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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 10 of 10 Research Studies DisplayedDecker S, Dworsky M, Gibson TB
AHRQ Author: Decker S
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Insurance Expansions on Opioid-Related Emergency Department Visits.
The authors leveraged ACA coverage expansions, including Medicaid expansion and Marketplaces, to study the impact of health insurance on opioid-related emergency department (ED) visits. They used ZIP-code–level ED utilization data from HCUP’s State Inpatient Databases (SID) and State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) for 29 states. They found evidence of a dose-response relationship between pre-ACA uninsured and changes in ED visit rates in both expansion and non-expansion states: areas with higher uninsured rates prior to ACA saw larger reductions in opioid-related ED visits after the ACA took effect. The authors concluded that these findings suggest that increased insurance coverage may to help mitigate the opioid crisis.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Decker S, Dworsky M, Gibson TB .
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Insurance Expansions on Opioid-Related Emergency Department Visits.
American Journal of Health Economics 2023 Sum; 9(3):405–34..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Opioids, Policy, Health Insurance, Emergency Department, Access to Care, Medicaid, Healthcare Utilization
Rapoport AB, Fine DR, Manne-Goehler JM
High inpatient health care utilization and charges associated with injection drug use-related infections: a cohort study, 2012-2015.
This study described the characteristics of patients hospitalized with injection drug use-related infection over a multiyear period in a region highly impacted by the opioid epidemic. Findings revealed a longer average length of stay with subsequent higher cost, a higher percentage of 30-day readmissions, disproportionate public payer mix representation, and higher rates of discharge to alternate facilities for ongoing care as compared with the total inpatient cohort.
AHRQ-funded; HS026215.
Citation: Rapoport AB, Fine DR, Manne-Goehler JM .
High inpatient health care utilization and charges associated with injection drug use-related infections: a cohort study, 2012-2015.
Open Forum Infect Dis 2021 Mar;8(3):ofab009. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab009..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Hospitalization, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization
Newberry CI, Casazza GC, Pruitt LC
Prescription patterns and opioid usage in sinonasal surgery.
The goal of this study was to identify factors associated with variable opioid usage and to delineate optimal prescription patterns for sinonasal surgery. The researchers found that patients used 9.3% of their full prescription and only 2.6% required a refill. The amount used was not associated with complexity of endoscopic sinus surgery, type of opiate prescribed, gender, distance living from hospital, or current opioid usage before surgery. They concluded that opioids are overprescribed after sinonasal surgery and that the amount of postoperative opiate prescribed should be greatly reduced and may be based on the specific procedures performed.
AHRQ-funded; HS024638.
Citation: Newberry CI, Casazza GC, Pruitt LC .
Prescription patterns and opioid usage in sinonasal surgery.
Int Forum Allergy Rhinol 2020 Mar;10(3):381-87. doi: 10.1002/alr.22478..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Pain, Surgery, Respiratory Conditions, Healthcare Utilization, Practice Patterns, Substance Abuse
Callaghan BC, Reynolds E, Banerjee M
Longitudinal pattern of pain medication utilization in peripheral neuropathy patients.
The authors of this article investigated the pattern and utilization of neuropathic pain medications in peripheral neuropathy patients. They found that opioid initiation and transition to chronic opioid therapy were frequent in the studied population despite few patients receiving more than one guideline-recommended medication. They concluded that efforts are needed to decrease opioid utilization and to increase guideline-recommended medication use in order to improve current neuropathic pain treatment.
AHRQ-funded; HS017690.
Citation: Callaghan BC, Reynolds E, Banerjee M .
Longitudinal pattern of pain medication utilization in peripheral neuropathy patients.
Pain 2019 Mar;160(3):592-99. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001439..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Guidelines, Healthcare Utilization, Medication, Neurological Disorders, Opioids, Pain, Practice Patterns
Abbasi AB, Salisbury-Afshar E, Jovanov D
Health care utilization of opioid overdose decedents with no opioid analgesic prescription history.
In this study, to better understand the role of prescription opioids and health care utilization prior to opioid-related overdose, the investigators analyzed the death records of decedents who died of an opioid overdose in Illinois in 2016 and linked to any existing controlled substance monitoring program (CSMP) and emergency department (ED) or hospital discharge records.
AHRQ-funded; HS022433.
Citation: Abbasi AB, Salisbury-Afshar E, Jovanov D .
Health care utilization of opioid overdose decedents with no opioid analgesic prescription history.
J Urban Health 2019 Feb;96(1):38-48. doi: 10.1007/s11524-018-00329-x..
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Healthcare Utilization, Medication, Opioids, Substance Abuse
Hilliard PE, Waljee J, Moser S
Prevalence of preoperative opioid use and characteristics associated with opioid use among patients presenting for surgery.
Researchers assessed the prevalence of preoperative opioid use and the characteristics of patients in a broadly representative surgical cohort. They found that patients undergoing lower extremity procedures were most likely to report preoperative opioid use, with 1 in 4 of all patients presenting for surgery reporting such use. They concluded that the data provided important insights into this population and would appear to help guide future preoperative optimization and perioperative opioid-weaning interventions.
AHRQ-funded; HS023313.
Citation: Hilliard PE, Waljee J, Moser S .
Prevalence of preoperative opioid use and characteristics associated with opioid use among patients presenting for surgery.
JAMA Surg 2018 Oct;153(10):929-37. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2018.2102..
Keywords: Opioids, Surgery, Pain, Medication, Healthcare Utilization, Orthopedics
Gold LS, Hansen RN, Avins AL
Associations of early opioid use with patient-reported outcomes and health care utilization among older adults with low back pain.
The objective of this study was to compare outcomes and health care utilization of older patients who did versus did not fill opioid prescriptions within 90 days of initiating care for low back pain. Among older patients with new back pain visits, filling 2 or more opioid prescriptions within 90 days of the visit was associated with similar back pain-related outcomes but increased likelihood of filling opioid prescriptions 18 to 24 months later compared with matched patients who did not fill early opioid prescriptions.
AHRQ-funded; HS019222; HS022972.
Citation: Gold LS, Hansen RN, Avins AL .
Associations of early opioid use with patient-reported outcomes and health care utilization among older adults with low back pain.
Clin J Pain 2018 Apr;34(4):297-305. doi: 10.1097/ajp.0000000000000557.
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Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Elderly, Healthcare Utilization, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Opioids
Zullo AR, Zhang T, Beudoin FL
Pain treatments after hip fracture among older nursing home residents.
In this retrospective cohort study the investigators examined the association between use of opioids versus other analgesics with death and functioning after hip fracture in older nursing home (NH) residents. The investigators concluded that a rigorous study addressing the limitations of their study is critical to validate their preliminary findings and provide evidence about the effect of using opioid versus nonopioid analgesics to optimize acute pain in NH residents with a hip fracture.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Zullo AR, Zhang T, Beudoin FL .
Pain treatments after hip fracture among older nursing home residents.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2018 Feb;19(2):174-76. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2017.11.008..
Keywords: Opioids, Pain, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Elderly, Medication, Injuries and Wounds, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Healthcare Utilization
Turner L, Kruszewski SP, Alexander GC
Trends in the use of buprenorphine by office-based physicians in the United States, 2003-2013.
This study used descriptive statistics to examine trends in buprenorphine utilization from 2003 to 2013. The use of buprenorphine products to treat opioid dependence has increased significantly and has shifted to greater use by primary care physicians, indicating a rapidly changing face of opioid maintenance therapy in the United States.
AHRQ-funded; HS018960.
Citation: Turner L, Kruszewski SP, Alexander GC .
Trends in the use of buprenorphine by office-based physicians in the United States, 2003-2013.
Am J Addict 2015 Jan;24(1):24-9. doi: 10.1111/ajad.12174..
Keywords: Healthcare Utilization, Medication, Opioids, Primary Care, Substance Abuse
Desai RJ, Hernandez-Diaz S, Bateman BT
Increase in prescription opioid use during pregnancy among Medicaid-enrolled women.
The researchers reported the prevalence of prescription opioid use and evaluated the trends in a large cohort of Medicaid-enrolled pregnant women. They observed high and increasing number of filled prescriptions for opioids during pregnancy among Medicaid-enrolled women and recommended further safety evaluations of these drugs and their effects on the developing fetus.
AHRQ-funded; HS018533.
Citation: Desai RJ, Hernandez-Diaz S, Bateman BT .
Increase in prescription opioid use during pregnancy among Medicaid-enrolled women.
Obstet Gynecol 2014 May;123(5):997-1002. doi: 10.1097/aog.0000000000000208.
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Keywords: Healthcare Utilization, Medicaid, Medication, Opioids, Pregnancy