-81. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15305..
Keywords: Decision Making, Elderly, Health Status, Mortality, Nursing Homes
Sorkin DH, Amin A, Weimer DL
Hospital discharge and selecting a skilled nursing facility: a comparison of experiences and perspectives of patients and their families.
This article seeks to examine and compare the experiences and perspectives of patients and others involved in the selection of the nursing home (predominately adult children and spouses). It found that patients were the primary decision makers about 23 percent of the time but were often involved in the decision even when family members/involved others were primarily making decisions in the discharge process.
AHRQ-funded; HS021844.
Citation: Sorkin DH, Amin A, Weimer DL .
Hospital discharge and selecting a skilled nursing facility: a comparison of experiences and perspectives of patients and their families.
Prof Case Manag 2018 Mar/Apr;23(2):50-59. doi: 10.1097/ncm.0000000000000252.
.
.
Keywords: Decision Making, Hospital Discharge, Long-Term Care, Nursing Homes, Patient Experience
Tjia J, Lemay CA, Bonner A
Informed family member involvement to improve the quality of dementia care in nursing homes.
Researchers described the extent to which nursing homes engaged families in antipsychotic initiation decisions in the year before surveyor guidance revisions were implemented. Under existing federal regulations but before guidance revisions were implemented in 2013, more than 40 percent of families reported being involved in nonpharmacological behavior management of family members, but fewer than one in four reported being involved throughout the entire antipsychotic prescribing process.
AHRQ-funded; HS019351.
Citation: Tjia J, Lemay CA, Bonner A .
Informed family member involvement to improve the quality of dementia care in nursing homes.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2017 Jan;65(1):59-65. doi: 10.1111/jgs.14299.
.
.
Keywords: Decision Making, Dementia, Medication, Nursing Homes, Patient and Family Engagement
Abrahamson K, Miech E, Davila HW
Pay-for-performance policy and data-driven decision making within nursing homes: a qualitative study.
The researchers explored ways in which data were collected, thought about and used by nursing home employees as a result of participation in a pay-for-performance (P4P) program. Their findings indicated that participants in the Minnesota Performance-based Incentive Payment Program’s quality improvement (QI) projects perceived a change in the rate and manner in which they gathered, used, and considered data in their QI decisions.
AHRQ-funded; HS018464
Citation: Abrahamson K, Miech E, Davila HW .
Pay-for-performance policy and data-driven decision making within nursing homes: a qualitative study.
BMJ Qual Saf. 2015 May;24(5):311-7. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003362..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Payment, Provider Performance, Decision Making, Policy, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Sloane PD, Kistler C, Mitchell CM
Role of body temperature in diagnosing bacterial infection in nursing home residents.
The goals of this study were to provide empirically based guidance on the role of body temperature and fever in the clinical diagnosis of infections. When the researchers compared their empirically derived definitions of fever with those commonly used to justify the prescription of antibiotics for systemic infections, they concluded that the empirical, less-stringent definitions appeared to better fit the clinical realities of nursing home work.
AHRQ-funded; 290200600011I.
Citation: Sloane PD, Kistler C, Mitchell CM .
Role of body temperature in diagnosing bacterial infection in nursing home residents.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2014 Jan;62(1):135-40..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Decision Making
Pesis-Katz I, Phelps CE, Temkin-Greener H
AHRQ Author: Spector WD
Making difficult decisions: the role of quality of care in choosing a nursing home.
The authors investigated how quality of care affects nursing home choice. They examined choices in California, Ohio, New York, and Texas, in 2001. They found that, in all states, consumers were more likely to choose nursing homes of high hotel services quality but not clinical care quality; choice was also significantly associated with shorter distance from prior residence, not-for-profit status, and larger facility size.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Pesis-Katz I, Phelps CE, Temkin-Greener H .
Making difficult decisions: the role of quality of care in choosing a nursing home.
Am J Public Health 2013 May;103(5):e31-7. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2013.301243.
.
.
Keywords: Decision Making, Quality of Care, Nursing Homes, Provider Performance, Quality of Life