National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Asthma (1)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Blood Clots (1)
- Care Management (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (1)
- Decision Making (1)
- Dental and Oral Health (1)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing) (1)
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- Nursing (1)
- Obesity (1)
- Obesity: Weight Management (1)
- Opioids (4)
- (-) Practice Patterns (10)
- Pressure Ulcers (1)
- Prevention (1)
- Primary Care (1)
- (-) Provider (10)
- Provider: Clinician (2)
- Provider: Nurse (2)
- Provider: Physician (8)
- Provider: Physician Assistant (1)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (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 10 of 10 Research Studies DisplayedEverson J, Cheng AK, Patrick SW
Association of electronic prescribing of controlled substances with opioid prescribing rates.
The purpose of this study was to assess the association between use of electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) and trends in opioid prescribing. Results suggested that an increased use of EPCS was not associated with decreased opioid prescribing or a decrease in the amount prescribed and may have been associated with a small increase in opioid prescribing. Recommendations included levers to ensure that EPCS is integrated with outside data and that information is actively used to inform prescribing decisions.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Everson J, Cheng AK, Patrick SW .
Association of electronic prescribing of controlled substances with opioid prescribing rates.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Dec;3(12):e2027951. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.27951..
Keywords: Electronic Prescribing (E-Prescribing), Health Information Technology (HIT), Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider: Clinician, Provider
Kapoor N, Lacson R, Hammer M
Physician agreement with recommendations contained in a national guideline for the management of incidental pulmonary nodules: a case study.
This survey of physicians was used to determine agreement with recommendations in the national guideline for the management of incidental pulmonary nodules from the 2017 Fleischner Society Guidelines for Management of Incident Pulmonary Nodules (FSG). The FSG contains 18 unique recommendations which were codified into a clinical evidence logic statement (CELS) for this study. The FSG also included ratings for strength of evidence based on the American Society of Chest Physicians grading system. In order to internally grade the strength of evidence behind each recommendation, two medical librarians from the Harvard Library of Evidence analyzed each CELS independently and graded the recommendations based on the supporting clinical studies using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based levels of evidence and the US Preventive Service Task Force I-scores. Nine physicians from a single large academic institution were then surveyed via SurveyMonkey to assess agreement with each of the 18 CELS. Agreement on each recommendation ranged from 0 to 100%. This study was meant to be exploratory and to test the hypothesis that guideline nonadherence may be partly affected by lack of physician agreement with guideline component recommendations.
AHRQ-funded; HS024722.
Citation: Kapoor N, Lacson R, Hammer M .
Physician agreement with recommendations contained in a national guideline for the management of incidental pulmonary nodules: a case study.
J Am Coll Radiol 2020 Nov;17(11):1437-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2020.07.020..
Keywords: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), Guidelines, Evidence-Based Practice, Respiratory Conditions, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider
Lozada MJ, Raji MA, Goodwin JS
Opioid prescribing by primary care providers: a cross-sectional analysis of nurse practitioner, physician assistant, and physician prescribing patterns.
The purpose of this study was to identify prescription opioid over-prescribers by comparing prescribing patterns of primary care physicians (MDs), nurse practitioners (NPs), and physician assistants (PAs). Participants were a national sample of 2015 Medicare Part D enrollees. Findings showed that most NPs/PAs prescribed opioids in a pattern similar to MDs, but NPs/PAs had more outliers who prescribed high-frequency, high-dose opioids than did MDs. Recommendations included efforts to reduce opioid overprescribing including targeted provider education, risk stratification, and state legislation.
AHRQ-funded; HS020642.
Citation: Lozada MJ, Raji MA, Goodwin JS .
Opioid prescribing by primary care providers: a cross-sectional analysis of nurse practitioner, physician assistant, and physician prescribing patterns.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Sep;35(9):2584-92. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-05823-0..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Primary Care, Practice Patterns, Medication: Safety, Provider: Nurse, Provider: Physician, Provider: Physician Assistant, Provider
Cotter JM, Tyler A, Reese J
Steroid variability in pediatric inpatient asthmatics: survey on provider preferences of dexamethasone versus prednisone.
This study looked at pediatric emergency department (ED) inpatient use of dexamethasone versus prednisone by providers for asthma treatment. A survey was distributed to providers who care for inpatient asthmatics. Ninety-two providers completed the survey. When patients received dexamethasone in the ED, 44% continued dexamethasone, 14% switched to prednisone, 2% stopped steroid use, and 40% said it depended on the circumstances. Hospitalists were significantly more likely to continue dexamethasone than pulmonologists (61% versus 15%). Switching to prednisone included factors such as severity of exacerbation (73%) and asthma history (47%). Just over half of providers (5f1%) felt uncomfortable using dexamethasone because of “minimal data to support [its] use inpatient.”
AHRQ-funded; HS026512.
Citation: Cotter JM, Tyler A, Reese J .
Steroid variability in pediatric inpatient asthmatics: survey on provider preferences of dexamethasone versus prednisone.
J Asthma 2020 Sep;57(9):942-48. doi: 10.1080/02770903.2019.1622713..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Asthma, Respiratory Conditions, Medication, Inpatient Care, Care Management, Hospitalization, Emergency Department, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider
Rhee TG, Olfson M, Nierenberg AA
20-year trends in the pharmacologic treatment of bipolar disorder by psychiatrists in outpatient care settings.
Pharmacological options for treating bipolar disorder have increased over the past 20 years, with several second-generation antipsychotics receiving regulatory approval in the 1990s. In this study the authors describe trends in use of pharmacological agents in the outpatient management of bipolar disorder. The authors concluded that substantial changes occurred in the treatment of bipolar disorder over the past 20 years, with second-generation antipsychotics in large measure supplanting traditional mood stabilizers.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Rhee TG, Olfson M, Nierenberg AA .
20-year trends in the pharmacologic treatment of bipolar disorder by psychiatrists in outpatient care settings.
Am J Psychiatry 2020 Aug;177(8):706-15. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19091000..
Keywords: Behavioral Health, Medication, Practice Patterns, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Provider: Physician, Provider
Westafer LM, Kunz A, Bugajska P
Provider perspectives on the use of evidence-based risk stratification tools in the evaluation of pulmonary embolism: a qualitative study.
Providers often pursue imaging in patients at low risk of pulmonary embolism (PE), resulting in imaging yields <10% and false-positive imaging rates of 10% to 25%. Attempts to curb overtesting have had only modest success and no interventions have used implementation science frameworks. The objective of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to the adoption of evidence-based diagnostic testing for PE.
AHRQ-funded; HS025701.
Citation: Westafer LM, Kunz A, Bugajska P .
Provider perspectives on the use of evidence-based risk stratification tools in the evaluation of pulmonary embolism: a qualitative study.
Acad Emerg Med 2020 Jun;27(6):447-56. doi: 10.1111/acem.13908..
Keywords: Respiratory Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Imaging, Decision Making, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider: Clinician, Provider
Baernholdt M, Yan G, Hinton ID
Effect of preventive care interventions on pressure ulcer rates in a national sample of rural and urban nursing units: Longitudinal associations over 4 years.
This study looked at the effects of nursing care interventions aimed at preventing pressure ulcers in rural and urban hospitals over a 4-year period. This longitudinal study used unit-level data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators 2010-2013. The authors analyzed 5761 units (332 rural and 5429 urban) in 772 hospitals (89 rural and 683 urban) that reported ulcer rates in two or more quarters. Outcomes from use of a three-care intervention combination was measured with decreases in pressure ulcers shown from any of those interventions (patients receiving skin assessment on admission, receiving risk assessment on admission, and receiving any risk assessment before the pressure ulcer). An increase in RN skill mix and two nurse outcomes (increase in job satisfaction and intent-to-stay) also led to decreases in ulcer rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS023147.
Citation: Baernholdt M, Yan G, Hinton ID .
Effect of preventive care interventions on pressure ulcer rates in a national sample of rural and urban nursing units: Longitudinal associations over 4 years.
Int J Nurs Stud 2020 May;105:103455. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.103455..
Keywords: Pressure Ulcers, Prevention, Skin Conditions, Nursing, Practice Patterns, Provider: Nurse, Provider, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality of Care
Suda KJ, Zhou J, Rowan SA
Overprescribing of opioids to adults by dentists in the U.S., 2011-2015.
Dentists prescribe 1 in 10 opioid prescriptions in the U.S. When opioids are necessary, national guidelines recommend the prescription of low-dose opioids for a short duration. This study assessed the appropriate prescribing of opioids by dentists before guideline implementation. The investigators concluded that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 2 opioids prescribed to adult dental patients are overprescribed.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Suda KJ, Zhou J, Rowan SA .
Overprescribing of opioids to adults by dentists in the U.S., 2011-2015.
Am J Prev Med 2020 Apr;58(4):473-86. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.11.006..
Keywords: Opioids, Dental and Oral Health, Provider, Practice Patterns, Medication
de Meireles A, Carlin AM, Cain-Nielsen A
Association between surgeon practice knowledge and venous thromboembolism.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the most common cause of mortality following bariatric surgery. This study aimed to determine practice patterns of VTE chemoprophylaxis among bariatric surgeons participating in a large statewide quality collaborative and compare the results of surgeon self-reported chemoprophylaxis prescription practices versus actual data from abstracted charts. They administered a 13-question survey to 66 surgeons to reveal VTE practice patterns such as medication type, dosage, timing, duration, and level of trainee involvement. They also examined the charts of all patients who had developed VTE during the study period and 15 other randomly selected patient charts per site. There was found to be a greater discordance between surgeon self-reported and actual perioperative VTE prophylaxis, but there was no significant discordance postoperatively. Greater perioperative discordance is associated with significantly increased risk of VTE.
AHRQ-funded; HS02362; HS024403.
Citation: de Meireles A, Carlin AM, Cain-Nielsen A .
Association between surgeon practice knowledge and venous thromboembolism.
Obes Surg 2020 Feb 16;30(6):2274-79. doi: 10.1007/s11695-020-04468-6..
Keywords: Surgery, Obesity: Weight Management, Obesity, Blood Clots, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider
Larach DB, Waljee JF, Hu HM
Patterns of initial opioid prescribing to opioid-naive patients.
Researchers sought to determine the proportion of initial opioid prescriptions for opioid-naive patients prescribed by surgeons, dentists, and emergency physicians. Data from a nationwide insurance claims dataset was used to study US adults aged 18 to 64 years. Over the study period, the researchers found that surgical patients received the highest proportion of potent opioids. They concluded that initial opioid prescribing attributable to surgical and dental care was increasing relative to primary and chronic pain care. They recommended evidence-based guideline development for surgical and dental prescribing in order to curb iatrogenic opioid morbidity and mortality.
AHRQ-funded; HS023313.
Citation: Larach DB, Waljee JF, Hu HM .
Patterns of initial opioid prescribing to opioid-naive patients.
Ann Surg 2020 Feb;271(2):290-95. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000002969..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider