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) (4)
- Adverse Events (1)
- Antibiotics (1)
- Asthma (5)
- Behavioral Health (3)
- (-) Children/Adolescents (23)
- Comparative Effectiveness (4)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- Depression (2)
- Diabetes (2)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (2)
- Genetics (1)
- Guidelines (1)
- Hospitalization (3)
- Hospitals (1)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (2)
- Medicaid (2)
- Medical Errors (1)
- (-) Medication (23)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Newborns/Infants (1)
- Opioids (2)
- Pain (1)
- Palliative Care (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (3)
- Patient Safety (4)
- Practice Patterns (2)
- Respiratory Conditions (1)
- Risk (2)
- Urban Health (1)
- Vaccination (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 23 of 23 Research Studies DisplayedStockmann C, Ampofo K, Pavia AT
Comparative effectiveness of oral versus outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy for empyema.
This study compared outcomes between oral therapy and (outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) for pediatric parapneumonic empyema (PPE) . The frequency of complications was similar with oral therapy and OPAT for children with PPE. Oral antibiotics may be considered safe and effective for children with PPE who will be discharged to complete therapy in the outpatient setting.
AHRQ-funded; HS023320.
Citation: Stockmann C, Ampofo K, Pavia AT .
Comparative effectiveness of oral versus outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy for empyema.
Hosp Pediatr 2015 Dec;5(12):605-12. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2015-0100.
.
.
Keywords: Comparative Effectiveness, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Medication, Hospitalization, Children/Adolescents
Miligkos M, Bannuru RR, Alkofide H
Leukotriene-receptor antagonists versus placebo in the treatment of asthma in adults and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The purpose of this study was to determine the benefits and harms of leukotriene-receptor antagonists (LTRAs) as monotherapy or in combination with inhaled corticosteroids compared with placebo in adults and adolescents with asthma. It found that leukotriene-receptor antagonists as monotherapy improved asthma control compared with placebo, but which patients are most likely to respond to treatment with LTRAs remains unclear.
AHRQ-funded; HS021396.
Citation: Miligkos M, Bannuru RR, Alkofide H .
Leukotriene-receptor antagonists versus placebo in the treatment of asthma in adults and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Ann Intern Med 2015 Nov 17;163(10):756-67. doi: 10.7326/m15-1059.
.
.
Keywords: Asthma, Children/Adolescents, Medication, Comparative Effectiveness
Stevens AD, Hernandez C, Jones S
Color-coded prefilled medication syringes decrease time to delivery and dosing errors in simulated prehospital pediatric resuscitations: a randomized crossover trial.
The study’s goal was to evaluate novel, prefilled medication syringes labeled with color-coded volumes corresponding to the weight-based dosing of the Broselow Tape, compared to conventional medication administration, in simulated prehospital pediatric resuscitation scenarios. It found that the novel syringes decreased time to medication administration and significantly reduced critical dosing errors by paramedics during simulated prehospital pediatric resuscitations.
AHRQ-funded; HS017526.
Citation: Stevens AD, Hernandez C, Jones S .
Color-coded prefilled medication syringes decrease time to delivery and dosing errors in simulated prehospital pediatric resuscitations: a randomized crossover trial.
Resuscitation 2015 Nov;96:85-91. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2015.07.035..
Keywords: Medication, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Children/Adolescents, Medical Errors, Comparative Effectiveness
Costarino AT, Dai D, Feng R
Gastric acid suppressant prophylaxis in pediatric intensive care: current practice as reflected in a large administrative database.
The researchers described the use of histamine 2 receptor blockers and proton pump inhibitors and associated factors among a national sample of pediatric intensivecare unit (PICU) patients with stress-related gatrointestinal bleeding. Histamine 2 receptor blocker and proton pump inhibitor are prescribed in most PICU patients, but significant variation exists across health conditions and hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS018425.
Citation: Costarino AT, Dai D, Feng R .
Gastric acid suppressant prophylaxis in pediatric intensive care: current practice as reflected in a large administrative database.
Pediatr Crit Care Med 2015 Sep;16(7):605-12. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000000427.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Children/Adolescents, Medication
Michelson KA, Monuteaux MC, Neuman MI
Glucocorticoids and hospital length of stay for children with anaphylaxis: a retrospective study.
The objective of this study was to evaluate whether glucocorticoid administration is associated with improved outcomes in children with anaphylaxis. The investigators found that the use of glucocorticoids was inversely associated with prolonged length of stay among children hospitalized with anaphylaxis, but was not associated with 3-day emergency department revisits among discharged children, thus supporting the use of glucocorticoids in children hospitalized with anaphylaxis.
AHRQ-funded; HS000063.
Citation: Michelson KA, Monuteaux MC, Neuman MI .
Glucocorticoids and hospital length of stay for children with anaphylaxis: a retrospective study.
J Pediatr 2015 Sep;167(3):719-24.e1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2015.05.033.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medication, Respiratory Conditions, Respiratory Conditions, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Moreira ME, Hernandez C, Stevens AD
Color-coded prefilled medication syringes decrease time to delivery and dosing error in simulated emergency department pediatric resuscitations.
The study objective was to evaluate novel, prefilled medication syringes labeled with color-coded volumes corresponding to the weight-based dosing of the Broselow Tape, compared with conventional medication administration, in simulated pediatric emergency department (ED) resuscitation scenarios. It found that a novel color-coded, prefilled syringe decreased time to medication administration and significantly reduced critical dosing errors by emergency physician and nurse teams during simulated pediatric ED resuscitations.
AHRQ-funded; HS017526.
Citation: Moreira ME, Hernandez C, Stevens AD .
Color-coded prefilled medication syringes decrease time to delivery and dosing error in simulated emergency department pediatric resuscitations.
Ann Emerg Med 2015 Aug;66(2):97-106.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2014.12.035..
Keywords: Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Medication, Children/Adolescents, Patient Safety
Williams DJ, Edwards KM, Self WH
Antibiotic choice for children hospitalized with pneumonia and adherence to national guidelines.
The 2011 national guidelines for the management of childhood community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) recommended narrow-spectrum antibiotics (e.g., ampicillin) for most children hospitalized with CAP. The researchers assessed the impact of these guidelines on antibiotic prescribing at 3 children’s hospitals. They found that, after publication of national guidelines, third-generation cephalosporin use declined and penicillin/ampicillin use increased among children hospitalized with CAP.
AHRQ-authored; HS022342.
Citation: Williams DJ, Edwards KM, Self WH .
Antibiotic choice for children hospitalized with pneumonia and adherence to national guidelines.
Pediatrics 2015 Jul;136(1):44-52. doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-3047..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Hospitalization, Guidelines, Medication, Practice Patterns
Basco WT, Ebeling M, Garner SS
Opioid prescribing and potential overdose errors among children 0 to 36 months old.
This study estimated the frequency of potential overdoses among outpatient opioid-containing prescriptions. It found that, overall, 2.7 percent of the prescriptions contained potential overdose quantities, and the average excess amount dispensed was 48% above expected. Younger ages were associated with higher frequencies of potential overdose.
AHRQ-funded; HS015679.
Citation: Basco WT, Ebeling M, Garner SS .
Opioid prescribing and potential overdose errors among children 0 to 36 months old.
Clin Pediatr 2015 Jul;54(8):738-44. doi: 10.1177/0009922815586050..
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Children/Adolescents, Newborns/Infants, Medication, Medication: Safety, Newborns/Infants, Opioids, Patient Safety
Norman BA, Rajgopal J, Lim J
Modular vaccine packaging increases packing efficiency.
The researchers developed a spreadsheet model that evaluated the impact of different packing schemes for the Benin routine regimen plus the introduction of the Rotarix vaccine. Their analysis suggests that modular packaging systems could offer significant advantages over conventional vaccine packaging systems with respect to space efficiency and potential numbers of fully-immunized children, when they are stored in standard vaccine carrying devices.
AHRQ-funded; HS023317.
Citation: Norman BA, Rajgopal J, Lim J .
Modular vaccine packaging increases packing efficiency.
Vaccine 2015 Jun 17;33(27):3135-41. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.04.091..
Keywords: Vaccination, Medication, Children/Adolescents
Carmody D, Lindauer KL, Naylor RN
Adolescent non-adherence reveals a genetic cause for diabetes.
Glucokinase related maturity-onset diabetes of the young (GCK-MODY) is frequently unrecognized or misdiagnosed as Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, resulting in unnecessary pharmacologic therapy. The authors recommend considering a genetic cause when evaluating every person with new-onset hyperglycaemia or those with atypical diabetes. Testing costs for the most common MODY causing genes may be offset by savings made in therapeutic costs. They suggest that it is important that all clinicians supervising diabetes care recognize the cardinal features that distinguish GCK-MODY from other forms of diabetes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023007.
Citation: Carmody D, Lindauer KL, Naylor RN .
Adolescent non-adherence reveals a genetic cause for diabetes.
Diabet Med 2015 Jun;32(6):e20-3. doi: 10.1111/dme.12669.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Diabetes, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Genetics, Medication
Lu CY, Zhang F, Lakoma MD
Asthma treatments and mental health visits after a Food and Drug Administration label change for leukotriene inhibitors.
This study investigated how a label change to include neuropsychiatric adverse events (e.g., depression and suicidality) affected the use of leukotriene inhibitors (LTIs) and other asthma controller medications, mental health visits, and suicide attempts. The label change was associated with abrupt reductions in LTI use among all age groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS019669.
Citation: Lu CY, Zhang F, Lakoma MD .
Asthma treatments and mental health visits after a Food and Drug Administration label change for leukotriene inhibitors.
Clin Ther 2015 Jun;37(6):1280-91. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2015.03.027..
Keywords: Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Asthma, Children/Adolescents, Medication, Behavioral Health
Butz AM, Ogborn J, Mudd S
Factors associated with high short-acting beta2-agonist use in urban children with asthma.
The investigators examined factors associated with high short-acting β₂ agonist (SABA) use in inner-city children with asthma. They found that high SABA users were more than 5 times more likely to have an asthma hospitalization, almost 3 times more likely to have an asthma intensive care unit admission, and more than 3 times more likely to have prior specialty asthma care or positive cockroach sensitization than low to moderate SABA users.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Butz AM, Ogborn J, Mudd S .
Factors associated with high short-acting beta2-agonist use in urban children with asthma.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2015 May;114(5):385-92. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2015.03.002.
.
.
Keywords: Asthma, Children/Adolescents, Medication, Urban Health
Thorpe CT, Johnson H, Dopp AL
Medication oversupply in patients with diabetes.
This article describes the development of Child Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), which included a national field test with 69 hospitals in 34 States, psychometric analysis, and end-user testing of the final survey. The final Child HCAHPS instrument has 62 items, including 39 patient experience items, 10 screeners, 12 demographic/descriptive items and 1 open-ended item.
AHRQ-funded; HS000083; HS018368; HS017646.
Citation: Thorpe CT, Johnson H, Dopp AL .
Medication oversupply in patients with diabetes.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2015 May-Jun;11(3):382-400. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2014.09.002..
Keywords: Medication, Diabetes, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Children/Adolescents, Hospitals
Tarquinio KM, Howell JD, Montgomery V
Current medication practice and tracheal intubation safety outcomes from a prospective multicenter observational cohort study.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of medication selection on specific tracheal intubation–associated events across pediatric intensive care units. It found that fentanyl, midazolam, and ketamine were the most commonly used induction agents, and the majority of tracheal intubations involved neuromuscular blockade. Ketamine use was not associated with lower prevalence of hypotension.
AHRQ-funded; HS022464; HS021583.
Citation: Tarquinio KM, Howell JD, Montgomery V .
Current medication practice and tracheal intubation safety outcomes from a prospective multicenter observational cohort study.
Pediatr Crit Care Med 2015 Mar;16(3):210-8. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000000319..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Patient Safety, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Adverse Events, Medication
Hersh AL, Gerber JS, Hicks LA
Lessons learned in antibiotic stewardship: fluoroquinolone use in pediatrics.
For adults, fluoroquinolones are the leading class of antibiotics prescribed in ambulatory care visits, whereas, in children, they are the least frequently prescribed class. This paper highlights the impact of physicians' perception of direct patient harm in antibiotic decision making which has implications for antibiotic stewardship.
AHRQ-funded; HS020921.
Citation: Hersh AL, Gerber JS, Hicks LA .
Lessons learned in antibiotic stewardship: fluoroquinolone use in pediatrics.
J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2015 Mar;4(1):57-9. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piu044.
.
.
Keywords: Antibiotics, Children/Adolescents, Medication, Children/Adolescents, Practice Patterns
Ragsdale L, Zhong W, Morrison W
Pediatric exposure to opioid and sedation medications during terminal hospitalizations in the United States, 2007-2011.
The researchers conducted a retrospective study in which they examined the prescribing patterns of opioid and sedation medications among 37,459 children who died in 430 hospitals in the US 2007-2011. Their study reveals an overall high prevalence of exposure to opioid and sedation medications among pediatric terminal hospitalizations, yet with slightly less than one-half of patients receiving both opioids and sedatives daily near the end of life.
AHRQ-funded; HS018425.
Citation: Ragsdale L, Zhong W, Morrison W .
Pediatric exposure to opioid and sedation medications during terminal hospitalizations in the United States, 2007-2011.
J Pediatr 2015 Mar;166(3):587-93.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2014.10.017..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Hospitalization, Medication, Opioids, Pain, Palliative Care
Garfield LD, Brown DS, Allaire BT
Psychotropic drug use among preschool children in the Medicaid program from 36 states.
The researchers examined utilization of the most commonly used psychotropic medications among children aged 4 years and younger. They determined the prevalence of and indications for psychotropic medication among preschool children in Medicaid. Their study found that preschoolers are receiving psychotropic medications despite limited evidence supporting safety or efficacy. Medications for attention-deficit disorder/attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder treatment were most common.
AHRQ-funded; HS020269.
Citation: Garfield LD, Brown DS, Allaire BT .
Psychotropic drug use among preschool children in the Medicaid program from 36 states.
Am J Public Health 2015 Mar;105(3):524-9. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2014.302258..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medication, Medicaid, Behavioral Health
Gibbons RD, Coca Perraillon M, Hur K
Antidepressant treatment and suicide attempts and self-inflicted injury in children and adolescents.
This study explores the relationship between antidepressant treatment and suicide attempt and self-inflicted injury in depressed children ages 5–17. Using two large claim datasets (LifeLink and MarketScan), the researchers find that after taking into account the time-varying effect of confounders, the apparent link between antidepressant use and suicide attempts and self-inflicted injury is diminished and not statistically significant.
AHRQ-funded; HS021093; HS000084
Citation: Gibbons RD, Coca Perraillon M, Hur K .
Antidepressant treatment and suicide attempts and self-inflicted injury in children and adolescents.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2015 Feb;24(2):208-14. doi: 10.1002/pds.3713..
Keywords: Medication, Children/Adolescents, Depression, Risk
Valet RS, Gebretsadik T, Minton PA
Prevalence and characteristics of medication sharing behavior in a pediatric Medicaid population with asthma.
The researchers described features surrounding the sharing and borrowing of nonprescription medications and examine the effects of this behavior on adverse asthma outcomes among children with asthma. They found a trend toward decreased Asthma Control Test (ACT) score and a higher proportion of patients with ACT scores of 19 or lower among those who shared or borrowed medication.
AHRQ-funded; HS019669.
Citation: Valet RS, Gebretsadik T, Minton PA .
Prevalence and characteristics of medication sharing behavior in a pediatric Medicaid population with asthma.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2015 Feb;114(2):151-3. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2014.11.007..
Keywords: Medication, Children/Adolescents, Medicaid, Asthma, Adverse Drug Events (ADE)
Olfson M, Gerhard T
Re-examining antidepressant risk of self-injury in children and adolescents.
This commentary discusses issues raised in the study by Gibbons, et al. that focused on the association between antidepressant treatment and risk of medically injurious self-inflicted harm in young people diagnosed with depression. One example is the threat of unmeasured confounding that arises from the wide range of self-injury risk factors that are not represented in claims data.
AHRQ-funded; HS021112.
Citation: Olfson M, Gerhard T .
Re-examining antidepressant risk of self-injury in children and adolescents.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2015 Feb;24(2):215-7. doi: 10.1002/pds.3737..
Keywords: Medication, Children/Adolescents, Depression, Risk
Rust G, Zhang S, Holloway K
Timing of emergency department visits for childhood asthma after initial inhaled corticosteroid use.
This study measured the incidence and timing of emergency department (ED) visits in the first 90 days after an initial inhaled corticosteroid prescription (ICS-Rx). It found that one in 5 children with asthma had at least 1 ED visit in the first 90 days after initial ICS-Rx; 10 percent of these visits occurred within the first 48 hours, and 25 percent occurred within the first week.
AHRQ-funded; HS022444; HS019470.
Citation: Rust G, Zhang S, Holloway K .
Timing of emergency department visits for childhood asthma after initial inhaled corticosteroid use.
Popul Health Manag 2015 Feb;18(1):54-60. doi: 10.1089/pop.2013.0126..
Keywords: Asthma, Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Medication
Feinstein J, Dai D, Zhong W
Potential drug-drug interactions in infant, child, and adolescent patients in children's hospitals.
This study assessed the prevalence and characteristics of potential drug-drug interactions (PDDI) among pediatric patients treated in children’s hospitals. It found that exposure to “major” potential drug2drug interactions occurs in 41 percent of pediatric hospitalizations in children’s hospitals. One-half of all these exposures were due to less common specific drug pairs (3 percent of patients exposed per hospital day).
AHRQ-funded; HS018425.
Citation: Feinstein J, Dai D, Zhong W .
Potential drug-drug interactions in infant, child, and adolescent patients in children's hospitals.
Pediatrics 2015 Jan;135(1):e99-108. doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-2015..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Patient Safety, Medication
Christian RB, Gaynes BN, Saavedra LM
Use of antipsychotic medications in pediatric and young adult populations: future research needs.
This article describes and prioritizes future research needs regarding antipsychotic treatment in youth, focusing on within-class and between-class drug comparisons with regard to key population subgroups, efficacy and effectiveness outcomes, and adverse event outcomes. Future research needs are delineated in detail as well as study designs that could be used to address them.
AHRQ-funded; 290200710056I.
Citation: Christian RB, Gaynes BN, Saavedra LM .
Use of antipsychotic medications in pediatric and young adult populations: future research needs.
J Psychiatr Pract 2015 Jan;21(1):26-36. doi: 10.1097/01.pra.0000460619.10429.4c..
Keywords: Medication, Children/Adolescents, Behavioral Health, Comparative Effectiveness, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research