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
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Dialysis (1)
- (-) Healthcare Costs (11)
- Health Insurance (1)
- Health Systems (1)
- Hospital Discharge (1)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Hospitals (4)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (1)
- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
- Medicaid (1)
- Medicare (8)
- Orthopedics (1)
- (-) Payment (11)
- Policy (1)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Provider: Health Personnel (1)
- Provider Performance (3)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Surgery (2)
- Vulnerable Populations (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 11 of 11 Research Studies DisplayedNathan H, Dimick JB
Opportunities for surgical leadership in managing population health costs.
The concept of population health management—long a mainstay in primary care and chronic disease management—is taking root in surgery. The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) ushered in the implementation of several innovative payment models that shift accountability for population costs to health systems and providers. The authors discuss the implications of th trends for the surgical profession.
AHRQ-funded; HS024763.
Citation: Nathan H, Dimick JB .
Opportunities for surgical leadership in managing population health costs.
Ann Surg 2016 Dec;264(6):909-10. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000001759.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Payment, Provider: Health Personnel, Surgery
Peiris D, Phipps-Taylor MC, Stachowski CA
ACOs holding commercial contracts are larger and more efficient than noncommercial ACOs.
The researchers examined differences between commercial accountable care organizations (ACOs) and noncommercial ACOs. They found that among all ACOs, there was low uptake of quality and efficiency activities; commercial ACOs reported more use of disease monitoring tools, patient satisfaction data, and quality improvement methods; and about two-thirds of the ACOs had established processes for distributing any savings accrued. They concluded that ACO delivery systems remain at a nascent stage.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Peiris D, Phipps-Taylor MC, Stachowski CA .
ACOs holding commercial contracts are larger and more efficient than noncommercial ACOs.
Health Aff 2016 Oct;35(10):1849-56. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0387.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Payment, Health Systems, Medicaid, Medicare
Ellimoottil C, Ryan AM, Hou H
Medicare's new bundled payment for joint replacement may penalize hospitals that treat medically complex patients.
Using Medicare claims for patients in Michigan who underwent lower extremity joint replacement in the period 2011-13, the researchers applied payment methods analogous to those CMS intends to use in determining annual bonuses or penalties (reconciliation payments) to hospitals. Their findings suggest that CMS should include risk adjustment in the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement program and in future bundled payment programs.
AHRQ-funded; HS024193; HS018546.
Citation: Ellimoottil C, Ryan AM, Hou H .
Medicare's new bundled payment for joint replacement may penalize hospitals that treat medically complex patients.
Health Aff 2016 Sep;35(9):1651-7. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0263.
.
.
Keywords: Medicare, Payment, Healthcare Costs, Orthopedics, Provider Performance
Colla CH, Lewis VA, Kao LS
Association between Medicare accountable care organization implementation and spending among clinically vulnerable beneficiaries.
The purpose of this cohort study was to examine the effect of Medicare accountable care organization (ACO) contracts on both spending and high-cost institutional utilization for all Medicare beneficiaries and for clinically vulnerable beneficiaries. The main outcomes and measures for this study were total spending per beneficiary-quarter, spending categories, utilization of hospitals and emergency departments, ambulatory care sensitive admissions, and 30-day readmissions. The study found that total spending decreased by $34 per beneficiary-quarter after implementation of ACO contracts across the overall Medicare population and decreased $114 in clinically vulnerable patients. In the overall Medicare cohort, hospitalizations and emergency department visits decreased by 1.3 and 3.0 events per 1000 beneficiaries per quarter, respectively. Hospitalizations and emergency department visits decreased in the clinically vulnerable cohort by 2.9 and 4.1 events per 1000 beneficiaries per quarter, respectively. Variations in total spending related with ACOs did not differ by clinical condition of beneficiaries.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Colla CH, Lewis VA, Kao LS .
Association between Medicare accountable care organization implementation and spending among clinically vulnerable beneficiaries.
JAMA Intern Med 2016 Aug;176(8):1167-75. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.2827.
.
.
Keywords: Medicare, Policy, Healthcare Costs, Payment, Vulnerable Populations
Erickson KF, Winkelmayer WC, Chertow GM
Effects of physician payment reform on provision of home dialysis.
The investigators evaluated whether Medicare payment reform influenced dialysis modality assignment. They concluded that transition from a capitated to a tiered fee-for-service payment model for in-center hemodialysis care resulted in fewer patients receiving home dialysis.
AHRQ-funded; HS019178.
Citation: Erickson KF, Winkelmayer WC, Chertow GM .
Effects of physician payment reform on provision of home dialysis.
Am J Manag Care 2016 Jun;22(6):e215-23.
.
.
Keywords: Dialysis, Healthcare Costs, Kidney Disease and Health, Payment, Practice Patterns
Brown TT, Robinson JC
Reference pricing with endogenous or exogenous payment limits: impacts on insurer and consumer spending.
The authors extended reference pricing (RP) models to a hospital context focusing on insurer and consumer payments. They found that, for 2 years following RP implementation, insurer payments to high-price and low-price hospitals moved downward, consistent with endogenous RP. When the reference price was not reset to account for changes in market prices, insurer payments to low-price hospitals reverted to pre-implementation levels, consistent with exogenous RP.
AHRQ-funded; HS022098.
Citation: Brown TT, Robinson JC .
Reference pricing with endogenous or exogenous payment limits: impacts on insurer and consumer spending.
Health Econ 2016 Jun;25(6):740-9. doi: 10.1002/hec.3181.
.
.
Keywords: Payment, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Hospitals
Das A, Norton EC, Miller DC
Adding a spending metric to Medicare's value-based purchasing program rewarded low-quality hospitals.
In fiscal year 2015 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expanded its Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program by rewarding or penalizing hospitals for their performance on both spending and quality. Using data from 2,679 US hospitals that participated in the program in fiscal years 2014 and 2015, researchers found that the new emphasis on spending rewarded not only low-spending hospitals but some low-quality hospitals as well.
AHRQ-funded; HS020671.
Citation: Das A, Norton EC, Miller DC .
Adding a spending metric to Medicare's value-based purchasing program rewarded low-quality hospitals.
Health Aff 2016 May;35(5):898-906. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1190.
.
.
Keywords: Medicare, Provider Performance, Payment, Hospitals, Healthcare Costs, Quality of Care
Callaghan BC, Burke JF, Skolarus LE
Medicare's reimbursement reduction for nerve conduction studies: effect on use and payments.
The purpose of this research letter was to investigate the effect of the sharp reduction in Medicare reimbursement for electromyography (EMG) while the reimbursement for nerve conduction studies (NCS) remained unchanged. They found that the use of EMG by neurologists and physiatrists changed little, whereas a decrease in its use among other health care providers was observed. They concluded that the pattern of change in use of EMG and NCS suggests findings similar to those in past studies of Medicare reimbursement with regard to reducing inappropriate, but not appropriate, testing and treatment.
AHRQ-funded; HS022258.
Citation: Callaghan BC, Burke JF, Skolarus LE .
Medicare's reimbursement reduction for nerve conduction studies: effect on use and payments.
JAMA Intern Med 2016 May;176(5):697-9. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.0162.
.
.
Keywords: Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Healthcare Costs, Payment, Medicare
Sjoding MW, Valley TS, Prescott HC
Rising billing for intermediate intensive care among hospitalized Medicare bbetween 1996 and 2010.
This study characterized trends in intermediate care use among U.S. hospitals. Only 8.2 percent of Medicare hospitalizations in 1996 were billed for intermediate care, but billing steadily increased to 22.8 percent by 2010, whereas the percentage billed for ICU care and ward-only care declined. Patients billed for intermediate care had more acute organ failures diagnoses codes compared with general ward patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS020672.
Citation: Sjoding MW, Valley TS, Prescott HC .
Rising billing for intermediate intensive care among hospitalized Medicare bbetween 1996 and 2010.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2016 Jan 15;193(2):163-70. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201506-1252OC.
.
.
Keywords: Payment, Hospitals, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Healthcare Costs, Medicare
Das A, Norton EC, Miller DC
Association of postdischarge spending and performance on new episode-based spending measure.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently added the Medicare Spending per Beneficiary (MSPB) metric to its Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP) program. The researchers evaluated whether hospital performance was driven by spending before, during, or after hospitalization. They found that compared with low-cost hospitals, high-cost hospitals had significantly higher preadmission and index admission spending, but the largest differences were in postdischarge spending.
AHRQ-funded; HS020671.
Citation: Das A, Norton EC, Miller DC .
Association of postdischarge spending and performance on new episode-based spending measure.
JAMA Intern Med 2016 Jan;176(1):117-9. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.6261.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Hospitals, Provider Performance, Hospitalization, Payment, Hospital Discharge
Hawken SR, Ryan AM, Miller DC
Surgery and Medicare shared savings program accountable care organizations.
The researchers investigated the degree to which surgeons and other specialists are participating in Medicare Shared Savings Programs, and whether such specialist integration influences accountable care organization (ACO) performance. They found that participation by surgeons and other specialists in Medicare ACO programs is highly variable. Some ACOs include many specialists who are tightly integrated with primary care physicians, while others consist solely of primary care physicians.
AHRQ-funded; HS018546.
Citation: Hawken SR, Ryan AM, Miller DC .
Surgery and Medicare shared savings program accountable care organizations.
JAMA Surg 2016 Jan;151(1):5-6. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2015.2772.
.
.
Keywords: Surgery, Medicare, Payment, Healthcare Costs