National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Search All Research Studies
Topics
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
- (-) Adverse Events (11)
- Caregiving (2)
- Children/Adolescents (3)
- (-) Clinician-Patient Communication (11)
- Communication (10)
- Cultural Competence (1)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (1)
- Health Literacy (1)
- Hospital Discharge (1)
- Hospitalization (2)
- Hospitals (1)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Labor and Delivery (1)
- Medical Errors (8)
- Medical Liability (3)
- Medication (1)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient and Family Engagement (2)
- Patient Safety (8)
- Policy (1)
- Pregnancy (1)
- Surgery (1)
- Tools & Toolkits (1)
- Women (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 11 of 11 Research Studies DisplayedCarroll AR, Johnson JA, Stassun JC
Health literacy-informed communication to reduce discharge medication errors in hospitalized children: a randomized clinical trial.
This study’s objective was to test a health literacy-informed communication intervention to decrease liquid medication dosing errors compared with standard counseling in hospitalized children. This parallel, randomized clinical trial was conducted from June 22, 2021, to August 20, 2022, at a tertiary care, US children's hospital. English- and Spanish-speaking caregivers of hospitalized children 6 years or younger prescribed a new, scheduled liquid medication at discharge were included in the analysis. Observed dosing errors were the main outcome measured, and secondary outcomes included caregiver-reported medication knowledge. Among 198 randomized caregivers (mean age 31.4 years; 186 women [93.9%]; 36 [18.2%] Hispanic or Latino and 158 [79.8%] White), the primary outcome was available for 151 (76.3%). The observed mean (SD) percentage dosing error was 1.0% (2.2 percentage points) among the intervention group and 3.3% (5.1 percentage points) among the standard counseling group (absolute difference, 2.3 percentage points). Twenty-four of 79 caregivers in the intervention group (30.4%) measured an incorrect dose compared with 39 of 72 (54.2%) in the standard counseling group. The intervention enhanced caregiver-reported medication knowledge compared with the standard counseling group for medication dose (71 of 76 [93.4%] vs 55 of 69 [79.7%]), duration of administration (65 of 76 [85.5%] vs 49 of 69 [71.0%], and correct reporting of 2 or more medication adverse effects (60 of 76 [78.9%] vs 13 of 69 [18.8%]).
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Carroll AR, Johnson JA, Stassun JC .
Health literacy-informed communication to reduce discharge medication errors in hospitalized children: a randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Netw Open 2024 Jan 2; 7(1):e2350969. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50969..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Literacy, Communication, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medical Errors, Clinician-Patient Communication, Hospital Discharge, Medication: Safety
Antunez AG, Saari A, Miller J
Patient preferences in cases of inter-system medical error discovery (IMED).
This study looked at patients’ preferences in reporting by physicians when there are medical errors, both self-discovered by the physician, and for inter-system medical error discoveries (IMEDs). Telephone interviews were conducted with 30 patient volunteers from Michigan from January to March 2018. Two medical vignettes were presented, one involving a single physician discovering their own error and the other involving an IMED scenario. Analysis showed that patients considered IMED essentially equivalent to self-discovered errors, and strongly preferred disclosure for both scenarios. Patients said they would likely take certain actions following disclosure of another physician’s error, ranging from confronting the physician to changing providers to taking legal action.
AHRQ-funded; HS026030.
Citation: Antunez AG, Saari A, Miller J .
Patient preferences in cases of inter-system medical error discovery (IMED).
Ann Surg 2021 Mar;273(3):516-22. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000003507..
Keywords: Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Medical Liability, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication
McGovern KM, Wells EE, Landstrom GL
Understanding interpersonal and organizational dynamics among providers responding to crisis.
Patient rescue occurs in phases: recognizing the problem, communicating the concern, and treating the complication. To help improve rescue, the investigators sought to understand facilitators and barriers to managing postoperative complications, using a criterion-based sample from a large academic medical center. The study identified significant variation in communication processes across providers caring for surgical patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024403.
Citation: McGovern KM, Wells EE, Landstrom GL .
Understanding interpersonal and organizational dynamics among providers responding to crisis.
Qual Health Res 2020 Feb;30(3):331-40. doi: 10.1177/1049732319866818..
Keywords: Surgery, Patient Safety, Adverse Events, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication
Gaufberg E, Olmsted MW, Bell SK
Third things as inspiration and artifact: a multi-stakeholder qualitative approach to understand patient and family emotions after harmful events.
The authors discuss an AHRQ conference held to establish a research agenda on patient and family emotional harm after medical errors. Topics include implications for quality and safety, educational innovation, and qualitative research.
AHRQ-funded; HS024463.
Citation: Gaufberg E, Olmsted MW, Bell SK .
Third things as inspiration and artifact: a multi-stakeholder qualitative approach to understand patient and family emotions after harmful events.
J Med Humanit 2019 Dec;40(4):489-504. doi: 10.1007/s10912-019-09563-z..
Keywords: Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Patient and Family Engagement, Patient Safety
Khan A, Yin HS, Brach C
AHRQ Author: Brach C
Association between parent comfort with English and adverse events among hospitalized children.
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between parents’ limited comfort with English (LCE) and adverse events in a cohort of hospitalized children. Participants included Arabic-, Chinese-, English-, and Spanish-speaking parents of patients 17 years and younger in the pediatric units of seven North American hospitals. Findings showed that hospitalized children of parents expressing LCE were twice as likely to experience harms due to medical care. Targeted strategies are needed to improve communication and safety for this vulnerable group of children.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; HS022986.
Citation: Khan A, Yin HS, Brach C .
Association between parent comfort with English and adverse events among hospitalized children.
JAMA Pediatr 2020 Dec;174(12):e203215. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.3215..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Caregiving, Cultural Competence, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Inpatient Care, Hospitalization
Dossett L, Miller J, Jagsi R
A modified communication and optimal resolution program for intersystem medical error discovery: protocol for an implementation study.
AHRQ’s Communication and Optimal Resolution (CANDOR) Toolkit facilitates transparent communication, error prevention, and achieving optimal resolution with patients and families; how medical errors should be addressed when they are discovered between systems-intersystem medical error discovery (IMED)-remains unclear. This study aims to develop and test implementation of a modified CANDOR process for application to IMED scenarios. Step 1 of aim 1 is currently underway. This work is expected to provide important insights into the potential utility of an implementation toolkit to improve transparent communication and optimal resolution of IMED scenarios.
AHRQ-funded; HS026030.
Citation: Dossett L, Miller J, Jagsi R .
A modified communication and optimal resolution program for intersystem medical error discovery: protocol for an implementation study.
JMIR Res Protoc 2019 Jul 2;8(7):e13396. doi: 10.2196/13396..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Communication, Clinician-Patient Communication, Medical Errors, Patient Safety, Tools & Toolkits
Khan A, Spector ND, Baird JD
Patient safety after implementation of a coproduced family centered communication programme: multicenter before and after intervention study.
The objective of this prospective, multicenter before and after intervention was to determine whether medical errors, family experience, and communication processes improved after implementation of the intervention to standardize the structure of healthcare provider-family communication on family centered rounds. The investigators concluded that although overall errors were unchanged, harmful medical errors decreased and family experience and communication processes improved.
AHRQ-funded; HS00063.
Citation: Khan A, Spector ND, Baird JD .
Patient safety after implementation of a coproduced family centered communication programme: multicenter before and after intervention study.
BMJ 2018 Dec 5;363:k4764. doi: 10.1136/bmj.k4764..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Medical Errors, Patient and Family Engagement, Patient Safety
Khan A, Furtak SL, Melvin P
Parent-provider miscommunications in hospitalized children.
The objectives of this study were to: (1) examine characteristics of parent-provider miscommunications about hospitalized children; (2) describe associations among parent-provider miscommunications, parent-reported errors, and hospital experience; and (3) compare parent and attending physician reports of parent-provider miscommunications. The investigators found that parent-provider miscommunications were associated with parent-reported errors and suboptimal hospital experience. Parents reported parent-provider miscommunications more often than attending physicians did.
AHRQ-funded; HS022986; HS000063.
Citation: Khan A, Furtak SL, Melvin P .
Parent-provider miscommunications in hospitalized children.
Hosp Pediatr 2017 Sep;7(9):505-15. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2016-0190..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Caregiving, Children/Adolescents, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Medical Errors, Patient Safety
Gallagher TH, Etchegaray JM, Bergstedt B
Improving communication and resolution following adverse events using a patient-created simulation exercise.
The HealthPact Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) created and led a five-stage simulation exercise to help stakeholders understand what patients experience following an adverse event. Take-homes from these exercises included the fact that the response to adverse events can be complex, siloed, and uncoordinated. Participating in this simulation exercise led stakeholders and patient advocates to express interest in continued collaboration.
AHRQ-funded; HS019531.
Citation: Gallagher TH, Etchegaray JM, Bergstedt B .
Improving communication and resolution following adverse events using a patient-created simulation exercise.
Health Serv Res 2016 Dec;51 Suppl 3:2537-49. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12601.
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Keywords: Adverse Events, Clinician-Patient Communication, Medical Errors, Medical Liability, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient Safety
Krouss M, Croft L, Morgan DJ
Physician understanding and ability to communicate harms and benefits of common medical treatments.
The researchers evaluated physician understanding of harms and benefits of common tests and therapies. They found that most clinicians overestimate harms and benefits for most treatments. Likewise, most of the clinicians in our study reported rarely or never using statistical terms to explain treatment options to patients. However, they were interested in resources to improve understanding of treatment effect size.
AHRQ-funded; HS018111.
Citation: Krouss M, Croft L, Morgan DJ .
Physician understanding and ability to communicate harms and benefits of common medical treatments.
JAMA Intern Med 2016 Oct;176(10):1565-67. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.5027.
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Keywords: Adverse Events, Communication, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Patient Safety, Clinician-Patient Communication
Hendrich A, McCoy CK, Gale J
Ascension health's demonstration of full disclosure protocol for unexpected events during labor and delivery shows promise.
This article presents a case study concerning challenges, including physician resistance, to the establishment of a common full disclosure protocol at five labor and delivery demonstration sites. Twenty-seven months after implementation, the rate of full disclosure had increased by 221 percent. Practitioners saw a number of factors as key catalysts for change including consistent and ongoing leadership by local practitioners and hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS019608.
Citation: Hendrich A, McCoy CK, Gale J .
Ascension health's demonstration of full disclosure protocol for unexpected events during labor and delivery shows promise.
Health Aff 2014 Jan;33(1):39-45. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2013.1009..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Labor and Delivery, Medical Errors, Medical Liability, Policy, Pregnancy, Women