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) (6)
- Adverse Events (12)
- Antibiotics (1)
- Back Health and Pain (1)
- Behavioral Health (4)
- Blood Pressure (3)
- Blood Thinners (2)
- Brain Injury (1)
- Cancer (7)
- Cancer: Breast Cancer (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (7)
- Caregiving (1)
- Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) (2)
- Children/Adolescents (2)
- Chronic Conditions (3)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (2)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (2)
- Clostridium difficile Infections (2)
- Communication (1)
- Community-Acquired Infections (2)
- Comparative Effectiveness (2)
- Decision Making (3)
- Dementia (2)
- Depression (2)
- Diabetes (9)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (2)
- Digestive Disease and Health (1)
- Disparities (2)
- Elderly (9)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (6)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (3)
- Falls (4)
- Guidelines (1)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (7)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (5)
- Healthcare Costs (2)
- Healthcare Delivery (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (4)
- Health Literacy (1)
- Health Promotion (1)
- Health Status (4)
- Health Systems (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (5)
- Hepatitis (2)
- Hospital Discharge (1)
- Hospitalization (2)
- Hospital Readmissions (7)
- Hospitals (3)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (1)
- Injuries and Wounds (3)
- Inpatient Care (2)
- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
- Lifestyle Changes (2)
- Long-Term Care (2)
- Low-Income (1)
- Medicaid (1)
- Medical Devices (1)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (1)
- Medication (11)
- Mortality (5)
- Neurological Disorders (1)
- Newborns/Infants (1)
- Nursing (1)
- Nursing Homes (1)
- Nutrition (1)
- Obesity (4)
- Opioids (1)
- Organizational Change (1)
- Orthopedics (1)
- Osteoporosis (1)
- Pain (1)
- Palliative Care (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (7)
- Patient Safety (15)
- Pneumonia (1)
- Prevention (7)
- Primary Care (1)
- Quality Improvement (2)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (5)
- Registries (1)
- (-) Risk (71)
- Screening (1)
- Sepsis (2)
- Sex Factors (2)
- Skin Conditions (2)
- Social Determinants of Health (1)
- Stroke (1)
- Substance Abuse (1)
- Surgery (12)
- Tobacco Use (1)
- Tools & Toolkits (1)
- Transitions of Care (1)
- Transplantation (1)
- Trauma (1)
- Treatments (1)
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (1)
- Urban Health (1)
- Young Adults (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
51 to 71 of 71 Research Studies DisplayedHoffman GJ, Hays RD, Wallace SP
Receipt of caregiving and fall risk in US community-dwelling older adults.
The researchers examined whether receipt of low (0-13 weekly hours) and high levels (>/=14 weekly hours) of informal care or any formal care is associated with lower risk of falls and fall-related injuries (FRI) among community-dwelling older adults. They found that among individuals with >/=3 activities of daily living, fall risks were reduced by 21 percent for those receiving high levels of informal care.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Hoffman GJ, Hays RD, Wallace SP .
Receipt of caregiving and fall risk in US community-dwelling older adults.
Med Care 2017 Apr;55(4):371-78. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000677.
.
.
Keywords: Caregiving, Elderly, Falls, Risk, Patient Safety
Harris AD, Pineles L, Anderson D
Which comorbid conditions should we be analyzing as risk factors for healthcare-associated infections?
This study sought to determine which comorbid conditions are considered causally related to central-line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) and surgical-site infection (SSI) based on expert consensus. Its results have produced a list of comorbid conditions that should be analyzed as risk factors for and further explored for risk adjustment of CLABSI and SSI.
AHRQ-funded; HS022291.
Citation: Harris AD, Pineles L, Anderson D .
Which comorbid conditions should we be analyzing as risk factors for healthcare-associated infections?
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017 Apr;38(4):449-54. doi: 10.1017/ice.2016.314.
.
.
Keywords: Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Risk, Surgery
Chang PW, Kuzniewicz MW, McCulloch CE
A clinical prediction rule for rebound hyperbilirubinemia following inpatient phototherapy.
The American Academy of Pediatrics provides little guidance on when to discontinue phototherapy in newborns treated for hyperbilirubinemia. In this study, the investigators sought to develop a prediction rule to estimate the probability of rebound hyperbilirubinemia after inpatient phototherapy. They concluded that the risk of rebound hyperbilirubinemia can be quantified according to an infant's gestational age, age at phototherapy initiation, and total serum bilirubin relative to the treatment threshold at phototherapy termination.
AHRQ-funded; HS020618.
Citation: Chang PW, Kuzniewicz MW, McCulloch CE .
A clinical prediction rule for rebound hyperbilirubinemia following inpatient phototherapy.
Pediatrics 2017 Mar;139(3):1-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-2896..
Keywords: Decision Making, Evidence-Based Practice, Newborns/Infants, Risk
Naidech AM, Toledo P, Prabhakaran S
Disparities in the use of seizure medications after intracerebral hemorrhage.
The researchers investigated potential disparities in the use of prophylactic seizure medications in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. They concluded that although multicenter electronic health record data showed apparent racial/ethnic disparities in the use of prophylactic seizure medications, a more complete single-center cohort found the apparent disparity to be confounded by the clinical factors of hypertension and hematoma location.
AHRQ-funded; HS023437; HS000078.
Citation: Naidech AM, Toledo P, Prabhakaran S .
Disparities in the use of seizure medications after intracerebral hemorrhage.
Stroke 2017 Mar;48(3):802-04. doi: 10.1161/strokeaha.116.015779.
.
.
Keywords: Disparities, Medication, Prevention, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Risk
McMahon BJ, Bruden D, Townsend-Bulson L
Infection with hepatitis C virus genotype 3 is an independent risk factor for end-stage liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related death.
The researchers examined the association of 11 risk factors with adverse outcomes in a population-based prospective cohort observational study of Alaska Native/American Indian persons with chronic infection. They found those infected with HCV genotype 3 to be at high risk for end-stage liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related death.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: McMahon BJ, Bruden D, Townsend-Bulson L .
Infection with hepatitis C virus genotype 3 is an independent risk factor for end-stage liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related death.
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2017 Mar;15(3):431-37.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2016.10.012.
.
.
Keywords: Hepatitis, Cancer, Kidney Disease and Health, Risk, Mortality
Diaz KM, Booth JN, 3rd, Seals SR
Physical activity and incident hypertension in African Americans: the Jackson Heart Study.
The purpose of this study was to examine the association of physical activity with incident hypertension among African Americans. It found no statistically significant associations observed for overall physical activity, or work, active living, and household-related physical activities. Results suggest that regular moderate-vigorous physical activity or sport/exercise-related physical activity may reduce the risk of developing hypertension in African Americans.
AHRQ-funded; HS023009.
Citation: Diaz KM, Booth JN, 3rd, Seals SR .
Physical activity and incident hypertension in African Americans: the Jackson Heart Study.
Hypertension 2017 Mar;69(3):421-27. doi: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.116.08398.
.
.
Keywords: Blood Pressure, Lifestyle Changes, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Risk
Wang SV, Rogers JR, Jin Y
Use of electronic healthcare records to identify complex patients with atrial fibrillation for targeted intervention.
The researchers tested algorithms for identifying atrial fibrillation (AF) patients who also have known risk factors for stroke and major bleeding using electronic healthcare records (EHRs) data. The performance of candidate algorithms in 1000 bootstrap resamples was compared to a gold standard of manual chart review by experienced resident physicians of 480 patient charts. For 11 conditions, the median positive predictive value of the EHR-derived algorithms was greater than 0.90.
AHRQ-funded; HS022193.
Citation: Wang SV, Rogers JR, Jin Y .
Use of electronic healthcare records to identify complex patients with atrial fibrillation for targeted intervention.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2017 Mar 1;24(2):339-44. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocw082.
.
.
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Risk
Graboyes EM, Kallogjeri D, Saeed MJ
30-day hospital readmission following otolaryngology surgery: analysis of a state inpatient database.
Researchers sought to determine patient and hospital-level risk factors associated with 30-day readmission for patients undergoing inpatient otolaryngologic surgery. Approximately one out of 12 patients undergoing otolaryngologic surgery had a 30-day readmission. Readmissions occur across a variety of types of procedures and hospitals. Most of the variability was driven by patient-specific factors, not structural hospital characteristics.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Graboyes EM, Kallogjeri D, Saeed MJ .
30-day hospital readmission following otolaryngology surgery: analysis of a state inpatient database.
Laryngoscope 2017 Feb;127(2):337-45. doi: 10.1002/lary.25997.
.
.
Keywords: Adverse Events, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospital Readmissions, Risk, Surgery
Frei CR, Rehani S, Lee GC
Application of a risk score to identify older adults with community-onset pneumonia most likely to benefit from empiric pseudomonas therapy.
The researchers assessed the impact of empiric Pseudomonas pharmacotherapy on 30-day mortality in hospitalized patients with community-onset pneumonia stratified according to their risk (low, medium, or high) of drug-resistant pathogens. By using a risk score, they found that empiric Pseudomonas therapy was associated with lower 30-day mortality in the high-risk group but not the low- or medium-risk groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Frei CR, Rehani S, Lee GC .
Application of a risk score to identify older adults with community-onset pneumonia most likely to benefit from empiric pseudomonas therapy.
Pharmacotherapy 2017 Feb;37(2):195-203. doi: 10.1002/phar.1891.
.
.
Keywords: Elderly, Community-Acquired Infections, Pneumonia, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Risk
Hart R, Veenstra DL, Boudreau DM
Impact of body mass index and genetics on warfarin major bleeding outcomes in a community setting.
The researchers conducted a case-control study to evaluate the association between body mass index and major bleeding risk among patients receiving warfarin. They found that obese patients had significantly lower major bleeding risk relative to non-obese patients . An exploratory analysis indicated a statistically significant interaction between CYP4F2*3 genetic status and obesity.
AHRQ-funded; HS022982.
Citation: Hart R, Veenstra DL, Boudreau DM .
Impact of body mass index and genetics on warfarin major bleeding outcomes in a community setting.
Am J Med 2017 Feb;130(2):222-28. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.08.017.
.
.
Keywords: Blood Thinners, Obesity, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Risk, Adverse Events
Jutkowitz E, MacLehose RF, Gaugler JE
Risk factors associated with cognitive, functional, and behavioral trajectories of newly diagnosed dementia patients.
This study examined the effect of sociodemographic and clinical risk factors on cognitive, functional, and behavioral declines in incident dementia patients. Age of onset, region of residence, and history of hypertension and psychiatric problems predicted behaviors at diagnosis. Cognition explained changes in behavior. Sociodemographic characteristics and clinical comorbidities predicted cognitive and functional changes. Only cognitive status explained behavioral decline.
AHRQ-funded; HS024165.
Citation: Jutkowitz E, MacLehose RF, Gaugler JE .
Risk factors associated with cognitive, functional, and behavioral trajectories of newly diagnosed dementia patients.
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2017 Feb;72(2):251-58. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glw079.
.
.
Keywords: Dementia, Elderly, Behavioral Health, Neurological Disorders, Risk, Social Determinants of Health
Dreyer RP, Sciria C, Spatz ES
Young women with acute myocardial infarction: current perspectives.
The purpose of this cardiovascular perspective piece is to review recent studies of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in young women. More specifically, it emphasizes differences in the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of AMI in young women (when compared with men) across the continuum of care, including their pre-AMI, in-hospital, and post-AMI periods, and highlights gaps in knowledge and outcomes that can inform the next generation of research.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Dreyer RP, Sciria C, Spatz ES .
Young women with acute myocardial infarction: current perspectives.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2017 Feb;10(2). doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.116.003480.
.
.
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Health Status, Heart Disease and Health, Risk
Haas JS, Baer HJ, Eibensteiner K
A cluster randomized trial of a personalized multi-condition risk assessment in primary care.
This study evaluated whether collection of risk factors to generate electronic health record (EHR)-linked health risk appraisal (HRA) for coronary heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer was associated with improved patient-provider communication, risk assessment, and plans for breast cancer screening. It concluded that patient-reported risk factors and EHR-linked multi-condition HRAs in primary care can modestly improve communication and promote accuracy of self-perceived risk.
AHRQ-funded; HS018644.
Citation: Haas JS, Baer HJ, Eibensteiner K .
A cluster randomized trial of a personalized multi-condition risk assessment in primary care.
Am J Prev Med 2017 Jan;52(1):100-05. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2016.07.013.
.
.
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Primary Care, Clinician-Patient Communication, Risk
Saeed MJ, Olsen MA, Powderly WG
Diabetes mellitus is associated with higher risk of developing decompensated cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis C patients.
This study investigated the association of diabetes with risk of decompensated cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). In a privately insured US population with CHC, the rates of decompensated cirrhosis per 1000 person-years were: 185.5 for persons with baseline cirrhosis and diabetes, 119.8 for persons with cirrhosis and no diabetes, 35.3 for persons with no cirrhosis and diabetes, and 17.1 for persons with no cirrhosis and no diabetes.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Saeed MJ, Olsen MA, Powderly WG .
Diabetes mellitus is associated with higher risk of developing decompensated cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis C patients.
J Clin Gastroenterol 2017 Jan;51(1):70-76. doi: 10.1097/mcg.0000000000000566.
.
.
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Diabetes, Hepatitis, Risk
de Cordova PB, Johansen ML, Martinez ME
Emergency department weekend presentation and mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
The purpose of this research was to determine if weekend and holiday presentation is associated with increased mortality in EDs among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in New Jersey. It found that weekend/holiday presentation to the ED for AMI was associated with increased mortality. The effect may be related to the limited availability of resources on weekend/holidays compared to weekdays.
AHRQ-funded; HS024339.
Citation: de Cordova PB, Johansen ML, Martinez ME .
Emergency department weekend presentation and mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Nurs Res 2017 Jan/Feb;66(1):20-27. doi: 10.1097/nnr.0000000000000196.
.
.
Keywords: Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Emergency Department, Mortality, Heart Disease and Health, Risk
Kantor R, Silverberg JI
Environmental risk factors and their role in the management of atopic dermatitis.
The authors review the role of prenatal exposures, irritants and pruritogens, pathogens, climate factors, including temperature, humidity, ultraviolet radiation, outdoor and indoor air pollutants, tobacco smoke exposure, water hardness, urban vs. rural living, diet, breastfeeding, probiotics and prebiotics on atopic dermatitis (AD). They argue that understanding these complex risk factors is crucial to developing targeted interventions to prevent the disease in millions.
AHRQ-funded; HS023011.
Citation: Kantor R, Silverberg JI .
Environmental risk factors and their role in the management of atopic dermatitis.
Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2017 Jan;13(1):15-26. doi: 10.1080/1744666x.2016.1212660.
.
.
Keywords: Risk, Prevention, Healthcare Delivery
Nabozny MJ, Kruser JM, Steffens NM
Patient-reported limitations to surgical buy-in: a qualitative study of patients facing high-risk surgery.
The researchers characterized how patients buy-in to treatments beyond the operating room and what limits they would place on additional life-supporting treatments. Their recordings of patients' pre- and post-operative conversations with surgeons showed that patients expressed trust in their surgeon to make decisions about additional treatments if a serious complication occurred. However, patients expressed a preference for significant treatment limitations that were not discussed with their surgeon preoperatively.
AHRQ-funded; HS000078.
Citation: Nabozny MJ, Kruser JM, Steffens NM .
Patient-reported limitations to surgical buy-in: a qualitative study of patients facing high-risk surgery.
Ann Surg 2017 Jan;265(1):97-102. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000001645.
.
.
Keywords: Surgery, Palliative Care, Risk, Clinician-Patient Communication, Patient Safety
Goodwin JS, Zhou J, Kuo YF
Risk of jaw osteonecrosis after intravenous bisphosphonates in cancer patients and patients without cancer.
The researchers compared the risk of jaw osteonecrosis after intravenous (IV) bisphosphonate administered to patients with cancer vs patients without cancer. During follow-up, 40 (0.42 percent) out of 9,482 patients with cancer developed probable jaw osteonecrosis compared with 8 (0.05 percent) out of 16,046 patients without cancer.
AHRQ-funded; HS022134.
Citation: Goodwin JS, Zhou J, Kuo YF .
Risk of jaw osteonecrosis after intravenous bisphosphonates in cancer patients and patients without cancer.
Mayo Clin Proc 2017 Jan;92(1):106-13. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.09.015.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer, Osteoporosis, Risk, Medication, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Leung MY, Carlsson NP, Colditz GA
The burden of obesity on diabetes in the United States: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2008 to 2012.
The researchers analyzed the risk of developing diabetes and the annual cost of diabetes for a US general population. Their results suggested that the annual health care expenditure differentials between those with and without diabetes of age 50 years were the highest for individuals with class II ($12,907) and class III ($9,703) obesity.
AHRQ-funded; HS022330.
Citation: Leung MY, Carlsson NP, Colditz GA .
The burden of obesity on diabetes in the United States: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2008 to 2012.
Value Health 2017 Jan;20(1):77-84. doi: 10.1016/j.jval.2016.08.735.
.
.
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Obesity, Diabetes, Healthcare Costs, Risk
Sohn MW, Epstein N, Huang ES
Visit-to-visit systolic blood pressure variability and microvascular complications among patients with diabetes.
This study examined the relationship between systolic blood pressure (SBP) variability and the risk of microvascular complications in a non-elderly diabetic population. Compared to individuals with the least SBP variability (Quartile 1), those with most variability (Quartile 4) had 81 percent and 19 percent higher incidence of nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, and any complication, respectively, after adjusting for mean SBP, demographic and clinical factors.
AHRQ-funded; HS018542.
Citation: Sohn MW, Epstein N, Huang ES .
Visit-to-visit systolic blood pressure variability and microvascular complications among patients with diabetes.
J Diabetes Complications 2017 Jan;31(1):195-201. doi: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2016.09.003.
.
.
Keywords: Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Risk, Chronic Conditions
Nguyen OK, Makam AN, Clark C
Vital signs are still vital: instability on discharge and the risk of post-discharge adverse outcomes.
This study assessed the association between vital sign instability at hospital discharge and post-discharge adverse outcomes. Having two or more vital sign instabilities at discharge had a positive predictive value of 22 percent and positive likelihood ratio of 1.8 for 30-day death or readmission. Vital sign instability on discharge is thus associated with increased risk-adjusted rates of 30-day mortality and readmission.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Nguyen OK, Makam AN, Clark C .
Vital signs are still vital: instability on discharge and the risk of post-discharge adverse outcomes.
J Gen Intern Med 2017 Jan;32(1):42-48. doi: 10.1007/s11606-016-3826-8.
.
.
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Risk