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Topics
- Care Coordination (1)
- Care Management (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Communication (3)
- Decision Making (2)
- Digestive Disease and Health (1)
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- Provider: Clinician (1)
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- Quality of Care (4)
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- (-) Surgery (16)
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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 16 of 16 Research Studies DisplayedFernandes-Taylor S, Yang Q, Yang DY
Greater patient sharing between hospitals is associated with better outcomes for transferred emergency general surgery patients.
The availability of emergency surgical services has diminished as the rural workforce has decreased. The growing need for interhospital patient transfers makes care coordination across different settings essential for maintaining high-quality care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of recurrent patient-sharing between hospitals on the outcomes of emergency general surgery (EGS) patient transfers. A multicenter analysis was conducted involving inpatient acute care hospital stays in Wisconsin that required the transfer of EGS patients. Data was sourced from the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA), a comprehensive statewide hospital discharge database for the years 2016-2018. We postulated that a higher percentage of patients transferred between hospitals would lead to improved outcomes. The relationship between the proportion of EGS patient transfers and patient outcomes, such as in-hospital morbidity, mortality, and duration of stay, was examined. Additional factors considered were hospital organizational features and patient sociodemographic and clinical attributes. The researchers found that during the two-year study period, 118 hospitals transferred 3,197 EGS patients; 1,131 of these patients experienced in-hospital complications, death, or an extended stay (beyond the 75th percentile). The average patient age was 62 years, with 50% being female and 5% non-white. In the mixed-effects model, the proportion of shared patients between hospitals was linked to a reduced likelihood of in-hospital complications. Specifically, when the proportion of shared patients doubled between two hospitals, the relative odds of any adverse outcome shifted by 0.85.
AHRQ-funded; HS025224
Citation: Fernandes-Taylor S, Yang Q, Yang DY .
Greater patient sharing between hospitals is associated with better outcomes for transferred emergency general surgery patients.
J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2023 Apr;94(5):592-98. doi: 10.1097/ta.0000000000003789.
Keywords: Emergency Department, Hospitals, Surgery, Transitions of Care
Alagoz E, Saucke M, Arroyo N
Communication during interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients: a qualitative study of challenges and opportunities.
This study’s objective was to understand the nature of and challenges to communication between referring (RP) and accepting (AP) providers transferring emergency general surgery (EGS) patients from the transfer center nurse’s (TCN) perspective. Worse outcomes have been shown to be experienced by transferred EGS patients than directly admitted patients. The authors interviewed 17 transfer center nurses (TCNs) at an academic medical center regarding (in)efficient and (in)effective communication between RPs and APs. The in-person interviews were recorded, transcribed and managed in NVivo. Four researchers developed a codebook, which was then co-coded with the transcripts. A consensus was developed to discuss emergency themes and arrive at higher-level concepts. Issues relating to ineffective communication included RPs that provided incomplete information because of a lack of necessary infrastructure, personnel, or technical knowledge; competing clinical demands; or a fear of the transfer request being rejected. Inefficient communication resulted from RPs being unfamiliar with the information APs expected and the lack of a structured process to share information and communication also failed when providers disagreed about the necessity of the transfer.
AHRQ-funded; HS025224.
Citation: Alagoz E, Saucke M, Arroyo N .
Communication during interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients: a qualitative study of challenges and opportunities.
J Patient Saf 2022 Oct 1;18(7):711-16. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000979..
Keywords: Care Coordination, Communication, Transitions of Care, Surgery
Fernandes-Taylor S, Yang DY, Schumacher J
Factors associated with Interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients from emergency departments.
This study looked at the factors contributing to transfer of emergency general surgery (EGS) patients to another hospital. Data from the AHRQ Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) from 2010-2014 was analyzed. The transfer rate during that time was 1.9%. Patients with Medicare or other insurance had higher odds of transfer compared to patients with private health insurance. Odds of transfer increased with a greater number of comorbid conditions as well as resuscitation, intestinal obstruction, and conditions of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Transfers were more likely to originate from rural hospitals or Level I or II trauma centers.
AHRQ-funded; HS025224.
Citation: Fernandes-Taylor S, Yang DY, Schumacher J .
Factors associated with Interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients from emergency departments.
Am J Emerg Med 2021 Feb;40:83-88. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2020.12.012..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Surgery, Emergency Department, Transitions of Care, Hospitals, Healthcare Delivery
Ingraham A, Reinke CE
Optimizing safety for surgical patients undergoing interhospital transfer.
This article discusses the need for standardization and improvement of the interhospital transfer process. The authors advocate studying and adapting quality improvement efforts directed at other transitions of care so that care will improve for surgical patients transferred between acute care institutions.
AHRQ-funded; HS025224.
Citation: Ingraham A, Reinke CE .
Optimizing safety for surgical patients undergoing interhospital transfer.
Surg Clin North Am 2021 Feb;101(1):57-69. doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2020.09.002..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Surgery, Transitions of Care, Hospitals, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Frasier LL, Pavuluri Quamme SR, Wiegmann D
Evaluation of intraoperative hand-off frequency, duration, and context: a mixed methods analysis.
The authors sought a better understanding of the coordination and impact of intraoperative hand-offs. They found that intraoperative hand-offs were frequent and not well coordinated with intraoperative events including counts and other hand-offs. Anchoring and announced hand-offs occurred in a small proportion of cases. They recommended that future work focus on optimizing timing, content, and participation in intraoperative hand-offs.
AHRQ-funded; HS022403.
Citation: Frasier LL, Pavuluri Quamme SR, Wiegmann D .
Evaluation of intraoperative hand-off frequency, duration, and context: a mixed methods analysis.
J Surg Res 2020 Dec;256:124-30. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2020.06.007..
Keywords: Surgery, Transitions of Care, Communication, Teams
Philip JL, Yang DY, Wang X
Effect of transfer status on outcomes of emergency general surgery patients.
This study looked at outcomes of transferred (TRAN) versus directly admitted (DA) emergency general surgery (EGS) patients. Patients with a diagnosis of EGS were identified from the 2008-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). Outcomes included were in-hospital mortality and morbidity. They identified 274,145 TRAN and 10,456,100 DA encounters. Morbidity and mortality were both higher in TRAN patients than DA. TRAN patients were more likely to have greater comorbidity scores, have Medicare insurance, and reside in an area with a lesser median household income compared to DA patients. Morbidity among TRAN patients were primarily due urinary-, gastrointestinal-, and pulmonary-related complications. Median stay and median cost at the hospital were greater for TRAN patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS025224; HS022694.
Citation: Philip JL, Yang DY, Wang X .
Effect of transfer status on outcomes of emergency general surgery patients.
Surgery 2020 Aug;168(2):280-86. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2020.01.005..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Surgery, Transitions of Care, Mortality, Outcomes, Healthcare Costs, Hospitals
Ingraham A, Wang X, Havlena J
Factors associated with the interhospital transfer of emergency general surgery patients.
Researchers used data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to determine patient- and hospital-level factors associated with interhospital emergency general surgery (EGS) transfers. They identified that hospital-level characteristics more strongly predicted the need for transfer than patient-related factors. They recommended considering these factors in order to facilitate transfer decision-making.
AHRQ-funded; HS025224.
Citation: Ingraham A, Wang X, Havlena J .
Factors associated with the interhospital transfer of emergency general surgery patients.
J Surg Res 2019 Aug;240:191-200. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2018.11.053..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Emergency Department, Surgery, Decision Making, Hospitals, Healthcare Delivery, Transitions of Care
Hoonakker PLT, Wooldridge AR, Hose BZ
Information flow during pediatric trauma care transitions: things falling through the cracks.
In order to investigate information flow during pediatric trauma care transitions, researchers interviewed 18 clinicians about communication and coordination between the emergency department, operating room, and pediatric intensive care unit, then surveyed the clinicians about patient safety during these transitions. They found that, despite the fact that the many services and units involved in pediatric trauma cooperate well together during trauma cases, important patient care information is often lost when transitioning patients between units. To manage the transition of this fragile and complex population better, they recommend finding ways to manage the information flow during these transitions better by, for instance, providing technological support to ensure shared mental models.
AHRQ-funded; HS023837.
Citation: Hoonakker PLT, Wooldridge AR, Hose BZ .
Information flow during pediatric trauma care transitions: things falling through the cracks.
Intern Emerg Med 2019 Aug;14(5):797-805. doi: 10.1007/s11739-019-02110-7..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Communication, Emergency Department, Healthcare Delivery, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Patient Safety, Provider, Provider: Clinician, Surgery, Transitions of Care, Trauma
Lauerman MH, Herrera AV, Albrecht JS
Interhospital transfers with wide variability in emergency general surgery.
This study examined modern hospital practices for interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients. A retrospective review of the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission database was conducted from 2013 to 2015. The majority of patients (94.1%) were not transferred with only 3.2% transferred to a hospital and 2.7% transferred from a hospital. For individual hospitals, there was a range of 0-30.5% of encounters transferred to a hospital, 0.02-14.62% transferred from a hospital and 69.25-99.95% not transferred.
AHRQ-funded; HS024560.
Citation: Lauerman MH, Herrera AV, Albrecht JS .
Interhospital transfers with wide variability in emergency general surgery.
Am Surg 2019 Jun;85(6):595-600..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Healthcare Delivery, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Outcomes, Quality of Care, Surgery, Transitions of Care
Balentine CJ, Kenzik K, Chu DI
Planning post-discharge destination for gastrointestinal surgery patients: room for improvement?
Investigators compared short-term recovery for patients discharged to inpatient rehabilitation versus skilled nursing facilities after gastrointestinal surgery. They found that there was no difference in 30-day readmission rates, but post-discharge mortality was higher for patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities compared to inpatient rehabilitation.
AHRQ-funded; HS023009.
Citation: Balentine CJ, Kenzik K, Chu DI .
Planning post-discharge destination for gastrointestinal surgery patients: room for improvement?
Am J Surg 2018 Nov;216(5):912-18. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2018.05.004..
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Surgery, Digestive Disease and Health, Rehabilitation, Nursing Homes, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Transitions of Care
Klueh MP, Hu HM, Howard RA
Transitions of care for postoperative opioid prescribing in previously opioid-naive patients in the USA: a retrospective review.
The purpose of this study was to identify specialties prescribing opioids to surgical patients who develop new persistent opioid use. Results showed that, among surgical patients who developed new persistent opioid use, surgeons provided the majority of opioid prescriptions during the first 3 months after surgery, but by 9 to 12 months after surgery, the majority of opioid prescriptions were provided by primary care physicians. Recommendations included enhanced care coordination between surgeons and primary care physicians to allow earlier identification of patients at risk for new persistent opioid use in order to prevent misuse and dependence.
AHRQ-funded; HS023313.
Citation: Klueh MP, Hu HM, Howard RA .
Transitions of care for postoperative opioid prescribing in previously opioid-naive patients in the USA: a retrospective review.
J Gen Intern Med 2018 Oct;33(10):1685-91. doi: 10.1007/s11606-018-4463-1..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Opioids, Substance Abuse, Surgery, Pain, Medication, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Balentine CJ, Leverson G, Vanness DJ
Selecting post-acute care settings after abdominal surgery: are we getting it right?
Using Nationwide Inpatient Sample data, the authors investigated whether variation in post-acute care (PAC) services could be explained by surgeons discharging clinically similar patients to different PAC destinations. They found considerable potential for reducing variation in PAC use and costs by better understanding how surgeons make decisions about PAC placement.
AHRQ-funded; HS023009.
Citation: Balentine CJ, Leverson G, Vanness DJ .
Selecting post-acute care settings after abdominal surgery: are we getting it right?
Am J Surg 2018 Aug;216(2):260-66. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2017.08.043..
Keywords: Care Management, Decision Making, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Surgery, Transitions of Care
Mueller SK, Zheng J, Orav J
Interhospital transfer and receipt of specialty procedures.
This study examines the practice of transferring patients between acute care hospitals, and whether the patient actually receives the specialty services at the new hospital which is the reason for the transfer. A retrospective analysis used 2013 100% Master Beneficiary Summary and Inpatient claims files from the CMS. The cohort were aged 65 and above, continuously enrolled in Medicare A and B, with an acute care hospitalization claim, and transferred to another acute hospital with a primary diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, gastrointestinal bleed, renal failure, or hip fracture/dislocation. Of the 19,613 included beneficiaries, between 32.4% and 89.1% did not receive any associated specialty procedure at the receiving hospital.
AHRQ-funded; HS023331.
Citation: Mueller SK, Zheng J, Orav J .
Interhospital transfer and receipt of specialty procedures.
J Hosp Med 2018 Jun;13(6):383-87. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2875..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Patient Safety, Surgery, Healthcare Delivery
Acher AW, Campbell-Flohr SA, Brenny-Fitzpatrick M
Improving patient-centered transitional care after complex abdominal surgery.
Poor-quality transitions of care from hospital to home contribute to high rates of readmission after complex abdominal surgery. The Coordinated Transitional Care (C-TraC) program improved readmission rates in medical patients, but evidence-based surgical transitional care protocols are still lacking. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an adapted surgical C-TraC protocol. The investigators concluded that a phone-based transitional care protocol for surgical patients is feasible, with <1% refusals and 95% engagement.
patients is feasible, with <1% refusals and 95% engagement.
AHRQ-funded; HS022446.
AHRQ-funded; HS022446.
Citation: Acher AW, Campbell-Flohr SA, Brenny-Fitzpatrick M .
Improving patient-centered transitional care after complex abdominal surgery.
J Am Coll Surg 2017 Aug;225(2):259-65. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2017.04.008..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Surgery, Transitions of Care
Fernandes-Taylor S, Gunter RL, Bennett KM
Feasibility of implementing a patient-centered postoperative wound monitoring program using smartphone images: a pilot protocol.
The researchers propose a protocol of postoperative wound monitoring using smartphone digital images. Their study will help establish the feasibility of such a program, both for patients and for the clinical care team. The feasibility trial will confirm whether patients and their caregivers can learn to use a postdischarge wound monitoring smartphone app and will assess patient and provider satisfaction.
AHRQ-funded; HS023395.
Citation: Fernandes-Taylor S, Gunter RL, Bennett KM .
Feasibility of implementing a patient-centered postoperative wound monitoring program using smartphone images: a pilot protocol.
JMIR Res Protoc 2017 Feb 22;6(2):e26. doi: 10.2196/resprot.6819.
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Keywords: Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Surgery, Injuries and Wounds, Transitions of Care
Acher AW, LeCaire TJ, Hundt AS
Using human factors and systems engineering to evaluate readmission after complex surgery.
The study objective was to use a human factors and systems engineering approach to understand contributors to surgical readmissions from a patient and provider perspective. Patients and clinician providers identified a number of factors during the transition of care that may have contributed to readmission, including poor patient and caregiver understanding; inadequate discharge preparation for home care; insufficient educational process and materials.
AHRQ-funded; HS022446.
Citation: Acher AW, LeCaire TJ, Hundt AS .
Using human factors and systems engineering to evaluate readmission after complex surgery.
J Am Coll Surg 2015 Oct;221(4):810-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2015.06.014..
Keywords: Surgery, Hospital Readmissions, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Electronic Health Records (EHRs)