National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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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 8 of 8 Research Studies DisplayedRadhakrishnan A, Reyes-Gastelum D, Abrahamse P
Physician specialties involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment: implications for improving health care disparities.
The authors sought to characterize providers involved in diagnosing and treating thyroid cancer. Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer from the Georgia and Los Angeles County Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries were surveyed. The authors found that, among thyroid cancer patients, 40.6% reported being informed of their diagnosis by their surgeon, 37.9% by their endocrinologist, and 13.5% by their primary care physician (PCP). The researchers concluded that PCPs were involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment, and their involvement was greater among older patients and patients of minority race/ethnicity.
AHRQ-funded; HS024512.
Citation: Radhakrishnan A, Reyes-Gastelum D, Abrahamse P .
Physician specialties involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment: implications for improving health care disparities.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022 Feb 17;107(3):e1096-e105. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab781..
Keywords: Cancer, Disparities, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Practice Patterns, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Patterson BW, Johnson J, Ward MD
Effect of a split-flow physician in triage model on abdominal CT ordering rate and yield.
The objective of this study was to compare the rate and clinical yield of computed tomography (CT) imaging between patients presenting with abdominal pain initially seen by a physician in triage (PIT) versus those seen only by physicians working in the main emergency department (ED). For patients with abdominal pain, the investigators found no significant differences in rates of CT ordering or CT yield for patients seen in a PIT vs. traditional models.
AHRQ-funded; HS024558.
Citation: Patterson BW, Johnson J, Ward MD .
Effect of a split-flow physician in triage model on abdominal CT ordering rate and yield.
Am J Emerg Med 2021 Aug;46:160-64. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2020.05.119..
Keywords: Imaging, Emergency Department, Practice Patterns, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Westafer LM, Kunz A, Bugajska P
Provider perspectives on the use of evidence-based risk stratification tools in the evaluation of pulmonary embolism: a qualitative study.
Providers often pursue imaging in patients at low risk of pulmonary embolism (PE), resulting in imaging yields <10% and false-positive imaging rates of 10% to 25%. Attempts to curb overtesting have had only modest success and no interventions have used implementation science frameworks. The objective of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to the adoption of evidence-based diagnostic testing for PE.
AHRQ-funded; HS025701.
Citation: Westafer LM, Kunz A, Bugajska P .
Provider perspectives on the use of evidence-based risk stratification tools in the evaluation of pulmonary embolism: a qualitative study.
Acad Emerg Med 2020 Jun;27(6):447-56. doi: 10.1111/acem.13908..
Keywords: Respiratory Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Imaging, Shared Decision Making, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Practice Patterns, Provider: Physician, Provider: Clinician, Provider
Shah NR, Ahmed ST, Winchester DE
Facility-level variation in stress test utilization in veterans with ischemic heart disease.
The aim of this study was to quantify variation in cardiac stress test utilization across the Veterans Health Administration (VA) in patients with established ischemic heart disease (IHD). The investigators used VA datasets to identify adults with IHD (myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, and/or coronary artery bypass grafting) with a primary care clinic visit at the VA in fiscal year 2014.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Shah NR, Ahmed ST, Winchester DE .
Facility-level variation in stress test utilization in veterans with ischemic heart disease.
JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Jul;12(7 Pt 1):1292-93. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2019.02.020..
Keywords: Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Healthcare Utilization, Practice Patterns, Imaging
Singal AG, Corley DA, Kamineni A
Patterns and predictors of repeat fecal immunochemical and occult blood test screening in four large health care systems in the United States.
The objectives of this study were to characterize screening patterns and identify factors associated with repeat screening among patients who completed an index guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT). The investigators found that screening patterns varied substantially across healthcare systems, with consistent screening proportions ranging from 1 to 54.3% and no repeat screening proportions ranging from 6.9 to 42.8%. Consistent screening increased with older age but was less common among racial/ethnic minorities and patients with more comorbidities.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Singal AG, Corley DA, Kamineni A .
Patterns and predictors of repeat fecal immunochemical and occult blood test screening in four large health care systems in the United States.
Am J Gastroenterol 2018 May;113(5):746-54. doi: 10.1038/s41395-018-0023-x..
Keywords: Screening, Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Cancer, Practice Patterns, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Wang RC, Rodriguez RM, Moghadassi M
External validation of the STONE score, a clinical prediction rule for ureteral stone: an observational multi-institutional study.
The STONE score is a clinical decision rule that classifies patients with suspected nephrolithiasis into low-, moderate-, and high-score groups, with corresponding probabilities of ureteral stone. The researchers evaluated the STONE score compared with physician gestalt. They concluded that in its present form, the STONE score lacks sufficient accuracy to allow clinicians to defer CT scan for suspected ureteral stone.
AHRQ-funded; HS021281; HS019312.
Citation: Wang RC, Rodriguez RM, Moghadassi M .
External validation of the STONE score, a clinical prediction rule for ureteral stone: an observational multi-institutional study.
Ann Emerg Med 2016 Apr;67(4):423-32.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2015.08.019.
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Keywords: Shared Decision Making, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Imaging, Kidney Disease and Health, Practice Patterns
Linder JA
Sore throat: avoid overcomplicating the uncomplicated.
In this editorial, the author described issues involving sore throat diagnosis and delineated various points concerning an article within the same journal issue, concluding that physicians should remember that the prevalence of group A streptococcus in adults with a sore throat is approximately 10%; and that they should use the Centor scoring criteria; selectively use rapid antigen-detection testing; limit antibiotic treatment to patients most likely to have group A streptococcus; and most of the time when prescribing antibiotics, use penicillin.
AHRQ-funded; HS018419.
Citation: Linder JA .
Sore throat: avoid overcomplicating the uncomplicated.
Ann Intern Med 2015 Feb 17;162(4):311-2. doi: 10.7326/m14-2899.
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Keywords: Antibiotics, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Infectious Diseases, Medication, Pneumonia, Respiratory Conditions, Practice Patterns
Fierro JL, Prasad PA, Localio AR
Variability in the diagnosis and treatment of group a streptococcal pharyngitis by primary care pediatricians.
The researchers compared practice patterns regarding the diagnosis and management of streptococcal pharyngitis across 25 pediatric primary care practices sharing an electronic health record. They found that only 18 of 222 clinicians wrote 50 percent of all broad-spectrum antibiotic prescriptions for children with group a streptococcus pharyngitis. They suggested targeted interventions to improve adherence to prescribing guidelines.
AHRQ-funded; 290200710013
Citation: Fierro JL, Prasad PA, Localio AR .
Variability in the diagnosis and treatment of group a streptococcal pharyngitis by primary care pediatricians.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2014 Oct;35 Suppl 3:S79-85. doi: 10.1086/677820..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Children/Adolescents, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Primary Care, Practice Patterns