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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
676 to 700 of 12227 Research Studies DisplayedCusick MM, Tisdale RL, Chertow GM
Population-wide screening for chronic kidney disease : a cost-effectiveness analysis.
The purpose of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of adding population-wide screening for chronic kidney disease (CKD), specifically; screening for albuminuria with and without adding Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors to the current standard of care for CKD. The study found that one-time CKD screening at the age 55 years had an ICER of $86,300 per QALY gained by increasing costs from $249,800 to $259,000 and increasing QALYs from 12.61 to 12.72; this result was accompanied by a decrease in the incidence of kidney failure requiring dialysis or kidney transplant of 0.29 percentage points and an increase in life expectancy from 17.29 to 17.45 years. In the group aged 35 to 75 years, screening one time prevented dialysis or transplant in 398, 000 people and screening every 10 years until age the age of 75 years cost less than $100,000 per QALY gained. The study’s sensitivity analysis found that when SGLT2 inhibitors were 30% less effective, screening every 10 years during ages 35 to 75 years cost between $145,400 and $182,600 per QALY gained, and decreases in the price would be necessary for screening to be cost-effective.
AHRQ-funded; HS026128.
Citation: Cusick MM, Tisdale RL, Chertow GM .
Population-wide screening for chronic kidney disease : a cost-effectiveness analysis.
Ann Intern Med 2023 Jun; 176(6):788-97. doi: 10.7326/m22-3228..
Keywords: Kidney Disease and Health, Screening, Healthcare Costs, Chronic Conditions
Blecker S, Gannon M, De Leon S
Practice facilitation for scale up of clinical decision support for hypertension management: study protocol for a cluster randomized control trial.
This paper describes a protocol for a study that will be conducted to compare the effect of hypertension-focused clinical decision support (CDS) plus practice facilitation on blood pressure (BP) control, as compared to CDS alone. The investigators will conduct a cluster randomized control trial that will include initial training on the CDS and a review of current guidelines along with follow-up for coaching and integration support. They will randomize 46 small primary care practices in New York City who use the same electronic health record vendor to intervention or control. They will also assess implementation of CDS in all practices and practice facilitation in the intervention group.
AHRQ-funded; HS027120.
Citation: Blecker S, Gannon M, De Leon S .
Practice facilitation for scale up of clinical decision support for hypertension management: study protocol for a cluster randomized control trial.
Contemp Clin Trials 2023 Jun; 129:107177. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2023.107177..
Keywords: Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Conditions
Auerbach AD, Astik GJ, O'Leary KJ
Prevalence and causes of diagnostic errors in hospitalized patients under investigation for COVID-19.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians were required to address a disease with continuously changing traits while simultaneously complying with changes in care (e.g., physical distancing) that could contribute to diagnostic errors (DEs). The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of DEs and their causes in patients hospitalized under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19. The researchers randomly selected up to 8 cases per site per month for evaluation, with each case evaluated by two clinicians to determine whether a DE occurred, and whether any diagnostic process faults took place. The study found that wo hundred and fifty-seven patient charts were evaluated, of which 14% contained a DE. Patients with and without DE were statistically similar in socioeconomic factors, comorbidities, risk factors for COVID-19, and COVID-19 test turnaround time and eventual positivity. The most common diagnostic process issues contributing to DE were problems with clinical assessment, testing choices, history taking, and physical examination. Diagnostic process issues related with COVID-19 policies and procedures were not related with DE risk. 35.9% of patients with errors and 5.4% of patients overall suffered harm or death due to diagnostic error.
AHRQ-funded; HS027369.
Citation: Auerbach AD, Astik GJ, O'Leary KJ .
Prevalence and causes of diagnostic errors in hospitalized patients under investigation for COVID-19.
J Gen Intern Med 2023 Jun; 38(8):1902-10. doi: 10.1007/s11606-023-08176-6..
Keywords: COVID-19, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Hospitals, Inpatient Care, Quality of Care
Feyman Y, Avila CJ, Auty S
Racial and ethnic disparities in excess mortality among U.S. veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study examined whether minority veterans experienced higher rates of all-cause mortality than White veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors used administrative data from the Veterans Health Administration’s Corporate Data Warehouse. Veterans were excluded in the analysis if they were missing county of residence or race-ethnicity data. Overall, veteran mortality rates were 16% above normal during March-December 2020 which equates to 42,348 excess deaths. Non-Hispanic White veterans experienced the smallest relative increase in mortality (17%), while Native American veterans had the highest increase (40%). Black Veterans (32%) and Hispanic Veterans (26%) had somewhat lower excess mortality, although these changes were significantly higher compared to White veterans. Disparities were smaller compared to the general population.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Feyman Y, Avila CJ, Auty S .
Racial and ethnic disparities in excess mortality among U.S. veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Serv Res 2023 Jun; 58(3):642-53. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14112..
Keywords: COVID-19, Mortality, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities
Roberts ET, Kwon Y, Hames AG
Racial and ethnic disparities in health care use and access associated with loss of Medicaid supplemental insurance eligibility above the federal poverty level.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether exceeding the income threshold for Medicaid, which causes a sudden loss of Medicaid eligibility, is related with higher racial and ethnic disparities in access to and use of care. The researchers evaluated Medicare beneficiaries with incomes 0% to 200% of FPL from the 2008 to 2018 biennial waves of the Health and Retirement Study linked to Medicare administrative data. To identify racial and ethnic disparities related with the loss of Medicaid eligibility, the researchers compared discontinuities in outcomes among Black and Hispanic beneficiaries and White beneficiaries. Analyses were conducted between January 1, 2022, and October 1, 2022. The primary outcomes were patient-reported challenges accessing care due to cost and outpatient service use, medication fills, and hospitalizations measured from Medicare administrative data. The study included 8,144 participants representing 151,282, 957 weighted person-years in the community-dwelling population of Medicare beneficiaries aged 50 years and older and incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Study findings indicate that exceeding the Medicaid eligibility threshold was related with a 43.8 percentage point (pp) lower probability of Medicaid enrollment among Black and Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries and a 31.0 pp lower probability of Medicaid enrollment among White beneficiaries. Among Black and Hispanic beneficiaries, exceeding the threshold was associated with increased cost-related barriers to care, lower outpatient use, and fewer medication fills, but it was not associated with a statistically significant discontinuity in hospitalizations. Discontinuities in these outcomes were smaller or nonsignificant among White beneficiaries. Consequently, exceeding the threshold was associated with widened disparities, including greater reductions in outpatient service use and medication fills among Black and Hispanic vs White beneficiaries.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: Roberts ET, Kwon Y, Hames AG .
Racial and ethnic disparities in health care use and access associated with loss of Medicaid supplemental insurance eligibility above the federal poverty level.
JAMA Intern Med 2023 Jun; 183(6):534-43. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.0512..
Keywords: Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medicaid, Access to Care, Health Insurance, Low-Income, Access to Care
Khor S, Heagerty PJ, Basu A
Racial disparities in the ascertainment of cancer recurrence in electronic health records.
This study examined whether the accuracy of a proxy for colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence differed by race/ethnicity and the possible mechanisms that drove the differences. Using data from a large integrated health care system, the authors identified a stratified random sample of 282 Black/African American (AA), Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients with CRC who received primary treatment. The recurrence proxy was found to have excellent overall accuracy (positive predictive value [PPV] 89.4%; negative predictive value 96.5%; mean difference in timing 1.96 months); however, accuracy varied by race/ethnicity. Compared with NHW patients, PPV was 14.9% lower among Hispanic patients and 4.3% lower among Black/AA patients. The proxy disproportionately inflated the 5-year recurrence incidence for Hispanic patients by 10.6%. Compared with NHW patients, proxy recurrences for Hispanic patients were almost three times as likely to have been misclassified as positive (adjusted risk ratio 2.91). The authors theorize that higher false positives among racial/ethnic minorities may be related to higher prevalence of noncancerous lung-related problems and substantial delays in primary treatment because of insufficient patient-provider communication and abnormal treatment patterns.
AHRQ-funded; HS013853.
Citation: Khor S, Heagerty PJ, Basu A .
Racial disparities in the ascertainment of cancer recurrence in electronic health records.
JCO Clin Cancer Inform 2023 Jun; 7:e2300004. doi: 10.1200/cci.23.00004..
Keywords: Cancer, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities
Rees CA, Stewart AM, Portillo EN
Reporting of important social determinants of health in pediatric clinical trials.
The purpose of this study was to assess the rates and trends in the reporting of sexual orientation, gender identity, preferred language, and socioeconomic factors in published pediatric clinical trials. The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of pediatric clinical trials in the United States published from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2020 in 5 general pediatric and 5 general medical journals with the highest impact factor in their respective fields. Outcomes included reporting of sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic factors, and preferred language. The study found that in 612 trials, 29.6% reported preferred language. Among these, 64.6% exclusively enrolled participants whose preferred language was English. From 2011 to 2020, there was a relative increase in the reporting of preferred language. Socioeconomic factors were reported in 47.9% of trials. There was no significant change in the reporting of socioeconomic factors of published trial results among adolescent participants reported any measure of sexual orientation, and 1.1% reported gender identity. The researchers concluded that despite sexual orientation, gender identity, preferred language, and socioeconomic factors being increasingly recognized as social determinants of health these variables were infrequently included in pediatric clinical trial results reporting.
AHRQ-funded; HS026503.
Citation: Rees CA, Stewart AM, Portillo EN .
Reporting of important social determinants of health in pediatric clinical trials.
Am J Prev Med 2023 Jun; 64(6):918-26. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2022.12.004..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Social Determinants of Health, Health Services Research (HSR)
Lake ET, Staiger D, Smith JG
The association of missed nursing care with very low birthweight infant outcomes.
This study examined the association of missed nursing care and health outcomes of very low birthweight (VLBW) infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The authors used 2016 hospital administrative discharge abstracts for VLBW newborns (n = 7,595) and NICU registered nurse survey responses (n = 6,963) from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators. Mortality, morbidity, and length of stay (LOS) was examined in 190 sample hospitals from 19 states in all regions. There was a significant association between higher odds of bloodstream infection and longer LOS, but not mortality or severe intraventricular hemorrhage and missed nursing care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024918.
Citation: Lake ET, Staiger D, Smith JG .
The association of missed nursing care with very low birthweight infant outcomes.
Med Care Res Rev 2023 Jun; 80(3):293-302. doi: 10.1177/10775587221150950..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Quality Indicators (QIs), Nursing, Newborns/Infants, Outcomes, Healthcare Utilization, Quality of Care
Meddings J, Gibbons JB, Reale BK
The impact of nurse practitioner care and accountable care organization assignment on skilled nursing services and hospital readmissions.
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) designation and nurse practitioners (NP) care delivery during skilled nursing facilities (SNF) visits and the relationship between NP care delivery during SNF visits and unplanned hospital readmissions. The researchers obtained a sample of 527,329 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with 1 or more SNF stays between 2012 and 2017 and then measured the association between patient ACO designation and evaluation and management care delivered by NPs in addition to the association between evaluation and management services delivered by NPs and hospital readmissions. The study found that ACO beneficiaries were 1.26% points more likely to receive 1 or more E&M services delivered by an NP during their SNF visits. ACO-designated beneficiaries receiving most of their E&M services from NPs during their SNF visits were at a lower risk of readmission than ACO-attributed beneficiaries receiving no NP E&M care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024698.
Citation: Meddings J, Gibbons JB, Reale BK .
The impact of nurse practitioner care and accountable care organization assignment on skilled nursing services and hospital readmissions.
Med Care 2023 Jun; 61(6):341-48. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001826..
Keywords: Nursing, Provider: Nurse, Hospital Readmissions, Provider: Clinician
Suzuki H, Heintz BH, Livorsi DJ
Tracking antimicrobial stewardship activities beyond days of therapy (DOT): comparison of days of antibiotic spectrum coverage (DASC) and DOT at a single center.
Researchers evaluated the measurement performance by days of antibiotic spectrum coverage (DASC) versus days of therapy (DOT), the preferred metric for measuring inpatient antimicrobial consumption within the U.S. Their retrospective study analyzed inpatient antimicrobial use at the Iowa City Veterans’ Affairs Healthcare System acute-care hospital. Antimicrobial DOT did not decrease significantly during a period of robust stewardship activities, but a significant downward trend in the antimicrobial spectrum, as measured by DASC was detected. The researchers concluded that the DASC metric may help to monitor the effect of stewardship activities more broadly.
AHRQ-funded; HS027472.
Citation: Suzuki H, Heintz BH, Livorsi DJ .
Tracking antimicrobial stewardship activities beyond days of therapy (DOT): comparison of days of antibiotic spectrum coverage (DASC) and DOT at a single center.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2023 Jun; 44(6):934-37. doi: 10.1017/ice.2022.312..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication
Kim KC, Khouja T, Burgette JM
Trends in dispensed prescriptions for opioids, sedatives, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, and stimulants to children by general dentists, 2012-2019.
This study examined trends in prescription fills for opioids, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, and stimulants to children <18 years from 2012 to 2019 in a national dataset comprising 92% of dispensed outpatient prescriptions by dentists. During this time, 3.8 million children filled prescriptions for high-alert drugs from general dentists. Opioids accounts for 69.4% of high-alert prescriptions, however from 2012 to 2019 fills for opioids, sedatives, benzodiazepines, and stimulants decreased by 65.2%, 43.4%, 43.6% and 89.3%, respectively. Gabapentin prescriptions increased by 8.1%. Older teenagers (15-17 years) received 42.5% of high-alert prescriptions. Low-income counties in Southern states were overrepresented among top-prescribing areas in 2019.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Kim KC, Khouja T, Burgette JM .
Trends in dispensed prescriptions for opioids, sedatives, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, and stimulants to children by general dentists, 2012-2019.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2023 Jun; 32(6):625-34. doi: 10.1002/pds.5589..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Dental and Oral Health, Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns
McDaniel CE, Leyenaar JK, Bryan MA
Urban-rural disparities in interfacility transfers for children during COVID-19.
This study’s goal was to identify temporal trends and differences in urban and rural pediatric interfacility transfers (IFTs) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors conducted a cross-sectional analysis of IFT among children <18 years from January 2019 to June 2022 using the Pediatric Health Information System. They calculated observed-to-expected (O-E) ratios of pre-pandemic (March 2019-Feb 2020) transfers compared to pandemic year 1 (March 2020-Feb 2021) and year 2 (March 2021-February 2022) using Poisson modeling. The O-E ratio of IFT in year 1 for urban children was 14.0% and 14.8% for rural children compared to pre-pandemic. In year 2, transfers rebounded with IFTs for rural-residing children increasing more than urban-residing children (101.7%) compared to 90.7%. For mental-health indications in year 2, rural transfer ratios were higher than urban, 126% compared to 113.7%.
AHRQ-funded; HS028683.
Citation: McDaniel CE, Leyenaar JK, Bryan MA .
Urban-rural disparities in interfacility transfers for children during COVID-19.
J Rural Health 2023 Jun; 39(3):611-16. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12746..
Keywords: COVID-19, Children/Adolescents, Disparities, Rural Health, Urban Health, Rural/Inner-City Residents
Cho Y, Yang R, Gong Y
Use of electronic communication with clinicians among cancer survivors: Health Information National Trend Survey in 2019 and 2020.
This study’s objective was to describe cancer survivors' use of electronic communication (e-communication) with clinicians and identify factors associated with their use, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors conducted a secondary analysis of cancer survivors (N = 1,482) from the combined Health Information National Trends Survey HINTS 5 Cycle 3 and Cycle 4. Survivors' use of e-communication was defined by at least one of four e-communication use behaviors in the previous 12 months. Cancer survivors had a 64% prevalence of e-communication use, with older adults (≥65 years old) were less likely to use e-communication. Survivors who were white, living in a metro area, diagnosed with breast cancer, seeking cancer-related information previously, or having a regular health care provider were more likely to use e-communication. The start of the COVID-19 pandemic was marginally associated with the increased e-communication use when other variables were controlled.
AHRQ-funded; HS027846.
Citation: Cho Y, Yang R, Gong Y .
Use of electronic communication with clinicians among cancer survivors: Health Information National Trend Survey in 2019 and 2020.
Telemed J E Health 2023 Jun; 29(6):866-74. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2022.0203..
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Cancer, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Huo T, Glueck DH, Shenkman EA
Stratified split sampling of electronic health records
Data extracted from electronic health records may require very different approaches for model building and analysis than data from clinical research. Because electronic health record data is designed for clinical use, researchers need to engage in the iterative process of defining and provide clear definitions of outcome and predictor variables and assessing associations. This process can increase Type I error rates and decrease the chance of replicability. Failure to consider subgroups may mask heterogeneous relationships between predictor and outcome by subgroups, thus decreasing the generalizability of the findings. To improve the likelihood of both replicability and generalizability, the researchers recommended utilizing a stratified split sample approach for studies using electronic health records. The researchers illustrate the approach through an electronic health record study of the relationships between socio-demographic factors and uptake of hepatic cancer screening, and potential heterogeneity of association in subgroups defined by gender, self-identified race and ethnicity, census-tract level poverty and insurance type.
AHRQ-funded; HS028283.
Citation: Huo T, Glueck DH, Shenkman EA .
Stratified split sampling of electronic health records
BMC Med Res Methodol 2023 May 25; 23(1):128. doi: 10.1186/s12874-023-01938-0..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Research Methodologies, Health Services Research (HSR)
Burstin H, Curry S, Ranney ML
AHRQ Author: Jain A
Identifying credible sources of health information in social media: phase 2-considerations for non-accredited nonprofit organizations, for-profit entities, and individual sources.
This paper (which included an AHRQ author) objective was to develop principles and attitudes to guide social media and other digital platforms to rigorously identify credible sources of health information. This paper was partially funded by YouTube. Phase 1 of this study was completed in 2021 by an expert advisory group convened by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) which yielded foundational principles and attributes for determining credibility of health information sources, but only for US sources. This paper describes Phase 2, which was carried out by a multidisciplinary, independent advisory committee convened by the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) in collaboration with NAM and WHO and expanded from Phase 1 to include global sources. The Phase 2 advisory committee examined and deliberated on the three principles established during Phase 1 and their defining attributes in individual breakout groups. The focus was on one of three potential sources of credible health information: for-profit organizations, non-accredited nonprofit organizations, and individuals. A draft of the proposed new attributes, a related questionnaire and a preliminary draft of this paper was posted for public comment from September 9 to 19, 2022. A final virtual meeting was convened so the entire committee could discuss and incorporate feedback from the public comments. The principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was identified as of sufficient importance to elevate it as a new principle. A table showing the four principles and the attributes for each of the sources is included.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Burstin H, Curry S, Ranney ML .
Identifying credible sources of health information in social media: phase 2-considerations for non-accredited nonprofit organizations, for-profit entities, and individual sources.
NAM Perspect 2023 May 23; 2023. doi: 10.31478/202305b..
Keywords: Social Media, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Information Technology (HIT)
May HP, Griffin JM, Herges JR
Comprehensive acute kidney injury survivor care: protocol for the Randomized Acute Kidney Injury in Care Transitions Pilot trial.
The researchers developed the multidisciplinary acute kidney injury (AKI) in Care Transitions (ACT) program, which incorporates post-AKI care in patients' primary care clinic. The purpose of this pilot trial, which received funding from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality on April 21, 2021, and was approved by the Institutional Review Board on December 14, 2021, is to test the feasibility and acceptability of the ACT program and related study protocol, including recruitment and retention, procedures, and outcome measures. The study will include individuals who have stage 3 AKI during hospitalization, do not need dialysis upon discharge, have a local primary care provider, and are discharged to their home. Recipients of any transplant within 100 days of enrollment are excluded. As of March 14, 2023, seventeen participants each have been enrolled in the intervention and usual care groups. Patients who provide consent are randomized to receive the ACT program intervention or usual care. The ACT program includes predischarge kidney health education and coordinated postdischarge laboratory monitoring and follow-up with a primary care provider and pharmacist within 14 days. The usual care group receives no study-related intervention. This study includes qualitative interviews and surveys with patients and staff and will explore the feasibility of the ACT program. Notes of clinical encounters will be reviewed for dialogue and care plans related to kidney health. Quantitative measures of the feasibility and acceptability of ACT will be summarized via descriptive analyses.
AHRQ-funded; HS028060.
Citation: May HP, Griffin JM, Herges JR .
Comprehensive acute kidney injury survivor care: protocol for the Randomized Acute Kidney Injury in Care Transitions Pilot trial.
JMIR Res Protoc 2023 May 22; 12:e48109. doi: 10.2196/48109..
Keywords: Kidney Disease and Health, Transitions of Care
Short VL, Abatemarco DJ, Sood E
The Child Healthcare at MATER Pediatric Study (CHAMPS): a 2-arm cluster randomized control trial of group well child care for mothers in treatment for opioid use disorder and their children.
Group-based well child care is a shared medical appointment where families join as a group to receive pediatric primary care. Prior research indicates that this method of receiving care increases patient-reported satisfaction and adherence to recommended care. There is little evidence supporting the use of group well child care for mothers with opioid use disorder. The purpose of the Child Healthcare at MATER Pediatric Study (CHAMPS) is to assess a group model of well child care for mothers with opioid use disorder and their children to determine if a group well child care offered on-site at an opioid treatment program for pregnant and parenting women is beneficial over individual well child care. A total of 108 mother-child dyads will be enrolled into the study. In the intervention branch, group well child care will be provided on-site at a maternal substance use disorder treatment program. Mother-child dyads in the control branch will receive individual well child care from one nearby pediatric primary care clinic. Dyads in both study branches will be followed for 18 months, and their resulting data will be compared. Primary outcomes will include well child care quality and utilization, child health knowledge, and parenting quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS027399.
Citation: Short VL, Abatemarco DJ, Sood E .
The Child Healthcare at MATER Pediatric Study (CHAMPS): a 2-arm cluster randomized control trial of group well child care for mothers in treatment for opioid use disorder and their children.
Trials 2023 May 17; 24(1):333. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07357-2..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health
Smith SN, Lanham M, Seagull FJ
Implementing pharmacist-prescriber collaboration to improve evidence-based anticoagulant use: a randomized trial.
This article described a study designed to improve existing alert systems for direct oral anticoagulant medications (DOAC) by testing novel alerts that encourage collaboration between prescribers and expert pharmacists working in anticoagulation clinics. Its goals were to determine the effect of notifications targeting existing inappropriate DOAC prescriptions, to examine the effect of alerts on newly prescribed inappropriate DOACs, and to examine changes in the magnitude of effects over time for both the new and existing prescription alerts. Prescribing healthcare providers would be randomized to different types of electronic health record medication alerts when a patient has an unsafe anticoagulant prescription; the authors identified which alerts are most effective at encouraging evidence-based prescribing.
AHRQ-funded; HS028562.
Citation: Smith SN, Lanham M, Seagull FJ .
Implementing pharmacist-prescriber collaboration to improve evidence-based anticoagulant use: a randomized trial.
Implement Sci 2023 May 15; 18(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s13012-023-01273-4..
Keywords: Provider: Pharmacist, Blood Thinners, Medication, Evidence-Based Practice
Piniella NR, Fuller TE, Smith L
Early expected discharge date accuracy during hospitalization: a multivariable analysis.
The purpose of this study was to assess the level at which accurate estimation of an expected discharge date (EDD) early during hospitalization impacts clinical operations and discharge planning. The researchers conducted a retrospective study of patients discharged from six general medicine units at an academic medical center in Boston, MA from January 2017 to June 2018. All EDD entries and patient, encounter, unit, and provider data were extracted from the electronic health record (EHR), and public weather data. The study found that of 3917 eligible hospitalizations 22.7% had at least one accurate early EDD entry. Clinician-entered EDD, admit day and discharge day during the work week, and teaching clinical units were the factors significantly positively associated with an accurate early EDD. An Elixhauser Comorbidity Index of 11 or more and length of stay of two or more days were the factors significantly negatively associated with an accurate early EDD. The researchers concluded that EDDs entered within the first 24 hours of admission were frequently inaccurate. Few of the factors associated with accurate early EDD entries would be useful for prospective prediction.
AHRQ-funded; HS024751.
Citation: Piniella NR, Fuller TE, Smith L .
Early expected discharge date accuracy during hospitalization: a multivariable analysis.
J Med Syst 2023 May 12; 47(1):63. doi: 10.1007/s10916-023-01952-1..
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Hospitalization
Enzinger AC, Ghosh K, Keating NL
Racial and ethnic disparities in opioid access and urine drug screening among older patients with poor-prognosis cancer near the end of life.
This research characterized racial and ethnic disparities and trends in opioid access and urine drug screening (UDS) among older patients dying of cancer, and to explore potential mechanisms. Among 18,549 non-Hispanic White (White), Black, and Hispanic Medicare decedents older than 65 years with poor-prognosis cancers, the authors examined 2007-2019 trends in opioid prescription fills and potency (morphine milligram equivalents [MMEs] per day [MMEDs]) near the end of life (EOL), defined as 30 days before death or hospice enrollment. They found that between 2007 and 2019, White, Black, and Hispanic decedents experienced steady declines in EOL opioid access and rapid expansion of UDS. Compared with White patients, Black and Hispanic patients were less likely to receive any opioid (Black, -4.3 percentage points; Hispanic, -3.6 percentage points) and long-acting opioids (Black, -3.1 percentage points; Hispanic, -2.2 percentage points). They also received lower daily doses (Black, -10.5 MMED; Hispanic, -9.1 MMED) and lower total doses (Black, -210 MMEs; Hispanic, -179 MMEs). Black patients were also more likely to undergo UDS (0.5 percentage points).
AHRQ-funded; HS024072.
Citation: Enzinger AC, Ghosh K, Keating NL .
Racial and ethnic disparities in opioid access and urine drug screening among older patients with poor-prognosis cancer near the end of life.
J Clin Oncol 2023 May 10; 41(14):2511-22. doi: 10.1200/jco.22.01413..
Keywords: Elderly, Opioids, Medication, Cancer, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Access to Care
Ye S, Li D, Yu T
The impact of surgical volume on hospital ranking using the standardized infection ratio.
Researchers investigated the effect of surgical volume on the accuracy of identifying poorly performing hospitals. Their research was based on the standardized infection ratio, and they applied their proposed method to data from HCA Healthcare from 2014-2016 on surgical site infections in colon surgery patients. They concluded that minimum surgical volumes and predicted events criteria are required to make hospital evaluation reliable, and that these criteria may vary by overall prevalence and between-hospital variability.
AHRQ-funded; HS027791.
Citation: Ye S, Li D, Yu T .
The impact of surgical volume on hospital ranking using the standardized infection ratio.
Sci Rep 2023 May 10; 13(1):7624. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-33937-y..
Keywords: Hospitals, Surgery, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Provider Performance, Quality of Care
Watterson TL, Chui MA
Subjective perceptions of occupational fatigue in community pharmacists.
The objective of this study was to describe subjective perceptions of occupational fatigue in community pharmacists. Wisconsin pharmacists who were eligible to participate completed a demographic questionnaire, a Pharmacist Fatigue Instrument, and semi-structured interview. Interview results were separated into overarching themes that included mental fatigue, physical fatigue, active fatigue, and passive fatigue. The researchers concluded that interventions aimed at improving occupational fatigue in community pharmacies should consider key themes of fatigue that pharmacists experience.
AHRQ-funded; HS027766.
Citation: Watterson TL, Chui MA .
Subjective perceptions of occupational fatigue in community pharmacists.
Pharmacy 2023 May 9; 11(3):84. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy11030084..
Keywords: Provider: Pharmacist, Burnout
Lindner SR, Balasubramanian B, Marino M
Estimating the cardiovascular disease risk reduction of a quality improvement initiative in primary care: findings from EvidenceNOW.
The purpose of this study was to estimate decreases in 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk associated with EvidenceNOW, an initiative spanning multiple states that sought to improve cardiovascular preventive care by providing supportive interventions such as practice facilitation to address the “ABCS”: (A)spirin for high-risk patients, (B)lood pressure control for hypertensive people, (C)holesterol management, and (S)moking screening and cessation counseling. The researchers conducted an analytic modeling study that combined 1) data from 1,278 EvidenceNOW practices collected from 2015 to 2017; (2) patient-level information of 1,295 individuals who participated in the 2015 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; and (3) 10-year ASCVD risk prediction equations. The study found the average 10-year ASCVD risk of these patients before intervention was 10.11%. Improvements in ABCS due to EvidenceNOW reduced their 10-year ASCVD risk to 10.03% which would prevent 3,169 ASCVD events over 10 years and $150 million in 90-day direct medical costs.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Lindner SR, Balasubramanian B, Marino M .
Estimating the cardiovascular disease risk reduction of a quality improvement initiative in primary care: findings from EvidenceNOW.
J Am Board Fam Med 2023 May 8; 36(3):462-76. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.220331R1..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Blood Pressure
Laytner L, Chen P, Nash S
Perspectives on non-prescription antibiotic use among Hispanic patients in the Houston Metroplex.
This study examined non-prescription use of antibiotics among Hispanic adults in the Houston area. The study included Hispanic primary care clinic patients with different types of health insurance coverage in the Houston metroplex who endorsed non-prescription use in a previous survey. Semistructured interviews were conducted in English or Spanish with 35 participants primarily female (68.6%) and aged 27 to 66. Participants reported obtaining antibiotics through under-the-counter US markets, trusted persons, and purchased without a prescription abroad. Factors contributing to non-prescription use included beliefs that the doctor visit was unnecessary, limited access to healthcare, and communication difficulties. However, participants expressed confidence in medical recommendations from pharmacists and trusted community members.
AHRQ-funded; HS026901.
Citation: Laytner L, Chen P, Nash S .
Perspectives on non-prescription antibiotic use among Hispanic patients in the Houston Metroplex.
J Am Board Fam Med 2023 May 8; 36(3):390-404. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.220416R1..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Antibiotics, Medication, Antimicrobial Stewardship
Kannan S, Song Z
Changes in out-of-pocket costs for US hospital admissions between December and January every year.
Out-of-pocket costs for ICU care may be large at the beginning of the year due to high insurance deductibles that reset every year for US patients, and the expensive nature of ICU care. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore cost-sharing changes from December to January for ICU admissions and non -ICU admissions among adults with employer-sponsored insurance. Among aggregate ICU hospitalizations, total cost-sharing averaged $1079 in December and $1871 in January, a 73.4% increase. Among non-ICU hospitalizations, total cost-sharing averaged $1043 in December and $1683 in January, a 61.3% increase. These increases and differences between ICU and non-ICU hospitalizations were greater among patients with high deductible health plans (HDHPs). For patients with HDHPs requiring an ICU stay, cost-sharing averaged $3093 per hospitalization in January vs $1301 in December.
AHRQ-funded; HS024072.
Citation: Kannan S, Song Z .
Changes in out-of-pocket costs for US hospital admissions between December and January every year.
JAMA Health Forum 2023 May 5; 4(5):e230784. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.0784..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Hospitals, Hospitalization, Intensive Care Unit (ICU)