AHRQ Electronic Newsletter, January 6, 2015, Issue #453

January 6, 2015, Issue #453 AHRQ Stats: Inpatient Costs for Cancer Inpatient hospital costs represented 35 percent of total spending for cancer treatment in 2011, down from 47 percent in 2001. (Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #443: Trends in Use and Expenditures for Cancer Treatment among Adults 18 and Older, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2001 and 2011.) Today's Headlines: AHRQ Finds Hospital Readmission Rates High Among Medicaid “Super-Utilizers” Medicaid “super-utilizers” accounted for half of all 30-day hospital readmissions for the Medicaid population in 2012, with a readmission rate nearly six times as high as that for other Medicaid patients, a new statistical brief from AHRQ concludes. Super-utilizers, or patients who had four or more hospital admissions annually, are a relatively small group of patients who account for a disproportionately large share of hospital services and costs. The authors examined data from AHRQ’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project and found that the 30-day all-cause readmission rate among super-utilizers was 52.4 percent compared with 8.8 percent for other Medicaid patients. Medicaid super-utilizers’ hospital stays also were longer and more expensive. The two most common reasons for hospitalization among these patients were mood disorders, and schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.  Medicaid is the largest public health insurance program in the United States, with more than 67 million beneficiaries. The statistical brief is titled, “Characteristics of Hospital Stays for Nonelderly Medicaid Super-Utilizers, 2012.” New AHRQ Research Review Looks at Effectiveness of Decision Aids for Treating Early Cancer AHRQ examined the effectiveness of decision aids used by people facing treatment or screening decisions for early cancer in a new research review that found considerable diversity in both format and available evidence among the aids. The review, “Decision Aids for Cancer Screening and Treatment,” is useful for creators of patient decision aids and those considering whether to use decision aids. It found strong evidence that cancer-related decision aids increase knowledge about available treatments and next steps without negatively impacting decision-making ability or causing additional anxiety. The review also found evidence that decision aids can help users make informed decisions and choices that best agree with their values, and provide accurate understanding about the risks of treatment. HCUP's 2012 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample Released The 2012 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) has been released. The NEDS is the largest all-payer emergency department (ED) database in the United States and contains information about geographic, hospital, patient and visit characteristics. The NEDS is part of the family of health care databases and related software tools and products produced by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), sponsored by AHRQ. The NEDS enables analyses of ED utilization patterns and yields information that supports public health professionals, administrators, policymakers and clinicians in decision making regarding this critical source of care. The 2012 NEDS is available for purchase through theHCUP Central Distributor. Select aggregated statistics can be accessed via HCUPnet. Several HCUP Statistical Briefs use NEDS data to describe ED use. Updated National Quality Strategy Stakeholder Toolkit Features New Content and Graphics Organizations can now use an updated National Quality Strategy (NQS) Stakeholder Toolkit to show alignment with and support of the NQS. The updated toolkit includes new graphics, Web content and social media content that can help organizations advance the mission of the NQS. The National Quality Strategy helps align public- and private-sector stakeholders across the country to achieve better health and health care for all Americans. It is led by AHRQ on behalf of HHS.  Register Now: January 28 AHRQ Webinar on Meeting Stage 3 Meaningful Use Objectives AHRQ is hosting a webinar January 28 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. ET on meeting Stage 3 Meaningful Use Objectives. This presentation will outline findings from research on Meaningful Use of clinical decision support, care coordination and electronic health records in pediatric primary care settings. Determination of continuing medical education credit with the American Academy of Family Physicians is pending. Registration is open. AHRQ in the Professional Literature Moore JE, Low LK, Titler MG, et al. Moving toward patient-centered care: women's decisions, perceptions, and experiences of the induction of labor process. Birth. 2014 Jun;41(2):138-46. Epub 2014 Apr 6. Select to access theabstract on PubMed®. Marcum ZA, Driessen J, Thorpe CT, et al. Effect of multiple pharmacy use on medication adherence and drug-drug interactions in older adults with Medicare Part D. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014 Feb;62(2):244-52.Epub 2014 Jan 21. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®. Stineman MG, Kwong PL, Bates BE, et al. Development and validation of a discharge planning index for achieving home discharge after hospitalization for acute stroke among those who received rehabilitation services. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2014 Mar;93(3):217-30. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®. Press VG, Shapiro MI, Mayo AM, et al. More than meets the eye: relationship between low health literacy and poor vision in hospitalized patients. J Health Commun. 2013;18 Suppl 1:197-204. Select to access theabstract on PubMed®. Glanz JM, Wagner NM, Narwaney KJ, et al. A mixed methods study of parental vaccine decision making and parent-provider trust. Acad Pediatr. 2013 Sep-Oct;13(5):481-8. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.  Arkin N, Lee PH, McDonald K, et al. Association of nurse-to-patient ratio with mortality and preventable complications following aortic valve replacement. J Card Surg. 2014 Mar;29(2):141-8. Epub 2014 Jan 12. Select to access theabstract on PubMed®.  Daiello LA, Gardner R, Epstein-Lubow G, et al. Association of dementia with early rehospitalization among Medicare beneficiaries. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2014 Jul-Aug;59(1):162-8. Epub 2014 Mar 11. Select to access theabstract on PubMed®. Weaver SJ, Dy SM, Rosen MA. Team-training in healthcare: a narrative synthesis of the literature. BMJ Qual Saf. 2014 May;23(5):359-72. Epub 2014 Feb 5. Select to access theabstract on PubMed®.