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 Date
Topics
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
- Adverse Events (1)
- Case Study (1)
- Children/Adolescents (2)
- Communication (2)
- COVID-19 (7)
- Data (1)
- Elderly (1)
- Emergency Preparedness (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (4)
- Family Health and History (1)
- Genetics (1)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (1)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (1)
- Hospitals (1)
- Implementation (2)
- Infectious Diseases (1)
- Labor and Delivery (1)
- Long-Term Care (1)
- Medication (1)
- Mortality (1)
- Nutrition (2)
- Obesity (1)
- Opioids (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- (-) Policy (20)
- Pregnancy (1)
- Prevention (3)
- (-) Public Health (20)
- Public Reporting (1)
- Substance Abuse (1)
- Tobacco Use (1)
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 20 of 20 Research Studies DisplayedMacMartin M, Zeng A, Chelen J
'The burden of wanting to make it right': thematic analysis of semistructured interviews to explore experiences of planning for crisis standards of care and ventilator allocation during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA.
The objective of this study was to examine the experience of healthcare professionals who created policies for crisis standards of care. Researchers conducted semistructured interviews with healthcare professionals involved in institutional planning for resource shortages in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically regarding the allocation of ventilators in the event of a shortage. One overarching theme developed: planning for resource shortages imposed a psychological burden on many planners. Four subthemes that influenced that burden were also identified. The researchers concluded that improved leadership strategies and cross-institutional collaboration can reduce the psychological burden of planning and can facilitate the update of plans in anticipation of future shortages.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: MacMartin M, Zeng A, Chelen J .
'The burden of wanting to make it right': thematic analysis of semistructured interviews to explore experiences of planning for crisis standards of care and ventilator allocation during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA.
BMJ Open 2023 Nov 9; 13(11):e076674. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076674..
Keywords: COVID-19, Public Health, Policy
Guo W, Li Y, Temkin-Greener H
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in assisted living communities: neighborhood deprivation and state social distancing policies matter.
Investigators examined the association between COVID-19 cases in assisted living communities (ALCs) and the proportion of Medicare-Medicaid (dual) eligible minority residents, neighborhood area deprivation, and state COVID-19 policy stringency. They found that ALCs with higher proportions of dual-eligible minority residents were more likely to have COVID-19 outbreaks within their communities. Further, ALCs located in more socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods, and in states with less stringent state social distancing policies, tended to have more COVID-19 cases.
AHRQ-funded; HS026893.
Citation: Guo W, Li Y, Temkin-Greener H .
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in assisted living communities: neighborhood deprivation and state social distancing policies matter.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2022 Aug;43(8):1004-09. doi: 10.1017/ice.2022.46..
Keywords: COVID-19, Elderly, Long-Term Care, Policy, Public Health
Pollack CE, Leifheit KM, McGinty EE
Public support for policies to increase housing stability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated longstanding housing precarity. This study measured the public support for policies designed to increase housing stability and gauged whether support levels were associated with views about the role of evictions in COVID-19 transmission and the existence of racial inequities in the housing market. The investigators concluded that support for housing stability policies was strong among U.S. adults, particularly among those who agreed that preventing evictions slowed COVID-19 transmission and among those who acknowledged racial inequities in the housing market.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Pollack CE, Leifheit KM, McGinty EE .
Public support for policies to increase housing stability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Am J Prev Med 2021 Dec;61(6):919-22. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.05.006..
Keywords: COVID-19, Policy, Public Health
Chelen JSC, White DB, Zaza S
US ventilator allocation and patient triage policies in anticipation of the COVID-19 surge.
Researchers assessed policy preparedness and substantive triage criteria within existing policies using a cross-sectional survey distributed to public health personnel and healthcare providers between March 23 and April 23, 2020. They found that their sample of policies reflected organizational strategies of exemplar-based policy development and the use of objective criteria in triage decisions, either before or instead of clinical judgment, to support ethical distribution of resources.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Chelen JSC, White DB, Zaza S .
US ventilator allocation and patient triage policies in anticipation of the COVID-19 surge.
Health Secur 2021 Sep-Oct;19(5):459-67. doi: 10.1089/hs.2020.0166..
Keywords: COVID-19, Public Health, Emergency Preparedness, Policy
Springs S, Baruch J
Artists on the research team: an interdisciplinary approach to team science, research rigor, and creative dialogue.
Under the stewardship of two Rhode Island state agencies, an innovative research-driven enterprise, comprising researchers, clinicians, and community artists, was brought together to integrate arts-based interventions into statewide public health policy and practice. In this paper, the investigators discussed their work with the Rhode Island Arts and Health Advisory Group as a case study to illuminate their experiences in collaborating with artists on public health policy and practice research.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Springs S, Baruch J .
Artists on the research team: an interdisciplinary approach to team science, research rigor, and creative dialogue.
Health Promot Pract 2021 May;22(1_suppl):83s-90s. doi: 10.1177/1524839921996301..
Keywords: Public Health, Policy
Angier H, Garvey B, DeVoe JE. H, Angier H, Garvey B, DeVoe JE. B, DeVoe JE
Focus on families to improve child health during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
This article discusses the need for policymakers to develop interventions designed to help entire families during the pandemic because children’s health is affected by parent health. The authors advocate creating family-centered health care and enable primary care practices and public health programs to help families apply for health insurance coverage. They also discuss work that must be done to address health equity and increasing health and health care disparities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
AHRQ-funded; HS025962.
Citation: Angier H, Garvey B, DeVoe JE. H, Angier H, Garvey B, DeVoe JE. B, DeVoe JE .
Focus on families to improve child health during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
JAMA Health Forum 2021 Mar;2(3). doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.0238..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Family Health and History, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Policy, Public Health
Barry CL, Han H, Presskreischer R
Public support for social safety-net policies for COVID-19 in the United States, April 2020.
Researchers examined public support for health insurance, income support, and unemployment policies during the initial phase of disease transmission and economic distress following the COVID-19 outbreak and assessed varying public support based on beliefs about the role of government. They fielded a nationally representative survey of US adults from April 7-13, 2020. Their results indicate that, during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in early April 2020, most US adults favored a range of safety-net policies to ameliorate its negative health and economic consequences, with public support being the highest among those favoring a stronger governmental role in society.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Barry CL, Han H, Presskreischer R .
Public support for social safety-net policies for COVID-19 in the United States, April 2020.
Am J Public Health 2020 Dec;110(12):1811-13. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2020.305919..
Keywords: Public Health, Policy, COVID-19
Auger KA, Shah SS, Richardson T
Association between statewide school closure and COVID-19 incidence and mortality in the US.
This study examined whether school closures between March and May due to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with decreased COVID-19 incidence and mortality. States were examined in quartiles using the number of cases per 100,000 population. States with the lowest cumulative incidence had the most significant decline (-72%) in cases compared to states with the highest incidence (-49%). States that closed schools earlier had the largest reduction in incidence and mortality.
AHRQ-funded; HS024735, HS026763, HS025138.
Citation: Auger KA, Shah SS, Richardson T .
Association between statewide school closure and COVID-19 incidence and mortality in the US.
JAMA 2020 Sep;324(9):859-70. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.14348..
Keywords: COVID-19, Public Health, Children/Adolescents, Policy, Mortality
Springs S, Rofeberg V, Brown S
Community-engaged evidence synthesis to inform public health policy and clinical practice: a case study.
This case study documents the work of the Rhode Island Arts and Health Advisory Group, which convened in 2016 to develop a set of policy, clinical practice, and research recommendations for implementation by the Rhode Island Department of Health, The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, and partners. Comprised of artists, clinicians, community members, and patients, the group partnered with researchers to complete an evidence synthesis project of arts-based health care interventions.
AHRQ-funded; HS023299; HS022998.
Citation: Springs S, Rofeberg V, Brown S .
Community-engaged evidence synthesis to inform public health policy and clinical practice: a case study.
Med Care 2019 Oct;57 Suppl 10 Suppl 3:S253-s58. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001180..
Keywords: Public Health, Policy, Case Study, Evidence-Based Practice, Implementation, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Pogorzelska-Maziarz M, de Cordova PB, Herzig M, de Cordova PB, Herzig CTA
Perceived impact of state-mandated reporting on infection prevention and control departments.
Currently, most US states have adopted legislation requiring hospitals to submit health care-associated infection (HAI) data. In this study, the authors evaluated the perceived impact of state HAI laws on infection prevention and control (IPC) departments. They concluded that respondents in states with laws reported negative effects on their IPC department, beyond what was required by federal mandates.
AHRQ-funded; HS024339.
Citation: Pogorzelska-Maziarz M, de Cordova PB, Herzig M, de Cordova PB, Herzig CTA .
Perceived impact of state-mandated reporting on infection prevention and control departments.
Am J Infect Control 2019 Feb;47(2):118-22. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2018.08.012..
Keywords: Public Reporting, Policy, Public Health, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases, Prevention, Hospitals
Davis CS, Green TC, Hernandez-Delgado H
Status of US state laws mandating timely reporting of nonfatal overdose.
Timely, actionable, nonfatal overdose data are urgently needed to improve public health response to the overdose crisis. The purpose of this paper was to provide background and catalyze discussion regarding this important issue. The authors briefly report the results of a systematic analysis of state laws mandating reporting of nonfatal overdose, and provide suggestions for improving the collection and use of nonfatal overdose data to improve the public health response to this ongoing epidemic.
AHRQ-funded; HS024021.
Citation: Davis CS, Green TC, Hernandez-Delgado H .
Status of US state laws mandating timely reporting of nonfatal overdose.
Am J Public Health 2018 Sep;108(9):1159-61. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2018.304589..
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medication, Opioids, Policy, Public Health, Substance Abuse
Hsuan C, Ryan-Ibarra S, DeBurgh K
Association of paid sick leave laws with foodborne illness rates
This mixed-methods study examined whether laws requiring employers to provide paid sick leave (PSL) are associated with decreased foodborne illness rates, particularly laws that are more supportive of employees taking leave. The study concluded that although the results suggest an association between more supportive PSL laws and decreased foodborne illness rates, they should be interpreted cautiously because the trend is driven by campylobacteriosis, which has low person-to-person transmission.
AHRQ-funded; HS024247.
Citation: Hsuan C, Ryan-Ibarra S, DeBurgh K .
Association of paid sick leave laws with foodborne illness rates
Am J Prev Med 2017 Nov;53(5):609-15. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.06.029..
Keywords: Policy, Prevention, Policy, Public Health
Markowitz S, Adams EK, Lewitt MJ
Competitive effects of scope of practice restrictions: public health or public harm?
This paper examined the case of scope of practice (SOP) restrictions for certified nurse midwives and evaluated the effects of changes in states' SOP laws on markets for CNMs and on maternal and infant outcomes. The authors found that SOP laws are neither helpful nor harmful in regards to health outcomes but states that have no SOP-based barriers have lower rates of induced labor and Cesarean section births.
AHRQ-funded; HS024530.
Citation: Markowitz S, Adams EK, Lewitt MJ .
Competitive effects of scope of practice restrictions: public health or public harm?
J Health Econ 2017 Sep;55:201-18. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2017.07.004..
Keywords: Health Services Research (HSR), Labor and Delivery, Pregnancy, Public Health, Policy
Payan DD, Lewis LB, Cousineau MR
Advocacy coalitions involved in California's menu labeling policy debate: exploring coalition structure, policy beliefs, resources, and strategies.
Researchers used a qualitative research approach to identify coalition members and explore their expressed beliefs and policy arguments, resources, and strategies. The structure and composition of each coalition varied. Public health (PH) coalition leadership and membership notably increased compared to the industry coalition. The PH coalition promoted a clear and consistent message around informed decision making. The industry coalition, led by a state restaurant association, responded with cost and implementation arguments.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Payan DD, Lewis LB, Cousineau MR .
Advocacy coalitions involved in California's menu labeling policy debate: exploring coalition structure, policy beliefs, resources, and strategies.
Soc Sci Med 2017 Mar;177:78-86. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.01.036.
.
.
Keywords: Policy, Nutrition, Policy, Public Health
Khatibzadeh S, Saheb Kashaf M, Micha R
A global database of food and nutrient consumption.
The authors conducted an empirical assessment of dietary intakes in order for evidence-based policy-making to address global health challenges. They derived The Global Dietary Database, which combines broad global coverage with estimates of food and nutrient consumption by age, sex and time. They believe that these data provide an empirical basis for global dietary surveillance, policy-making and priority setting to address diet-related burdens of disease.
AHRQ-funded; HS000062.
Citation: Khatibzadeh S, Saheb Kashaf M, Micha R .
A global database of food and nutrient consumption.
Bull World Health Organ 2016 Dec;94(12):931-34. doi: 10.2471/blt.15.156323.
.
.
Keywords: Data, Evidence-Based Practice, Nutrition, Policy, Public Health
McGinty EE, Samples H, Bandara SN
The emerging public discourse on state legalization of marijuana for recreational use in the US: analysis of news media coverage, 2010-2014.
The authors assessed the volume and content of US news media coverage on recreational marijuana policy. In the news outlets studies, they found that 53% of news stories mentioned pro-legalization arguments and 47% mentioned anti-legalization arguments. They concluded that it is critical for the public health community to develop communication strategies to convey accurately the rapidly evolving research evidence regarding recreational marijuana policy.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: McGinty EE, Samples H, Bandara SN .
The emerging public discourse on state legalization of marijuana for recreational use in the US: analysis of news media coverage, 2010-2014.
Prev Med 2016 Sep;90:114-20. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.06.040.
.
.
Keywords: Communication, Policy, Policy, Public Health
Bartsch SM, Lopman BA, Ozawa S
Global economic burden of norovirus gastroenteritis.
The researchers developed a computational simulation model to estimate the economic burden of norovirus in every country/area stratified by WHO region and globally, from the health ystem and societal perspectives. They found that globally, orovirus resulted in a total of $4.2 billion in direct health system costs and $60.3 billion in societal costs per year.
AHRQ-funded; HS023317.
Citation: Bartsch SM, Lopman BA, Ozawa S .
Global economic burden of norovirus gastroenteritis.
PLoS One 2016 Apr 26;11(4):e0151219. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151219.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Public Health, Policy
Lemke AA, Harris-Wai JN
Stakeholder engagement in policy development: challenges and opportunities for human genomics.
The purpose of this paper is to examine how stakeholder engagement is used to develop policies in genomics research and public health areas, as well as to identify future priorities for conducting evidence-based stakeholder engagements. It concluded that several challenges of using stakeholder engagement as a tool for genomics policy development remain, and little evidence regarding how to best incorporate stakeholder feedback into policy-making processes is currently available.
AHRQ-funded; HS023547.
Citation: Lemke AA, Harris-Wai JN .
Stakeholder engagement in policy development: challenges and opportunities for human genomics.
Genet Med 2015 Dec;17(12):949-57. doi: 10.1038/gim.2015.8.
.
.
Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Genetics, Patient and Family Engagement, Policy, Public Health
Leeman J, Myers AE, Ribisl KM
Disseminating policy and environmental change interventions: insights from obesity prevention and tobacco control.
This paper describes the approach that two projects developed to disseminate policy and environmental change interventions. The Center for Training and Research Translation (Center TRT) disseminates evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to promote physical activity and healthy eating. Counter Tobacco disseminates EBIs to counter tobacco product sales and marketing in the retail environment.
AHRQ-funded; HS019468.
Citation: Leeman J, Myers AE, Ribisl KM .
Disseminating policy and environmental change interventions: insights from obesity prevention and tobacco control.
Int J Behav Med 2015 Jun;22(3):301-11. doi: 10.1007/s12529-014-9427-1..
Keywords: Communication, Evidence-Based Practice, Obesity, Policy, Prevention, Public Health, Tobacco Use, Implementation
Greer SL, Lillvis DF
Beyond leadership: political strategies for coordination in health policies.
The objective of this article is to utilize the political science and public administration literatures to document the problems that serve as obstacles to intersectoral governance– and therefore, the implementation of a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach–as well as solutions to overcome these obstacles.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053.
Citation: Greer SL, Lillvis DF .
Beyond leadership: political strategies for coordination in health policies.
Health Policy 2014 May;116(1):12-7. doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2014.01.019..
Keywords: Policy, Public Health, Policy