Reducing Hospital Readmissions; Opportunity to Evaluate Diagnostic Safety Tool; New Patient Safety Research

AHRQ Stats: Opioid Use by Economic Characteristics

In 2018-2019, non-elderly adults who had family incomes below the federal poverty line (13.3 percent), lived in rural areas (12.4 percent), or were covered by public insurance due to a disability (30.3 percent) were more likely than others to have at least one opioid prescription filled during the year. (Source, AHRQ, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #542, Any Use and “Frequent Use” of Opioids among Non-Elderly Adults in 2018-2019, by Socioeconomic Characteristics.) 

Today's Headlines:

• Hospital Readmissions Reduced by Depression-Specific Version of Re-Engineered Discharge Resource
• Grantee Dr. Kristen Miller Applies Human Factors To Improve Patient Safety
• AHRQ Invites Healthcare Organizations To Evaluate Measure Dx
• Highlights From AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network
• Register Now for Sept. 13-15 Workshop on AHRQ’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
• AHRQ in the Professional Literature

Hospital Readmissions Reduced by Depression-Specific Version of Re-Engineered Discharge Resource

Hospital patients who had depression symptoms and were discharged according to the AHRQ-supported Re-Engineered Discharge for Depression (RED-D) had fewer readmissions than patients who received the original RED, according to a study in Annals of Family Medicine. Improvements were identified at 30 days (3 percent vs. 10 percent) and 90 days (11 percent vs. 21 percent). RED is a research-based tool to assist hospitals, including those that serve diverse populations, in improving their hospital discharge process and reducing avoidable readmissions. RED-D includes a 12-week post-discharge telehealth intervention, including cognitive behavioral therapy, self-management support and patient navigation. These additions augment the original RED’s bundle of patient safety and health literacy practices. Access the study abstract. Access AHRQ’s RED Toolkit.

Grantee Dr. Kristen Miller Applies Human Factors To Improve Patient Safety

AHRQ’s latest grantee profile features the work of Kristen E. Miller, Dr.P.H., M.S.P.H., senior scientific director of National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare at MedStar Health, Washington, D.C. Her research applies a human factors perspective to patient safety, with a clear goal in mind: making it easier for clinicians to do their jobs. Dr. Miller’s current project is applying AHRQ’s Patient Safety Learning Laboratory model to understand why women have higher rates of diagnostic error and miscommunications for cardiovascular disease compared with men. She will also share examples of positive uses of physical space that improve patients’ visits. Access her profile and the profile of other AHRQ grantees.

AHRQ Invites Healthcare Organizations To Evaluate Measure Dx

AHRQ is seeking healthcare organizations to implement Measure Dx, a new resource that enables healthcare organizations to identify and act on opportunities to improve diagnosis. Participants will engage in monthly calls to share experiences and learn from other organizations involved in the evaluation. Organizations will be asked to provide aggregated anonymized data. Measure Dx is the most recent addition to AHRQ’s set of resources designed to support accurate and timely diagnosis. Access a webinar recording to learn more about Measure Dx. For more information about participating in the Measure Dx evaluation, contact MIQSinfo@medstar.net.

Highlights From AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network

AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network (PSNet) highlights journal articles, books and tools related to patient safety. Articles featured this week include:

• The effect of structured medication review followed by face-to-face feedback to prescribers on adverse drug events recognition and prevention in older inpatients - a multicenter interrupted time series study
• Tipping the balance: a systematic review and meta-ethnography to unfold the complexity of surgical antimicrobial prescribing behavior in hospital settings
• Role of the regulator in enabling a just culture: a qualitative study in mental health and hospital care

Review additional new publications in PSNet’s current issue or access recent cases and commentaries in AHRQ’s WebM&M (Morbidity and Mortality Rounds on the Web).

Register Now for Sept. 13-15 Workshop on AHRQ’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey

Registration is open for a free workshop that will provide researchers with extended knowledge about AHRQ’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). The workshop will include information about MEPS data, practical information about usage of MEPS public use data files and an opportunity to construct analytic files with the assistance of AHRQ staff. The workshop is designed for health services researchers who have a background or interest in using national health surveys. Access additional details and registration information. Send questions to WorkshopInfo@ahrq.hhs.gov.

AHRQ in the Professional Literature

Associations between inspections for unsafe housing conditions and evictions in New York City public housing buildings. Sonik RA, Herrera AL. J Community Health. 2022 Jul 6:1-4. [Epub ahead of print.] Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Clinician responses to a clinical decision support advisory for high risk of Torsades de pointes. Gallo T, Heise CW, Woosley RL, et al. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 Jun 7;11(11):e024338. Epub 2022 Jun 3. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Innovations in care delivery for patients with serious mental illness among accountable care organizations. Newton H, Busch SH, Brunette MF, et al. Psychiatr Serv. 2022 Aug;73(8):889-96. Epub 2022 Apr 5. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Assessing the quality of SK&A's office-based physician database for identifying oncologists. Valdez S, Jacobson M. Med Care Res Rev. 2022 Apr;79(2):317-27. Epub 2021 May 24. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Non-patient factors associated with infections in LVAD recipients: a scoping review. Shore S, Pienta MJ, Watt TMF, et al. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2022 Jan;41(1):1-16. Epub 2021 Oct 22. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Parents' preferences for behavioral services in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Petts RA, Walker BL, Hails KA, et al. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2022 Jun-Jul;43(5):291-6. Epub 2021 Nov 1. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Modifiers of and disparities in palliative and supportive care timing and utilization among neurosurgical patients with malignant central nervous system tumors. Jin MC, Hsin G, Ratliff J, et al. Cancers. 2022 May 23;14(10):2567. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

End-of-life care in assisted living communities: race and ethnicity, dual enrollment status, and state regulations. Temkin-Greener H, Guo W, Hua Y, et al. Health Aff. 2022 May;41(5):654-62. Access the abstract on PubMed®.