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
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (2)
- Care Coordination (1)
- Chronic Conditions (2)
- Communication (1)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (3)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Healthcare Delivery (4)
- Health Systems (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- (-) Implementation (13)
- Learning Health Systems (1)
- Medication (1)
- Opioids (1)
- Organizational Change (1)
- Pain (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (3)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) (1)
- Practice Improvement (1)
- Primary Care (13)
- (-) Primary Care: Models of Care (13)
- Quality Improvement (6)
- Quality of Care (6)
- Rural Health (1)
- System Design (1)
- Teams (3)
- Workflow (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 13 of 13 Research Studies DisplayedBerry CA, Nguyen AM, Cuthel AM
Measuring implementation strategy fidelity in HealthyHearts NYC: a complex intervention using practice facilitation in primary care.
This study measured implementation strategy fidelity for the HealthyHearts NYC intervention program, an AHRQ-funded program that uses practice facilitation (PF) to improve adoption of cardiovascular disease evidence-based guidelines in primary care practices. Data from 257 practices measured fidelity using 4 categories: frequency, duration, content, and coverage. Almost all (94.2%) of practices received at least the 13 PF visits with an average 26.3 hours spent at each site by facilitators. Most practices (95.7%) completed all Task List items, and 71.2% were educated on all Chronic Care Models, with the majority (65.8%) receiving full coverage.
AHRQ-funded; HS023922.
Citation: Berry CA, Nguyen AM, Cuthel AM .
Measuring implementation strategy fidelity in HealthyHearts NYC: a complex intervention using practice facilitation in primary care.
Am J Med Qual 2021 Jul-Aug;36(4):270-76. doi: 10.1177/1062860620959450..
Keywords: Implementation, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care, Practice Improvement, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Primary Care: Models of Care
Hung DY, Truong QA, Liang SY
Implementing lean quality improvement in primary care: impact on efficiency in performing common clinical tasks.
Investigators examined 3-year impacts of Lean implementation on the amount of time taken for physicians to complete common clinical tasks. They found that Lean redesigns led to improvements in timely completion of 3 out of 4 common clinical tasks, thus supporting the use of Lean techniques to engage teams in routine aspects of patient care. They recommended more research to understand the mechanisms by which Lean promotes quality improvement and effectiveness of care team workflows.
AHRQ-funded; HS024529.
Citation: Hung DY, Truong QA, Liang SY .
Implementing lean quality improvement in primary care: impact on efficiency in performing common clinical tasks.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Feb;36(2):274-79. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06317-9..
Keywords: Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Implementation, Workflow, Teams, Healthcare Delivery
Pestka DL, Paterson NL, Benedict KA
Delivering care to high-cost high-need patients: lessons learned in the development of a complex care primary care team.
As part of a population health-focused primary care transformation, in 2019 a health system in Minnesota developed a primary care team to exclusively care for high-cost high-need patients. Through its development and implementation, the team has discovered several key lessons in delivering care to complex patients. In this paper, the authors discuss lessons learned from their research.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379.
Citation: Pestka DL, Paterson NL, Benedict KA .
Delivering care to high-cost high-need patients: lessons learned in the development of a complex care primary care team.
J Prim Care Community Health 2021 Jan-Dec;12:21501327211023888. doi: 10.1177/21501327211023888..
Keywords: Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Healthcare Delivery, Teams, Communication, Implementation
Yeung K, Richards J, Goemer E
Costs of using evidence-based implementation strategies for behavioral health integration in a large primary care system.
The purpose of this study was to describe the cost of using evidence-based implementation strategies for sustained behavioral health integration (BHI) involving population-based screening, assessment, and identification at 25 primary care sites of Kaiser Permanente Washington (2015-2018). The investigators concluded that when spread across patients screened in a single year, BHI implementation costs were well within the range for commonly used diagnostic assessments in primary care (eg, laboratory tests).
AHRQ-funded; HS023173.
Citation: Yeung K, Richards J, Goemer E .
Costs of using evidence-based implementation strategies for behavioral health integration in a large primary care system.
Health Serv Res 2020 Dec;55(6):913-23. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13592..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Evidence-Based Practice, Implementation, Behavioral Health, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare
Quigley DD, Qureshi N, Masarweh LA
Practice leaders report targeting several types of changes in care experienced by patients during patient-centered medical home transformation.
This study looked at how primary care practices implemented changes during the transition to becoming a patient-centered medical home (PCMH). The authors examined 105 primary care practice leader experiences during PCMH transformation using semi-structured interviews. Practices most commonly targeted changes in care coordination (30%), access to care (25%), and provider communication (24%). Reported areas for PCMH transformation were measured by Clinician & Group CAHPS, PCMH CAHPS, or supplemental CAHPS survey items, including team-based care (35%), providing more on-site services (28%), care management (22%), patient-centered culture (18%), and chronic condition health education (13%). Many PCMH changes are captured by CAHPS survey items, but some are not.
AHRQ-funded; HS025920.
Citation: Quigley DD, Qureshi N, Masarweh LA .
Practice leaders report targeting several types of changes in care experienced by patients during patient-centered medical home transformation.
J Patient Exp 2020 Dec;7(6):1509-18. doi: 10.1177/2374373520934231..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient Experience, Care Coordination, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Implementation
Soylu TG, Cuellar AE, Goldberg DG
Readiness and implementation of quality improvement strategies among small- and medium-sized primary care practices: an observational study.
Grounded in organizational readiness theory, the authors examined how readiness and practice characteristics affect QI strategy implementation. The study was a component of a larger practice-level intervention, Heart of Virginia Healthcare, which sought to transform primary care while improving cardiovascular care. The investigators concluded that QI strategy implementation varied by practice ownership. Independent practices focused on patient care-related activities.
AHRQ-funded; HS023913.
Citation: Soylu TG, Cuellar AE, Goldberg DG .
Readiness and implementation of quality improvement strategies among small- and medium-sized primary care practices: an observational study.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Oct;35(10):2882-88. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-05978-w..
Keywords: Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Implementation
Dickinson WP, Nease DE, Rhyne RL
Practice transformation support and patient engagement to improve cardiovascular care: from EvidenceNOW Southwest (ENSW).
The purpose of this study was to improve cardiovascular care through supporting primary care practices' adoption of evidence-based guidelines; a cluster randomized trial compared standard practice support--practice facilitation, practice assessment with feedback, health information technology assistance, and collaborative learning sessions--and standard support plus patient engagement support. Findings showed that practice transformation support can assist practices with improving quality of care. Patient engagement in practice transformation can further enhance practices' implementation of aspects of new models of care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023904.
Citation: Dickinson WP, Nease DE, Rhyne RL .
Practice transformation support and patient engagement to improve cardiovascular care: from EvidenceNOW Southwest (ENSW).
J Am Board Fam Med 2020 Sep-Oct;33(5):675-86. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2020.05.190395..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Patient and Family Engagement, Evidence-Based Practice, Implementation, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Parchman ML, Ike B, Osterhage KP
Barriers and facilitators to implementing changes in opioid prescribing in rural primary care clinics.
This paper discusses the barriers and facilitators to implementing changes in opioid prescription in rural areas using the Six Building Blocks evidence-based program to reduce opioid prescription in primary care practices. The program was implemented at 6 rural and rural-serving organizations with 20 clinic locations over a 15-month period. Interviews and focus groups with conducted with the organizations at the end of the program period. Facilitators included a desire to help patients and their community; external pressures to make changes in opioid management; a desire to reduce workplace stress; external support for the clinic; supportive clinic leadership; and receptivity of patients. Barriers included competing demands on clinicians and staff; a culture of clinician autonomy; inadequate data systems; and a lack of patient resources in rural areas.
AHRQ-funded; HS023750.
Citation: Parchman ML, Ike B, Osterhage KP .
Barriers and facilitators to implementing changes in opioid prescribing in rural primary care clinics.
J Clin Transl Sci 2020 Jan 10;4(5):425-30. doi: 10.1017/cts.2019.448..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Rural Health, Primary Care, Primary Care: Models of Care, Implementation, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Healthcare Delivery
Schuttner L, Wong ES, Rosland AM
Association of the patient-centered medical home implementation with chronic disease quality in patients with multimorbidity.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to examine the association of Patient-Aligned Care Team (PACT) implementation, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) PCMH model, and care quality for multimorbid patients enrolled in VA primary care from 2012 to 2014. The investigators found that for one-third of metrics (5/15), greater implementation of PACT in 2012 was associated with higher predicted probability of meeting the quality metric in 2013-2014. This association persisted for only two metrics among patients with > 5 chronic diseases.
AHRQ-funded; HS026369.
Citation: Schuttner L, Wong ES, Rosland AM .
Association of the patient-centered medical home implementation with chronic disease quality in patients with multimorbidity.
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Oct;35(10):2932-38. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06076-7..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Implementation, Chronic Conditions, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Harrison MI, Grantham S
AHRQ Author: Harrison MI
Learning from implementation setbacks: identifying and responding to contextual challenges.
The authors addressed organizational learning about implementation context during setbacks to primary care redesign in an ambulatory system. They found that redesigned teams were not implemented as widely or rapidly as anticipated and did not deliver hoped-for gains in operational metrics; however, team redesign was leading to improvements in chronic care and prevention and eased provider burden. Redesign and system leaders engaged in more thorough organizational learning. Their responses to challenges helped to strengthen the redesign's prospects, improved the delivery system's position in its labor market, and helped the system prepare to meet emerging requirements for value-based care and population health.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 2902010000341.
Citation: Harrison MI, Grantham S .
Learning from implementation setbacks: identifying and responding to contextual challenges.
Learn Health Syst 2018 Oct;2(4):e10068. doi: 10.1002/lrh2.10068..
Keywords: Organizational Change, Learning Health Systems, Health Systems, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Implementation
Ashok M, Hung D, Rojas-Smith L
AHRQ Author: Harrison M
Framework for research on implementation of process redesigns.
Complex system interventions benefit from close attention to factors affecting implementation and resultant outcomes. This article describes a framework for examining these factors in process redesign (PR) and for assessing PR outcomes. The authors concluded that their PR framework helped guide the qualitative study and aided researchers in informing their leadership about critical issues affecting PR implementation.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290200710056I; 2902010000221.
Citation: Ashok M, Hung D, Rojas-Smith L .
Framework for research on implementation of process redesigns.
Qual Manag Health Care 2018 Jan/Mar;27(1):17-23. doi: 10.1097/qmh.0000000000000158.
.
.
Keywords: Implementation, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, System Design
Stults CD, McClellan S, Panattoni L
Estimating the human resource costs of developing and implementing shared medical appointments in primary care.
The authors conducted interviews to estimate the human resource costs for developing and implementing a program to support shared medical appointments (SMAs) and an additional SMA on cancer survivorship. They found that introducing new providers or a new type of SMA may require relatively modest incremental organizational resources and provider time. They concluded that time and cost could possibly be further decreased by leveraging relevant materials from existing SMAs.
AHRQ-funded; HS022631.
Citation: Stults CD, McClellan S, Panattoni L .
Estimating the human resource costs of developing and implementing shared medical appointments in primary care.
J Ambul Care Manage 2016 Jan-Mar;39(1):23-31. doi: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000084.
.
.
Keywords: Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Implementation
Campbell-Voytal K, Daly JM, Nagykaldi ZJ
Team science approach to developing consensus on research good practices for practice-based research networks: A case study.
Using peer learning strategies, seven experienced practice-based research networks (PBRNs) working in collaborative teams articulated procedures for PBRN Research Good Practices (PRGPs). The PRGPs is a PBRN-specific resource to facilitate PBRN management and staff training, to promote adherence to study protocols, and to increase validity and generalizability of study findings. This paper describes the team science processes which culminated in the PRGPs.
AHRQ-funded; HS016713; HS019601.
Citation: Campbell-Voytal K, Daly JM, Nagykaldi ZJ .
Team science approach to developing consensus on research good practices for practice-based research networks: A case study.
Clin Transl Sci 2015 Dec;8(6):632-7. doi: 10.1111/cts.12363.
.
.
Keywords: Primary Care: Models of Care, Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN), Primary Care, Teams, Implementation