Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Innovations
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- MONAHRQ
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Access to Care (8)
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (3)
- Adverse Events (33)
- Alcohol Use (1)
- Antibiotics (4)
- Antimicrobial Stewardship (4)
- Arthritis (2)
- Behavioral Health (8)
- Blood Clots (1)
- Blood Pressure (1)
- Brain Injury (2)
- Cancer (39)
- Cancer: Breast Cancer (8)
- Cancer: Colorectal Cancer (6)
- Cancer: Lung Cancer (8)
- Cancer: Prostate Cancer (4)
- Cancer: Skin Cancer (2)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (50)
- Care Coordination (1)
- Caregiving (1)
- Care Management (2)
- Children/Adolescents (17)
- Chronic Conditions (14)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (1)
- Clostridium difficile Infections (1)
- Communication (2)
- Community-Acquired Infections (2)
- Comparative Effectiveness (16)
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (1)
- COVID-19 (14)
- Critical Care (13)
- Data (5)
- Decision Making (7)
- Dementia (6)
- Depression (3)
- Diabetes (12)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Dialysis (7)
- Digestive Disease and Health (4)
- Disparities (18)
- Elderly (67)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (6)
- Emergency Department (12)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (6)
- Emergency Preparedness (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (14)
- Family Health and History (1)
- Genetics (1)
- Guidelines (3)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (4)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (30)
- Healthcare Costs (15)
- Healthcare Delivery (6)
- Healthcare Utilization (6)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (9)
- Health Insurance (4)
- Health Literacy (1)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (4)
- Health Status (6)
- Heart Disease and Health (42)
- Hepatitis (2)
- Hospital Discharge (9)
- Hospitalization (48)
- Hospital Readmissions (19)
- Hospitals (42)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (3)
- Infectious Diseases (4)
- Influenza (4)
- Injuries and Wounds (16)
- Inpatient Care (9)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (13)
- Kidney Disease and Health (23)
- Labor and Delivery (7)
- Long-Term Care (4)
- Low-Income (5)
- Mammogram (1)
- Maternal Care (4)
- Medicaid (3)
- Medical Devices (7)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (2)
- Medicare (27)
- Medication (26)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Men's Health (1)
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (1)
- (-) Mortality (364)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (1)
- Neurological Disorders (7)
- Newborns/Infants (14)
- Nursing (1)
- Nursing Homes (9)
- Nutrition (2)
- Obesity (5)
- Opioids (12)
- Organizational Change (1)
- Orthopedics (1)
- Outcomes (88)
- Palliative Care (7)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (2)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (51)
- Patient Experience (2)
- Patient Safety (28)
- Patient Self-Management (1)
- Payment (2)
- Pneumonia (5)
- Policy (6)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Pregnancy (9)
- Pressure Ulcers (1)
- Prevention (9)
- Primary Care (3)
- Primary Care: Models of Care (1)
- Provider (1)
- Provider: Nurse (1)
- Provider: Physician (1)
- Provider Performance (6)
- Public Health (9)
- Public Reporting (1)
- Quality Improvement (5)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (4)
- Quality Measures (2)
- Quality of Care (17)
- Quality of Life (3)
- Racial / Ethnic Minorities (29)
- Registries (11)
- Rehabilitation (2)
- Research Methodologies (3)
- Respiratory Conditions (10)
- Risk (56)
- Rural Health (2)
- Safety Net (1)
- Screening (1)
- Sepsis (27)
- Sex Factors (2)
- Skin Conditions (3)
- Sleep Apnea (1)
- Social Determinants of Health (16)
- Stress (1)
- Stroke (5)
- Substance Abuse (11)
- Surgery (66)
- Teams (2)
- Tobacco Use (1)
- Transitions of Care (6)
- Transplantation (15)
- Trauma (18)
- Treatments (5)
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (1)
- Uninsured (1)
- Urban Health (2)
- Vaccination (1)
- Value (5)
- Veterans (7)
- Vitamins and Supplements (1)
- Vulnerable Populations (2)
- Web-Based (1)
- Women (6)
- Workforce (2)
- Young Adults (1)
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a monthly compilation of research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers and recently published in journals or newsletters.
Results
1 to 25 of 364 Research Studies Displayed
Riviello ED, Dechen T, O'Donoghue AL
Assessment of a crisis standards of care scoring system for resource prioritization and estimated excess mortality by race, ethnicity, and socially vulnerable area during a regional surge in COVID-19.
Researchers analyzed the association of a crisis standards of care (CSOC) scoring system with resource prioritization and estimated excess mortality by race, ethnicity, and residence in a socially vulnerable area during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from 6 hospitals in greater Boston, Massachusetts, they found that a CSOC priority score resulted in lower prioritization of Black patients to receive scarce resources. Also, a model using a random lottery resulted in more estimated excess deaths overall without improving equity by race.
AHRQ-funded; HS024288.
Citation:
Riviello ED, Dechen T, O'Donoghue AL .
Assessment of a crisis standards of care scoring system for resource prioritization and estimated excess mortality by race, ethnicity, and socially vulnerable area during a regional surge in COVID-19.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Mar;5(3):e221744. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.1744..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Racial / Ethnic Minorities, Mortality, Public Health, Vulnerable Populations
Auty SG, Griffith KN
Medicaid expansion and drug overdose mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
This study examined trends in overdose mortality nationally and by state Medicaid expansion status from 2013 to 2020. Using data from the CDC’s WONDER database, findings showed that the increase in drug or opioid overdose deaths experienced during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic was similar in states with and without Medicaid expansion.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation:
Auty SG, Griffith KN .
Medicaid expansion and drug overdose mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
Drug Alcohol Depend 2022 Mar 1;232:109340. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109340..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Medicaid, Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Mortality, Public Health
Cohen B, Sanabria E, Liu J
Predicting healthcare-associated infections, length of stay, and mortality with the nursing intensity of care index.
The purpose of this study was to develop, validate, and utilize a simulation model to predict healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), length of stay (LOS), and patient mortality, as well as evaluate whether the variation in incidence of HAIs was dependent upon the adequacy of unit staffing levels. The researchers analyzed data from all patients discharged from four different types of New York City hospitals within a single healthcare network between 2012-2016 (N=562,435). The researchers developed a simulation model to estimate the daily probability rates of 5 different HAIs, length of stay, and mortality, and modeled staffing adequacy based on nursing care supply (as indicated by total nurse staffing) and nursing care demand (indicated using the Nursing Intensity of Care Index.) The study results indicated that the model predictions were within 95% confidence intervals of the actual outcomes. The authors reported that the incidence of HAI was the highest when total nurse staffing (supply) was lowest and nursing care intensity (demand) was highest.
AHRQ-funded; HS024915.
Citation:
Cohen B, Sanabria E, Liu J .
Predicting healthcare-associated infections, length of stay, and mortality with the nursing intensity of care index.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2022 Mar;43(3):298-305. doi: 10.1017/ice.2021.114..
Keywords:
Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Provider: Nurse, Inpatient Care, Mortality
Merkow RP, Massarweh NN
Looking beyond perioperative morbidity and mortality as measures of surgical quality.
The authors discussed the problems with a contemporaneous focus on morbidity and mortality as surgical quality measures and offered potential alternative options which could better refine and evolve surgical quality measurement, including process measures, value-based measures, patient-centered measures, and health equity.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation:
Merkow RP, Massarweh NN .
Looking beyond perioperative morbidity and mortality as measures of surgical quality.
Ann Surg 2022 Feb;275(2):e281-e83. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000004966..
Keywords:
Surgery, Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Mortality
Feyman Y, Auty SG, Tenso K
County-level impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on excess mortality among U.S. veterans: a population-based study.
This study investigated the county-level impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on excess mortality among U.S. veterans. The authors queried Veterans Health Administration (VHA) administrative data on demographics and comorbidities for 11.4 million enrollees during 2016-2020. Eight mortality prediction models at the county-level were used including Poisson, Poisson quasi-likelihood, negative binomial, and generalized estimating equations. All models demonstrated excellent agreement between observed and predicted mortality. An excess mortality rate of 13% in 2020 was found, which corresponds to 50,299 excess deaths. Despite mortality risk factors of veterans, their excess mortality rate was slightly lower than the general population.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation:
Feyman Y, Auty SG, Tenso K .
County-level impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on excess mortality among U.S. veterans: a population-based study.
Lancet Reg Health Am 2022 Jan;5:100093. doi: 10.1016/j.lana.2021.100093.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395..
AHRQ-funded; HS026395..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Veterans, Mortality
Rhee TG, Sint K, Olfson M
Association of ECT with risks of all-cause mortality and suicide in older Medicare patients.
This observational study examined the effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on suicide and all-cause mortality risk in Medicare psychiatric patients age 65 or older. Patients receiving ECT were exact matched to control subjects in a 1-to-3 ratio on age, gender, principal hospital diagnosis, past-year psychiatric hospitalizations, past-year suicide attempts, and Elixhauser comorbidity index. A total of 10,46 patients were in the ECT group and 31,160 in the control group. Compared with the control group, patients receiving ECT had lower all-cause mortality for up to 1 year following hospital discharge. For death by suicide, ECT was associated with short-lived effects which waned over time.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation:
Rhee TG, Sint K, Olfson M .
Association of ECT with risks of all-cause mortality and suicide in older Medicare patients.
Am J Psychiatry 2021 Dec;178(12):1089-97. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.21040351..
Keywords:
Elderly, Behavioral Health, Mortality, Treatments
Ching JH, Owens DK, Trafton JA
Impact of treatment duration on mortality among Veterans with opioid use disorder in the United States Veterans Health Administration.
This study used simulation of a Veterans Health Administration cohort to identify the opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment durations necessary for the elevated mortality risks during treatment transitions balanced by reductions in mortality while receiving medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with methadone or buprenorphine. A simulated cohort of 10,000 individuals with OUD was created by using parameters obtained through calibration and published meta-analyses of studies from North America, Europe, and Australia. Methadone treatment for 4 months or longer or buprenorphine for 2 months or longer resulted in 54 and 65 fewer deaths relative to not receiving MAT for the same duration. The authors estimated shorter treatment durations necessary to achieve net mortality benefits of 2 months or longer for methadone and 1 month or longer for buprenorphine. Necessary treatment increased more with smaller mortality reductions on treatment with larger relative risks during treatment transitions.
AHRQ-funded; HS027935; HS026128.
Citation:
Ching JH, Owens DK, Trafton JA .
Impact of treatment duration on mortality among Veterans with opioid use disorder in the United States Veterans Health Administration.
Addiction 2021 Dec;116(12):3494-503. doi: 10.1111/add.15574.
AHRQ-funded; HS027935; HS026128..
AHRQ-funded; HS027935; HS026128..
Keywords:
Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Veterans, Mortality
Ingraham NE, King S, Proper J
Morbidity and mortality trends of pancreatitis: an observational study.
The authors assessed temporal trends of incidence, complications, management, and outcomes for acute pancreatitis in hospitalized patients at the national level. Using HCUP data, they found that the incidence of pancreatitis, from 2008 to 2015, has increased whereas inpatient mortality has decreased.
AHRQ-funded; HS026732.
Citation:
Ingraham NE, King S, Proper J .
Morbidity and mortality trends of pancreatitis: an observational study.
Surg Infect 2021 Dec;22(10):1021-30. doi: 10.1089/sur.2020.473..
Keywords:
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Digestive Disease and Health, Mortality
Orth J, Li Y, Simning A
Nursing home residents with dementia: association between place of death and patient safety culture.
This study examined the association of place of death and patient safety culture among nursing home (NH) residents with dementia. The authors examined the estimated effects of patient safety culture (PSC) among 11,957 long-stay NH residents with dementia, aged 65+ who died in NHs or hospitals shortly following discharge from one of 800 US NHs in 2017. Residents with dementia in NHs with higher PSC scores in communication openness had lower odds of in-hospital death, with the strongest effect in NHs located in states with higher minimum NH nurse staffing requirements.
AHRQ-funded; HS024923.
Citation:
Orth J, Li Y, Simning A .
Nursing home residents with dementia: association between place of death and patient safety culture.
Gerontologist 2021 Nov 15;61(8):1296-306. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaa188..
Keywords:
Elderly, Dementia, Nursing Homes, Mortality, Patient Safety
Alagoz O, Lowry KP, Kurian AW
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer mortality in the US: estimates from collaborative simulation modeling.
This study’s objective was to project the impact of COVID-19 on future breast cancer mortality between 2020 and 2030. Three established Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network breast cancer models were used to model reductions in mammography screening use, delays in symptomatic cancer diagnosis, and reduced use of chemotherapy for women with early-stage disease for the first 6 months of the pandemic with return to prepandemic patterns after that time. The models project by 2030 950 cumulative excess breast cancers deaths related to reduced screening, 1314 deaths associated with delayed diagnosis of symptomatic cases, and 151 deaths associated with reduced chemotherapy use in women with hormone positive, early-stage cancer.
AHRQ-funded; HS018366.
Citation:
Alagoz O, Lowry KP, Kurian AW .
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer mortality in the US: estimates from collaborative simulation modeling.
J Natl Cancer Inst 2021 Nov 2;113(11):1484-94. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djab097..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Mortality, Women
Greenwood-Ericksen M, Kamdar N, Lin P
Association of rural and critical access hospital status with patient outcomes after emergency department visits among Medicare beneficiaries.
This study compared 30-day mortality rates after emergency department (ED) visits to rural or critical access hospitals (CAHs) compared to urban hospitals for Medicare beneficiaries. A 20% sample of Medicare beneficiaries was used from January 2011 to October 31, 2015. The primary outcome measured was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcome examined was ED visits with and without rehospitalization. Mortality rates were comparable with both groups, although patients in rural EDs experienced more transfers and less hospitalization.
AHRQ-funded; HS024160.
Citation:
Greenwood-Ericksen M, Kamdar N, Lin P .
Association of rural and critical access hospital status with patient outcomes after emergency department visits among Medicare beneficiaries.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Nov;4(11):e2134980. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.34980..
Keywords:
Hospitals, Rural Health, Urban Health, Emergency Department, Mortality, Outcomes
Arntson E, Dimick JB, Nuliyalu U
Changes in hospital-acquired conditions and mortality associated with the hospital-acquired condition reduction program.
This study evaluated changes in Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HACs) and 30-day mortality after the announcement of the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services’ Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP) in August 2013. The authors evaluated models to test for changes in HACs and 30-day mortality before and after the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and after the HACRP. Fee-for-service Medicare claims from 2009 to 2015 were used. The HAC rate declined after the ACA was passed and declined further after the HACRP announcement. However, 30-day mortality rates were unchanged.
AHRQ-funded; HS026244.
Citation:
Arntson E, Dimick JB, Nuliyalu U .
Changes in hospital-acquired conditions and mortality associated with the hospital-acquired condition reduction program.
Ann Surg 2021 Oct 1;274(4):e301-e07. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000003641..
Keywords:
Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Mortality, Medicare, Payment, Prevention, Patient Safety
Bongiovanni T, Hernandez S, Ledesma Y
Surviving traumatic injury, only to die of acute drug poisoning: should trauma centers be a path for intervention?
This study’s objective was to determine the incidence and characteristics of and risk factors for trauma patients suffering death by unintentional drug overdose. This retrospective chart review was conducted on all admitted trauma patients 18 years or older at the only level-1 trauma center in the San Francisco area from 2012 to 2012, matched with unintentional overdose decedents from the California death registry. Of 9,860 patients residing in San Francisco at the time of their trauma during the study period 1,418 died, 107 (0.3/100 person-years) from unintentional overdose. Overdose decedents were 84% male, 50% white, with a mean age of 48 years. Twenty percent of deaths occurred within 3 months of hospitalization, and 40% were attributed to a prescription opioid.
AHRQ-funded; HS026383; 233201500020I.
Citation:
Bongiovanni T, Hernandez S, Ledesma Y .
Surviving traumatic injury, only to die of acute drug poisoning: should trauma centers be a path for intervention?
Surgery 2021 Oct;170(4):1249-54. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2021.03.003.
AHRQ-funded; HS026383; 233201500020I..
AHRQ-funded; HS026383; 233201500020I..
Keywords:
Trauma, Medication, Risk, Mortality
Stevens JP, Dechen T, Schwartzstein RM
Association of dyspnoea, mortality and resource use in hospitalised patients.
As many as one in 10 patients experience dyspnoea at hospital admission but the relationship between dyspnoea and patient outcomes is unknown. In this study, the investigators sought to determine whether dyspnoea on admission predicts outcomes. They conducted a retrospective cohort study in a single, academic medical centre. They analysed 67 362 consecutive hospital admissions with available data on dyspnoea, pain and outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024288.
Citation:
Stevens JP, Dechen T, Schwartzstein RM .
Association of dyspnoea, mortality and resource use in hospitalised patients.
Eur Respir J 2021 Sep 2;58(3). doi: 10.1183/13993003.02107-2019..
Keywords:
Respiratory Conditions, Mortality, Outcomes
Papaleontiou M, Norton EC, Reyes-Gastelum D
Competing causes of death in older adults with thyroid cancer.
Understanding the impact of comorbidities and competing risks of death when caring for older adults with thyroid cancer is key for personalized management. The objective of this study was to determine whether older adults with thyroid cancer are more likely to die from thyroid cancer or other etiologies and determine patient factors associated with each.
AHRQ-funded; HS024512.
Citation:
Papaleontiou M, Norton EC, Reyes-Gastelum D .
Competing causes of death in older adults with thyroid cancer.
Thyroid 2021 Sep;31(9):1359-65. doi: 10.1089/thy.2020.0929..
Keywords:
Elderly, Cancer, Mortality
Klein IA, Rosenberg SM, Reynolds KL
Impact of cancer history on outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Researchers investigated whether a current cancer diagnosis or cancer history is an independent risk factor for death in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. They found that patients with a history of cancer hospitalized for COVID-19 had similar mortality to matched hospitalized patients with COVID-19 without cancer, and a lower risk of complications, while patients with active cancer or recent cancer treatment had a similar risk for adverse outcomes compared with survivors of cancer. They concluded that active cancer, systemic cancer therapy, and a cancer history are not independent risk factors for death from COVID-19 among hospitalized patients, and hospitalized patients without cancer are more likely to have severe COVID-19.
AHRQ-funded; HS023680.
Citation:
Klein IA, Rosenberg SM, Reynolds KL .
Impact of cancer history on outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Oncologist 2021 Aug;26(8):685-93. doi: 10.1002/onco.13794..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Cancer, Risk, Mortality, Hospitalization, Outcomes
Dixon BE, Grannis SJ, Lembcke LR
The synchronicity of COVID-19 disparities: statewide epidemiologic trends in SARS-CoV-2 morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality among racial minorities and in rural America.
Researchers sought to examine trends in COVID-19 morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality over time for minority and rural populations, especially during the U.S. fall surge. Data were taken from a statewide cohort of adult residents in Indiana tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The researchers found that, by the fall of 2020, hospitalization and mortality rates in rural areas surpassed those of urban areas, and gaps between black/brown and white populations narrowed. Cumulative morbidity and mortality were highest among minority groups and in rural communities. They concluded that the synchronicity of disparities in COVID-19 by race and geography suggested that health officials explicitly measure disparities and adjust mitigation as well as vaccination strategies to protect those sub-populations with greater disease burden.
AHRQ-funded; HS025502.
Citation:
Dixon BE, Grannis SJ, Lembcke LR .
The synchronicity of COVID-19 disparities: statewide epidemiologic trends in SARS-CoV-2 morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality among racial minorities and in rural America.
PLoS One 2021 Jul 23;16(7):e0255063. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255063..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Disparities, Racial / Ethnic Minorities, Hospitalization, Mortality, Rural Health
Chandran A, Xu C, Gross J
A web-based tool for quantification of potential gains in life expectancy by preventing cause-specific mortality.
In collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, the authors aimed to develop a web-based tool to estimate the potential lives saved and gains in life expectance (LE) in specific neighborhoods following interventions targeting achievable reductions in preventable deaths. Using the PROLONGER (ImPROved LONGEvity through Reductions in Cause-Specific Deaths) tool, they found that, if heart disease deaths could be reduced by 20% in a given neighborhood in Baltimore City, there could be up to a 2.3-year increase in neighborhood LE. Further, the neighborhoods with highest expected LE increase are not the same as those with highest heart disease mortality burden or lowest overall life expectancies. They concluded that focusing programs based on potential LE impact at the neighborhood level could lend new information for targeting of place-based public health interventions.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation:
Chandran A, Xu C, Gross J .
A web-based tool for quantification of potential gains in life expectancy by preventing cause-specific mortality.
Front Public Health 2021 Jul 1;9:663825. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.663825..
Keywords:
Mortality, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Burris HH, Passarella M, Handley SC
Black-white disparities in maternal in-hospital mortality according to teaching and black-serving hospital status.
This study’s objective was to determine whether black-white disparities in maternal in-hospital mortality during delivery vary across hospital types (black-serving vs non-black and teaching vs non-teaching) and whether overall maternal mortality differs across hospital types. The authors performed a population-based, retrospective cohort study of 5,679,044 deliveries among black (14.2%) and white patients (85.8%) in 3 states (California, Missouri, and Pennsylvania) from 1995 to 2009. Examination of black-white disparities found that after risk adjustment, black patients had significantly greater risk of death and that the disparity was similar within each of the hospital types. At teaching hospitals, mortality was similar in black-serving and nonblack-serving hospitals. Among non-teaching hospitals, mortality was significantly higher in black-serving vs nonblack-serving hospitals. Over half (53%) of black patients delivered in nonteaching black-serving hospitals compared with just 19% of white patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS018661.
Citation:
Burris HH, Passarella M, Handley SC .
Black-white disparities in maternal in-hospital mortality according to teaching and black-serving hospital status.
Am J Obstet Gynecol 2021 Jul;225(1):83.e1-83.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2021.01.004..
Keywords:
Maternal Care, Pregnancy, Mortality, Women, Racial / Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Hospitals
Young JC, Pack C, Gibson TB
Machine learning can unlock insights into mortality.
In this study, the investigators discuss the research implications of having disparate streams of health and mortality data; introduce how machine learning can help overcome these limitations; highlight important considerations for machine learning, including the risk of algorithmic bias; and briefly discuss best practices for applying machine learning to enhance public health research.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation:
Young JC, Pack C, Gibson TB .
Machine learning can unlock insights into mortality.
Am J Public Health 2021 Jul;111(S2):S65-S68. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2021.306418..
Keywords:
Health Information Technology (HIT), Mortality
Coley RY, Johnson E, Simon GE
Racial/ethnic disparities in the performance of prediction models for death by suicide after mental health visits.
This study looked at racial/ethnic disparities in the performance of prediction models for death by suicide after mental health visit. The main outcome measured was the suicide rate within 90 days after a mental health visit. The study used a 50% sample of visits from a random set of outpatients at 7 large integrated health care systems by patients 13 years and older (6,984,184 visits). Suicide rates were highest for visits by patients with no race/ethnicity recorded, followed by Asian, White, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic, and Black. Sensitivity of both models used were high for White, Hispanic, and Asian patients and poor for Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native patients and patients with no race/ethnicity recorded.
AHRQ-funded; HS026369.
Citation:
Coley RY, Johnson E, Simon GE .
Racial/ethnic disparities in the performance of prediction models for death by suicide after mental health visits.
JAMA Psychiatry 2021 Jul;78(7):726-34. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.0493..
Keywords:
Disparities, Racial / Ethnic Minorities, Behavioral Health, Mortality, Risk
Brauer DG, Wu N, Keller MR
Care fragmentation and mortality in readmission after surgery for hepatopancreatobiliary and gastric cancer: a patient-level and hospital-level analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project administrative database.
This study investigates patient-level and hospital-level variables associated with the mortality difference at referral centers and, postoperatively, outside hospitals, in patients undergoing hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) and gastric oncologic surgeries. Using HCUP data, findings showed that, for readmissions following HPB and gastric oncologic surgery, travel distance and timing were major determinants of care fragmentation. However, these variables were not associated with mortality, nor was annual hospital surgical volume after risk-adjustment.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation:
Brauer DG, Wu N, Keller MR .
Care fragmentation and mortality in readmission after surgery for hepatopancreatobiliary and gastric cancer: a patient-level and hospital-level analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project administrative database.
J Am Coll Surg 2021 Jun;232(6):921-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2021.03.017..
Keywords:
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Cancer, Surgery, Hospital Readmissions, Mortality
Anesi GL, Jablonski J, Harhay MO
Characteristics, outcomes, and trends of patients with COVID-19-related critical illness at a learning health system in the United States.
This study’s objective is to describe the epidemiology of COVID-19-related critical illness, including trends in outcomes and care delivery, using five hospitals within the University of Pennsylvania Health System as a setting. Findings showed that, among patients with COVID-19-related critical illness admitted to ICUs of a learning health system in the United States, mortality seemed to decrease over time despite stable patient characteristics. Recommendations included further studies to confirm this result and to investigate causal mechanisms.
AHRQ-funded; HS026372.
Citation:
Anesi GL, Jablonski J, Harhay MO .
Characteristics, outcomes, and trends of patients with COVID-19-related critical illness at a learning health system in the United States.
Ann Intern Med 2021 May;174(5):613-21. doi: 10.7326/m20-5327..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Critical Care, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Mortality, Hospitals, Outcomes, Infectious Diseases
Hollingsworth JM, Yu X, Yan PL
Provider care team segregation and operative mortality following coronary artery bypass grafting.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether provider care team segregation within hospitals contributes to the higher mortality rate of Black patients following coronary artery bypass grafting compared to their White counterparts. Using national Medicare data, findings showed that Black patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting at a hospital with a higher level of provider care team segregation die more frequently after surgery than Black patients treated at a hospital with a lower level.
AHRQ-funded; HS026908.
Citation:
Hollingsworth JM, Yu X, Yan PL .
Provider care team segregation and operative mortality following coronary artery bypass grafting.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2021 May;14(5):e007778. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.120.007778..
Keywords:
Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Mortality, Teams, Healthcare Delivery, Racial / Ethnic Minorities
Kim D, Lee Y, Thorsness R
Racial and ethnic disparities in excess deaths among persons with kidney failure during the COVID-19 pandemic, March-July 2020.
This national study estimated excess deaths for the kidney failure population by race and ethnicity from March 1 through August 1, 2020. Findings showed that, among the US kidney failure population, the number of excess deaths was 16% higher than expected, similar to reports for the general population. However, results showed that the relative increase in deaths among Black and Hispanic patients was more than 4-fold higher than that observed among White patients. The magnitude of these disparities was larger than corresponding relative ratios reported among COVID-19–associated deaths in the general population.
AHRQ-funded; HS028285.
Citation:
Kim D, Lee Y, Thorsness R .
Racial and ethnic disparities in excess deaths among persons with kidney failure during the COVID-19 pandemic, March-July 2020.
Am J Kidney Dis 2021 May;77(5):827-29. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2021.02.003..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Racial / Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Mortality, Kidney Disease and Health, Chronic Conditions, Social Determinants of Health