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
AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
- Adverse Events (13)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- Children/Adolescents (2)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (2)
- Dialysis (1)
- Digestive Disease and Health (1)
- Disparities (1)
- Emergency Department (2)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (2)
- (-) Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (22)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Health Insurance (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospitalization (3)
- Hospitals (6)
- Injuries and Wounds (1)
- Inpatient Care (2)
- Kidney Disease and Health (2)
- Labor and Delivery (1)
- Maternal Care (1)
- Medical Errors (2)
- Medicare (2)
- Medication (2)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Mortality (3)
- Outcomes (1)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (2)
- (-) Patient Safety (22)
- Payment (1)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Pregnancy (1)
- Pressure Ulcers (2)
- Prevention (1)
- Provider Performance (1)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (4)
- Quality Measures (3)
- Quality of Care (6)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Risk (1)
- Stroke (1)
- Surgery (8)
- Transitions of Care (1)
- Uninsured (1)
- Women (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 22 of 22 Research Studies DisplayedParikh K, Hall M, Tieder JS
Disparities in racial, ethnic, and payer groups for pediatric safety events in US hospitals.
A retrospective cohort study using the 2019 Kids' Inpatient Database found disparities in pediatric safety events. Black and Hispanic children had significantly higher odds in 5 of 7 safety indicators compared to white children, especially in postoperative sepsis and respiratory failure. Medicaid-covered children also showed higher odds in 4 of 7 indicators compared to privately insured children, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to enhance hospital patient safety, particularly among minority and Medicaid-covered populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS028484.
Citation: Parikh K, Hall M, Tieder JS .
Disparities in racial, ethnic, and payer groups for pediatric safety events in US hospitals.
Pediatrics 2024 Mar; 153(3):e2023063714. doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-063714.
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Children/Adolescents, Patient Safety, Hospitals
Newman-Toker DE, Nassery N, Schaffer AC
Burden of serious harms from diagnostic error in the USA.
Americans who experience serious harm from misdiagnosis annually. Serious harm is defined as permanent morbidity or morality. This cross-sectional analysis used nationally representative observational data. The authors estimated annual incident vascular events and infections from 21.5 million (M) sampled US hospital discharges (2012-2014). US-based cancer registries were used to find annual new cancers. They derived diagnostic errors and serious harms by multiplying by literature-based rates for disease-specific incidences for 15 major vascular events, infections and cancers ('Big Three' categories). Extrapolating to all diseases (including non-'Big Three' dangerous disease categories), they estimated total serious harms annually in the USA to be 795,000 (plausible range 598,000-1,023,000). Using more conservative assumptions they estimated 549,000 serious harms. These results were compatible with setting-specific serious harm estimates from inpatient, emergency department and ambulatory care. Fifteen dangerous diseases accounted for 50.7% of total serious harms and the top 5 (stroke, sepsis, pneumonia, venous thromboembolism and lung cancer) accounted for 38.7%.
AHRQ-funded; HS027614; HS029350.
Citation: Newman-Toker DE, Nassery N, Schaffer AC .
Burden of serious harms from diagnostic error in the USA.
BMJ Qual Saf 2024 Jan 19; 33(2):109-20. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2021-014130..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medical Errors, Patient Safety, Quality of Care, Adverse Events
Waters TM, Burns N, Kaplan CM
Combined impact of medicare's hospital pay for performance programs on quality and safety outcomes is mixed.
The authors examined the combined impact of Medicare's pay for performance (P4P) programs on clinical areas and populations targeted by the programs, as well as those outside their focus. Using HCUP data, and consistent with previous studies for individual programs, they detected minimal, if any, effect of Medicare's hospital P4P programs on quality and safety. They recommended a redesigning of the P4P programs before continuing to expand them.
AHRQ-funded; HS025148.
Citation: Waters TM, Burns N, Kaplan CM .
Combined impact of medicare's hospital pay for performance programs on quality and safety outcomes is mixed.
BMC Health Serv Res 2022 Jul 28;22(1):958. doi: 10.1186/s12913-022-08348-w..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Medicare, Payment, Provider Performance, Hospitals, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient Safety
Zrelak PA, Utter GH, McDonald KM
Incorporating harms into the weighting of the revised Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Patient Safety for Selected Indicators Composite (Patient Safety Indicator 90).
The purpose of this study was to reweight AHRQ’s Patient Safety for Selected Indicators Composite (Patient Safety Indicator 90) from weights based solely on the frequency of component Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) to those that incorporate excess harm reflecting patients' preferences for outcome-related health states. Findings showed that including harms in the weighting scheme changed individual component weights from the original frequency-based weighting. In the reweighted composite, PSIs 11, 13, and 12 contributed the greatest harm. The investigators concluded that reformulation of PSI 90 with harm-based weights is feasible and results in satisfactory reliability and discrimination.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201200003I.
Citation: Zrelak PA, Utter GH, McDonald KM .
Incorporating harms into the weighting of the revised Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Patient Safety for Selected Indicators Composite (Patient Safety Indicator 90).
Health Serv Res 2022 Jun;57(3):654-67. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13918..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Patient Safety, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Adverse Events, Medicare
Guglielminotti J, Landau R, Li. G
Adverse events and factors associated with potentially avoidable use of general anesthesia in cesarean deliveries.
Compared with neuraxial anesthesia, general anesthesia for cesarean delivery is associated with increased risk of maternal adverse events. Reducing avoidable general anesthetics for cesarean delivery may improve safety of obstetric anesthesia care. This study examined adverse events, trends, and factors associated with potentially avoidable general anesthetics for cesarean delivery. The investigators concluded that compared with neuraxial anesthesia, avoidable general anesthetics are associated with increased risk of adverse maternal outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS025787.
Citation: Guglielminotti J, Landau R, Li. G .
Adverse events and factors associated with potentially avoidable use of general anesthesia in cesarean deliveries.
Anesthesiology 2019 Jun;130(6):912-22. doi: 10.1097/aln.0000000000002629..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Labor and Delivery, Surgery, Pregnancy, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Women, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Maternal Care
Daniel VT, Ayturk D, Ward DV
The influence of payor status on outcomes associated with surgical repair of upper gastrointestinal perforations due to peptic ulcer disease in the United States.
An association between lack of insurance and inferior outcomes has been well described for a number of surgical emergencies, yet little is known about the relationship of payor status and outcomes of patients undergoing emergent surgical repair for upper gastrointestinal (UGI) perforations. In this study, the investigators evaluated the association of payor status and in-hospital mortality for patients undergoing emergency surgery for UGI perforations in the United States.
AHRQ-funded; HS022694.
Citation: Daniel VT, Ayturk D, Ward DV .
The influence of payor status on outcomes associated with surgical repair of upper gastrointestinal perforations due to peptic ulcer disease in the United States.
Am J Surg 2019 Jan;217(1):121-25. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2018.06.025..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Digestive Disease and Health, Health Insurance, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Mortality, Outcomes, Patient Safety, Surgery, Uninsured
Dynan L, Goudie A, Brady PW
Pediatric adverse event rates associated with inexperience in teaching hospitals: a multilevel analysis.
In this article, the investigators hypothesize that adverse event rates increase with the availability of more complex services and technologies (transplantation and pediatric open-heart surgery); increase as experience of providers decreases (July effect); and increase with residents per bed, a measure of both average provider inexperience and congestion. Using multilevel analysis, they found empirical evidence in support of their three hypotheses.
AHRQ-funded; HS023827.
Citation: Dynan L, Goudie A, Brady PW .
Pediatric adverse event rates associated with inexperience in teaching hospitals: a multilevel analysis.
J Healthc Qual 2018 Mar/Apr;40(2):69-78. doi: 10.1097/jhq.0000000000000121..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Adverse Events, Hospitals, Inpatient Care, Medical Errors, Patient Safety
Hernandez-Boussard T, Davies S, McDonald K
Interhospital facility transfers in the United States: a nationwide outcomes study.
This study identified and compared characteristics and outcomes of transfer and nontransfer patients. In-hospital adverse events were significantly higher in transfer patients compared with nontransfer patients. Study results suggest that transfer patients have inferior outcomes compared with nontransfer patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS018558.
Citation: Hernandez-Boussard T, Davies S, McDonald K .
Interhospital facility transfers in the United States: a nationwide outcomes study.
J Patient Saf 2017 Dec;13(4):187-91. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000148.
.
.
Keywords: Adverse Events, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Patient Safety, Transitions of Care
Davies S, Schultz E, Raven M
AHRQ Author: Stocks C
Development and validation of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Measures of Potentially Preventable Emergency Department (ED) Visits: the ED Prevention Quality Indicators for general health conditions.
The researchers sought to develop and validate rates of potentially preventable emergency department (ED) visits as indicators of community health. ED Prevention Quality Indicators (PQI) rates varied widely across U.S. communities. Indicator rates were significantly associated with county-level poverty, median income, Medicaid insurance, and levels of uninsurance. A few indicators were significantly associated with PCP density, with higher rates in areas with greater density.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 2902012000031.
Citation: Davies S, Schultz E, Raven M .
Development and validation of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Measures of Potentially Preventable Emergency Department (ED) Visits: the ED Prevention Quality Indicators for general health conditions.
Health Serv Res 2017 Oct;52(5):1667-84. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12687.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Emergency Department, Quality Indicators (QIs), Patient Safety, Prevention
Brown JR, Rezaee ME, Hisey WM
Reduced mortality associated with acute kidney injury requiring dialysis in the United States.
The researchers describe the epidemiology of dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury (AKI-D) as well as associated in-hospital mortality in the US. They found that the incidence rate of AKI-D has increased considerably in the US since 2001. However, in-hospital mortality associated with AKI-D hospital admissions has decreased significantly. AHRQ-funded; HS018443.
AHRQ-funded; HS018443.
Citation: Brown JR, Rezaee ME, Hisey WM .
Reduced mortality associated with acute kidney injury requiring dialysis in the United States.
Am J Nephrol 2016;43(4):261-70. doi: 10.1159/000445846.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Adverse Events, Mortality, Patient Safety, Kidney Disease and Health
Spector WD, Limcangco R, Owens PL
AHRQ Author: Spector WD, Limcangco R, Owens PL, Steiner CA
Marginal hospital cost of surgery-related hospital-acquired pressure ulcers.
The researchers estimated the hospital marginal cost of a hospital-acquired pressure ulcer (HAPU) for adults patients who were hospitalized for major surgeries, adjusted for patient characteristics, comorbidities, procedures, and hospital characteristics. They found that 3.5 percent of major surgical patients developed HAPUs and that the HAPUs added approximately $8,200 to the cost of a surgical stay after adjusting for comorbidities, patient characteristics, procedures, and hospital characteristics.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Spector WD, Limcangco R, Owens PL .
Marginal hospital cost of surgery-related hospital-acquired pressure ulcers.
Med Care 2016 Sep;54(9):845-51. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000558.
.
.
Keywords: Pressure Ulcers, Surgery, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Healthcare Costs, Patient Safety
Hernandez-Boussard TM, McDonald KM, Morrison DE
Risks of adverse events in colorectal patients: population-based study.
The authors sought to assess adverse events in colorectal surgical patients. They found important differential rates of adverse events by diagnostic category, with the highest odds ratio occurring in patients undergoing surgery for ischemic colitis.
AHRQ-funded; HS018558.
Citation: Hernandez-Boussard TM, McDonald KM, Morrison DE .
Risks of adverse events in colorectal patients: population-based study.
J Surg Res 2016 May 15;202(2):328-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2016.01.013.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Adverse Events, Surgery, Patient Safety, Risk, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality of Care, Quality Measures
Brown JR, Rezaee ME, Nichols EL
Incidence and in-hospital mortality of acute kidney injury (AKI) and dialysis-requiring AKI (AKI-D) after cardiac catheterization in the National Inpatient Sample.
This study examined cardiac catheterization or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) hospital discharges from the nationally representative National Inpatient Sample to determine annual population incidence rates for AKI and AKI-D in the United States from 2001 to 2011. It found that the incidence of AKI among cardiac catheterization and PCI patients has increased sharply in the United States; however, mortality has significantly declined.
AHRQ-funded; HS018443.
Citation: Brown JR, Rezaee ME, Nichols EL .
Incidence and in-hospital mortality of acute kidney injury (AKI) and dialysis-requiring AKI (AKI-D) after cardiac catheterization in the National Inpatient Sample.
J Am Heart Assoc 2016 Mar 15;5(3):e002739. doi: 10.1161/jaha.115.002739.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Adverse Events, Mortality, Patient Safety, Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Kidney Disease and Health, Dialysis, Hospitals
Meddings J, Reichert H, Rogers MA
Under pressure: Financial effect of the hospital-acquired conditions initiative-a statewide analysis of pressure ulcer development and payment.
This study assessed the financial effect of the 2008 Hospital-Acquired Conditions Initiative (HACI) pressure ulcer payment changes on Medicare, other payers, and hospitals. It found that the total financial effect of the 2008 payment changes for pressure ulcers was negligible. Most payment decreases occurred by removal of comorbidity payments for present-on-admission pressure ulcers other than Stages III and IV.
AHRQ-funded; HS019767; HS018334.
Citation: Meddings J, Reichert H, Rogers MA .
Under pressure: Financial effect of the hospital-acquired conditions initiative-a statewide analysis of pressure ulcer development and payment.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2015 Jul;63(7):1407-12. doi: 10.1111/jgs.13475..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Pressure Ulcers, Patient Safety, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Saeed MJ, Dubberke ER, Fraser VJ
Procedure-specific surgical site infection incidence varies widely within certain National Healthcare Safety Network surgery groups.
The objective of this study was to determine surgical site infection (SSI) incidence for clinically defined subgroups within 5 heterogeneous National Healthcare Safety Network surgery categories (amputation; bile duct, liver or pancreas; breast; colon; and hernia) in community hospitals in California, Florida, and New York. The 90-day SSI rates varied significantly within each of the 5 subgroups.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Saeed MJ, Dubberke ER, Fraser VJ .
Procedure-specific surgical site infection incidence varies widely within certain National Healthcare Safety Network surgery groups.
Am J Infect Control 2015 Jun;43(6):617-23. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2015.02.012..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Surgery, Patient Safety, Adverse Events
Singh JA, Ramachandran R
Does hospital volume predict outcomes and complications after total shoulder arthroplasty in the US?
The researchers assessed the association of hospital procedure volume for total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) with patient outcomes and complications. They found that, compared to low volume hospitals (<5, 5–9, or 10–14 procedures annually), patients receiving TSA at higher volume hospitals (15–24 or ‡25 procedures annually) had significantly lower likelihood of being discharged to an inpatient medical facility.
AHRQ-funded; HS021110.
Citation: Singh JA, Ramachandran R .
Does hospital volume predict outcomes and complications after total shoulder arthroplasty in the US?
Arthritis Care Res 2015 May;67(6):885-90. doi: 10.1002/acr.22507..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Quality of Care, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
Hernandez-Boussard T, McDonald KM, Rhoads KF
Patient safety in plastic surgery: identifying areas for quality improvement efforts.
The study’s aim was to assess risk-adjusted rates of inpatient adverse events (AEs) for general reconstructive soft tissue procedures using established measures. It found that plastic surgery patients had a significantly lower risk-adjusted rate compared to other surgical inpatients for all events evaluated except for failure to rescue and postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma.
AHRQ-funded; HS018558.
Citation: Hernandez-Boussard T, McDonald KM, Rhoads KF .
Patient safety in plastic surgery: identifying areas for quality improvement efforts.
Ann Plast Surg 2015 May;74(5):597-602. doi: 10.1097/SAP.0b013e318297791e..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Adverse Events, Inpatient Care, Hospitalization, Patient Safety
Martin BI, Lurie JD, Tosteson AN
Use of bone morphogenetic protein among patients undergoing fusion for degenerative diagnoses in the United States, 2002 to 2012.
The authors examined whether published concerns about the safety of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) altered clinical practice. They found that use of BMP in spinal fusion surgery declined subsequent to published safety concerns and revelations of financial conflicts of interest for investigators involved in the pivotal clinical trials.
AHRQ-funded; HS021695.
Citation: Martin BI, Lurie JD, Tosteson AN .
Use of bone morphogenetic protein among patients undergoing fusion for degenerative diagnoses in the United States, 2002 to 2012.
Spine J 2015 Apr;15(4):692-9. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2014.12.010.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Patient Safety, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Practice Patterns, Surgery
Encinosa WE, Bae J
AHRQ Author: Encinosa WE
Meaningful use IT reduces hospital-caused adverse drug events even at challenged hospitals.
The researchers examined the impact of the 5 core meaningful use (MU) medication elements on hospital-caused adverse drug events (ADEs). They found that adopting all 5 core MU elements was associated with a reduction in ADEs. Hospitals reporting costs as the main barrier to MU reduced their ADE rates by 35%; low quality hospitals reduced ADEs by 29 percent, compared to 27 percent at high quality hospitals.
Citation: Encinosa WE, Bae J .
Meaningful use IT reduces hospital-caused adverse drug events even at challenged hospitals.
Healthc 2015 Mar;3(1):12-7. doi: 10.1016/j.hjdsi.2014.07.001..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Patient Safety, Hospitals, Medication
Newman-Toker DE, Moy E, Valente E
AHRQ Author: Moy E
Missed diagnosis of stroke in the emergency department: a cross-sectional analysis of a large population-based sample.
The authors sought to estimate the frequency of missed stroke and examine associations with patient, emergency department (ED), and hospital characteristics. They estimated 15,000-165,000 misdiagnosed cerebrovascular events annually in US EDs, disproportionately presenting with headache or dizziness. They recommended that physicians evaluating these symptoms be particularly attuned to the possibility of stroke in younger, female, and non-White patients.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; HS019252.
Citation: Newman-Toker DE, Moy E, Valente E .
Missed diagnosis of stroke in the emergency department: a cross-sectional analysis of a large population-based sample.
Diagnosis 2014 Jun;1(2):155-66. doi: 10.1515/dx-2013-0038.
.
.
Keywords: Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Emergency Department, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Patient Safety, Stroke
Owens PL, Barrett ML, Raetzman S
AHRQ Author: Owens PL, Steiner CA
Surgical site infections following ambulatory surgery procedures.
The authors determined the incidence of clinically significant surgical site infections (CS-SSIs) following low- to moderate-risk ambulatory surgery in patients with low risk for surgical complications. They found that among patients in 8 states undergoing ambulatory surgery, rates of postsurgical visits for CS-SSIs were low relative to all causes but may represent a substantial number of adverse outcomes in aggregate, thus meriting quality improvement efforts to minimize their occurrence.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201300002C.
Citation: Owens PL, Barrett ML, Raetzman S .
Surgical site infections following ambulatory surgery procedures.
JAMA 2014 Feb 19;311(7):709-16. doi: 10.1001/jama.2014.4.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Injuries and Wounds, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Surgery, Hospitalization, Patient Safety, Adverse Events
Paez K, Roper RA, Andrews RM
AHRQ Author: Roper RA, Andrews RM
Health information technology and hospital patient safety: a conceptual model to guide research.
The authors developed a conceptual model to guide research in sorting out the complex relationships between health information technology (HIT) and the quality and safety of care. They found the model difficult to operationalize because available HIT adoption data did not characterize features and extent of usage, and patient safety measures did not elucidate the process failures leading to safety-related outcomes. Their findings illustrated the critical need for collecting data that are germane to HIT and the possible mechanisms by which HIT may affect inpatient safety.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Paez K, Roper RA, Andrews RM .
Health information technology and hospital patient safety: a conceptual model to guide research.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2013 Sep;39(9):415-25.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Health Information Technology (HIT), Hospitals, Quality of Care, Patient Safety