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
- Access to Care (1)
- Behavioral Health (3)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (1)
- Care Management (1)
- Children/Adolescents (7)
- Chronic Conditions (1)
- Comparative Effectiveness (1)
- COVID-19 (1)
- Critical Care (1)
- Depression (1)
- Diabetes (1)
- Disabilities (1)
- Elderly (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Emergency Department (6)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (2)
- Healthcare Costs (3)
- Healthcare Delivery (2)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (13)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (1)
- Lifestyle Changes (1)
- Medical Errors (1)
- Medication (3)
- Nutrition (1)
- Obesity (2)
- Opioids (2)
- Outcomes (2)
- Patient Adherence/Compliance (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Patient Self-Management (1)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Prevention (1)
- Primary Care (3)
- Provider: Nurse (1)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Rural/Inner-City Residents (2)
- (-) Rural Health (19)
- Sepsis (3)
- Sickle Cell Disease (1)
- Simulation (1)
- Substance Abuse (2)
- Teams (1)
- (-) Telehealth (19)
- Urban Health (1)
- Vulnerable Populations (3)
- 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 19 of 19 Research Studies DisplayedButton D, Levander XA, Cook RR
Substance use disorder treatment and technology access among people who use drugs in rural areas of the United States: a cross-sectional survey.
This study evaluated how technology access (cell phone use and access to the Internet) affected substance use disorder (SUD) treatment prior to COVID-19 for people who use drugs in rural areas. The authors used data from the Rural Opioid Initiative (January 2018-March 2020), which was a cross-sectional study of people with prior 30-day injection drug or nonprescribed opioid use from rural areas of 10 states. They found that out of 3,026 participants, 71% used heroin and 76% used methamphetamine with 35% having no cell phone and 10% having no prior 30-day Internet use. Having both a cell phone and the internet was associated with increased days of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) use and a higher likelihood of SUD counseling in the prior 30 days. Lack of cell phone was associated with decreased days of MOUD and a lower likelihood of prior 30-day SUD counseling.
AHRQ-funded; HS026370.
Citation: Button D, Levander XA, Cook RR .
Substance use disorder treatment and technology access among people who use drugs in rural areas of the United States: a cross-sectional survey.
J Rural Health 2023 Sep; 39(4):772-79. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12737..
Keywords: Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Rural Health, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Opioids, Rural/Inner-City Residents
Barton AJ, Amura CR, Willems EL
Patient and provider perceptions of COVID-19-driven telehealth use from nurse-led care models in rural, frontier, and urban Colorado communities.
The aim of this study was to describe the patient and provider encounter in the unexpected telehealth application that took place with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients and providers from 3 nurse-led models of care (federally qualified health centers, nurse midwifery practices, and the Nurse-Family partnership program) in Colorado were surveyed. Data from the Patient Attitude toward Telehealth survey and Provider Perceptions about Telehealth were collected. Patients who resided in urban areas utilized telehealth with greater frequency than in rural or frontier areas. Across each of the 5 domains assessed, rural/frontier patients had significantly lower attitude scores than urban patients. The mode of Telehealth employed differed across location, with video calls utilized more frequently by urban providers, and phone calls utilized by rural/frontier providers.
AHRQ-funded; HS028085.
Citation: Barton AJ, Amura CR, Willems EL .
Patient and provider perceptions of COVID-19-driven telehealth use from nurse-led care models in rural, frontier, and urban Colorado communities.
J Patient Exp 2023 Jan 25; 10:23743735231151546. doi: 10.1177/23743735231151546..
Keywords: COVID-19, Telehealth, Primary Care, Patient Experience, Rural Health, Urban Health, Vulnerable Populations, Provider: Nurse
Mohr NM, Okoro U, Harland KK
Outcomes associated with rural emergency department provider-to-provider telehealth for sepsis care: a multicenter cohort study.
The objective of this multicenter cohort study was to test the hypothesis that provider-to-provider tele-emergency department (tele-ED) care is associated with more 28-day hospital-free days and improved Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guideline adherence in rural emergency departments. Medical records of patients with sepsis were taken from rural hospitals in an established, on-demand, video tele-ED Midwestern network. Findings suggest that tele-ED cases did not have more 28-day hospital-free days or 28-day in-hospital mortality. A subgroup of patients treated by advanced practice providers suggest that mortality was lower in the cohort with tele-ED use in spite of no significant difference in complete SSC adherence. The researchers concluded that rural emergency department patients treated with provider-to-provider tele-ED care in a developed network showed similar clinical outcomes to those treated without.
AHRQ-funded; HS025753.
Citation: Mohr NM, Okoro U, Harland KK .
Outcomes associated with rural emergency department provider-to-provider telehealth for sepsis care: a multicenter cohort study.
Ann Emerg Med 2023 Jan;81(1):1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2022.07.024..
Keywords: Rural Health, Emergency Department, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Sepsis, Outcomes
Mohr NM, Schuette AR, Ullrich F
An economic and health outcome evaluation of telehealth in rural sepsis care: a comparative effectiveness study.
The purpose of this study will be to assess the impact of provider-focused video telehealth in rural hospital emergency departments (ED) on costs and long-term outcomes for patients with sepsis. Using Medicare administrative claims, the researchers will compare telehealth-subscribing hospitals and control hospitals to assess the differences in total health care expenditures, category-specific costs, length of stay, readmissions, and mortality. The researchers intend for the study results to demonstrate the association between telehealth utilization and sepsis care total expenditures.
AHRQ-funded; HS025753.
Citation: Mohr NM, Schuette AR, Ullrich F .
An economic and health outcome evaluation of telehealth in rural sepsis care: a comparative effectiveness study.
J Comp Eff Res 2022 Jul;11(10):703-16. doi: 10.2217/cer-2022-0019..
Keywords: Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Sepsis, Rural Health, Healthcare Costs
Davidson L, Haynes SC, Favila-Meza A
Parent experience and cost savings associated with a novel tele-physiatry program for children living in rural and underserved communities.
This study investigated patient and therapist experience and cost savings from the payer perspective associated with a novel tele-physiatry program for children living in rural and underserved communities. Study setting was four school-based clinics in Northern California with a total of 268 encounters (124 telemedicine and 144 in-person). Parent and therapists reported no difference in experience and perceived quality of care between telemedicine and in-person encounters. For parents whose children received a telemedicine encounter, 54.8% reported no preference for their child’s subsequent encounter, 28.8% preferred a physiatrist telemedicine visit, and 12 preferred a physiatrist in-person visit. There was also an average cost savings of $100 per clinic owing to physician milage for in-person visits.
AHRQ-funded; HS025714.
Citation: Davidson L, Haynes SC, Favila-Meza A .
Parent experience and cost savings associated with a novel tele-physiatry program for children living in rural and underserved communities.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2022 Jan;103(1):8-13. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2021.07.807..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Healthcare Costs, Rural Health, Vulnerable Populations, Disabilities, Rural/Inner-City Residents
Jacob SA, Carroll AE, Bennett WE
A feasibility study of telemedicine for paediatric sickle cell patients living in a rural medically underserved area.
The purpose of this cross-sectional, observational study was to determine the feasibility of using telemedicine for the provision of subspecialty pediatric (0-21 years old) Sickle Cell Disease care in a rural medically underserved area. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, observational, feasibility study. The study found that 10 SCD patients initiated telemedicine visits during the study period. Approximately 60% of the eligible participants did not attend more than 50% of scheduled visits prior to beginning telemedicine visits or were lost to follow-up. After initiation of telemedicine, all Hb SS patients were started and/or maintained on hydroxyurea. Nine out of 10 patients who participated during this timeframe had a 100% follow-up rate. All the participants rated the comfort and ease of using the telehealth system as good or excellent, and all participants would take part in a telemedicine visit again.
AHRQ-funded; HS026390.
Citation: Jacob SA, Carroll AE, Bennett WE .
A feasibility study of telemedicine for paediatric sickle cell patients living in a rural medically underserved area.
J Telemed Telecare 2021 Aug;27(7):431-35. doi: 10.1177/1357633x19883558..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Telehealth, Sickle Cell Disease, Rural Health, Chronic Conditions, Vulnerable Populations, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Mohr NM, Harland KK, Okoro UE
TELEmedicine as an Intervention for Sepsis in Emergency Departments: a multicenter, comparative effectiveness study (TELEvISED Study).
Sepsis is a life-threatening infection that affects over 1.7 million Americans annually. Low-volume rural hospitals have worse sepsis outcomes, and emergency department (ED)-based telemedicine (tele-ED) has been one promising strategy for improving rural sepsis care. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of tele-ED consultation on sepsis care and outcomes in rural ED patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS025753.
Citation: Mohr NM, Harland KK, Okoro UE .
TELEmedicine as an Intervention for Sepsis in Emergency Departments: a multicenter, comparative effectiveness study (TELEvISED Study).
J Comp Eff Res 2021 Feb;10(2):77-91. doi: 10.2217/cer-2020-0141..
Keywords: Sepsis, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Emergency Department, Comparative Effectiveness, Evidence-Based Practice, Rural Health, Healthcare Delivery
Miller AC, Ward MM, Ullrich F
Emergency department telemedicine consults are associated with faster time-to-electrocardiogram and time-to-fibrinolysis for myocardial infarction patients.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of telemedicine on the timeliness of emergency acute myocardial infarction (AMI) care for patients presenting to rural emergency departments (EDs) with chest pain. Findings showed that, in telemedicine networks, telemedicine consultation during the ED visit was associated with improved timeliness of electrocardiogram evaluation and increased use of fibrinolytic reperfusion therapy for rural AMI patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS025753.
Citation: Miller AC, Ward MM, Ullrich F .
Emergency department telemedicine consults are associated with faster time-to-electrocardiogram and time-to-fibrinolysis for myocardial infarction patients.
Telemed J E Health 2020 Dec;26(12):1440-48. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2019.0273..
Keywords: Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Emergency Department, Rural Health, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions
Salvador J, Bhatt S, Fowler R
Engagement with Project ECHO to increase medication-assisted treatment in rural primary care.
The purpose of this study was to understand the barriers and facilitators that affect engagement with Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) to implement medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in primary care settings. This brief report identified key systematic challenges that may directly limit primary care providers' engagement in telementoring models such as Project ECHO.
AHRQ-funded; HS025345.
Citation: Salvador J, Bhatt S, Fowler R .
Engagement with Project ECHO to increase medication-assisted treatment in rural primary care.
Psychiatr Serv 2019 Dec;70(12):1157-60. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201900142..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Substance Abuse, Primary Care, Rural Health, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Vakkalanka JP, Harland KK, Wittrock A
Telemedicine is associated with rapid transfer and fewer involuntary holds among patients presenting with suicidal ideation in rural hospitals: a propensity matched cohort study.
The purpose of this retrospective propensity-matched cohort study was to evaluate the impact of telemedicine in clinical management and patient outcomes of patients presenting to rural critical access hospital emergency departments (EDs) with suicidal ideation or attempt. The authors suggest that the role of telemedicine in influencing access, quality and efficiency of care in underserved rural hospitals is critically important as these networks become more prevalent in rural healthcare environments.
AHRQ-funded; HS025753.
Citation: Vakkalanka JP, Harland KK, Wittrock A .
Telemedicine is associated with rapid transfer and fewer involuntary holds among patients presenting with suicidal ideation in rural hospitals: a propensity matched cohort study.
J Epidemiol Community Health 2019 Nov;73(11):1033-39. doi: 10.1136/jech-2019-212623..
Keywords: Telehealth, Rural Health, Access to Care, Behavioral Health, Health Information Technology (HIT), Healthcare Delivery, Care Management, Outcomes, Emergency Department
Bond WF, Barker LT, Cooley KL
A simple low-cost method to integrate telehealth interprofessional team members during in situ simulation.
This article describes the integration of remote telehealth electronic intensive care unit (eICU) personnel into in situ simulations with rural emergency department (ED) care teams and the technical challenges of creating shared awareness of the patient's condition and the care team's progress among the care team, the eICU, and those running the simulation. The purpose of the simulations was to introduce telehealth technology and new processes of engaging the eICU via telehealth during sepsis care in rural EDs; development of the scenarios included experts in sepsis, telehealth, and emergency medicine. A shared in situ simulation clinical actions observational checklist was created using an off-the-shelf survey software program. The checklist was completed during the simulations by an onsite observer, and shared with the eICU team via teleconferencing software to and cue eICU nurse engagement. Staff from the two EDs were engaged and an eICU nurse participated in debriefing via the telehealth video system.
AHRQ-funded; HS024027.
Citation: Bond WF, Barker LT, Cooley KL .
A simple low-cost method to integrate telehealth interprofessional team members during in situ simulation.
Simul Healthc 2019 Apr;14(2):129-36. doi: 10.1097/sih.0000000000000357..
Keywords: Critical Care, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Emergency Department, Health Information Technology (HIT), Rural Health, Simulation, Teams, Telehealth
Stringer KL, Azuero A, Ott C
Feasibility and acceptability of real-time antiretroviral adherence monitoring among depressed women living with HIV in the deep south of the US.
The purpose of this study was to present feasibility and acceptability data on the use of an electronic adherence monitor (EAM) among African American women in remote areas of the Southeastern United States with HIV and co-occurring depression. EAM and self-reported antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence was monitored among 25 participants recruited at four HIV clinics in Alabama. Intra-class correlation showed a low degree of concordance between EAM and self-reported adherence. 83% of data collected via EAM was transmitted in real-time; the remainder was delayed though technological failures or was lost entirely. The authors conclude that EAM monitoring is feasible in a rural US setting but that technological difficulties may impede the device's usefulness for just-in-time adherence interventions.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Stringer KL, Azuero A, Ott C .
Feasibility and acceptability of real-time antiretroviral adherence monitoring among depressed women living with HIV in the deep south of the US.
AIDS Behav 2018 May;23(5):1306-14. doi: 10.1007/s10461-018-2322-z..
Keywords: Depression, Health Information Technology (HIT), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Medication, Behavioral Health, Patient Adherence/Compliance, Rural Health, Telehealth, Women
Batsis JA, Pletcher SN, Stahl JE
Telemedicine and primary care obesity management in rural areas - innovative approach for older adults?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid recognized the importance of treating obesity and instituted a benefit in primary care settings to encourage intensive behavioral therapy in beneficiaries by primary care clinicians. This benefit covers frequent, brief, clinic visits designed to address older adult obesity. This review outlines some of the challenges with the current benefit and proposed solutions in overcoming rural primary care barriers to implementation, including changes in staffing models.
AHRQ-funded; HS021681.
Citation: Batsis JA, Pletcher SN, Stahl JE .
Telemedicine and primary care obesity management in rural areas - innovative approach for older adults?
BMC Geriatr 2017 Jan 5;17(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s12877-016-0396-x.
.
.
Keywords: Telehealth, Primary Care, Obesity, Rural Health, Elderly
Yang NH, Dharmar M, Yoo BK
Economic evaluation of pediatric telemedicine consultations to rural emergency departments.
The researchers conducted an economic evaluation to estimate the cost, effectiveness, and return on investment (ROI) of telemedicine consultations provided to health care providers of acutely ill and injured children in rural EDs compared with telephone consultations from a health care payer prospective. They found that treating 10 acutely ill and injured children at each rural ED with telemedicine resulted in an annual cost-savings of $46,620 per ED. They concluded that telemedicine consultations to health care providers of acutely ill and injured children presenting to rural EDs are cost-saving or cost-effective compared with telephone consultations.
AHRQ-funded; HS013179.
Citation: Yang NH, Dharmar M, Yoo BK .
Economic evaluation of pediatric telemedicine consultations to rural emergency departments.
Med Decis Making 2015 Aug;35(6):773-83. doi: 10.1177/0272989x15584916.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Emergency Department, Children/Adolescents, Rural Health, Telehealth
Ray KN, Demirci JR, Bogen DL
Optimizing telehealth strategies for subspecialty care: recommendations from rural pediatricians.
The authors elicited rural pediatrician experiences and preferences regarding different pediatric subspecialty telehealth strategies. Rural pediatricians from 17 states described complementary roles for different subspecialty care telehealth strategies. Additionally, rural pediatricians, through semistructured telephone interviews, provided recommendations for optimizing individual telehealth strategies.
AHRQ-funded; HS022989.
Citation: Ray KN, Demirci JR, Bogen DL .
Optimizing telehealth strategies for subspecialty care: recommendations from rural pediatricians.
Telemed J E Health 2015 Aug;21(8):622-9. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2014.0186.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Children/Adolescents, Practice Patterns, Rural Health, Telehealth
Lepard MG, Joseph AL, Agne AA
Diabetes self-management interventions for adults with type 2 diabetes living in rural areas: a systematic literature review.
The authors systematically reviewed the evidence for the impact of diabetes self-management education interventions designed for patients living in rural areas on glycemic control and other diabetes outcomes. They were able to identify examples of both telehealth interventions and face-to-face interventions that resulted in improved behavioral, biologic, and diabetes knowledge-related outcomes in adults with T2DM living in rural areas.
AHRQ-funded; HS019465.
Citation: Lepard MG, Joseph AL, Agne AA .
Diabetes self-management interventions for adults with type 2 diabetes living in rural areas: a systematic literature review.
Curr Diab Rep 2015 Jun;15(6):608. doi: 10.1007/s11892-015-0608-3..
Keywords: Diabetes, Patient Self-Management, Rural Health, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Yang NH, Dharmar M, Kuppermann N
Appropriateness of disposition following telemedicine consultations in rural emergency departments.
The researchers compared the overall and stratified observed-to-expected hospital admission ratios between telemedicine and telephone cohorts of acutely ill and injured children. They found that there were no statistically significant differences between the observed-to-expected admission ratios using Pediatric Risk of Admission II and Revised Pediatric Emergency Assessment Tool.
AHRQ-funded; HS013179; HS019712.
Citation: Yang NH, Dharmar M, Kuppermann N .
Appropriateness of disposition following telemedicine consultations in rural emergency departments.
Pediatr Crit Care Med 2015 Mar;16(3):e59-64. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000000337..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Hospitalization, Rural Health, Telehealth
Shaikh U, Nettiksimmons J, Joseph JG
Collaborative practice improvement for childhood obesity in rural clinics: the Healthy Eating Active Living Telehealth Community of Practice (HEALTH COP).
The authors assessed the impact of participation in a virtual quality improvement (QI) learning network on adherence to clinical guidelines for childhood obesity prevention in rural clinics. They found that children who received care from clinicians who led the implementation of the intervention at their clinic showed significant improvements in nutrition and physical activity. Virtual QI learning networks in geographically dispersed clinics can significantly increase clinicians' adherence to guidelines for childhood obesity and improve access to recommended care for rural and underserved children.
AHRQ-funded; HS018567.
Citation: Shaikh U, Nettiksimmons J, Joseph JG .
Collaborative practice improvement for childhood obesity in rural clinics: the Healthy Eating Active Living Telehealth Community of Practice (HEALTH COP).
Am J Med Qual 2014 Nov-Dec;29(6):467-75. doi: 10.1177/1062860613506252.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Evidence-Based Practice, Health Information Technology (HIT), Lifestyle Changes, Nutrition, Obesity, Prevention, Quality Improvement, Rural Health, Telehealth
Dharmar M, Kuppermann N, Romano PS
Telemedicine consultations and medication errors in rural emergency departments.
This study compared the frequency of physician-related medication errors among seriously ill and injured children receiving telemedicine consultations, similar children receiving telephone consultations, and similar children receiving no consultations in rural emergency departments (EDs). It found that the use of telemedicine to provide pediatric critical care consultations to rural EDs is associated with less frequent physician-related ED medication errors among seriously ill and injured children.
AHRQ-funded; HS013179; HS019712.
Citation: Dharmar M, Kuppermann N, Romano PS .
Telemedicine consultations and medication errors in rural emergency departments.
Pediatrics 2013 Dec;132(6):1090-7. doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-1374..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medical Errors, Medication, Rural Health, Telehealth