National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (1)
- Diabetes (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (2)
- Evidence-Based Practice (2)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (1)
- Healthcare Delivery (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (2)
- Health Systems (1)
- Hospital Readmissions (1)
- Hospitals (3)
- Implementation (1)
- Infectious Diseases (1)
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- Nursing Homes (2)
- Organizational Change (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Patient Safety (1)
- Payment (2)
- Prevention (1)
- Primary Care (2)
- (-) Provider Performance (15)
- (-) Quality Improvement (15)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (1)
- Quality Measures (6)
- Quality of Care (14)
- Respiratory Conditions (1)
- Risk (1)
- Sepsis (1)
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 15 of 15 Research Studies DisplayedRosenthal M, Shortell S, Shah ND
Physician practices in Accountable Care Organizations are more likely to collect and use physician performance information, yet base only a small proportion of compensation on performance data.
The purpose of this study was to characterize the strategies that physician practices use to improve clinician performance and determine their association with accountable care organizations (ACOs) and other payment reforms. The investigators concluded that ACO-affiliated practices are using more performance improvement strategies than other practices, but base only a small fraction of compensation on quality or cost.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Rosenthal M, Shortell S, Shah ND .
Physician practices in Accountable Care Organizations are more likely to collect and use physician performance information, yet base only a small proportion of compensation on performance data.
Health Serv Res 2019 Dec;54(6):1214-22. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13238..
Keywords: Provider Performance, Payment, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Barbash IJ, Kahn JM
Sepsis quality in safety-net hospitals: an analysis of Medicare's SEP-1 performance measure.
Researchers studied the relationship between hospital safety-net status and performance on Medicare's SEP-1 quality measure. Data from 2827 hospitals were analyzed. They found that existing sepsis policies may harm safety-net hospitals and widen health disparities. They suggest that strategies to promote collaboration among hospitals may be an avenue for sepsis performance improvement in these hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS025455.
Citation: Barbash IJ, Kahn JM .
Sepsis quality in safety-net hospitals: an analysis of Medicare's SEP-1 performance measure.
J Crit Care 2019 Dec;54:88-93. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2019.08.009.
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Keywords: Sepsis, Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Hospitals, Provider Performance, Quality Improvement
Sharma H, Konetzka RT, Smieliauskas F
The relationship between reported staffing and expenditures in nursing homes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024967.
Citation: Sharma H, Konetzka RT, Smieliauskas F .
The relationship between reported staffing and expenditures in nursing homes.
Med Care Res Rev 2019 Dec 1;76(6):758-83. doi: 10.1177/1077558717739214..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Provider Performance, Medicare
Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Englesbe MJ
Hospital-acquired condition reduction program is not associated with additional patient safety improvement.
In 2013 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it would begin levying penalties against hospitals with the highest rates of hospital-acquired conditions through the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program. This study evaluates whether the program has been successful in improving patient safety or not. The investigators concluded that the program did not improve patient safety in Michigan beyond existing trends.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053; HS026244.
Citation: Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Englesbe MJ .
Hospital-acquired condition reduction program is not associated with additional patient safety improvement.
Health Aff 2019 Nov;38(11):1858-65. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05504..
Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Patient Safety, Provider Performance, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Infectious Diseases, Payment
White CM, Coleman CI, Jackman K
AHRQ series on improving translation of evidence: linking evidence reports and performance measures to help learning health systems use new information for improvement.
This paper analyzed ways to enhance usability of AHRQ’s Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) reports. The reports are often lengthy and difficult for users to navigate. A quality measure index was created to allow health systems to more efficiently access relevant information. A test was created where two tables were embedded in an EPC report. The first identified quality measures covered by the report descriptively. The second contained page numbers in the executive summary which hyperlinked to those pages with the quality measures. An exercise with two health system-targeted scenarios was then created. The participants were timed how long it took to find answers to scenario questions and gave feedback. It was found that it took 63.4% less time to find quality measure information with the hyperlinked indexing tables than without. The participants felt that the tables were easy to use and more user friendly to health systems.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2019 Oct;45(10):706-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2019.05.002.
Citation: White CM, Coleman CI, Jackman K .
AHRQ series on improving translation of evidence: linking evidence reports and performance measures to help learning health systems use new information for improvement.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2019 Oct;45(10):706-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2019.05.002..
Keywords: Implementation, Evidence-Based Practice, Health Systems, Learning Health Systems, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Provider Performance, Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Parchman ML, Anderson ML, Dorr DA
A randomized trial of external practice support to improve cardiovascular risk factors in primary care.
Researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of adding various forms of enhanced external support to practice facilitation on primary care practices' clinical quality measure (CQM) performance. They concluded that, although they found no significant differences in CQM performance across study arms, the ability of a practice to reach a target level of performance may be enhanced by adding both educational outreach visits and shared learning to practice facilitation.
AHRQ-funded; HS023908.
Citation: Parchman ML, Anderson ML, Dorr DA .
A randomized trial of external practice support to improve cardiovascular risk factors in primary care.
Ann Fam Med 2019 Aug 12;17(Suppl 1):S40-s49. doi: 10.1370/afm.2407..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Provider Performance, Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Risk, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Chronic Conditions
Perraillon MC, Brauner DJ, Konetzka RT
Nursing home response to Nursing Home Compare: the provider perspective.
This paper examined the validity of quality ratings of nursing homes with Nursing Home Compare (NHC) and assessed the views of nursing home administrators and staff. There was a conflict found between improving ratings and competing goals of maximizing profits and avoidance of litigation. Since the NHC is self-reported there is controversy on its validity due to self-reporting bias.
AHRQ-funded; HS018718.
Citation: Perraillon MC, Brauner DJ, Konetzka RT .
Nursing home response to Nursing Home Compare: the provider perspective.
Med Care Res Rev 2019 Aug;76(4):425-43. doi: 10.1177/1077558717725165..
Keywords: Long-Term Care, Nursing Homes, Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Chen PG, Harrison MI, Bergofsky LR
AHRQ Author: Harrison MI, Bergofsky LR
Use of internal performance measurement to guide improvement within medical groups.
The purpose of this study was to investigate how medical groups use measures of quality, cost, and patient experience of care for performance improvement. Through interviews, findings showed that strategies for using internal measurement for quality improvement included taking a gradual, iterative approach and setting clear goals with high priority, finding workable approaches to data sharing, and fostering engagement by focusing on actionable measures. Measurement was also used to check accuracy of external performance reports, clarify and manage conflicting external measurement requirements, and prepare for anticipated external measurement requirements. Most respondents did not report a need to assess costs of internal measurement or the capacity to do so.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500026I.
Citation: Chen PG, Harrison MI, Bergofsky LR .
Use of internal performance measurement to guide improvement within medical groups.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2019 Jul;45(7):487-94. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2019.02.009..
Keywords: Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Provider Performance, Patient Experience, Quality of Care
Hung DY, Harrison MI, Liang SY
AHRQ Author: Harrison MI
Contextual conditions and performance improvement in primary care.
This study examined organizational features of primary care clinics that had gone through Lean redesigns and had experienced the greatest performance improvements. They surveyed 1333 physicians and staff in 43 primary care clinics across a large primary care system. They found that clinics with prior experience with quality improvement had the highest increases in efficiency. Clinics reporting the highest levels of burnout and work stress before the redesign also made efficiency gains. Physician productivity gains was associated with a history of change, staff participation and leadership support. The greatest improvements in patient satisfaction occurred where there was the lowest stress levels with highest levels of teamwork, staff engagement and leadership support.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 2902010000221.
Citation: Hung DY, Harrison MI, Liang SY .
Contextual conditions and performance improvement in primary care.
Qual Manag Health Care 2019 Apr/Jun;28(2):70-77. doi: 10.1097/qmh.0000000000000198..
Keywords: Organizational Change, Healthcare Delivery, Primary Care, Provider Performance, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Workflow
Dowding D, Merrill J, Russell D
Using feedback intervention theory to guide clinical dashboard design.
The provision of feedback to clinicians and organizations on the quality of care they provide is thought to influence clinician and organizational behavior leading to care improvements. Clinical Dashboards use data visualization techniques to provide feedback to individuals on their performance compared to quality metrics. In this paper the authors outline a theoretical approach to the design of a clinical dashboard; Feedback Intervention Theory (FIT).
AHRQ-funded; HS023855.
Citation: Dowding D, Merrill J, Russell D .
Using feedback intervention theory to guide clinical dashboard design.
AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2018 Dec 5;2018:395-403..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Kaiser SV, Lam R, Joseph GB
Limitations of using pediatric respiratory illness readmissions to compare hospital performance.
Researcher sought to determine if a National Quality Forum (NQF)-endorsed measure for pediatric lower respiratory illness (LRI) 30-day readmission rates can meaningfully identify high- and low-performing hospitals. Subjects were children with LRI (bronchiolitis, influenza, or pneumonia as primary diagnosis, or with an LRI as a secondary diagnosis with a primary diagnosis of respiratory failure, sepsis, bacteremia, or asthma) from all hospital admissions in California from 2012 to 2014. The researchers were unable to identify meaningful variation in hospital performance without broadening the metric definition and merging multiple years of data. They recommend that utilizers of pediatric-quality measures consider modifying metrics to better evaluate the quality of pediatric care at low-volume hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS024385; HS022835; HS024592; HS025297.
Citation: Kaiser SV, Lam R, Joseph GB .
Limitations of using pediatric respiratory illness readmissions to compare hospital performance.
J Hosp Med 2018 Nov;13(11):737-42. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2988..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Respiratory Conditions, Provider Performance, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Fraze TK, Lewis VA, Tierney E
Quality of care improves for patients with diabetes in Medicare shared savings accountable care organizations: organizational characteristics associated with performance.
This study analyzed secondary data retrospectively to examine Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) Accountable Care Organizations’ performance on diabetes metrics in the first 2 years of ACO contracts in order to determine how ACO organizational characteristics - such as composition, staffing, care management, and experiences with health reform - were associated with quality of care delivered to patients with diabetes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Fraze TK, Lewis VA, Tierney E .
Quality of care improves for patients with diabetes in Medicare shared savings accountable care organizations: organizational characteristics associated with performance.
Popul Health Manag 2018 Oct;21(5):401-08. doi: 10.1089/pop.2017.0102..
Keywords: Diabetes, Quality of Care, Medicare, Provider Performance, Quality Improvement
Quinn CM, Bilimoria KY, Chung JW
Creating individual surgeon performance assessments in a statewide hospital surgical quality improvement collaborative.
In this study, the investigators sought to create surgeon-level comparative assessments within the Illinois Surgical Quality Improvement Collaborative. The investigators found that few individual surgeon performance outliers could be detected in NSQIP clinical registry data for a statewide hospital collaborative over a 30-month period using postoperative patient outcomes. The authors suggest that low surgeon-specific case volumes and minimal variance between surgeons may limit the utility of American College of Surgeons NSQIP outcomes measures for individual profiling.
AHRQ-funded; HS024516.
Citation: Quinn CM, Bilimoria KY, Chung JW .
Creating individual surgeon performance assessments in a statewide hospital surgical quality improvement collaborative.
J Am Coll Surg 2018 Sep;227(3):303-12.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2018.06.002..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Provider Performance, Quality Improvement, Surgery
Dowding D, Merrill JA
The development of heuristics for evaluation of dashboard visualizations.
Heuristic evaluation is used in human-computer interaction studies to assess the usability of information systems. This article develops a heuristic evaluation checklist that can be used to evaluate systems that produce information visualizations. The authors suggest that a checklist of usability heuristics for evaluating information visualization systems can contribute to assuring high quality in electronic data systems developed for health care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023855.
Citation: Dowding D, Merrill JA .
The development of heuristics for evaluation of dashboard visualizations.
Appl Clin Inform 2018 Jul;9(3):511-18. doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1666842..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Bowen ME, Bhat D, Fish J
Improving performance on preventive health quality measures using clinical decision support to capture care done elsewhere and patient exceptions.
This before-after study was conducted to examine the ability of clinical decision support (CDS) to improve performance on preventive quality measures, capture clinician-reported services completed elsewhere, and patient/medical exceptions and to describe their impact on quality measurement.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Bowen ME, Bhat D, Fish J .
Improving performance on preventive health quality measures using clinical decision support to capture care done elsewhere and patient exceptions.
Am J Med Qual 2018 May/Jun;33(3):237-45. doi: 10.1177/1062860617732830..
Keywords: Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Prevention, Provider Performance, Quality Improvement, Quality Measures, Quality Measures