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Research Studies is a monthly compilation of research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers and recently published in journals or newsletters.
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1 to 25 of 266 Research Studies DisplayedBell SK, Dong ZJ, Desroches CM
Partnering with patients and families living with chronic conditions to coproduce diagnostic safety through OurDX: a previsit online engagement tool.
Involving patients and their families in the diagnostic process is crucial, but there is a lack of methods for consistent engagement. The implementation of policies providing patients with access to electronic health records offers new possibilities. The researchers evaluated a novel online tool ("OurDX"), co-created with patients and families, to examine the nature and frequency of potential safety issues identified by patients and their families with chronic health conditions and whether these insights were incorporated into visit notes. At two US healthcare facilities, patients and their families were encouraged to participate via an online pre-visit questionnaire, which covered: (1) visit priorities, (2) recent medical history and symptoms, and (3) potential diagnostic concerns. Two physicians assessed patient-reported diagnostic issues to validate and classify diagnostic safety opportunities (DSOs). The researchers performed a chart review to determine if patient inputs were integrated into the visit note. Descriptive statistics were employed to report implementation outcomes, DSO verification, and chart review findings. The study found that OurDX reports were completed in 7075 of 18,129 (39%) eligible pediatric subspecialty visits (site 1) and 460 of 706 (65%) eligible adult primary care visits (site 2). Of the patients expressing diagnostic concerns, 63% were confirmed as probable DSOs. Overall, 7.5% of pediatric and adult patients and their families with chronic health conditions identified probable DSOs. The most frequent DSO types included patients and families feeling unheard; issues or delays in tests or referrals; and complications or delays in clarification or subsequent steps. The chart review revealed that most clinician notes incorporated all or some of the patient or family priorities and patient-reported histories.
AHRQ-funded; HS027367
Citation: Bell SK, Dong ZJ, Desroches CM .
Partnering with patients and families living with chronic conditions to coproduce diagnostic safety through OurDX: a previsit online engagement tool.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2023 Mar 16;30(4):692-702. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocad003.
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient and Family Engagement, Healthcare Delivery
Short VL, Gannon M, Sood E
Opportunities to increase well-child care engagement for families affected by maternal opioid use disorder: perceptions of mothers and clinicians.
The objectives of this qualitative study were to gather in-depth information regarding maternal and clinician-reported factors that facilitate or hinder well-child care (WCC) engagement as well as information from mothers' experiences during WCC visits. Thirty mothers in treatment for parental opioid use disorder (OUD) and 13 clinicians working at a pediatric primary care clinic participated by completing one telephone session which involved a brief questionnaire followed by a semi-structured interview. Facilitators identified by mothers and clinicians, included continuity of care, addressing material needs, and clinician OUD training and knowledge. Barriers to WCC included: stigma toward mothers with OUD, gaps in basic parenting knowledge, competing specialized health care needs, and insufficient time to address concerns.
AHRQ-funded; HS027399.
Citation: Short VL, Gannon M, Sood E .
Opportunities to increase well-child care engagement for families affected by maternal opioid use disorder: perceptions of mothers and clinicians.
Acad Pediatr 2023 Mar;23(2):425-33. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.07.013.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Family Health and History, Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Caregiving, Patient and Family Engagement
Theiss LM, Wood L, Shao C
Disparities in perioperative use of patient engagement technologies - not all use is equal.
The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to determine the association of patient-level characteristics and the use of a patient engagement technology during the perioperative period. Patients who had undergone elective colorectal surgery were enrolled in a patient engagement technology at a single institution and received educational content, healthcare reminders, patient reported outcome surveys, and health checks. Findings indicated that use of a patient engagement technology in the perioperative period differs significantly by sex, race/ethnicity, and insurance status. The authors concluded that this diverse usage should be considered during implementation of interventions to improve surgical outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023009.
Citation: Theiss LM, Wood L, Shao C .
Disparities in perioperative use of patient engagement technologies - not all use is equal.
Ann Surg 2023 Jan;277(1):e218-e25. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000004970.
Keywords: Patient and Family Engagement, Disparities, Surgery, Hospital Discharge
Hinesley JLG, Brooks EM, O'Loughlin K
Feasibility of patient navigation for care planning in primary care.
The purpose of this study was to help better control chronic conditions by connecting patients with a navigator for support creating a personal care goal. Twenty-four clinicians in 12 practices in the Virginia Ambulatory Care Outcomes Research Network (ACORN) participated in a care planning intervention under a structured process that guided 87 patients with uncontrolled chronic conditions, trained navigators, and adapted the navigation process to meet the needs of each practice. Findings indicated that patient navigation to address care plans should be feasible, with a minimal time commitment and non-intensive training. However, given the burden and competing demands in primary care, this help cannot be offered without additional resources.
AHRQ-funded; HS026223.
Citation: Hinesley JLG, Brooks EM, O'Loughlin K .
Feasibility of patient navigation for care planning in primary care.
J Prim Care Community Health 2022 Jan-Dec;13:21501319221134754. doi: 10.1177/21501319221134754..
Keywords: Primary Care, Chronic Conditions, Patient and Family Engagement
Schuttner L, Hockett Sherlock S, Simons CE
My goals are not their goals: barriers and facilitators to delivery of patient-centered care for patients with multimorbidity.
This study’s goal was to clarify facilitators and barriers perceived by primary care physicians in the Veterans Health Administration to delivering patient-centered care for high-risk or complex patients with multimorbidity. The authors conducted semi-structured telephone interviews from April to July 2020 with 23 physicians across 20 clinical sites, with most being female (61%). Facilitators included: effective physician-patient communication to individualize care, prioritize among multiple needs, and elicit goals to improve patient engagement; access to care, enabled by interdisciplinary teams, and dictating personalized care planning; effortful but worthwhile care coordination and continuity; meeting complex needs through effective teamwork; and integrating medical and non-medical care aspects in recognition of patients' psychosocial contexts. Barriers included: intra- and interpersonal (e.g., perceived patient reluctance to engage in care); organizational (e.g., limited encounter time); and community or policy impediments (e.g., state decisional capacity laws) to patient-centered care.
AHRQ-funded; HS026369.
Citation: Schuttner L, Hockett Sherlock S, Simons CE .
My goals are not their goals: barriers and facilitators to delivery of patient-centered care for patients with multimorbidity.
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Dec;37(16):4189-96. doi: 10.1007/s11606-022-07533-1..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Healthcare Delivery, Chronic Conditions, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Patient and Family Engagement
Whittington KJ, Ma Y, Butler AM
The impact of infectious diseases consultation for children with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.
The purpose of this cohort study was to explore the impact of infectious diseases (ID) consultation for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in children. The researchers conducted a study of 306 children at St. Louis Children's Hospital between 2011 to 2018 with S. aureus bacteremia. Adherence to six established quality-of-care indicators (QCIs) was evaluated. The study found that 63% of the study patients received ID consultation, which was associated with greater adherence to all QCIs, including proof-of-cure blood cultures, indicated laboratory studies, echocardiography, source control, targeted antibiotic therapy, and antibiotic duration. In addition, improved outcomes were related with acquiring proof-of-cure blood cultures and all indicated laboratory studies. The researchers concluded that ID consultation improved adherence to QCIs, some of which were associated with improved clinical outcomes, for children with S. aureus bacteremia.
AHRQ-funded; HS024269.
Citation: Whittington KJ, Ma Y, Butler AM .
The impact of infectious diseases consultation for children with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.
Pediatr Res 2022 Dec;92(6):1598-605. doi: 10.1038/s41390-022-02251-0..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Infectious Diseases, Patient and Family Engagement
Schumacher JR, Zahrieh D, Chow S
Increasing socioeconomically disadvantaged patients' engagement in breast cancer surgery decision-making through a shared decision-making intervention (A231701CD): protocol for a cluster randomised clinical trial.
This paper describes the protocol for a multisite randomized trial to test the impact of a newly developed decision aid to increase socioeconomically disadvantaged patients' engagement in breast cancer surgery decision-making. The study will be conducted through 10 surgical clinics within the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP). A stepped-wedge design with clinics will be randomized to the time of transition from usual care to the decision aid arm. Study participants will be female, aged ≥18 years, with newly diagnosed stage 0-III breast cancer who are planning breast surgery. Data collection will include a baseline surgeon survey, baseline patient survey, audio-recording of the surgeon-patient consultation, a follow-up patient survey and medical record data review. A subset of patients, surgeons, and clinic stakeholders will participate in interviews and focus groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS025194.
Citation: Schumacher JR, Zahrieh D, Chow S .
Increasing socioeconomically disadvantaged patients' engagement in breast cancer surgery decision-making through a shared decision-making intervention (A231701CD): protocol for a cluster randomised clinical trial.
BMJ Open 2022 Nov 17;12(11):e063895. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063895..
Keywords: Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Patient and Family Engagement, Decision Making, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Surgery, Women
Valdez RS, Lyon SE, Wellbeloved-Stone C
Engaging the disability community in informatics research: rationales and practical steps.
There is an opportunity for the informatics community to expand its impact by focusing on the disability community as a health disparity population. Digital health technologies can be enhanced by approaching disability from a more holistic framework, simultaneously accounting for multiple forms of disability and the ways that disability intersects with other forms of identity. The authors offer a set of guidelines for effective engagement and argue that such engagement is critical to creating digital health technologies which more fully meet the needs of all disabled individuals.
AHRQ-funded; HS023849.
Citation: Valdez RS, Lyon SE, Wellbeloved-Stone C .
Engaging the disability community in informatics research: rationales and practical steps.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2022 Oct 7;29(11):1989-95. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocac136..
Keywords: Patient and Family Engagement, Disabilities, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Steeves-Reece AL, Nicolaidis C, Richardson DM
"It made me feel like things are starting to change in society:" a qualitative study to foster positive patient experiences during phone-based social needs interventions.
Investigators conducted a pragmatic qualitative study with patients who had participated in a health-related social needs (HRSN) intervention. They found that patients were likely to have initial skepticism or reservations about the intervention; they identified 4 positive intervention components regarding patient experience; and they found that patients could be left with feelings of appreciation or hope, regardless of whether they connected with HRSN resources.
AHRQ-funded; HS027707.
Citation: Steeves-Reece AL, Nicolaidis C, Richardson DM .
"It made me feel like things are starting to change in society:" a qualitative study to foster positive patient experiences during phone-based social needs interventions.
Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Oct 3;19(19). doi: 10.3390/ijerph191912668..
Keywords: Patient Experience, Patient and Family Engagement, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Harrison JD, Sudore RL, Auerbach AD
Automated telephone follow-up programs after hospital discharge: do older adults engage with these programs?
The purpose of this study was to examine whether and how older adults experience automated post-hospital discharge telephone follow-up programs and characterize the prevalence of patient-reported post-discharge issues. Eighteen thousand and seventy-six patients, all part of a post-hospital discharge program between May 1, 2018 and April 30, 2019, were included and categorized into age groups. The study found that more patients 65-84 years old were reached compared to patients 64 years old or less (84.3% compared to 78.9%). Patients aged 85 or older were more likely to have questions about their follow-up plans and require assistance scheduling appointments compared to those 64 years old or less (19.0% vs. 11.9%). The researchers concluded that post-hospital automated telephone calls are effective at reaching older adults.
AHRQ-funded; HS026383.
Citation: Harrison JD, Sudore RL, Auerbach AD .
Automated telephone follow-up programs after hospital discharge: do older adults engage with these programs?
J Am Geriatr Soc 2022 Oct;70(10):2980-87. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17939..
Keywords: Elderly, Patient and Family Engagement, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Lobach DF, Boxwala A, Kashyap N
Integrating a patient engagement app into an electronic health record-enabled workflow using interoperability standards.
The authors sought to use interoperability standards to integrate the COVID-19 Tracker, a patient mobile application, with an EHR. Their clinical decision support integration project benefited from a standards-based approach, but they encountered challenges due to issues concerning implementation and experience of the standards-based application programming interface, Health Level 7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) in the EHR. The authors concluded that FHIR standards may provide a promising mechanism for overcoming barriers in the integration of patient engagement apps with EHRs, but that expansion of available FHIR resources will improve workflow integration.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500023I.
Citation: Lobach DF, Boxwala A, Kashyap N .
Integrating a patient engagement app into an electronic health record-enabled workflow using interoperability standards.
Appl Clin Inform 2022 Oct;13(5):1163-71. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1758736..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient and Family Engagement, Workflow, COVID-19
Miller-Rosales C, Lewis VA, Shortell SM
Adoption of patient engagement strategies by physician practices in the United States.
Researchers analyzed data collected from the National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems (NSHOS) on physician practice adoption of patient engagement strategies. They found modest adoption of shared decision-making and motivational interviewing, and low adoption of shared medical appointments. They noted that risk-based payment reform has the potential to motivate greater practice-level patient engagement, but the extent to which it occurs may depend on internal practice capabilities.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Miller-Rosales C, Lewis VA, Shortell SM .
Adoption of patient engagement strategies by physician practices in the United States.
Med Care 2022 Sep;60(9):691-99. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001748..
Keywords: Patient and Family Engagement, Provider: Physician, Decision Making
Beeber AS, Hoben M, Leeman J
Developing a toolkit to improve resident and family engagement in the safety of assisted living: Engage-A stakeholder-engaged research protocol.
This paper describes an AHRQ-funded study protocol (Engage) to develop a toolkit for increasing resident and family engagement in assisted living (AL) safety. The study goals are to engage AL residents and family caregivers, AL staff, and other AL stakeholders to (1) identify common AL safety problems; (2) prioritize safety problems and identify and evaluate existing PFE interventions with the potential to address safety problems in the AL setting; and (3) develop a testable toolkit to improve PFE in AL safety. Methods, including qualitative interviews, a scoping review of persona and family engagement (PFE) interventions, and stakeholder panel meetings are discussed. The authors also detail how the protocol was modified to address the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
AHRQ-funded; HS026473.
Citation: Beeber AS, Hoben M, Leeman J .
Developing a toolkit to improve resident and family engagement in the safety of assisted living: Engage-A stakeholder-engaged research protocol.
Res Nurs Health 2022 Aug;45(4):413-23. doi: 10.1002/nur.22232..
Keywords: Patient and Family Engagement, Patient Safety, Caregiving, Public Health, Long-Term Care
Womack DM, Kennedy R, Chamberlin SR
Patients' lived experiences and recommendations for enhanced awareness and use of integrative oncology services in cancer care.
The purpose of this study was to involve patients in understanding improved clinic processes and digital health tools to support patient awareness and use of integrative oncology services. The patients were engaged in participatory design to explore their lived experiences as related to the utilization of integrative oncology services during and after conventional cancer treatment. The researchers held 10 design sessions with individual participants, which began with patient story telling regarding their path to and use of integrative oncology services. Feedback was then requested on the functionality of prototypes of mobile app screens intended to support patient symptom alleviation. The study found that oncology patients are active participants in the management of their symptoms and treatment side effects. Patients who used massage, yoga, and acupuncture reported a need for earlier patient education about those services. The study concluded that clinics can collaborate with patients to identify high priority needs, unmet needs and challenges, guide development of clinic process, and co-produce wellbeing in conventional cancer care.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Womack DM, Kennedy R, Chamberlin SR .
Patients' lived experiences and recommendations for enhanced awareness and use of integrative oncology services in cancer care.
Patient Educ Couns 2022 Jul;105(7):2557-61. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2021.11.018..
Keywords: Cancer, Patient Experience, Patient and Family Engagement, Education: Patient and Caregiver
Bardach NS, Stotts JR, Fiore DM
Family Input for Quality and Safety (FIQS): using mobile technology for in-hospital reporting from families and patients.
This study’s goal was to test a real-time mobile-responsive website called Family Input for Quality and Safety (FIQS) for inpatient reporting from families and patients. The tool was piloted from June 2017 to April 2018 on the medical-surgical unit of a children’s hospital. The authors enrolled 253 patients aged 13 and older and patient family members. This resulted in 8.15 safety reports/100 patient-days, most frequently regarding medications (29% of reports) and communication (20% of reports). Fifty-one reports met incident reporting (IR) criteria with only 1 having been reported via the IR system. White participants submitted more observations than Latinx participants.
AHRQ-funded; HS028477; HS024553.
Citation: Bardach NS, Stotts JR, Fiore DM .
Family Input for Quality and Safety (FIQS): using mobile technology for in-hospital reporting from families and patients.
J Hosp Med 2022 Jun;17(6):456-65. doi: 10.1002/jhm.2777..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient and Family Engagement
Adolphe S, Fernandez-Pastrana I, Scott H
EASE-ing the way for pediatric providers and parents: the Engagement and Access to Special Education (EASE) Clinic.
Primary Care Providers (PCPs) are tasked by the American Academy of Pediatrics to identify children who need special education and ensure that those children receive appropriate related services provided by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The IDEA entitles children between the ages of 3 and 21 to free education through individualized education programs (IEPs), and other related supports. The extent of PCP knowledge about the IDEA, special education, and available related support services and how to assess them, is largely unknown. Existing research indicates there is a lack of knowledge, training, and confidence in providers about special education. Boston Medical Center’s (BMC) Engagement and Access to Special Education (EASE) clinic was developed to provide support to the parents and PCPs of children with special education needs. The purpose of this article was to introduce and describe the EASE clinical model as a useful method for PCPs to strengthen their ability to provide appropriate and available comprehensive care to their patients requiring special education. The authors reported that of the 14,000 pediatric patients at the Boston Medical Center, 308 children were referred to the EASE clinic between its inception in 2017 and May 2021. The majority of children were Black non-Hispanic, English-speaking, and male, with an average age of 8.3 at first clinic. During that same time 452 total visits were completed, with a waiting list of less than 90 days. The authors conclude that for primary care practices with patients with special education needs, the BMC EASE clinic can serve as a useful model for improving their ability to provide care.
AHRQ-funded; HS022242.
Citation: Adolphe S, Fernandez-Pastrana I, Scott H .
EASE-ing the way for pediatric providers and parents: the Engagement and Access to Special Education (EASE) Clinic.
Acad Pediatr 2022 May-Jun;24(4):705-07. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.02.011..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Caregiving, Patient and Family Engagement, Vulnerable Populations, Disabilities
Rosenberg SM, Gierisch JM, Revette AC
"Is it cancer or not?" A qualitative exploration of survivor concerns surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ.
This study investigated the impact of a ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) diagnosis by engaging self-identified patients regarding their experience. Findings showed that, in a large, national sample, participants with a history of DCIS reported confusion and concern about the diagnosis and treatment, which caused worry and significant uncertainty.
AHRQ-funded; HS023680.
Citation: Rosenberg SM, Gierisch JM, Revette AC .
"Is it cancer or not?" A qualitative exploration of survivor concerns surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ.
Cancer 2022 Apr 15;128(8):1676-83. doi: 10.1002/cncr.34126..
Keywords: Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Decision Making, Women, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Clinician-Patient Communication, Patient and Family Engagement, Communication
Thorp K, Van CM, Olin SS
Integrating youth voice in health plan quality improvement.
This article describes lessons learned from working with health plans to incorporate youth voice in quality improvement (QI) approaches to improve adolescent depression care. Findings showed that plan approaches to youth engagement varied and evolved over time as plans learned how to employ deliberate approaches to engage youth perspectives. Further, plans learned that building genuine relationships with youth and family takes an investment of time and trust that can provide rich and useful information for QI.
AHRQ-funded; HS025296.
Citation: Thorp K, Van CM, Olin SS .
Integrating youth voice in health plan quality improvement.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Apr;22(3s):S68-s69. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.03.006..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Patient and Family Engagement, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Schnitzer K, Senft N, Tindle HA
Understanding engagement behaviors and rapport building in tobacco cessation telephone counseling: an analysis of audio-recorded counseling calls.
This study explored smokers’ and counselors’ engagement and rapport-building behaviors in telephone counseling for smoking cessation and patterns of these behaviors by smokers’ psychiatric symptoms. The study transcribed audio-recorded counseling calls among recently hospitalized participants enrolled in a smoking cessation randomized controlled trial (RCT). The study used baseline RCT data to explore frequencies of smokers’ behaviors among smokers who reported more symptoms of depression (PHQ8 ≥ 10) or anxiety (GAD7 ≥ 10) at study entry. A total of 37 participants were included, who were mostly female (23), White (26), with a median age of 58. At study entry many participants experienced moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression (18/37) and anxiety (22/37). Counselor-led behaviors included building off priority interaction, empathy, normalizing challenges, reframing and summarizing, validating achievements, and expressing shared experiences. Participant-led engagement behaviors occurred more often among patients with higher baseline depression and anxiety symptoms compared to those with lower symptom scores.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Schnitzer K, Senft N, Tindle HA .
Understanding engagement behaviors and rapport building in tobacco cessation telephone counseling: an analysis of audio-recorded counseling calls.
J Subst Abuse Treat 2022 Apr;135:108643. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108643..
Keywords: Tobacco Use: Smoking Cessation, Tobacco Use, Patient and Family Engagement, Lifestyle Changes
Aboumatar H, Pitts S, Sharma R
Patient engagement strategies for adults with chronic conditions: an evidence map.
Existing research indicates that patient and family engagement (PFE) in health care is necessary for improving outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the evidence on PFE strategies for adults with chronic conditions and identify the areas where additional research is needed. The authors searched existing databases, including CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE, and PubMed, for data between January 2015 and September 2021, to identify systematic reviews on strategies for engaging patients with chronic conditions. The study also included their caregivers. Strategies were categorized into the following levels: direct patient care, health system, and community-policy. The authors discovered 131 reviews of direct patient care strategies, 5 reviews of health system strategies, and no reviews of community-policy strategies. The study concluded that there is much more available evidence on the effects of direct patient care strategies on PFE than on the effects of the health system or community policy strategies. In addition, the evidence map created by the researchers focused on reviews which did not provide details of individual chronic disease interventions. The authors concluded that the evidence map created provides awareness of the research gaps related to efforts to improve patient and family engagement for patients with chronic conditions.
AHRQ-funded; 290201500006I.
Citation: Aboumatar H, Pitts S, Sharma R .
Patient engagement strategies for adults with chronic conditions: an evidence map.
Syst Rev 2022 Mar 5;11(1):39. doi: 10.1186/s13643-021-01873-5..
Keywords: Patient and Family Engagement, Chronic Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice
Boltey EM, Wright N, Mosley EA
Exploring the process of information sharing in an adult intensive care unit: an ethnographic study.
The purpose of this study was to examine how the process of information sharing takes place in the ICU from the perspectives of the professional team and family members. The researchers conducted ethnographic fieldwork focusing on behaviors and interactions of the interprofessional team and family members. Fieldwork of 17.5 observation hours, 6 shadowing sessions, and 12 semi-structured interviews with 17 total participants took place in a 20-bed medical ICU from May 2016 - October 2016. Three themes about the information sharing process were identified: 1) family factors influence information sharing; 2) clinician strategies can support engagement in the process of information sharing; and 3) the process of information sharing allows for trust building between ICU team and families. The researchers concluded that information sharing is a critical process that may act as a stimulus for effective ICU engagement with the patient and family.
AHRQ-funded; HS024552.
Citation: Boltey EM, Wright N, Mosley EA .
Exploring the process of information sharing in an adult intensive care unit: an ethnographic study.
J Interprof Care 2022 Mar-Apr;36(2):168-76. doi: 10.1080/13561820.2021.1899147..
Keywords: Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Clinician-Patient Communication, Patient and Family Engagement, Communication, Critical Care
Turvey CL, Fuhrmeister LA, Klein DM
Patient and provider experience of electronic patient portals and secure messaging in mental health treatment.
This study explored patient and provider experience of patient electronic access to the mental health treatment record and the use of secure messaging. Participants received online surveys with questions about their experiences. Researchers concluded that the implementation of electronic access to mental health notes requires a transition from viewing the medical record as the exclusive tool of providers to that of a collaborative tool for patients and providers to achieve treatment goals.
AHRQ-funded; HS025785.
Citation: Turvey CL, Fuhrmeister LA, Klein DM .
Patient and provider experience of electronic patient portals and secure messaging in mental health treatment.
Telemed J E Health 2022 Feb;28(2):189-98. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2020.0395..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Experience, Behavioral Health, Patient and Family Engagement
Schnock KO, Snyder JE, Gershanik E
Unique patient-reported hospital safety concerns with online tool: MySafeCare.
This study evaluated the MySafeCare (MSC) application at six acute care units for 18 months as part of a patient-centered health information technology intervention to promote engagement and safety in the acute care setting. This web-based application allowed hospitalized patients to submit safety concerns anonymously and in real time. The authors evaluated rates of submissions to MSC and compared them to the hospital’s submissions to the Patient Family Relations Department. They received 46 submissions to MSC, and 33% of them were received anonymously. The overall rate of submissions was 0.6 submissions per 1000 patient-days, which was considerably lower than the rate of submissions to the Patient Family Relations Department during the same time period (4.1 per 1000 patient-days). MSC did capture important content concerning unmet care needs and preferences, inadequate communication, and concerns about safety of care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023535.
Citation: Schnock KO, Snyder JE, Gershanik E .
Unique patient-reported hospital safety concerns with online tool: MySafeCare.
J Patient Saf 2022 Jan;18(1):e33-e39. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000697..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Health Information Technology (HIT), Hospitals, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient and Family Engagement
McAlearney AS, Sieck CJ, Gregory ME
Examining patients' capacity to use patient portals: insights for telehealth.
The objective of this study was to examine factors related to patients' capacity to use a patient portal and test the impact of these factors on patients' portal use. Using data from a large-scale randomized controlled trial of patient portal use, over one thousand hospitalized patients responded to survey items that were then mapped onto the 4 dimensions of the Engagement Capacity Framework. Findings showed that patients with fewer resources, fewer capabilities, lower willingness, and lower overall capacity to use patient portals used the portal less; in contrast, those with lower perceived self-efficacy used the portal more. These differences in patients' capacity to use patient portals provide an initial understanding of factors that may influence the use of telehealth and offer important guidance in efforts to support patients' telehealth use.
AHRQ-funded; HS024379; HS024091; HS024349.
Citation: McAlearney AS, Sieck CJ, Gregory ME .
Examining patients' capacity to use patient portals: insights for telehealth.
Med Care 2021 Dec;59(12):1067-74. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001639..
Keywords: Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient and Family Engagement
Brown TT, Hurley VB, Rodriguez HP
Association of patient engagement strategies with utilisation and spending for musculoskeletal problems in the USA: a cross-sectional analysis of Medicare patients and physician practices.
This cross-sectional study assessed the association of physician practice-level adoption of patient engagement strategies (PES), such as shared decision-making and motivational interviewing, with utilization and spending. The cohort included primary and secondary patients in 2190 practices who receiving treatment for hip (39,336), knee (48,362), and lower-back (67,940) issues who were Medicare beneficiaries that were matched to the 2017-2018 National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems. Outcome measures were total knee replacement (TKR), total hip replacement (THR), 1-2 level posterior lumbar fusion (LF), total annual spending, and components of total annual spending. Spending was significantly lower in some categories for practices with relatively higher PES adoption, but did not differ for other practices. The odds of receiving THR were higher in independent practices for patients attributed to practices with moderate PES compared to patients in practices with low PES.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Brown TT, Hurley VB, Rodriguez HP .
Association of patient engagement strategies with utilisation and spending for musculoskeletal problems in the USA: a cross-sectional analysis of Medicare patients and physician practices.
BMJ Open 2021 Nov 26;11(11):e053121. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053121..
Keywords: Patient and Family Engagement, Healthcare Utilization, Healthcare Costs, Arthritis, Orthopedics
