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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
26 to 50 of 12195 Research Studies DisplayedHogg-Graham R, Benitez JA, Lacy ME
Association between community social vulnerability and preventable hospitalizations.
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between variations in social vulnerability and preventable hospitalization rates. The researchers analyzed county-level preventable hospitalization rates for 33 states linked with data from the 2020 Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). The study found that preventable hospitalizations were 40% greater in the most vulnerable counties compared with the least vulnerable. Adjusted regression results confirm the strong relationship between social vulnerability and preventable hospitalizations.
AHRQ-funded; HS025494.
Citation: Hogg-Graham R, Benitez JA, Lacy ME .
Association between community social vulnerability and preventable hospitalizations.
Med Care Res Rev 2024 Feb; 81(1):31-38. doi: 10.1177/10775587231197248..
Keywords: Hospitalization, Social Determinants of Health
Carroll AR, Hall M, Noelke C
Association of neighborhood opportunity and pediatric hospitalization rates in the United States.
This study examined associations between a validated, multidimensional measure of social determinants of health and population-based hospitalization rates among children <18 years across 18 states from the 2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases and the US Census. Exposure was ZIP code-level Child Opportunity Index (COI), a composite measure of neighborhood resources and conditions that matter for children's health. The cohort included 614,823 hospitalizations among a population of 29,244,065 children, which measures at 21.02 hospitalizations per 1000. Adjusted hospitalization rates decreased significantly and in a stepwise fashion as COI increased, from 26.56 per 1000 in very low COI areas to 14.76 per 1000 in very high COI areas (incidence rate ratio 1.8). Decreasing neighborhood opportunity was associated with increasing hospitalization rates among children in the study.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Carroll AR, Hall M, Noelke C .
Association of neighborhood opportunity and pediatric hospitalization rates in the United States.
J Hosp Med 2024 Feb; 19(2):120-25. doi: 10.1002/jhm.13252..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Hospitalization, Social Determinants of Health
Auty SG, Daw JR, Admon LK
Comparing approaches to identify live births using the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of five approaches to identifying live births using Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System Analytic Files (TAF). The approaches each used a different combination of diagnosis and procedure, revenue, and place of service codes to identify live births. The findings showed that Approach 4 achieved the best match of birth counts relative to CDC birth record data; Approaches 1 and 3 resulted in overcounts of births and Approaches 2 and 5 resulted in undercounts. The authors concluded that including claims from both inpatient and other services files, and excluding codes unrelated to the delivery episode, improved accuracy of live birth identification in the TAF data.
AHRQ-funded; HS028754; HS027640.
Citation: Auty SG, Daw JR, Admon LK .
Comparing approaches to identify live births using the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System.
Health Serv Res 2024 Feb; 59(1):e14233. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14233..
Keywords: Medicaid, Research Methodologies
Auerbach AD, Lee TM, Hubbard CC
Diagnostic errors in hospitalized adults who died or were transferred to intensive care.
The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to determine the prevalence, underlying causes, and harms of diagnostic errors in hospitalized adults who were transferred to an intensive care unit or who died. Data was taken from 29 academic medical centers in the U.S. in a random sample of adults hospitalized with general medical conditions. Errors were found to have contributed to temporary harm, permanent harm, or death in nearly 18% of patients; among patients who died, diagnostic error was judged to have contributed to death in 6.6% of cases. The researchers noted that problems with choosing and interpreting tests and the processes involved with clinician assessment were a high priority for improvement efforts.
AHRQ-funded; HS027369.
Citation: Auerbach AD, Lee TM, Hubbard CC .
Diagnostic errors in hospitalized adults who died or were transferred to intensive care.
JAMA Intern Med 2024 Feb; 184(2):164-73. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.7347..
Keywords: Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medical Errors, Hospitals, Inpatient Care, Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Adverse Events
Beznos B, Sayner R, Carpenter DM
Do African American patients with glaucoma ask their eye providers the questions they have?
The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to test the effectiveness of a pre-visit video/glaucoma question prompt-list to increase question-asking during medical visits. Participants were adult African American patients with glaucoma and a history of non-adherence to glaucoma medications, The questions that patients checked on the question prompt list were described, and how often the same checked questions were asked during medical visits noted. The findings indicated that although patients with glaucoma had questions about glaucoma and their medications, few asked all their questions during visits. The researchers concluded that future research should focus on ways to improve question asking using a question prompt list.
AHRQ-funded; HS025370.
Citation: Beznos B, Sayner R, Carpenter DM .
Do African American patients with glaucoma ask their eye providers the questions they have?
Eye 2024 Feb; 38(2):279-83. doi: 10.1038/s41433-023-02674-x..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Eye Disease and Health, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication
Mattioli DD, Thomas GW, Long S
Fluoroscopic image-based behavior analysis can objectively explain subjective expert assessment of wire navigation skill.
This study evaluated best methods to assess surgical wire navigation skill, which can be objectively evaluated by analysis of intraoperative fluoroscopic image sequences. Prior work suggests that such image-based behavior analysis of operating room (OR) performance can predict performer experience level and agree with expert opinion (the current standard) on the quality of a final implant construct. Objective image-based evaluations were compared to expert assessments for entire technical OR performances. The relationship of three key variables were studied: (1) objective image-based criteria, (2) expert opinions, and (3) performing surgeon experience level. The authors used a paired-comparison survey of seven experts, based upon eight OR fluoroscopic wire navigation image sequences, which showed that the experts' preferences are best explained by objective metrics that reflect psychomotor and decision-making behaviors which are counter-productive to successful implant placement, like image count and behavior tally. One such behavior, adjustments away from goal, uniquely correlated well with all three key variables: a fluoroscopic image-based analysis composite score, expert consensus, and performer experience. The results confirmed that experts view less efficient technical behavior as indicative of lesser technical proficiency.
AHRQ-funded; HS022077; HS025353.
Citation: Mattioli DD, Thomas GW, Long S .
Fluoroscopic image-based behavior analysis can objectively explain subjective expert assessment of wire navigation skill.
J Orthop Res 2024 Feb; 42(2):404-14. doi: 10.1002/jor.25685..
Keywords: Surgery, Orthopedics
Post B, Hollenbeck BK, Norton EC
Hospital-physician integration and clinical volume in traditional Medicare.
The purpose of this study was to test the effect of hospital-physician integration on primary care physicians' (PCP) clinical volume in traditional Medicare. The researchers identified 70,000 PCPs, some of whom remained non-integrated and some who became hospital-integrated during this study period. An event study design was utilized to identify the effect of integration on key measures of physicians' clinical volume, including the number of claims, work-relative value units (RVUs), professional revenue generated, number of patients treated, and facility fee revenue generated. The study found that per-physician clinical volume declined by statistically and economically significant margins. Relative to the comparison group who remained non-integrated, work RVUs fell by 7%; the number of patients treated fell by 4%; and claims volume among PCPs who became hospital-integrated fell by over 15%.
AHRQ-funded; HS027044; HS025707.
Citation: Post B, Hollenbeck BK, Norton EC .
Hospital-physician integration and clinical volume in traditional Medicare.
Health Serv Res 2024 Feb; 59(1):e14172. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14172..
Keywords: Medicare, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Provider: Physician
Dalal AK, Schnipper JL, Raffel K
Identifying and classifying diagnostic errors in acute care across hospitals: early lessons from the Utility of Predictive Systems in Diagnostic Errors (UPSIDE) study.
This paper describes the Utility of Predictive Systems in Diagnostic Errors (UPSIDE) study, whose aim was to define the prevalence and underlying causes of diagnostic errors (DEs) in patients who die in the hospital or are transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) after the first 48 hours. This study was conducted at 31 hospitals with more than 2500 cases reviewed using electronic health records. The authors identified some insights into key requirements into building a robust DE surveillance program by developing these steps: 1) Develop a shared understanding of what constitutes a diagnostic error; 2) Use validated tools to identify diagnostic errors and classify process failures, but respect your context; 3) Develop a standard approach to using electronic health records for case reviews; 4) Ensure reliability and consistency of the case review process; and 5) Link diagnostic error case reviews to institutional safety programs. They also developed steps to establish a diagnosis error review process at the hospital level with six processes.
AHRQ-funded; HS027369; HS026613.
Citation: Dalal AK, Schnipper JL, Raffel K .
Identifying and classifying diagnostic errors in acute care across hospitals: early lessons from the Utility of Predictive Systems in Diagnostic Errors (UPSIDE) study.
J Hosp Med 2024 Feb; 19(2):140-45. doi: 10.1002/jhm.13136..
Keywords: Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medical Errors, Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Quality of Care, Hospitals
Hoffman GJ, Alexander Nb, Ha J
Medicare's hospital readmission reduction program reduced fall-related health care use: an unexpected benefit?
This study’s objective was to assess whether the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was associated with a reduction in severe fall-related injuries (FRIs). The authors looked at secondary data from Medicare to assess changes in 30- and 90-day FRI readmissions before and after HRRP's announcement (April 2010) and implementation (October 2012) for conditions targeted by the HRRP (acute myocardial infarction [AMI], congestive heart failure [CHF], and pneumonia) versus "non-targeted" (gastrointestinal) conditions. They tested for modification by hospitals with "high-risk" before HRRP and accounted for potential upcoding. They also explored changes in 30-day FRI readmissions involving emergency department (ED) or outpatient care, care processes (length of stay, discharge destination, and primary care visit), and patient selection (age and comorbidities). They identified 1.5 million (522,596 pre-HRRP, 514,844 announcement, and 474,029 implementation period) index discharges. After its announcement, HRRP was associated with 12%-20% reductions in 30- and 90-day FRI readmissions for patients with CHF (-0.42 percentage points [ppt]) and AMI (-0.35). Two years after implementation, HRRP was associated with reductions in 90-day FRI readmission for AMI (-1.27 ppt) and CHF (-0.98 ppt) patients. After HRRP's announcement, decreases were observed in home health (AMI: -2.43 ppt; CHF: -8.83 ppt; pneumonia: -1.97 ppt) and skilled nursing facility referrals (AMI: -5.95 ppt; CHF: -3.19 ppt; pneumonia: -10.27 ppt).
AHRQ-funded; HS025838.
Citation: Hoffman GJ, Alexander Nb, Ha J .
Medicare's hospital readmission reduction program reduced fall-related health care use: an unexpected benefit?
Health Serv Res 2024 Feb; 59(1):e14246. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14246..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Falls
Fleming MD, Safaeinili N, Knox M
Organizational and community resilience for COVID-19 and beyond: leveraging a system for health and social services integration.
This case study paper examined how a preexisting initiative to align health care, public health, and social services influenced COVID-19 pandemic response. In-depth interviews were conducted with administrators and frontline staff in health care, public health, and social services in Contra Costa County, California from October 2020 to May 2021. The authors interviewed 31 informants including 14 managers in public health, health care, or social services and 17 social needs case managers who coordinated services across these sectors on behalf of patients. They identified four distinct components of the county's system alignment capabilities that supported COVID-19 response, including (1) an organizational culture of adaptability fostered through earlier system alignment efforts, which included the ability and willingness to rapidly implement new organizational processes, (2) trusting relationships among organizations based on prior, positive experiences of cross-sector collaboration, (3) capacity to monitor population health of historically marginalized community members, including information infrastructures, data analytics, and population monitoring and outreach, and (4) frontline staff with flexible skills to support health and social care who had built relationships with the highest risk community members.
AHRQ-funded; HS027648.
Citation: Fleming MD, Safaeinili N, Knox M .
Organizational and community resilience for COVID-19 and beyond: leveraging a system for health and social services integration.
Health Serv Res 2024 Feb; 59(suppl 1):e14250. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14250..
Keywords: COVID-19, Social Determinants of Health
Patel MD, Lin P, Cheng Q
Patient sex, racial and ethnic disparities in emergency department triage: a multi-site retrospective study.
The purpose of this multi-site retrospective study was to assess differences in the assignment of Emergency Severity Index (ESI) by patient sex and race/ethnicity, factoring in age, clinical factors, and ED operating conditions. The study assessed differences in the assignment of Emergency Severity Index (ESI) by patient sex and race/ethnicity, accounting for age, clinical factors, and ED operating conditions. For the study outcome, ESI levels were grouped into three categories: 1-2 (highest acuity), 3, and 4-5 (lowest acuity). The researchers analyzed patient-level data from three EDs affiliated with a large Southeastern United States health system. The study found 186,840 eligible ED visits with 56,417 from an academic ED, 69,698 from a metropolitan community ED, and 60,725 from a rural community ED. The majority of patients were assigned ESI 3 in the academic and metropolitan community EDs (61% and 62%, respectively) whereas 47% were assigned ESI 3 in the rural community ED. In adjusted analyses, White females had a lower likelihood of being assigned ESI 1-2 compared to White males although both groups were roughly comparable in the assignment of ESI 4-5. Non-White and Hispanic females were generally least likely to be assigned ESI 1-2 in all EDs. Interactions between ED wait time and race/ethnicity-sex were not statistically significant.
AHRQ-funded; HS029078.
Citation: Patel MD, Lin P, Cheng Q .
Patient sex, racial and ethnic disparities in emergency department triage: a multi-site retrospective study.
Am J Emerg Med 2024 Feb; 76:29-35. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2023.11.008..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Jindal M, Barnert E, Chomilo N
AHRQ Author: Mistry KB
Policy solutions to eliminate racial and ethnic child health disparities in the USA.
This partly AHRQ-authored paper is part of a series on Racism and Child Health in the USA, which builds on Paper 1's summary of existing disparities in health-care delivery and highlights policies within multiple sectors that can be modified and supported to improve health equity, and, in so doing, improves the health of racially and ethnically minoritized children. The authors discuss current and historical policy approaches across housing, employment, health insurance, immigration, and criminal which have the potential to affect child health equity. They commented that these policies must be considered with a focus on structural racism to understand which have the potential to eliminate or at least attenuate disparities. If these policy efforts do not directly address structural racism, they will not achieve equity and instead worsen gaps and existing disparities in access and quality-thereby continuing to perpetuate a two-tier system dictated by racism.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Jindal M, Barnert E, Chomilo N .
Policy solutions to eliminate racial and ethnic child health disparities in the USA.
Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2024 Feb; 8(2):159-74. doi: 10.1016/s2352-4642(23)00262-6..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Policy
Steuart R, Pan AY, Woolums A
Respiratory culture growth and 3-years lung health outcomes in children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and tracheostomies.
The goal of this cohort study is to determine the long-term effects of pathogenic identification on respiratory cultures in children. The study included infants and children with BPD and tracheostomies. The cohort study conclusions suggest that respiratory pathogens including P. aeruginosa may not promote long-term respiratory dysfunction, but identification of P. aeruginosa may delay decannulation.
AHRQ-funded; HS025138.
Citation: Steuart R, Pan AY, Woolums A .
Respiratory culture growth and 3-years lung health outcomes in children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and tracheostomies.
Pediatr Pulmonol 2024 Feb; 59(2):300-13. doi: 10.1002/ppul.26746..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Respiratory Conditions, Outcomes
Ali KJ, Goeschel CA, Eckroade MM
The TeamSTEPPS for improving diagnosis team assessment tool: scale development and psychometric evaluation.
The authors developed and evaluated the TeamSTEPPS Improving Diagnosis Team Assessment Tool (TAT), which assesses diagnostic teamwork and communication in five critical domains. The TAT was administered as a cross-sectional survey to health professionals in nine diverse US health systems. A psychometric evaluation demonstrated that the TAT was a reliable and valid instrument for assessing teamwork and communication among and across diagnostic teams. The authors concluded that TAT added a novel, evidence-based measurement tool.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500022I.
Citation: Ali KJ, Goeschel CA, Eckroade MM .
The TeamSTEPPS for improving diagnosis team assessment tool: scale development and psychometric evaluation.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2024 Feb; 50(2):95-103. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2023.08.009..
Keywords: Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Teams, TeamSTEPPS
Van Damme DM, McRae EM, Irving SY
Tracheal intubation by advanced practice registered nurses in pediatric critical care: retrospective study from the National Emergency Airway for Children Registry (2015-2019).
A study was conducted from 2015-2019 to compare the success rates of tracheal intubation (TI) administered by advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), vs. more experienced clinicians. It also compared the rates of TI-associated events (TIAE). The study subjects were critically ill children in need of tracheal intubation. The findings indicated a lower TI success rate for APRNs when compared to more experienced clinicians. The study did not find significant differences in adverse events.
AHRQ-funded; HS024511.
Citation: Van Damme DM, McRae EM, Irving SY .
Tracheal intubation by advanced practice registered nurses in pediatric critical care: retrospective study from the National Emergency Airway for Children Registry (2015-2019).
Pediatr Crit Care Med 2024 Feb; 25(2):139-46. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000003386..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Critical Care, Nursing
Cassidy DE, Shao Z, Howard R
Variability in surgical approaches to hernias in patients with ascites.
This study investigated variability in surgical approaches to hernias in patients with ascites. The authors used data from the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative and its corresponding Core Optimization Hernia Registry (MSQC-COHR), which captures specific patient, hernia, and operative characteristics at a population level within the state. This retrospective cohort reviewed patients with ascites who had ventral or inguinal hernia repair surgery between January 2020 and May 3, 2022. The primary outcome observed was incidence and surgical approach for both ventral and inguinal hernia cohorts, and secondary outcomes included 30-day adverse clinical outcomes as listed here: (ED visits, readmission, reoperation, and complications) and surgical priority (urgent/emergent vs elective). In the cohort of 176 patients with ascites, only 1.4% of ventral hernia patients underwent hernia repair surgery, and only 0.2% of inguinal hernia patients. The post-operative 30-day adverse clinical outcomes in both hernia surgery cohorts were greatly increased compared to those without ascites (ventral: 32%; inguinal: 30%). Readmission was the most common complication, with a rate of 15.9% in the inguinal cohort, and 19.3% in the ventral hernia cohort. Open repair was the most common surgical approach (ventral: 86%, open: 77%). Ventral hernias were most commonly considered as urgent or emergency surgery (60%), while inguinal was mostly presented as elective surgery (72%).
AHRQ-funded; HS025778.
Citation: Cassidy DE, Shao Z, Howard R .
Variability in surgical approaches to hernias in patients with ascites.
Surg Endosc 2024 Feb; 38(2):735-41. doi: 10.1007/s00464-023-10598-6..
Keywords: Surgery
Kalofonos I, Zito M, Fletcher E
A pilot trial examining the effects of veteran voices and visions, an adaptation of hearing voices groups for a large public health system in the United States.
This paper described the effects of participation of a pilot trial of Veterans Voices and Visions (VVV) groups, which is an adaptation of the Hearing Voices (HV) groups which were created to assist patients undergoing psychosis. The trial was conducted at the VA and were co-led by clinicians and Veteran peer support specialists. Over a 16-week period, quantitative analysis showed a statistically significant reduction in distress, due to auditory hallucinations, as measured by the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS). A reduction in malevolence and omnipotence and an increase in benevolence related to auditory hallucinations was shown with the Beliefs about Voices Questionnaire- Revised (BAVQ-R), but there was no change in resistance. Qualitative data from Week 8 and the endpoint (Week 16) interviews revealed several perceived benefits from groups: 1) normalization and camaraderie, 2) increased hope and confidence, 3) self-understanding and reframing of experiences, and 4) building relationships outside of groups.
AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Kalofonos I, Zito M, Fletcher E .
A pilot trial examining the effects of veteran voices and visions, an adaptation of hearing voices groups for a large public health system in the United States.
Int J Soc Psychiatry 2024 Feb; 70(1):122-31. doi: 10.1177/00207640231196747.
Keywords: Community-Based Practice, Behavioral Health
McAteer J, Kalluri DD, Abedon RR
Anti-spike antibody durability after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients.
This study examined COVID-19 m-RNA vaccine antibody responses 6 months following the third vaccine dose (D3) of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination among adolescent solid organ transplant recipients (aSOTRs). The 34 participants were surveyed after they received the third dose of the vaccine and were sampled at 1-, 3-, and 6-months post-D3. All had positive anti-RBD antibody titers 6 months post-D3. Variations in titers occurred between 3 and 6 months post-D3, with 29% having decreased antibody levels at 6 months compared to 3 months and 7% reporting increased titers at 6 months. The remaining 18 had unchanged antibody titers compared to 3-month post-D3 levels. A total of 12% reported breakthrough infection within 6 months and 9% reported infection after 6-12 months following the third dose of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine.
AHRQ-funded; HS026510.
Citation: McAteer J, Kalluri DD, Abedon RR .
Anti-spike antibody durability after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients.
Pediatr Transplant 2024 Feb; 28(1):e14671. doi: 10.1111/petr.14671.
Keywords: COVID-19, Vaccination, Transplantation, Children/Adolescents
Liu PH, Singal AG, Murphy CC
Colorectal cancer screening receipt does not differ by 10-year mortality risk among older adults.
This study examined receipt of past-year colorectal cancer (CRC screening) according to predicted 10-year mortality risk among 25,888 community-dwelling adults aged 65-84 years who were not up-to-date with screening in the nationwide National Health Interview Survey. Ten-year mortality risk was estimated using a validated index with the lowest to highest quintiles of the index ranging from 12%-79%. The authors also examined the proportion of screening performed among adults with life expectancy <10 years. They found that the prevalence of past-year CRC screening was 39.5%, 40.6%, 38.7%, 36.4%, and 35.4%, from the lowest to highest quintile of 10-year mortality risk, demonstrating that the odds of CRC screening did not differ in the lowest vs highest quintile. One-quarter of past-year CRC screening occurred in adults with life expectancy <10 years, and more than half (50.7%) of adults aged 75-84 years had 10-year mortality risk ≥50% at the time of screening. Invasive but not noninvasive screening increased as 10-year mortality risk increased among adults aged 70-79 years.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Liu PH, Singal AG, Murphy CC .
Colorectal cancer screening receipt does not differ by 10-year mortality risk among older adults.
Am J Gastroenterol 2024 Feb; 119(2):353-63. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002536.
Keywords: Elderly, Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Mortality, Screening, Colonoscopy
Geanacopoulos AT, Neuman MI, Michelson KA
Cost of pediatric pneumonia episodes with or without chest radiography.
Researchers sought to assess the costs of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) episodes with and without chest radiograph (CXR) among children discharged from the pediatric emergency department. Their retrospective cohort study used data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State ED and Inpatient Databases on children aged 3 months to 18 years with CAP in eight states from 2014 to 2019. The results indicated that use of CXR for CAP diagnosis is associated with lower costs when considering the subsequent provision of care among patients who need additional health care after initial emergency department discharge.
AHRQ-funded; HS026503; HS000063.
Citation: Geanacopoulos AT, Neuman MI, Michelson KA .
Cost of pediatric pneumonia episodes with or without chest radiography.
Hosp Pediatr 2024 Feb; 14(2):146-52. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2023-007506.
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Pneumonia, Respiratory Conditions, Community-Acquired Infections
Miller AC, Koeneman SH, Suneja M
Diurnal temperature variation and the implications for diagnosis and infectious disease screening: a population-based study.
This study’s objective was to describe individual variation in diurnal temperature patterns during episodes of febrile activity using millions of recorded temperatures and evaluate the probability of recording a fever by sex and for different age groups. The authors used timestamped deidentified temperature readings from thermometers across the US to construct illness episodes where continuous periods of activity in a single user included a febrile reading. They modeled the mean temperature recorded and probability of registering a fever across the course of a day using sinusoidal regression models while accounting for user age and sex. They then estimated the probability of recording a fever by time of day for children, working-age adults, and older adults. They found wide variation in body temperatures over the course of a day and across individual characteristics, with temperature patterns differing between men and women, and average temperatures declining for older age groups. There was a wide variation of the likelihood of fever detection by the time of day and by an individual’s age or sex.
AHRQ-authored; HS027375.
Citation: Miller AC, Koeneman SH, Suneja M .
Diurnal temperature variation and the implications for diagnosis and infectious disease screening: a population-based study.
Diagnosis 2024 Feb 1; 11(1):54-62. doi: 10.1515/dx-2023-0074.
Keywords: Infectious Diseases, Screening
Gyftopoulos S, Simon E, Swartz JL
Efficacy and impact of a multimodal intervention on CT pulmonary angiography ordering behavior in the emergency department.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a multimodal intervention to reduce overutilization of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for suspected pulmonary embolism in the emergency department. Results indicated that guideline concordance increased significantly after intervention. The authors concluded that their success in increasing guideline concordance demonstrated the efficacy of a mixed-methods, human-centered approach to behavior change; however, given that neither of the secondary outcomes improved, the results may demonstrate potential limitations to the guidelines directing the ordering of CTPA studies.
AHRQ-funded; HS024376.
Citation: Gyftopoulos S, Simon E, Swartz JL .
Efficacy and impact of a multimodal intervention on CT pulmonary angiography ordering behavior in the emergency department.
J Am Coll Radiol 2024 Feb; 21(2):309-18. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2023.02.033.
Keywords: Emergency Department, Respiratory Conditions, Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Blood Clots
Khalaf N, Ali B, Liu Y
Emergency presentations predict worse outcomes among patients with pancreatic cancer.
This study evaluated the association between pancreatic emergency presentation (EP) and cancer stage, treatment, and survival. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study among patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma diagnosed from 2007 to 2019 at a tertiary-care Veterans Affairs medical center. They used electronic health records to identify EP cases, defined as a new pancreatic cancer diagnosis made within 30 days of an ED visit where cancer was suspected. Of 243 identified pancreatic cancer patients, 66.7% had EPs. Although there was no difference in stage by EP status, patients diagnosed through EPs were 72% less likely to receive cancer treatment compared to non-emergency presenters. Patients with EPs also had a 73% higher mortality risk. This difference in mortality remained statistically significant after adjusting for cancer stage and receipt of cancer treatment.
AHRQ-funded; HS029347; HS028595.
Citation: Khalaf N, Ali B, Liu Y .
Emergency presentations predict worse outcomes among patients with pancreatic cancer.
Dig Dis Sci 2024 Feb; 69(2):603-14. doi: 10.1007/s10620-023-08207-6.
Keywords: Cancer, Emergency Department, Outcomes
Pozzar RA, Wall JA, Tavormina A
Experiences of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis-related complex care needs and their caregivers.
The study explored the needs of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) and caregivers during care transitions. Findings showed limited prognostic understanding and advance care planning among patients, with most caregivers providing daily care without proper training. Many participants experienced anxiety and depression. Interviewees emphasized the lack of guidance and called for health system changes. The study concluded that interventions providing clinical training, facilitating serious illness conversations, and offering psychosocial support are necessary.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Pozzar RA, Wall JA, Tavormina A .
Experiences of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis-related complex care needs and their caregivers.
Gynecol Oncol 2024 Feb; 181:68-75. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2023.12.013.
Keywords: Cancer, Caregiving, Palliative Care, Women
Loi MV, Lee JH, Huh JW
Ketamine use in the intubation of critically ill children with neurological indications: a multicenter retrospective analysis.
This study examined use of ketamine in children undergoing tubal intubation (TI) for a primary neurological indication. The authors conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of critically ill children undergoing TI for neurological indications in 53 international pediatric intensive care units and emergency departments. They screened all intubations from 2014 to 2020 entered into the multicenter National Emergency Airway Registry for Children (NEAR4KIDS) registry database. Of 21,562 TIs, 2,073 were performed for a primary neurological indication, including 190 for traumatic brain injury/trauma. Patients received ketamine in 495 TIs (23.9%), which increased from 10% in 2014 to 41% in 2020. Criteria for ketamine use includes a coindication of respiratory failure, difficult airway history, and use of vagolytic agents, apneic oxygenation, and video laryngoscopy. Composite adverse outcomes were reported in 289 (13.9%) TIs and were more common in the ketamine group (17.0% vs. 13.0%). After adjusting for location, patient age and co-diagnoses, the presence of respiratory failure and shock, difficult airway history, provider demographics, intubating device, and the use of apneic oxygenation, vagolytic agents, and neuromuscular blockade, ketamine use was not significantly associated with increased composite adverse outcomes. This paucity of association remained even when only neurotrauma intubations were considered (10.6% vs. 7.7%).
AHRQ-funded; HS022464, HS024511.
Citation: Loi MV, Lee JH, Huh JW .
Ketamine use in the intubation of critically ill children with neurological indications: a multicenter retrospective analysis.
Neurocrit Care 2024 Feb; 40(1):205-14. doi: 10.1007/s12028-023-01734-0.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Critical Care, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety