National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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- Access to Care (6)
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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
1 to 15 of 15 Research Studies DisplayedThorndike AL, Peterson L, Spitzer S
Advancing health equity through partnerships of state Medicaid agencies, Medicaid managed care organizations, and health care delivery organizations.
This article explored how multi-stakeholder teams operationalized the Roadmap to Advance Health Equity model during the early stages of its implementation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives from multi-stakeholder teams from state Medicaid agencies, Medicaid managed care organizations, and health care delivery organizations in seven US states about their experiences. The team representatives shared practical strategies for implementing the Roadmap to Advance Health Equity, which the authors believed could inform future efforts to build intra- and inter-organizational cultures of equity and integrate health equity into care delivery and payment systems.
AHRQ-funded; HS000084.
Citation: Thorndike AL, Peterson L, Spitzer S .
Advancing health equity through partnerships of state Medicaid agencies, Medicaid managed care organizations, and health care delivery organizations.
Front Public Health 2023 Mar 9;11:1104843. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1104843.
Keywords: Medicaid, Medicare, Healthcare Delivery
Sherry TB, Damberg CL, DeYoreo M
Is bigger better?: A closer look at small health systems in the United States.
The purpose of this study was to expand existing health systems research by comparing the features, cost, and quality of care in small U.S. health care systems with those of large U.S. health systems. In this retrospective study with a repeated cross-sectional analysis, the researchers evaluated between 468 and 479 large health systems and between 608 and 641 small health systems serving fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, yearly between the year of 2013 and 2017. The study found that small systems had a larger share of beneficiaries and practice sites in small towns or rural areas, performance quality was lower in small systems that in large systems, and there was no difference in total cost of care. The study concluded that the quality of care in small systems is lower than large systems, but small systems provide care for rural Medicare populations. The researchers recommended that future research should explore the reasons for why these differences exist in quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS024067.
Citation: Sherry TB, Damberg CL, DeYoreo M .
Is bigger better?: A closer look at small health systems in the United States.
Med Care 2022 Jul;60(7):504-11. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001727..
Keywords: Health Systems, Medicaid, Healthcare Delivery
Staiger B
Disruptions to the patient-provider relationship and patient utilization and outcomes: evidence from Medicaid managed care.
The patient-provider relationship is considered a cornerstone to delivering high-value healthcare. However, in Medicaid managed care settings, disruptions to this relationship are disproportionately common. In this paper, the researcher evaluated the impact of a primary provider's exit from a Medicaid managed care plan on adult beneficiary healthcare utilization and outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS026128.
Citation: Staiger B .
Disruptions to the patient-provider relationship and patient utilization and outcomes: evidence from Medicaid managed care.
J Health Econ 2022 Jan;81:102574. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102574..
Keywords: Medicaid, Clinician-Patient Communication, Healthcare Delivery, Chronic Conditions
Cottrell EK, Dambrun K, O'Malley J
Documenting new ways of delivering care under Oregon's Alternative Payment and Advanced Care Model.
This study’s objective was to describe trends in rates of traditional face-to-face office visits and “Care Services That Engage Patients” (Care STEPs) documentation among community health centers (CHCs) involved in the first 3 phases Oregon’s Alternative Payment and Advanced Care Model (APCM) pilot program. In this program, participating community health centers (CHCs) received per-member-per-month payments for empaneled Medicaid patients in lieu of standard fee-for-service Medicaid payments. Among participating CHCs, the mean rate of face-to-face visits with billable providers declined. Care STEPS documentation increased, but the difference was not statistically significant. The Care STEPs category New Visit Types were documented most frequently. There were significant increases in document of Patient Care Coordination and Integration, and a smaller but still significant increase in Reducing Barriers to Health. There was a significant decrease in documentation done by physicians and advanced practice providers with an increase by ancillary staff.
AHRQ-funded; R01 HS022651.
Citation: Cottrell EK, Dambrun K, O'Malley J .
Documenting new ways of delivering care under Oregon's Alternative Payment and Advanced Care Model.
J Am Board Fam Med 2021 Jan-Feb;34(1):78-88. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.01.200027..
Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Payment, Community-Based Practice, Medicaid
Gordon SH, Sommers BD, Wilson IB
Effects of Medicaid expansion on postpartum coverage and outpatient utilization.
Timely postpartum care is associated with lower maternal morbidity and mortality, yet fewer than half of Medicaid beneficiaries attend a postpartum visit. Using Medicaid claims data for 2013-2015 from Colorado, which expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and Utah, which did not, the authors conclude that expansion may promote the stability of postpartum coverage and increase the use of postpartum outpatient care in the Medicaid program.
AHRQ-funded; HS025560.
Citation: Gordon SH, Sommers BD, Wilson IB .
Effects of Medicaid expansion on postpartum coverage and outpatient utilization.
Health Aff 2020 Jan;39(1):77-84. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00547..
Keywords: Medicaid, Pregnancy, Women, Access to Care, Maternal Care, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Policy, Healthcare Delivery
Cochran G, Cole ES, Warwick J
Rural access to MAT in Pennsylvania (RAMP): a hybrid implementation study protocol for medication assisted treatment adoption among rural primary care providers.
This paper reports the design and protocol of an implementation study seeking to advance availability of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural Pennsylvania counties for patients insured by Medicaid in primary care settings. Results showed an urgent need in the US to expand access to high quality, evidence-based OUD treatment, particularly in rural areas where capacity is limited for service delivery, in order to improve patient health and protect lives. Further, results of this study will provide needed evidence in the field for appropriate methods for implementing MAT among a large number of rural primary care providers.
AHRQ-funded; HS025072.
Citation: Cochran G, Cole ES, Warwick J .
Rural access to MAT in Pennsylvania (RAMP): a hybrid implementation study protocol for medication assisted treatment adoption among rural primary care providers.
Addict Sci Clin Pract 2019 Aug 1;14(1):25. doi: 10.1186/s13722-019-0154-4..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Rural Health, Medication, Access to Care, Implementation, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Medicaid
Dy CJ, Tipping AD, Nickel KB
Variation in the delivery of inpatient orthopaedic care to Medicaid beneficiaries within a single metropolitan region.
This study examined rates of Medicaid-funded surgical procedures for orthopedic patients. The authors hypothesized that orthopedists and hospitals are often unwilling to perform surgery on underinsured patients. The payer mix was examined for select inpatient orthopedic surgical procedures within a single region, including elective cases (total knee or hip arthroplasty; spinal decompression or fusion) and trauma cases (hip hemiarthroplasty; femoral or tibial or fibular fracture repair) among 22 hospitals from 2011 to 2016 for patients aged 18 to 64 years. For all cases (n = 19,204) the mean percentage of Medicaid-funded surgical procedures was 7.6%. Elective surgery cases were 5.5% and trauma cases 14.7% which supports their beliefs about delivery rates of orthopedic care on the basis of socioeconomic markers.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Dy CJ, Tipping AD, Nickel KB .
Variation in the delivery of inpatient orthopaedic care to Medicaid beneficiaries within a single metropolitan region.
J Bone Joint Surg Am 2019 Aug 21;101(16):1451-59. doi: 10.2106/jbjs.18.01198.
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Keywords: Orthopedics, Healthcare Delivery, Medicaid, Surgery, Access to Care, Disparities, Health Insurance
Huguet N, Angier H, Rdesinski R
Cervical and colorectal cancer screening prevalence before and after Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion.
This study assessed changes in the prevalence of cervical and colorectal cancer screening from before and after the Affordable Care Act in Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states among patients seen in community health centers. Results showed that, despite increased prevalences of cervical and colorectal cancer screening in both expansion and non-expansion states across all race/ethnicity groups, rates remained suboptimal for this population of socioeconomically disadvantaged patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024270.
Citation: Huguet N, Angier H, Rdesinski R .
Cervical and colorectal cancer screening prevalence before and after Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion.
Prev Med 2019 Jul;124:91-97. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.05.003..
Keywords: Cancer, Cancer: Cervical Cancer, Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Healthcare Delivery, Healthcare Utilization, Medicaid, Policy, Prevention, Screening
Huguet N, Valenzuela S, Marino M
Following uninsured patients through Medicaid expansion: ambulatory care use and diagnosed conditions.
The authors assessed ambulatory care use and diagnosed health conditions among a cohort of community health center (CHC) patients uninsured before enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and followed them after enactment. They found that, post-ACA, 20.9% of patients remained uninsured, 15.0% gained Medicaid, 12.4% gained other insurance, and 51.7% did not have a visit. The authors concluded that a significant percentage of CHC patients remained uninsured; that many who remained uninsured had diagnosed health conditions; and that one-half continued to have three or more visits to CHCs, which continue to be essential providers for uninsured patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024270.
Citation: Huguet N, Valenzuela S, Marino M .
Following uninsured patients through Medicaid expansion: ambulatory care use and diagnosed conditions.
Ann Fam Med 2019 Jul;17(4):336-44. doi: 10.1370/afm.2385..
Keywords: Access to Care, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Community-Based Practice, Health Insurance, Healthcare Delivery, Medicaid, Policy, Uninsured
Cole ES, DiDomenico E, Cochran G
The role of primary care in improving access to medication-assisted treatment for rural Medicaid enrollees with opioid use disorder.
The authors examined the degree to which rural residents with opioid use disorder (OUD) are engaged with primary care providers (PCPs); they also described the role of rural PCPs in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) delivery, and estimated the association between enrollee distance to MAT prescribers and MAT utilization. They concluded that PCP utilization among rural Medicaid enrollees diagnosed with OUD is high, presenting a potential intervention point to treat OUD, particularly if the enrollee's PCP is located nearer than their MAT prescriber.
AHRQ-funded; HS025072.
Citation: Cole ES, DiDomenico E, Cochran G .
The role of primary care in improving access to medication-assisted treatment for rural Medicaid enrollees with opioid use disorder.
J Gen Intern Med 2019 Jun;34(6):936-43. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-04943-6..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Rural Health, Medication, Access to Care, Implementation, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Medicaid
Fabius CD, Robison J
Differences in living arrangements among older adults transitioning into the community: examining the impact of race and choice.
The federal Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration program allows nursing home residents to use Medicaid funds for home and community-based services rather than institutional care. Race, choice in housing, and challenges faced prior to transitioning may impact living arrangements following a discharge into the community. This study examined the influence of these factors on living arrangements for 659 program participants age 65 or older.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Fabius CD, Robison J .
Differences in living arrangements among older adults transitioning into the community: examining the impact of race and choice.
J Appl Gerontol 2019 Apr;38(4):454-78. doi: 10.1177/0733464816687496..
Keywords: Elderly, Transitions of Care, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medicaid, Nursing Homes, Home Healthcare, Healthcare Delivery
Timbie JW, Kranz AM, Mahmud A
Specialty care access for Medicaid enrollees in expansion states.
The goal of this study was to assess current levels of difficulty accessing specialty care for patients at community health centers (CHCs) by insurance type, in order to identify specific barriers and the strategies that CHCs use to overcome these barriers. A cross-sectional survey was administered to medical directors at CHCs in nine states as well as the District of Columbia, all of which had expanded Medicaid. Among the barriers reported by CHCs were few specialists in Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) networks accepting new patients and MCO administrative requirements for obtaining specialist consults. Strategies to enhance access to specialists included entering into referral agreements, developing appointment reminder systems, and participation in data exchange and other community-based initiatives. The authors conclude that payment policies and network adequacy rules may need to be reexamined to address these challenges.
AHRQ-funded; HS024067.
Citation: Timbie JW, Kranz AM, Mahmud A .
Specialty care access for Medicaid enrollees in expansion states.
Am J Manag Care 2019 Mar;25(3):e83-e87..
Keywords: Access to Care, Community-Based Practice, Healthcare Delivery, Medicaid
Berridge C
Medicaid becomes the first third-party payer to cover passive remote monitoring for home care: policy analysis.
This study examined passive remote monitoring technologies in state Medicaid programs. Its goals were to identify which states allowed location tracking, sensor systems, and cameras, what policies were in place to track usage, what implementation processes and program monitoring mechanisms were in place, and what related insights Medicaid program stakeholders would like to learn. Interviews were conducted with state, federal, and managed care organization (MCO) Medicaid program stakeholders about the use of these technologies in state waivers that served community-dwelling older adults in 15 states. While two-thirds of the states covered location tracking and activity-monitoring sensors and one-third covered cameras, only 3 states had specific service categories that allowed tracking of when they pay for these technologies. The authors conclude that technologies that have great potential to alter the way older adults receive supportive services are often used without research on their use, social or ethical implications, or outcomes. New service categories are needed to enable oversight, and more interaction between policymakers and researchers in this field would aid in the prioritization of research aims to inform practice.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Berridge C .
Medicaid becomes the first third-party payer to cover passive remote monitoring for home care: policy analysis.
J Med Internet Res 2018 Feb 21;20(2):e66. doi: 10.2196/jmir.9650..
Keywords: Elderly, Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Insurance, Healthcare Delivery, Home Healthcare, Medicaid, Policy
O'Malley JP, O'Keeffe-Rosetti M, Lowe RA
Health care utilization rates after Oregon's 2008 Medicaid expansion: within-group and between-group differences over time among new, returning, and continuously insured enrollees.
The authors sought to assess changes in emergency department, primary care, mental and behavioral health care, and specialist care visit rates among individuals gaining Medicaid over 24 months postinsurance gain and also to evaluate the association of previous insurance with utilization. They found that primary care visit rates in both newly and returning insured individuals significantly exceeded those of the continuously insured in months 4 through 12, but were not significantly elevated in the second year. In contrast, emergency department utilization rates were significantly higher in returning insured compared with newly or continuously insured individuals and remained elevated over time. New visits to primary and specialist care were higher among those who gained Medicaid compared with the continuously insured throughout the study period. They concluded that expansion evaluations should allow for rate stabilization.
AHRQ-funded; HS021522.
Citation: O'Malley JP, O'Keeffe-Rosetti M, Lowe RA .
Health care utilization rates after Oregon's 2008 Medicaid expansion: within-group and between-group differences over time among new, returning, and continuously insured enrollees.
Med Care 2016 Nov;54(11):984-91. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000600.
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Keywords: Medicaid, Healthcare Delivery, Healthcare Utilization, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Jung HY, Trivedi AN, Grabowski DC
Integrated Medicare and Medicaid managed care and rehospitalization of dual eligibles.
The objective of this study was to conduct an early evaluation of an innovative program that coordinates benefits for elderly dual eligibles. The authors found no statistically significant effect of senior care options on rehospitalization. They concluded that coordinating the financing and delivery of services through an integrated managed program may not sufficiently address the problems of inefficiency and fragmentation in care for hospitalized dual eligible enrollees.
AHRQ-funded; HS020756.
Citation: Jung HY, Trivedi AN, Grabowski DC .
Integrated Medicare and Medicaid managed care and rehospitalization of dual eligibles.
Am J Manag Care 2015 Oct;21(10):711-7.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Care Management, Medicaid, Medicare, Hospital Readmissions