National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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- Adverse Events (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 20 of 20 Research Studies DisplayedMafi JN, May FP, Kahn KL
Low-value proton pump inhibitor prescriptions among older adults at a large academic health system.
Researchers sought to characterize the prevalence of potentially low-value proton pump inhibitor (PPI) prescriptions among older adults to inform a quality improvement intervention. Subjects were patients, aged 65 years or older, receiving primary care at a large academic health system in 2018. The researchers found that one in eight older adults were prescribed a PPI, and over one-third of prescriptions were potentially low-value. They conclude that, with most potentially low-value prescribing concentrated among a small subset of primary care physicians, interventions targeting them and/or applying EHR-based automatic stopping rules may protect older adults from harm.
AHRQ-funded; HS024067.
Citation: Mafi JN, May FP, Kahn KL .
Low-value proton pump inhibitor prescriptions among older adults at a large academic health system.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2019 Dec;67(12):2600-05. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16117..
Keywords: Elderly, Medication, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Primary Care
Schuttner L, Wong ES, Rosland AM
Association of the patient-centered medical home implementation with chronic disease quality in patients with multimorbidity.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to examine the association of Patient-Aligned Care Team (PACT) implementation, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) PCMH model, and care quality for multimorbid patients enrolled in VA primary care from 2012 to 2014. The investigators found that for one-third of metrics (5/15), greater implementation of PACT in 2012 was associated with higher predicted probability of meeting the quality metric in 2013-2014. This association persisted for only two metrics among patients with > 5 chronic diseases.
AHRQ-funded; HS026369.
Citation: Schuttner L, Wong ES, Rosland AM .
Association of the patient-centered medical home implementation with chronic disease quality in patients with multimorbidity.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Oct;35(10):2932-38. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06076-7..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Implementation, Chronic Conditions, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Goetz Goldberg D, Haghighat S, Kavalloor S S
A qualitative analysis of implementing EvidenceNOW to improve cardiovascular care.
This study’s objective was to perform a quantitative analysis of the implementation of an EvidenceNOW initiative to assist primary care practices in implementing evidence-based cardiovascular care and building capacity for quality improvement. The Heart of Virginia Health care (HVH) regional cooperative was surveyed to understand HVH team member viewpoints on the initiative’s challenges, strengths, and lessons learned in each phase of the project. The researchers interviewed 22 HVH team members in depth. Positives aspects included diverse team member skills and areas of expertise, a well-received kick-off event, and a comprehensive set of practice improvement resources. Challenges included recruiting primary practices, varying types and capabilities of electronic health records, working with practices at different transformation stages and different objectives for participating and involvement in other government initiatives.
AHRQ-funded; HS023913.
Citation: Goetz Goldberg D, Haghighat S, Kavalloor S S .
A qualitative analysis of implementing EvidenceNOW to improve cardiovascular care.
J Am Board Fam Med 2019 Sep-Oct;32(5):705-14. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2019.05.190084..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Implementation
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
Rogers ES, Cuthel AM, Berry CA
Clinician perspectives on the benefits of practice facilitation for small primary care practices.
This study examined the effectiveness of practice facilitation to improve cardiovascular disease in 257 small independent primary care practices (SIPs) enrolled in the AHRQ-funded EvidenceNOW initiative called HealthyHearts. These SIPs were enrolled in HealthyHearts NYC in New York City. Interviews were conducted with SIPs with 3 or fewer office staff and their answers were compared with interviews with practices with more than 3 office staff. Three facilitation benefits were found to the most important, including 1. Creating awareness of quality gaps; 2. Connecting practices to information, resources, and strategies, and; 3. Optimizing the HER for QI goals.
AHRQ-funded; HS023922.
Citation: Rogers ES, Cuthel AM, Berry CA .
Clinician perspectives on the benefits of practice facilitation for small primary care practices.
Ann Fam Med 2019 Aug 12;17(Suppl 1):S17-s23. doi: 10.1370/afm.2427..
Keywords: Primary Care, Provider: Clinician, Provider: Physician, Provider, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Knierim KE, Hall TL, Dickinson LM
Primary care practices' ability to report electronic clinical quality measures in the EvidenceNOW Southwest Initiative to Improve Heart Health.
The objective of this study was to determine how quickly primary care practices can report electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) and to identify the practice characteristics associated with faster reporting. Examining the EvidenceNOW Southwest initiative, the researchers’ results showed that the time to report eCQMs varied by measure and practice type, with very few practices reporting quickly. Additional support for practices to succeed in new programs that require eCQM reporting was recommended.
AHRQ-funded; HS023904.
Citation: Knierim KE, Hall TL, Dickinson LM .
Primary care practices' ability to report electronic clinical quality measures in the EvidenceNOW Southwest Initiative to Improve Heart Health.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 Aug 2;2(8):e198569. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.8569..
Keywords: Primary Care, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Davis MM, Gunn R, Pham R
Key collaborative factors when Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations work with primary care clinics to improve colorectal cancer screening: relationships, data, and quality improvement infrastructure.
This study focused on ways that Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are implementing interventions with primary care clinics to improve colorectal cancer screening. The researchers conducted a comparative case study of 14 Medicaid ACOs in Oregon and their contracted primary care clinics. They focused on interventions that reduced structural barriers (12 ACOs), delivered provider assessment and feedback (11 ACOs), and provided patient reminders (7 ACOs). There was an unintended consequence of potential exclusion of smaller clinics and metric focus and fatigue.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Davis MM, Gunn R, Pham R .
Key collaborative factors when Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations work with primary care clinics to improve colorectal cancer screening: relationships, data, and quality improvement infrastructure.
Prev Chronic Dis 2019 Aug 15;16:E107. doi: 10.5888/pcd16.180395..
Keywords: Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Screening, Colonoscopy, Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Cancer, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Coordination, Patient-Centered Healthcare
Parchman ML, Anderson ML, Coleman K
Assessing quality improvement capacity in primary care practices.
The Healthy Hearts Northwest (H2N) Study is part of an AHRQ initiative to build quality improvement (QI) capacity in primary care with a focus on cardiovascular risk factors. The three main risk factors are appropriate aspirin use, blood pressure control, and tobacco screening/cessation. A practice facilitator (PF) met with clinicians and staff in the participating practices to discuss the results for each item on the Quality Improvement Capacity Assessment (QICA) scale. The score was associated with prior experience managing change and moderately associated with two of the three risk factors: aspirin use and blood pressure control. The QICA was found to be a useful assessment tool to measure QI capacity within a practice.
AHRQ-funded; HS023908.
Citation: Parchman ML, Anderson ML, Coleman K .
Assessing quality improvement capacity in primary care practices.
BMC Fam Pract 2019 Jul 25;20(1):103. doi: 10.1186/s12875-019-1000-1.
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Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Heart Disease and Health, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Hall TL, Knierim KE, Nease DE
Primary care practices' implementation of patient-team partnership: findings from EvidenceNOW Southwest.
The authors reported on practice characteristics associated with greater patient-team partnership scores. Using EvidenceNOW Southwest data, they found that practices can improve efforts to partner with patients to assess social needs, gather meaningful input on practice improvement and patient experience, and offer resource connections. These findings supplement recent evidence that patient registries and evidence-based guidelines may effectively prevent and manage cardiovascular disease.
AHRQ-funded; HS023904.
Citation: Hall TL, Knierim KE, Nease DE .
Primary care practices' implementation of patient-team partnership: findings from EvidenceNOW Southwest.
J Am Board Fam Med 2019 Jul-Aug;32(4):490-504. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2019.04.180361..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Clinician-Patient Communication, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Patient and Family Engagement, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Tieu L, Hobbs A, Sarkar U
Adapting patient experience data collection processes for lower literacy patient populations using tablets at the point of care.
This study compared the acceptability of low-literacy tablet-based and traditional paper-based patient experience surveys in English and Spanish. The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems Clinician & Group Survey (CG-CAHPS) was adapted for a pilot survey using low-literacy questions in Spanish and English. The majority of interview participants preferred the tablet version over the traditional paper-based survey. This was especially true for the younger and Latino respondents.
AHRQ-funded; HS022408.
Citation: Tieu L, Hobbs A, Sarkar U .
Adapting patient experience data collection processes for lower literacy patient populations using tablets at the point of care.
Med Care 2019 Jun;57 Suppl 6 Suppl 2:S140-s48. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001030..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Literacy, Patient Experience, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Urban Health
Fowler FJ, Cosenza C, Cripps LA
The effect of administration mode on CAHPS survey response rates and results: a comparison of mail and web-based approaches.
The researchers compared response rates, respondents' characteristics, and substantive results for CAHPS surveys administered using web and mail protocols. They found that response rates to surveys administered using the Internet protocols were lower than for the surveys administered by mail, but characteristics of respondents and survey answers were very similar across protocols. Respondents without email addresses tended to be older, less educated, and more likely to be male than those with email addresses, and there were a few differences in their responses.
AHRQ-funded; HS016978.
Citation: Fowler FJ, Cosenza C, Cripps LA .
The effect of administration mode on CAHPS survey response rates and results: a comparison of mail and web-based approaches.
Health Serv Res 2019 Jun;54(3):714-21. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13109..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Experience, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Etz RS, Zyzanski SJ, Gonzalez MM
A new comprehensive measure of high-value aspects of primary care.
The authors of this article sought to develop and evaluate a concise measure of primary care grounded in the experience of patients, clinicians, and health care payers. They found that the person-centered primary care measure reliably assesses the aspects of care thought to represent high-value primary care by patients, clinicians, and payers. They recommended that the measure is ready for further validation and outcome analyses, and for use in focusing attention on what matters about primary care, while reducing measurement burden.
AHRQ-funded; HS025312.
Citation: Etz RS, Zyzanski SJ, Gonzalez MM .
A new comprehensive measure of high-value aspects of primary care.
Ann Fam Med 2019 May;17(3):221-30. doi: 10.1370/afm.2393..
Keywords: Primary Care, Quality of Care, Quality Measures
Lindner S, Solberg LI, Miller WL
Does ownership make a difference in primary care practice?
This study looked into whether ownership of a primary care practice makes a difference in structural characteristics, quality improvement practices, and cardiovascular preventive care. This analysis was done was part of an evaluation of the EvidenceNOW: Advancing Heart Health in Primary Care Initiative by AHRQ. Physician-owned practices, health system or medical group practices, and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) were compared using 15 survey-based measures, and 4 electronic health record-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention quality measures known as ABCS (aspirin prevention, blood pressure control, cholesterol management, and smoking cessation support). Physician-owned practices were solo 45% of the time as opposed to 8.1% for health system practices and 12.8% for FQHCs. FQHCs were more likely to use quality improvement practices followed by health system practices. ABCS use was similar across ownership types with the exception of smoking cessation support.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Lindner S, Solberg LI, Miller WL .
Does ownership make a difference in primary care practice?
J Am Board Fam Med 2019 May-Jun;32(3):398-407. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2019.03.180271..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Healthcare Delivery
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
Wu SS, Chan KS, Bae J
Electronic clinical reminder and quality of primary diabetes care.
The goal of this retrospective cohort study was to examine the association of EMR's clinical reminder use with a comprehensive set of diabetes quality metrics in office-based physicians and within solo- versus multi-physician practices. Data on visits made by adults with diabetes were identified from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and a multiple logistic regression was used to test for associations between clinical reminder use and recommended services by the American Diabetes Association. The researchers found no statistically significant relationship that suggests clinical reminder use improves diabetes process guidelines for solo practices, and they conclude that other resource efforts are needed to reduce gaps in primary diabetes care.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Wu SS, Chan KS, Bae J .
Electronic clinical reminder and quality of primary diabetes care.
Prim Care Diabetes 2019 Apr;13(2):150-57. doi: 10.1016/j.pcd.2018.08.007..
Keywords: Care Management, Chronic Conditions, Diabetes, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Primary Care, Quality of Care
Bundy DG, Singh H, Stein RE
The design and conduct of Project RedDE: a cluster-randomized trial to reduce diagnostic errors in pediatric primary care.
This paper discusses the results of Project RedDE, which was a virtual collaborative quality improvement study to reduce diagnostic errors in pediatric primary care practices. Forty-three practices were initially recruited, with a total of 31 practices left at the end due to practice dropout and two participating practices merging. This study was a randomized controlled trial targeting three common diagnostic errors (missed diagnoses of adolescent depression, abnormal blood pressure, and lack of followup for abnormal laboratory results). Contamination across study groups was a recurring problem, but risk mitigations were used. Electronic health records contributed to teams’ success.
AHRQ-funded; HS203608.
Citation: Bundy DG, Singh H, Stein RE .
The design and conduct of Project RedDE: a cluster-randomized trial to reduce diagnostic errors in pediatric primary care.
Clin Trials 2019 Apr;16(2):154-64. doi: 10.1177/1740774518820522..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Children/Adolescents, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medical Errors, Prevention, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Hysong SJ, Amspoker AB, Hughes AM
Impact of team configuration and team stability on primary care quality.
This paper discusses an upcoming study on the impact of team configurations on primary care effectiveness in clinics in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Recommendations are based on the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model. Researchers plan to extract data from over 7000 primary care teams in the VHA’s Team Assignment Reports (TAR).
AHRQ-funded; HS025982.
Citation: Hysong SJ, Amspoker AB, Hughes AM .
Impact of team configuration and team stability on primary care quality.
Implement Sci 2019 Mar 6;14(1):22. doi: 10.1186/s13012-019-0864-8..
Keywords: Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Quality of Care, Teams
Kwan BM, Fernald D, Ferrarone P
Implementation and evaluation of a laboratory safety process improvement toolkit.
This study evaluated the quality and usefulness of the revised version of the AHRQ toolkit “Improving Your Office Testing Process”. The toolkit is designed to help primary care practices standardize their laboratory testing processes. Researchers evaluated 2 primary practices. Nineteen clinicians and staff provided survey data. The toolkit was given a positive rating by staff who thought it was easy to use and helped improve the quality improvement (QI) infrastructure.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500025I.
Citation: Kwan BM, Fernald D, Ferrarone P .
Implementation and evaluation of a laboratory safety process improvement toolkit.
J Am Board Fam Med 2019 Mar-Apr;32(2):136-45. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2019.02.180109..
Keywords: Primary Care, Tools & Toolkits, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Shah T, Patel-Teague S, Kroupa L
Impact of a national QI programme on reducing electronic health record notifications to clinicians.
In this study, the investigators evaluated the impact of a national, multicomponent, quality improvement (QI) programme designed to reduce low-value EHR notifications. The investigators found that, based on prior estimates on time to process notifications, this national QI programme potentially saved 1.5 hours per week per PCP to enable higher value work. The investigators also found that the number of daily notifications remained high, suggesting the need for additional multifaceted interventions and protected clinical time to help manage them.
AHRQ-funded; HS022087.
Citation: Shah T, Patel-Teague S, Kroupa L .
Impact of a national QI programme on reducing electronic health record notifications to clinicians.
BMJ Qual Saf 2019 Jan;28(1):10-14. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2017-007447..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care
Hung DY, Gray CP, Truong QA
AHRQ Author: Harrison MI
Sustainment of lean redesigns for primary care teams.
This mixed-methods study examined the sustainment of Lean workflow redesigns for primary care teams several years after being implemented in a large, ambulatory care delivery system. Results showed that staff participation in Lean redesign is a key to facilitating buy-in and adherence to changes. Change ownership and continued availability of time for improvement activities are also critical to the long-term success of Lean implementation in primary care.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 2902010000221.
Citation: Hung DY, Gray CP, Truong QA .
Sustainment of lean redesigns for primary care teams.
Qual Manag Health Care 2019 Jan/Mar;28(1):15-24. doi: 10.1097/qmh.0000000000000200..
Keywords: Primary Care, Workflow, Teams, Organizational Change, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care