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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 25 of 111 Research Studies DisplayedTeixeira da Silva D, Makeneni S, Wall H
Measuring quality STI care among adolescent female primary care patients in Philadelphia.
The purpose of this study was to develop and apply a cross-setting, sexually transmitted infection (STI) Care Continuum to improve STI care quality, to assess adherence to guideline-recommended care, and to standardize progress measurement toward National Strategic goals. Review of the CDC STI treatment guidelines identified seven distinct steps of care for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis; researchers used Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey data to estimate step 1, and electronic health record data for steps 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7. The researchers concluded that local application of an STI Care Continuum identified STI testing, retesting, and HIV testing as areas for improvement. Similar methods may be applied to target resources, standardize data collection and reporting, and improve STI care quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS026116.
Citation: Teixeira da Silva D, Makeneni S, Wall H .
Measuring quality STI care among adolescent female primary care patients in Philadelphia.
Sex Transm Infect 2023 Jun; 99(4):272-75. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2022-055623..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases, Primary Care, Women, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Quality Measures, Quality of Care
Lindner SR, Balasubramanian B, Marino M
Estimating the cardiovascular disease risk reduction of a quality improvement initiative in primary care: findings from EvidenceNOW.
The purpose of this study was to estimate decreases in 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk associated with EvidenceNOW, an initiative spanning multiple states that sought to improve cardiovascular preventive care by providing supportive interventions such as practice facilitation to address the “ABCS”: (A)spirin for high-risk patients, (B)lood pressure control for hypertensive people, (C)holesterol management, and (S)moking screening and cessation counseling. The researchers conducted an analytic modeling study that combined 1) data from 1,278 EvidenceNOW practices collected from 2015 to 2017; (2) patient-level information of 1,295 individuals who participated in the 2015 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; and (3) 10-year ASCVD risk prediction equations. The study found the average 10-year ASCVD risk of these patients before intervention was 10.11%. Improvements in ABCS due to EvidenceNOW reduced their 10-year ASCVD risk to 10.03% which would prevent 3,169 ASCVD events over 10 years and $150 million in 90-day direct medical costs.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Lindner SR, Balasubramanian B, Marino M .
Estimating the cardiovascular disease risk reduction of a quality improvement initiative in primary care: findings from EvidenceNOW.
J Am Board Fam Med 2023 May 8; 36(3):462-76. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.220331R1..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Blood Pressure
McHugh M, Philbin S, Carroll AJ
An approach to evaluating multisector partnerships to support evidence-based quality improvement in primary care.
This study’s goal was to describe an approach for evaluating the development and effectiveness of a multisector partnership using data from the first year of the Healthy Hearts for Michigan (HH4M) Cooperative, a multisector partnership of nine organizations tasked with designing and implementing evidence-based QI strategies for hypertension management and tobacco cessation in 50 rural primary care practices. A 49-item survey focused on factors that facilitate or hinder multisector partnerships, drawing on implementation science and partnership, engagement, and collaboration research was developed. All 44 members of the HH4M Cooperative (79.5% response rate) were surveyed, interviews conducted with 14 members. Having a clear purpose and trust and respect among members were the strengths reported. A need for common terminology, clarification of roles and functions, and improvement in communication across workgroups were areas for improvement. The Cooperative’s biggest challenge was the lack of engagement from physician practices due to capacity constraints, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
AHRQ-funded; HS027954.
Citation: McHugh M, Philbin S, Carroll AJ .
An approach to evaluating multisector partnerships to support evidence-based quality improvement in primary care.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2023 Apr;49(4):199-206. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2023.01.002.
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Evidence-Based Practice, Primary Care, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Cohen DJ, Balasubramanian BA, Lindner S
How does prior experience pay off in large-scale quality improvement initiatives?
This study’s goal was to examine the association of prior investment on the effectiveness of organizations delivering large-scale external support to improve primary care. A mixed-methods study was conducted with 7 EvidenceNOW grantees and their recruited primary practices (n = 1720). Data was analyzed on the grantees’ implementation of helping primary care practice improve (1) clinical quality, measured as practices' performance on Aspirin, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, and Smoking (ABCS); and (2) practice capacity, measured using the Adaptive Reserve (AR) score and Change Process Capacity Questionnaire (CPCQ). Grantees with higher levels of prior experience with and investment in large-scale QI before EvidenceNOW recruited more geographically dispersed and diverse practices. They also had lower baseline ABCS performance (differences ranging from 2.8% for blood pressure to 41.5% for smoking), delivered more facilitation (mean=+20.3 hours), and made greater improvements in practices' QI capacity (CPCQ: +2.04) and smoking performance (+6.43%) than grantees with less experience. Having established networks of facilitators at the start of EvidenceNOW and leadership experienced in supporting this workforce explained their better recruitment, delivery of facilitation, and improvement in outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Cohen DJ, Balasubramanian BA, Lindner S .
How does prior experience pay off in large-scale quality improvement initiatives?
J Am Board Fam Med 2022 Dec; 35(6):1115-27. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.AP.220088..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Primary Care, Quality of Care
Kuzel AJ, Cuellar A, Nichols L
The EvidenceNOW practice support initiative: the Heart of Virginia Healthcare.
The purpose of this study was for The Heart of Virginia Health care (HVH) collaborative (one of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Evidence Now project’s 7 collaboratives) to test different ways to improve performance and outcomes on ABCS clinical quality measures (appropriate Aspirin use, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol control, and Smoking cessation counseling) within small primary care practices. The researchers recruited 264 eligible practices and randomized them to 3 cohorts in a stepped wedge design, with 173, utilizing 16 different EHRs, participated through the entire initiative. Trained coaches delivered the practice support curriculum to improve performance on the ABCS measures. The program included an initial kickoff meeting, 3 months of focused support, 9 months of continued support, and access to online materials and faculty. The intervention phase was shortened due to difficulty in recruiting a sufficient number of practices. The study found that the short HVH intervention had a small but statistically significant positive average effects on appropriate use of aspirin and other anti-thrombotics, small negative effects on blood pressure control, except for those practices which did not attend the kickoff, and small negative effects on smoking cessation counseling. The researchers concluded that the truncation of the intervention contributed to the lack of substantial improvements in the ABCS.
AHRQ-funded; HS023913.
Citation: Kuzel AJ, Cuellar A, Nichols L .
The EvidenceNOW practice support initiative: the Heart of Virginia Healthcare.
J Am Board Fam Med 2022 Oct 18;35(5):979-89. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.05.210021..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Primary Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Healthcare Delivery
Sweeney SM, Baron A, Hall JD
Effective facilitator strategies for supporting primary care practice change: a mixed methods study.
Investigators conducted a pragmatic qualitative study with patients who had participated in a health-related social needs (HRSN) intervention. They found that patients were likely to have initial skepticism or reservations about the intervention; they identified 4 positive intervention components regarding patient experience; and they found that patients could be left with feelings of appreciation or hope, regardless of whether they connected with HRSN resources.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Sweeney SM, Baron A, Hall JD .
Effective facilitator strategies for supporting primary care practice change: a mixed methods study.
Ann Fam Med 2022 Sep-Oct;20(5):414-22. doi: 10.1370/afm.2847..
Keywords: Primary Care, Practice Improvement, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Richardson JE, Rasmussen LV, Dorr DA
Generating and reporting electronic clinical quality measures from electronic health records: strategies from EvidenceNOW cooperatives.
This study’s goal was to characterize strategies that seven regional cooperatives participating in the EvidenceNOW initiative developed to generate and report electronic health record (EHR)-based electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) for quality improvement (QI) in small-to-medium-sized practices. Findings showed that cooperatives ultimately generated and reported eCQMs using hybrid strategies because they determined that neither EHRs alone nor centralized sources alone could operationalize eCQMs for QI. In order to attain this goal, cooperatives needed to devise solutions and utilize resources that often are unavailable to typical small-to-medium-sized practices.
AHRQ-funded; HS023921.
Citation: Richardson JE, Rasmussen LV, Dorr DA .
Generating and reporting electronic clinical quality measures from electronic health records: strategies from EvidenceNOW cooperatives.
Appl Clin Inform 2022 Mar;13(2):485-94. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1748145..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Primary Care
Perry CK, Linder S, Hall J
How type of practice ownership affects participation with quality improvement external facilitation: findings from EvidenceNOW.
This study examined how practice ownership influences participation in external facilitation using data from EvidenceNOW. The authors collected data from practices on practice characteristics and ownership type via surveys and from facilitators on the number of hours, encounters, and months each practice had with a facilitator via facilitation logs. Semi-structured interviewers with EvidenceNOW leadership (n = 12) and facilitators (n = 51) were conducted, and facilitators (n = 64) were observed for patterns of facilitation. In the fully adjusted model, differences by ownership were non-significant. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) however, had significantly less participation in facilitation than clinician-owned practices for the measures number of encounters and number of months with encounters.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Perry CK, Linder S, Hall J .
How type of practice ownership affects participation with quality improvement external facilitation: findings from EvidenceNOW.
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Mar;37(4):793-801. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07204-7..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Primary Care, Practice Improvement
Burstein DS, Liss DT, Linder JA
Association of primary care physician compensation incentives and quality of care in the United States, 2012-2016.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I; HS026506; HS028127.
Citation: Burstein DS, Liss DT, Linder JA .
Association of primary care physician compensation incentives and quality of care in the United States, 2012-2016.
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Feb;37(2):359-66. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-06617-8..
Keywords: Primary Care, Payment, Quality of Care
Hysong Hysong, Arredondo K, Hughes AM
An evidence-based, structured, expert approach to selecting essential indicators of primary care quality.
The purpose of this article was to illustrate the application of an evidence-based, structured performance measurement methodology to identify, prioritize, and generate new measures of health care quality, using primary care as a case example. Subject matter experts identified three fundamental objectives: access, patient-health care team partnerships, and technical quality. The authors indicated that their article provides an actionable guide to applying their Productivity Measurement and Enhancement System, which can be adapted to the needs of various industries, including measure selection and modification from existing data sources, and proposing new measures.
Citation: Hysong Hysong, Arredondo K, Hughes AM .
An evidence-based, structured, expert approach to selecting essential indicators of primary care quality.
PLoS One 2022 Jan 18;17(1):e0261263. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261263..
Keywords: Primary Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality of Care
Hemler JR, Edwards ST, Valenzuela S
The effects of major disruptions on practice participation in facilitation during a primary care quality improvement initiative.
This study explored the relationship between disruptions in primary care practices and practice participation in facilitated quality improvement (QI). Using data from EvidenceNOW, findings showed that disruptions are prevalent in primary care, but practices can continue participating in QI interventions, particularly when supported by a facilitator.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Hemler JR, Edwards ST, Valenzuela S .
The effects of major disruptions on practice participation in facilitation during a primary care quality improvement initiative.
J Am Board Fam Med 2022 Jan-Feb;35(1):124-39. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.01.210205..
Keywords: Primary Care, Practice Improvement, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Workforce
Quigley DD, Elliott MN, Slaughter ME
Shadow coaching improves patient experience with care, but gains erode later.
Health care organizations strive to improve patient care experiences. Some use one-on-one provider counseling (shadow coaching) to identify and target modifiable provider behaviors. In this study, the investigators examined whether shadow coaching improved patient experience across 44 primary care practices in a large urban Federally Qualified Health Center. The investigators concluded that shadow coaching improved providers' overall performance and communication immediately after being coached.
AHRQ-funded; HS025920.
Citation: Quigley DD, Elliott MN, Slaughter ME .
Shadow coaching improves patient experience with care, but gains erode later.
Med Care 2021 Nov;59(11):950-60. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001629..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Patient Experience, Provider Performance, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Primary Care
Lewis VA, Spivack S, Murray GF
FQHC designation and safety net patient revenue associated with primary care practice capabilities for access and quality.
Researchers assessed capabilities around access to and quality of care among primary care practices serving a high share of Medicaid and uninsured patients compared to practices serving a low share of these patients. Data from the National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems was analyzed. They found that federally qualified health centers were more likely than other types of primary care practices (both safety net practices and other practices) to possess capabilities related to access and quality. However, safety net practices were less likely than non-safety net practices to possess health information technology capabilities.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Lewis VA, Spivack S, Murray GF .
FQHC designation and safety net patient revenue associated with primary care practice capabilities for access and quality.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Oct;36(10):2922-28. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-06746-0..
Keywords: Vulnerable Populations, Primary Care, Access to Care, Uninsured, Medicaid, Quality of Care
Bierman AS, Wang J, O'Malley PG
Transforming care for people with multiple chronic conditions: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's research agenda.
This article describes issues addressing the needs of those with multiple chronic conditions and discusses the AHRQ research agenda.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Bierman AS, Wang J, O'Malley PG .
Transforming care for people with multiple chronic conditions: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's research agenda.
Health Serv Res 2021 Oct;56(Suppl 1):973-79. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13863..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Health Services Research (HSR), Healthcare Delivery, Quality of Care, Primary Care, Guidelines, Evidence-Based Practice
Ye J, Zhang R, Bannon JE
Identifying practice facilitation delays and barriers in primary care quality improvement.
Practice facilitation is an effective approach to implementing quality improvement (QI) interventions in practice-based research networks (PBRNs). Regular facilitator-practice interactions are necessary for successful facilitation and missed engagements may hinder the process of practice improvement. This study employed a mixed-methods approach to characterize the dynamics of practice facilitation and examine facilitation delays and barriers, as well as their association with the achievement of QI program goals in a PBRN initiative.
AHRQ-funded; HS023921.
Citation: Ye J, Zhang R, Bannon JE .
Identifying practice facilitation delays and barriers in primary care quality improvement.
J Am Board Fam Med 2020 Sep-Oct;33(5):655-64. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2020.05.200058..
Keywords: Practice Improvement, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Quigley DD, Slaughter M, Qureshi N
Practices and changes associated with patient-centered medical home transformation.
Knowing which patient-centered medical home (PCMH) care delivery changes and quality improvement (QI) practices further PCMH implementation is essential. In this study, the investigators used the 2008-2017 National Committee of Quality Assurance (NCQA) PCMH directory of 15,188 primary care practices that received Level 1, 2, or 3 NCQA PCMH recognition to: 1.) construct a stratified national sample of 105 practices engaged in PCMH transformation and 2.) examine their QI practices and PCMH changes associated with PCMH transformation.
AHRQ-funded; HS016980; HS025920.
Citation: Quigley DD, Slaughter M, Qureshi N .
Practices and changes associated with patient-centered medical home transformation.
Am J Manag Care 2021 Sep;27(9):386-93. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2021.88740..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care, Practice Improvement, Healthcare Delivery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Quigley DD, Qureshi N, AlMasarweh L
Using CAHPS patient experience data for patient-centered medical home transformation.
The purpose of this study was to examine how primary care practices used the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey and its patient-centered medical home (PCMH) items during their PCMH transition. The investigators concluded that CAHPS surveys were considered actionable for PCMH transformation and used in standardizing and coordinating care. The CAHPS PCMH items were considered integral to the continuous QI needed for moving beyond formal PCMH recognition and maximizing transformation.
AHRQ-funded; HS016980; HS025920.
Citation: Quigley DD, Qureshi N, AlMasarweh L .
Using CAHPS patient experience data for patient-centered medical home transformation.
Am J Manag Care 2021 Sep;27(9):e322-e29. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2021.88745..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Patient Experience, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care, Practice Improvement, Healthcare Delivery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Berry CA, Nguyen AM, Cuthel AM
Measuring implementation strategy fidelity in HealthyHearts NYC: a complex intervention using practice facilitation in primary care.
This study measured implementation strategy fidelity for the HealthyHearts NYC intervention program, an AHRQ-funded program that uses practice facilitation (PF) to improve adoption of cardiovascular disease evidence-based guidelines in primary care practices. Data from 257 practices measured fidelity using 4 categories: frequency, duration, content, and coverage. Almost all (94.2%) of practices received at least the 13 PF visits with an average 26.3 hours spent at each site by facilitators. Most practices (95.7%) completed all Task List items, and 71.2% were educated on all Chronic Care Models, with the majority (65.8%) receiving full coverage.
AHRQ-funded; HS023922.
Citation: Berry CA, Nguyen AM, Cuthel AM .
Measuring implementation strategy fidelity in HealthyHearts NYC: a complex intervention using practice facilitation in primary care.
Am J Med Qual 2021 Jul-Aug;36(4):270-76. doi: 10.1177/1062860620959450..
Keywords: Implementation, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Practice Improvement, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care: Models of Care
Fagnan LJ, Ramsey K, Kline T
Place matters: closing the gap on rural primary care quality improvement capacity-the Healthy Hearts Northwest study.
This study compared rural independent and health system primary care practices with urban practices to external practice facilitation support in terms of recruitment, readiness, engagement, retention, and change in quality improvement (QI) capacity and quality metric performing. The Healthy Hearts Northwest quality improvement initiative consisting of 135 small or medium-sized primary care practices were used. The practices were stratified by geography, rural or urban, and by ownership. Changes in 3 clinical quality measures (CQMs): appropriate aspirin use, blood pressure (BP) control, and tobacco use screening, were measured at baseline in 2015 and follow-up in 2017. Rural practices were more likely to enroll than urban practices. Rural independent practices had the lowest QI capacity at baseline, making the largest gain in establishing a regular QI process. They made the greatest improvement in meeting the BP control CQM and the smoking cessation metric, from 72.3% to 86.7%.
AHRQ-funded; HS023908; HS023921.
Citation: Fagnan LJ, Ramsey K, Kline T .
Place matters: closing the gap on rural primary care quality improvement capacity-the Healthy Hearts Northwest study.
J Am Board Fam Med 2021 Jul-Aug;34(4):753-61. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.04.210011..
Keywords: Rural Health, Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Practice Improvement, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions
Abraham CM, Zheng K, Norful AA
Primary care nurse practitioner burnout and perceptions of quality of care.
Researchers investigated the relationship between primary care nurse practitioner (NP) burnout on perceptions of care quality and if the practice environment moderated the relationship between burnout and care quality. This was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data from 396 NPs; the practice environment was measured using the Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Organizational Climate Questionnaire. The researchers found that burnout was related to lower perceptions of care quality but favorable environments were related to higher perceptions of quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS027290.
Citation: Abraham CM, Zheng K, Norful AA .
Primary care nurse practitioner burnout and perceptions of quality of care.
Nurs Forum 2021 Jul;56(3):550-59. doi: 10.1111/nuf.12579..
Keywords: Burnout, Provider: Nurse, Primary Care, Quality of Care
Pham-Singer H, Onakomaiya M, Cuthel A
Using a customer relationship management system to manage a quality improvement intervention.
HealthyHearts New York City (HHNYC), one of 7 cooperatives funded through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's EvidenceNOW initiative, evaluated the impact of practice facilitation on implementation of the Million Hearts guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment. Tracking the intervention required a system to facilitate process data collection that was also user-friendly and flexible. Coupled with protocols and training, a strategically planned and customizable customer relationship management system (CRMS) was implemented to support the quality improvement intervention with 257 small independent practices.
AHRQ-funded; HS023922.
Citation: Pham-Singer H, Onakomaiya M, Cuthel A .
Using a customer relationship management system to manage a quality improvement intervention.
Am J Med Qual 2021 Jul-Aug;36(4):247-54. doi: 10.1177/1062860620953214..
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Implementation, Evidence-Based Practice, Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Primary Care
Hung DY, Mujal G, Jin A
Patient experiences after implementing lean primary care redesigns.
The authors examined the effect of Lean primary care redesigns on patient satisfaction with care and timeliness of care received. After implementation of Lean redesigns, they found that patients reported a 44.8 percent increase in satisfaction with the adequacy of time spent with care providers during office visits. They also reported 71.6 percent higher satisfaction with their care provider's ability to listen to their concerns and a 55.4 percent increase in perceived staff helpfulness at the visit. The amount of time elapsed between a patient request for a routine appointment and the scheduled visit day decreased. On the day of the visit, patient wait times to be seen also decreased gradually.
AHRQ-funded; HS024529.
Citation: Hung DY, Mujal G, Jin A .
Patient experiences after implementing lean primary care redesigns.
Health Serv Res 2021 Jun;56(3):363-70. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13605..
Keywords: Patient Experience, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Workflow, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Cohen DJ, Sweeney SM, Miller WL
Improving smoking and blood pressure outcomes: the interplay between operational changes and local context.
This study identified conditions and operational changes linked to improvements in smoking and blood pressure (BP) outcomes in primary care using samples and interviews from a subset of 104 practices participating in EvidenceNOW, a multisite cardiovascular disease prevention initiative. The authors calculated Clinical Quality Measure improvements, with targets of 10-point or greater absolute improvements in the proportion of patients with smoking screening, and if relevant, counseling and the proportion of hypertensive patients with adequately controlled BP. Primary care staff were surveyed and interviewed. In clinician-owned practices, implementing a workflow to routinely screen and counsel patients on smoking cessation resources, or implementing a documentation change or a referral to a resource alone led to an improvement of at least 10 points in the smoking outcome. These improvements did not occur though in health- or hospital system-owned practices or in Federally Qualified Health Centers. BP outcome improved by at least 10 points among solo practices after medical assistants learned how to take an accurate BP. Among larger, clinician-owned practices, BP outcomes improvement took place when staff took a second BP measurement after the first measurement was elevated and when staff learned where to document this information in the electronic health record. For larger and health- and hospital system-owned practices, 50 or more hours of facilitation was needed to improve BP outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Cohen DJ, Sweeney SM, Miller WL .
Improving smoking and blood pressure outcomes: the interplay between operational changes and local context.
Ann Fam Med 2021 May-Jun;19(3):240-48. doi: 10.1370/afm.2668..
Keywords: Blood Pressure, Tobacco Use, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Cardiovascular Conditions, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Prevention, Outcomes
Hung 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
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
