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
Topics
- Access to Care (3)
- Asthma (2)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Children/Adolescents (3)
- Comparative Effectiveness (1)
- Dental and Oral Health (1)
- Disparities (1)
- Domestic Violence (1)
- (-) Emergency Department (15)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (4)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (4)
- Healthcare Costs (2)
- Healthcare Delivery (1)
- Healthcare Utilization (7)
- Health Insurance (3)
- Hospitalization (2)
- (-) Medicaid (15)
- Medicare (1)
- Opioids (1)
- Payment (1)
- Policy (2)
- Prevention (1)
- Primary Care (3)
- Provider Performance (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Social Determinants of Health (2)
- Substance Abuse (1)
- Transitions of Care (1)
- Vulnerable Populations (1)
- Young Adults (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 15 of 15 Research Studies DisplayedDecker S, Dworsky M, Gibson TB
AHRQ Author: Decker S
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Insurance Expansions on Opioid-Related Emergency Department Visits.
The authors leveraged ACA coverage expansions, including Medicaid expansion and Marketplaces, to study the impact of health insurance on opioid-related emergency department (ED) visits. They used ZIP-code–level ED utilization data from HCUP’s State Inpatient Databases (SID) and State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) for 29 states. They found evidence of a dose-response relationship between pre-ACA uninsured and changes in ED visit rates in both expansion and non-expansion states: areas with higher uninsured rates prior to ACA saw larger reductions in opioid-related ED visits after the ACA took effect. The authors concluded that these findings suggest that increased insurance coverage may to help mitigate the opioid crisis.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Decker S, Dworsky M, Gibson TB .
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Insurance Expansions on Opioid-Related Emergency Department Visits.
American Journal of Health Economics 2023 Sum; 9(3):405–34..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Opioids, Policy, Health Insurance, Emergency Department, Access to Care, Medicaid, Healthcare Utilization
Moriya AS, Chakravarty S
AHRQ Author: Moriya AS
Racial and ethnic disparities in preventable hospitalizations and ED visits five years after ACA Medicaid expansions,.
This AHRQ-authored paper examined whether the 2014 Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansions mitigated existing racial or ethnic disparities in preventable hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits. The authors used inpatient data from twenty-nine states and ED data from twenty-six states for the period 2011 to 2018. They found that Medicaid expansions decreased disparities in preventable hospitalizations and ED visits between non-Hispanic Black and White nonelderly adults by 10 percent or more. There were no significant effects on disparities between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White nonelderly adults. Their findings highlight sustained improvements in community-level care for non-Hispanic Black populations, but also suggest access barriers experienced by Hispanic adults that need to be addressed beyond Medicaid eligibility expansion.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Moriya AS, Chakravarty S .
Racial and ethnic disparities in preventable hospitalizations and ED visits five years after ACA Medicaid expansions,.
Health Aff 2023 Jan; 42(1):26-34. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00460..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Emergency Department, Hospitalization, Disparities, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Access to Care
Bell N, Lòpez-De Fede A, Cai B
Geographic proximity to primary care providers as a risk-assessment criterion for quality performance measures.
This retrospective cohort study examined geographic proximity to primary care providers as a risk-assessment criterion for quality performance measures for pediatric patients with either attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD, ages 6-12) or asthma (MMA, ages 5-18) defined using Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) performance measures. The authors investigated differences in avoidable and potentially avoidable ED visits by the beneficiary's primary care medical home (PCMH) attribution type and in relation to differences in proximity to their primary care providers versus hospitals. There was a 2.4 percentage point reduction in risk of avoidable emergency department (ED) visits among children in the ADD cohort who attended a PCMH versus those who did not which increased to 3.9 to 7.2 percentage points as relative proximity to primary care providers versus hospitals improved. Children in the ADD and MMA cohorts who were enrolled in a PCMH but did not attend one for primary care services exhibited a 5.4 and 3.0 percentage point increase in avoidable ED visits compared to children who were unenrolled and did not attend medical homes, but these differences were only observed when geographic proximity to hospitals was more convenient than primary care providers.
AHRQ-funded; HS026263.
Citation: Bell N, Lòpez-De Fede A, Cai B .
Geographic proximity to primary care providers as a risk-assessment criterion for quality performance measures.
PLoS One 2022 Sep 6;17(9):e0273805. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273805..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Primary Care, Asthma, Medicaid, Emergency Department
Holland JE, Varni SE, Pulcini CD
Assessing the relationship between well-care visit and emergency department utilization among adolescents and young adults.
This study investigated the association between adolescent and young adult (AYA) well-care visits and emergency department (ED) utilization. Vermont’s all-payer claims data for 2018 was used to evaluate visits for 49,089 AYAs (aged 12-21 years) with a health-care claim. Nearly half (49%) of AYAs who engaged with the health-care system did not have a well-care visit in 2018. Those AYAs had 24% greater odds of going to the ED at least once in 2018, controlling for age, sex, insurance type, and medical complexity. Late adolescents and young adults (aged 18-21) who did not attend a well-care visit had 47% greater odds of ED visits, middle adolescents (15-17 years) had 9% greater odds, and early adolescents (12-14 years) had 16% greater odds.
AHRQ-funded; HS024575.
Citation: Holland JE, Varni SE, Pulcini CD .
Assessing the relationship between well-care visit and emergency department utilization among adolescents and young adults.
J Adolesc Health 2022 Jan;70(1):64-69. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.08.011..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Young Adults, Emergency Department, Healthcare Utilization, Medicaid, Prevention
Melnikow J, Evans E, Xing G
Primary care access to new patient appointments for California Medicaid enrollees: a simulated patient study.
Investigators evaluated variation in the availability of primary care new patient appointments for Medi-Cal (California Medicaid) enrollees in Northern California and its relationship to emergency department (ED) use after Medicaid expansion. Data from the California Health Interview Survey, Medi-Cal enrollment reports, and California hospital discharge records were used. The investigators found that access to primary care in Northern California was limited for new patient Medi-Cal enrollees and varied across counties, despite standard statewide reimbursement rates. Further, counties with more limited access to primary care new patient appointments had higher ED use by Medi-Cal enrollees.
AHRQ-funded; HS022236.
Citation: Melnikow J, Evans E, Xing G .
Primary care access to new patient appointments for California Medicaid enrollees: a simulated patient study.
Ann Fam Med 2020 May;18(3):210-17. doi: 10.1370/afm.2502..
Keywords: Primary Care, Access to Care, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Emergency Department, Healthcare Utilization
Coupet E, Karp D, Wiebe DJ
Shift in U.S. payer responsibility for the acute care of violent injuries after the Affordable Care Act: Implications for prevention.
In this study, the investigators determined the total annual charges for the acute care of injuries from interpersonal violence and the shift in financial responsibility for these charges after the Medicaid expansion from the Affordable Care Act in 2014. After Medicaid expansion, taxpayers are now accountable for nearly half of the $10.7 billion in annual charges for the acute care of violent injury in the U.S. The investigators suggest that these findings highlight the benefit to state Medicaid programs of preventing interpersonal violence.
AHRQ-funded; HS000028.
Citation: Coupet E, Karp D, Wiebe DJ .
Shift in U.S. payer responsibility for the acute care of violent injuries after the Affordable Care Act: Implications for prevention.
Am J Emerg Med 2018 Dec;36(12):2192-96. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.03.070..
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Emergency Department, Healthcare Costs, Policy, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Medicaid
Moulin A, Evans EJ, Xing G
Substance use, homelessness, mental illness and Medicaid coverage: a set-up for high emergency department utilization.
The objective of this study was to identify characteristics unique to patients with psychiatric illness who are frequent emergency department (ED) users for mental health care. The authors suggest that understanding unique features of this population could lead to better care and lower healthcare costs. The authors concluded that patients with substance use disorders, homelessness and public healthcare coverage were more likely to be frequent users of EDs for mental illness.
AHRQ-funded; HS022236.
Citation: Moulin A, Evans EJ, Xing G .
Substance use, homelessness, mental illness and Medicaid coverage: a set-up for high emergency department utilization.
West J Emerg Med 2018 Nov;19(6):902-06. doi: 10.5811/westjem.2018.9.38954..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Medicaid, Healthcare Utilization, Behavioral Health, Substance Abuse, Vulnerable Populations
Raven MC, Guzman D, Chen AH
Out-of-network emergency department use among managed Medicaid beneficiaries.
The researchers examined factors associated with out-of-network ED use among Medicaid beneficiaries. They concluded that there are a number of factors related to out-of-network ED use, including the proximity and density of out-of-network EDs, race and ethnicity, a prior history of out-of-network ED use, and individuals' connection to primary care.
AHRQ-funded; HS021700.
Citation: Raven MC, Guzman D, Chen AH .
Out-of-network emergency department use among managed Medicaid beneficiaries.
Health Serv Res 2017 Dec;52(6):2156-74. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12604.
.
.
Keywords: Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Medicaid, Primary Care, Social Determinants of Health
Aalsma MC, Anderson VR, Schwartz K
Preventive care use among justice-involved and non-justice-involved youth.
The objective of this study was to determine how rates of well-child (WC) and emergency department visits, as well as public insurance enrollment continuity, differed between youth involved in the justice system (JIY) and youth who have never been in the system (NJIY). It found that JIY had lower use rates of WC visits and higher use rates of emergency services in comparison with NJIY. JIY had more and longer gaps in Medicaid coverage compared with NJIY.
AHRQ-funded; HS023318.
Citation: Aalsma MC, Anderson VR, Schwartz K .
Preventive care use among justice-involved and non-justice-involved youth.
Pediatrics 2017 Nov;140(5):pii: e20171107. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-1107.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Healthcare Utilization, Medicaid
O'Malley JP, O'Keeffe-Rosetti M, Lowe RA
Health care utilization rates after Oregon's 2008 Medicaid expansion: within-group and between-group differences over time among new, returning, and continuously insured enrollees.
The authors sought to assess changes in emergency department, primary care, mental and behavioral health care, and specialist care visit rates among individuals gaining Medicaid over 24 months postinsurance gain and also to evaluate the association of previous insurance with utilization. They found that primary care visit rates in both newly and returning insured individuals significantly exceeded those of the continuously insured in months 4 through 12, but were not significantly elevated in the second year. In contrast, emergency department utilization rates were significantly higher in returning insured compared with newly or continuously insured individuals and remained elevated over time. New visits to primary and specialist care were higher among those who gained Medicaid compared with the continuously insured throughout the study period. They concluded that expansion evaluations should allow for rate stabilization.
AHRQ-funded; HS021522.
Citation: O'Malley JP, O'Keeffe-Rosetti M, Lowe RA .
Health care utilization rates after Oregon's 2008 Medicaid expansion: within-group and between-group differences over time among new, returning, and continuously insured enrollees.
Med Care 2016 Nov;54(11):984-91. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000600.
.
.
Keywords: Medicaid, Healthcare Delivery, Healthcare Utilization, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
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.
.
.
Keywords: Medicaid, Payment, Provider Performance, Healthcare Utilization, Quality of Care, Hospitalization, Emergency Department
Fingar KR, Smith MW, Davies S
AHRQ Author: Stocks C
Medicaid dental coverage alone may not lower rates of dental emergency department visits.
This study examined county-level rates of ED visits for nontraumatic dental conditions in twenty-nine States in 2010 in relation to dental provider density and Medicaid coverage of nonemergency dental services. It found that county-level Medicaid-funded dental ED visit rates were lower in states where Medicaid covered nonemergency dental services than in other states, although this difference was not significant after other factors were adjusted for.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201200003I; HS021700.
Citation: Fingar KR, Smith MW, Davies S .
Medicaid dental coverage alone may not lower rates of dental emergency department visits.
Health Aff 2015 Aug;34(8):1349-57. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0223..
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Emergency Department, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Comparative Effectiveness, Medicaid
Siddiqui M, Roberts ET, Pollack CE
The effect of emergency department copayments for Medicaid beneficiaries following the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
This study evaluated the effect of the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act allowing States to enforce emergency department (ED) copayments for nonurgent visits and on ED utilization among Medicaid beneficiaries. It found that granting States permission to collect copayments for nonurgent visits did not significantly change ED or outpatient medical provider use among Medicaid beneficiaries.
AHRQ-funded; HS019488
Citation: Siddiqui M, Roberts ET, Pollack CE .
The effect of emergency department copayments for Medicaid beneficiaries following the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Mar;175(3):393-8. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.7582..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Medicaid, Healthcare Costs
Kindermann DR, Mutter RL, Houchens RL
AHRQ Author: Mutter RL
The transfer instability index: a novel metric of emergency department transfer relationships.
The researchers developed the “transfer instability index” to describe sending hospitals’ relationships with receiving hospitals. They found that emergency departments with a greater share of publicly insured patients had a greater transfer instability index, which may indicate less stable, protocolized, and regionalized transfer relationships.
AHRQ-funded; 290201300002C.
Citation: Kindermann DR, Mutter RL, Houchens RL .
The transfer instability index: a novel metric of emergency department transfer relationships.
Acad Emerg Med 2015 Feb;22(2):166-71. doi: 10.1111/acem.12589..
Keywords: Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Emergency Department, Transitions of Care, Medicaid, Medicare
Malhotra K, Baltrus P P, Zhang S
Geographic and racial variation in asthma prevalence and emergency department use among Medicaid-enrolled children in 14 southern states.
Using 2007 Medicaid claims data from 556 counties in 14 southern states, the researchers described the local area variation in 1-year asthma prevalence rates, emergency department visit rates, and racial disparity rate ratios. They found much local area variation in asthma prevalence and asthma ED visit rates among Medicaid-enrolled children. Between black and white children, more counties had higher prevalence of asthma and higher ED visit rates among blacks.
AHRQ-funded; HS022444; HS019470
Citation: Malhotra K, Baltrus P P, Zhang S .
Geographic and racial variation in asthma prevalence and emergency department use among Medicaid-enrolled children in 14 southern states.
J Asthma. 2014 Nov;51(9):913-21. doi: 10.3109/02770903.2014.930479..
Keywords: Asthma, Medicaid, Social Determinants of Health, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS)