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
- Access to Care (1)
- (-) Behavioral Health (10)
- Cancer (1)
- Caregiving (1)
- Care Management (1)
- Children/Adolescents (5)
- Comparative Effectiveness (2)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- COVID-19 (1)
- Depression (2)
- Disparities (1)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (1)
- Emergency Department (2)
- Evidence-Based Practice (4)
- Guidelines (2)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Healthcare Utilization (1)
- Hospitalization (4)
- Hospital Readmissions (1)
- Hospitals (2)
- (-) Inpatient Care (10)
- Medication (3)
- Neurological Disorders (2)
- Opioids (2)
- Outcomes (3)
- Palliative Care (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (3)
- Prevention (2)
- Public Health (1)
- Quality Measures (2)
- Quality of Care (2)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Substance Abuse (2)
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 10 of 10 Research Studies DisplayedWolf RM, Hall M, Williams DJ
Disparities in pharmacologic restraint for children hospitalized in mental health crisis.
This retrospective cohort study examined associations between pharmacologic restraint use and race and ethnicity among children (aged 5-≤18 years) admitted for mental health conditions to acute care nonpsychiatric children's hospitals. Study period was 2018 to 2022 and was conducted at 41 US children’s hospitals and included a cohort of 61,503 hospitalizations. Compared with non-Hispanic Black children, children of non-Hispanic White (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.81), Asian (aOR, 0.82), or other race and ethnicity (aOR, 0.68) were less likely to receive pharmacologic restraint, with no significant difference with Hispanic children. When stratified by sex, racial/ethnic differences were magnified in males, except for Hispanic males, and not found in females. Sensitivity analysis revealed amplified disparities for all racial/ethnic groups, including Hispanic youth.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Wolf RM, Hall M, Williams DJ .
Disparities in pharmacologic restraint for children hospitalized in mental health crisis.
Pediatrics 2024 Jan; 153(1). doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-061353..
Keywords: Disparities, Children/Adolescents, Behavioral Health, Inpatient Care, Hospitals, Medication
Calcaterra SL, Martin M, Bottner R
Management of opioid use disorder and associated conditions among hospitalized adults: a consensus statement from the Society of Hospital Medicine.
This paper discusses the findings of a Society of Hospital Medicine working group convened to develop a Consensus Statement on the management of opioid use disorder (OUD) and associated conditions among hospitalized adults. The statement is intended for clinicians practicing medicine in the inpatient setting (e.g., hospitalists, primary care physicians, family physicians, advanced practice nurses, and physician assistants) and is intended to apply to hospitalized adults at risk for, or diagnosed with, OUD. The first step of the working group to develop the statement was to conduct a systematic review of relevant guidelines and compose a draft statement based on extracted recommendations. In the next step the working group obtained feedback on the draft statement from external experts in addiction medicine, SHM members, professional societies, harm reduction organizations and advocacy groups, and peer reviewers. This iterative development process resulted in a final Consensus Statement consisting of 18 recommendations covering the following topics: (1) identification and treatment of OUD and opioid withdrawal, (2) perioperative and acute pain management in patients with OUD, and (3) methods to optimize care transitions at hospital discharge for patients with OUD.
AHRQ-funded; HS026215.
Citation: Calcaterra SL, Martin M, Bottner R .
Management of opioid use disorder and associated conditions among hospitalized adults: a consensus statement from the Society of Hospital Medicine.
J Hosp Med 2022 Sep;17(9):744-56. doi: 10.1002/jhm.12893..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Evidence-Based Practice, Guidelines, Inpatient Care
Calcaterras SL, Bottner R, Martin M
Management of opioid use disorder, opioid withdrawal, and opioid overdose prevention in hospitalized adults: a systematic review of existing guidelines.
This study evaluated the quality and content of existing guidelines for in-hospital opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and management. A literature search was done on several databases, websites of relevant societies and advocacy organizations, and selected international search engines. Nineteen guidelines published between January 2010 and June 2020 met the selection criteria. The majority of guidelines were based on observational studies or expert consensus. They recommended the use of nonstigmatizing language among patients with OUD; to assess patients with unhealthy opioid use for OUD using the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Diseases-5th Edition criteria; use of methadone or buprenorphine to treat OUD and opioid withdrawal; use of multimodal, nonopioid therapy, and when needed, short-acting opioid analgesics in addition to buprenorphine or methadone, for acute pain management; ensuring linkage to ongoing methadone or buprenorphine treatment; referring patients to psychosocial treatment; and ensuring access to naloxone for opioid overdose reversal.
AHRQ-funded; HS026215.
Citation: Calcaterras SL, Bottner R, Martin M .
Management of opioid use disorder, opioid withdrawal, and opioid overdose prevention in hospitalized adults: a systematic review of existing guidelines.
J Hosp Med 2022 Sep;17(9):679-92. doi: 10.1002/jhm.12908..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Evidence-Based Practice, Guidelines, Inpatient Care
Cutler GJ, Bergmann KR, Doupnik SK
Pediatric mental health emergency department visits and access to Inpatient care: a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The purpose of this study was to explore the author’s previous research findings on trends in pediatric emergency department (ED) visits for mental health (MH) vs non-mental health in light of more recent related data corresponding with the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that recent research supports the dramatic increase in pediatric MH ED visits found in the author’s previous research and provides additional evidence that the increase has been driven by specific MH diagnoses. The researchers conclude that depressive disorders, self-harm behavior, and non-alcohol substance use disorders should be prioritized for the development of ED- and hospital-based strategies, and that EDs, hospitals, health systems, and the government urgently need to increase capacity for MH services and identify innovative solutions to improve access to high quality MH care for children.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Cutler GJ, Bergmann KR, Doupnik SK .
Pediatric mental health emergency department visits and access to Inpatient care: a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Aug;22(6):889-91. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.03.015..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Behavioral Health, Emergency Department, Access to Care, Public Health, Inpatient Care
Connell SK, Burkhart Q, Tolpadi A
Quality of care for youth hospitalized for suicidal ideation and self-harm.
The authors examined performance on quality measures for pediatric inpatient suicidal ideation/self-harm care, and whether performance is associated with reutilization. Subjects were patients aged 5 to 17 years hospitalized for suicidal ideation/self-harm. Their findings revealed disparities and deficits in the quality of care received by youth with suicidal ideation/self-harm. They recommended providing caregivers lethal means restriction counseling prior to discharge in order to help prevent readmission.
AHRQ-funded; HS025291.
Citation: Connell SK, Burkhart Q, Tolpadi A .
Quality of care for youth hospitalized for suicidal ideation and self-harm.
Acad Pediatr 2021 Sep-Oct;21(7):1179-86. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.05.019..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Behavioral Health, Inpatient Care, Quality Measures, Quality of Care
Oh ES, Needham DM, Nikooie R
Antipsychotics for preventing delirium in hospitalized adults: a systematic review.
The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review evaluating the benefits and harms of antipsychotics to treat delirium in adults. Results showed that there was little evidence demonstrating neurologic harms associated with short-term use of antipsychotics for treating delirium in adult inpatients, but potentially harmful cardiac effects tended to occur more frequently. Current evidence does not support routine use of haloperidol or second-generation antipsychotics to treat delirium in adult inpatients.
AHRQ-funded; 290201500006I.
Citation: Oh ES, Needham DM, Nikooie R .
Antipsychotics for preventing delirium in hospitalized adults: a systematic review.
Ann Intern Med 2019 Oct 1;171(7):474-84. doi: 10.7326/m19-1859..
Keywords: Neurological Disorders, Medication, Hospitalization, Inpatient Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Evidence-Based Practice, Comparative Effectiveness, Behavioral Health, Prevention
Nikooie R, Neufeld KJ, Oh ES
Antipsychotics for treating delirium in hospitalized adults: a systematic review.
The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review evaluating the benefits and harms of antipsychotics to treat delirium in adults. Results showed that there was little evidence demonstrating neurologic harms associated with short-term use of antipsychotics for treating delirium in adult inpatients, but potentially harmful cardiac effects tended to occur more frequently. Current evidence does not support routine use of haloperidol or second-generation antipsychotics to treat delirium in adult inpatients.
AHRQ-funded; 290201500006I.
Citation: Nikooie R, Neufeld KJ, Oh ES .
Antipsychotics for treating delirium in hospitalized adults: a systematic review.
Ann Intern Med 2019 Oct 1;171(7):485-95. doi: 10.7326/m19-1860.
.
.
Keywords: Neurological Disorders, Medication, Hospitalization, Inpatient Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Evidence-Based Practice, Comparative Effectiveness, Behavioral Health
Lifland B, Wright DR, Mangione-Smith R
The impact of an adolescent depressive disorders clinical pathway on healthcare utilization.
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between level of adherence to an adolescent depressive disorders inpatient clinical pathway with psychiatric patients’ length of stay (LOS), cost, and readmissions. Patients in the high-adherence category were found to have significantly longer LOS and higher costs when compared to those in the low-adherence category. The authors conclude that understanding which of the care processes within the pathway are most cost-effective for improving patient-centered outcomes requires further investigation.
AHRQ-funded; HS024299.
Citation: Lifland B, Wright DR, Mangione-Smith R .
The impact of an adolescent depressive disorders clinical pathway on healthcare utilization.
Adm Policy Ment Health 2018 Nov;45(6):979-87. doi: 10.1007/s10488-018-0878-6..
Keywords: Care Management, Children/Adolescents, Depression, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization, Inpatient Care, Behavioral Health, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Hudson KE, Wolf SP, Samsa GP
The surprise question and identification of palliative care needs among hospitalized patients with advanced hematologic or solid malignancies.
Little is known about quality of life (QOL), depression, and end-of-life (EOL) outcomes among hospitalized patients with advanced cancer. The objective of this study was to assess whether a surprise question identified inpatients with advanced cancer likely to have unmet palliative care needs. The investigators indicated that hospitalized patients with advanced cancer may benefit from palliative care interventions to improve mood, QOL, and EOL care, and the surprise question is a practical method to identify those with unmet needs.
AHRQ-funded; HS023681.
Citation: Hudson KE, Wolf SP, Samsa GP .
The surprise question and identification of palliative care needs among hospitalized patients with advanced hematologic or solid malignancies.
J Palliat Med 2018 Jun;21(6):789-95. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2017.0509..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Cancer, Inpatient Care, Quality of Life, Depression, Behavioral Health
Parast L, Bardach NS, Burkhart Q
Development of new quality measures for hospital-based care of suicidal youth.
This study researched the value of 4 new quality measures developed to assess hospital-based care for suicidal youth. The four quality measures focused on counseling caregivers about restricting access to lethal means of self-harm, and the benefits and risks of antidepressant medications. They were divided into measures for the emergency department (ED) and inpatient measures. Survey field tests were conducted with caregivers of youth who were admitted to the ED or inpatient care for suicidality at 1 of 2 children’s hospitals between July 2013 and June 2014. Most caregivers did receive counseling about restricting their child’s access to lethal means of self-harm and also reported higher rates of counseling of benefits on antidepressants both in the ED and in the inpatient setting than the risks.
AHRQ-funded; HS020506.
Citation: Parast L, Bardach NS, Burkhart Q .
Development of new quality measures for hospital-based care of suicidal youth.
Acad Pediatr 2018 Apr;18(3):248-55. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2017.09.017..
Keywords: Caregiving, Children/Adolescents, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Education: Patient and Caregiver, Emergency Department, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Inpatient Care, Behavioral Health, Prevention, Quality of Care, Quality Measures