National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Access to Care (3)
- Asthma (1)
- Case Study (1)
- Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (8)
- Children/Adolescents (11)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (1)
- Community-Based Practice (1)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- Dental and Oral Health (1)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (1)
- Healthcare Costs (3)
- Healthcare Utilization (2)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Health Insurance (3)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Hospital Readmissions (2)
- Hospitals (3)
- Implementation (3)
- Inpatient Care (2)
- Low-Income (1)
- (-) Medicaid (23)
- Medicare (3)
- Nursing Homes (1)
- Payment (3)
- Policy (1)
- Primary Care (2)
- Provider Performance (2)
- Quality Improvement (7)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (3)
- Quality Measures (7)
- (-) Quality of Care (23)
- Respiratory Conditions (1)
- Risk (1)
- Rural Health (1)
- Surgery (1)
- Uninsured (3)
- Vulnerable Populations (2)
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 23 of 23 Research Studies DisplayedSmith K, Padmanabhan P, Chen A
The impacts of the 340B Program on health care quality for low-income patients.
This study’s objective was to assess the effects of hospital 340B eligibility on quality of inpatient care provided to Medicaid and uninsured patients and for all patients. HCUP State Inpatient Data, Hospital Cost Reporting Information System Data, Office of Pharmacy Affairs Information System Data, and the American Hospital Association Annual Survey were all used to extract inpatient data from general acute care hospitals from 2008 to 2014 in 15 states. Data was linked on hospital 340B eligibility and participation. The authors did not find discontinuities in inpatient care quality across the Program eligibility threshold for Medicaid and uninsured patients; specifically, on all-cause mortality, 30-day readmission rates, or other measures. Among insured and non-Medicaid patients, they found discontinuities for acute myocardial infarction and postoperative sepsis mortality.
AHRQ-funded; HS026980.
Citation: Smith K, Padmanabhan P, Chen A .
The impacts of the 340B Program on health care quality for low-income patients.
Health Serv Res 2023 Oct; 58(5):1089-97. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14204..
Keywords: Low-Income, Hospitals, Vulnerable Populations, Medicaid, Uninsured, Inpatient Care, Quality of Care
Collins CR, Abel MK, Shui A
Preparing for participation in the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' bundle care payment initiative-advanced for major bowel surgery.
This study aimed to assess where the largest opportunities for care improvement lay with the bundled payment reimbursement model and how best to identify patients at high risk of suffering costly complications, including hospital readmission. The authors used a cohort of patients from 2014 and 2016 who met inclusion criteria for the Major Bowel Bundled Payment Program and performed a cost analysis to identify opportunities for improved care efficiency. Using the results, they identified readmissions as a target for improvement and then assessed whether the American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program surgical risk calculator (ACS NSQIP SRC) could accurately identify patients within the bundled payment population who were at high risk of readmission using a logistic regression model. Patients who were readmitted within 90-days post-surgery were 2.53 times more likely to be high-cost (>$60,000) then non-readmitted patients. However, the ACS NSQIP SRC did not accurately predict patients at high risk of readmission within the first 30 days post-surgery.
AHRQ-funded; HS024532.
Citation: Collins CR, Abel MK, Shui A .
Preparing for participation in the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' bundle care payment initiative-advanced for major bowel surgery.
Perioper Med 2022 Dec 9;11(1):54. doi: 10.1186/s13741-022-00286-9..
Keywords: Provider Performance, Payment, Hospital Readmissions, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Surgery, Medicare, Medicaid
Olin SS, Freed GL, Scholle SH
Aligning to improve pediatric health care quality.
The authors presented a population health framework for collaboration and coordination across the delivery system to improve care quality, with quality measures as key tools for monitoring and incentivizing collaboration and alignment of efforts across levels, based on each entity's sphere of influence within the Applegate Alignment Framework.
AHRQ-funded; HS025296; HS025292.
Citation: Olin SS, Freed GL, Scholle SH .
Aligning to improve pediatric health care quality.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Apr;22(3s):S115-s18. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.08.021..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Quality Improvement, Quality Measures, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality of Care, Medicaid
Mistry KB, Sagatov RDF, Schur C
AHRQ Author: Mistry KB, Sagatov RDF
Design and implementation of the Pediatric Quality Measures Program 2.0.
This AHRQ-authored research discusses the design and implementation of the Pediatric Quality Measures Program (PQMP) 2.0. The PQMP was established in response to the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. AHRQ and CMS awarded 6 grants to Centers of Excellence (COEs) and a contract to facilitate collaboration and learning across the COEs. The COEs partnered with stakeholders from multiple levels to field test real-world implementation and refinement of pediatric quality measures and quality improvement initiatives. A PQMP Learning Collaborative (PQMP-LC) consisting of AHRQ, CMS, the 6 COEs, and L&M Policy Research, LLC was created to complete literature reviews, conduct key informant interviews, and collect data to develop reports to address the Research Foci. It also aided with development of measure implementation and quality improvement toolkits; conceptualized an implementation science framework, analysis, and roadmap; and facilitated dissemination of learnings and products. The various products created are intended to support the uptake of PQMP measures and inform future pediatric measurement and improvement work.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Mistry KB, Sagatov RDF, Schur C .
Design and implementation of the Pediatric Quality Measures Program 2.0.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Apr;22(3s):S59-S64. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.12.021..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Implementation
Forrest CB, Simpson L, Mistry KB
AHRQ Author: Mistry KB
PQMP Phase 2: implementation and dissemination.
The authors provide an overview of the articles in this supplement concerning the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act Pediatric Quality Measures Program (PQMP). The articles examine the opportunities and challenges associated with the PQMP 2.0 work of the Centers for Excellence and how findings may advance the science for pediatric quality measurement and improvement, and, ultimately, child health outcomes.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Forrest CB, Simpson L, Mistry KB .
PQMP Phase 2: implementation and dissemination.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Apr;22(3s):S55-S58. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.01.012..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Implementation
Schur C, Johnson M, Doherty J
AHRQ Author: Mistry KB
Real-world considerations for implementing pediatric quality measures: insights from key stakeholders.
This AHRQ-authored paper describes key stakeholder insights focused on measure implementation and increasing the uptake of Pediatric Quality Measures (PQM). The PQMP Learning Collaborative conducted semistructured interviews with 9 key informants (KIs) presenting states, health plans, and other potential end users. The interviews focused on obtaining KIs’ perspectives on 6 research questions focused on assessing the feasibility and usability of PQM and strengthening the connection between measurement and improvement. The KIs uniformly acknowledged the complexity of the issues raised and pinpointed multiple unresolved issues.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201400003I.
Citation: Schur C, Johnson M, Doherty J .
Real-world considerations for implementing pediatric quality measures: insights from key stakeholders.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Apr;22(3S):S76-S80. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.04.007..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Implementation
Shenkman E, Mistry KB, Davis D
AHRQ Author: Mistry KB
Stakeholder engagement: bridging research and policy to improve measurement and dental care for children in Medicaid.
The University of Florida Child Health Quality (CHeQ) initiative, funded by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ)/Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Pediatric Quality Measurement Program, examined measures that states use to evaluate quality of oral health care for children in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This paper discusses stakeholder engagement in bridging research and policy to improve measurement and dental care for children in Medicaid.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; HS025298.
Citation: Shenkman E, Mistry KB, Davis D .
Stakeholder engagement: bridging research and policy to improve measurement and dental care for children in Medicaid.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Apr;22(3S):S65-S67. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.08.012..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Dental and Oral Health, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of 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
Piwnica-Worms K, Staiger B, Ross JS
Effects of forced disruption in Medicaid managed care on children with asthma.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a forced disruption to Medicaid managed care plans and provider networks on health utilization and outcomes for children with persistent asthma. The investigators concluded that while there was a decrease in the number of outpatient visits associated with forced disruption of Medicaid managed care plans for children with persistent asthma, there were no consistent associations with worse asthma quality performance or higher emergent health care utilization.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882; HS025164.
Citation: Piwnica-Worms K, Staiger B, Ross JS .
Effects of forced disruption in Medicaid managed care on children with asthma.
Health Serv Res 2021 Aug;56(4):668-76. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13643..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medicaid, Asthma, Respiratory Conditions, Chronic Conditions, Quality of Care
Chatterjee P, Qi M, Werner RM
Association of Medicaid expansion with quality in safety-net hospitals.
The authors compared changes in quality from 2012 to 2018 between safety net hospitals (SNHs) in states that expanded Medicaid vs those in states that did not. They found that, despite reductions in uncompensated care and improvements in operating margins, there appeared to be little evidence of quality improvement among SNHs in states that expanded Medicaid compared with those in states that did not.
AHRQ-funded; HS024266.
Citation: Chatterjee P, Qi M, Werner RM .
Association of Medicaid expansion with quality in safety-net hospitals.
JAMA Intern Med 2021 May;181(5):590-97. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.9142..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Hospitals, Medicaid, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Cole MB, Wright B, Wilson IB
Medicaid expansion and community health centers: care quality and service use increased for rural patients.
Investigators studied the impact of Medicaid expansion in rural areas. Data from 2011-2015 found that there was an 11.4% decline in uninsured patients and a 13.5% increase in Medicaid patients at community health centers (CHCs). Relative improvements were shown in patients with chronic conditions such as asthma and hypertension; and an increase in visits for mammograms and substance abuse disorders.
AHRQ-funded; HS024652.
Citation: Cole MB, Wright B, Wilson IB .
Medicaid expansion and community health centers: care quality and service use increased for rural patients.
Health Aff 2018 Jun;37(6):900-07. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1542..
Keywords: Medicaid, Community-Based Practice, Rural Health, Access to Care, Quality of Care, Healthcare Utilization, Primary Care
Ireys HT, Brach C, Anglin G
AHRQ Author: Brach C
After the demonstration: what states sustained after the end of federal grants to improve children's health care quality.
As part of the CHIPRA Quality Demonstration Grant Program’s multifaceted evaluation, this study examined the extent to which states sustained key program activities after the demonstration ended. It concluded that as a result of the federal government's investment in this grant program, many demonstration states are in a strong position to extend and spread specific strategies for improving the quality of care for children in Medicaid and CHIP.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 29020090002191.
Citation: Ireys HT, Brach C, Anglin G .
After the demonstration: what states sustained after the end of federal grants to improve children's health care quality.
Matern Child Health J 2018 Feb;22(2):195-203. doi: 10.1007/s10995-017-2391-z.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Quality of Care, Health Insurance, Medicaid
Chen LM, Epstein AM, Orav EJ
Association of practice-level social and medical risk with performance in the Medicare physician value-based payment modifier program.
The objective of this cross-sectional observational study was to compare performance in the Physician Value-Based Payment Modifier (PVBM) Program by practice characteristics. The investigators found that during the first year of the Medicare Physician Value-Based Payment Modifier Program, physician practices that served more socially high-risk patients had lower quality and lower costs, and practices that served more medically high-risk patients had lower quality and higher costs.
AHRQ-funded; HS024698.
Citation: Chen LM, Epstein AM, Orav EJ .
Association of practice-level social and medical risk with performance in the Medicare physician value-based payment modifier program.
JAMA 2017 Aug 1;318(5):453-61. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.9643..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Medicaid, Medicare, Payment, Quality of Care
Ndumele CD, Schpero WL, Schlesinger MJ
Association between health plan exit from Medicaid managed care and quality of care, 2006-2014.
This study aimed to determine the frequency and interstate variation of health plan exit from Medicaid managed care and evaluate the relationship between health plan exit and market-level quality. It found that between 2006 and 2014, health plan exit from the US Medicaid program was frequent; however the exits were not associated with significant overall changes in quality or patient experience in the plans in the Medicaid market.
AHRQ-funded; HS017589; HS016978.
Citation: Ndumele CD, Schpero WL, Schlesinger MJ .
Association between health plan exit from Medicaid managed care and quality of care, 2006-2014.
JAMA 2017 Jun 27;317(24):2524-31. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.7118.
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Keywords: Medicaid, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Quality of Care
Barnett ML, Linder JA, Clark CR
Low-value medical services in the safety-net population.
The objective of this study was to measure rates of low-value care and high-value care received by patients without insurance or with Medicaid, compared with privately insured patients, and provided by safety-net physicians vs non-safety-net physicians. The study concluded that rates of low-value and high-value care were similar among physicians serving vulnerable patients and other physicians. Overuse of low-value care is a potentially important focus for state Medicaid programs and safety-net institutions to pursue cost savings and improved quality of health care delivery.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Barnett ML, Linder JA, Clark CR .
Low-value medical services in the safety-net population.
JAMA Intern Med 2017 Jun;177(6):829-37. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.0401..
Keywords: Access to Care, Uninsured, Medicaid, Quality of Care
Horwitz LI, Bernheim SM, Ross JS
Hospital characteristics associated with risk-standardized readmission rates.
This national study using Medicare data examined the independent association of 8 hospital characteristics with hospital-wide 30-day risk-standardized readmission rate (RSRR). Overall, larger, urban, academic facilities had modestly higher RSRRs than smaller, suburban, community hospitals, although there was a wide range of performance. The strong regional effect suggests that local practice patterns are an important influence.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882.
Citation: Horwitz LI, Bernheim SM, Ross JS .
Hospital characteristics associated with risk-standardized readmission rates.
Med Care 2017 May;55(5):528-34. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000713.
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Keywords: Hospitals, Hospital Readmissions, Medicaid, Risk, Quality of Care
Christensen AL, Petersen DM, Burton RA
What factors influence states' capacity to report children's health care quality measures? A multiple-case study.
The objective of this study was to describe factors that influence the ability of state Medicaid agencies to report the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) core set of children's health care quality measures . Reporting capacity was influenced by a state's Medicaid data availability, ability to link to other state data systems, past experience with quality measurement, staff time and technical expertise, and demand for the measures.
AHRQ-funded; 290200900019I; 29032004T.
Citation: Christensen AL, Petersen DM, Burton RA .
What factors influence states' capacity to report children's health care quality measures? A multiple-case study.
Matern Child Health J 2017 Jan;21(1):187-98. doi: 10.1007/s10995-016-2108-8.
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Keywords: Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Children/Adolescents, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Policy, Case Study
Shah AY, LLanos K, Dougherty D
AHRQ Author: Dougherty D
State challenges to child health quality measure reporting and recommendations for improvement.
The authors sought to assess reporting barriers of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and to identify potential opportunities for improvement. They found that low reporting states believed they had inadequate staffing and that data collection and extraction was too time-consuming. They concluded that possible solutions to improve reporting would include funding and staff support, refining the technical assistance provided, and creating venues for state-to-state interaction.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Shah AY, LLanos K, Dougherty D .
State challenges to child health quality measure reporting and recommendations for improvement.
Healthc 2016 Sep;4(3):217-24. doi: 10.1016/j.hjdsi.2016.03.001.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Quality of Care, Medicaid, Quality Indicators (QIs)
Rosenthal MB, Landrum MB, Robbins JA
Pay for performance in Medicaid: evidence from three natural experiments.
This study examined the impact of pay for performance in Medicaid on the quality and utilization of care. Primary outcomes of interest were Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS)-like process measures of quality, utilization by service category, and ambulatory care-sensitive admissions and emergency department visits. Its findings were mixed, with no measurable quality improvements across the three states (Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Alabama), but reductions in hospital admissions in two programs.
AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Rosenthal MB, Landrum MB, Robbins JA .
Pay for performance in Medicaid: evidence from three natural experiments.
Health Serv Res 2016 Aug;51(4):1444-66. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12426.
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Keywords: Medicaid, Payment, Provider Performance, Healthcare Utilization, Quality of Care, Hospitalization, Emergency Department
Konetzka RT, Grabowski DC, Perraillon MC
Nursing home 5-star rating system exacerbates disparities in quality, by payer source.
The researchers examined how the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services’ five-star rating system for nursing homes has affected residents who are dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid (“dual eligibles”). They found that by 2010 the increased likelihood of choosing the highest-rated homes was substantially smaller for dual eligibles than for non–dual eligibles.
AHRQ-funded; HS021877.
Citation: Konetzka RT, Grabowski DC, Perraillon MC .
Nursing home 5-star rating system exacerbates disparities in quality, by payer source.
Health Aff 2015 May;34(5):819-27. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.1084..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Medicare, Medicaid, Quality of Care
Berry JG, Hall M, Neff J
Children with medical complexity and Medicaid: spending and cost savings.
The authors described the expenditures for children with medical complexity insured by Medicaid across the care continuum, reported the increasingly large amount of spending on hospital care for these children, and presented a business case that estimates how cost savings might be achieved from potential reductions in hospital and emergency department use and shows how the savings could underwrite investments in outpatient and community care. They concluded by discussing the importance of these findings in the context of Medicaid's quality of care and health care reform.
AHRQ-funded; HS023092.
Citation: Berry JG, Hall M, Neff J .
Children with medical complexity and Medicaid: spending and cost savings.
Health Aff 2014 Dec;33(12):2199-206. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0828.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medicaid, Healthcare Costs, Inpatient Care, Quality of Care
Gidengil C, Mangione-Smith R, Bailey LC
Using Medicaid and CHIP claims data to support pediatric quality measurement: lessons from 3 centers of excellence in measure development.
The investigators sought to explore the claims data-related issues relevant to quality measure development for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), illustrating the challenges encountered and solutions developed around 3 distinct performance measure topics: care coordination for children with complex needs, quality of care for high-prevalence conditions, and hospital readmissions. Their three Centers of Excellence in pediatric quality measurement used innovative methods to develop algorithms that use Medicaid claims data to identify children with complex needs; to overcome some shortcomings of existing data for measuring quality of care for common conditions such as otitis media; and to identify readmissions after hospitalizations for lower respiratory infections.
AHRQ-funded; HS020513; HS020506; HS020508.
Citation: Gidengil C, Mangione-Smith R, Bailey LC .
Using Medicaid and CHIP claims data to support pediatric quality measurement: lessons from 3 centers of excellence in measure development.
Acad Pediatr 2014 Sep-Oct;14(5 Suppl):S76-81. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2014.06.014.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality of Care
Lobach DF, Kawamoto K, Anstrom KJ
A randomized trial of population-based clinical decision support to manage health and resource use for Medicaid beneficiaries.
This study tested the impact of 3 clinical decision support modalities (emails to care managers, printed reports to clinic administrators, and letters to patients) on the use and cost of medical services for Medicaid patients. It found that some modalities can significantly reduce emergency department use and medical costs, while other interventions may have had detrimental consequences.
AHRQ-funded; HS015057
Citation: Lobach DF, Kawamoto K, Anstrom KJ .
A randomized trial of population-based clinical decision support to manage health and resource use for Medicaid beneficiaries.
J Med Syst. 2013 Feb;37(1):9922. doi: 10.1007/s10916-012-9922-3..
Keywords: Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Medicaid, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Quality of Care