RAND Research Topic: Hospitals 2012-05-25T23:39:49Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/hospitals.html Helping Hospitals Deliver Better Care: A New Toolkit for Quality Improvement http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9669.html May 25, 2012 May 25, 2012 A team from RAND and the University HealthSystem Consortium developed a toolkit to help hospitals enhance their quality improvement efforts using quality indicators from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Using Patient Surveys to Rate Hospitals http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/03/22/NYT.html Mar 22, 2012 Mar 22, 2012 Hospitals that perform better on the survey tend to do better on clinical measures, have fewer readmissions within 30 days and have lower risk-adjusted mortality, write Marc Elliott and Alan Zaslavsky. Cost Implications of ACGME's 2011 Changes to Resident Duty Hours and the Training Environment http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120081.html Feb 1, 2012 Feb 1, 2012 Examines net costs to teaching hospitals and cost-effectiveness to society across a range of hypothetical changes in preventable adverse events (PAEs). Preventing emergency readmissions to hospital: A scoping review http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1198.html Jan 25, 2012 Jan 25, 2012 The study reports on the evidence and potential for use of 'emergency readmissions within 28 days of discharge from hospital' as an indicator within the NHS Outcomes Framework, drawing on a rapid review of systematic reviews. Gender Differences in Patients' Perceptions of Inpatient Care http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120072.html Jan 1, 2012 Jan 1, 2012 Targeting the experiences of women may be a promising means of improving overall patient experience scores (because women comprise a majority of all inpatients); the experiences of older and sicker women, and those in for-profit hospitals, may merit additional examination. Multiple Patient Safety Events Within a Single Hospitalization: A National Profile in US Hospitals http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120096.html Jan 1, 2012 Jan 1, 2012 Examines co-occurrence of iatrogenic events in US hospitals. Using Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality patient safety indicators (PSIs), the authors defined multiple patient safety events (MPSEs) as the occurrence of multiple PSIs during a single hospitalization. Online Guide Helps Health Organizations Adopt Electronic Health Records http://www.rand.org/news/press/2011/12/14.html Dec 14, 2011 Dec 14, 2011 A new online tool, called the "Unintended Consequences Guide," is available from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to help hospitals and other health care organizations anticipate, avoid, and address problems that can occur when adopting and using electronic health records. Provider Consolidation Key Factor in Affordable Coverage http://www.rand.org/commentary/2011/11/28/CAHL.html Nov 28, 2011 Nov 28, 2011 Hospitals operating with little competition are able to charge health plans much higher prices, which are passed on to consumers in the form of higher insurance premiums, writes Glenn Melnick. A Markov Decision Process to Dynamically Match Hospital Inpatient Staffing to Demand http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100229.html Oct 1, 2011 Oct 1, 2011 This paper applies a Markov decision process to the challenge of matching hospital staffing levels to inpatient demand. Today's 'Meaningful Use' Standard for Medication Orders by Hospitals May Save Few Lives; Later Stages May Do More http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100190.html Oct 1, 2011 Oct 1, 2011 Current federal standards for hospital "meaningful use" of health information technology--which requires electronic medication orders for 30 percent of eligible patients--are probably too low to reduce deaths from heart failure and heart attack among hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries. Why Are Many Emergency Departments in the United States Closing? http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9607.html Sep 9, 2011 Sep 9, 2011 Between 1990 and 2009, the number of emergency rooms (ERs) in nonrural U.S. hospitals declined by 27 percent (from 2,446 to 1,779). Economic factors play a central role in an ER's ability to remain open. Consolidation of Health Plans May Help Lower Hospital Costs http://www.rand.org/news/press/2011/09/08/index1.html Sep 8, 2011 Sep 8, 2011 Increased consolidation among health plans nationally may benefit consumers by lowering hospital prices, at least in those regions where health plans are the most consolidated. Consolidation of Health Plans May Help Lower Hospital Costs http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100177.html Sep 8, 2011 Sep 8, 2011 Increased consolidation among health plans nationally may benefit consumers by lowering hospital prices, at least in those regions where health plans are the most consolidated. Increases in Mortality, Length of Stay, and Cost Associated with Hospital-Acquired Infections in Trauma Patients http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100166.html Jul 1, 2011 Jul 1, 2011 Many hospital-acquired infections are preventable; reducing them would reduce in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and inpatient costs for trauma patients. Preventing Pressure Ulcers in Hospitals: A Systematic Review of Nurse-Focused Quality Improvement Interventions http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20110089.html Jun 1, 2011 Jun 1, 2011 This article describes results of a systematic literature review focused on which interventions can be integrated into routine care to prevent pressure ulcers. Factors Associated with Closures of Emergency Departments in the United States http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20110092.html May 18, 2011 May 18, 2011 This study found that the number of emergency departments operating in the US from 1990 to 2009 declined by 27%. EDs with safety-net status, for-profit ownership, and low profit margin were at higher risk of closure. Performance Characteristics of a Methodology to Quantify Adverse Events Over Time in Hospitalized Patients http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20110074.html Apr 1, 2011 Apr 1, 2011 Institute for Healthcare Improvement Global Trigger Tool is reliability for tracking local and national adverse event rates. Improving Breast Cancer Quality of Care with the Use of Patient Navigators http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201000152.html Feb 24, 2011 Feb 24, 2011 The use of patient navigators-individuals who perform outreach, coordination, and education across language and cultural barriers-improved breast cancer quality of care in a public hospital and may help reduce disparities in quality of cancer care. Will Adoption of Electronic Health Records Improve Quality in U.S. Hospitals? http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9570.html Feb 9, 2011 Feb 9, 2011 Shares findings on the potential effects of electronic health records (EHRs) on health care quality, based on analysis of extensive data from 2003 and 2006 on EHR adoption, hospital characteristics, and hospital quality in nearly 2,100 hospitals. Hospital Spending and Inpatient Mortality: Evidence from California: An Observational Study http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20110016.html Feb 1, 2011 Feb 1, 2011 High Medicare spending is not associated with better health outcomes at a regional level, but patients admitted to California hospitals from 1999 to 2008 had lower inpatient mortality in those hospitals that spent more on end of life care.