National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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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 25 of 66 Research Studies DisplayedNewgard CD, Lin A, Caughey AB
The cost of a fall among older adults requiring emergency services.
Researchers evaluated medical expenditures to 1 year among community-dwelling older adults who fell and required ambulance transport, including acute versus post-acute periods, the primary drivers of cost, and comparison to baseline expenditures. They found that older adults who fall and require emergency services have increased healthcare expenditures compared with baseline, particularly during the post-acute period. Comorbidities, noninjury medical conditions, fracture type, and surgical interventions were independently associated with increased costs.
AHRQ-funded; HS023796.
Citation: Newgard CD, Lin A, Caughey AB .
The cost of a fall among older adults requiring emergency services.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2021 Feb;69(2):389-98. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16863..
Keywords: Elderly, Falls, Emergency Department, Healthcare Costs, Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Zive D, Newgard CD, Lin A
Injured older adults transported by emergency medical services: one year outcomes by POLST status.
Advance care planning documents, including Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST), are intended to guide care near end of life, particularly in emergency situations. Yet, research on POLST during emergency care is sparse. This study examined one year outcomes, by Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment status, of injured adults transported by EMS. The investigators concluded that among injured older adults transported by ambulance in Oregon, one in 5 had an active POLST form at the time of 9-1-1 contact, the prevalence of which increased over the following year.
AHRQ-funded; HS023796.
Citation: Zive D, Newgard CD, Lin A .
Injured older adults transported by emergency medical services: one year outcomes by POLST status.
Prehosp Emerg Care 2020 Mar-Apr;24(2):257-64. doi: 10.1080/10903127.2019.1615154..
Keywords: Elderly, Injuries and Wounds, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Emergency Department
Hanchate AD, Paasche-Orlow MK, Baker WE
Association of race/ethnicity with emergency department destination of emergency medical services transport.
The authors examined the patterns of emergency department (ED) destination of emergency medical services (EMS) transport according to patient race/ethnicity and compared the patterns between those transported by EMS and those who did not draw on EMS. Using Medicare claims data, they found race/ethnicity variation in ED destination for patients using EMS transport, with black and Hispanic patients more likely to be transported to a safety-net hospital ED compared with white patients living in the same zip code.
AHRQ-funded; HS022242.
Citation: Hanchate AD, Paasche-Orlow MK, Baker WE .
Association of race/ethnicity with emergency department destination of emergency medical services transport.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 Sep 4;2(9):e1910816. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.10816..
Keywords: Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Emergency Department, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medicare, Disparities
Hsuan C, Hsia RY, Horwitz JR
Ambulance diversions following public hospital emergency department closures.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether hospitals are more likely to temporarily close their emergency departments to ambulances, through ambulance diversions, if neighboring diverting hospitals are public vs private. Results showed that sample hospitals respond differently to diversions by neighboring public (vs private) hospitals. The authors conclude that these findings suggest that these hospitals might be strategically declaring ambulance diversions to avoid treating low-paying patients served by public hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS024247.
Citation: Hsuan C, Hsia RY, Horwitz JR .
Ambulance diversions following public hospital emergency department closures.
Health Serv Res 2019 Aug;54(4):870-79. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13147..
Keywords: Access to Care, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Health Services Research (HSR), Hospitals
Gyftopoulos S, Smith SW, Simon E
Qualitative study to understand ordering of CT angiography to diagnose pulmonary embolism in the emergency room setting.
The purpose of the study was to better understand, using semi-structured interviews, the decision making behind the ordering of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) in the emergency department. The authors found that EM providers were the main drivers of CTPA ordering, and there was a marginalized role for the radiologist. Experience- and gestalt-based heuristics were the main influencers of CTPA ordering.
AHRQ-funded; HS024376.
Citation: Gyftopoulos S, Smith SW, Simon E .
Qualitative study to understand ordering of CT angiography to diagnose pulmonary embolism in the emergency room setting.
J Am Coll Radiol 2018 Sep;15(9):1276-84. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2017.08.022..
Keywords: Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Imaging
Fong A, Kim TC, Ratwani RM
Task2Heart: exploring heart rate differences with time-motion workflow observations of emergency medicine physicians.
This paper presents Task2Heart, a system developed to integrate near real-time heart rate with in-situ time motion observations. The authors describe and validate the system and discuss its use in the exploration of emergency physician heart rate in-situ.
AHRQ-funded; HS024801.
Citation: Fong A, Kim TC, Ratwani RM .
Task2Heart: exploring heart rate differences with time-motion workflow observations of emergency medicine physicians.
J Med Syst 2018 Aug 7;42(9):170. doi: 10.1007/s10916-018-1024-4..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Emergency Department, Workflow, Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Joseph D, Vogel JA, Smith CS
Alcohol as a factor in 911 calls in Denver.
This study analyzed data from 911 calls in Denver, Colorado to determine the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on those calls. The number of calls made from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2014 was 169,642 and of those calls 30% had alcohol consumption has a main factor, and 29% as a contribution factor. These calls were more likely associated with male sex, traumatic injuries, advanced monitoring, airway adjuncts, and medications for sedation.
AHRQ-funded; HS023901.
Citation: Joseph D, Vogel JA, Smith CS .
Alcohol as a factor in 911 calls in Denver.
Prehosp Emerg Care 2018 Jul-Aug;22(4):427-35. doi: 10.1080/10903127.2017.1413467..
Keywords: Alcohol Use, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Healthcare Utilization
Mistry B, Stewart De Ramirez S, Kelen G
Accuracy and reliability of emergency department triage using the emergency severity index: an international multicenter assessment.
This study assessed the accuracy and variability of triage score assignment by emergency department (ED) nurses using the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) in 3 countries. It found that the concordance of nurse-assigned ESI score with reference standard was universally poor and variability was high. Although the ESI is the most popular ED triage tool in the United States and is increasingly used worldwide, its findings point to a need for more reliable ED triage tools.
AHRQ-funded; HS023641.
Citation: Mistry B, Stewart De Ramirez S, Kelen G .
Accuracy and reliability of emergency department triage using the emergency severity index: an international multicenter assessment.
Ann Emerg Med 2018 May;71(5):581-87.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2017.09.036.
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Keywords: Decision Making, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Nursing
Richards CT, Huebinger R, Tataris KL
Cincinnati prehospital stroke scale can identify large vessel occlusion stroke.
This study explores the hypothesize that a cut-off score of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS), an assessment tool currently used by emergency medical services (EMS) providers, can be used to identify large vessel occlusion (LVO). Patients with acute ischemic stroke arriving via EMS at a high-volume stroke center in a large city were identified in a prospective, single-center registry. LVO was confirmed via head and neck vessel imaging and CPSS scores were abstracted from pre-hospital EMS records. The researchers conclude that a CPSS score of 3 identifies LVO in AIS patients reliably, and that EMS providers may be able to use the CPSS with a cut-off score to screen for patients with suspected LVO.
AHRQ-funded; HS000078.
Citation: Richards CT, Huebinger R, Tataris KL .
Cincinnati prehospital stroke scale can identify large vessel occlusion stroke.
Prehosp Emerg Care 2018 May-Jun;22(3):312-18. doi: 10.1080/10903127.2017.1387629..
Keywords: Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Stroke
Mbachu SN, Pieribone VA, Bechtel KA
Optimizing recruitment and retention of adolescents in ED research: findings from concussion biomarker pilot study.
The authors conducted a pilot study to optimize screening, recruitment, and enrollment strategies for a larger, fully-powered study that seeks to identify proteins in the blood of adolescent athletes following a concussion that are significantly and consistently altered compared with age- and gender-matched controls with isolated extremity injuries. They found that EHR-based notifications and financial incentives for participation in ED research on prolonged recovery in adolescents with concussion increased participant identification and enrollment and retention rates to inform and optimize the enrollment and recruitment strategies for a larger study. There was a clear trend for participants to present to the ED on nights or weekends, likely reflecting the time of sport play.
AHRQ-funded; HS021271.
Citation: Mbachu SN, Pieribone VA, Bechtel KA .
Optimizing recruitment and retention of adolescents in ED research: findings from concussion biomarker pilot study.
Am J Emerg Med 2018 May;36(5):884-87. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2017.09.014.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Health Services Research (HSR), Research Methodologies
Mullen MT, Pajerowski W, Messe SR
Geographic modeling to quantify the impact of primary and comprehensive stroke center destination policies.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a primary stroke center (PSC) destination policy in a major metropolitan city and to use geographic modeling in order to evaluate expected changes for a comprehensive stroke center policy. Suspected stroke emergency medical services encounters in Philadelphia, PA, were identified, and transport times before and after the initiation of a PSC destination policy in October 2011 were compared. Geographic modeling was used to estimate the impact of bypassing the closest hospital for the closest PSC or comprehensive stroke centers, which was common before the official policy and increased steadily over time. The researchers conclude that the time taken to route patients to PSCs or comprehensive stroke centers is low.
AHRQ-funded; HS018362.
Citation: Mullen MT, Pajerowski W, Messe SR .
Geographic modeling to quantify the impact of primary and comprehensive stroke center destination policies.
Stroke 2018 Apr;49(4):1021-23. doi: 10.1161/strokeaha.118.020691.
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Keywords: Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Hospitals, Policy, Stroke
Ray KN, Olson LM, Edgerton EA
Access to high pediatric-readiness emergency care in the United States.
The researchers determined the geographic accessibility of emergency departments (EDs) with high pediatric readiness by assessing the percentage of US children living within a 30-minute drive time of an ED with high pediatric readiness, as defined by collaboratively developed published guidelines. They concluded that a significant proportion of US children do not have timely access to EDs with high pediatric readiness.
AHRQ-funded; HS022989.
Citation: Ray KN, Olson LM, Edgerton EA .
Access to high pediatric-readiness emergency care in the United States.
J Pediatr 2018 Mar;194:225-32.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.10.074.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Children/Adolescents
Hinson JS, Martinez DA, Schmitz PSK
Accuracy of emergency department triage using the Emergency Severity Index and independent predictors of under-triage and over-triage in Brazil: a retrospective cohort analysis.
This study sought to measure the frequency of under- and over-triage of patients by nurses using the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) in Brazil and to identify factors independently associated with each. It concluded that, despite rigorous and ongoing training of ESI users, a large number of patients in this cohort were under- or over-triaged. Advanced age, vital sign derangements, and specific chief complaints were particularly under-appreciated.
AHRQ-funded; HS023641.
Citation: Hinson JS, Martinez DA, Schmitz PSK .
Accuracy of emergency department triage using the Emergency Severity Index and independent predictors of under-triage and over-triage in Brazil: a retrospective cohort analysis.
Int J Emerg Med 2018 Jan 15;11(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s12245-017-0161-8.
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Keywords: Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Healthcare Delivery, Nursing
Raven MC, Guzman D, Chen AH
Out-of-network emergency department use among managed Medicaid beneficiaries.
The researchers examined factors associated with out-of-network ED use among Medicaid beneficiaries. They concluded that there are a number of factors related to out-of-network ED use, including the proximity and density of out-of-network EDs, race and ethnicity, a prior history of out-of-network ED use, and individuals' connection to primary care.
AHRQ-funded; HS021700.
Citation: Raven MC, Guzman D, Chen AH .
Out-of-network emergency department use among managed Medicaid beneficiaries.
Health Serv Res 2017 Dec;52(6):2156-74. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12604.
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Keywords: Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Medicaid, Primary Care, Social Determinants of Health
Probst MA, Kanzaria HK, Schoenfeld EM
Shared decisionmaking in the emergency department: a guiding framework for clinicians.
The authors developed a simple framework to illustrate how shared decisionmaking should be approached in clinical practice. They believe it should be the preferred or default approach to decisionmaking, except in clinical situations in which 3 factors interfere. These 3 factors are lack of clinical uncertainty or equipoise, patient decisionmaking ability, and time, all of which can render shared decisionmaking infeasible. The authors next discuss how to address each factor.
AHRQ-funded; HS021271; HS024311.
Citation: Probst MA, Kanzaria HK, Schoenfeld EM .
Shared decisionmaking in the emergency department: a guiding framework for clinicians.
Ann Emerg Med 2017 Nov;70(5):688-95. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2017.03.063.
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Keywords: Decision Making, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Evidence-Based Practice, Guidelines
Zachrison KS, Hayden EM, Schwamm LH
Characterizing New England emergency departments by telemedicine use.
The primary objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of telemedicine use in New England EDs and the clinical applications of use. It concluded that telemedicine is commonly used in New England EDs. In 2014, use was more common among rural EDs and EDs with limited neurology consultant availability. In contrast, telemedicine use was less common among very low-volume EDs.
AHRQ-funded; HS024561.
Citation: Zachrison KS, Hayden EM, Schwamm LH .
Characterizing New England emergency departments by telemedicine use.
West J Emerg Med 2017 Oct;18(6):1055-60. doi: 10.5811/westjem.2017.8.34880.
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Keywords: Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Healthcare Delivery, Health Services Research (HSR), Telehealth
Patterson BW, Smith MA, Repplinger MD
Using chief complaint in addition to diagnosis codes to identify falls in the emergency department.
The researchers compared incidence of falls in an emergency department (ED) cohort using a traditional International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code-based scheme and an expanded definition that included chief complaint information. They concluded that identifying individuals in the ED who have fallen based on diagnosis codes underestimates the true burden of falls.
AHRQ-funded; HS024558.
Citation: Patterson BW, Smith MA, Repplinger MD .
Using chief complaint in addition to diagnosis codes to identify falls in the emergency department.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2017 Sep;65(9):E135-E40. doi: 10.1111/jgs.14982.
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Keywords: Falls, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Emergency Department
Tiase VL, Crouch B, Bennett H
Descriptive analysis of communication patterns between a local poison control center and community emergency departments.
This study leverages a commercial call recording system to gain insight into the intensity and volume of communication between a poison control center and two rural emergency departments.
AHRQ-funded; HS021472.
Citation: Tiase VL, Crouch B, Bennett H .
Descriptive analysis of communication patterns between a local poison control center and community emergency departments.
2017 IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics (ICHI) 2017 Aug:574. doi: 10.1109/ICHI.2017.89.
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Keywords: Communication, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Rural Health
Benda NC, Fairbanks RJ, Fairbanks RJ
Are you paying attention? Related guidance on how concepts of attention may inform effective time sharing of tasks in emergency medicine.
The authors respond to an earlier article providing a thoughtful introduction to the importance of teaching effective task switching in emergency medicine. Their letter introduces the concept of attention, provides examples of tasks that can be most safely and effectively time shared, and notes that these principles must be considered in designing tools for the time sharing and rapid switching of tasks necessary in the ED environment.
AHRQ-funded; HS022542.
Citation: Benda NC, Fairbanks RJ, Fairbanks RJ .
Are you paying attention? Related guidance on how concepts of attention may inform effective time sharing of tasks in emergency medicine.
Ann Emerg Med 2017 May;69(5):669-70. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2017.01.027.
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Keywords: Workflow, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Emergency Department, Patient Safety
Everson J, Kocher KE, Adler-Milstein J
Health information exchange associated with improved emergency department care through faster accessing of patient information from outside organizations.
This study assessed whether electronic health information exchange (HIE) is associated with improved emergency department (ED) care processes and utilization through more timely clinician viewing of information from outside organizations. It concluded that the relationship between HIE and improved care processes and reduced utilization in the ED is mediated by faster accessing of information from outside organizations.
AHRQ-funded; HS024160.
Citation: Everson J, Kocher KE, Adler-Milstein J .
Health information exchange associated with improved emergency department care through faster accessing of patient information from outside organizations.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2017 Apr 1;24(e1):e103-e10. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocw116.
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Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Quality of Care, Health Information Exchange (HIE)
Clark LN, Benda NC, Hegde S
Usability evaluation of an emergency department information system prototype designed using cognitive systems engineering techniques.
This article presents an evaluation of novel display concepts for an emergency department information system (EDIS) designed using cognitive systems engineering methods. It concluded that nurse and provider roles had significantly different perceptions of the usability and usefulness of certain EDIS components, suggesting that they have different information needs while working.
AHRQ-funded; HS022542; HS020433.
Citation: Clark LN, Benda NC, Hegde S .
Usability evaluation of an emergency department information system prototype designed using cognitive systems engineering techniques.
Appl Ergon 2017 Apr;60:356-65. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2016.12.018.
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Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Health Information Technology (HIT)
de Cordova PB, Johansen ML, Martinez ME
Emergency department weekend presentation and mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
The purpose of this research was to determine if weekend and holiday presentation is associated with increased mortality in EDs among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in New Jersey. It found that weekend/holiday presentation to the ED for AMI was associated with increased mortality. The effect may be related to the limited availability of resources on weekend/holidays compared to weekdays.
AHRQ-funded; HS024339.
Citation: de Cordova PB, Johansen ML, Martinez ME .
Emergency department weekend presentation and mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Nurs Res 2017 Jan/Feb;66(1):20-27. doi: 10.1097/nnr.0000000000000196.
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Keywords: Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Emergency Department, Mortality, Heart Disease and Health, Risk
Melnick ER, Probst MA, Schoenfeld E
Development and testing of shared decision making interventions for use in emergency care: a research agenda.
This article provides background on decision aids and the conclusions of the 2016 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference SDM in practice work group regarding "Shared Decision Making in the Emergency Department: Development of a Policy-Relevant, Patient-Centered Research Agenda."
AHRQ-funded; HS021271; HS024311.
Citation: Melnick ER, Probst MA, Schoenfeld E .
Development and testing of shared decision making interventions for use in emergency care: a research agenda.
Acad Emerg Med 2016 Dec;23(12):1346-53. doi: 10.1111/acem.13045.
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Keywords: Decision Making, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Patient-Centered Healthcare, Policy
Dodd KW, Berman A, Brown J
Funding research in emergency department shared decision making: a summary of the 2016 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference Panel Discussion.
This article summarizes a panel discussion of funding priorities and examples of successfully funded projects related to shared decision making in emergency medicine. The discussion was part of the 2016 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference, "Shared Decision Making in the Emergency Department: Development of a Policy-relevant Patient-centered Research Agenda."
AHRQ-funded; HS024172.
Citation: Dodd KW, Berman A, Brown J .
Funding research in emergency department shared decision making: a summary of the 2016 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference Panel Discussion.
Acad Emerg Med 2016 Dec;23(12):1340-45. doi: 10.1111/acem.13063.
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Keywords: Emergency Department, Decision Making, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Health Services Research (HSR)
Grudzen CR, Anderson JR, Carpenter CR
The 2016 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference, Shared Decision Making in the Emergency Department: Development of a Policy-relevant Patient-centered Research Agenda May 10, 2016, New Orleans, LA.
The authors described the current state of shared decision making in the emergency department context and provided an overview of the conference. They explained that the results of the conference published in the same journal issue provided an essential summary of the future research priorities for shared decision making to increase quality of care and patient-centered outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024172.
Citation: Grudzen CR, Anderson JR, Carpenter CR .
The 2016 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference, Shared Decision Making in the Emergency Department: Development of a Policy-relevant Patient-centered Research Agenda May 10, 2016, New Orleans, LA.
Acad Emerg Med 2016 Dec;23(12):1313-19. doi: 10.1111/acem.13047.
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Keywords: Decision Making, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Patient-Centered Healthcare, Policy