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
- Back Health and Pain (1)
- Cancer (1)
- Cancer: Breast Cancer (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (1)
- Communication (1)
- Decision Making (1)
- (-) Diagnostic Safety and Quality (8)
- Disparities (1)
- Elderly (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Emergency Department (3)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Hospitals (1)
- (-) Imaging (8)
- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
- Pain (1)
- Patient Safety (1)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Prevention (1)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Screening (1)
- Women (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 8 of 8 Research Studies DisplayedPatterson BW, Johnson J, Ward MD
Effect of a split-flow physician in triage model on abdominal CT ordering rate and yield.
The objective of this study was to compare the rate and clinical yield of computed tomography (CT) imaging between patients presenting with abdominal pain initially seen by a physician in triage (PIT) versus those seen only by physicians working in the main emergency department (ED). For patients with abdominal pain, the investigators found no significant differences in rates of CT ordering or CT yield for patients seen in a PIT vs. traditional models.
AHRQ-funded; HS024558.
Citation: Patterson BW, Johnson J, Ward MD .
Effect of a split-flow physician in triage model on abdominal CT ordering rate and yield.
Am J Emerg Med 2021 Aug;46:160-64. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2020.05.119..
Keywords: Imaging, Emergency Department, Practice Patterns, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Ricci KB, Oslock WM, Ingraham AM
Importance of radiologists in optimizing outcomes for older Americans with acute abdomen.
Patients presenting with acute abdominal pain often undergo a computed tomography (CT) scan as part of their diagnostic workup. The authors of this study investigated the relationship between availability, timeliness, and interpretation of CT imaging and outcomes for life-threatening intra-abdominal diseases or "acute abdomen," in older Americans. The investigators concluded that delays obtaining results were associated with adverse outcomes in older patients with acute abdomen.
AHRQ-funded; HS022694.
Citation: Ricci KB, Oslock WM, Ingraham AM .
Importance of radiologists in optimizing outcomes for older Americans with acute abdomen.
J Surg Res 2021 May;261:361-68. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2020.12.022..
Keywords: Elderly, Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Desai S, Kapoor N, Hammer MM
RADAR: a closed-loop quality improvement initiative leveraging a safety net model for incidental pulmonary nodule management.
This study was conducted to assess whether patients with incidental pulmonary nodules (IPNs) received timely follow-up care after implementation of a quality improvement (QI) initiative between radiologists and primary care providers. A QI initiative, RADAR (Radiology Result Alert and Development of Automated Resolution), was implemented. Findings showed that the RADAR QI initiative was associated with increased timely IPN follow-up.
AHRQ-funded; HS024722.
Citation: Desai S, Kapoor N, Hammer MM .
RADAR: a closed-loop quality improvement initiative leveraging a safety net model for incidental pulmonary nodule management.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2021 May;47(5):275-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2020.12.006..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Imaging
Rauscher GH, Murphy AM, Qiu Q
The "sweet spot" revisited: optimal recall rates for cancer detection with 2D and 3D digital screening mammography in the Metro Chicago Breast Cancer Registry.
The authors examined the trade-offs for higher recall rates in terms of biopsy recommendations and cancer detection in mammography in a single large health care organization. 2D analog, 2D digital, and 3D digital mammography screenings among women 40-79 years old with cancer follow-up were examined. They found that the results of their investigation were in contrast to those of a recent study suggesting appropriateness of higher recall rates. They concluded that optimal cancer detection appeared to be in the recall rate range of 7-9% for both 2D digital mammography and 3D tomosynthesis.
AHRQ-funded; HS018366.
Citation: Rauscher GH, Murphy AM, Qiu Q .
The "sweet spot" revisited: optimal recall rates for cancer detection with 2D and 3D digital screening mammography in the Metro Chicago Breast Cancer Registry.
AJR Am J Roentgenol 2021 Apr;216(4):894-902. doi: 10.2214/ajr.19.22429.
.
.
Keywords: Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Imaging, Screening, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Women, Prevention
Schoenfeld EM, Poronsky KE, Westafer LM
Feasibility and efficacy of a decision aid for emergency department patients with suspected ureterolithiasis: protocol for an adaptive randomized controlled trial.
Both ultrasound and CT scan can be used for diagnosis of ureterolithiasis (or renal colic, the pain from an obstructing kidney stone), but the majority of patients receive a CT scan. Diagnostic pathways utilizing ultrasound have been shown to decrease radiation exposure to patients but are potentially less accurate. The investigators developed a decision aid to facilitate SDM in this scenario. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of this decision aid, as compared to usual care, on patient knowledge, radiation exposure, engagement, safety, and healthcare utilization.
AHRQ-funded; HS025701.
Citation: Schoenfeld EM, Poronsky KE, Westafer LM .
Feasibility and efficacy of a decision aid for emergency department patients with suspected ureterolithiasis: protocol for an adaptive randomized controlled trial.
Trials 2021 Mar 10;22(1):201. doi: 10.1186/s13063-021-05140-9..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Decision Making, Kidney Disease and Health, Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Fenton JJ, Jerant A, Franks P
Watchful waiting as a strategy to reduce low-value spinal imaging: study protocol for a randomized trial.
This paper describes the protocol that will be used for an upcoming randomized control trial to determine the effectiveness of teaching clinicians how to advise watchful waiting when patients request low-value spinal imaging for acute low back pain. The authors will recruit 8-10 primary care and urgent care clinics in Sacramento, California. The study will last 3-6 months and during this time clinicians in the intervention group with receive 3 visits with standardized patient instructors (SPIs) portraying patients with acute back pain. The SPIs will instruct clinicians in a 3-step model emphasizing trust, empathic communication, and negotiation of a watchful waiting approach. The primary outcome looked for will a decreased post-intervention rate of spinal imaging among actual patients with acute back pain compared to the rate of imaging during the baseline period. Secondary outcomes will include use of targeted communication techniques during a follow-up visit with an SP.
AHRQ-funded; HS026415.
Citation: Fenton JJ, Jerant A, Franks P .
Watchful waiting as a strategy to reduce low-value spinal imaging: study protocol for a randomized trial.
Trials 2021 Feb 27;22(1):167. doi: 10.1186/s13063-021-05106-x..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication
Lacson R, Cochon L, Ching PR
Integrity of clinical information in radiology reports documenting pulmonary nodules.
Researchers sought to quantify the integrity, measured as completeness and concordance with a thoracic radiologist, of documenting pulmonary nodule characteristics in CT reports, and to assess impact on making follow-up recommendations. Their retrospective cohort study was performed at an academic medical center and natural language processing was used on radiology reports of CT scans of chest, abdomen, or spine to assess presence of pulmonary nodules. They found that essential pulmonary nodule characteristics were under-reported, potentially impacting recommendations for pulmonary nodule follow-up. They concluded that the lack of documentation of pulmonary nodule characteristics in radiology reports was common, with the potential for compromising patient care and clinical decision support tools.
AHRQ-funded; HS024722.
Citation: Lacson R, Cochon L, Ching PR .
Integrity of clinical information in radiology reports documenting pulmonary nodules.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2021 Jan 15;28(1):80-85. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa209..
Keywords: Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Safety
Marin JR, Rodean J, Hall M
Racial and ethnic differences in emergency department diagnostic imaging at US children's hospitals, 2016-2019.
Researchers evaluated racial and ethnic differences in the performance of common ED imaging studies and examined patterns across diagnoses. In this study, which evaluated visits by nonhospitalized patients younger than 18 years in 44 US children's hospital EDs, they found that non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children were less likely to receive diagnostic imaging during ED visits compared with non-Hispanic White children. They recommended further investigation to understand and mitigate these potential disparities in health care delivery and to evaluate the effect of these differential imaging patterns on patient outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS026006.
Citation: Marin JR, Rodean J, Hall M .
Racial and ethnic differences in emergency department diagnostic imaging at US children's hospitals, 2016-2019.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Jan 4(1):e2033710. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.33710..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Hospitals, Emergency Department, Imaging, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Diagnostic Safety and Quality