National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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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
201 to 225 of 990 Research Studies DisplayedHung DY, Truong QA, Liang SY
Implementing lean quality improvement in primary care: impact on efficiency in performing common clinical tasks.
Investigators examined 3-year impacts of Lean implementation on the amount of time taken for physicians to complete common clinical tasks. They found that Lean redesigns led to improvements in timely completion of 3 out of 4 common clinical tasks, thus supporting the use of Lean techniques to engage teams in routine aspects of patient care. They recommended more research to understand the mechanisms by which Lean promotes quality improvement and effectiveness of care team workflows.
AHRQ-funded; HS024529.
Citation: Hung DY, Truong QA, Liang SY .
Implementing lean quality improvement in primary care: impact on efficiency in performing common clinical tasks.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Feb;36(2):274-79. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06317-9..
Keywords: Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Implementation, Workflow, Teams, Healthcare Delivery
Vsevolozhskaya OA, Manz KC, Zephyr PM
Measurement matters: changing penalty calculations under the Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP) cost hospitals millions.
Since October 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has penalized 25% of U.S. hospitals with the highest rates of hospital-acquired conditions under the Hospital Acquired Conditions Reduction Program (HACRP). While early evaluations of the HACRP program reported cumulative reductions in hospital-acquired conditions, more recent studies have not found a clear association between receipt of the HACRP penalty and hospital quality of care. In this article, the authors posit that some of this disconnect may be driven by frequent scoring updates.
AHRQ-funded; HS025148.
Citation: Vsevolozhskaya OA, Manz KC, Zephyr PM .
Measurement matters: changing penalty calculations under the Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP) cost hospitals millions.
BMC Health Serv Res 2021 Feb 10;21(1):131. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06108-w..
Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases, Hospitals, Policy, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient Safety
Dworsky JQ, Shenoy R, Childers CP
Older veterans undergoing inpatient surgery: what is the compliance with best practice guidelines?
This study’s objective was to determine the documented compliance with best practice guidelines for optimal perioperative care for the older adult surgical patient that were created by the American College of Surgeons Quality Improvement Program and the American Geriatrics Society. The guidelines include 38 measures. A retrospective chart review was conducted on 86 older adults undergoing elective inpatient coronary artery bypass graft, prostatectomy, or colectomy over a 2-year period at a single Veterans Affairs hospital. Mean reported compliance across measures was 41% ± 4%. Of the 38 analyzed measures, 10 measures were achieved for 0 patients, and only 1 patient for 7 measures. Future work is needed to understand barriers for implementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Dworsky JQ, Shenoy R, Childers CP .
Older veterans undergoing inpatient surgery: what is the compliance with best practice guidelines?
Surgery 2021 Feb;169(2):356-61. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2020.08.033..
Keywords: Elderly, Surgery, Guidelines, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Quality Measures
Luo Q, Dor A, Pittman P
Optimal staffing in community health centers to improve quality of care.
The authors explored optimal workforce configurations in the production of care quality in community health centers (CHCs), accounting for interactions among occupational categories, as well as contributions to the volume of services. By linking the Uniform Data System with Internal Revenue Service nonprofit tax return data, they found that primary care physicians and advanced practice clinicians achieved similar quality outcomes. They recommended that CHCs optimize their workforce configuration to improve quality with further hiring of advanced practice clinicians as a cost-effective investment for CHCs.
AHRQ-funded; HS026816.
Citation: Luo Q, Dor A, Pittman P .
Optimal staffing in community health centers to improve quality of care.
Health Serv Res 2021 Feb;56(1):112-22. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13566..
Keywords: Community-Based Practice, Workforce, Quality of Care
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
Aasen DM, Bronsert Rozeboom, PD
Relationships between predischarge and postdischarge infectious complications, length of stay, and unplanned readmissions in the ACS NSQIP database.
This study looked at the relationships between predischarge and postdischarge infectious complications, length of stay, and unplanned hospital readmissions after surgery. Data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement database from 2012 to 2017 across nine surgical specialties was used to analyze 30-day postoperative infectious complications including sepsis, surgical site infections, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections. Postoperative infectious complications were identified in 5.2% of cases, of which 59.8% were postdischarge. The specific postdischarge complications identified were 73.4% of surgical site infections, 34.9% of sepsis cases, 26.5% of pneumonia cases, and 53.2% of urinary tract infections. These postoperative infections were associated with an increased risk of readmission. Most infections were diagnosed postdischarge. The trend towards shorter length of stays postoperation also contribute to the increase in infections detected after discharge and the rate of unplanned related postoperative readmissions.
AHRQ-funded; HS026019.
Citation: Aasen DM, Bronsert Rozeboom, PD .
Relationships between predischarge and postdischarge infectious complications, length of stay, and unplanned readmissions in the ACS NSQIP database.
Surgery 2021 Feb;169(2):325-32. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2020.08.009..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Adverse Events, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Surgery
Nishisaki A, Lee A, Li S
Sustained improvement in tracheal intubation safety across a 15-center quality-improvement collaborative: an interventional study from the national emergency airway registry for children investigators.
The authors sought to evaluate the effect of a tracheal intubation safety bundle on adverse tracheal intubation-associated events across 15 PICUs. The safety bundle included a quarterly site benchmark performance reports and an airway safety checklist consisting of preprocedure risk factor, approach, and role planning, preprocedure bedside "time-out," and immediate postprocedure debriefing. The authors found that effective implementation of a quality-improvement bundle was associated with a decrease in the adverse tracheal intubation-associated event that was sustained for 24 months.
AHRQ-funded; HS021583; HS022464; HS024511.
Citation: Nishisaki A, Lee A, Li S .
Sustained improvement in tracheal intubation safety across a 15-center quality-improvement collaborative: an interventional study from the national emergency airway registry for children investigators.
Crit Care Med 2021 Feb;49(2):250-60. doi: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000004725..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Solberg LI, Kuzel A, Parchman ML
A taxonomy for external support for practice transformation.
There is no commonly accepted comprehensive framework for describing the practical specifics of external support for practice change. In this study, the researchers’goal was to develop a taxonomy that could be used by both external groups or researchers and health care leaders. The leaders of 8 grants from Agency for Research and Quality for the EvidenceNOW study of improving cardiovascular preventive services in over 1500 primary care practices nationwide worked collaboratively over 18 months to develop descriptions of key domains that might comprehensively characterize any external support intervention.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Solberg LI, Kuzel A, Parchman ML .
A taxonomy for external support for practice transformation.
J Am Board Fam Med 2021 Jan-Feb;34(1):32-39. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.01.200225..
Keywords: Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Cardiovascular Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Prevention, Quality Improvement, Practice Improvement, Quality of Care
Tamma PD, Miller MA, Dullabh P
AHRQ Author: Miller MA
Association of a safety program for improving antibiotic use with antibiotic use and hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection rates among US hospitals.
Regulatory agencies and professional organizations recommend antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) in US hospitals. The optimal approach to establish robust, sustainable ASPs across diverse hospitals is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use was associated with reductions in antibiotic use across US hospitals. The investigators concluded that AHRQ Safety Program appeared to enable diverse hospitals to establish ASPs and teach frontline clinicians to self-steward their antibiotic use.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Tamma PD, Miller MA, Dullabh P .
Association of a safety program for improving antibiotic use with antibiotic use and hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection rates among US hospitals.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Feb;4(2):e210235. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.0235..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Decision Making, Clostridium difficile Infections, Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Hospitals
Larsen GY, Brilli R, Macias CG
Development of a quality improvement learning collaborative to improve pediatric sepsis outcomes.
Researchers developed a multicenter quality improvement learning collaborative of US children's hospitals. They created a key driver diagram (KDD) with the aim of reducing both the sepsis-attributable mortality and the incidence of hospital-onset sepsis in children. The KDD primary drivers focused on improving the following: treatment of infection; recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of sepsis; de-escalation of unnecessary care; engagement of patients and families; and methods to optimize performance. The Children's Hospital Association Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes collaborative aims to improve sepsis outcomes through collaborative learning and reliable implementation of evidence-based interventions.
AHRQ-funded; HS025696.
Citation: Larsen GY, Brilli R, Macias CG .
Development of a quality improvement learning collaborative to improve pediatric sepsis outcomes.
Pediatrics 2021 Jan;147(1). doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-1434..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Sepsis, Outcomes, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Education: Continuing Medical Education
Soylu TG, Cuellar AE, Goldberg DG
Engagement of small to medium-sized primary care practices in quality improvement efforts.
Engaging primary care practices in quality improvement (QI) efforts has been challenging. This study examined the association between practice readiness and practice characteristics and engagement during a targeted QI effort. The study analyzed cross-sectional data collected by the Heart of Virginia Health care, a cardiovascular disease QI intervention study with 195 practices. The investigators concluded that clinicians and leadership involvement in QI efforts was critical. They indicated that the findings suggested QI plans should involve clinicians and leaders early in the process to foster commitment, establish practice readiness, and sustain improvement efforts.
AHRQ-funded; HS023913.
Citation: Soylu TG, Cuellar AE, Goldberg DG .
Engagement of small to medium-sized primary care practices in quality improvement efforts.
J Am Board Fam Med 2021 Jan-Feb;34(1):40-48. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.01.200153..
Keywords: Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Provider
Wilson BL, Butler RJ
Identifying optimal labor and delivery nurse staffing: the case of cesarean births and nursing hours.
Numerous studies have identified a relationship between nurse staffing and adverse patient outcomes in medical / surgical patient populations. However, little is known about the impact of labor and delivery (L&D) nurse staffing and adverse birth outcomes, such as unintended cesarean delivery, in low-risk term-gestation women. In this study the investigators examined nurse staffing patterns on the likelihood of cesarean sections (C-sections) among low- risk, full gestation births and provided a testing framework to distinguish optimal from ineffective levels of nurse staffing.
AHRQ-funded; HS024607.
Citation: Wilson BL, Butler RJ .
Identifying optimal labor and delivery nurse staffing: the case of cesarean births and nursing hours.
Nurs Outlook 2021 Jan-Feb;69(1):84-95. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2020.07.003..
Keywords: Provider: Nurse, Provider, Workforce, Labor and Delivery, Pregnancy, Quality of Care, Risk, Women
Hanlon JT, Perera S, Schweon S
Improvements in antibiotic appropriateness for cystitis in older nursing home residents: a quality improvement study with randomized assignment.
This study evaluated the impact of an educational quality improvement initiative on the appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing restricted to uncomplicated cystitis in older noncatheterized nursing home residents. This 1-year case-control study used 25 participating nursing homes that were randomized to the intervention or usual care group by strata that included state, urban/rural status, bed size, and geographic separation. A total of 75 cases of cystitis were found in the intervention groups and 92 in the control groups. The intervention group had a nonsignificant 21% reduction in the risk of antibiotic prescribing. There was a favorable comparison in appropriateness of duration. However, the intervention group had more problems with drug-drug interactions than the control group (8% vs 1%). There were also more problems with dosage in the intervention group. Both groups had similar rates of problems with choice or effectiveness (44% vs 45%). The most common antibiotic class that was prescribed inappropriately was quinolones.
AHRQ-funded; R18 HS023779.
Citation: Hanlon JT, Perera S, Schweon S .
Improvements in antibiotic appropriateness for cystitis in older nursing home residents: a quality improvement study with randomized assignment.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2021 Jan;22(1):173-77. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.07.040..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Antibiotics, Medication, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Decision Making
Quigley DD, McCleskey SG
Improving care experiences for patients and caregivers at end of life: a systematic review.
End-of-life care is increasing as the US population ages. Approaches to providing high-quality end-of-life care vary across setting, diseases, and populations. Several data collection tools measure patient and/or caregiver care experiences at end of life and can be used for quality improvement. Previous reviews examined palliative care improvements or available measures but none explicitly on improving care experiences. In this study, the researchers reviewed literature on improving patient and/or caregiver end-of-life care experiences.
AHRQ-funded; HS025920.
Citation: Quigley DD, McCleskey SG .
Improving care experiences for patients and caregivers at end of life: a systematic review.
Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2021 Jan;38(1):84-93. doi: 10.1177/1049909120931468..
Keywords: Palliative Care, Caregiving, Patient Experience, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Marshall TL, Ipsaro AJ, Le M
Increasing physician reporting of diagnostic learning opportunities.
This study investigated methods to improve physician reporting of diagnostic errors at the pediatric division of a hospital. In that pediatric hospital medicine (PHM) division only 1 diagnostic-related safety event was reported in the preceding 4 years. The authors aimed to improve attending physician reporting of suspected diagnostic errors from 0 to 2 per 100 PHM patient admissions within 6 months. The improvement team used the Model for Improvement and used the term diagnostic learning opportunity (DLO) with clinicians as opposed to diagnostic error to lessen the stigma. They developed an electronic reporting form and encouraged its use through reminders, scheduled reflection time, and monthly progress reports. Over the course of 13 weeks, there was an increase from 0 to 1.6 per patient admission reports files. Most events (66%) were true diagnostic errors.
AHRQ-funded; HS023827.
Citation: Marshall TL, Ipsaro AJ, Le M .
Increasing physician reporting of diagnostic learning opportunities.
Pediatrics 2021 Jan;147(1). doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-2400..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Hospitals, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Covele BM, Puri KS, Kallis K
ORBIT-RT: a real-time, open platform for knowledge-based quality control of radiotherapy treatment planning.
This paper describes the Online Real-time Benchmarking Information Technology for RadioTherapy (ORBIT-RT) platform, a free, web-based platform for knowledge-based dose estimation that can be used by clinicians worldwide to benchmark the quality of their radiotherapy plans. It was developed to satisfy four primary design criteria: web-based access, treatment planning systems independence, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance, and autonomous operation. The ORBIT-RT system can be used for real-time quality control feedback that provides users with objective comparisons for final plan dose-volume histograms.
AHRQ-funded; HS025440.
Citation: Covele BM, Puri KS, Kallis K .
ORBIT-RT: a real-time, open platform for knowledge-based quality control of radiotherapy treatment planning.
JCO Clin Cancer Inform 2021 Jan;5:134-42. doi: 10.1200/cci.20.00093..
Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality of Care
Gaughan AA, Walker DM, DePuccio MJ
Rewarding and recognizing frontline staff for success in infection prevention.
This article discusses how managers can use reward and recognition programs as motivational tools to sustain frontline healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention. Data from interviews with hospital managers and frontline staff at 18 US hospitals were used to identify these tools.
AHRQ-funded; HS024958.
Citation: Gaughan AA, Walker DM, DePuccio MJ .
Rewarding and recognizing frontline staff for success in infection prevention.
Am J Infect Control 2021 Jan;49(1):123-25. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.06.208..
Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases, Prevention, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Perl J, Fuller DS, Boudville N
Optimizing peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis prevention in the United States: from standardized peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis reporting and beyond.
Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis is the leading cause of permanent transition to hemodialysis among patients receiving PD. Optimizing the prevention of peritonitis in the United States will first require standardization of peritonitis definitions, key data elements, and outcomes in an effort to facilitate nationwide reporting. In this paper, the investigators highlighted considerations and challenges in developing standardized definitions and implementation of national reporting of peritonitis rates by PD facilities.
AHRQ-funded; HS025756.
Citation: Perl J, Fuller DS, Boudville N .
Optimizing peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis prevention in the United States: from standardized peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis reporting and beyond.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2020 Dec 31;16(1):154-61. doi: 10.2215/cjn.11280919..
Keywords: Kidney Disease and Health, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Groetzinger LM, Rivosecchi RM, McVerry BJ
A quality improvement evaluation of a primary as-needed light sedation protocol in mechanically ventilated adults.
This study assessed outcomes of using a light-sedation protocol as needed compared to the more usual continuous infusion sedation in mechanically ventilated adults in medical intensive care units (ICUs). This retrospective review compared patients who received the as needed sedation protocol to similar patients treated initially with continuous infusion sedation at a 32-bed medical ICU in a large academic center. Over a 2-year period, 254 total mechanically ventilated patients were evaluated. Of the evaluable patients, 114 received the prioritizing as-needed sedation protocol, and 140 received the continuous infusion approach. In the as-needed group, 42% of patients never received continuous infusion sedation. The group also received significantly less opioid, propofol, and benzodiazepine; and experienced less delirium, shorter duration of mechanical ventilation, and shorter ICU length of stay compared to the continuous infusion sedation group.
AHRQ-funded; HS025455.
Citation: Groetzinger LM, Rivosecchi RM, McVerry BJ .
A quality improvement evaluation of a primary as-needed light sedation protocol in mechanically ventilated adults.
Crit Care Explor 2020 Dec;2(12):e0264. doi: 10.1097/cce.0000000000000264..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Implementation
Heinze K, Suwanabol PA, Vitous CA
A survey of patient perspectives on approach to health care: focus on physician competency and compassion.
This study is a cross-sectional survey of 764 patients to gain insight into perceptions of physician qualities of compassion and competence. The participants response rate was 85%, with mean age 52.4, 70.8% female, and 84% identified as white. Predictors of compassion over competence included female gender and whether the respondent had a personal connection to the vignette used. Preferences were found to be influenced by: 1) explicit beliefs regarding the value of physician compassion and competence; 2) impact of emotional and mental health on medical experiences; 3) type and frequency of health care exposure, and; 4) perceived role of the physician in various clinical vignettes.
AHRQ-funded; HS026772.
Citation: Heinze K, Suwanabol PA, Vitous CA .
A survey of patient perspectives on approach to health care: focus on physician competency and compassion.
J Patient Exp 2020 Dec;7(6):1044-53. doi: 10.1177/2374373520968447..
Keywords: Provider: Physician, Provider, Patient Experience, Provider Performance, Quality of Care
Reisz PA, Laviana AA, Zhao Z
Assessing the quality of surgical care for clinically localized prostate cancer: results from the CEASAR study.
Prior studies suggest that nationally endorsed quality measures for prostate cancer care are not linked closely with outcomes. Using a prospective, population based cohort the investigators measured clinically relevant variation in structure, process and outcome measures in men undergoing radical prostatectomy. The authors did not identify and meaningful variation in quality of care across racial groups, age groups and surgeon volume strata, in this cohort, suggesting that men were receiving comparable quality of care across these strata.
AHRQ-funded; HS019356.
Citation: Reisz PA, Laviana AA, Zhao Z .
Assessing the quality of surgical care for clinically localized prostate cancer: results from the CEASAR study.
J Urol 2020 Dec;204(6):1236-41. doi: 10.1097/ju.0000000000001198..
Keywords: Surgery, Cancer: Prostate Cancer, Cancer, Quality of Care, Quality of Life, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Comparative Effectiveness, Evidence-Based Practice
Griffey RT, Schneider RM, Sharp BR
Description and yield of current quality and safety review in selected US academic emergency departments.
This study examined the impact of current quality and safety reviews used in US academic emergency departments (EDs). The authors hypothesized that current protocols are decades old and inefficient with low yield for identifying patient harm. They conducted a prospective observational study at five academic EDs for a 12-month procedure. Sites used the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s definition in defining an adverse event and a modified National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (MERP) Index for severity grading of events. They reviewed a total of 4735 cases and identified 381 events, of which 287 were near-misses, and 94 had adverse events (AEs). The overall AE rate was 1.99% (1.24-3.47%) across all sites. Quality concern rate (events without harms) was 6.06% (5.42-6.78%). Forty-seven percent of cases used 72 hour returns as their referral source but with only a 0.81% yield in identifying harm. Other referral sources also had similar low yields. External referrals in the 94 AE cases accounted for 41.49% of cases. The authors concluded that new approaches to quality and safety review in the ED are needed to optimize yield and efficiency for identifying harms and areas for improvement.
AHRQ-funded; HS025052.
Citation: Griffey RT, Schneider RM, Sharp BR .
Description and yield of current quality and safety review in selected US academic emergency departments.
J Patient Saf 2020 Dec;16(4):e245-e49. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000379..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Provider Performance
Geng F, Mansouri S, Stevenson DG
Evolution of the home health care market: the expansion and quality performance of multi-agency chains.
This study examined the growth and quality performance of multi-agency home health agency (HHA) chains from 2005 to 2018. All Medicare-certified HHAs were included. Over the time period, the number of HHAs increased from 7899 to 10,818 and the number of chain-owned HHAs more than doubled from 903 to 1841. In 2018, for-profit nonchain agencies were still the largest category - both in the number of agencies (67.8%) and number of Medicare enrollees served (40.7%). Non-chain for-profit HHAs served the highest proportion of dual eligible beneficiaries and African Americans among all agency types.
AHRQ-funded; HS024072.
Citation: Geng F, Mansouri S, Stevenson DG .
Evolution of the home health care market: the expansion and quality performance of multi-agency chains.
Health Serv Res 2020 Dec;55(Suppl 3):1073-84. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13597..
Keywords: Home Healthcare, Provider Performance, Quality of Care
Kranz AM, DeYoreo M, shete-Roesler B
Health system affiliation of physician organizations and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries who have high needs.
The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that health systems provide better care to patients with high needs compared to nonaffiliated physician organizations (POs). The 2015 Medicare Data on Provider Practice and Specialty linked physicians’ database was linked to POs Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) and IRS Form 990 data to identify health system affiliations. Among 2,323,301 beneficiaries with high needs, 52.3% received care from system-affiliated practices. The emergency department (ED) visit rate was statistically significantly different in system-affiliated POs and nonaffiliated POs. There were small differences for the remaining five of six quality measures examined: continuity of care, follow-up visits, all-cause readmissions, and ambulatory care-sensitive hospitalizations. Within systems there was substantial variation for rates of continuity of care and follow-up after ED visits.
AHRQ-funded; HS024067.
Citation: Kranz AM, DeYoreo M, shete-Roesler B .
Health system affiliation of physician organizations and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries who have high needs.
Health Serv Res 2020 Dec;55(Suppl 3):1118-28. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13570..
Keywords: Health Systems, Medicare, Quality of Care, Healthcare Delivery
Liu FF, Lew A, Andes E
Implementation strategies for depression and anxiety screening in a pediatric cystic fibrosis center: a quality improvement project.
The objective of this study was to share key strategies that led to successful mental health screening (MHS) implementation in one pediatric cystic fibrosis center and to report implementation and screening outcomes. Results showed that leveraging coproduction to address stakeholder needs led to successful implementation of a sustainable MHS process.
AHRQ-funded; HS026393.
Citation: Liu FF, Lew A, Andes E .
Implementation strategies for depression and anxiety screening in a pediatric cystic fibrosis center: a quality improvement project.
Pediatr Pulmonol 2020 Dec;55(12):3328-36. doi: 10.1002/ppul.24951..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Respiratory Conditions, Chronic Conditions, Depression, Anxiety, Behavioral Health, Screening, Implementation, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Diagnostic Safety and Quality