National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Adverse Events (2)
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- Communication (1)
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- Elderly (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 8 of 8 Research Studies DisplayedHuckfeldt P, Escarce J, Wilcock A
HF mortality trends under Medicare readmissions reduction program at penalized and nonpenalized hospitals.
After announcement and implementation of the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), 30-day readmissions declined rapidly among seniors with heart failure (HF) while 30-day mortality rose. This raised questions about whether the policy was responsible, because lower HF readmission rates have historically been associated with higher mortality. In this study, the investigators compared trends in heart failure (HF) mortality at penalized and nonpenalized hospitals nationally.
AHRQ-funded; HS024284.
Citation: Huckfeldt P, Escarce J, Wilcock A .
HF mortality trends under Medicare readmissions reduction program at penalized and nonpenalized hospitals.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2018 Nov 13;72(20):2539-40. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.2174..
Keywords: Mortality, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Hospitals, Provider Performance, Payment
Smith ME, Wells EE, Friese CR
Interpersonal and organizational dynamics are key drivers of failure to rescue.
This qualitative study of providers from hospitals with high and low rescue rates identified key factors that providers believe influence the successful rescue of surgical patients. These factors are: teamwork, action taking, psychological safety, recognition of complications, and communication. Providers surveyed agreed on two targets for improvement: delayed recognition of developing complications, and poor interprofessional communication and inability to express clinical concerns. The authors conclude that, to improve perioperative outcomes, hospitals and payers should shift their attention to improving early detection and increasing communication effectiveness when major complications occur.
AHRQ-funded; HS023621; HS024403.
Citation: Smith ME, Wells EE, Friese CR .
Interpersonal and organizational dynamics are key drivers of failure to rescue.
Health Aff 2018 Nov;37(11):1870-76. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0704..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Communication, Hospitals, Mortality, Organizational Change, Patient Safety, Surgery
Desai NR, Ott LS, George EJ
Variation in and hospital characteristics associated with the value of care for Medicare beneficiaries with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia.
The objectives of this study were to investigate the association between hospital-level 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) and 30-day risk-standardized payments (RSPs) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF), and pneumonia (PNA); to characterize patterns of value in care; and to identify hospital characteristics associated with high-value care (defined by having lower than median RSMRs and RSPs).
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Desai NR, Ott LS, George EJ .
Variation in and hospital characteristics associated with the value of care for Medicare beneficiaries with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia.
JAMA Netw Open 2018 Oct 5;1(6):e183519. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3519..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Elderly, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Heart Disease and Health, Inpatient Care, Medicare, Mortality, Pneumonia
Leyenaar JK, Bogetz JF
Child mortality in the United States: bridging palliative care and public health perspectives.
This commentary discusses the findings of the article by Trowbridge et al in this same issue of Pediatrics, which examines modes of death rather than causes of death at a freestanding children’s hospital. Five distinct categories were created: withdrawal of life-sustaining technology; non-escalation of care; failed resuscitation; code then withdrawal; death by neurological criteria. More than 60% of the deaths were infants. The authors of this commentary note that conceptualizing the findings of this study from a public health perspective raises important questions about how causes of death are associated with end-of-life care in hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS024133.
Citation: Leyenaar JK, Bogetz JF .
Child mortality in the United States: bridging palliative care and public health perspectives.
Pediatrics 2018 Oct;142(4). doi: 10.1542/peds.2018-1927..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Hospitals, Mortality, Palliative Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Public Health
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
Spatz ES, Wang Y, Beckman AL
Traditional Chinese medicine for acute myocardial infarction in western medicine hospitals in China.
This study examined the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in China during the first 24 hours of hospitalization. The data came from the China Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events Retrospective Study of Acute Myocardial Infarction. A chart review was done of randomly sampled patients in 2001, 2006 and 2011 in 162 Western medicine hospitals across China. Nearly all (99%) hospitals used some form of TCM, with Salvia miltiorrhiza being the most commonly prescribed. This TCM treatment (and others) was used intravenously and use has increased over the span of the study, despite lack of evidence of benefit or harm.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Spatz ES, Wang Y, Beckman AL .
Traditional Chinese medicine for acute myocardial infarction in western medicine hospitals in China.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2018 Mar;11(3):e004190. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.117.004190..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Cardiovascular Conditions, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Heart Disease and Health, Hospitals, Mortality, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Patient Safety, Practice Patterns, Risk
Burke RE, Jones CD, Hosokawa P
Influence of nonindex hospital readmission on length of stay and mortality.
The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of nonindex 30-day readmissions in a nationally representative sample of all payers and associations with outcomes. The investigators conclude that nonindex readmissions are common and associated with worse outcomes; the common findings across cohorts highlighted the importance for hospitals and care systems participating in value-based payment models.
AHRQ-funded; HS024569.
Citation: Burke RE, Jones CD, Hosokawa P .
Influence of nonindex hospital readmission on length of stay and mortality.
Med Care 2018 Jan;56(1):85-90. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000829..
Keywords: Hospitals, Mortality, Outcomes, Hospital Readmissions
Cutler E, Karaca Z, Henke R
AHRQ Author: Karaca Z, Wong HS
The effects of Medicare accountable organizations on inpatient mortality rates.
This study examined whether Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have improved hospital quality of care, specifically focusing on preventable inpatient mortality. The investigators concluded that, on average, Medicare ACO hospitals are not associated with improved mortality rates for the studied inpatient quality indicator conditions. They suggest that stakeholders may potentially consider providing ACOs with incentives or designing new programs for ACOs to target inpatient mortality reductions.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Cutler E, Karaca Z, Henke R .
The effects of Medicare accountable organizations on inpatient mortality rates.
Inquiry 2018 Jan-Dec;55:46958018800092. doi: 10.1177/0046958018800092..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitals, Medicare, Mortality