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
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 3 of 3 Research Studies DisplayedCimiotti JP, Becker ER, Li Y
Association of registered nurse staffing with mortality risk of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with sepsis.
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine if registered nurse workload was related with mortality in Medicare beneficiaries admitted to an acute care hospital with sepsis. The researchers evaluated the records of Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 to 99 years with a primary diagnosis of sepsis that was present on admission to 1 of 1958 nonfederal, general acute care hospitals that had data on CMS SEP-1 scores and registered nurse workload. Researchers utilized 2018 data from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey, CMS Hospital Compare, and Medicare claims. The patient outcome of interest was mortality within 60 days of admission. The study found that 702,140 Medicare beneficiaries with a mean age of 78.2 years, 51% of whom were women, had a diagnosis of sepsis. In a multivariable regression model, each additional registered nurse hour per patient day (HPPD) was associated with a 3% decrease in the odds of 60-day mortality. The researchers concluded that hospitals which provide more registered nurse hours of care could possibly decrease the likelihood of mortality in Medicare beneficiaries with sepsis.
AHRQ-funded; HS026232.
Citation: Cimiotti JP, Becker ER, Li Y .
Association of registered nurse staffing with mortality risk of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with sepsis.
JAMA Health Forum 2022 May;3(5):e221173. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.1173..
Keywords: Sepsis, Mortality, Provider: Nurse, Nursing, Workforce
Dierkes AM, Aiken LH, Sloane DM
Hospital nurse staffing and sepsis protocol compliance and outcomes among patients with sepsis in the USA: a multistate cross-sectional analysis.
The timely and effective administration of sepsis treatment may improve sepsis outcomes, and those improvements may provide evidence of the need for mandated reporting of adherence to sepsis care protocol. The purpose of the study was to better understand the association between patient-to-nurse staffing ratios, sepsis protocol compliance, and patient outcomes. The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study utilizing linked data from 537 hospitals from across California, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York (representing 252,699 Medicare inpatients with sepsis present on admission), nurse and hospital surveys, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare and the corresponding MedPAR patient claims. The study found that every additional patient per nurse was associated with greater odds of mortality, readmission, ICU admission, and greater risk of relative duration of stay. Every 10% increase in compliance of sepsis protocol was only associated with a shorter duration of stay. The study concluded that improvements in nurse staffing and the nurse-to-patient ratios had a greater impact on sepsis infection outcomes than compliance with protocols.
AHRQ-funded; HS026232.
Citation: Dierkes AM, Aiken LH, Sloane DM .
Hospital nurse staffing and sepsis protocol compliance and outcomes among patients with sepsis in the USA: a multistate cross-sectional analysis.
BMJ Open 2022 Mar 22;12(3):e056802. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056802..
Keywords: Sepsis, Hospitals, Provider: Nurse, Workforce
Lasater KB, Sloane DM, McHugh MD
Evaluation of hospital nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and sepsis bundles on patient outcomes.
Despite nurses' responsibilities in recognition and treatment of sepsis, little evidence documents whether patient-to-nurse staffing ratios are associated with clinical outcomes for patients with sepsis. Using linked data sources from 2017 including MEDPAR patient claims, Hospital Compare, American Hospital Association, and a large survey of nurses, the investigators estimated the effect of hospital patient-to-nurse staffing ratios and adherence to the Early Management Bundle for patients with Severe Sepsis/Septic Shock SEP-1 sepsis bundles on patients' odds of in-hospital and 60-day mortality, readmission, and length of stay.
AHRQ-funded; HS026232.
Citation: Lasater KB, Sloane DM, McHugh MD .
Evaluation of hospital nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and sepsis bundles on patient outcomes.
Am J Infect Control 2021 Jul;49(7):868-73. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.12.002..
Keywords: Sepsis, Nursing, Provider: Nurse, Inpatient Care, Hospitals