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Research Studies is a monthly compilation of research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers and recently published in journals or newsletters.
Results
1 to 25 of 1423 Research Studies Displayed
Wurcel AG, Essien UR, Ortiz C
Variation by race in antibiotics prescribed for hospitalized patients with skin and soft tissue infections.
This cohort study examined antibiotics prescribed and variations by race among hospitalized patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). A subanalysis of multisite, cross-sectional data collected through a national survey of acute care hospital groups within Vizient, Inc. considering adult inpatients treated for SSTIs was used. Of the 1242 adult inpatients included from 91 US hospitals, 45% were female, 18% were Black, and 69% were White with a mean age of 58 years. Penicillin allergy with hives was found in 23%, 19% with rash, and 18% with unknown effects, with allergy found more frequent in Black patients (23%) versus White (18%). Adjusting for multiple factors, White inpatients were at an increased risk of cefazolin use and decreased risk of clindamycin use compared with Black inpatients. Cefazolin use with less likely to be prescribed to Black inpatients than White inpatients and they were likely to be prescribed clindamycin. Cefazolin is considered a first-line SSTI treatment with clindamycin not recommended given frequent dosing and high potential for adverse effects including Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Although penicillin allergy is described as more prevalent among White patients, the authors observed an increased prevalence among Black inpatients compared with White inpatients treated for SSTI.
Citation:
Wurcel AG, Essien UR, Ortiz C .
Variation by race in antibiotics prescribed for hospitalized patients with skin and soft tissue infections.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Dec;4(12):e2140798. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.40798..
Keywords:
Antibiotics, Skin Conditions, Racial / Ethnic Minorities, Practice Patterns, Medication
Hollowell M, Hudmon KS, Perkins SM
Evaluation of a modified and abbreviated scale for assessing chronic illness care for medication therapy management practice.
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the validity and internal consistency of the Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (ACIC) abbreviated, 12-item scale as a novel instrument for measuring Medication Therapy Management (MTM) care delivery. Researchers administered the instrument to pharmacists employed at 27,560 community pharmacies. The study concluded that when applied to the measurement of chronic illness care within the MTM setting, the abbreviated ACIC showed acceptable validity and internal consistency, and could serve as a valuable tool.
AHRQ-funded; HS022119.
Citation:
Hollowell M, Hudmon KS, Perkins SM .
Evaluation of a modified and abbreviated scale for assessing chronic illness care for medication therapy management practice.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2022 May;18(5):2804-10. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2021.06.006..
Keywords:
Chronic Conditions, Medication, Provider: Pharmacist, Care Management
Schnipper JL, Reyes Nieva H, Mallouk M
Effects of a refined evidence-based toolkit and mentored implementation on medication reconciliation at 18 hospitals: results of the MARQUIS2 study.
This study was a follow-up of the first Multicenter Medication Reconciliation Quality Improvement Study (MARQUIS1) that demonstrated mentored implementation of a medication reconciliation best practices toolkit. The toolkit decreased total unintentional medication discrepancies in five hospitals, but results varied by site. The toolkit has been refined with lessons learned and retooled as MARQUIS2. The tool was implemented at 18 North American hospitals or hospital systems from 2016 to 2018, offering 17 system-level and 6-patient-level interventions. One of eight physicians coached each site remotely via monthly calls and one or two site visits. A total of 4947 patients were sampled, with 1229 preimplementation and 3718 postimplementation. A steady decline in medication discrepancy rates were experienced from 2.85 discrepancies per patient down to 0.98 discrepancies. An interrupted time series analysis of the 17 sites showed the intervention was associated with a 5% relative decrease in discrepancies per month.
AHRQ-funded; HS025486; HS023757.
Citation:
Schnipper JL, Reyes Nieva H, Mallouk M .
Effects of a refined evidence-based toolkit and mentored implementation on medication reconciliation at 18 hospitals: results of the MARQUIS2 study.
BMJ Qual Saf 2022 Apr;31(4):278-86. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2020-012709..
Keywords:
Medication, Evidence-Based Practice, Tools & Toolkits, Implementation, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety
Huo T, Li Q, Cardel MI
Enhancing quality measurement with clinical information: a use case of body mass index change among children taking second generation antipsychotics.
The authors sought to examine the extent to which body mass index (BMI) was available in electronic health records for Florida Medicaid recipients aged 5 to 18 years taking Second-Generation Antipsychotics (SGAP). They concluded that meeting the 2030 CMS goal of digital monitoring of quality of care will require continuing expansion of clinical encounter data capture to provide the data needed for digital quality monitoring. Using linked electronic health records and claims data allows identifying children at higher risk for SGAP-induced weight gain.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; HS025298.
Citation:
Huo T, Li Q, Cardel MI .
Enhancing quality measurement with clinical information: a use case of body mass index change among children taking second generation antipsychotics.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Apr;22(3S):S140-S49. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.11.012..
Keywords:
Children/Adolescents, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Medication, Obesity, Obesity: Weight Management, Quality Measures, Quality of Care
Sharara SL, Arbaje AI, Cosgrove SE
The voice of the patient: patient roles in antibiotic management at the hospital-to-home transition.
The objective of this study was to characterize tasks required for patient-performed antibiotic medication management (MM) at the hospital-to-home transition, as well as barriers to and strategies for patient-led antibiotic MM. The overall goal was to understand patients' role in managing antibiotics at the hospital-to-home transition. The investigators concluded that there are many opportunities to improve patient-led antibiotic MM at the hospital-to-home transition.
AHRQ-funded; HS026995.
Citation:
Sharara SL, Arbaje AI, Cosgrove SE .
The voice of the patient: patient roles in antibiotic management at the hospital-to-home transition.
J Patient Saf 2022 Apr 1;18(3):e633-e39. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000899..
Keywords:
Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Medication, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Patient Self-Management
Scott K, Becker SJ, Helseth SA
Pharmacotherapy interventions for adolescent co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders: a systematic review.
This systematic literature review examined the impact of pharmacotherapy interventions on adolescents with substance use (SU) disorders and mental health issues. The authors included ten randomized controlled trials exploring seven pharmacotherapies in the final evaluation. All studies had low to moderate risk of bias. Four studies evaluated pharmacotherapy for co-occurring depression and SU, 3 evaluated ADHD and SU, and 3 evaluated bipolar disorder and SU. Five of the 10 studies included a behavioral intervention. They found no evidence that pharmacotherapy for co-occurring mental health diagnoses impacted SU.
AHRQ-funded; 290201500002I.
Citation:
Scott K, Becker SJ, Helseth SA .
Pharmacotherapy interventions for adolescent co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders: a systematic review.
Fam Pract 2022 Mar 24;39(2):301-10. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmab096..
Keywords:
Children/Adolescents, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Medication
Mason M, Cho Y, Rayo J
Technologies for medication adherence monitoring and technology assessment criteria: narrative review.
This narrative review summarizes the technical features, data capture methods, and various advantages and limitations of medication adherence monitoring technology along with proposed criteria for assessing medication adherence monitoring technologies. Technology assessment criteria were identified and organized into the following five categories: development information, technology features, adherence to data collection and management, feasibility and implementation, and acceptability and usability.
AHRQ-funded; R01 HS027846.
Citation:
Mason M, Cho Y, Rayo J .
Technologies for medication adherence monitoring and technology assessment criteria: narrative review.
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2022 Mar 10;10(3):e35157. doi: 10.2196/35157..
Keywords:
Medication, Patient Adherence/Compliance, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Behr CL, Joynt Maddox KE, Meara E
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody distribution to high-risk Medicare beneficiaries, 2020-2021.
The authors assessed how the limited supply of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) therapy was allocated to patients at highest risk of severe disease. They found that, among non-hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries with a COVID-19 diagnosis between November 2020 and August 2021, only 7.2% received mAb therapy. In many cases, patients at the highest risk of severe disease were the least likely to receive mAb therapy, with extreme variation geographically. Their analysis did not account for patient vaccination status or observed disease severity, which could influence clinicians’ decisions.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation:
Behr CL, Joynt Maddox KE, Meara E .
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody distribution to high-risk Medicare beneficiaries, 2020-2021.
JAMA 2022 Mar 8;327(10):980-83. doi: 10.1001/jama.2022.1243..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Medicare, Medication
Flannery DD, Puopolo KM, Hansen NI
Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles among neonatal early-onset sepsis pathogens.
This retrospective review examined antimicrobial susceptibility of infants ≥22 weeks' gestation who were cared for in Neonatal Research Network centers April 2015-March 2017. Nonsusceptibility was defined as intermediate or resistant on treatment results. The authors identified 239 pathogens (235 bacteria, 4 fungi) in 235 EOS cases among 217,480 live-born infants. Antimicrobial susceptibility data was available for 79.1% of isolates. All 81 Gram-positive isolates with ampicillin and gentamicin were susceptible in vitro. Among Gram-negative isolates with ampicillin and gentamicin susceptibility data, 76.6% isolates were nonsusceptible to ampicillin, 8.5% nonsusceptible to gentamicin, and 7.3% isolates were nonsusceptible to both. The authors estimated that overall 8% of EOS cases were caused by isolates nonsceptible to ampicillin and gentamicin and were most likely to occur among preterm, very-low birth weight infants.
AHRQ-funded; HS027468.
Citation:
Flannery DD, Puopolo KM, Hansen NI .
Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles among neonatal early-onset sepsis pathogens.
Pediatr Infect Dis J 2022 Mar;41(3):263-71. doi: 10.1097/inf.0000000000003380..
Keywords:
Newborns/Infants, Sepsis, Antibiotics, Medication
Sun EC, Rishel CA, Jena AB
Association between changes in postoperative opioid utilization and long-term health care spending among surgical patients with chronic opioid utilization.
There is growing interest in identifying and developing interventions aimed at reducing the risk of increased, long-term opioid use among surgical patients. While understanding how these interventions impact health care spending has important policy implications and may facilitate the widespread adoption of these interventions, the extent to which they may impact health care spending among surgical patients who utilize opioids chronically is unknown. This study examined the association between changes in postoperative opioid utilization and long-term health care spending among surgical patients with chronic opioid utilization.
AHRQ-funded; HS026753.
Citation:
Sun EC, Rishel CA, Jena AB .
Association between changes in postoperative opioid utilization and long-term health care spending among surgical patients with chronic opioid utilization.
Anesth Analg 2022 Mar;134(3):515-23. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000005865..
Keywords:
Opioids, Medication, Healthcare Costs, Long-Term Care, Substance Abuse
Douin DJ, Krause M, Williams C
Corticosteroid administration and impaired glycemic control in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients.
This study’s objective was to determine the association between corticosteroid administration and impaired glycemic control among COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation and/or veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. This multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted between March 9 and May 17, 2020 at 12 US hospitals. The primary outcome measured was days spent with at least 1 episode of blood glucose either >180 mg/dL or <80 mg/dL within the first 28 days of admission. The authors included 292 mechanically ventilated patients. Sixty-six patients (22.6%) died within 28 days of ICU admission. Seventy-one patients (24.3%) received a cumulative dose of at least an equivalent of 320 mg methylprednisolone. After adjustment for gender, history of diabetes mellitus, chronic liver disease, sequential organ failure assessment score on intensive care unit day 1, and length of stay, administration of ≥320 mg methylprednisolone equivalent was associated with 4 additional days spent with glucose either <80 mg/dL or >180 mg/dL.
AHRQ-funded; HS027795.
Citation:
Douin DJ, Krause M, Williams C .
Corticosteroid administration and impaired glycemic control in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients.
Semin Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2022 Mar;26(1):32-40. doi: 10.1177/10892532211043313..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Treatments, Medication
Tzeng HM, Raji MA, Chou LN
Impact of state nurse practitioner regulations on potentially inappropriate medication prescribing between physicians and nurse practitioners: a national study in the United States.
The American Geriatrics Society regularly updates the Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication (PIM) to improve prescribing safety. This study assessed the impact of nurse practitioner (NP) practices on PIM prescribing across states in the United States and compared the change in PIM prescribing rates between 2016 and 2018. The investigators found that the PIM prescription rate was lower in states with full NP practice and lower among NPs than among physicians; these rates for both physicians and NPs decreased from 2016 to 2018.
AHRQ-funded; HS020642.
Citation:
Tzeng HM, Raji MA, Chou LN .
Impact of state nurse practitioner regulations on potentially inappropriate medication prescribing between physicians and nurse practitioners: a national study in the United States.
J Nurs Care Qual 2022 Jan-Mar;37(1):6-13. doi: 10.1097/ncq.0000000000000595..
Keywords:
Medication, Medication: Safety, Provider: Nurse, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Policy
Olsen MA, Greenberg JK, Peacock K
Lack of association of post-discharge prophylactic antibiotics with decreased risk of surgical site infection following spinal fusion.
This study’s objective was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with post-discharge prophylactic antibiotic use after spinal fusion and whether use was associated with decreased risk of surgical site infection (SSI). The study cohort included persons aged 10-64 years undergoing 156,446 spinal fusion procedures between January 2010 and July 2015. Excluded patients included complicated cases and those coded for infection from 30 days before to 2 days after surgical admission. Outpatient oral antibiotic prescriptions were identified within 2 days of surgical discharge. ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes were used to identify SSI within 90 days of surgery. Post-discharge prophylactic antibiotics were used in 9223 surgeries. SSIs occurred after 2557 procedures (1.6%). Factors significantly associated with post-discharge antibiotic use included history of lymphoma, diabetes, 3-7 versus 1-2 vertebral levels fused, and non-infectious postoperative complications. Analysis showed antibiotic use was not associated with decreased SSI risk after spinal fusion.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455; HS027075.
Citation:
Olsen MA, Greenberg JK, Peacock K .
Lack of association of post-discharge prophylactic antibiotics with decreased risk of surgical site infection following spinal fusion.
J Antimicrob Chemother 2022 Mar 31;77(4):1178-84. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkab475..
Keywords:
Antibiotics, Medication, Surgery, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Practice Patterns
Encinosa W, Bernard D, Selden TM
Opioid and non-opioid analgesic prescribing before and after the CDC's 2016 opioid guideline.
This study examined opioid and non-opioid prescribing before and after the issuing of CDC’s 2016 opioid guideline. The authors developed a theory of physician prescribing behavior under the CDC’s two-pronged incentive structure. They used MEPS survey data to empirically corroborate the theory that the regulations and guidelines have the intended effects of reducing opioid prescriptions for acute and chronic pain, as well as the predicted unintended effects-income effects cause regulations on acute pain treatment to increase chronic pain opioid prescriptions and the chronic pain treatment guidelines spillover to reduce opioids for acute pain. They also found that the guidelines work as intended in terms of the reduced usage, with chronic pain patients shifting to non-opioids and tapering off opioid doses.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation:
Encinosa W, Bernard D, Selden TM .
Opioid and non-opioid analgesic prescribing before and after the CDC's 2016 opioid guideline.
Int J Health Econ Manag 2022 Mar;22(1):1-52. doi: 10.1007/s10754-021-09307-4..
Keywords:
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Opioids, Practice Patterns, Medication, Pain, Chronic Conditions
Rikin S, Perez HR, Zhang C
Changes in outpatient opioid prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time series analysis.
Changes in health care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted opioid prescribing. This study evaluated the impact of restrictions on in-person care on opioid prescribing in the outpatient setting. The hypothesis was that after restrictions to in-person care were implemented, there would be a reduction in the number of chronic and non-chronic opioid prescriptions.
AHRQ-funded; HS026396.
Citation:
Rikin S, Perez HR, Zhang C .
Changes in outpatient opioid prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time series analysis.
J Prim Care Community Health 2022 Jan-Dec;13:21501319221076926. doi: 10.1177/21501319221076926..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Healthcare Delivery
Flannery DD, Mukhopadhyay S, Morales KH
Delivery characteristics and the risk of early-onset neonatal sepsis.
This retrospective cohort study identified term and preterm infants at lowest risk of culture-confirmed early-onset sepsis (EOS) using delivery characteristics and also determined antibiotic use among them. The study cohort included term and preterm infants born 2009 to 2014 with blood culture with or without cerebrospinal fluid culture obtained ≤72 hours after birth. Low EOS risk criteria included: cesarean delivery, without labor or membrane rupture before delivery, and no antepartum concern for intraamniotic infection or nonreassuring fetal status. Among 53,575 births, 7549 (14.1%) were evaluated and 41 (0.5%) of those infants had EOS. For 1121 evaluated infants there were low-risk delivery characteristics and none had EOS. Duration of antibiotics administered to infants born with and without low-risk characteristics was not different.
AHRQ-funded; HS027468.
Citation:
Flannery DD, Mukhopadhyay S, Morales KH .
Delivery characteristics and the risk of early-onset neonatal sepsis.
Pediatrics 2022 Feb;149(2). doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-052900..
Keywords:
Newborns/Infants, Sepsis, Risk, Labor and Delivery, Antibiotics, Medication
Katz MJ, Tamma PD, Cosgrove SE
Implementation of an antibiotic stewardship program in long-term care facilities across the US.
The purpose of this study was to determine if AHRQ’s Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use was associated with reductions in antibiotic use in long-term care (LTC) facilities in the US. Findings showed that participation in the AHRQ safety program was associated with the development of antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) that actively engaged clinical staff in the decision-making processes around antibiotic prescriptions in participating LTC facilities. The reduction in days of antibiotic therapy and starts, which was more pronounced in more engaged facilities, indicated that implementation of this multifaceted program may support successful ASPs in LTC settings.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation:
Katz MJ, Tamma PD, Cosgrove SE .
Implementation of an antibiotic stewardship program in long-term care facilities across the US.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Feb;5(2):e220181. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.0181..
Keywords:
Elderly, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Long-Term Care, Medication, Implementation, Patient Safety
Kunneman M, Branda ME, Ridgeway JL
Making sense of diabetes medication decisions: a mixed methods cluster randomized trial using a conversation aid intervention.
The purpose of this trial was to determine the effectiveness of a shared decision-making (SDM) tool versus guideline-informed usual care in translating evidence into primary care, and to explore how use of the tool changed patient perspectives about diabetes medication decision making. Findings showed that using an SDM conversation aid improved patient knowledge and involvement in SDM without impacting treatment choice, encounter length, medication adherence, or improved diabetes control in patients with type 2 diabetes.
AHRQ-funded; HS018339.
Citation:
Kunneman M, Branda ME, Ridgeway JL .
Making sense of diabetes medication decisions: a mixed methods cluster randomized trial using a conversation aid intervention.
Endocrine 2022 Feb;75(2):377-91. doi: 10.1007/s12020-021-02861-4..
Keywords:
Diabetes, Medication, Decision Making, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Clinician-Patient Communication, Chronic Conditions
Yunusa I, Gagne JJ, Yoshida K
Risk of opioid overdose associated with concomitant use of oxycodone and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Oxycodone is a potent prescription opioid. Some Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) inhibit oxycodone metabolism in the body, but the clinical consequences of this interaction on overdose risk have not been adequately determined. The study researchers compared the rates of opioid overdoses in patients who had initiated oxycodone while taking enzyme-inhibiting SSRIs with the overdose rates of patents who had initiated oxycodone while taking non-enzyme inhibiting SSRIs. Data from 3 U.S. health insurance databases was used to analyze a cohort of adults who initiated oxycodone while receiving SSRI therapy between the years 2000 and 2020. Of the total of 2,037,490 who initiated oxycodone, 69.6% were receiving SSRIs at the time of the initiation of the oxycodone. One-thousand-thirty-five overdose events were observed during this time, and the resulting incidence rate in those initiating oxycodone while using enzyme-inhibiting SSRI’s was higher than in those using other SSRIs. The researchers concluded that in the study cohort of U.S. adults, there is a small increased risk of opioid overdose when initiating oxycodone in patients taking enzyme-inhibiting SSRIs.
AHRQ-funded; HS027623.
Citation:
Yunusa I, Gagne JJ, Yoshida K .
Risk of opioid overdose associated with concomitant use of oxycodone and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Feb;5(2):e220194. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.0194..
Keywords:
Opioids, Medication, Risk, Depression, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events
Rosenthal M, Poling J, Wec A
"Medication is just one piece of the whole puzzle": how nursing homes change their use of antipsychotic medications.
This article investigated health professionals’ experiences with decision-making during changes under the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes and its companion coalitions. These programs were introduced in 2012 for the purpose of encouraging reductions in antipsychotic use and increasing use of nonpharmacological treatments for dementia. Interviews were conducted with 40 nursing home physicians and staff in seven states. The authors found that reducing antipsychotics is more time and resource-intensive than relying on medication. However, respondents supported reductions in antipsychotic use. They indicated that with supported staffing, effective communications, and training, they could create or implement individualized treatments.
AHRQ-funded; HS023464.
Citation:
Rosenthal M, Poling J, Wec A .
"Medication is just one piece of the whole puzzle": how nursing homes change their use of antipsychotic medications.
J Appl Gerontol 2022 Jan;41(1):62-72. doi: 10.1177/0733464820958919..
Keywords:
Elderly, Medication, Nursing Homes, Dementia, Neurological Disorders, Long-Term Care, Decision Making
Schoenfeld EM, Soares WE, Schaeffer EM
"This is part of emergency medicine now": a qualitative assessment of emergency clinicians' facilitators of and barriers to initiating buprenorphine.
Despite evidence demonstrating the safety and efficacy of buprenorphine for the treatment of emergency department (ED) patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), incorporation into clinical practice has been highly variable. In this study, the investigators explored barriers and facilitators to the prescription of buprenorphine, as perceived by practicing ED clinicians. The investigators concluded that while some participants were hesitant to adopt a "new" role in treating patients with medications for OUD, many already had.
AHRQ-funded; HS025701.
Citation:
Schoenfeld EM, Soares WE, Schaeffer EM .
"This is part of emergency medicine now": a qualitative assessment of emergency clinicians' facilitators of and barriers to initiating buprenorphine.
Acad Emerg Med 2022 Jan;29(1):28-40. doi: 10.1111/acem.14369..
Keywords:
Emergency Department, Opioids, Medication, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health
Fiscella K, He H, Sanders M
Blood pressure visit intensification in treatment (BP-Visit) findings: a pragmatic stepped wedge cluster randomized trial.
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of multimodal strategies on time between visits and on improvement in systolic BP (SBP) among patients with uncontrolled hypertension. A total of 4277 adult patients with diagnosed hypertension and two BPs ≥ 140/90 pre-randomization and at least one visit during the post-randomization control period participated. The core intervention included three clinician hypertension-based trainings, monthly clinician feedback reports, and monthly meetings with practice champions. The main outcomes desired were change in time between visits when BP was not controlled and change in SBP. The intervention did not improve time to the next visit compared with control periods. SBP was reduced by 1.13 mmHg but was not maintained during follow-up. Hypertension control in the practices improved by 5% during intervention and was sustained post-intervention 5.4%.
AHRQ-funded; HS021667.
Citation:
Fiscella K, He H, Sanders M .
Blood pressure visit intensification in treatment (BP-Visit) findings: a pragmatic stepped wedge cluster randomized trial.
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Jan;37(1):32-39. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07016-9..
Keywords:
Blood Pressure, Medication, Hypertension
Levin Z, Chang J, Karaca-Mandic P
Characteristics of hydroxychloroquine dispensing in the United States, January to May 2020.
This research letter describes a comparison of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) prescription trends from January to May 2020. The authors identified HCQ dispensing from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse and identified 66,253 enrollees with 134,417 HCQ fills during the study period. Nearly 13,000 new fillers (67.2%) did not have a diagnostic indication of lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, malaria or Sjogren’s syndrome. Among previous fillers, 15.1% had no indication. The most common diagnosis was RA among indicated users. The rate of HCQ fills per 1,000 enrollees increased substantially in mid-March among both new and previous HCQ fillers. For prior fillers, rates increased due to an anticipated shortage of the drug due to people using it for COVID-19 prevention.
AHRQ-funded; HS025164.
Citation:
Levin Z, Chang J, Karaca-Mandic P .
Characteristics of hydroxychloroquine dispensing in the United States, January to May 2020.
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Jan;37(1):176-78. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07175-9..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Medication, Practice Patterns
Penfold RB, Thompson EE, Hilt RJ
Development of a symptom-focused model to guide the prescribing of antipsychotics in children and adolescents: results of the first phase of the Safer Use of Antipsychotics in Youth (SUAY) Clinical Trial.
The purpose of this study was to develop a new approach to prescribing guidelines as part of a pragmatic trial, Safer Use of Antipsychotics in Youth (SUAY; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03448575), which supports prescribers in delivering high-quality mental health care to youths. Prescribing guidelines are often ignored because they do not incorporate the real-world availability of first-line psychosocial treatments, comorbid conditions, and clinical complexity. The investigators indicated that their approach addressed some of these concerns.
AHRQ-funded; HS026001; HS023258.
Citation:
Penfold RB, Thompson EE, Hilt RJ .
Development of a symptom-focused model to guide the prescribing of antipsychotics in children and adolescents: results of the first phase of the Safer Use of Antipsychotics in Youth (SUAY) Clinical Trial.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022 Jan;61(1):93-102. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2021.04.010..
Keywords:
Children/Adolescents, Medication, Behavioral Health, Patient Safety, Guidelines, Evidence-Based Practice
Curcija K, Zittleman L, Fisher M
Does a rural community-based intervention improve knowledge and attitudes of opioid use disorder and medication-assisted treatment? A report from the IT MATTTRs study.
As part of the Implementing Technology and Medication Assisted Treatment Team Training in Rural Colorado study, this paper describes the implementation of community-based interventions developed by rural community members and researchers to increase awareness and to promote positive attitudes toward medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) and explores changes in community members' OUD and MAT knowledge and beliefs. Findings showed that partnering with local community members resulted in the successful development and implementation of community-based interventions, exposure to which was associated with OUD knowledge and beliefs. Locally-created interventions should be included in comprehensive approaches to stem the OUD epidemic.
AHRQ-funded; HS025065.
Citation:
Curcija K, Zittleman L, Fisher M .
Does a rural community-based intervention improve knowledge and attitudes of opioid use disorder and medication-assisted treatment? A report from the IT MATTTRs study.
J Rural Health 2022 Jan;38(1):120-28. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12545..
Keywords:
Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Medication, Rural Health
