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- Cardiovascular Conditions (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 DisplayedChandanabhumma PP, Zhou S, Fetters MD
Expanding our methodological toolbox to improve quality: the role of mixed-methods evaluations.
This article discusses ways that using mixed-methods studies can enhance quality improvement interventions instead of relying solely on quantitative evidence. Mixed-methods design helped to advance an evidence-based, customizable infection prevention toolkit for durable left ventricular assist device therapy. Strengths of using mixed-methods studies include: (1) the use of qualitative research methodologies (eg, eliciting patient or clinician perspectives on barriers and facilitators of best practices) and (2) integrating qualitative and quantitative data and analyses to understand more fully effective strategies for achieving optimal care and outcomes for these patients across diverse settings. The study: 1) used quantitative clinical data merged with Medicare claims to evaluate interhospital variability in the incidence of infection; 2) used qualitative methods to understand local practice patterns across low- and high-performing centers; and 3) integrated both data sources to gain a comprehensive understanding of the overall findings.
AHRQ-funded; HS026003.
Citation: Chandanabhumma PP, Zhou S, Fetters MD .
Expanding our methodological toolbox to improve quality: the role of mixed-methods evaluations.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2023 May; 16(5):e009629. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.122.009629..
Keywords: Research Methodologies, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Hernandez AV, Roman YM, White CM
Developing criteria and associated instructions for consistent and useful quality improvement study data extraction for health systems.
This paper describes AHRQ’s efforts to collate and assess quality improvement studies to support learning health systems (LHS). The authors identified quality improvement studies and evaluated the consistency of data extraction from two experienced independent reviewers at three time points: baseline, first revision, and final revision. Six investigators looked at the data extracted by the independent reviewers and determined the extent of similarity on a scale of 0 to 10. Two LHS participants were then asked to assess the relative value of their criteria. The consistency of extraction improved from a mean 1.17 score at baseline to 6.07 at first revision, and 6.81 at the final revision. There was not a significant improvement from the first to final revision. However, the LHS participants rated the value of these ratings a 9 and a 6, demonstrating that there is value in developing criteria.
AHRQ-funded; 290201500012I.
Citation: Hernandez AV, Roman YM, White CM .
Developing criteria and associated instructions for consistent and useful quality improvement study data extraction for health systems.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Nov;35(Suppl 2):802-07. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06098-1..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Learning Health Systems, Health Systems, Health Services Research (HSR), Research Methodologies
Hargraves JL, Cosenza C, Elliott MN, et al.
The effect of different sampling and recall periods in the CAHPS Clinician & Group (CG-CAHPS) survey.
Researchers examined the effect of changing the sampling and reference periods for the CAHPS((R)) Clinician & Group Survey from 12 to 6 months. They found that shortening the reference reduced the proportion of respondents reporting a blood test, X-ray, or other tests, and the most positive response was selected more often on the 6-month survey for 12 out of 13 questions. They concluded that surveys using a 6-month recall period may yield slightly higher scores than surveys with a 12-month recall period.
AHRQ-funded; HS016978.
Citation: Hargraves JL, Cosenza C, Elliott MN, et al..
The effect of different sampling and recall periods in the CAHPS Clinician & Group (CG-CAHPS) survey.
Health Serv Res 2019 Oct;54(5):1036-44. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13173..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Patient Experience, Quality of Care, Research Methodologies
Hsu YJ, Kosinski AS, Wallace AS
Using a society database to evaluate a patient safety collaborative: the Cardiovascular Surgical Translational Study.
The authors assessed the utility of using external databases for quality improvement (QI) evaluations in the context of an innovative QI collaborative aimed to reduce three infections and improve patient safety across the cardiac surgery service line. They compared changes in each outcome between 15 intervention hospitals and 52 propensity score-matched hospitals, and found that improvement trends in several outcomes among the studied intervention hospitals were not statistically different from those in comparison hospitals. They conclude that using external databases may permit comparative effectiveness assessment by providing concurrent comparison groups, additional outcome measures, and longer follow-up.
AHRQ-funded; HS019934.
Citation: Hsu YJ, Kosinski AS, Wallace AS .
Using a society database to evaluate a patient safety collaborative: the Cardiovascular Surgical Translational Study.
J Comp Eff Res 2019 Jan;8(1):21-32. doi: 10.2217/cer-2018-0051..
Keywords: Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality of Care, Surgery, Cardiovascular Conditions, Comparative Effectiveness, Data, Hospitals, Research Methodologies, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Phillippi JC, Hartmann KE
Differentiating research, quality improvement, and case studies to ethically incorporate pregnant women.
This article discusses the need to involve pregnant women in research, quality improvement, and case studies and how to involve them in an ethical way with high standards to protect participants. This review includes vignettes to distinguish between the different types of studies and emphasizes that perinatal care providers will need to seek institutional review board approval for all research to be conducted.
AHRQ-funded; HS024733.
Citation: Phillippi JC, Hartmann KE .
Differentiating research, quality improvement, and case studies to ethically incorporate pregnant women.
J Midwifery Womens Health 2018 Jan;63(1):104-14. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.12673..
Keywords: Health Services Research (HSR), Healthcare Delivery, Maternal Care, Pregnancy, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Research Methodologies, Women
Dy SM, Herr K, Bernacki RE
Methodological research priorities in palliative care and hospice quality measurement.
The authors describe three key priorities: 1) defining the population of interest for palliative care quality indicators, 2) developing methods to measure quality from different data sources, and 3) conducting research to advance the development of patient/family-reported indicators. They apply these concepts to the key quality domain of advance care planning and address relevance to implementation of indicators in improving care in order to facilitate improved quality measurement across all populations with serious illness and care for patients and families.
AHRQ-funded; HS023681.
Citation: Dy SM, Herr K, Bernacki RE .
Methodological research priorities in palliative care and hospice quality measurement.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2016 Feb;51(2):155-62. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2015.10.019.
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Keywords: Research Methodologies, Palliative Care, Quality Measures, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality of Care
Berkman ND, Lohr KN, Ansari MT
Grading the strength of a body of evidence when assessing health care interventions: an EPC update.
The authors discussed the state of revision of 2010 guidance on grading the strength of evidence (SOE) of the effectiveness of drugs, devices, and other preventive and therapeutic interventions in systematic reviews produced by AHRQ's Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) program. They concluded that EPC working groups will consider ongoing challenges and modify guidance as needed, on issues such as combining trials and observational studies in bodies of evidence, weighting domains, and combining qualitative and quantitative syntheses.
AHRQ-funded; 290200710056I.
Citation: Berkman ND, Lohr KN, Ansari MT .
Grading the strength of a body of evidence when assessing health care interventions: an EPC update.
J Clin Epidemiol 2015 Nov;68(11):1312-24. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.11.023.
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Keywords: Comparative Effectiveness, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Research Methodologies
Xu X, Buta E, Anhang Price R
Methodological considerations when studying the association between patient-reported care experiences and mortality.
This study illustrated methodological considerations when assessing the relationship between patient care experiences and mortality. It found that the association between overall care experiences and mortality was significant for deaths not amenable to medical care and all-cause mortality, but not for amenable deaths.
AHRQ-funded; HS016980; HS016978.
Citation: Xu X, Buta E, Anhang Price R .
Methodological considerations when studying the association between patient-reported care experiences and mortality.
Health Serv Res 2015 Aug;50(4):1146-61. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12264..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Patient Experience, Mortality, Quality of Care, Research Methodologies
Linares-Perdomo O, East TD, Brower R
Standardizing predicted body weight equations for mechanical ventilation tidal volume settings.
Predicted body weight (PBW) equations use height, age, and sex as input variables. The researchers compared National Institutes of Health (NIH) ARDS Network (ARDSNet), actuarial table (ACTUARIAL), and Stewart (STEWART) PBW equations used in clinical trials, across physiologic ranges for age and height. They concluded that significant differences between PBW equations for both men and women could be important sources of interstudy variation. Studies should adopt a standard PBW equation.
AHRQ-funded; HS006594.
Citation: Linares-Perdomo O, East TD, Brower R .
Standardizing predicted body weight equations for mechanical ventilation tidal volume settings.
Chest 2015 Jul;148(1):73-8. doi: 10.1378/chest.14-2843..
Keywords: Research Methodologies, Respiratory Conditions, Quality of Care
Zimring C, Jacob JT, Denham ME
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/193758671300701S04
The role of facility design in preventing the transmission of healthcare-associated infections: Background and conceptual framework.
This paper describes the conceptual framework and methodology used to conduct a comprehensive literature review of current evidence evaluating the role of the built environment in the transmission of healthcare-associated infections. The methodology involves a chain of transmission interventions model that is a multidisciplinary conceptualization of the interaction between pathogens and the built environment. This model facilitated a systematic literature review of a very large amount of data.
AHRQ-funded; 290201000024I.
Citation: Zimring C, Jacob JT, Denham ME .
The role of facility design in preventing the transmission of healthcare-associated infections: Background and conceptual framework.
HERD 2013 Oct;7(1 suppl):18-30.
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Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Quality of Care, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Research Methodologies