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Topics
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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 10 of 10 Research Studies DisplayedI Auerbach, M Badaki-Makun, O
AHRQ Author: Barata
A research agenda to advance pediatric emergency care through enhanced collaboration across emergency departments.
In 2018, the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine and the journal Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM) convened a consensus conference entitled, "Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference: Aligning the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research Agenda to Reduce Health Outcome Gaps." This article is the product of the breakout session, "Emergency Department Collaboration-Pediatric Emergency Medicine in Non-Children's Hospital."
AHRQ-funded; HS026101.
Citation: I Auerbach, M Badaki-Makun, O .
A research agenda to advance pediatric emergency care through enhanced collaboration across emergency departments.
Acad Emerg Med 2018 Dec;25(12):1415-26. doi: 10.1111/acem.13642..
Keywords: Care Coordination, Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Evidence-Based Practice, Health Services Research (HSR), Outcomes, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Hornor MA, Liu JY, Hu QL
Surgical technical evidence review for acute appendectomy conducted for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery.
This evidence review uses enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs) protocols developed for the AHRQ-funded Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery (ISCR Program) to develop ERPs for acute appendectomy surgery. The authors classified appendicitis into uncomplicated (nonperforated) and complicated (perforated or gangrenous) to help with risk stratification. They identified 13 components for appendectomy for review. The processes are organized by perioperative phase, and each phase includes the rationale, evidence review, summary of guidelines, and a recommendation summary of the evidence for or against inclusion in the ERP. Preoperative management components included: education and counseling; preoperative antibiotics; initial nonsurgical management for perforated appendicitis with abscess or phlegmon, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, delay for operation for 12-24 hours for uncomplicated appendicitis. Intraoperative management components include: laparoscopic surgical technique, peritoneal drain placement, urinary catheter placement, and prophylactic nasogastric tube insertion. Postoperative management components include same-day surgery discharge for uncomplicated appendicitis, antibiotics, early oral alimentation, and early mobilization. Of the ERPs reviewed: there was no evidence to support the routine use of abdominal drainage in patients undergoing appendectomies, urinary catheter insertion for laparoscopic surgery, use of prophylactic nasogastric tube placement, postoperative antibiotic use for uncomplicated appendicitis, and early oral alimentation for uncomplicated appendicitis.
AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Hornor MA, Liu JY, Hu QL .
Surgical technical evidence review for acute appendectomy conducted for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery.
J Am Coll Surg 2018 Dec;227(6):605-17.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2018.09.024..
Keywords: Surgery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes
Likosky DS, Harrington SD, Cabrera L
Collaborative quality improvement reduces postoperative pneumonia after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.
This study examined post cardiac surgery pneumonia rates associated with participation in a statewide, quality improvement collaborative relative to a national physician reporting program. The investigators concluded that participation in a physician-led collaborative was associated with significant reductions in pneumonia relative to a national quality reporting program. They suggest that interventions including collaborative learning may yield superior outcomes relative to solely using physician feedback reporting.
AHRQ-funded; HS022535.
Citation: Likosky DS, Harrington SD, Cabrera L .
Collaborative quality improvement reduces postoperative pneumonia after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2018 Nov;11(11):e004756. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.118.004756..
Keywords: Outcomes, Patient Safety, Pneumonia, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Surgery
Baldwin LM, Fischer MA, Powell J
Virtual educational outreach intervention in primary care based on the principles of academic detailing.
This paper describes the efforts of the Healthy Hearts Northwest (H2N) EvidenceNOW cooperative in providing virtual outreach intervention in primary care based on the principles of academic detailing (AD). EvidenceNOW is AHRQ’s initiative to fund seven regional cooperatives to identify and implement effective strategies to improve the quality of cardiovascular care in communities across the United States. The H2N network covers three states: Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. For this initiative they recruited 259 primary care practices that had 10 full-time or fewer providers and met stage 1 electronic health record meaningful use criteria. The aim was to increase adoption of the four ABCS of heart disease prevention: Aspirin use by high-risk individuals, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation. Due to the long distances and staffing limitations H2N decided to develop an educational outreach program using virtual visits instead of the traditional AD program structure. The findings and outcomes of this program is described in detail in this paper.
AHRQ-funded; HS023236; HS023908.
Citation: Baldwin LM, Fischer MA, Powell J .
Virtual educational outreach intervention in primary care based on the principles of academic detailing.
J Contin Educ Health Prof 2018 Fall;38(4):269-75. doi: 10.1097/ceh.0000000000000224..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Evidence-Based Practice, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Prevention
Carr BG, Kilaru AS, Karp DN
Quality through coopetition: an empiric approach to measure population outcomes for emergency care-sensitive conditions.
Researchers developed a novel approach for measuring regional outcomes for emergency care-sensitive conditions. They identified regional use patterns for emergency conditions requiring a community-wide system response. They concluded that this method of attribution allows regional performance to be benchmarked and could be used to develop population-based outcome measures after life-threatening illness and injury.
AHRQ-funded; HS023614.
Citation: Carr BG, Kilaru AS, Karp DN .
Quality through coopetition: an empiric approach to measure population outcomes for emergency care-sensitive conditions.
Ann Emerg Med 2018 Sep;72(3):237-45. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2018.03.004..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Outcomes, Quality of Care
Ciolino JD, Jackson KL, Liss DT
Design of Healthy Hearts in the Heartland (H3): a practice-randomized, comparative effectiveness study.
The Healthy Hearts in the Heartland (H3) study is part of a nationwide effort, EvidenceNOW, seeking to better understand the ability of small primary care practices to improve "ABCS" clinical quality measures: appropriate Aspirin therapy, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation. In this paper, the authors describe the design and randomization of the H3 study.
AHRQ-funded; HS023921.
Citation: Ciolino JD, Jackson KL, Liss DT .
Design of Healthy Hearts in the Heartland (H3): a practice-randomized, comparative effectiveness study.
Contemp Clin Trials 2018 Aug;71:47-54. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2018.06.004..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Comparative Effectiveness, Evidence-Based Practice, Heart Disease and Health, Prevention, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Cole MB, Wright B, Wilson IB
Longitudinal analysis of racial/ethnic trends in quality outcomes in community health centers, 2009-2014.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate racial/ethnic time trends in quality outcomes in health centers and to assess both within- and between-center disparities in outcomes. The authors found that within- and between-center racial/ethnic disparities in quality were evident and although quality outcomes in health centers continued to compare favorably to other care settings, there was no evidence of improved quality or reduced disparities in diabetes control, hypertension control, or birthweight from 2009 to 2014.
AHRQ-funded; HS024652.
Citation: Cole MB, Wright B, Wilson IB .
Longitudinal analysis of racial/ethnic trends in quality outcomes in community health centers, 2009-2014.
J Gen Intern Med 2018 Jun;33(6):906-13. doi: 10.1007/s11606-018-4305-1..
Keywords: Community-Based Practice, Disparities, Quality of Care, Outcomes, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Nuckols TK, Conlon C, Robbins M
Quality of care and patient-reported outcomes in carpal tunnel syndrome: a prospective observational study.
This prospective observational study examined the association of higher quality care for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) with better outcomes. Adults diagnosed with CTS from 30 occupational health centers were recruited and their physicians' adherence to recommended care processes evaluated. Among 343 individuals, receiving better was associated with greater improvements. CTS symptoms showed greater improvement when physicians assessed and managed patient activity, when patients underwent necessary surgery, and when employers adjusted job tasks. The researchers conclude that efforts should be made to ensure patients with CTS receive essential care processes, including activity assessment and management as well as necessary surgery.
AHRQ-funded; HS018982.
Citation: Nuckols TK, Conlon C, Robbins M .
Quality of care and patient-reported outcomes in carpal tunnel syndrome: a prospective observational study.
Muscle Nerve 2018 Jun;57(6):896-904. doi: 10.1002/mus.26041..
Keywords: Neurological Disorders, Outcomes, Patient Experience, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality of Care
Austrian JS, Jamin CT, Doty GR
Impact of an emergency department electronic sepsis surveillance system on patient mortality and length of stay.
The goal of this study was to determine if an electronic health record (EHR) based sepsis alert system could improve quality of care and clinical outcomes for patients with sepsis. A patient-level, interrupted time series study of emergency department patients with severe sepsis or septic shock was conducted, with an intervention introduced at the approximate mid-point--a system of interruptive sepsis alerts triggered by abnormal vital signs or laboratory results. Mean length of stay for patients with sepsis decreased significantly following the introduction of the alert, but the alert system had no effect on mortality or other clinical or process measures. The researchers conclude that a more sophisticated algorithm for sepsis identification is needed to improve outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023683.
Citation: Austrian JS, Jamin CT, Doty GR .
Impact of an emergency department electronic sepsis surveillance system on patient mortality and length of stay.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2018 May;25(5):523-29. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocx072..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Emergency Department, Health Information Technology (HIT), Hospitals, Mortality, Outcomes, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Sepsis
Sills MR, Macy ML, Kocher KE
Return visit admissions may not indicate quality of emergency department care for children.
The goal of this retrospective analysis was to test the hypothesis that in-hospital outcomes are worse among children admitted during a return ED visit than among those admitted during an index visit. Children who were hospitalized in Florida and New York hospitals during a return visit within 7 days were classified as "ED return admissions" or "readmissions"; in-hospital outcomes for ED return admissions and readmissions were compared to "index admissions without return admission". The results indicate that children who are initially discharged from the ED and then have a return admission had lower severity but similar cost in comparison with children who experienced an index admission without a return admission. The authors conclude that this suggests that ED return visit admissions do not involve worse outcomes than index admissions.
AHRQ-funded; HS024160; HS016418.
Citation: Sills MR, Macy ML, Kocher KE .
Return visit admissions may not indicate quality of emergency department care for children.
Acad Emerg Med 2018 Mar;25(3):283-92. doi: 10.1111/acem.13324..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Outcomes