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
- Access to Care (1)
- Adverse Events (1)
- Arthritis (1)
- Cancer (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (3)
- Decision Making (1)
- Disparities (1)
- (-) Elderly (13)
- Evidence-Based Practice (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
- Healthcare Costs (2)
- Healthcare Utilization (2)
- Heart Disease and Health (3)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Injuries and Wounds (1)
- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
- Long-Term Care (1)
- Medicare (2)
- Medication (1)
- Mortality (4)
- Nursing Homes (1)
- Obesity (1)
- Opioids (1)
- Orthopedics (1)
- Outcomes (6)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (4)
- Patient Safety (1)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Rehabilitation (1)
- Risk (2)
- Sex Factors (1)
- (-) Surgery (13)
- Treatments (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 13 of 13 Research Studies DisplayedPatel DK, Duncan MS, Shah AS
Association of cardiac rehabilitation with decreased hospitalization and mortality risk after cardiac valve surgery.
Investigators sought to characterize cardiac rehabilitation (CR) enrollment after cardiac valve surgery and its association with outcomes, including hospitalizations and mortality. Subjects were all fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries undergoing open cardiac valve surgery in 2014, identified by inpatient diagnosis codes for open aortic, mitral, tricuspid, and pulmonary valve surgery. They found that fewer than half of Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cardiac valve surgery enrolled in CR programs, and there were marked racial/ethnic disparities among those who do. They recommend further study on barriers to CR enrollment in this population.
AHRQ-funded; HS022990.
Citation: Patel DK, Duncan MS, Shah AS .
Association of cardiac rehabilitation with decreased hospitalization and mortality risk after cardiac valve surgery.
JAMA Cardiol 2019 Dec;4(12):11887-1301. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2019.4032..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Rehabilitation, Hospitalization, Surgery, Mortality, Risk, Elderly
Vu JV, Gunaseelan V, Dimick JB
Mechanisms of age and race differences in receiving minimally invasive inguinal hernia repair.
Black patients and older adults are less likely to receive minimally invasive hernia repair. In this study, the investigators explored the association between race, age, and surgeon utilization of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) with the likelihood of receiving MIS inguinal hernia repair. The investigators concluded that race differences were explained by surgeon MIS utilization, implicating access to MIS-performing surgeon as a mediator. Conversely, age disparity was independent of MIS utilization, even after adjusting for comorbidities, indicating some degree of provider bias against performing MIS repair in older patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS025778.
Citation: Vu JV, Gunaseelan V, Dimick JB .
Mechanisms of age and race differences in receiving minimally invasive inguinal hernia repair.
Surg Endosc 2019 Dec;33(12):4032-37. doi: 10.1007/s00464-019-06695-0..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Surgery, Elderly, Access to Care, Healthcare Utilization
Smith JW, Knight Davis J, Quatman-Yates CC
Loss of community-dwelling status among survivors of high-acuity emergency general surgery disease.
The purpose of this study was to examine the loss of community-dwelling status 9 months after hospitalization for high-acuity emergency general surgery (HA-EGS) disease among older Americans. The investigators concluded that older Americans, known to prioritize living in the community, will experience substantial loss of independence due to HA-EGS. They indicate that long-term expectations after surviving HA-EGS must be framed from the perspective of the outcomes that older patients value the most.
AHRQ-funded; HS022694.
Citation: Smith JW, Knight Davis J, Quatman-Yates CC .
Loss of community-dwelling status among survivors of high-acuity emergency general surgery disease.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2019 Nov;67(11):2289-97. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16046..
Keywords: Elderly, Surgery, Outcomes, Quality of Life
Dworsky JQ, Childers CP, Copeland T
Geriatric events among older adults undergoing nonelective surgery are associated with poor outcomes.
This study analyzed the rate of geriatric events (GEs): delirium, dehydration, falls/fractures, failure to thrive, and pressure ulcers) with older adults undergoing nonelective surgery. The 2013 to 2014 National Inpatient Sample was used to analyze nonelective admissions for 5 common operations: laparoscopic cholecystectomy, colectomy, soft tissue debridgement, small bowel resection, and laparoscopic appendectomy in adults aged 65 years and older and a younger referent group (aged 55-65 years). Logistic regression estimated the association of age and outcomes with GEs. Having any GE was found to be associated with higher probability of all outcomes including mortality, postoperative complications, prolonged length of stay, and skilled nursing facility discharge.
AHRQ-funded; HS00046; HS025079.
Citation: Dworsky JQ, Childers CP, Copeland T .
Geriatric events among older adults undergoing nonelective surgery are associated with poor outcomes.
Am Surg 2019 Oct;85(10):1089-93..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Elderly, Surgery, Adverse Events, Outcomes
Kundi H, Popma JJ, Valsdottir LR
The value of claims-based nontraditional risk factors in predicting long-term mortality after MitraClip procedure.
The goals of this study were to identify nontraditional risk factors coded in administrative claims data and to evaluate their ability to improve prediction of long-term mortality in patients undergoing percutaneous mitral valve repair. Patients undergoing transcatheter mitral valve repair using MitraClip implantation were identified among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries; researchers used nested Cox regression models to identify claims codes predictive of long-term mortality. Four groups of variables were introduced: cardiac, noncardiac, and nontraditional risk factors, and presentation characteristics. The authors conclude that risk-prediction models, which include nontraditional risk factors as identified in claims data, can be used to predict long-term mortality risk more accurately in patients who have undergone MitraClip procedures.
AHRQ-funded; HS024520.
Citation: Kundi H, Popma JJ, Valsdottir LR .
The value of claims-based nontraditional risk factors in predicting long-term mortality after MitraClip procedure.
Can J Cardiol 2018 Dec;34(12):1648-54. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2018.10.002..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Elderly, Mortality, Heart Disease and Health, Medicare, Risk, Surgery
Zhang T, Lary CW, Zullo AR
Post-hip fracture mortality in nursing home residents by obesity status.
This research letter discusses a study that examined whether obesity status affected mortality in post-hip fracture patients who were nursing home residents. A national cohort of nursing home (NH) residents was examined from national Medicare fee-for-service claims linked to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) from January 2008 through the end of 2009. A total of 33, 622 long-stay residents were identified who had been hospitalized for a hip fracture. They excluded 6918 patients due to a number of factors. They classified residents based on their BMI: normal BMI, overweight, mild obesity, or moderate/severe obesity. They found that being moderate/severely obese did not increase mortality.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Zhang T, Lary CW, Zullo AR .
Post-hip fracture mortality in nursing home residents by obesity status.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2019 Sep;67(9):1983-85. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16028..
Keywords: Injuries and Wounds, Surgery, Nursing Homes, Obesity, Mortality, Elderly, Long-Term Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Ganguli I, Lupo C, Mainor AJ
Prevalence and cost of care cascades after low-value preoperative electrocardiogram for cataract surgery in fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries.
This study examined the use and outcomes of preoperative electrocardiogram (EKG) for cataract surgery recipients on Medicare. The outcomes measured were cascade events if the EKG results were problematic. The study compared 110,183 cataract surgery recipients with 97,775 non-surgery participants (63.1% female). For the recipient group, 12,408 (11.3%) received a preoperative EKG (65.6% of them were female). Of those, 1978 (15.9%) had at least 1 potential cascade event. Additional tests, treatments, and cardiology visits added an additional estimated $35 million in addition to the $3.2 million spent on preoperative EKGs. Preoperative EKG recipients who were older, had more chronic conditions, lived in more cardiologist-dense areas, or had their EKG performed by a cardiac specialist rather than a primary care physician were more likely to experience a cascade event.
AHRQ-funded; HS023812.
Citation: Ganguli I, Lupo C, Mainor AJ .
Prevalence and cost of care cascades after low-value preoperative electrocardiogram for cataract surgery in fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries.
JAMA Intern Med 2019 Sep;179(9):1157-308. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.1739..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Healthcare Utilization, Surgery, Elderly
Kundi H, Popma JJ, Reynolds MR
Frailty and related outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter valve therapies in a nationwide cohort.
In this study, the investigators sought to identify the prevalence and related outcomes of frail individuals undergoing transcatheter mitral valve repair and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Patients aged 65 and older were included in the study if they had at least one procedural code for transcatheter mitral valve repair or TAVR between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016 in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare Provider and Review database.
Citation: Kundi H, Popma JJ, Reynolds MR .
Frailty and related outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter valve therapies in a nationwide cohort.
Eur Heart J 2019 Jul 14;40(27):2231-39. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehz187.
.
.
Keywords: Elderly, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Surgery, Outcomes, Treatments
Kim SC, Jin Y, Lee YC
Association of preoperative opioid use with mortality and short-term safety outcomes after total knee replacement.
The purpose of this study was to determine the association of preoperative opioid use among patients 65 years and older with mortality and other complications at 30 days post-total knee replacement (TKR). Findings show that continuous opioid users had a higher risk of revision operations, vertebral fractures, and opioid overdose at 30 days post-TKR but not of in-hospital or 30-day mortality, compared with opioid-naive patients. Highlights include the need for better understanding of patient characteristics associated with chronic opioid use to optimize preoperative assessment of overall risk after TKR.
AHRQ-funded; HS018910.
Citation: Kim SC, Jin Y, Lee YC .
Association of preoperative opioid use with mortality and short-term safety outcomes after total knee replacement.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 Jul 3;2(7):e198061. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.8061..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Surgery, Orthopedics, Elderly, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Mortality, Outcomes, Arthritis, Evidence-Based Practice
Bateni SB, Gingrich AA, Jeon SY
Clinical outcomes and costs following unplanned excisions of soft tissue sarcomas in the elderly.
This study’s goal was to analyze the costs and outcomes of planned vs. unplanned soft tissue sarcoma (STS) excisions in the Medicare population. The authors analyzed 3913 surgical patients with STS >/=66 y old from 1992 to 2011 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare (SEER-Medicare) datafiles. Planned excision rates were classified from preoperative MRI or biopsy records. There was no difference in survival rates between planned vs. unplanned excisions. Planned excisions costs were higher than unplanned excision with the first resection contributing to the majority of costs.
AHRQ-funded; HS022236.
Citation: Bateni SB, Gingrich AA, Jeon SY .
Clinical outcomes and costs following unplanned excisions of soft tissue sarcomas in the elderly.
J Surg Res 2019 Jul;239:125-35. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.01.055..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Cancer, Elderly, Surgery, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Dworsky JQ, Castle SC, Lee CC
Gerofit prehabilitation pilot program: preparing frail older veterans for surgery.
Older Veterans are increasingly undergoing surgery and are at particularly high risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Prehabilitation has emerged as a method to improve postoperative outcomes by enhancing the patient's preoperative condition. IN this paper, the authors present data from their prehabilitation pilot project and plans for expansion and dissemination of a nationwide quality improvement effort.
Citation: Dworsky JQ, Castle SC, Lee CC .
Gerofit prehabilitation pilot program: preparing frail older veterans for surgery.
J Healthc Qual 2019 Mar/Apr;41(2):91-98. doi: 10.1097/jhq.0000000000000185..
Keywords: Elderly, Patient Safety, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Surgery
Dworsky JQ, Russell MM
Surgical decision making for older adults.
This article addressed surgical decision making for older adults. Its outline included: consideration of health goals, description of what surgery would be like, daily life after recovery, and final decision-making.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Dworsky JQ, Russell MM .
Surgical decision making for older adults.
JAMA 2019 Feb 19;321(7):716. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.0283..
Keywords: Surgery, Decision Making, Elderly
Lee T, Qian J, Thamer M
Gender disparities in vascular access surgical outcomes in elderly hemodialysis patients.
In this study, the investigators assessed clinically relevant arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) and arteriovenous grafts (AVG) surgical outcomes in elderly male and female patients initiating hemodialysis with a central venous catheter (CVC). The investigators concluded that while AVFs should be considered the preferred vascular access in most circumstances, clinical AVF surgical outcomes were uniformly worse in females. They suggest that clinicians should also consider AVGs as a viable alternative in elderly female patients initiating hemodialysis with a CVC to avoid extended CVC dependence.
AHRQ-funded; HS022931; HS021229.
Citation: Lee T, Qian J, Thamer M .
Gender disparities in vascular access surgical outcomes in elderly hemodialysis patients.
Am J Nephrol 2019;49(1):11-19. doi: 10.1159/000495261..
Keywords: Elderly, Sex Factors, Surgery, Kidney Disease and Health, Disparities, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research