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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Cancer (2)
- Cancer: Lung Cancer (1)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (2)
- COVID-19 (2)
- Decision Making (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (13)
- Emergency Department (5)
- Evidence-Based Practice (2)
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- (-) Health Information Technology (HIT) (20)
- Implementation (1)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (1)
- Neurological Disorders (1)
- Newborns/Infants (1)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Patient Safety (2)
- Prevention (1)
- Primary Care (2)
- Primary Care: Models of Care (1)
- Provider (2)
- Provider: Physician (1)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Screening (2)
- System Design (1)
- Telehealth (1)
- Tools & Toolkits (1)
- Transitions of Care (2)
- (-) Workflow (20)
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 20 of 20 Research Studies DisplayedBalbin CA, Kawamoto K
The SIMPLE architectural pattern for integrating patient-facing apps into clinical workflows: desiderata and application for lung cancer screening.
To address the need for electronic health record (EHR) systems to accept the connection of any patient-facing digital health app using the SMART on FHIR standard, the authors proposed the Standards-based Implementation Maximizing Portability Leveraging the EHR (SIMPLE). SIMPLE’s architectural pattern was designed to meet several key requirements, such as not requiring patients to install new software; not retaining patient data outside of the EHR; leveraging existing personal health record (PHR) capabilities to optimize user experience; and maximizing portability.
AHRQ-funded; HS028791.
Citation: Balbin CA, Kawamoto K .
The SIMPLE architectural pattern for integrating patient-facing apps into clinical workflows: desiderata and application for lung cancer screening.
AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2024 Jan 11; 2023:844-53..
Keywords: Workflow, Health Information Technology (HIT), Cancer: Lung Cancer, Cancer, Screening
Sparling JL, France D, Abraham J
Handoff Effectiveness Research in periOperative environments (HERO) Design Studio: a conference report.
This conference report reviewed the historical background which led to the Handoff Effectiveness Research in periOperative environments (HERO) Design Studio. The objectives of the HERO Design Studio were to examine the existing literature base, create a national research agenda, and build the research infrastructure necessary to address critical evidence gaps in perioperative handoff quality and safety. The authors described how they prepared for the research conference and synthesized the conference’s results. They also recommended future directions regarding perioperative handoff improvement.
AHRQ-funded; HS027769.
Citation: Sparling JL, France D, Abraham J .
Handoff Effectiveness Research in periOperative environments (HERO) Design Studio: a conference report.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2023 Aug; 49(8):422-30. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2023.02.004..
Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Workflow, Transitions of Care, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Evidence-Based Practice
Sparling JL, Hong Mershon B, Abraham J
Perioperative handoff enhancement opportunities through technology and artificial intelligence: a narrative review.
This narrative review synthesized prior research on electronic tools for perioperative handoffs, limitations of current tools and barriers to their implementation, and use of AI and machine learning in perioperative care. Results showed that several efforts have incorporated electronic tools to improve perioperative handoffs, but were limited by imprecision in selecting handoff elements. AI and machine learning use and integration into handoff workflows were not yet being studied. Existing technology such as mobile applications, barcode scanners, and radio-frequency identification tags to advance perioperative safety were similarly not applied to handoffs.
AHRQ-funded; HS027769.
Citation: Sparling JL, Hong Mershon B, Abraham J .
Perioperative handoff enhancement opportunities through technology and artificial intelligence: a narrative review.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2023 Aug; 49(8):410-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2023.03.009..
Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Workflow, Transitions of Care, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Evidence-Based Practice
Moy AJ, Hobensack M, Marshall K
Understanding the perceived role of electronic health records and workflow fragmentation on clinician documentation burden in emergency departments.
This study’s goal was to understand the perceived role of electronic health records (EHR) and workflow fragmentation on clinician documentation burden in the emergency department (ED). The authors conducted semistructured interviews with a national sample of US prescribing providers and registered nurses who actively practice in the adult ED setting and use Epic Systems' EHR. They recruited 12 prescribing providers and 12 registered nurses. Six themes were found related to EHR factors perceived to contribute to documentation burden including lack of advanced EHR capabilities, absence of EHR optimization for clinicians, poor user interface design, hindered communication, increased manual work, and added workflow blockages, and five themes associated with cognitive load. The relationship between workflow fragmentation and EHR documentation burden brought up two themes: underlying sources and adverse consequences.
AHRQ-funded; HS028454.
Citation: Moy AJ, Hobensack M, Marshall K .
Understanding the perceived role of electronic health records and workflow fragmentation on clinician documentation burden in emergency departments.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2023 Apr 19; 30(5):797-808. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocad038..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Workflow, Health Information Technology (HIT), Emergency Department
Gephart SM, Tolentino DA, Quinn MC
Neonatal intensive care workflow analysis informing NEC-Zero clinical decision support design.
The aim of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the current clinical workflow and sociotechnical processes of clinicians for necrotizing enterocolitis risk awareness, timely discovery of symptoms, and treatment to guide decision support design. The researchers conducted 11 focus groups in two neonatal ICUs. The study found that workflow processes were different for nurses (who observe the signs of necrotizing enterocolitis and inform providers to order diagnostic tests and treatments) and providers (who receive notification of necrotizing enterocolitis concern and then decide what actions to take). The researchers reported that clinicians wanted a necrotizing enterocolitis-relevant dashboard with: 1) nutrition tracking and recognition of necrotizing enterocolitis; 2) features to support decision-making; 3) breast milk tracking and feeding clinical decision support; 4) tools for necrotizing enterocolitis surveillance and quality reporting; and 5) general electronic health records improvements to enhance user experience.
AHRQ-funded; HS022908.
Citation: Gephart SM, Tolentino DA, Quinn MC .
Neonatal intensive care workflow analysis informing NEC-Zero clinical decision support design.
Comput Inform Nurs 2023 Feb; 41(2):94-101. doi: 10.1097/cin.0000000000000929..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Workflow, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Lobach DF, Boxwala A, Kashyap N
AHRQ Author: Lomotan EA, Harrison MI, Dymek C, Swiger J
Integrating a patient engagement app into an electronic health record-enabled workflow using interoperability standards.
The authors sought to use interoperability standards to integrate the COVID-19 Tracker, a patient mobile application, with an EHR. Their clinical decision support integration project benefited from a standards-based approach, but they encountered challenges due to issues concerning implementation and experience of the standards-based application programming interface, Health Level 7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) in the EHR. The authors concluded that FHIR standards may provide a promising mechanism for overcoming barriers in the integration of patient engagement apps with EHRs, but that expansion of available FHIR resources will improve workflow integration.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500023I.
Citation: Lobach DF, Boxwala A, Kashyap N .
Integrating a patient engagement app into an electronic health record-enabled workflow using interoperability standards.
Appl Clin Inform 2022 Oct;13(5):1163-71. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1758736..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient and Family Engagement, Workflow, COVID-19
Salwei ME, Carayon P, Hoonakker PLT
Workflow integration analysis of a human factors-based clinical decision support in the emergency department.
Numerous challenges with the implementation, acceptance, and use of health IT are related to poor usability and a lack of integration of the technologies into clinical workflow, and have, therefore, limited the potential of these technologies to improve patient safety. In this paper, the investigators propose a definition and conceptual model of health IT workflow integration. Using interviews of 12 emergency department (ED) physicians, they identified 134 excerpts of barriers and facilitators to workflow integration of a human factors (HF)-based clinical decision support (CDS) implemented in the ED.
AHRQ-funded; HS022086.
Citation: Salwei ME, Carayon P, Hoonakker PLT .
Workflow integration analysis of a human factors-based clinical decision support in the emergency department.
Appl Ergon 2021 Nov;97:103498. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103498..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Workflow, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Implementation
Patel VL, Denton CA, Soni HC
Physician workflow in two distinctive emergency departments: an observational study.
In this study, the investigators characterized physician workflow in two distinctive emergency departments (ED). Physician practices mediated by electronic health records (EHR) were explored within the context of organizational complexity for the delivery of care. The investigators concluded that 1.) the nature of the clinical practice and EHR-mediated workflow reflected the ED work practices; 2.) physicians in more complex organizations may be less efficient because of the fragmented workflow- however these effects could be mitigated by effort distribution through team communication, which affords inherent safety checks.
AHRQ-funded; HS022670.
Citation: Patel VL, Denton CA, Soni HC .
Physician workflow in two distinctive emergency departments: an observational study.
Appl Clin Inform 2021 Jan;12(1):141-52. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1722615..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Workflow, Healthcare Delivery, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Senathirajah Y, Kaufman DR, Cato KD
Characterizing and visualizing display and task fragmentation in the electronic health record: mixed methods design.
The complexity of health care data and workflow presents challenges to the study of usability in electronic health records (EHRs). This study aimed to define and analyze some of the main sources of fragmentation in EHR user interfaces (UIs); discuss relevant theoretical, historical, and practical considerations; and use granular microanalytic methods and visualization techniques to help us understand the nature of fragmentation and opportunities for EHR optimization or redesign.
AHRQ-funded; HS023708.
Citation: Senathirajah Y, Kaufman DR, Cato KD .
Characterizing and visualizing display and task fragmentation in the electronic health record: mixed methods design.
JMIR Hum Factors 2020 Oct 21;7(4):e18484. doi: 10.2196/18484..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Workflow, System Design
Gold JA, Becton J, Ash JS
Do you know what your scribe did last spring? The impact of COVID-19 on medical scribe workflow.
This study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on the workflow of medical scribes. This prospective observational study was conducted at an academic medical center in the United States. A total of 74 scribes working in ambulatory practices were recruited, with 57 scribes completing the survey. Overall, 42% of scribes transitioned to remote scribing with 97% serving as remote scribes for telehealth visits. These scribes worked at home and used personal equipment. Of those no longer working as scribes, 46% worked in preclinic support, with a wide range of EHR-related activities reported. The remainder were either redeployed or furloughed.
AHRQ-funded; HS025141.
Citation: Gold JA, Becton J, Ash JS .
Do you know what your scribe did last spring? The impact of COVID-19 on medical scribe workflow.
Appl Clin Inform 2020 Oct;11(5):807-11. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1721396..
Keywords: COVID-19, Workflow, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Read JM, Weiler DT, Satterly T
Provider preference in exam room layout design and computing.
This study examined the impact of electronic health records (EHRs) on exam room design which would make it easier for providers to promote flexibility, mobility, and body orientation directed towards the patient. Semistructured interviews with 28 providers was conducted and the interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for analysis. Flexibility in sharing the computer screen with patients was an important theme as well as exam room layout, exam room computing and provider workflow.
AHRQ-funded; HS024488.
Citation: Read JM, Weiler DT, Satterly T .
Provider preference in exam room layout design and computing.
Appl Clin Inform 2019 Oct;10(5):972-80. doi: 10.1055/s-0039-3401813..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Workflow, Primary Care, Provider
Denton CA, Soni HC, Kannampallil TG
Emergency physicians' perceived influence of EHR use on clinical workflow and performance metrics.
In this article, the authors investigated the perceived effects of electronic health record (EHR) use on clinical workflow and meaningful use (MU) performance metrics. The investigators concluded that physicians' perception of EHRs was likely to influence their practices. They suggested that with negative perceptions of EHR usability problems, positive aspects of EHR use, including the influence on MU performance metrics, may be overridden.
AHRQ-funded; HS022670.
Citation: Denton CA, Soni HC, Kannampallil TG .
Emergency physicians' perceived influence of EHR use on clinical workflow and performance metrics.
Appl Clin Inform 2018 Jul;9(3):725-33. doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1668553..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Emergency Department, Health Information Technology (HIT), Workflow, Provider: Physician, Provider
Vankipuram A, Traub S, Patel VL
A method for the analysis and visualization of clinical workflow in dynamic environments.
The authors present a cohesive framework that combines a set of analytic techniques that can potentially complement traditional human observations to derive a deeper understanding of clinical workflow. Their framework is divided into three modules: (i) transformation, (ii) analysis, and (iii) visualization. They describe the methods used in each of these modules, and provide a series of visualizations developed using location-tracking data collected at the Mayo Clinic ED.
AHRQ-funded; HS022670.
Citation: Vankipuram A, Traub S, Patel VL .
A method for the analysis and visualization of clinical workflow in dynamic environments.
J Biomed Inform 2018 Mar;79:20-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jbi.2018.01.007.
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Keywords: Emergency Department, Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Information Technology (HIT), Primary Care: Models of Care, Workflow
Borycki E, Senathirajah Y, Kushniruk AW
The future of mobile usability, workflow and safety testing.
In this paper, the authors outline a vision for the future of mobile usability, workflow and safety testing. The authors argue for the use of glasses that can audio and video record usability, workflow and safety data.
AHRQ-funded; HS023708.
Citation: Borycki E, Senathirajah Y, Kushniruk AW .
The future of mobile usability, workflow and safety testing.
Stud Health Technol Inform 2017;245:15-19..
Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Safety, Workflow
Lowry C, Orr K, Embry B
Primary care scribes: writing a new story for safety net clinics.
The researchers conducted an evaluation of trained volunteer scribes for primary care clinics serving a diverse, low-income population in a US safety net system, which implemented a new EHR between 2011 and 2014. In a safety net primary care system, trained volunteer scribes were associated with improved clinician efficiency and experience and no difference in patient satisfaction.
AHRQ-funded; HS022561; HS023558.
Citation: Lowry C, Orr K, Embry B .
Primary care scribes: writing a new story for safety net clinics.
BMJ Open Qual 2017 Oct 25;6(2):e000124. doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2017-000124.
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Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Patient Experience, Primary Care, Health Information Technology (HIT), Workflow
Calvitti A, Hochheiser H, Ashfaq S
Physician activity during outpatient visits and subjective workload.
The researchers describe methods for capturing and analyzing EHR use and clinical workflow of physicians during outpatient encounters and relating activity to physicians' self-reported workload. They found that visit activity was highly variable across individual physicians, and the observed activity metrics ranged widely as correlates to subjective workload.
AHRQ-funded; HS021290.
Citation: Calvitti A, Hochheiser H, Ashfaq S .
Physician activity during outpatient visits and subjective workload.
J Biomed Inform 2017 May;69:135-49. doi: 10.1016/j.jbi.2017.03.011.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Workflow, Ambulatory Care and Surgery
Narayanan J, Dobrin S, Choi J
Structured clinical documentation in the electronic medical record to improve quality and to support practice-based research in epilepsy.
The researchers describe a stepwise process for building structured clinical documentation support tools in the electronic medical record (EMR) that define best practices in epilepsy, and describe how they incorporated these toolkits into their clinical workflow. These tools write notes and capture hundreds of fields of data including several score tests. They also summarize brain imaging, blood laboratory, and electroencephalography results, and document neuromodulation treatments.
AHRQ-funded; HS024057.
Citation: Narayanan J, Dobrin S, Choi J .
Structured clinical documentation in the electronic medical record to improve quality and to support practice-based research in epilepsy.
Epilepsia 2017 Jan;58(1):68-76. doi: 10.1111/epi.13607.
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Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Neurological Disorders, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Tools & Toolkits, Workflow
Fong A, Hoffman DJ, Zachary Hettinger A
Identifying visual search patterns in eye gaze data; gaining insights into physician visual workflow.
The authors propose an algorithmic approach to identify different visual search patterns. They demonstrate this approach by identifying common physician visual search patterns using a simulated prototype emergency department patient tracking system. They then discuss the benefits and limitations as well as insights from this initial evaluation.
AHRQ-funded; HS020433.
Citation: Fong A, Hoffman DJ, Zachary Hettinger A .
Identifying visual search patterns in eye gaze data; gaining insights into physician visual workflow.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2016 Nov;23(6):1180-84. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocv196.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Workflow
Butler KA, Mercer E, Bahrami A
Model checking for verification of interactive health IT systems.
The authors proposed to formalize the relationship between HIT and the conceptual work that increasingly typifies modern care. They demonstrated the method on a patient contact system to show that model checking is effective for interactive systems and that much of it can be automated.
AHRQ-funded; HS021233.
Citation: Butler KA, Mercer E, Bahrami A .
Model checking for verification of interactive health IT systems.
AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2015;2015:349-58.
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Keywords: Decision Making, Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient Safety, Workflow
Zai AH, Kim S, Kamis A
Applying operations research to optimize a novel population management system for cancer screening.
The objective of this paper is to optimize a new visit-independent, population-based cancer screening system (TopCare) by using operations research techniques to simulate changes in patient outreach staffing levels (delegates, navigators), modifications to user workflow within the information technology (IT) system, and changes in cancer screening recommendations. Results showed that simulating the impact of changes in staffing, system parameters, and clinical inputs on the effectiveness and efficiency of care can inform the allocation of limited resources in population management.
AHRQ-funded; HS018161.
Citation: Zai AH, Kim S, Kamis A .
Applying operations research to optimize a novel population management system for cancer screening.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2014 Feb;21(e1):e129-35. doi: 10.1136/amiajnl-2013-001681.
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Keywords: Cancer, Health Information Technology (HIT), Prevention, Screening, Workflow