National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Adverse Events (1)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Cancer (3)
- Care Coordination (2)
- Caregiving (3)
- Case Study (1)
- Children/Adolescents (7)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (10)
- (-) Communication (39)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- Critical Care (1)
- Cultural Competence (1)
- Diabetes (2)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Disparities (1)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (5)
- Elderly (3)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (8)
- Emergency Department (2)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (1)
- Emergency Preparedness (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (3)
- Family Health and History (1)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Healthcare Delivery (3)
- Health Information Exchange (HIE) (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (10)
- Health Insurance (1)
- Health Literacy (1)
- Hospitalization (2)
- Hospitals (3)
- Imaging (1)
- Implementation (1)
- Inpatient Care (4)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (2)
- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
- Labor and Delivery (1)
- Lifestyle Changes (1)
- Long-Term Care (1)
- Medical Errors (1)
- Medication (1)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (1)
- Newborns/Infants (2)
- Nursing (3)
- Nursing Homes (1)
- Obesity (1)
- Obesity: Weight Management (1)
- Outcomes (1)
- Palliative Care (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (2)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (2)
- Patient and Family Engagement (3)
- Patient Experience (3)
- Patient Safety (6)
- Prevention (1)
- Primary Care (2)
- Provider: Clinician (1)
- Provider: Health Personnel (3)
- Provider: Physician (1)
- Quality Improvement (3)
- Quality of Care (2)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (2)
- Research Methodologies (1)
- Risk (1)
- Rural/Inner-City Residents (1)
- Rural Health (1)
- Shared Decision Making (5)
- Social Media (1)
- Surgery (1)
- Teams (1)
- TeamSTEPPS (1)
- Telehealth (1)
- Tools & Toolkits (1)
- Training (2)
- Transitions of Care (2)
- Transplantation (1)
- Urban Health (1)
- Vulnerable Populations (1)
- Web-Based (2)
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 25 of 39 Research Studies DisplayedBenda N, Hettinger A, Bisantz A
Communication in the electronic age: an analysis of face-to-fact physician-nurse communication in the emergency department.
This study described the patterns and content of nurse to physician verbal conversations in three emergency departments (EDs) with electronic health records. It found that physician participants experienced significantly more communication events than nurse participants, while nurses initiated significantly more communication events than physicians. Most of the communication events occurred at the physician workstation followed by patient treatment areas.
AHRQ-funded; HS022542.
Citation: Benda N, Hettinger A, Bisantz A .
Communication in the electronic age: an analysis of face-to-fact physician-nurse communication in the emergency department.
Journal of Healthcare Informatics Research 2017 Dec;1(2):218-30.
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Keywords: Communication, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Provider: Health Personnel, Emergency Department, Nursing
Gadepalli SK, Canvasser J, Eskenazi Y
Roles and experiences of parents in necrotizing enterocolitis: an international survey of parental perspectives of communication in the NICU.
The purpose of this study was to characterize parental perceptions of communication and support they were given about necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). The authors suggest that areas for quality improvement include better communication and collaboration with parents through early engagement in NEC prevention using modalities beyond verbal instruction.
AHRQ-funded; HS022908.
Citation: Gadepalli SK, Canvasser J, Eskenazi Y .
Roles and experiences of parents in necrotizing enterocolitis: an international survey of parental perspectives of communication in the NICU.
Adv Neonatal Care 2017 Dec;17(6):489-98. doi: 10.1097/anc.0000000000000438..
Keywords: Communication, Newborns/Infants, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Newborns/Infants, Patient Experience, Patient and Family Engagement
Gustafson DH, DuBenske LL, Atwood AK
Reducing symptom distress in patients with advanced cancer using an e-alert system for caregivers: Pooled analysis of two randomized clinical trials.
The aim of this paper was to assess the effects on cancer patient symptom distress of an eHealth system that alerts clinicians to significant changes in the patient's symptoms, as reported by a family caregiver. It found that when severe caregiver-reported symptoms were shared with clinicians, the symptoms were more likely to be subsequently reported as improved than when the symptoms were not shared with clinicians.
AHRQ-funded; HS019917.
Citation: Gustafson DH, DuBenske LL, Atwood AK .
Reducing symptom distress in patients with advanced cancer using an e-alert system for caregivers: Pooled analysis of two randomized clinical trials.
J Med Internet Res 2017 Nov 14;19(11):e354. doi: 10.2196/jmir.7466.
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Keywords: Cancer, Caregiving, Communication, Telehealth, Web-Based
Ganiats TG, Bierman AS
AHRQ Author: Ganiats TG, Bierman AS
AHRQ's tools for better practice: helping family physicians manage today's challenges.
AHRQ is engaged in the dissemination and widespread implementation of what works in primary care. The agency’s main point of contact with the primary care community is the National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research (NCEPCR). The authors discuss the variety of tools and resources made available by the NCEPCR.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Ganiats TG, Bierman AS .
AHRQ's tools for better practice: helping family physicians manage today's challenges.
Am Fam Physician 2017 Nov 1;96(9):569-70.
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Keywords: Communication, Evidence-Based Practice, Provider: Physician, Primary Care, Tools & Toolkits
Britton MC, Ouellet GM, Minges KE
Care transitions between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities: perspectives of sending and receiving providers.
This study was conducted to identify the perspectives of sending and receiving providers regarding care transitions between the hospital and skilled nursing facilities. Four main themes emerged: increasing patient complexity, identifying an optimal care setting, rising financial pressure, and barriers to effective communication. The investigators indicated that the data highlighted hospital and SNF providers' shared concerns about patient-level risk factors and escalating costs of care.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Britton MC, Ouellet GM, Minges KE .
Care transitions between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities: perspectives of sending and receiving providers.
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Keywords: Communication, Long-Term Care, Nursing Homes, Risk, Transitions of Care
Walker J, Crotty BH, O'Brien J
Addressing the challenges of aging: how elders and their care partners seek information.
Elders in retirement communities face many challenges concerning information and communication. The purpose of this study was to gain insights into how these elders and their families manage health information and communication. The study suggests that elders in senior living communities, and their families, piece together information primarily from word of mouth communication. It asserts that electronic social and collaborative technologies may make information gathering easier.
AHRQ-funded; HS021495.
Citation: Walker J, Crotty BH, O'Brien J .
Addressing the challenges of aging: how elders and their care partners seek information.
Gerontologist 2017 Oct 1;57(5):955-62. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnw060..
Keywords: Elderly, Caregiving, Communication, Care Coordination, Patient and Family Engagement, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Mogul DB, Nagy PG, Bridges JFP
Building stronger online communities through the creation of Facebook-integrated health applications.
Social media, such as Facebook, provides a powerful mechanism to connect individuals with similar diseases, but current platforms do not achieve their full potential to help patients communicate with one another or with the medical community. The authors of this viewpoint article believe that an opportunity exists for health care professionals to strengthen online communities by creating apps that use the Facebook platform or a programming interface. Development of such apps are discussed, with an eye toward the needs of the patient, parent, or caregiver as end-users and involving their input.
AHRQ-funded; HS023876.
Citation: Mogul DB, Nagy PG, Bridges JFP .
Building stronger online communities through the creation of Facebook-integrated health applications.
JAMA Pediatr 2017 Oct;171(10):933-34. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.2300..
Keywords: Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Information Technology (HIT), Social Media, Web-Based
Chung S, Panattoni L, Chi J
Can secure patient-provider messaging improve diabetes care?
The authors examined whether messaging with physicians for medical advice is associated with fewer face-to-face visits and better diabetes management. Patients with diabetes using an online portal were studied; 72% used messaging, and those who made frequent visits were also more likely to message. No messaging at all was negatively associated with the likelihood of meeting an HbA1c target. Among message users, additional messages were associated with better outcome, with a stronger relationship for noninsulin users. Physician-initiated messages had effects similar to those for patient-initiated messages.
AHRQ-funded; HS019815.
Citation: Chung S, Panattoni L, Chi J .
Can secure patient-provider messaging improve diabetes care?
Diabetes Care 2017 Oct;40(10):1342-48. doi: 10.2337/dc17-0140.
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Keywords: Communication, Diabetes, Clinician-Patient Communication, Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
Clarity C, Sarkar U, Lee J
Clinician perspectives on the management of abnormal subcritical tests in an urban academic safety-net health care system.
Missed or delayed follow-up of abnormal subcritical tests (tests that do not require immediate medical attention) can lead to poor patient outcomes. Safety-net health systems with limited resources and socially complex patients are vulnerable to safety gaps resulting from delayed management. In this study, clinician perspectives to identify system challenges, vulnerable situations, and potential solutions, were sought in focus groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS023558.
Citation: Clarity C, Sarkar U, Lee J .
Clinician perspectives on the management of abnormal subcritical tests in an urban academic safety-net health care system.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2017 Oct;43(10):517-23. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2017.05.007..
Keywords: Urban Health, Rural/Inner-City Residents, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Patient Safety, Vulnerable Populations, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Communication, Provider: Clinician
Ancker JS, Send A, Hafeez B
Health IT usability focus section: adapting EHR-based medication instructions to comply with plain language guidance-a randomized experiment.
Using examples of clinician-written medication instructions from an electronic health record, the investigators conducted an experiment to determine whether parental misinterpretations would be reduced by instructions that followed best practices for plain language. The researchers found that a relatively simple intervention of revising text was associated with a modest reduction in frequency of misinterpretations of medication instructions.
AHRQ-funded; HS021531.
Citation: Ancker JS, Send A, Hafeez B .
Health IT usability focus section: adapting EHR-based medication instructions to comply with plain language guidance-a randomized experiment.
Appl Clin Inform 2017 Oct;8(4):1127-43. doi: 10.4338/aci-2017-06-ra-0111..
Keywords: Communication, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Medication
Parker MW, Carroll M, Bolser B
Implementation of a communication bundle for high-risk patients.
This study occurs in a large pediatric hospital with a history of success in decreasing unrecognized deterioration, in which patients at higher risk of deterioration are termed "watchers." Because communication errors often contribute to unrecognized deterioration, clear and timely communication of watcher status to all team members and contingency planning was desired. The researchers sought to increase the percentage of eligible watchers with a complete communication, teamwork, and planning bundle within 2 hours of identification from 28% to 80%.
AHRQ-funded; HS023827.
Citation: Parker MW, Carroll M, Bolser B .
Implementation of a communication bundle for high-risk patients.
Hosp Pediatr 2017 Sep;7(9):523-29. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2016-0170..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Communication, Healthcare Delivery, Hospitals, Inpatient Care
Khan A, Furtak SL, Melvin P
Parent-provider miscommunications in hospitalized children.
The objectives of this study were to: (1) examine characteristics of parent-provider miscommunications about hospitalized children; (2) describe associations among parent-provider miscommunications, parent-reported errors, and hospital experience; and (3) compare parent and attending physician reports of parent-provider miscommunications. The investigators found that parent-provider miscommunications were associated with parent-reported errors and suboptimal hospital experience. Parents reported parent-provider miscommunications more often than attending physicians did.
AHRQ-funded; HS022986; HS000063.
Citation: Khan A, Furtak SL, Melvin P .
Parent-provider miscommunications in hospitalized children.
Hosp Pediatr 2017 Sep;7(9):505-15. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2016-0190..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Caregiving, Children/Adolescents, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Medical Errors, Patient Safety
Squires A
Evidence-based approaches to breaking down language barriers.
This article provides background information about language barriers between nurses and patients and some strategies for addressing these gaps. After detailing how these barriers affect patient outcomes, practice-based strategies are offered to improve outcomes and reduce readmissions. Although the article doesn’t address barriers to communicating with patients with hearing loss, many of the same principles apply to these patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS023593.
Citation: Squires A .
Evidence-based approaches to breaking down language barriers.
Nursing 2017 Sep;47(9):34-40. doi: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000522002.60278.ca.
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Keywords: Communication, Cultural Competence, Evidence-Based Practice, Nursing, Clinician-Patient Communication
Lapcharoensap W, Lee HC
Tackling quality improvement in the delivery room.
Implementation of standardized practices in the delivery room fosters a safe environment to ensure that newborn infants are cared for optimally. This article discusses how the delivery room is a unique environment and presents examples on how to approach delivery room quality improvement (QI). Key areas of potential focus for teams pursuing delivery QI include thermal regulation, optimizing respiratory support, and facilitating team communication.
AHRQ-funded; HS023506.
Citation: Lapcharoensap W, Lee HC .
Tackling quality improvement in the delivery room.
Clin Perinatol 2017 Sep;44(3):663-81. doi: 10.1016/j.clp.2017.05.003.
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Keywords: Communication, Labor and Delivery, Newborns/Infants, Quality Improvement, Patient Safety
Castro FG, Yasui M
Advances in EBI development for diverse populations: towards a science of intervention adaptation.
This introduction examines major issues and challenges as presented in this special issue of Prevention Science, "Challenges to the Dissemination and Implementation of Evidence Based Prevention Interventions for Diverse Populations." The authors describe the Fidelity-Adaptation Dilemma that generated controversies and debates and new perspectives on the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) within diverse populations. The five articles in this special issue address many of these controversies and challenges.
AHRQ-funded; HS023007.
Citation: Castro FG, Yasui M .
Advances in EBI development for diverse populations: towards a science of intervention adaptation.
Prev Sci 2017 Aug;18(6):623-29. doi: 10.1007/s11121-017-0809-x.
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Keywords: Communication, Disparities, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Prevention, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Implementation
Berger ZD, Boss EF, Beach MC
Communication behaviors and patient autonomy in hospital care: a qualitative study.
Researchers conducted an observational study of patient-doctor communication on an inpatient medicine service among 18 hospitalized patients and 9 physicians. They concluded that shared decision-making may not be the norm in hospital care. Although physicians do explain treatment plans, many hospitalized patients do not understand enough to share in decisions. When patients do assert their opinion, it can result in conflict.
AHRQ-funded; HS022932.
Citation: Berger ZD, Boss EF, Beach MC .
Communication behaviors and patient autonomy in hospital care: a qualitative study.
Patient Educ Couns 2017 Aug;100(8):1473-81. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2017.03.006.
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Keywords: Communication, Shared Decision Making, Inpatient Care, Clinician-Patient Communication
Tiase VL, Crouch B, Bennett H
Descriptive analysis of communication patterns between a local poison control center and community emergency departments.
This study leverages a commercial call recording system to gain insight into the intensity and volume of communication between a poison control center and two rural emergency departments.
AHRQ-funded; HS021472.
Citation: Tiase VL, Crouch B, Bennett H .
Descriptive analysis of communication patterns between a local poison control center and community emergency departments.
2017 IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics (ICHI) 2017 Aug:574. doi: 10.1109/ICHI.2017.89.
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Keywords: Communication, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Rural Health
Luxenberg A, Chan B, Khanna R
Efficiency and interpretability of text paging communication for medical inpatients: a mixed-methods analysis.
The purpose of this analysis was to investigate text page message content and structure, focusing on efficiency and safety. The authors analyzed the messages generated at an academic tertiary care hospital sent or received by hospital staff via an internal service, including those relating to the care of specific patients. While most messages were nonurgent, those that were lacked consistent language to indicate urgency. The authors conclude that text paging has significant limitations for real-time communication in acute-care settings, and their data should be a basis to inform the development of guidelines on the effective, efficient use of text paging.
AHRQ-funded; HS023558.
Citation: Luxenberg A, Chan B, Khanna R .
Efficiency and interpretability of text paging communication for medical inpatients: a mixed-methods analysis.
JAMA Intern Med 2017 Aug;177(8):1218-20. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.2133..
Keywords: Communication, Inpatient Care, Hospitals, Patient Safety
Fisher K, Smith K, Gallagher T
We want to know: eliciting hospitalized patients' perspectives on breakdowns in care.
Researchers interviewed a broad sample of patients during hospitalization and postdischarge to elicit patient perspectives on breakdowns in care. When asked directly, almost 4 out of 10 hospitalized patients reported a breakdown in their care. Patient- perceived breakdowns in care are frequently associated with perceived harm, illustrating the importance of detecting and addressing these events.
AHRQ-funded; HS024596; HS022757.
Citation: Fisher K, Smith K, Gallagher T .
We want to know: eliciting hospitalized patients' perspectives on breakdowns in care.
J Hosp Med 2017 Aug;12(8):603-09. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2783.
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Keywords: Communication, Quality of Care, Inpatient Care, Patient Experience, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Forman-Hoffman VL, Middleton JC, McKeeman JL
Quality improvement, implementation, and dissemination strategies to improve mental health care for children and adolescents: a systematic review.
The researchers describe the process by which they created an online interactive community resources map for use in the Connect for Health randomized controlled trial. The trial was conducted in the 6 pediatric practices that cared for the highest percentage of children with overweight or obesity. Parents and community partners identified several community resources that could help support behavior change.
AHRQ-funded; 290201200008I.
Citation: Forman-Hoffman VL, Middleton JC, McKeeman JL .
Quality improvement, implementation, and dissemination strategies to improve mental health care for children and adolescents: a systematic review.
Implement Sci 2017 Jul 24;12(1):93. doi: 10.1186/s13012-017-0626-4.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Communication, Behavioral Health, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Farra SL, Miller ET, Gneuhs M
Disaster management: communication up, across, and down.
This case study uses the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative’s (NPLI) meta-leadership model as the guiding framework for developing and implementing an evacuation exercise focused on the safe evacuation of neonates. Key components of this framework include strategies for communicating up, across, and down among various stakeholders.
AHRQ-funded; HS023149.
Citation: Farra SL, Miller ET, Gneuhs M .
Disaster management: communication up, across, and down.
Nurs Manage 2017 Jul;48(7):51-54. doi: 10.1097/01.NUMA.0000520720.78549.e4..
Keywords: Emergency Preparedness, Communication, Nursing, Case Study
Brown SD, Grijalva CS, Ferrara A
Leveraging EHRs for patient engagement: perspectives on tailored program outreach.
Electronic health records (EHRs) present healthcare delivery systems with scalable, cost-effective opportunities to promote lifestyle programs among patients at high risk for type 2 diabetes, yet little consensus exists on strategies to enhance patient engagement. In this study, the investigators explored patient perspectives on program outreach messages containing content tailored to EHR-derived diabetes risk factors--a theory-driven strategy to increase the persuasiveness of health communications.
AHRQ-funded; HS019367.
Citation: Brown SD, Grijalva CS, Ferrara A .
Leveraging EHRs for patient engagement: perspectives on tailored program outreach.
Am J of Manag Care 2017 Jul;23(7):e223-e30..
Keywords: Diabetes, Communication, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Healthcare Delivery, Lifestyle Changes, Patient and Family Engagement
Shih YT, Chien CR
A review of cost communication in oncology: patient attitude, provider acceptance, and outcome assessment.
This review identified 15 articles that covered 3 topics related to patient-physician cost communication: patient attitude, physician acceptance, and the associated outcomes. The data suggested that cost communication was associated with improved patient satisfaction, lower out-of-pocket expenses, and a higher likelihood of medication nonadherence; none of the studies established causality.
AHRQ-funded; HS020263.
Citation: Shih YT, Chien CR .
A review of cost communication in oncology: patient attitude, provider acceptance, and outcome assessment.
Cancer 2017 May 15;123(6):928-39. doi: 10.1002/cncr.30423.
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Keywords: Cancer, Communication, Healthcare Costs, Outcomes, Clinician-Patient Communication
Hong MK, Feustel C, Agnihotri M
Supporting families in reviewing and communicating about radiology imaging studies.
Diagnostic radiology reports are increasingly being made available to patients and their family members. However, these reports are not typically comprehensible to lay recipients, impeding effective communication about report findings. In this paper, the investigators present three studies informing the design of a prototype to foster patient-clinician communication about radiology report content.
AHRQ-funded; HS021393.
Citation: Hong MK, Feustel C, Agnihotri M .
Supporting families in reviewing and communicating about radiology imaging studies.
Proc SIGCHI Conf Hum Factor Comput Syst 2017 May 2;2017:5245-56. doi: 10.1145/3025453.3025754..
Keywords: Communication, Family Health and History, Imaging, Clinician-Patient Communication
Zikmund-Fisher BJ, Scherer AM, Witteman HO
Graphics help patients distinguish between urgent and non-urgent deviations in laboratory test results.
Most electronic health record systems provide laboratory test results to patients in table format. Researchers tested whether presenting such results in visual displays (number lines) could improve understanding. They found that visual displays reduced respondents' perceived urgency and desire to contact health care providers immediately for near-normal test results compared to tables but did not affect their perceptions of extreme values.
AHRQ-funded; HS021681.
Citation: Zikmund-Fisher BJ, Scherer AM, Witteman HO .
Graphics help patients distinguish between urgent and non-urgent deviations in laboratory test results.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2017 May 1;24(3):520-28. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocw169.
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Keywords: Communication, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Shared Decision Making, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)