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
- Asthma (2)
- Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Prostate Cancer (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (6)
- Care Management (2)
- Children/Adolescents (2)
- Comparative Effectiveness (2)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (3)
- Emergency Department (2)
- (-) Evidence-Based Practice (18)
- Guidelines (1)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (2)
- Healthcare Delivery (3)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (3)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospitals (3)
- Implementation (4)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Outcomes (2)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (2)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (8)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Patient Safety (5)
- Practice Improvement (1)
- Prevention (2)
- Primary Care (6)
- Primary Care: Models of Care (3)
- Provider Performance (2)
- Quality Improvement (14)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (2)
- Quality Measures (2)
- (-) Quality of Care (18)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Research Methodologies (1)
- Respiratory Conditions (1)
- Stroke (1)
- Surgery (4)
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 18 of 18 Research Studies DisplayedReisz PA, Laviana AA, Zhao Z
Assessing the quality of surgical care for clinically localized prostate cancer: results from the CEASAR study.
Prior studies suggest that nationally endorsed quality measures for prostate cancer care are not linked closely with outcomes. Using a prospective, population based cohort the investigators measured clinically relevant variation in structure, process and outcome measures in men undergoing radical prostatectomy. The authors did not identify and meaningful variation in quality of care across racial groups, age groups and surgeon volume strata, in this cohort, suggesting that men were receiving comparable quality of care across these strata.
AHRQ-funded; HS019356.
Citation: Reisz PA, Laviana AA, Zhao Z .
Assessing the quality of surgical care for clinically localized prostate cancer: results from the CEASAR study.
J Urol 2020 Dec;204(6):1236-41. doi: 10.1097/ju.0000000000001198..
Keywords: Surgery, Cancer: Prostate Cancer, Cancer, Quality of Care, Quality of Life, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Comparative Effectiveness, Evidence-Based Practice
Hu QL, Grant MC, Hornor MA
Technical evidence review for emergency major abdominal operation conducted for the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery.
This technical evidence review focuses on the use of enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs) for emergency major abdominal surgery conducted for the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery (ISCR). This national ERP initiative is funded by AHRQ and implemented in 2017 through a collaboration with American College of Surgeons, and Johns Hopkins Medicine Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality. Five common emergency general surgery (EGS) procedures were focused on: perforated peptic ulcer repair, colectomy, lysis of adhesions, small bowel resection, and exploratory laparotomy. The authors identified seventeen candidate components for emergency major abdominal ERP. The components span the continuum of care from preoperative setting to hospital discharge. For every component they conducted a systematic literature review to find relevant studies. Each component was examined for rationale, evidence, and summary and recommendations. Many were supported by evidence and guidelines specific to their particular operation. Key gaps in literature were highlighted, specifically lack of evidence specific to these operations across many ERP processes.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Hu QL, Grant MC, Hornor MA .
Technical evidence review for emergency major abdominal operation conducted for the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery.
J Am Coll Surg 2020 Dec;231(6):743-64.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2020.08.772..
Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Surgery, Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Hu QL, Fischer CP, Wescott AB
Evidence review for the American College of Surgeons Quality Verification part I: building quality and safety resources and infrastructure.
The goal of this review was to synthesize the evidence supporting the first 4 of 12 American College of Surgeons (ACS) Quality Verification Program core principles of building quality and safety resources and infrastructure. Findings showed that, despite heterogeneous study design and lack of randomized controlled trials, the available literature supports the importance of committed top-level hospital leadership, mid-level leadership, and committee dedicated to surgical quality and culture of safety and high reliability. In conclusion, adequate resources and infrastructure integral to the ACS Quality Verification Program are critical to achieving safe and high-quality surgical outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Hu QL, Fischer CP, Wescott AB .
Evidence review for the American College of Surgeons Quality Verification part I: building quality and safety resources and infrastructure.
J Am Coll Surg 2020 Nov;231(5):557-69.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2020.08.758..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Surgery, Evidence-Based Practice
Fernald DH, Mullen R,, Hall T
Exemplary practices in cardiovascular care: results on clinical quality measures from the EvidenceNOW Southwest Cooperative.
The authors identified practice characteristics associated with high performance on four cardiovascular disease cardiovascular clinical quality measures (CQMs). They found that multiple strategies - registries, prompts and protocols, patient self-management support, and patient-team partnership activities - were associated with delivering high-quality cardiovascular care over time, measured by CQMs.
AHRQ-funded; HS023904.
Citation: Fernald DH, Mullen R,, Hall T .
Exemplary practices in cardiovascular care: results on clinical quality measures from the EvidenceNOW Southwest Cooperative.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Nov;35(11):3197-204. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06094-5..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care
Shoemaker-Hunt S, Hall K, Hoffman L
Advancing patient safety: reviews from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Making Healthcare Safer III report.
This paper discusses the Making Healthcare Safer (MHS) reports from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The reports—providing an analysis of the evidence for various patient safety practices (PSPs)—have served as a consolidated and up-to-date source of information for multiple stakeholders, including healthcare providers, health system administrators, researchers, and government agencies.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500013I.
Citation: Shoemaker-Hunt S, Hall K, Hoffman L .
Advancing patient safety: reviews from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Making Healthcare Safer III report.
J Patient Saf 2020 Sep;16(3S Suppl 1):S1-s2. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000761..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Dickinson WP, Nease DE, Rhyne RL
Practice transformation support and patient engagement to improve cardiovascular care: from EvidenceNOW Southwest (ENSW).
The purpose of this study was to improve cardiovascular care through supporting primary care practices' adoption of evidence-based guidelines; a cluster randomized trial compared standard practice support--practice facilitation, practice assessment with feedback, health information technology assistance, and collaborative learning sessions--and standard support plus patient engagement support. Findings showed that practice transformation support can assist practices with improving quality of care. Patient engagement in practice transformation can further enhance practices' implementation of aspects of new models of care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023904.
Citation: Dickinson WP, Nease DE, Rhyne RL .
Practice transformation support and patient engagement to improve cardiovascular care: from EvidenceNOW Southwest (ENSW).
J Am Board Fam Med 2020 Sep-Oct;33(5):675-86. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2020.05.190395..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Patient and Family Engagement, Evidence-Based Practice, Implementation, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Kaiser SV, Johnson MD, Walls TA
Pathways to improve pediatric asthma care: a multisite, national study of emergency department asthma pathway implementation.
This quality improvement study’s aim was to determine the effects of pediatric asthma pathway implementation in a diverse, national sample of emergency departments (EDs). Desired outcomes included systemic corticosteroid administration within 60 minutes (primary), assessment of severity at ED triage, chest radiograph use, hospital admission or transfer for higher level of care, and ED length of stay. Charts were reviewed each month by EDs for children ages 2-17 years with a primary diagnosis of asthma. A total of 83 EDs were enrolled, with 37 of them children’s hospitals, and 46 community hospitals. Seventy-three percent completed the study (n = 22,963). There was a significant increase in systematic corticosteroid administration within 60 minutes of arrival as well as increased odds of severity assessment at triage and decreased rate of change in odds of hospital admission/transfer. Chest radiograph or ED length of stay was not associated with pathway implementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS024592.
Citation: Kaiser SV, Johnson MD, Walls TA .
Pathways to improve pediatric asthma care: a multisite, national study of emergency department asthma pathway implementation.
J Pediatr 2020 Aug;223:100-07.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.02.080..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Asthma, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Management, Healthcare Delivery, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Outcomes
Kaiser SV, Lam Cabana, MD
Best practices in implementing inpatient pediatric asthma pathways: a qualitative study.
The objective of this study was to identify potential best practices in pathway implementation. Building upon a previous observational study in which the researchers identified higher and lower performing children's hospitals based on hospital-level changes in asthma patient length of stay after implementation of a pathway, they conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of healthcare providers involved in pathway implementation at these hospitals. They identified several potential best practices to support pathway implementation. They recommended that hospitals implementing pathways consider applying these strategies to ensure success in improving quality of asthma care for children.
AHRQ-funded; HS024592.
Citation: Kaiser SV, Lam Cabana, MD .
Best practices in implementing inpatient pediatric asthma pathways: a qualitative study.
J Asthma 2020 Jul;57(7):744-54. doi: 10.1080/02770903.2019.1606237..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Asthma, Respiratory Conditions, Hospitals, Inpatient Care, Guidelines, Evidence-Based Practice, Implementation, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Homco J, Carabin H, Nagykaldi Z
Validity of medical record abstraction and electronic health record-generated reports to assess performance on cardiovascular quality measures in primary care.
The purpose of this study was to compare observed performance scores measured using 2 imperfect reference standard data sources with misclassification-adjusted performance scores obtained using bayesian latent class analysis. Using aspirin, blood pressure, and smoking performance data from the Healthy Hearts for Oklahoma Project, researchers found that extracting information for the same individuals using different data sources generated different performance score estimates. Recommendations included further research to identify the sources of these differences.
AHRQ-funded; HS023919.
Citation: Homco J, Carabin H, Nagykaldi Z .
Validity of medical record abstraction and electronic health record-generated reports to assess performance on cardiovascular quality measures in primary care.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Jul;3(7):e209411. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.9411..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Cardiovascular Conditions, Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Primary Care, Provider Performance, Evidence-Based Practice
Persell SD, Liss DT, Walunas TL
Effects of 2 forms of practice facilitation on cardiovascular prevention in primary care: a practice-randomized, comparative effectiveness trial.
Effective quality improvement (QI) strategies are needed for small practices. The objective of this study was to compare practice facilitation implementing point-of-care (POC) QI strategies alone versus facilitation implementing point-of-care plus population management (POC+PM) strategies on preventive cardiovascular care. The investigators concluded that facilitator-led QI promoting population management approaches plus POC improvement strategies was not clearly superior to POC strategies alone.
AHRQ-funded; HS023921.
Citation: Persell SD, Liss DT, Walunas TL .
Effects of 2 forms of practice facilitation on cardiovascular prevention in primary care: a practice-randomized, comparative effectiveness trial.
.
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Prevention, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Comparative Effectiveness, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Management, Healthcare Delivery
Sweeney SM, Hemler JR, Baron AN
Dedicated workforce required to support large-scale practice improvement.
Facilitation is an effective approach for helping practices implement sustainable evidence-based practice improvements. Few studies examine the facilitation infrastructure and support needed for large-scale dissemination and implementation initiatives. In this paper, the authors discuss a project by the Agency for Health care Research and Quality in which it funded 7 Cooperatives, each of which worked with over 200 primary care practices to rapidly disseminate and implement improvements in cardiovascular preventive care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Sweeney SM, Hemler JR, Baron AN .
Dedicated workforce required to support large-scale practice improvement.
J Am Board Fam Med 2020 Mar-Apr;33(2):230-39. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2020.02.190261..
Keywords: Practice Improvement, Primary Care, Cardiovascular Conditions, Healthcare Delivery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Prevention, Implementation, Evidence-Based Practice
Nguyen AM, Cuthel A, Padgett DK
How practice facilitation strategies differ by practice context.
The purpose of this study was to identify contextual factors that drive facilitators' strategies to meet practice improvement goals, and how these strategies are tailored to practice context. This study was conducted as part of a larger study, HealthyHearts New York City, which evaluated the impact of practice facilitation on adoption of cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment guidelines.
AHRQ-funded; HS023922.
Citation: Nguyen AM, Cuthel A, Padgett DK .
How practice facilitation strategies differ by practice context.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Mar;35(3):824-31. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05350-7..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Evidence-Based Practice, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care: Models of Care
Liu JY, Hu QL, Lamaina M
Surgical technical evidence review for acute cholecystectomy conducted for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery.
In this study, the authors identified 13 overall components to consider for a nonelective laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis enhanced recovery pathways. They indicated that hospitals participating in AHRQ’s Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery will be supported in carrying out practices that enhance care for patients and in gathering data to support continuous quality improvement around the enhanced recovery pathways.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Liu JY, Hu QL, Lamaina M .
Surgical technical evidence review for acute cholecystectomy conducted for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery.
J Am Coll Surg 2020 Mar;230(3):354.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2019.11.014..
Keywords: Surgery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Evidence-Based Practice
Colton K, Richards CT, Pruitt PB
Early stroke recognition and time-based emergency care performance metrics for intracerebral hemorrhage.
This study compared time for early stroke recognition for intracerebral hemorrhage for hospitals with and without stroke teams. An observational cohort study was conducted at an urban comprehensive stroke center from 2009 to 2017 with 204 cases included. Stroke team activation resulted in faster emergency care compared to no activation. This process resulted in shorter onset-to-arrival times, higher NIH Stroke Scale scores, and higher Glasgow Coma Scale scores.
AHRQ-funded; HS023437.
Citation: Colton K, Richards CT, Pruitt PB .
Early stroke recognition and time-based emergency care performance metrics for intracerebral hemorrhage.
J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2020 Feb;29(2):104552. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2019.104552..
Keywords: Stroke, Emergency Department, Provider Performance, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Quality Improvement, Quality Indicators (QIs), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Hospitals
Businger AC, Fuller TE, Schnipper JL
Lessons learned implementing a complex and innovative patient safety learning laboratory project in a large academic medical center.
This paper describes the challenges, recommendations and lessons learned while developing and implementing a Patient Safety Learning Laboratory (PSLL) project, which is comprised of a suite of HIT tools integrated with a newly implemented Electronic Health Record (EHR) vendor system in the acute care setting of a large academic medical center. The PSLL Administrative Core engaged stakeholders and study personnel throughout all phases of the project. Challenges to implementation included stakeholder engagement, project scope and complexity, technology and governance, and team structure. Some changes were implemented during the trial and others were labeled as lessons learned for future iterative interventions. A willingness to think outside of current workflows and processes to change health system culture around adverse event prevention was one of the keys to success.
AHRQ-funded; HS023535.
Citation: Businger AC, Fuller TE, Schnipper JL .
Lessons learned implementing a complex and innovative patient safety learning laboratory project in a large academic medical center.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2020 Feb;27(2):301-07. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocz193.
.
.
Keywords: Patient Safety, Implementation, Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Evidence-Based Practice
Liss DT, Peprah YA, Brown T
Using electronic health records to measure quality improvement efforts: findings from a large practice facilitation initiative.
This study described primary care practices' ability to obtain measures with reporting periods aligning with a large quality improvement initiative. Facilitators reported barriers to data collection such as practices lacking optional EHR features, and EHRs' inability to produce reporting periods across two calendar years. The authors conclude that EHR vendors' compliance with federal reporting requirements is not necessarily sufficient to support real-world quality improvement work. They recommended improvements in the flexibility and usability of EHRs' quality measurement functions, particularly for smaller practices.
AHRQ-funded; HS023921.
Citation: Liss DT, Peprah YA, Brown T .
Using electronic health records to measure quality improvement efforts: findings from a large practice facilitation initiative.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2020 Jan;46(1):11-17. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2019.09.006..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Zimring C, Denham ME, Jacob JT
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/193758671300701S09
The role of facility design in preventing healthcare-associated infection: interventions, conclusions, and research needs.
The objective of this report was to summarize the findings and provide recommendations based on the multidisciplinary literature review and industry scan, focusing on the links between the built environment and healthcare-associated infections. It concluded that there are currently few data that demonstrate a reduction in infection rates. There is a need for multidisciplinary collaboration and increased efforts to standardize the evaluation of environmental studies.
AHRQ-funded; 290201000024I.
Citation: Zimring C, Denham ME, Jacob JT .
The role of facility design in preventing healthcare-associated infection: interventions, conclusions, and research needs.
HERD 2013 Oct;7(1 suppl):127-39..
Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Quality of Care, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals
Zimring C, Jacob JT, Denham ME
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/193758671300701S04
The role of facility design in preventing the transmission of healthcare-associated infections: Background and conceptual framework.
This paper describes the conceptual framework and methodology used to conduct a comprehensive literature review of current evidence evaluating the role of the built environment in the transmission of healthcare-associated infections. The methodology involves a chain of transmission interventions model that is a multidisciplinary conceptualization of the interaction between pathogens and the built environment. This model facilitated a systematic literature review of a very large amount of data.
AHRQ-funded; 290201000024I.
Citation: Zimring C, Jacob JT, Denham ME .
The role of facility design in preventing the transmission of healthcare-associated infections: Background and conceptual framework.
HERD 2013 Oct;7(1 suppl):18-30.
.
.
Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Quality of Care, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Research Methodologies