National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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- Access to Care (1)
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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
1 to 18 of 18 Research Studies DisplayedBergman ZR, Usher M, Olson A
Comparison of outcomes and process of care for patients treated at hospitals dedicated for COVID-19 care vs other hospitals.
The purpose of this study was to analyze the mortality rate and complications associated with treatment at the COVID-19-dedicated hospitals. Findings showed that, in this cohort study, COVID-19-dedicated hospitals in Minnesota had multiple benefits, including providing high-volume repetitive treatment and isolating patients with the infection. This experience suggests improved in-hospital mortality for patients treated at dedicated hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS026732; HS026379.
Citation: Bergman ZR, Usher M, Olson A .
Comparison of outcomes and process of care for patients treated at hospitals dedicated for COVID-19 care vs other hospitals.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Mar;5(3):e220873. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.0873..
Keywords: COVID-19, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Outcomes, Healthcare Delivery, Hospitals
Anesi GL, Kerlin MP
The impact of resource limitations on care delivery and outcomes: routine variation, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and persistent shortage.
Researchers discuss the impact of resource limitations on care delivery and outcomes. They conclude that the interaction between resource limitation and care delivery and outcomes is complex and incompletely understood. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic provides a learning opportunity for strain response during both pandemic and non-pandemic times.
AHRQ-funded; HS026372.
Citation: Anesi GL, Kerlin MP .
The impact of resource limitations on care delivery and outcomes: routine variation, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and persistent shortage.
Curr Opin Crit Care 2021 Oct 1;27(5):513-19. doi: 10.1097/mcc.0000000000000859..
Keywords: COVID-19, Public Health, Healthcare Delivery, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Outcomes
Kohn R, Harhay MO, Bayes B
Influence of bedspacing on outcomes of hospitalised medicine service patients: a retrospective cohort study.
The objective of this cohort study was to assess the association of bedspacing with patient-centered outcomes among United States patients admitted to general medicine services. The study compared internal medicine, family medicine and geriatric service patients who were bedspaced versus cohorted for the entirety of their hospital stay within three large, urban hospitals. Findings showed that bedspacing was associated with adverse patient-centered outcomes. Recommendations for future work included a need to confirm these findings, to understand mechanisms contributing to adverse outcomes, and to identify factors that mitigate these adverse effects in order to provide high-value, patient-centered care to hospitalized patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS026372.
Citation: Kohn R, Harhay MO, Bayes B .
Influence of bedspacing on outcomes of hospitalised medicine service patients: a retrospective cohort study.
BMJ Qual Saf 2021 Feb;30(2):116-22. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2019-010675..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Inpatient Care, Hospitals, Healthcare Delivery, Care Management, Adverse Events
Anesi GL, Chelluri J, Qasim ZA
Association of an emergency department-embedded critical care unit with hospital outcomes and intensive care unit use.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of an emergency department-embedded critical care unit (CCU) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania among patients with sepsis and acute respiratory failure (ARF) admitted from the emergency department to a medical ward or ICU from January 2016 to December 2017. Findings showed that the emergency department-embedded CCU was not associated with clinical outcomes among patients admitted with sepsis or ARF. Among less sick patients with sepsis, the emergency department-embedded CCU was initially associated with reduced rates of direct ICU admission from the emergency department. Further research was recommended to further evaluate the impact and utility of the emergency department-embedded CCU model.
AHRQ-funded; HS026372.
Citation: Anesi GL, Chelluri J, Qasim ZA .
Association of an emergency department-embedded critical care unit with hospital outcomes and intensive care unit use.
Ann Am Thorac Soc 2020 Dec;17(12):1599-609. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201912-912OC..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Critical Care, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Hospitals, Sepsis, Respiratory Conditions, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Healthcare Delivery
Guo F, Lin YL, Raji M
Processes and outcomes of diabetes mellitus care by different types of team primary care models.
This study compared processes and outcomes of care provided to older patients with diabetes by primary care teams composed of only primary care physicians (PCPs) versus team care that included nurse practitioners (NPs) or physician assistants (PAs). The authors studied 3,524 primary care practices identified via social network analysis and 306,741 patients aged 66 and older diagnosed with diabetes mellitus in or before 2015 from Medicare data. Outcomes looked for was more adherence to guideline-recommended care including eye examination, hemoglobin A1c test, and nephropathy monitoring. Preventable hospitalizations and high-risk medication prescribing rates were also measured. Patients in the team care practices received more guideline-recommended diabetes care than patients in PCP only teams. Patients in team care practices had a slightly higher likelihood of being prescribed high-risk medications. The likelihood of preventable hospitalizations was similar among all types of practices.
AHRQ-funded; HS020642.
Citation: Guo F, Lin YL, Raji M .
Processes and outcomes of diabetes mellitus care by different types of team primary care models.
PLoS One 2020 Nov 5;15(11):e0241516. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241516..
Keywords: Elderly, Teams, Primary Care: Models of Care, Healthcare Delivery, Outcomes, Care Coordination, Practice Patterns
Kaiser SV, Johnson MD, Walls TA
Pathways to improve pediatric asthma care: a multisite, national study of emergency department asthma pathway implementation.
This quality improvement study’s aim was to determine the effects of pediatric asthma pathway implementation in a diverse, national sample of emergency departments (EDs). Desired outcomes included systemic corticosteroid administration within 60 minutes (primary), assessment of severity at ED triage, chest radiograph use, hospital admission or transfer for higher level of care, and ED length of stay. Charts were reviewed each month by EDs for children ages 2-17 years with a primary diagnosis of asthma. A total of 83 EDs were enrolled, with 37 of them children’s hospitals, and 46 community hospitals. Seventy-three percent completed the study (n = 22,963). There was a significant increase in systematic corticosteroid administration within 60 minutes of arrival as well as increased odds of severity assessment at triage and decreased rate of change in odds of hospital admission/transfer. Chest radiograph or ED length of stay was not associated with pathway implementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS024592.
Citation: Kaiser SV, Johnson MD, Walls TA .
Pathways to improve pediatric asthma care: a multisite, national study of emergency department asthma pathway implementation.
J Pediatr 2020 Aug;223:100-07.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.02.080..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Asthma, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Care Management, Healthcare Delivery, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Outcomes
Nguyen AM, Johnson CE, Wood SJ
The contribution of physician-system integrating structure to select health system outcomes.
Physician groups are increasingly being vertically integrated with hospitals and health systems; yet, the evidence on the impact of physician-system integration on health system outcomes is mixed. The objective of this mixed-methods study was to examine the impact of increased physician-system integration on select health system outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024895.
Citation: Nguyen AM, Johnson CE, Wood SJ .
The contribution of physician-system integrating structure to select health system outcomes.
J Ambul Care Manage 2020 Jul/Sep;43(3):237-56. doi: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000331..
Keywords: Health Systems, Healthcare Delivery, Outcomes
Kelly Costa D, Liu H, Boltey EM
The structure of critical care nursing teams and patient outcomes: a network analysis.
This examined the connectiveness of critical nursing teams and patient outcomes. The study measured “coreness” (the degree to which a network is represented by a densely integrated core) and “betweenness” (whether a nurse lies on the path of others not directly connected). The researchers used ICU data from a medical center during 2011 and looked at nurses who worked in surgical ICU (SICU) or neurosurgical ICU (NICU) during that same time period. The sample included 598 adult patients and 281 nurses. The researchers found that the greater the coreness of the team, and the more betweenness there was with ICU nurses the less likely patients were to die.
AHRQ-funded; HS024552.
Citation: Kelly Costa D, Liu H, Boltey EM .
The structure of critical care nursing teams and patient outcomes: a network analysis.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2020 Feb 15;201(4):483-85. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201903-0543LE..
Keywords: Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Nursing, Teams, Outcomes, Healthcare Delivery, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Patient-Centered Healthcare
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
Makam AN, Tran T, Miller ME
The clinical course after long-term acute care hospital admission among older Medicare beneficiaries.
Investigators sought to examine the clinical course after long-term acute care (LTAC) admission. They found that hospitalized older adults transferred to LTAC hospitals had poor survival, spent most of their remaining life as an inpatient, and frequently underwent life-prolonging procedures. This prognostic understanding is essential to inform goals of care discussions and to prioritize healthcare needs for these adults. Given the exceedingly low rates of palliative care consultations, they recommend future research to examine unmet palliative care needs in this population.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Makam AN, Tran T, Miller ME .
The clinical course after long-term acute care hospital admission among older Medicare beneficiaries.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2019 Nov;67(11):2282-88. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16106..
Keywords: Elderly, Medicare, Palliative Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Care Management, Healthcare Delivery
Hussain FS, Sosa T, Ambroggio L
Emergency transfers: an important predictor of adverse outcomes in hospitalized children.
This case-control study aimed to determine the predictive validity of an emergency transfer (ET) for outcomes in a free-standing children's hospital. Controls were matched in terms of age, hospital unit, and time of year. Patients who experienced an ET had a significantly higher likelihood of in-hospital mortality (22% vs 9%), longer ICU length of stay (4.9 vs 2.2 days), and longer posttransfer length of stay (26.4 vs 14.7 days) compared with controls (P < .03 for each).
AHRQ-funded; HS023827.
Citation: Hussain FS, Sosa T, Ambroggio L .
Emergency transfers: an important predictor of adverse outcomes in hospitalized children.
J Hosp Med 2019 Aug;14(8):482-85. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3219..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Children/Adolescents, Critical Care, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Adverse Events, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Inpatient Care, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Healthcare Delivery
Lauerman MH, Herrera AV, Albrecht JS
Interhospital transfers with wide variability in emergency general surgery.
This study examined modern hospital practices for interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients. A retrospective review of the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission database was conducted from 2013 to 2015. The majority of patients (94.1%) were not transferred with only 3.2% transferred to a hospital and 2.7% transferred from a hospital. For individual hospitals, there was a range of 0-30.5% of encounters transferred to a hospital, 0.02-14.62% transferred from a hospital and 69.25-99.95% not transferred.
AHRQ-funded; HS024560.
Citation: Lauerman MH, Herrera AV, Albrecht JS .
Interhospital transfers with wide variability in emergency general surgery.
Am Surg 2019 Jun;85(6):595-600..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Healthcare Delivery, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Outcomes, Quality of Care, Surgery, Transitions of Care
Shah S, Xian Y, Sheng S
Use, temporal trends, and outcomes of endovascular therapy after interhospital transfer in the United States.
This study examined the use, trends and outcomes of endovascular therapy (EVT) after interhospital transfer in the United Sates. This cohort study analyzed trends from over 1.8 million patients with ischemic stroke admitted to 2143 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke participating hospitals between 2012 and 2017. There were differences in mortality for interhospital transfer patients, although those differences disappeared after adjusting for delay in EVT initiation.
AHRQ-funded; HS024561.
Citation: Shah S, Xian Y, Sheng S .
Use, temporal trends, and outcomes of endovascular therapy after interhospital transfer in the United States.
Circulation 2019 Mar 26;139(13):1568-77. doi: 10.1161/circulationaha.118.036509..
Keywords: Stroke, Cardiovascular Conditions, Transitions of Care, Outcomes, Healthcare Delivery, Hospitals, Mortality, Quality of Care
Wahl TS, Goss LE, Morris MS
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) eliminates racial disparities in postoperative length of stay after colorectal surgery.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) on racial disparities in postoperative length of stay (pLOS) after colorectal surgery. The authors hypothesized that ERAS would reduce disparities in pLOS between black and white patients. They concluded that ERAS eliminated racial differences in pLOS between black and white patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Reduced pLOS occurred without increases in mortality, readmissions, and most postoperative complications.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Wahl TS, Goss LE, Morris MS .
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) eliminates racial disparities in postoperative length of stay after colorectal surgery.
Ann Surg 2018 Dec;268(6):1026-35. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000002307..
Keywords: Surgery, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Care Management, Healthcare Delivery, Hospitalization, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes
Auger KA, Shah SS, Tubbs-Cooley HL
Effects of a 1-time nurse-led telephone call after pediatric discharge: the H2O II randomized clinical trial.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether a single nurse-led telephone call after pediatric discharge decreased the 30-day reutilization rate for urgent care services and enhanced overall transition success. The investigators concluded that although postdischarge nurse contact did not decrease the reutilization rate of postdischarge urgent health care services, the method showed promise to bolster postdischarge education.
AHRQ-funded; HS024735.
Citation: Auger KA, Shah SS, Tubbs-Cooley HL .
Effects of a 1-time nurse-led telephone call after pediatric discharge: the H2O II randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Pediatr 2018 Sep;172(9):e181482. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.1482..
Keywords: Care Coordination, Children/Adolescents, Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Services Research (HSR), Healthcare Delivery, Healthcare Utilization, Hospital Discharge, Outcomes, Provider, Provider: Nurse, Telehealth, Transitions of Care
Carney RM, Freedland KE, Steinmeyer BC
Collaborative care for depression symptoms in an outpatient cardiology setting: a randomized clinical trial.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether collaborative care (CC) for patients who screen positive for depression during an outpatient cardiology visit results in greater improvement in depression symptoms and better medical outcomes than seen in patients who screen positive for depression but receive only usual care (UC). Tthis trial did not show that CC produces better depression outcomes than UC.
AHRQ-funded; HS018335.
Citation: Carney RM, Freedland KE, Steinmeyer BC .
Collaborative care for depression symptoms in an outpatient cardiology setting: a randomized clinical trial.
Int J Cardiol 2016 Sep 15;219:164-71. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2016.06.045.
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Keywords: Care Management, Cardiovascular Conditions, Depression, Healthcare Delivery, Behavioral Health, Outcomes, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Teams
Frasier LL, Holden S, Holden T
Temporal trends in postmastectomy radiation therapy and breast reconstruction associated with changes in national comprehensive cancer network guidelines.
The researchers sought to determine whether revised guidelines have increased postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) and affected receipt of breast reconstruction. They found that changes in NCCN guidelines have been associated with an increase in PMRT among patients with tumors 5 cm or smaller and 1 to 3 positive nodes without an associated decrease in receipt of reconstruction.
AHRQ-funded; HS022403.
Citation: Frasier LL, Holden S, Holden T .
Temporal trends in postmastectomy radiation therapy and breast reconstruction associated with changes in national comprehensive cancer network guidelines.
JAMA Oncol 2016 Jan;2(1):95-101. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.3717.
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Keywords: Cancer: Breast Cancer, Healthcare Delivery, Shared Decision Making, Guidelines, Outcomes
Blecker S, Goldfeld K, Park H
Impact of an intervention to improve weekend hospital care at an academic medical center: an observational study.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a weekend hospital intervention on processes of care and clinical outcomes. The multifaceted intervention included expanded weekend diagnostic services, improved weekend discharge processes, and increased physician and care management services on weekends. The intervention was associated with a reduction in length of stay and an increase in weekend discharges.
AHRQ-funded; HS023683.
Citation: Blecker S, Goldfeld K, Park H .
Impact of an intervention to improve weekend hospital care at an academic medical center: an observational study.
J Gen Intern Med 2015 Nov;30(11):1657-64. doi: 10.1007/s11606-015-3330-6.
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Keywords: Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Hospitals, Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions, Healthcare Delivery, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research