National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Cardiovascular Conditions (17)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
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- Decision Making (1)
- Disparities (1)
- Elderly (2)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (2)
- Evidence-Based Practice (9)
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- (-) Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (17)
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- Provider (1)
- Provider: Clinician (1)
- Provider: Physician (1)
- Quality Improvement (4)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (1)
- Quality Measures (1)
- Quality of Care (3)
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- Registries (3)
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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 17 of 17 Research Studies DisplayedKelly JP, DeVore AD, Wu J
Rhythm control versus rate control in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: insights from get with the guidelines-heart failure.
Researchers analyzed the Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) registry linked to Medicare claims data to describe current treatments for rate versus rhythm control and subsequent outcomes in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and atrial fibrillation. They found that rhythm control in patients aged 65 and older with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and AF was associated with a lower risk of one-year all-cause mortality. They recommended future prospective randomized studies to explore this potential benefit.
AHRQ-funded; HS021092.
Citation: Kelly JP, DeVore AD, Wu J .
Rhythm control versus rate control in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: insights from get with the guidelines-heart failure.
J Am Heart Assoc 2019 Dec 17;8(24):e011560. doi: 10.1161/jaha.118.011560.
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Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Guidelines, Evidence-Based Practice, Registries, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Goldstone AB, Chiu P, Baiocchi M
Interfacility transfer of Medicare beneficiaries with acute type a aortic dissection and regionalization of care in the United States.
Researchers investigated the hypothesis that regionalizing care at high-volume hospitals for acute type A aortic dissections will lower mortality. Operative mortality and long-term survival were compared for Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with an acute type A aortic dissection who were transferred versus not transferred, underwent surgery at high-volume versus low-volume hospitals, and were rerouted versus not rerouted to a high-volume hospital for treatment. The researchers found that, despite delaying surgery, a regionalization policy that transfers patients to high-volume hospitals was associated with a 7.2% absolute risk reduction in operative mortality. They recommended that policymakers evaluate the feasibility and benefits of regionalizing the surgical treatment of acute type A aortic dissection in the United States.
AHRQ-funded; HS022192.
Citation: Goldstone AB, Chiu P, Baiocchi M .
Interfacility transfer of Medicare beneficiaries with acute type a aortic dissection and regionalization of care in the United States.
Circulation 2019 Oct 8;140(15):1239-50. doi: 10.1161/circulationaha.118.038867..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Medicare, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Risk, Evidence-Based Practice, Mortality, Hospitals
Sterling MR, Echeverria SE, Commodore-Mensah Y
Health equity and implementation science in heart, lung, blood, and sleep-related research: emerging themes from the 2018 Saunders-Watkins Leadership Workshop.
This article discusses the key themes from a 2-day workshop that was held at the National Institutes of Health in May 2018 to promote health equity and implementation science in heart, lung, and sleep-related research. This inaugural workshop was named the Saunders-Watkins Leadership Workshop. Recommendations are offered for the future direction of this research.
AHRQ-funded; HS000066.
Citation: Sterling MR, Echeverria SE, Commodore-Mensah Y .
Health equity and implementation science in heart, lung, blood, and sleep-related research: emerging themes from the 2018 Saunders-Watkins Leadership Workshop.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2019 Oct;12(10):e005586. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.119.005586..
Keywords: Implementation, Evidence-Based Practice, Disparities, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Respiratory Conditions, Sleep Problems
Bath J, Smith JB, Kruse RL
Association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with outcomes after elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.
This study investigated postoperative outcomes from elective abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery (AAA) repair using neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as the predictor. Inpatients from the Cerner Health Facts database undergoing elective AAA repair from 2008 to 2015 were selected using ICD-9 procedure codes. Patients with a high postoperative NLR experienced longer hospital stays; higher rates of in-hospital death; high rates of renal failure, cardiac problems, respiratory problems, and infection compared to patients with a low postoperative NLR. The authors recommend future study of NLR to help provide clinically important risk profiles.
AHRQ-funded; HS022140.
Citation: Bath J, Smith JB, Kruse RL .
Association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with outcomes after elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.
J Vasc Nurs 2019 Sep;37(3):213-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jvn.2019.06.001..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Surgery, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Evidence-Based Practice
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)
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
Hajduk AM, Gurwitz JH, Tabada G
Influence of multimorbidity on burden and appropriateness of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapies.
Researchers sought to determine whether burden of multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) influences the risk of receiving inappropriate vs appropriate device therapies. They studied adults with left ventricular systolic dysfunction receiving an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) for primary prevention. In these patients, they found that MCC burden was independently associated with an increased risk of inappropriate but not appropriate device therapies. They recommended considering comorbidity burden when engaging patients in shared decision making about ICD implantation.
AHRQ-funded; 290050033.
Citation: Hajduk AM, Gurwitz JH, Tabada G .
Influence of multimorbidity on burden and appropriateness of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapies.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2019 Jul;67(7):1370-78. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15839..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Chronic Conditions, Medical Devices, Prevention, Elderly, Risk, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Ahmad FS, Kallen MA, Schifferdecker KE
Development and initial validation of the PROMIS(R)-Plus-HF profile measure.
This paper describes the efforts to develop and validate the PROMIS®-Plus-HF (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System®-Plus-Heart Failure) profile measure. The authors conducted 8 focus groups with 61 patients with HF and phone interviews with 10 HF clinicians. They tested the measure with a 600-patient sample. Validity was analyzed and confirmed using Pearson r and Spearman rho correlations with Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire subscores. The measure consists of 86 items across 18 domains.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Ahmad FS, Kallen MA, Schifferdecker KE .
Development and initial validation of the PROMIS(R)-Plus-HF profile measure.
Circ Heart Fail 2019 Jun;12(6):e005751. doi: 10.1161/circheartfailure.118.005751.
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Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Decision Making, Quality of Life, Health Status
Hoch JM, Fatusin O, Yenokyan G
Feeding methods for infants with single ventricle physiology are associated with length of stay during stage 2 surgery hospitalization.
The purpose of this paper was to identify types of feeding methods following stage 2 palliation and their influence on length of stay. Results showed that feeding methods established at admission for stage 2 palliation are not likely to change by discharge, and that length of stay is more likely to be impacted by tube feeding and intubation history than by age or weight-for-age z score at admission. Recommendations included a better understanding for selection of feeding methods and their impact on patient outcomes in order to develop evidence-based guidelines to decrease variability in clinical practice patterns and to provide appropriate counseling to caregivers.
AHRQ-funded; HS021114.
Citation: Hoch JM, Fatusin O, Yenokyan G .
Feeding methods for infants with single ventricle physiology are associated with length of stay during stage 2 surgery hospitalization.
Congenit Heart Dis 2019 May;14(3):438-45. doi: 10.1111/chd.12742.
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Keywords: Nutrition, Newborns/Infants, Children/Adolescents, Hospitalization, Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Sharma A, Sun JL, Lokhnygina Y
Patient phenotypes, cardiovascular risk, and ezetimibe treatment in patients after acute coronary syndromes (from IMPROVE-IT).
The authors of this article performed a hierarchical cluster analysis to identify acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients at high risk for adverse clinical events. Post-ACS patients were randomized to ezetimibe+simvastatin or placebo+simvastatin. Ezetimibe's impact on outcomes across clusters; the ability of the cluster analysis to discriminate for outcomes was compared with the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score. Outcomes included cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, hospitalization for unstable angina, or coronary revascularization at least 30 days after randomization. Compared with GRACE, cluster analysis did not provide superior outcome discrimination. Consistent ezetimibe treatment effect was identified across clusters. The authors conclude that cluster analysis identified significant difference in risk of outcomes across cluster groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Sharma A, Sun JL, Lokhnygina Y .
Patient phenotypes, cardiovascular risk, and ezetimibe treatment in patients after acute coronary syndromes (from IMPROVE-IT).
Am J Cardiol 2019 Apr 15;123(8):1193-201. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2019.01.034..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Risk
Zullo AR, Mogul A, Corsi K
Association between secondary prevention medication use and outcomes in frail older adults after acute myocardial infarction.
In order to examine the effect of using more guideline-recommended medications after myocardial infarction on mortality, rehospitalization, and functional decline in the frailest and oldest segment of long-stay nursing home residents, researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study of U.S. nursing home residents aged 65 years or older. Exposure was the number of secondary prevention medications initiated after myocardial infarction; outcomes were 90-day death, rehospitalization, or functional decline. The results of the study indicate that the use of more guideline-recommended medications after myocardial infarction was associated with decreased mortality in older, predominantly frail adults, but there was no difference in rehospitalization. Functional decline outcomes were discordant and the researchers note that this does not rule out an increased risk associated with more medication use.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Zullo AR, Mogul A, Corsi K .
Association between secondary prevention medication use and outcomes in frail older adults after acute myocardial infarction.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2019 Apr;12(4):e004942. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.118.004942..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Elderly, Heart Disease and Health, Medication, Nursing Homes, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Prevention
Inohara T, Kim S, Pieper K
B-type natriuretic peptide, disease progression and clinical outcomes in atrial fibrillation.
In this study, the investigators evaluated the association between B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and outcomes, including atrial fibrillation (AF) progression, composite outcome of major adverse cardiovascular or neurological events (MACNE) and major bleeding, via pooled logistic regression and Cox frailty models in Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation II registry.
AHRQ-funded; HS021092.
Citation: Inohara T, Kim S, Pieper K .
B-type natriuretic peptide, disease progression and clinical outcomes in atrial fibrillation.
Heart 2019 Mar;105(5):370-77. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2018-313642..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Registries
Cykert S, DeWalt DA, Weiner BJ
A population approach using cholesterol imputation to identify adults with high cardiovascular risk: a report from AHRQ's EvidenceNow initiative.
Investigators estimated cholesterol scores for patients between the ages of 40 and 79 in large practice electronic health networks who did not have that in their electronic health record (EHR). This data was used to calculate 10-year Assessment of Cardiovascular Disease Risk (ASCVD) risk scores for patients in 219 practices. They estimated the scores using both “good value’ estimation methodology and formal imputation. The “good value” estimation methodology resulted in less patients with risk scores than imputation but it had higher specificity and a lower false positive rate.
AHRQ-funded; HS023912.
Citation: Cykert S, DeWalt DA, Weiner BJ .
A population approach using cholesterol imputation to identify adults with high cardiovascular risk: a report from AHRQ's EvidenceNow initiative.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2019 Feb;26(2):155-58. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocy151..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Heart Disease and Health, Evidence-Based Practice, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Improvement
Chui PW, Parzynski CS, Ross JS
Association of statewide certificate of need regulations with percutaneous coronary intervention appropriateness and outcomes.
This study sought to characterize the association between state certificate of need (CON) regulations and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) appropriateness. The investigators found that states with CON had lower proportions of rarely appropriate PCI s, but the absolute differences were small. The investigators note that the findings suggest that CON regulations alone may not limit rarely appropriate PCI among patients with and without acute coronary syndrome.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Chui PW, Parzynski CS, Ross JS .
Association of statewide certificate of need regulations with percutaneous coronary intervention appropriateness and outcomes.
J Am Heart Assoc 2019 Jan 22;8(2):e010373. doi: 10.1161/jaha.118.010373..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Heart Disease and Health, Policy, Surgery
Parikh KS, Sheng S, Hammill BG
Characteristics of acute heart failure hospitalizations based on presenting severity.
This study tracked patients who were hospitalized for acute heart failure (HF) after they were discharged. Out of 165,000 hospitalizations, 2% were considered high-risk and 32% intermediate-risk for in-hospital mortality which is not much different than 15 years ago. The 1-year mortality rate was 40% among Medicare beneficiaries in the Get With the Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) registry between 2011 and 2016.
AHRQ-funded; HS021092.
Citation: Parikh KS, Sheng S, Hammill BG .
Characteristics of acute heart failure hospitalizations based on presenting severity.
Circ Heart Fail 2019 Jan;12(1):e005171. doi: 10.1161/circheartfailure.118.005171..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Hospitalization, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Calkins H, Gliklich RE, Leavy MB
Harmonized outcome measures for use in atrial fibrillation patient registries and clinical practice: endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society Board of Trustees.
This study used AHRQ’s Outcome Measures Framework (OMF) to create standards so that different registries for atrial fibrillation (AF) can be linked and their data compared. One-hundred outcome measures from 13 different registries were curated and then harmonized according to OMF standards. Twenty measures were created to represent a minimum set of outcomes for research and clinical practice.
AHRQ-funded; 290201400004C.
Citation: Calkins H, Gliklich RE, Leavy MB .
Harmonized outcome measures for use in atrial fibrillation patient registries and clinical practice: endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society Board of Trustees.
Heart Rhythm 2019 Jan;16(1):e3 - e16. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2018.09.021..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Registries