National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Access to Care (6)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Asthma (1)
- Behavioral Health (7)
- Children/Adolescents (5)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (3)
- Communication (1)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- COVID-19 (1)
- Cultural Competence (1)
- Dental and Oral Health (1)
- Depression (1)
- Disparities (15)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Healthcare Delivery (1)
- Healthcare Utilization (1)
- Health Insurance (4)
- Health Status (2)
- (-) Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (22)
- Medicare (1)
- Medication (3)
- Obesity (4)
- Obesity: Weight Management (1)
- Opioids (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Policy (1)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Prevention (1)
- Primary Care (2)
- Primary Care: Models of Care (1)
- (-) Racial and Ethnic Minorities (22)
- Risk (1)
- Social Determinants of Health (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 22 of 22 Research Studies DisplayedOlfson M, Zuvekas SH, McClellan C
AHRQ Author: Zuvekas SH, McClellan C
Racial-ethnic disparities in outpatient mental health care in the United States.
Using data from the 2018-19 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, researchers compared national rates and patterns of use for outpatient mental health care among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White individuals. Analyses focused on individuals using psychotropic medications, psychotherapy, or both, and receipt of minimally adequate mental health care. The results showed that the rate of outpatient mental health service use was more than twice as high for White individuals, and that Black and Hispanic patients were significantly less likely to receive psychotropic medications; Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to receive psychotherapy. No significant differences were found in patients who received minimally adequate treatment for depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or disruptive behavior disorders. The authors concluded that achieving racial-ethnic equity will require dedicated efforts to promote greater mental health service access for Black and Hispanic persons in need.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Olfson M, Zuvekas SH, McClellan C .
Racial-ethnic disparities in outpatient mental health care in the United States.
Psychiatr Serv 2023 Jul; 74(7):674-83. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20220365..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Behavioral Health, Ambulatory Care and Surgery
Jacobs PD, Abdus S
AHRQ Author: Jacobs PD, Abdus S
Changes in preventive service use by race and ethnicity after Medicare eligibility in the United States.
Researchers examined whether widespread eligibility for Medicare at age 65 narrows disparate preventive service use by race and ethnicity. Using MEPS data and examining six preventive services, they found that, for non-Hispanic Black adults, preventive service use increased after age 65. Further, for all four preventive health measures that were lower for Hispanic adults compared with non-Hispanic White adults prior to age 65, service use was indistinguishable between these groups after reaching the Medicare eligibility age. They concluded that Medicare eligibility appeared to reduce most racial and ethnic disparities in preventive service use.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Jacobs PD, Abdus S .
Changes in preventive service use by race and ethnicity after Medicare eligibility in the United States.
Prev Med 2022 Apr;157:106996. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.106996..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medicare, Prevention, Access to Care, Disparities, Health Insurance
Kirby JB, Berdahl TA, Stone RA
AHRQ Author: Kirby JB, Berdahl TA
Perceptions of patient-provider communication across the six largest Asian subgroups in the USA.
Investigators sought to estimate racial/ethnic differences in perceptions of provider communication among the six largest Asian subgroups. Using MEPS data, they found that negative views of provider communication are not pervasive among all Asians but, rather, primarily reflect the perceptions of Chinese and, possibly, Vietnamese patients. They recommended that researchers, policymakers, health plan executives, and others who produce or use data on patients' experiences with health care avoid categorizing all Asians into a single group.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Kirby JB, Berdahl TA, Stone RA .
Perceptions of patient-provider communication across the six largest Asian subgroups in the USA.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Apr;36(4):888-93. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06391-z..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Patient Experience, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Cultural Competence
Peltz A, Kan K, Garg A
Racial and ethnic differences in managed care enrollment among US children.
The authors used national survey data to compare rates of HMO enrollment, by race and ethnicity, for children with commercial and public coverage. They found that, when adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, Hispanic children with public coverage, non-Hispanic Black children with commercial coverage, and Hispanic children with commercial coverage were more likely to be enrolled in HMOs than non-Hispanic White children. They recommended future study to examine the degree to which the observed national imbalance in HMO enrollment results from state-specific policies, family preferences, or coverage affordability.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Peltz A, Kan K, Garg A .
Racial and ethnic differences in managed care enrollment among US children.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Apr;4(4):e214162. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.4162..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Children/Adolescents, Health Insurance, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Moriya AS, Xu L
AHRQ Author: Moriya AS
The complex relationships among race/ethnicity, social determinants, and opioid utilization.
The objective of this study was to examine individual- and community-level factors associated with racial/ethnic differences in individuals' opioid prescription use. The investigators found that the average annual rate of any outpatient opioid prescription use was higher for non-Hispanic whites than for non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics. The smaller difference between non-Hispanic blacks and whites was not explained by the differences in the risk factors, while almost all the difference between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites could be explained by the differences in the means of the risk factors.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Moriya AS, Xu L .
The complex relationships among race/ethnicity, social determinants, and opioid utilization.
Health Serv Res 2021 Apr;56(2):310-22. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13619..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Social Determinants of Health, Opioids, Medication, Disparities
Han B, Chen PG, Yu H
Access to after-hours primary care: a key determinant of children's medical home status.
Researchers sought to identify individual survey items or domains that best predict medical home (MH) status for children and use them to develop brief markers of MH status. Using MEPS data, they found that accessibility, especially the ability to access health care after regular office hours, appeared to be the major predictor of having a MH among children. They recommended that the ongoing efforts to promote the MH model target improving accessibility of health care after regular hours for children overall and especially for Latino children.
AHRQ-funded; HS023336.
Citation: Han B, Chen PG, Yu H .
Access to after-hours primary care: a key determinant of children's medical home status.
BMC Health Serv Res 2021 Feb 27;21(1):185. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06192-y..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Children/Adolescents, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Access to Care, Healthcare Delivery, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Selden TM, Berdahl TA
AHRQ Author: Selden TM, Berdahl TA
COVID-19 and racial/ethnic disparities in health risk, employment, and household composition.
In this study, the investigators used data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to explore potential explanations for racial-ethnic disparities in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalizations and mortality. The authors found that black adults in every age group were more likely than whites to have health risks associated with severe COVID-19 illness. However, whites were older on average than blacks.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Selden TM, Berdahl TA .
COVID-19 and racial/ethnic disparities in health risk, employment, and household composition.
Health Aff 2020 Sep;39(9):1624-32. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00897..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), COVID-19, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Risk
Biener AI, Zuvekas SH
AHRQ Author: Zuvekas SH
Do racial and ethnic disparities in mental health treatment vary with underlying mental health?
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Biener AI, Zuvekas SH .
Do racial and ethnic disparities in mental health treatment vary with underlying mental health?
Med Care Res Rev 2021 Aug;78(4):392-403. doi: 10.1177/1077558720903589..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Behavioral Health, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Access to Care
Biener AI, Zuvekas SH
AHRQ Author: Zuvekas SH
Do racial and ethnic disparities in health care use vary with health?
Researchers used Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data from 2010-2014 to evaluate health care use between black-white and Hispanic-white adults. They found that there was the widest disparity in health care use in adults in excellent health between Hispanics and whites but the opposite was true for blacks and whites. Differences are attributed to health insurance coverage and access to health care overall.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Biener AI, Zuvekas SH .
Do racial and ethnic disparities in health care use vary with health?
Health Serv Res 2019 Feb;54(1):64-74. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13087..
Keywords: Access to Care, Disparities, Healthcare Utilization, Health Insurance, Health Status, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Jones AL, Cochran SD, Leibowitz A
Racial, ethnic, and nativity differences in mental health visits to primary care and specialty mental health providers: analysis of the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey, 2010-2015.
The researchers sought to guide post-ACA efforts to address mental health service disparities, by using a nationally representative sample to characterize baseline race-, ethnicity-, and nativity-associated differences in mental health services in the context of primary care. They found that all racial/ethnic groups were less likely than non-Latino Whites to have any primary care (PC) visit. Their conclusion was that racial-, ethnic-, and nativity-associated disparities persist in PC provided mental health services.
AHRQ-funded; HS021721.
Citation: Jones AL, Cochran SD, Leibowitz A .
Racial, ethnic, and nativity differences in mental health visits to primary care and specialty mental health providers: analysis of the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey, 2010-2015.
Healthcare 2018 Mar 22;6(2). doi: 10.3390/healthcare6020029.
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Keywords: Disparities, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Behavioral Health, Primary Care, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Pylypchuk Y, Kirby JB
AHRQ Author: Kirby JB
The role of marriage in explaining racial and ethnic disparities in access to health care for men in the US.
The researchers investigated the association between marriage and access to health care among men, and estimate the extent to which racial and ethnic differences in both the returns to marriage and marital rates explain differences in access and preventive service use. They found that marriage accounts for up to 24 percent of racial and ethnic differences in access and preventive use.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Pylypchuk Y, Kirby JB .
The role of marriage in explaining racial and ethnic disparities in access to health care for men in the US.
Review of Economics of the Household 2017 Sep;15(3):807-32..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Access to Care
Cook BL, Zuvekas SH, Chen J
AHRQ Author: Zuvekas SH
Assessing the individual, neighborhood, and policy predictors of disparities in mental health care.
This study assessed individual- and area-level predictors of racial/ethnic disparities in mental health care episodes for adults with psychiatric illness. It found that racial/ethnic disparities arise because minorities are more likely to live in neighborhoods where treatment initiation is low, rather than because of a differential influence of neighborhood disadvantage on treatment initiation for minorities compared with whites.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; HS021486.
Citation: Cook BL, Zuvekas SH, Chen J .
Assessing the individual, neighborhood, and policy predictors of disparities in mental health care.
Med Care Res Rev 2017 Aug;74(4):404-30. doi: 10.1177/1077558716646898.
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Keywords: Disparities, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Behavioral Health, Policy, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Wong MS, Showell NN, Bleich SN
The association between parent-reported provider communication quality and child obesity status: variation by parent obesity and child race/ethnicity.
This study examined the association between healthcare provider communication quality and child obesity status, and the role of parent obesity and child race/ethnicity regarding this association. It found that parents of obese children experienced better communication if parents were non-obese or children were non-Hispanic Black or Asian.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Wong MS, Showell NN, Bleich SN .
The association between parent-reported provider communication quality and child obesity status: variation by parent obesity and child race/ethnicity.
Patient Educ Couns 2017 Aug;100(8):1588-97. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2017.03.015.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Obesity, Clinician-Patient Communication, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Chang SH, Yu YC, Carlsson NP
Racial disparity in life expectancies and life years lost associated with multiple obesity-related chronic conditions.
This study investigated racial disparity in life expectancies (LEs) and life years lost associated with multiple obesity-related chronic conditions. It found that black individuals had higher risks of developing diabetes, hypertension, and stroke. This disparity in LE between white and black participants was largest in men age 40 to 49 with at least stroke: black men lived 3.12 years shorter than white men.
AHRQ-funded; HS022330.
Citation: Chang SH, Yu YC, Carlsson NP .
Racial disparity in life expectancies and life years lost associated with multiple obesity-related chronic conditions.
Obesity 2017 May;25(5):950-57. doi: 10.1002/oby.21822.
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Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Disparities, Health Status, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Obesity, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Cook BL, Carson NJ, Kafali EN
Examining psychotropic medication use among youth in the U.S. by race/ethnicity and psychological impairment.
This study examined racial/ethnic differences in the prescription of psychotropic medications among youth with and without psychological impairment. Compared to Black and Latino youth with psychological impairment, White youth were more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medications when impaired. Among youth never having psychological impairment, White youth were also more likely to be prescribed medications compared to their racial/ethnic minority counterparts.
AHRQ-funded; HS021486.
Citation: Cook BL, Carson NJ, Kafali EN .
Examining psychotropic medication use among youth in the U.S. by race/ethnicity and psychological impairment.
Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2017 Mar - Apr;45:32-39. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2016.12.004.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Medication, Behavioral Health, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Yang HY, Chen HJ, Marsteller JA
AHRQ Author: Liang L
Patient-health care professional gender or race/ethnicity concordance and its association with weight-related advice in the United States.
This study examined association between adult patients' and health care providers' (HCPs) gender or race/ethnicity concordance and patients' reported receiving weight-related advice from HCP's in USA. It found that patient/HCP gender or race/ethnicity concordance was not positively associated with HCPs providing weight-related advice. Patients with female HCPs or with racial/ethnic discordant HCPs (especially black or Asian HCPs) were more likely to receive advice.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Yang HY, Chen HJ, Marsteller JA .
Patient-health care professional gender or race/ethnicity concordance and its association with weight-related advice in the United States.
Patient Educ Couns 2016 Feb;99(2):271-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2015.08.030.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Obesity, Obesity: Weight Management, Clinician-Patient Communication
Abdus S, Mistry KB, Selden TM
AHRQ Author: Mistry KB, Selden TM
Racial and ethnic disparities in services and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The researchers examined pre-reform patterns in insurance coverage, access to care, and preventive services use by race/ethnicity in adults targeted by the coverage expansions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). They found that minorities were disproportionately represented among those targeted by the coverage provisions of the ACA.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Abdus S, Mistry KB, Selden TM .
Racial and ethnic disparities in services and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Am J Public Health 2015 Nov;105(Suppl 5):S668-75. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2015.302892..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Health Insurance, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Access to Care
Abdus S, Zuvekas SH
AHRQ Author: Abdus S, Zuvekas SH
Racial/ethnic differences in the relationship between obesity and depression treatment.
This study examined the relationship between obesity and the treatment of depression across racial/ethnic subgroups, controlling for depressive symptoms, self-rated mental health, health status, and socioeconomic characteristics. It found that the association between obesity and depression-related medication was significant for white women but not for black or Hispanic women. The results for men were, in general, mixed and inconsistent.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Abdus S, Zuvekas SH .
Racial/ethnic differences in the relationship between obesity and depression treatment.
J Behav Health Serv Res 2015 Oct;42(4):486-503. doi: 10.1007/s11414-014-9391-1..
Keywords: Obesity, Depression, Social Determinants of Health, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Horner-Johnson W, Dobbertin K, Beilstein-Wedel E
Disparities in dental care associated with disability and race and ethnicity.
The purpose of this study was to determine how the combination of disability and race and ethnicity is associated with dental examinations, delays in receiving needed care, and inability to obtain needed care among noninstitutionalized working-age adults in the United States. It found that, compared with non-Hispanic whites, other racial and ethnic groups were less likely to receive annual dental examinations.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Horner-Johnson W, Dobbertin K, Beilstein-Wedel E .
Disparities in dental care associated with disability and race and ethnicity.
J Am Dent Assoc 2015 Jun;146(6):366-74. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2015.01.024..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Dental and Oral Health, Disparities
Cook BL, Liu Z, Lessios AS
The costs and benefits of reducing racial-ethnic disparities in mental health care.
The investigators examined whether reducing racial-ethnic disparities in mental health care offsets costs of care. They found that, for blacks and Latinos, the potential savings from eliminating disparities in inpatient general medical expenditures are substantial, as much as $1 billion nationwide, suggesting that financial and equity considerations can be aligned when planning disparity reduction programs.
AHRQ-funded; HS021486.
Citation: Cook BL, Liu Z, Lessios AS .
The costs and benefits of reducing racial-ethnic disparities in mental health care.
Psychiatr Serv 2015 Apr;66(4):389-96. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201400070.
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Keywords: Disparities, Healthcare Costs, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Behavioral Health
Cook BL, Zuvekas SH, Carson N
AHRQ Author: Zuvekas SH
Assessing racial/ethnic disparities in treatment across episodes of mental health care.
The authors investigated disparities in mental health care episodes, aligning their analyses with decisions to start or drop treatment, and choices made during treatment. Using MEPS data, they found that, compared with whites, blacks and Latinos had less initiation and adequacy of care. Black and Latino episodes were shorter and had fewer psychotropic drug fills; black episodes had a greater proportion of specialist visits and Latino episodes had a greater proportion of primary care physician visits. Blacks were more likely to have an episode with acute psychiatric care.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Cook BL, Zuvekas SH, Carson N .
Assessing racial/ethnic disparities in treatment across episodes of mental health care.
Health Serv Res 2014 Feb;49(1):206-29. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12095.
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Keywords: Disparities, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Behavioral Health, Practice Patterns, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Sarpong EM, Miller GE
AHRQ Author: Sarpong EM, Miller GE
Racial and ethnic differences in childhood asthma treatment in the United States.
The authors examined racial-ethnic differences in asthma controller medication use among insured U.S. children. They found that non-Hispanic black and Hispanic children were less likely to use controllers than non-Hispanic white children. They concluded that the large observed differences in controller use highlight the continuing challenges of ensuring that all U.S. children have access to quality asthma care.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Sarpong EM, Miller GE .
Racial and ethnic differences in childhood asthma treatment in the United States.
Health Serv Res 2013 Dec;48(6 Pt 1):2014-36. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12077.
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Keywords: Asthma, Children/Adolescents, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Medication, Racial and Ethnic Minorities