National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- Data Innovations
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Adverse Events (3)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Children/Adolescents (2)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Diabetes (1)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (1)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (1)
- Healthcare Delivery (1)
- Health Information Exchange (HIE) (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospital Discharge (4)
- Hospitalization (1)
- (-) Hospital Readmissions (16)
- Hospitals (6)
- Infectious Diseases (1)
- Medicaid (1)
- Medicare (3)
- Nursing Homes (1)
- Orthopedics (1)
- Outcomes (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (2)
- Payment (2)
- Provider Performance (2)
- (-) Quality Improvement (16)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (2)
- Quality Measures (2)
- Quality of Care (9)
- Respiratory Conditions (2)
- Surgery (5)
- Training (1)
- Transitions of Care (1)
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 16 of 16 Research Studies DisplayedCollins 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
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
Rodríguez HP, Fulton BD, Phillips AZ
The early impact of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services State Innovation Models Initiative on 30-day hospital readmissions among adults with diabetes.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) State Innovation Models (SIM) Initiative funds states to accelerate delivery system and payment reforms. All SIM states focus on improving diabetes care, but SIM's effect on 30-day readmissions among adults with diabetes remains unclear. In this study, the investigators found no evidence that SIM reduced 30-day readmission rates among adults with diabetes during the first 2 years of round 1 implementation, even among CMS beneficiaries.
AHRQ-funded; HS022241.
Citation: Rodríguez HP, Fulton BD, Phillips AZ .
The early impact of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services State Innovation Models Initiative on 30-day hospital readmissions among adults with diabetes.
Med Care 2020 Jun;58(6 Suppl 1):S22-s30. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001276..
Keywords: Diabetes, Chronic Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Hu QL, Livhits MJ, Ko CY MJ, Ko CY
Same-day discharge is not associated with increased readmissions or complications after thyroid operations.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether same-day discharge following thyroid surgery resulted in increased rehospitalization. Data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Targeted Thyroidectomy database was used to identify patients who underwent thyroid resections. Results showed that, in a national cohort of patients undergoing thyroid surgery, same-day discharge was not associated with greater rates of readmission or complications when compared with discharge 1 or 2 days after thyroid surgery.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Hu QL, Livhits MJ, Ko CY MJ, Ko CY .
Same-day discharge is not associated with increased readmissions or complications after thyroid operations.
Surgery 2020 Jan;167(1):117-23. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2019.06.054..
Keywords: Surgery, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Hospital Readmissions, Hospital Discharge, Adverse Events, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Smith AB, Mueller D, Garren B
Using qualitative research to reduce readmissions and optimize perioperative cystectomy care.
This study examined the need for qualitative research on meaningful patient-reported outcomes (PROs) to prevent complications and readmissions after cystectomy. The investigators looked at the potential use of mobile communication devices (mHealth) to capture patients’ experiences and to improve outcomes. Interviews were conducted with 15 readmitted patients and 10 of their partners over 45 semi-structured in-depth interviews. The most common perspectives were that patients and their caregivers were overloaded with cystectomy education; they need to know what are normal post-operative symptoms; and that using mHealth would help with patient and caregiver education.
AHRQ-funded; HS024134.
Citation: Smith AB, Mueller D, Garren B .
Using qualitative research to reduce readmissions and optimize perioperative cystectomy care.
Cancer 2019 Oct 15;125(20):3545-53. doi: 10.1002/cncr.32362..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Surgery, Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Hospitals, Patient-Centered Healthcare
Schwarzkopf R, Behery OA, Yu H
Patterns and costs of 90-day readmission for surgical and medical complications following total hip and knee arthroplasty.
Unplanned readmissions following elective total hip (THA) and knee (TKA) arthroplasty as a result of surgical complications likely have different quality improvement targets and cost implications than those for nonsurgical readmissions. In this study, the investigators compared payments, timing, and location of unplanned readmissions with Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-defined surgical complications to readmissions without such complications.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882.
Citation: Schwarzkopf R, Behery OA, Yu H .
Patterns and costs of 90-day readmission for surgical and medical complications following total hip and knee arthroplasty.
J Arthroplasty 2019 Oct;34(10):2304-07. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2019.05.046..
Keywords: Orthopedics, Surgery, Hospital Readmissions, Adverse Events, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Medicare, Hospitals
Kaiser SV, Lam R, Joseph GB
Limitations of using pediatric respiratory illness readmissions to compare hospital performance.
Researcher sought to determine if a National Quality Forum (NQF)-endorsed measure for pediatric lower respiratory illness (LRI) 30-day readmission rates can meaningfully identify high- and low-performing hospitals. Subjects were children with LRI (bronchiolitis, influenza, or pneumonia as primary diagnosis, or with an LRI as a secondary diagnosis with a primary diagnosis of respiratory failure, sepsis, bacteremia, or asthma) from all hospital admissions in California from 2012 to 2014. The researchers were unable to identify meaningful variation in hospital performance without broadening the metric definition and merging multiple years of data. They recommend that utilizers of pediatric-quality measures consider modifying metrics to better evaluate the quality of pediatric care at low-volume hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS024385; HS022835; HS024592; HS025297.
Citation: Kaiser SV, Lam R, Joseph GB .
Limitations of using pediatric respiratory illness readmissions to compare hospital performance.
J Hosp Med 2018 Nov;13(11):737-42. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2988..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Respiratory Conditions, Provider Performance, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Shy BD, Loo GT, Lowry T
Bouncing back elsewhere: multilevel analysis of return visits to the same or a different hospital after initial emergency department presentation.
In this study, the investigators use a health information exchange network to describe differences between emergency department (ED) visits resulting in 72-hour revisits to the same hospital and those resulting in revisits to a different site. Their analysis describes how ED encounters with early revisits to the same hospital differ from those with revisits to a second hospital.
AHRQ-funded; HS021261.
Citation: Shy BD, Loo GT, Lowry T .
Bouncing back elsewhere: multilevel analysis of return visits to the same or a different hospital after initial emergency department presentation.
Ann Emerg Med 2018 May;71(5):555-63.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2017.08.023..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Health Information Exchange (HIE), Hospital Readmissions, Quality Improvement
Ellimoottil C, Syrjamaki JD, Volt JD
Validation of a claims-based algorithm to characterize episodes of care.
The Michigan Value Collaborative (MVC) developed a claims-based algorithm to provide hospitals with data on events that occur to patients beyond the hospitalization. In this article, the investigators discuss the validation of MVC's claims-based algorithm. They indicate that their findings suggest that the MVC claims-based algorithm identifies and classifies claims with high fidelity and outperforms medical records in the identification of postdischarge events.
AHRQ-funded; HS024193.
Citation: Ellimoottil C, Syrjamaki JD, Volt JD .
Validation of a claims-based algorithm to characterize episodes of care.
Am J Manag Care 2017 Nov;23(11):e382-e86..
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Clark B, Baron K, Tynan-McKiernan K
Perspectives of clinicians at skilled nursing facilities on 30-day hospital readmissions: a qualitative study.
The purpose of this paper was to understand the perspectives of clinicians working at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) regarding factors contributing to readmissions. SNF clinicians identified a broad range of factors that contributed to readmissions. The investigators suggest that addressing these factors may mitigate patients' risk of readmission from SNFs to acute care hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Clark B, Baron K, Tynan-McKiernan K .
Perspectives of clinicians at skilled nursing facilities on 30-day hospital readmissions: a qualitative study.
J Hosp Med 2017 Aug;12(8):632-38. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2785..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Nursing Homes, Quality Improvement, Transitions of Care
Nuckols TK, Keeler E, Morton S
Economic evaluation of quality improvement interventions designed to prevent hospital readmission: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The researchers conducted a systematic review of economic evaluations of quality improvement (QI) interventions designed to reduce readmissions. They concluded that multicomponent QI interventions can be effective at reducing readmissions relative to the status quo, but net costs vary. Interventions that engage general populations of patients and their caregivers may offer greater value to the health system, but the implications for patients and caregivers are unknown.
AHRQ-funded; HS022644.
Citation: Nuckols TK, Keeler E, Morton S .
Economic evaluation of quality improvement interventions designed to prevent hospital readmission: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
JAMA Intern Med 2017 Jul;177(7):975-85. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.1136.
.
.
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Quality Improvement
Bhatt SP, Wells JM, Iyer AS
Results of a Medicare bundled payments for care improvement initiative for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease readmissions.
This study evaluated whether a comprehensive chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) multidisciplinary intervention focusing on inpatient, transitional, and outpatient care as part of an institution's Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) participation would reduce 30-day all-cause readmission rates for COPD exacerbations and reduce overall costs. It concluded that a Medicare BPCI intervention did not reduce 30-day all-cause readmission rates or overall costs after hospitalization for acute exacerbation of COPD.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Bhatt SP, Wells JM, Iyer AS .
Results of a Medicare bundled payments for care improvement initiative for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease readmissions.
Ann Am Thorac Soc 2017 May;14(5):643-48. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201610-775BC.
.
.
Keywords: Respiratory Conditions, Payment, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Quality Improvement
Wyer P, Stojanovic Z, Shaffer JA
Combining training in knowledge translation with quality improvement reduced 30-day heart failure readmissions in a community hospital: a case study.
The authors linked multidisciplinary training in evidence-based practice to an initiative to decrease 30-day readmissions among patients admitted to a community teaching hospital for heart failure (HF). They discovered that training of a multidisciplinary hospital team in use of a knowledge translation model, combined with ongoing facilitation, led to implementation of a budget neutral program that decreased HF readmissions.
AHRQ-funded; HS018607.
Citation: Wyer P, Stojanovic Z, Shaffer JA .
Combining training in knowledge translation with quality improvement reduced 30-day heart failure readmissions in a community hospital: a case study.
J Eval Clin Pract 2016 Apr;22(2):171-9. doi: 10.1111/jep.12450.
.
.
Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Heart Disease and Health, Quality Improvement, Hospital Readmissions, Training
Mitchell SE, Martin J, Holmes S
AHRQ Author: Brach C
How hospitals reengineer their discharge processes to reduce readmissions.
The Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) program is a hospital-based initiative shown to decrease hospital reutilization. Researchers implemented the RED in 10 hospitals to study the implementation process. They found wide variability in the fidelity of the RED intervention. Engaged leadership and multidisciplinary implementation teams were keys to success of the program. Eight out of 10 hospitals reported improvement in 30-day readmission rates after RED implementation.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290200600012I.
Citation: Mitchell SE, Martin J, Holmes S .
How hospitals reengineer their discharge processes to reduce readmissions.
J Healthc Qual 2016 Mar-Apr;38(2):116-26. doi: 10.1097/jhq.0000000000000005..
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions, Quality Improvement
Blecker S, Goldfeld K, Park H
Impact of an intervention to improve weekend hospital care at an academic medical center: an observational study.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a weekend hospital intervention on processes of care and clinical outcomes. The multifaceted intervention included expanded weekend diagnostic services, improved weekend discharge processes, and increased physician and care management services on weekends. The intervention was associated with a reduction in length of stay and an increase in weekend discharges.
AHRQ-funded; HS023683.
Citation: Blecker S, Goldfeld K, Park H .
Impact of an intervention to improve weekend hospital care at an academic medical center: an observational study.
J Gen Intern Med 2015 Nov;30(11):1657-64. doi: 10.1007/s11606-015-3330-6.
.
.
Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Hospitals, Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions, Healthcare Delivery, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Nakamura MM, Toomey SL, Zaslavsky AM
Measuring pediatric hospital readmission rates to drive quality improvement.
The investigators sought to describe the importance of readmissions in children and the challenges of developing readmission quality measures. They found that the policy focus on readmissions has motivated widespread efforts by hospitals and outpatient providers to evaluate and reengineer care processes.
AHRQ-funded; HS020513; HS020508.
Citation: Nakamura MM, Toomey SL, Zaslavsky AM .
Measuring pediatric hospital readmission rates to drive quality improvement.
Acad Pediatr 2014 Sep-Oct;14(5 Suppl):S39-46. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2014.06.012.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Quality Improvement, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Hospital Readmissions