National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Topics
- Blood Thinners (1)
- Brain Injury (1)
- Cancer: Colorectal Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Lung Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Prostate Cancer (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- Caregiving (1)
- Children/Adolescents (2)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (2)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (2)
- Critical Care (1)
- (-) Decision Making (18)
- Digestive Disease and Health (2)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (2)
- Elderly (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
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- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (1)
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- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
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- (-) Healthcare Utilization (18)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (2)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (2)
- Health Systems (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Imaging (2)
- Medication (1)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (1)
- Neurological Disorders (1)
- Newborns/Infants (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Practice Patterns (3)
- Prevention (1)
- Quality of Care (2)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Risk (1)
- Screening (3)
- Stroke (1)
- Substance Abuse (1)
- Surgery (4)
- Vaccination (1)
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 18 of 18 Research Studies DisplayedStrassle PD, Kinlaw AC, Chaumont N
Rates of elective colectomy for diverticulitis continued to increase after 2006 guideline change.
Gastroenterology 2019 Dec;157(6):1679-81.e11. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.08.045.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to assess whether trends in elective and urgent/emergent colectomy changed after July 2006. The authors suggest that given the risks associated with elective colectomy, their findings demonstrate the need for a more evidence-based decision-making process, incorporating both patient preferences and patient-reported outcomes, for those considering elective colectomy for uncomplicated and some cases of complicated diverticulitis.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to assess whether trends in elective and urgent/emergent colectomy changed after July 2006. The authors suggest that given the risks associated with elective colectomy, their findings demonstrate the need for a more evidence-based decision-making process, incorporating both patient preferences and patient-reported outcomes, for those considering elective colectomy for uncomplicated and some cases of complicated diverticulitis.
AHRQ-funded; HS026363.
Citation: Strassle PD, Kinlaw AC, Chaumont N .
Rates of elective colectomy for diverticulitis continued to increase after 2006 guideline change.
Gastroenterology 2019 Dec;157(6):1679-81.e11. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.08.045..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Surgery, Healthcare Utilization, Guidelines, Decision Making, Digestive Disease and Health
Wang SV, Rogers JR, Jin Y
Stepped-wedge randomised trial to evaluate population health intervention designed to increase appropriate anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Clinical guidelines recommend anticoagulation for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) at high risk of stroke; however, studies report 40% of this population is not anticoagulated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a population health intervention to increase anticoagulation use in high-risk patients with AF. The investigators concluded that algorithms to identify underuse of anticoagulation among patients with AF in healthcare databases may not capture clinical subtleties or patient preferences and may overestimate the extent of undertreatment.
AHRQ-funded; HS022193.
Citation: Wang SV, Rogers JR, Jin Y .
Stepped-wedge randomised trial to evaluate population health intervention designed to increase appropriate anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation.
BMJ Qual Saf 2019 Oct;28(10):835-42. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2019-009367..
Keywords: Blood Thinners, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Medication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Decision Making, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Practice Patterns, Healthcare Utilization
Wissel BD, Greiner HM, Glauser TA
Investigation of bias in an epilepsy machine learning algorithm trained on physician notes.
Racial disparities in the utilization of epilepsy surgery are well documented, but it is unknown whether a natural language processing (NLP) algorithm trained on physician notes would produce biased recommendations for epilepsy presurgical evaluations. To assess this, an NLP algorithm was trained to identify potential surgical candidates using 1097 notes from 175 epilepsy patients with a history of resective epilepsy surgery and 268 patients who achieved seizure freedom without surgery (total N = 443 patients).
AHRQ-funded; HS024977.
Citation: Wissel BD, Greiner HM, Glauser TA .
Investigation of bias in an epilepsy machine learning algorithm trained on physician notes.
Epilepsia 2019 Sep;60(9):e93-e98. doi: 10.1111/epi.16320..
Keywords: Neurological Disorders, Surgery, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Healthcare Utilization, Health Information Technology (HIT), Decision Making
Gressler LE, Natafgi NM, DeForge BR
What motivates people with substance use disorders to pursue treatment? A patient-centered approach to understanding patient experiences and patient-provider interactions.
The purpose of this study was to identify and define potential positive and negative factors in patient experiences and patient-provider interactions that are associated with the pursuit and maintenance of treatment by those suffering from substance use disorders (SUD). The investigators conducted two focus groups with patients in treatment for SUD and four in-depth interviews with healthcare providers involved in the treatment of patients with SUD.
AHRQ-funded; HS022135.
Citation: Gressler LE, Natafgi NM, DeForge BR .
What motivates people with substance use disorders to pursue treatment? A patient-centered approach to understanding patient experiences and patient-provider interactions.
J Subst Use 2019;24(6):587-99. doi: 10.1080/14659891.2019.1620891..
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Decision Making, Healthcare Utilization, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient Experience, Patient and Family Engagement, Substance Abuse
Harris VC, Links AR, Walsh J
A systematic review of race/ethnicity and parental treatment decision-making.
Researchers examined patient race/ethnicity as it affects health care utilization, provider trust, and treatment choice in pediatric care. Pooled results from their systematic review showed (1) racial/ethnic minorities tended to prefer more aggressive end-of-life care; (2) familial tradition of neonatal circumcision influenced the decision to circumcise; and (3) non-Hispanic Whites were less likely to pursue human papillomavirus vaccination but more likely to complete the vaccine series if initiated. They recommended further investigation.
AHRQ-funded; HS022932.
Citation: Harris VC, Links AR, Walsh J .
A systematic review of race/ethnicity and parental treatment decision-making.
Clin Pediatr 2018 Oct;57(12):1453-64. doi: 10.1177/0009922818788307..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Decision Making, Caregiving, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Healthcare Utilization
Roth JA, Carter-Harris L, Brandzel S
A qualitative study exploring patient motivations for screening for lung cancer.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the motivations for screening-eligible patients to screen for lung cancer. The investigators concluded that participants in their study were primarily motivated to screen for lung cancer based on perceived benefit of early-detection, absence of safety concerns, and personal relationships. They suggest that their findings can potentially be used to improve lung cancer screening uptake and shared decision-making processes.
AHRQ-funded; HS022982.
Citation: Roth JA, Carter-Harris L, Brandzel S .
A qualitative study exploring patient motivations for screening for lung cancer.
PLoS One 2018 Jul 5;13(7):e0196758. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196758..
Keywords: Cancer: Lung Cancer, Decision Making, Healthcare Utilization, Screening
Haverkamp MH, Peiris D, Mainor AJ
ACOs with risk-bearing experience are likely taking steps to reduce low-value medical services.
The authors of this study set out to identify accountable care organizations (ACO) characteristics associated with implementation of strategies to reduce overuse of low-value medical services. The study concluded that in the first year of implementation, just one-third of ACOs had taken steps to reduce the use of low-value medical services. Safety-net ACOs and those with little experience as a risk-bearing organization need more time and support from healthcare payers and the Choosing Wisely campaign to prioritize the reduction of overuse.
AHRQ-funded; HS023812; HS024075.
Citation: Haverkamp MH, Peiris D, Mainor AJ .
ACOs with risk-bearing experience are likely taking steps to reduce low-value medical services.
Am J Manag Care 2018 Jul;24(7):e216-e21..
Keywords: Decision Making, Healthcare Utilization, Health Services Research (HSR)
Sharp AL, Huang BZ, Tang T
Implementation of the Canadian CT Head Rule and Its association with use of computed tomography among patients with head injury.
The researchers evaluated the association of implementation of the Canadian CT Head Rule on head computed tomography (CT) imaging in community emergency departments (EDs). They found that a multicomponent implementation of the Canadian CT Head Rule was associated with a modest reduction in CT use and an increased diagnostic yield of head CTs for adult trauma encounters in community EDs.
AHRQ-funded; HS021271.
Citation: Sharp AL, Huang BZ, Tang T .
Implementation of the Canadian CT Head Rule and Its association with use of computed tomography among patients with head injury.
Ann Emerg Med 2018 Jan;71(1):54-63.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2017.06.022.
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Keywords: Brain Injury, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Decision Making, Emergency Department, Guidelines, Healthcare Utilization, Imaging
Morgan DJ, Leppin AL, Smith CD
A practical framework for understanding and reducing medical overuse: conceptualizing overuse through the patient-clinician interaction.
The authors used an iterative, expert-informed, evidence-based process to develop a framework for conceptualizing interventions to reduce medical overuse. Given the complexity of defining and identifying overused care in nuanced clinical situations and the need to define care appropriateness in the context of an individual patient, this framework conceptualizes the patient-clinician interaction as the nexus of decisions regarding inappropriate care.
AHRQ-funded; HS018111.
Citation: Morgan DJ, Leppin AL, Smith CD .
A practical framework for understanding and reducing medical overuse: conceptualizing overuse through the patient-clinician interaction.
J Hosp Med 2017 May;12(5):346-51. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2738.
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Keywords: Decision Making, Healthcare Delivery, Quality of Care, Healthcare Utilization, Clinician-Patient Communication
Tsai HT, Philips G, Taylor KL
Utilization and predictors of expectant management among elderly men with low-and intermediate-risk localized prostate cancer in U.S. urological practice.
Researchers assessed the use and predictors of expectant management (EM) to understand its uptake in U.S. practice. In U.S. practice, the utilization of EM steadily increased in low-risk prostate cancer and remained low in the intermediate-risk group over time. While patients with advanced age or comorbidities were more likely to receive EM, its use varied substantially by geographic region.
AHRQ-funded; HS022915.
Citation: Tsai HT, Philips G, Taylor KL .
Utilization and predictors of expectant management among elderly men with low-and intermediate-risk localized prostate cancer in U.S. urological practice.
Urol Pract 2017 Mar;4(2):132-39. doi: 10.1016/j.urpr.2016.05.005.
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Keywords: Decision Making, Elderly, Healthcare Utilization, Cancer: Prostate Cancer, Practice Patterns
Volk RJ, Linder SK, Lopez-Olivo MA
Patient decision aids for colorectal cancer screening: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This systematic review describes studies evaluating patient decision aids for colorectal cancer screening in average-risk adults and their impact on knowledge, screening intentions, and uptake. It concluded that decision aids improve knowledge and interest in screening, and lead to increased screening over no information, but their impact on screening is similar to general colorectal cancer screening information.
AHRQ-funded; HS022134.
Citation: Volk RJ, Linder SK, Lopez-Olivo MA .
Patient decision aids for colorectal cancer screening: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Am J Prev Med 2016 Nov;51(5):779-91. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2016.06.022.
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Keywords: Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Decision Making, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Healthcare Utilization, Screening
Melnick ER, O'Brien EG, Kovalerchik O
The association between physician empathy and variation in imaging use.
This paper's objective was to describe empathy in a cohort of emergency physicians and evaluate its association with CT utilization. The authors found that, on the four psychometric scales used, performance was not predictive of risk-adjusted CT utilization in the emergency department. They concluded that the underlying physician-based factors that mediate interphysician variation remain to be clearly identified.
AHRQ-funded; HS021271.
Citation: Melnick ER, O'Brien EG, Kovalerchik O .
The association between physician empathy and variation in imaging use.
Acad Emerg Med 2016 Aug;23(8):895-904. doi: 10.1111/acem.13017.
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Keywords: Decision Making, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Healthcare Utilization, Imaging, Practice Patterns
Simianu VV, Fichera A, Bastawrous AL
Number of diverticulitis episodes before resection and factors associated with earlier interventions.
The authors described patterns of episodes of diverticulitis before surgery and factors associated with earlier interventions using inpatient, outpatient, and antibiotic prescription claims. They found that 56.3% of elective resections for uncomplicated diverticulitis occurred after fewer than 3 episodes. Further, they determined that earlier surgery was not explained by younger age, laparoscopy, time between the last 2 episodes preceding surgery, or financial risk-bearing for patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS020025.
Citation: Simianu VV, Fichera A, Bastawrous AL .
Number of diverticulitis episodes before resection and factors associated with earlier interventions.
JAMA Surg 2016 Jul;151(7):604-10. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2015.5478.
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Keywords: Decision Making, Digestive Disease and Health, Health Systems, Healthcare Utilization, Surgery
Freedman S
Capacity and utilization in health care: the effect of empty beds on neonatal intensive care admission.
In this paper, the author exploited short-term variation in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) capacity that is unlikely to be correlated with unobserved demand determinants. He found that available NICU beds have little to no effect on NICU utilization for the sickest infants, but do increase utilization for those in the range of birth weights where admission decisions are likely to be more discretionary.
AHRQ-funded; HS018266.
Citation: Freedman S .
Capacity and utilization in health care: the effect of empty beds on neonatal intensive care admission.
Am Econ J Econ Policy 2016 May 1;8(2):154-85. doi: 10.1257/pol.20120393.
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Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Healthcare Utilization, Critical Care, Decision Making
Sheridan SL, Sutkowi-Hemstreet A, Barclay C
A comparative effectiveness trial of alternate formats for presenting benefits and harms information for low-value screening services: a randomized clinical trial.
The researchers examined the effect of different benefits and harms presentations on patients' intentions to accept low-value or potentially low-value screening services (prostate cancer screening in men ages 50-69 years; osteoporosis screening in low-risk women ages 50-64 years) They concluded that single, brief, written decision support interventions, such as the ones in this study, are unlikely to be sufficient to change intentions for screening.
AHRQ-funded; HS021133.
Citation: Sheridan SL, Sutkowi-Hemstreet A, Barclay C .
A comparative effectiveness trial of alternate formats for presenting benefits and harms information for low-value screening services: a randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Intern Med 2016 Jan;176(1):31-41. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.7339.
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Keywords: Screening, Decision Making, Health Services Research (HSR), Prevention, Healthcare Utilization
Kerber KA, Meurer WJ, Brown DL
Stroke risk stratification in acute dizziness presentations: a prospective imaging-based study.
The researchers estimated the ability of bedside information to risk stratify stroke in acute dizziness presentations. They found that in acute dizziness presentations, the combination of ABCD(2) score, general neurologic examination, and a specialized ocular motor examination has the capacity to risk-stratify acute stroke on MRI.
AHRQ-funded; HS018334; HS017690; HS022258.
Citation: Kerber KA, Meurer WJ, Brown DL .
Stroke risk stratification in acute dizziness presentations: a prospective imaging-based study.
Neurology 2015 Nov 24;85(21):1869-78. doi: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000002141..
Keywords: Stroke, Risk, Healthcare Utilization, Decision Making
Kerr EA, Chen J, Sussman JB
Stress testing before low-risk surgery: so many recommendations, so little overuse.
The researchers sought to determine the prevalence of cardiac stress testing before low-risk surgeries, prior to commencement of a campaign to reduce routine stress testing, in order to estimate the potential effect of the campaign on future use of resources. Their study of VA and Medicare patients found that the use of routine preoperative stress testing before low-risk surgeries was very low, suggesting that interventions to further decrease testing would minimally improve quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS018781
Citation: Kerr EA, Chen J, Sussman JB .
Stress testing before low-risk surgery: so many recommendations, so little overuse.
JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Apr;175(4):645-7. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.7877..
Keywords: Decision Making, Guidelines, Quality of Care, Healthcare Utilization, Surgery
Glanz JM, Wagner NM, Narwaney KJ
A mixed methods study of parental vaccine decision making and parent-provider trust.
Given the growing public health problem of parental vaccine hesitancy, researchers investigated parental vaccine decisionmaking through the use of focus groups and a mailed survey. They found that parents had overall trust in their pediatricians but not in the information they provided about vaccines. Parents refusing or delaying vaccines were twice as likely to begin thinking about vaccines before their child was born.
AHRQ-funded; HS019760
Citation: Glanz JM, Wagner NM, Narwaney KJ .
A mixed methods study of parental vaccine decision making and parent-provider trust.
Acad Pediatr. 2013 Sep-Oct;13(5):481-8. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2013.05.030..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Vaccination, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Healthcare Utilization, Decision Making