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Research Studies is a monthly compilation of research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers and recently published in journals or newsletters.
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1 to 25 of 1475 Research Studies DisplayedBakken S, Reame N
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/springer/arnr/2016/00000034/00000001/art00013
The promise and potential perils of big data for advancing symptom management research in populations at risk for health disparities.
The purposes of this chapter are to (a) briefly summarize the current drivers for the use of big data in research; (b) describe the promise of big data and associated data science methods for advancing symptom management research; and (c) explicate the potential perils of big data and data science from the perspective of the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, and justice.
AHRQ-funded; HS022961
Citation: Bakken S, Reame N .
The promise and potential perils of big data for advancing symptom management research in populations at risk for health disparities.
Annu Rev Nurs Res 2016;34:247-60. doi: 10.1891/0739-6686.34.247..
Keywords: Data, Disparities, Nursing, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Sauser Zachrison K, Iwashyna TJ, Gebremariam A
Can longitudinal generalized estimating equation models distinguish network influence and homophily? An agent-based modeling approach to measurement characteristics.
The authors' primary objective was to determine to what extent, and under what conditions, the generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach recreate the actual dynamics in an agent-based model. They found that the GEE models have sensitivity and specificity for determining the presence or absence of network influence, but have little ability to distinguish whether or not homophily is present.
AHRQ-funded; HS024561.
Citation: Sauser Zachrison K, Iwashyna TJ, Gebremariam A .
Can longitudinal generalized estimating equation models distinguish network influence and homophily? An agent-based modeling approach to measurement characteristics.
BMC Med Res Methodol 2016 Dec 28;16(1):174. doi: 10.1186/s12874-016-0274-4.
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Keywords: Data
Desai NR, Ross JS, Kwon JY
Association between hospital penalty status under the hospital readmission reduction program and readmission rates for target and nontarget conditions.
This study compared trends in readmission rates for target and nontarget conditions, stratified by hospital penalty status after the announcement of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). It found that Medicare fee-for-service patients at hospitals subject to penalties under the HRRP had greater reductions in readmission rates compared with those at nonpenalized hospitals. Changes were greater for target vs nontarget conditions for patients at the penalized hospitals but not at the other hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882; HS023000.
Citation: Desai NR, Ross JS, Kwon JY .
Association between hospital penalty status under the hospital readmission reduction program and readmission rates for target and nontarget conditions.
JAMA 2016 Dec 27;316(24):2647-56. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.18533.
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Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Medicare, Pneumonia
Gurigis FW, Donnelly JP, Dodani S
Cholesterol levels and long-term rates of community-acquired sepsis.
The researchers sought to determine the relationship between baseline cholesterol levels and long-term rates of sepsis. They found that low low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was associated with higher long-terms rates of community-acquired sepsis. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level was not associated with long-term sepsis rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Gurigis FW, Donnelly JP, Dodani S .
Cholesterol levels and long-term rates of community-acquired sepsis.
Crit Care 2016 Dec 23;20(1):408. doi: 10.1186/s13054-016-1579-8.
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Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Community-Acquired Infections, Sepsis
Smith MA, Bednarz L, Nordby PA
Increasing consumer engagement by tailoring a public reporting website on the quality of diabetes care: a qualitative study.
The goal of this study was to determine if tailoring quality reports to persons with diabetes mellitus and co-occurring chronic conditions would increase user engagement with a website that publicly reports the quality of diabetes care. It concluded that tailoring can be used to improve public reporting sites for individuals with chronic conditions, ultimately allowing consumers to make more informed health care decisions.
AHRQ-funded; HS021899.
Citation: Smith MA, Bednarz L, Nordby PA .
Increasing consumer engagement by tailoring a public reporting website on the quality of diabetes care: a qualitative study.
J Med Internet Res 2016 Dec 21;18(12):e332. doi: 10.2196/jmir.6555.
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Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Decision Making, Diabetes, Patient and Family Engagement, Web-Based
Fitzpatrick MC, Shah HA, Pandey A
One Health approach to cost-effective rabies control in India.
The authors developed a data-driven rabies transmission model fit to human rabies autopsy data and human rabies surveillance data from Tamil Nadu, India. They found that highly feasible strategies focused on stray dogs, vaccinating as few as 7% of dogs annually, could very cost-effectively reduce human rabies deaths by 70% within 5 years, and a modest expansion to vaccinating 13% of stray dogs could cost-effectively reduce human rabies by almost 90%. Futher, if owners are willing to bring dogs to central point campaigns at double the rate that campaign teams can capture strays, expanded annual targets become cost-effective.
AHRQ-funded; HS000055.
Citation: Fitzpatrick MC, Shah HA, Pandey A .
One Health approach to cost-effective rabies control in India.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016 Dec 20;113(51):14574-81. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1604975113.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Infectious Diseases, Prevention, Vaccination
Feltner C, Grodensky C, Ebel C
Serologic screening for genital herpes: an updated evidence report and systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.
This report assessed the evidence on serologic screening and preventive interventions for Genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in asymptomatic adults and adolescents to support the US Preventive Services Task Force for an updated recommendation statement. It found that serologic screening for genital herpes is associated with a high rate of false-positive test results and potential psychosocial harms.
AHRQ-funded; 290201200015I.
Citation: Feltner C, Grodensky C, Ebel C .
Serologic screening for genital herpes: an updated evidence report and systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.
JAMA 2016 Dec 20;316(23):2531-43. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.17138.
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Keywords: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), Sexual Health, Screening, Evidence-Based Practice, Prevention
Heintzman J, Marino M, Hoopes M
Supporting health insurance expansion: do electronic health records have valid insurance verification and enrollment data?
The researchers sought to validate electronic health record (EHR) insurance information for low-income pediatric patients at Oregon community health centers (CHCs), compared to reimbursement data and Medicaid coverage data. They concluded that EHR coverage data for children had a high overall correspondence with Medicaid data and reimbursement data, suggesting that in some systems EHR data could be utilized to promote insurance stability in their patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS021522.
Citation: Heintzman J, Marino M, Hoopes M .
Supporting health insurance expansion: do electronic health records have valid insurance verification and enrollment data?
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2015 Jul;22(4):909-13. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv033..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Insurance, Medicaid, Low-Income, Children/Adolescents
Schmajuk G, Tonner C, Miao Y
Folic acid supplementation is suboptimal in a national cohort of older veterans receiving low dose oral methotrexate.
The authors aimed to determine the prevalence, predictors of, and persistence of folic acid use in a population-based cohort of methotrexate (MTX) users with rheumatic diseases. They found that patients who did not see a rheumatologist were 23% less likely to receive folic acid compared to patients who did have a rheumatologist visit during the baseline period, and after 20 months, only 50% of patients continued to receive folic acid. The authors recommend improving patient safety for users of MTX by standardizing workflows for folic acid supplementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS024412.
Citation: Schmajuk G, Tonner C, Miao Y .
Folic acid supplementation is suboptimal in a national cohort of older veterans receiving low dose oral methotrexate.
PLoS One 2016 Dec 15;11(12):e0168369. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168369.
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Keywords: Elderly, Healthcare Utilization, Medication, Arthritis, Veterans
Califf RM, Robb MA, Bindman AB
Transforming evidence generation to support health and health care decisions.
Collaborations among federal health agencies involved in biomedical research and health care delivery with regard to data sharing, research infrastructure, and computational capabilities require combining expertise and resources and will entail substantial changes to the culture of clinical research, In this article, the authors propose a set of core principles for data collaboration and system organizational design that they believe will further enable research efforts by both the private sector and government agencies.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Califf RM, Robb MA, Bindman AB .
Transforming evidence generation to support health and health care decisions.
N Engl J Med 2016 Dec 15;375(24):2395-400. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsb1610128.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Decision Making, Evidence-Based Practice, Policy
Pruitt SL, Tiro JA, Xuan L
Hispanic and immigrant paradoxes in U.S. breast cancer mortality: impact of neighborhood poverty and Hispanic density.
The researchers tested the Hispanic and Immigrant Paradoxes-i.e., survival advantages despite a worse risk factor profile-and the modifying role of neighborhood context. They found no evidence of an Immigrant Paradox and some evidence of a Hispanic Paradox where protective effects were limited to U.S.-born Hispanics. Contrary to prior studies, foreign birthplace and residence in higher Hispanic density neighborhoods were associated with increased mortality.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Pruitt SL, Tiro JA, Xuan L .
Hispanic and immigrant paradoxes in U.S. breast cancer mortality: impact of neighborhood poverty and Hispanic density.
Int J Environ Res Public Health 2016 Dec 14;13(12):E1238. doi: 10.3390/ijerph13121238.
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Keywords: Cancer: Breast Cancer, Low-Income, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Mortality, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Phillips R, Kennedy J, Jaén C
Transforming physician certification to support physician self-motivation and capacity to improve quality and safety.
The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) is making strategic investments in the next major evolution of continuous certification. The ABFM is the first certifying board to launch a registry that is designed to support physician capacity for quality assessment, improvement, data-reporting requirements, and population management. The ABFM aims to help physicians maintain the privilege of self-governance by helping them continuously earn it.
AHRQ-funded; HS022583.
Citation: Phillips R, Kennedy J, Jaén C .
Transforming physician certification to support physician self-motivation and capacity to improve quality and safety.
Journal of Enterprise Transformation 2016 Dec 14;6(3-4):162-69. doi: 10.1080/19488289.2016.1216020.
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Keywords: Education: Continuing Medical Education, Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Provider
Metersky ML, Wang Y, Klompas M
Trend in ventilator-associated pneumonia rates between 2005 and 2013.
This study found that, from 2005 through 2013, Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System (MPSMS) ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates remained stable and substantial, affecting approximately 10 percent of ventilated patients. Persistently high VAP rates bolster concerns that most interventions purported to reduce VAP are supported by limited evidence.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201200003C.
Citation: Metersky ML, Wang Y, Klompas M .
Trend in ventilator-associated pneumonia rates between 2005 and 2013.
JAMA 2016 Dec 13;316(22):2427-29. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.16226.
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Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Evidence-Based Practice
Smith JJ, Johnston JM, Hiratsuka VY
Medical home implementation and trends in diabetes quality measures for AN/AI primary care patients.
The researchers investigated changes in trend for type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-II) quality indicators after patient-centered medical home (PCMH) implementation at Southcentral Foundation, a tribal health organization in Alaska. They found that rates of new DM-II diagnoses were stable prior to but increased after implementation. DM-II rates of HbA1c screening increased, though not significantly before and remained stable after implementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS019154.
Citation: Smith JJ, Johnston JM, Hiratsuka VY .
Medical home implementation and trends in diabetes quality measures for AN/AI primary care patients.
Prim Care Diabetes 2015 Apr;9(2):120-6. doi: 10.1016/j.pcd.2014.06.005..
Keywords: Diabetes, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care, Quality Measures, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Abraham J, Kannampallil TG, Patel VL
Impact of structured rounding tools on time allocation during multidisciplinary rounds: an observational study.
The aim of this study was to investigate whether disproportionate time allocation effects during multidisciplinary rounds (MDRs) persist with the use of structured rounding tools. It concluded that the use of structured rounding tools potentially mitigates disproportionate time allocation and communication breakdowns during rounds with the more structured system-based Handoff Intervention Tool (HAND-IT), almost completely eliminating such effects.
AHRQ-funded; HS017586.
Citation: Abraham J, Kannampallil TG, Patel VL .
Impact of structured rounding tools on time allocation during multidisciplinary rounds: an observational study.
JMIR Hum Factors 2016 Dec 09;3(2):e29. doi: 10.2196/humanfactors.6642.
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Keywords: Tools & Toolkits, Clinician-Patient Communication, Teams, Health Information Technology (HIT), Care Coordination
Wiese AD, Griffin MR, Zhu Y
Changes in empyema among U.S. children in the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine era.
The authors assessed changes in the incidence of empyema hospitalizations among U.S. children after the PCV13 vaccine introduction. They found that although empyema hospitalization rates among U.S. children peaked after the PCV7 vaccine introduction, rates decreased substantially following the introduction of PCV13.
AHRQ-funded; HS022342.
Citation: Wiese AD, Griffin MR, Zhu Y .
Changes in empyema among U.S. children in the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine era.
Vaccine 2016 Dec 7;34(50):6243-49. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.10.062.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Vaccination
Wasson LT, Cusmano A, Meli L
Association between learning environment interventions and medical student well-being: a systematic review.
This review sought to identify best practices for undergraduate medical education learning environment interventions that are associated with improved emotional well-being of students. Limited evidence suggested that some specific learning environment interventions were associated with improved emotional well-being among medical students. However, the overall quality of the evidence was low, highlighting the need for high-quality medical education research.
AHRQ-funded; HS024598.
Citation: Wasson LT, Cusmano A, Meli L .
Association between learning environment interventions and medical student well-being: a systematic review.
JAMA 2016 Dec 6;316(21):2237-52. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.17573.
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Keywords: Education: Academic, Evidence-Based Practice, Behavioral Health
Wilcox HC, Kharrazi H, Wilson RF
Data linkage strategies to advance youth suicide prevention: a systematic review for a National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Workshop.
This review sought to identify and describe data systems that can be linked to data from prevention studies to advance youth suicide prevention research. It concluded that there is untapped potential to evaluate and enhance suicide prevention efforts by linking suicide prevention data with existing data systems. However, sparse availability of data dictionaries and lack of adherence to standard data elements limit this potential.
AHRQ-funded; 290201200007I.
Citation: Wilcox HC, Kharrazi H, Wilson RF .
Data linkage strategies to advance youth suicide prevention: a systematic review for a National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Workshop.
Ann Intern Med 2016 Dec 6;165(11):779-85. doi: 10.7326/m16-1281.
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Keywords: Behavioral Health, Children/Adolescents, Data, Evidence-Based Practice, Prevention
Nikolopoulos GK, Pavlitina E, Muth SQ
A network intervention that locates and intervenes with recently HIV-infected persons: the Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP).
The Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP) evaluated a network intervention to detect individuals infected with HIV within the past 6 months. Results indicated that strategic network tracing that starts with recently infected persons could support public health efforts to find and treat people early in their HIV infection.
AHRQ-funded; HS000084.
Citation: Nikolopoulos GK, Pavlitina E, Muth SQ .
A network intervention that locates and intervenes with recently HIV-infected persons: the Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP).
Sci Rep 2016 Dec 5;6:38100. doi: 10.1038/srep38100.
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Keywords: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Prevention, Public Health
Bierman AS, Tinetti ME
Precision medicine to precision care: managing multimorbidity.
Multimorbidity is the most common condition managed in practice. The authors argue that health-care delivery must be transformed to provide precision care to people with multimorbidity. Accomplishing this transition will require a change in practice, research, and policy from disease-specific to patient-centered models of care delivery.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Bierman AS, Tinetti ME .
Precision medicine to precision care: managing multimorbidity.
Lancet 2016 Dec 3;388(10061):2721-23. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(16)32232-2.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Chronic Conditions, Guidelines, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care
Rockova V, George EI
Fast Bayesian factor analysis via automatic rotations to sparsity.
Rotational post hoc transformations have traditionally played a key role in enhancing the interpretability of factor analysis. Regularization methods also serve to achieve this goal by prioritizing sparse loading matrices. In this work, the investigators bridge these two paradigms with a unifying Bayesian framework. Their approach deploys intermediate factor rotations throughout the learning process, greatly enhancing the effectiveness of sparsity inducing priors.
AHRQ-funded; HS021854.
Citation: Rockova V, George EI .
Fast Bayesian factor analysis via automatic rotations to sparsity.
Journal of the American Statistical Association 2016;111(516):1608-22. doi: 10.1080/01621459.2015.1100620..
Keywords: Research Methodologies
Riley K, Nazareno J, Malish S
24-hour care: work and sleep conditions of migrant Filipino live-in caregivers in Los Angeles.
The authors examined sleeping conditions and outcomes for live-in formal caregivers. They found that caregivers rated sleep quality as lower while at work and that over 40% reported excessive daytime sleepiness. They concluded that impacts on sleep quality pose risks for work-related injury and errors in patient care.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Riley K, Nazareno J, Malish S .
24-hour care: work and sleep conditions of migrant Filipino live-in caregivers in Los Angeles.
Am J Ind Med 2016 Dec;59(12):1120-29. doi: 10.1002/ajim.22647.
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Keywords: Caregiving, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Sleep Problems
Yoon S, Co MC, Jr., Suero-Tejeda N
A data mining approach for exploring correlates of self-reported comparative physical activity levels of urban Latinos.
The authors applied data mining techniques to a community-based behavioral dataset to build prediction models to gain insights about physical activity levels as the foundation for future interventions for urban Latinos. They identified environment factors and psychological factors. They concluded that the data mining methods were useful to build prediction models to gain insights about perceptions of physical activity behavior as compared to peers.
AHRQ-funded; HS019853; HS022961.
Citation: Yoon S, Co MC, Jr., Suero-Tejeda N .
A data mining approach for exploring correlates of self-reported comparative physical activity levels of urban Latinos.
Stud Health Technol Inform 2016;225:553-7.
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Keywords: Data, Lifestyle Changes, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Urban 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.
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Keywords: Data, Evidence-Based Practice, Nutrition, Policy, Public Health
Ma X, Chen Y, Cole SR
A hybrid Bayesian hierarchical model combining cohort and case-control studies for meta-analysis of diagnostic tests: accounting for partial verification bias.
In this paper, the authors proposed a novel hybrid Bayesian hierarchical model combining cohort and case-control studies while simultaneously correcting partial verification bias. They presented two case studies on assessing the diagnostic accuracy of gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in detecting lymph node metastases and of adrenal fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in characterizing adrenal masses.
AHRQ-funded; HS022900.
Citation: Ma X, Chen Y, Cole SR .
A hybrid Bayesian hierarchical model combining cohort and case-control studies for meta-analysis of diagnostic tests: accounting for partial verification bias.
Stat Methods Med Res 2016 Dec;25(6):3015-37. doi: 10.1177/0962280214536703.
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Keywords: Cancer, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Imaging, Research Methodologies
