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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.
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1 to 5 of 5 Research Studies DisplayedGriffith KN, Feyman Y, Auty SG
Implications of county-level variation in U.S. opioid distribution.
Investigators used a novel dataset to investigate the distributional patterns of prescription opioids; whether opioid pill volume was associated with opioid-related mortality; and whether early state Medicaid expansions were associated with either pill volume or opioid-related mortality. Data on opioid shipments to retail pharmacies for 2006-2013 were obtained from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and were mapped to opioid-related deaths (ORDs) from the CDC. The authors compared characteristics of counties in the highest and lowest quartiles for per capita pill volume (PCPV) to determine if they were associated with ORDs and whether early state Medicaid expansions were associated with either outcome. There were large geographic variations found in opioid distribution driven by differences in demographics, healthcare access, and healthcare supply. Early Medicaid expansion states were found to have reduced opioid pill volume. A one-pill increase in PCPV was associated with a 0.20 increase in ORDs per 100,000 population.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Griffith KN, Feyman Y, Auty SG .
Implications of county-level variation in U.S. opioid distribution.
Drug Alcohol Depend 2021 Feb 1;219:108501. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108501..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Substance Abuse, Mortality
Althoff KN, Leifheit KM, Park JN
Opioid-related overdose mortality in the era of fentanyl: monitoring a shifting epidemic by person, place, and time.
Investigators described US trends in opioid-related overdose mortality rates by race, age, urbanicity, and opioid type before and after the emergence of fentanyl. Using the CDC’s WONDER database, they found a disproportionate increase in opioid-related overdose deaths among urban non-Hispanic Black Americans and recommended interventions for this population in order to halt the increase in overdose deaths.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Althoff KN, Leifheit KM, Park JN .
Opioid-related overdose mortality in the era of fentanyl: monitoring a shifting epidemic by person, place, and time.
Drug Alcohol Depend 2020 Nov 1;216:108321. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108321..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Substance Abuse, Mortality, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Social Determinants of Health
McClellan CB
Disparities in opioid related mortality between United States counties from 2000 to 2014.
This study examines disparities in opioid related mortality between United States counties from 2000 to 2014. Unfortunately, counties that had lower rates in 2000 had caught up by 2014. The authors suggest that prevention measures need to be broader in scope and be implemented in areas where the opioid crisis doesn’t seem as prevalent.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: McClellan CB .
Disparities in opioid related mortality between United States counties from 2000 to 2014.
Drug Alcohol Depend 2019 Apr 25;199:151-58. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.03.005..
Keywords: Disparities, Medication, Mortality, Opioids, Substance Abuse
Westover AN, Nakonezny PA, Halm EA
Risk of amphetamine use disorder and mortality among incident users of prescribed stimulant medications in the Veterans Administration.
This study's aims were to ascertain the demographics of stimulant medication users compared with non-users, examine temporal trends of stimulant medication use and estimate risk factors for development of amphetamine use disorder (AUD) and mortality among new users of stimulant medications. The investigators concluded that in their cohort comorbid substance use disorders were common and were risk factors for development of (AUD).
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Westover AN, Nakonezny PA, Halm EA .
Risk of amphetamine use disorder and mortality among incident users of prescribed stimulant medications in the Veterans Administration.
Addiction 2018 May;113(5):857-67. doi: 10.1111/add.14122..
Keywords: Substance Abuse, Medication, Risk, Mortality, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes
Gaither JR, Goulet JL, Becker WC
The effect of substance use disorders on the association between guideline-concordant long-term opioid therapy and all-cause mortality.
The objective of this study was to determine whether the presence of a substance use disorder (SUD) modifies the association between guideline-concordant care and 1-year all-cause mortality among patients receiving long-term opioid therapy (LtOT) for pain. It found that for clinicians prescribing LtOT to patients with untreated SUDs, engaging patients with psychotherapeutic and SUD treatment services may reduce mortality.
AHRQ-funded; U19 HS021112.
Citation: Gaither JR, Goulet JL, Becker WC .
The effect of substance use disorders on the association between guideline-concordant long-term opioid therapy and all-cause mortality.
J Addict Med 2016 Nov/Dec;10(6):418-28. doi: 10.1097/adm.0000000000000255.
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Keywords: Care Management, Medication, Mortality, Substance Abuse, Opioids, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research