National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Search All Research Studies
Topics
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
- Adverse Events (3)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Blood Thinners (2)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (11)
- Care Management (1)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (1)
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- Disparities (1)
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- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
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- Medication (10)
- Men's Health (1)
- Mortality (1)
- Newborns/Infants (1)
- Outcomes (2)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (3)
- Patient Safety (3)
- (-) Practice Patterns (16)
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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 16 of 16 Research Studies DisplayedFitzgerald DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA
Determinants of hospital variability in perioperative red blood cell transfusions during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
This observational cohort study’s objective was to identify to what extent distinguishing patient and procedural characteristics can explain center-level transfusion variation during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. The study used patients from the Perfusion Measures and Outcomes Registry from 43 adult cardiac surgical programs from July 2011 through June 2017. Of the 22,272 adult patients undergoing isolate CABG surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass, 7241 (32.5%) received at least 1 U allogeneic red blood cells. Patients who received transfusions were older (68 vs 64 years), were women (41.5% vs 15.9%), and had a lower body surface area, respectively. The majority of center-level transfusion variations could not be explained through models containing both patient and intraoperative factors.
AHRQ-funded; HS026003.
Citation: Fitzgerald DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA .
Determinants of hospital variability in perioperative red blood cell transfusions during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2022 Mar;163(3):1015-24.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.04.141..
Keywords: Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospitals, Practice Patterns, Disparities
Gregory EF, Miller JM, Wasserman RC
Adherence to pediatric universal cholesterol testing guidelines across body mass index categories: A CER(2) cohort study.
This study asks whether, and to what extent, universal cholesterol testing has been adopted since the 2011 guideline. Findings showed that cholesterol testing by age 12 years increased between 2011 and 2016; children with elevated BMI were more likely to complete testing for all birth cohorts. However, testing among children with normal BMI has become increasingly prevalent, suggesting a shift toward universal cholesterol testing in pediatrics since the 2011 recommendation.
AHRQ-funded; HS021645.
Citation: Gregory EF, Miller JM, Wasserman RC .
Adherence to pediatric universal cholesterol testing guidelines across body mass index categories: A CER(2) cohort study.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2020 Aug;13(8):e006519. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.119.006519..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Heart Disease and Health, Guidelines, Practice Patterns, Evidence-Based Practice
Fudim M, Kelly JP, Brophy TJ
Trends in treatment for patients hospitalized with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction before and after Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist (TOPCAT).
This study examined treatment trends for patients hospitalized for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) after the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist (TOPCAT) trial, which investigated spironolactone treatment vs placebo in HFpEF patients. This retrospective analysis looked at discharge prescribing data in the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Registry among patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50% discharged between 2009-2016. About 13% of the cohort of 142,201 patients were prescribed mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) at discharge. MRA prescribing increased modestly over time, but the TOPCAT trial did not seem to have an impact.
AHRQ-funded; HS021092.
Citation: Fudim M, Kelly JP, Brophy TJ .
Trends in treatment for patients hospitalized with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction before and after Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist (TOPCAT).
Am J Cardiol 2020 Jun 1;125(11):1655-60. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2020.02.038..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Stroke, Medication, Hospitalization, Inpatient Care, Practice Patterns
Hansen JE, Brown DW, Hanke SP
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor prescription for patients with single ventricle physiology enrolled in the NPC-QIC registry.
This study examined trends in the routine use of angiotension-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) during palliation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which is considered controversial. The authors used patients enrolled in the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPC-QIC) registry from 2008 to 2016 who had been prescribed ACEI between stage 1 palliation (stage I Norwood procedure) discharge and stage 2 palliation (stage II superior cavopulmonary anastomosis procedure) admission. ACEI prescriptions declined from 45% in the pre-2010 period to 36.8% from 2011 to 2016. No difference was found in interstage mortality, change in atrioventricular valve regurgitation, or change in ventricular dysfunction between groups. Atrioventricular septal defect, and preoperative mechanical ventilation were associated with increased ACEI prescription.
AHRQ-funded; HS021114.
Citation: Hansen JE, Brown DW, Hanke SP .
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor prescription for patients with single ventricle physiology enrolled in the NPC-QIC registry.
J Am Heart Assoc 2020 May 18;9(10):e014823. doi: 10.1161/jaha.119.014823..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Medication, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Practice Patterns, Registries, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Angraal S, Nuti SV, Masoudi FA
Digoxin use and associated adverse events among older adults.
The authors describe national-level trends of digoxin use, hospitalizations for toxicity, and subsequent outcomes over the past two decades. They found that, while digoxin prescriptions have decreased, the drug is still widely prescribed. However, the rate of hospitalizations for digoxin toxicity and adverse outcomes associated with these hospitalizations have decreased. They concluded that these findings reflect the changing clinical practice of digoxin use, aligned with the changes in clinical guidelines.
AHRQ-funded; HS025164; HS025402; HS025517.
Citation: Angraal S, Nuti SV, Masoudi FA .
Digoxin use and associated adverse events among older adults.
Am J Med 2019 Oct;132(10):1191-98. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2019.04.022.
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Keywords: Medication, Elderly, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospitalization, Practice Patterns
Wang SV, Rogers JR, Jin Y
Stepped-wedge randomised trial to evaluate population health intervention designed to increase appropriate anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Clinical guidelines recommend anticoagulation for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) at high risk of stroke; however, studies report 40% of this population is not anticoagulated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a population health intervention to increase anticoagulation use in high-risk patients with AF. The investigators concluded that algorithms to identify underuse of anticoagulation among patients with AF in healthcare databases may not capture clinical subtleties or patient preferences and may overestimate the extent of undertreatment.
AHRQ-funded; HS022193.
Citation: Wang SV, Rogers JR, Jin Y .
Stepped-wedge randomised trial to evaluate population health intervention designed to increase appropriate anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation.
BMJ Qual Saf 2019 Oct;28(10):835-42. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2019-009367..
Keywords: Blood Thinners, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Medication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Decision Making, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Practice Patterns, Healthcare Utilization
Durstenfeld MS, Katz SD, Park H
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist use after hospitalization of patients with heart failure and post-discharge outcomes: a single-center retrospective cohort study.
The purpose of this paper was to describe contemporary mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) prescription for heart failure patients before and after the full scope of hospitalizations and the association between MRA discharge prescription and post-hospitalization outcomes. Results showed that, among hospitalized patients with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction, 75% did not receive MRA before or after hospitalization, and nearly 90% of eligible patients did not have MRA initiated. These results suggest that hospitalization may represent an opportunity to initiate guideline-directed heart failure therapy.
AHRQ-funded; HS023683.
Citation: Durstenfeld MS, Katz SD, Park H .
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist use after hospitalization of patients with heart failure and post-discharge outcomes: a single-center retrospective cohort study.
BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019 Aug 9;19(1):194. doi: 10.1186/s12872-019-1175-3..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Medication, Practice Patterns, Outcomes
Shah NR, Ahmed ST, Winchester DE
Facility-level variation in stress test utilization in veterans with ischemic heart disease.
The aim of this study was to quantify variation in cardiac stress test utilization across the Veterans Health Administration (VA) in patients with established ischemic heart disease (IHD). The investigators used VA datasets to identify adults with IHD (myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, and/or coronary artery bypass grafting) with a primary care clinic visit at the VA in fiscal year 2014.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Shah NR, Ahmed ST, Winchester DE .
Facility-level variation in stress test utilization in veterans with ischemic heart disease.
JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Jul;12(7 Pt 1):1292-93. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2019.02.020..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Healthcare Utilization, Practice Patterns, Imaging
Morden NE, Woloshin S, Brooks CG
Trends in testosterone prescribing for age-related hypogonadism in men with and without heart disease.
A study in 2010 (Basaria et al) revealed more cardiovascular events in men randomized to take testosterone than among men receiving a placebo. By 2015 the FDA had revised testosterone labels to highlight lack of efficacy evidence and possible increased cardiovascular risk. This study examines trends in testosterone use among Medicare-insured men over the age of 50 with and without coronary artery disease (CAD). A random sample was used of Medicare fee-for-service recipients from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2016 using prescription fills under Medicare Parts B and D. Results showed that testosterone use was consistently higher among men with CAD than for men without CAD. Prescription rates had lowered after the warnings in 2013 but has remained higher than in 2007 and was largely off-label.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Morden NE, Woloshin S, Brooks CG .
Trends in testosterone prescribing for age-related hypogonadism in men with and without heart disease.
JAMA Intern Med 2019 Mar;179(3):446-48. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.6505..
Keywords: Elderly, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Practice Patterns, Men's Health, Medication
Spatz ES, Wang Y, Beckman AL
Traditional Chinese medicine for acute myocardial infarction in western medicine hospitals in China.
This study examined the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in China during the first 24 hours of hospitalization. The data came from the China Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events Retrospective Study of Acute Myocardial Infarction. A chart review was done of randomly sampled patients in 2001, 2006 and 2011 in 162 Western medicine hospitals across China. Nearly all (99%) hospitals used some form of TCM, with Salvia miltiorrhiza being the most commonly prescribed. This TCM treatment (and others) was used intravenously and use has increased over the span of the study, despite lack of evidence of benefit or harm.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Spatz ES, Wang Y, Beckman AL .
Traditional Chinese medicine for acute myocardial infarction in western medicine hospitals in China.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2018 Mar;11(3):e004190. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.117.004190..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Cardiovascular Conditions, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Heart Disease and Health, Hospitals, Mortality, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Patient Safety, Practice Patterns, Risk
Amin AP, Bach RG, Caruso ML
Association of variation in contrast volume with acute kidney injury in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.
The purpose of this study was to examine the national variation in acute kidney injury (AKI) incidence and contrast use among US physicians and the variation's association with patients' risk of developing AKI after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This cross-sectional study used the American College of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) CathPCI Registry to identify in-hospital care for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the United States.
AHRQ-funded; HS022481.
Citation: Amin AP, Bach RG, Caruso ML .
Association of variation in contrast volume with acute kidney injury in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.
JAMA Cardiol 2017 Sep;2(9):1007-12. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2017.2156..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Kidney Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Patient Safety, Heart Disease and Health, Practice Patterns
Dev S, Hoffman TK, Kavalieratos D
Barriers to adoption of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in patients with heart failure: A mixed-methods study.
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) are the most underutilized pharmacotherapy for heart failure. This study sought to ascertain barriers to optimal use of MRAs. It identified eight primary barriers to MRA adoption at the provider, patient, and health system levels from the prescriber perspective. These barriers can inform the creation of multilevel interventions that will be required to close the gap in MRA adoption.
AHRQ-funded; HS022989.
Citation: Dev S, Hoffman TK, Kavalieratos D .
Barriers to adoption of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in patients with heart failure: A mixed-methods study.
J Am Heart Assoc 2016 Mar 31;5(3). doi: 10.1161/jaha.115.002493.
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Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Medication, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Practice Patterns
Schroeder MC, Robinson JG, Chapman CG
Use of statins by Medicare beneficiaries post myocardial infarction: poor physician quality or patient-centered care?
This study assessed whether patterns of statin use by Medicare beneficiaries post-discharge may be due to a mix of high-quality and low-quality physicians. It found that the distribution of statin fill rates across physicians was normal, with no clear distinctions in physician quality. Physicians, especially cardiologists, with relatively younger and healthier patient populations had higher rates of statin use.
AHRQ-funded; HS019574.
Citation: Schroeder MC, Robinson JG, Chapman CG .
Use of statins by Medicare beneficiaries post myocardial infarction: poor physician quality or patient-centered care?
Inquiry 2015 Feb 27;52. doi: 10.1177/0046958015571131..
Keywords: Care Management, Medication, Heart Disease and Health, Medicare, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Practice Patterns
Hollingsworth JM, Funk RJ, Garrison SA
Differences between physician social networks for cardiac surgery serving communities with high versus low proportions of black residents.
The researchers examined physician social networks, where individual physicians are tied together by a series of shared patients. They mapped these networks using medical claims data from the Medicare program and found substantial differences between physician social networks formed around CABG procedures serving health services areas with high and low proportions of black residents. Their conclusion was that physicians serving these communities are more isolated.
AHRQ-funded; HS020927.
Citation: Hollingsworth JM, Funk RJ, Garrison SA .
Differences between physician social networks for cardiac surgery serving communities with high versus low proportions of black residents.
Med Care 2015 Feb;53(2):160-7. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000291..
Keywords: Practice Patterns, Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Medicare
O'Brien EC, Holmes DN, Ansell JE
Physician practices regarding contraindications to oral anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation: findings from the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (ORBIT-AF) registry.
This study describes the frequencies of and factors associated with oral anticoagulation (OAC) contraindications in clinical practice for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Contraindications to OAC therapy among patients with AF are common but subjective. Many patients with reported contraindications were receiving OAC, suggesting that the perceived benefits outweighed the potential harm posed by the relative contraindication.
AHRQ-funded; HS021092
Citation: O'Brien EC, Holmes DN, Ansell JE .
Physician practices regarding contraindications to oral anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation: findings from the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (ORBIT-AF) registry.
Am Heart J. 2014 Apr;167(4):601-609.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2013.12.014..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Blood Thinners, Medication, Registries, Cardiovascular Conditions, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Practice Patterns
Goldberger ZD, Alexander GC
Digitalis use in contemporary clinical practice: refitting the foxglove.
The researchers hypothesized that digoxin use for systolic heart failure (HF) has decreased during the past 15 years, despite clinical guidelines supporting its use. They fund that there has been a marked reduction in ambulatory digoxin use in the United States since 1997, with the largest declines in use observed from 1997 through 2001, and especially for patients with HF.
AHRQ-funded; HS018960.
Citation: Goldberger ZD, Alexander GC .
Digitalis use in contemporary clinical practice: refitting the foxglove.
JAMA Intern Med 2014 Jan;174(1):151-4. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.10432..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Medication, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Practice Patterns