National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Topics
- Adverse Events (1)
- (-) Cancer (14)
- Cancer: Breast Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Colorectal Cancer (4)
- Care Coordination (1)
- Colonoscopy (1)
- Comparative Effectiveness (1)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (3)
- Disparities (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Health Systems (1)
- Hospitals (2)
- Outcomes (2)
- Pain (1)
- Palliative Care (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (3)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (2)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Patient Safety (1)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Prevention (1)
- Primary Care (1)
- Primary Care: Models of Care (1)
- (-) Quality Improvement (14)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (1)
- Quality Measures (2)
- Quality of Care (11)
- Risk (3)
- Screening (2)
- Surgery (6)
- Women (1)
AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 14 of 14 Research Studies DisplayedRadhakrishnan A, Reyes-Gastelum D, Abrahamse P
Physician specialties involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment: implications for improving health care disparities.
The authors sought to characterize providers involved in diagnosing and treating thyroid cancer. Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer from the Georgia and Los Angeles County Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries were surveyed. The authors found that, among thyroid cancer patients, 40.6% reported being informed of their diagnosis by their surgeon, 37.9% by their endocrinologist, and 13.5% by their primary care physician (PCP). The researchers concluded that PCPs were involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment, and their involvement was greater among older patients and patients of minority race/ethnicity.
AHRQ-funded; HS024512.
Citation: Radhakrishnan A, Reyes-Gastelum D, Abrahamse P .
Physician specialties involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment: implications for improving health care disparities.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022 Feb 17;107(3):e1096-e105. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab781..
Keywords: Cancer, Disparities, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Practice Patterns, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Brajcich BC, Bentrem DJ, Yang AD
Short-term risk of performing concurrent procedures with hepatic artery infusion pump placement.
This study’s objective was to characterize the short-term outcomes of concurrent surgery with hepatic artery infusion pump (HAIP) placement using data from the 2005-2017 ACS NSQIP dataset. Findings showed that HAIP placement is not associated with additional morbidity when performed with hepatic and/or colorectal surgery. Decisions regarding HAIP placement should consider the risks of concurrent operations as well as patient- and disease-specific factors.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Brajcich BC, Bentrem DJ, Yang AD .
Short-term risk of performing concurrent procedures with hepatic artery infusion pump placement.
Ann Surg Oncol 2020 Dec;27(13):5098-106. doi: 10.1245/s10434-020-08938-0..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Surgery, Risk, Cancer, Outcomes
Rauscher GH, Tossas-Milligan K, Macarol T
Trends in attaining mammography quality benchmarks with repeated participation in a quality measurement program: going beyond the mammography quality standards act to address breast cancer disparities.
The Mammography Quality Standards Act requires that mammography facilities conduct audits, but there are no specifications on the metrics to be measured. In this study, the authors present trends from the first 5 years of data collection to examine whether continued participation in this quality improvement program was associated with an increase in the number of benchmarks met for breast cancer screening.
AHRQ-funded; HS018366.
Citation: Rauscher GH, Tossas-Milligan K, Macarol T .
Trends in attaining mammography quality benchmarks with repeated participation in a quality measurement program: going beyond the mammography quality standards act to address breast cancer disparities.
J Am Coll Radiol 2020 Nov;17(11):1420-28. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2020.07.019..
Keywords: Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Women, Screening, Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Schlick CJR, Khorfan R, Odell DD
Adequate lymphadenectomy as a quality measure in esophageal cancer: is there an association with treatment approach?
In this study, the authors’ objectives were to (1) explore trends in adequate lymphadenectomy rates over time; (2) evaluate unadjusted lymphadenectomy yield by treatment characteristics; and (3) identify independent factors associated with adequate lymphadenectomy. The investigators found that despite increases over time, only 50% of patients underwent adequate lymphadenectomy during esophageal cancer resection. They also found that adequate lymphadenectomy was not associated with neoadjuvant therapy.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Schlick CJR, Khorfan R, Odell DD .
Adequate lymphadenectomy as a quality measure in esophageal cancer: is there an association with treatment approach?
Ann Surg Oncol 2020 Oct;27(11):4443-56. doi: 10.1245/s10434-020-08578-4..
Keywords: Cancer, Surgery, Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Kanters AE, Vu JV, Schuman AD AE, Vu JV, Schuman AD
Completeness of operative reports for rectal cancer surgery.
This study examined the completeness of operative reports for rectal cancer surgery and whether they contain the key elements recommended by the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer. Ten hospitals in Michigan submitted rectal cancer operative reports from June-December 2018. These reports were analyzed for completeness and to identify key elements in the synoptic operative template. Out of 110 reports, 31 contained all 24 elements and they all used a synoptic template. Overall, 62 reported used a synoptic template and 48 did not.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053.
Citation: Kanters AE, Vu JV, Schuman AD AE, Vu JV, Schuman AD .
Completeness of operative reports for rectal cancer surgery.
Am J Surg 2020 Jul;220(1):165-69. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2019.09.036..
Keywords: Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Cancer, Surgery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
De la Garza Ramos R, Gelfand Y, Benton JA
Rates, risk factors, and complications of red blood cell transfusion in metastatic spinal tumor surgery: an analysis of a prospective multicenter surgical database.
The goal of this study was to identify rates, risks, and complications of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in metastatic spinal tumor surgery. The multicenter prospective American College of Surgeons National Quality Improvement Program database was used to identify adult patients with disseminated cancer who underwent metastatic spinal tumor surgery from 2012-2016. A patient was included if at least 1 intraoperative/postoperative RBC transfusion was received within the first 72 hours of surgery start time. Out of 1601 patients included, 623 (38.9%) received a RBC transfusion. There was an overall higher complication rate in patients who received a transfusion compared to those who didn’t. These complications included sepsis (3.5% vs. 1.9%), deep vein thrombosis (6.1% vs. 3.3%), and prolonged ventilation (3.9% vs. 1.3%). Future research into complication prevention was recommended.
https://www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32298819
Citation: De la Garza Ramos R, Gelfand Y, Benton JA .
Rates, risk factors, and complications of red blood cell transfusion in metastatic spinal tumor surgery: an analysis of a prospective multicenter surgical database.
World Neurosurg 2020 Jul;139:e308-e15. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.03.202..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Surgery, Risk, Cancer
Hernandez-Boussard T, Blayney DW, Brooks JD
Leveraging digital data to inform and improve quality cancer care.
Efficient capture of routine clinical care and patient outcomes is needed at a population-level, as is evidence on important treatment-related side effects and their effect on well-being and clinical outcomes. The increasing availability of electronic health records (EHR) offers new opportunities to generate population-level patient-centered evidence on oncologic care that can better guide treatment decisions and patient-valued care. This study discussed how to leverage digital data to inform and improve quality cancer care.
AHRQ-funded; R01 HS024096.
Citation: Hernandez-Boussard T, Blayney DW, Brooks JD .
Leveraging digital data to inform and improve quality cancer care.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020 Apr;29(4):816-22. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.Epi-19-0873..
Keywords: Cancer, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Improvement, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice
Kanters AE, Cleary RK, Obi SH
Uptake of total mesorectal excision and total mesorectal excision grading for rectal cancer: a statewide study.
Investigators sought to assess trends in total mesorectal excision performance and grading in Michigan hospitals. They found that the rates of total mesorectal excision performance and grade assignment were widely variable throughout the state of Michigan. Overall, grade assignment remained very low, suggesting an opportunity for quality improvement projects to increase total mesorectal excision performance and grading, involving both the surgeons and pathologists for effective implementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053.
Citation: Kanters AE, Cleary RK, Obi SH .
Uptake of total mesorectal excision and total mesorectal excision grading for rectal cancer: a statewide study.
Dis Colon Rectum 2020 Jan;63(1):53-59. doi: 10.1097/dcr.0000000000001526..
Keywords: Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Cancer, Surgery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Nathan H
Centralization of high-risk cancer surgery within existing hospital systems.
Centralization is often proposed as a strategy to improve the quality of certain high-risk health care services. In this study, the investigators evaluated the extent to which existing hospital systems centralize high-risk cancer surgery and whether centralization is associated with short-term clinical outcomes. The investigators concluded that greater centralization of complex cancer surgery within existing hospital systems was associated with better outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023597.
Citation: Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Nathan H .
Centralization of high-risk cancer surgery within existing hospital systems.
J Clin Oncol 2019 Dec 1;37(34):3234-42. doi: 10.1200/jco.18.02035..
Keywords: Surgery, Cancer, Risk, Hospitals, Health Systems, Quality Improvement, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality of Care, Outcomes
Davis MM, Gunn R, Pham R
Key collaborative factors when Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations work with primary care clinics to improve colorectal cancer screening: relationships, data, and quality improvement infrastructure.
This study focused on ways that Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are implementing interventions with primary care clinics to improve colorectal cancer screening. The researchers conducted a comparative case study of 14 Medicaid ACOs in Oregon and their contracted primary care clinics. They focused on interventions that reduced structural barriers (12 ACOs), delivered provider assessment and feedback (11 ACOs), and provided patient reminders (7 ACOs). There was an unintended consequence of potential exclusion of smaller clinics and metric focus and fatigue.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Davis MM, Gunn R, Pham R .
Key collaborative factors when Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations work with primary care clinics to improve colorectal cancer screening: relationships, data, and quality improvement infrastructure.
Prev Chronic Dis 2019 Aug 15;16:E107. doi: 10.5888/pcd16.180395..
Keywords: Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Screening, Colonoscopy, Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Cancer, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Coordination, Patient-Centered Healthcare
Antunez AG, Kanters AE, Regenbogen SE
Evaluation of access to hospitals most ready to achieve national accreditation for rectal cancer treatment.
This cohort study looked at hospitals’ readiness to be part of the American College of Surgeons National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), and what types of hospitals are most likely to receive NAPRC accreditation. A total of 1315 American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer-accredited hospitals from the National Cancer Database were sorted into 4 cohorts from 2011 to 2015. They were organized by high versus low volume, adherence to process standards, and patient and hospital characteristics and oncologic outcomes were compared. Among those hospitals, 38 (2.9%) met proposed thresholds for all 5 NAPRC process standards, and 220 (16.7%) met the threshold on 4 standards. Low-adherence hospitals were more likely to serve patients who were older, as well more public insurance recipients, or were black or Hispanic.
ARHQ-funded; HS000053.
Citation: Antunez AG, Kanters AE, Regenbogen SE .
Evaluation of access to hospitals most ready to achieve national accreditation for rectal cancer treatment.
JAMA Surg 2019 Jun;154(6):516-23. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2018.5521..
Keywords: Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Cancer, Hospitals, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Fisher KA, Mazor KM
Patient and family complaints in cancer care: what can we learn from the tip of the iceberg?
This paper comments on the Mack et al. article “Evaluation of Patient and Family Outpatient Complaints as a Strategy to Prioritize Efforts to Improve Cancer Care Delivery”, published in 2017 in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, in which Mack et al. categorized all complaints filed at a large outpatient cancer center during a two-year period, put forth a preliminary rating system for assessing complaint severity, and catalogued the actions taken in response to the complaints.
AHRQ-funded; HS024596; HS022757.
Citation: Fisher KA, Mazor KM .
Patient and family complaints in cancer care: what can we learn from the tip of the iceberg?
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2017 Oct;43(10):495-97. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2017.07.003..
Keywords: Cancer, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Patient Experience, Patient Safety, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Young RS, Gobel BH, Schumacher M
Use of the modified early warning score and serum lactate to prevent cardiopulmonary arrest in hematology-oncology patients: a quality improvement study.
The authors aimed to improve the early identification of clinically deteriorating hematology-oncology patients in order to prevent the development of critical illness and to facilitate timely intensive care unit (ICU) transfers. They used a protocol employing the Modified Early Warning Score and found that implementation of this protocol reduced codes and preventable codes without an associated increase in ICU transfers.
AHRQ-funded; HS000078.
Citation: Young RS, Gobel BH, Schumacher M .
Use of the modified early warning score and serum lactate to prevent cardiopulmonary arrest in hematology-oncology patients: a quality improvement study.
Am J Med Qual 2014 Nov-Dec;29(6):530-7. doi: 10.1177/1062860613508305.
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Keywords: Adverse Events, Cancer, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Prevention, Quality Improvement
Martinez KA, Aslakson RA, Wilson RF
A systematic review of health care interventions for pain in patients with advanced cancer.
The authors sought to synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of pain-focused interventions in patients with advanced cancer. In nineteen studies, they found moderate strength of evidence that pain management in advanced cancer can be improved using health care interventions, particularly nurse-led patient-centered interventions.
AHRQ-funded; 290200710061.
Citation: Martinez KA, Aslakson RA, Wilson RF .
A systematic review of health care interventions for pain in patients with advanced cancer.
Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2014 Feb;31(1):79-86. doi: 10.1177/1049909113476129.
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Keywords: Cancer, Comparative Effectiveness, Pain, Palliative Care, Quality Improvement