National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Search All Research Studies
Topics
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
- Adverse Events (2)
- Care Coordination (6)
- Children/Adolescents (2)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (5)
- (-) Communication (13)
- Cultural Competence (2)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (1)
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- Health Literacy (1)
- Home Healthcare (1)
- (-) Hospital Discharge (13)
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- Inpatient Care (1)
- Medical Errors (3)
- Medication (3)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Nursing Homes (3)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (1)
- Patient and Family Engagement (1)
- Patient Safety (3)
- Primary Care (1)
- Provider: Clinician (1)
- Provider: Nurse (1)
- Provider: Physician (1)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Transitions of Care (5)
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 13 of 13 Research Studies DisplayedCarroll AR, Johnson JA, Stassun JC
Health literacy-informed communication to reduce discharge medication errors in hospitalized children: a randomized clinical trial.
This study’s objective was to test a health literacy-informed communication intervention to decrease liquid medication dosing errors compared with standard counseling in hospitalized children. This parallel, randomized clinical trial was conducted from June 22, 2021, to August 20, 2022, at a tertiary care, US children's hospital. English- and Spanish-speaking caregivers of hospitalized children 6 years or younger prescribed a new, scheduled liquid medication at discharge were included in the analysis. Observed dosing errors were the main outcome measured, and secondary outcomes included caregiver-reported medication knowledge. Among 198 randomized caregivers (mean age 31.4 years; 186 women [93.9%]; 36 [18.2%] Hispanic or Latino and 158 [79.8%] White), the primary outcome was available for 151 (76.3%). The observed mean (SD) percentage dosing error was 1.0% (2.2 percentage points) among the intervention group and 3.3% (5.1 percentage points) among the standard counseling group (absolute difference, 2.3 percentage points). Twenty-four of 79 caregivers in the intervention group (30.4%) measured an incorrect dose compared with 39 of 72 (54.2%) in the standard counseling group. The intervention enhanced caregiver-reported medication knowledge compared with the standard counseling group for medication dose (71 of 76 [93.4%] vs 55 of 69 [79.7%]), duration of administration (65 of 76 [85.5%] vs 49 of 69 [71.0%], and correct reporting of 2 or more medication adverse effects (60 of 76 [78.9%] vs 13 of 69 [18.8%]).
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Carroll AR, Johnson JA, Stassun JC .
Health literacy-informed communication to reduce discharge medication errors in hospitalized children: a randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Netw Open 2024 Jan 2; 7(1):e2350969. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50969..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Literacy, Communication, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medical Errors, Clinician-Patient Communication, Hospital Discharge, Medication: Safety
Choe AY, Schondelmeyer AC, Thomson J
Improving discharge instructions for hospitalized children with limited english proficiency.
Research was conducted on an intervention for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) who are discharged from the hospital without instructions in their preferred language. The objective was to increase the percentage of patients with LEP on the hospital medicine service who received translated discharge instructions from 12% to 80%. During the 18-month study period 540 patients with LEP were discharged. Spanish was the preferred language of 66% of these patients. The percentage of patients who received translated discharge instructions increased from 12% to 50% in 3 months, and to 77% in 18 months. For Spanish-language patients, the percentage increased to 96% by 18 months.
AHRQ-funded; HS026763; HS025138.
Citation: Choe AY, Schondelmeyer AC, Thomson J .
Improving discharge instructions for hospitalized children with limited english proficiency.
Hosp Pediatr 2021 Nov;11(11):1213-22. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2021-005981.
AHRQ-funded; HS026763; HS025138..
AHRQ-funded; HS026763; HS025138..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Hospital Discharge, Clinician-Patient Communication, Cultural Competence, Communication
Rising KL, Powell RE, Cameron KA
Development of the uncertainty communication checklist: a patient-centered approach to patient discharge from the emergency department.
Acad Med 2020 Jul;95(7):1026-34. doi: 10.1097/acm.0000000000003231.
AHRQ-funded; HS025651.
Citation: Rising KL, Powell RE, Cameron KA .
Development of the uncertainty communication checklist: a patient-centered approach to patient discharge from the emergency department.
Acad Med 2020 Jul;95(7):1026-34. doi: 10.1097/acm.0000000000003231..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Healthcare, Hospital Discharge, Emergency Department, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication
Campbell Britton M, Petersen-Pickett J, Hodshon B
Mapping the care transition from hospital to skilled nursing facility.
Researchers used process mapping to illustrate the sequence of events involved with hospital discharge and admission to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). These transitions are often associated with breakdowns in communication that may place patients at risk for adverse events. A quality improvement (QI) team worked with frontline staff at an academic medical center and two local SNFs in the northeastern United States. The final process map included care management, medicine, nursing, admissions and physical therapy service staff. The process map showed numerous activities that need to be coordinated between care teams, and highlighted specific opportunities for improving communication between different teams.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Campbell Britton M, Petersen-Pickett J, Hodshon B .
Mapping the care transition from hospital to skilled nursing facility.
J Eval Clin Pract 2020 Jun;26(3):786-90. doi: 10.1111/jep.13238..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Care Coordination, Quality Improvement, Communication, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Quality of Care
Campbell Britton M, Hodshon B, Chaudhry SI
Implementing a warm handoff between hospital and skilled nursing facility clinicians.
This study focused on increasing better communication during transfers from hospitals and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Warm handoffs between hospital and SNF physicians was implemented. Participation in warm handoffs gradually increased – starting at 15.78% in stage 1 and increasing to 46.89% in stage 3. A total of 2417 patient discharges were included in this study.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Campbell Britton M, Hodshon B, Chaudhry SI .
Implementing a warm handoff between hospital and skilled nursing facility clinicians.
J Patient Saf 2019 Sep;15(3):198-204. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000529..
Keywords: Communication, Patient Safety, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Care Coordination, Hospitals, Nursing Homes
Wyatt DL
AHRQ Author: Wyatt DL
Employing technology to make care transitions safer.
This commentary discusses the potential for errors in patient handoffs; important information about medications and instructions regarding patient care may be overlooked when the patient is referred to special care, moved to a new hospital setting, or discharged. The problem is especially acute for patients with multiple chronic conditions who often undergo frequent transitions to new care settings and healthcare providers. The author describes AHRQ’s funding opportunities for health information technology interventions that aim to improve communication and coordination during care transitions, such as location-based smartphone alerts, a patient-centered discharge toolkit, and a ‘smart pillbox’ electronic medication adherence reporting project.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Wyatt DL .
Employing technology to make care transitions safer.
J Nurs Care Qual 2019 Jul/Sep;34(3):185-88. doi: 10.1097/ncq.0000000000000417..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Care Coordination, Chronic Conditions, Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Healthcare Delivery, Hospital Discharge, Medical Errors, Medication, Patient Safety, Transitions of Care
Jones CD, Jones J, Bowles KH
Quality of hospital communication and patient preparation for home health care: results from a statewide survey of home health care nurses and staff.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of communication between hospitals and home health care (HHC) clinicians and patient preparedness to receive HHC in a statewide sample of HHC nurses and staff. The authors concluded that communication between hospitals and HHC was suboptimal, and patients were often not prepared to receive HHC. They suggest that providing EHR access for HHC clinicians is a promising solution to improve the quality of communication.
AHRQ-funded; HS024569.
Citation: Jones CD, Jones J, Bowles KH .
Quality of hospital communication and patient preparation for home health care: results from a statewide survey of home health care nurses and staff.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2019 Apr;20(4):487-91. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2019.01.004..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Home Healthcare, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Communication
Lion KC, Kieran K, Desai A
Audio-recorded discharge instructions for limited English proficient parents: a pilot study.
Parents with limited English proficiency (LEP) demonstrate lower comprehension of discharge instructions. This study was conducted to (1) determine the feasibility of providing a greeting card with language-specific, audio-recorded discharge instructions to LEP parents; (2) describe use of and satisfaction with the cards; and (3) evaluate card effect on instruction comfort with home care and comprehension. The authors concluded that providing language-concordant, audio-recorded discharge instructions was feasible, and parents reported high satisfaction with and frequent use of the cards with multiple caregivers.
AHRQ-funded; HS024299.
Citation: Lion KC, Kieran K, Desai A .
Audio-recorded discharge instructions for limited English proficient parents: a pilot study.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2019 Feb;45(2):98-107. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2018.06.001..
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Cultural Competence, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Education: Patient and Caregiver
Jones CD, Burke RE
Web exclusive. Annals for Hospitalists Inpatient Notes - getting past the "black box"-opportunities for hospitalists to improve postacute care transitions.
In this article, the authors outline 3 key problems in postacute care (PAC) transitions and offer potential solutions. They assert that improving hospitalists' knowledge of PAC, improving communication after hospital discharge, and creating mechanisms for feedback to hospitalists are all possible ways of getting past the PAC “black box.”
AHRQ-funded; HS024569.
Citation: Jones CD, Burke RE .
Web exclusive. Annals for Hospitalists Inpatient Notes - getting past the "black box"-opportunities for hospitalists to improve postacute care transitions.
Ann Intern Med 2018 May 15;168(10):H02 - H03. doi: 10.7326/m18-0940..
Keywords: Communication, Hospital Discharge, Inpatient Care, Transitions of Care
Feder SL, Britton MC, Chaudhry SI
"They need to have an understanding of why they're coming here and what the outcomes might be." Clinician perspectives on goals of care for patients discharged from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities.
This study examined how clinicians view goals of care (GoC) for hospitalized patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). A variety of clinicians were interviewed: 22% were nurses, 20% physicians, 15% from care management, and 15% from social services. Many respondents felt that patients and their families had unrealistic GoCs. However, conversations on GoCs were infrequent during hospitalizations which contribute to unrealistic expectations for SNF care and poor patient outcomes. The researchers recommend interventions to ensure that GoC conversations and are held regularly and in a timely manner before transfer occurs.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Feder SL, Britton MC, Chaudhry SI .
"They need to have an understanding of why they're coming here and what the outcomes might be." Clinician perspectives on goals of care for patients discharged from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2018 Mar;55(3):930-37. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2017.10.013..
Keywords: Care Coordination, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Hospital Discharge, Nursing Homes, Patient and Family Engagement, Provider: Clinician, Provider: Nurse, Provider: Physician
Smith KJ, Handler SM, Kapoor WN
Automated communication tools and computer-based medication reconciliation to decrease hospital discharge medication errors.
This study examines a health care system’s implementation of a broader set of automated primary care physician communication tools, including computerized medication reconciliation, and its impact on discharge medication errors. It found that implementation of automated health system–based tools, including computerized discharge medication reconciliation, decreased hospital discharge medication errors in medically complex patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS018151.
Citation: Smith KJ, Handler SM, Kapoor WN .
Automated communication tools and computer-based medication reconciliation to decrease hospital discharge medication errors.
Am J Med Qual 2016 Jul;31(4):315-22. doi: 10.1177/1062860615574327..
Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Communication, Medication, Medical Errors, Hospital Discharge
Jones CD, Vu MB, O'Donnell CM
A failure to communicate: a qualitative exploration of care coordination between hospitalists and primary care providers around patient hospitalizations.
The purpose of this study was to understand the challenges in coordination of care, as well as potential solutions, from the perspective of hospitalists and PCPs in North Carolina. Hospitalists and PCPs were found to encounter similar care coordination challenges, including (1) lack of time, (2) difficulty reaching other clinicians, and (3) lack of personal relationships with other clinicians.
AHRQ-funded; HS020940.
Citation: Jones CD, Vu MB, O'Donnell CM .
A failure to communicate: a qualitative exploration of care coordination between hospitalists and primary care providers around patient hospitalizations.
J Gen Intern Med 2015 Apr;30(4):417-24. doi: 10.1007/s11606-014-3056-x..
Keywords: Care Coordination, Communication, Hospital Discharge, Hospitalization, Primary Care
Liao JM, Roy CL, Eibensteiner K
Lost in transition: discrepancies in how physicians perceive the actionability of the results of tests pending at discharge.
Effective communication of pending hospital test results between inpatient and primary care physicians is sometimes challenging or nonexistent. This communication is essential for safe, quality transactions at discharge. Health information technology (such as email and fax) is an effective strategy for improving and reporting test-result management.
AHRQ-funded; HS018229
Citation: Liao JM, Roy CL, Eibensteiner K .
Lost in transition: discrepancies in how physicians perceive the actionability of the results of tests pending at discharge.
J Hospital Med. 2014 Jun;9(6):407-9. doi: 10.1002/jhm.2177..
Keywords: Communication, Care Coordination, Health Information Technology (HIT), Hospital Discharge, Patient Safety