IDSRN Project Awards

Field Partnerships to Conduct and Use Research

Awards in Fiscal Year 2003

Improving Patient Safety
Organization and Coordination of Care
Improving Long-term Care
Quality Improvement
Knowledge Transfer and Utilization

Improving Patient Safety

An Examination of the Role of Leadership in Enhancing Patient Safety
Partner: Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Description: The objectives of this project were to better understand the role of leadership within healthcare organizations and the role that leaders play in promoting a "culture" for workplace safety. Weill conducted detailed literature reviews on (1) workplace safety among non-healthcare organizations; and (2) methods to promote patient safety and sustainable organizational change within healthcare organizations. Weill then convened a national conference on the role of organizational leadership in improving patient safety.
Period: 12/02-12/03
Funding: $294,323

Implementing an Electronic Medication Record to Reduce Information Transfer Errors across the Care Continuum
Partner: Research Triangle Institute
Description: RTI and Providence Health System used advanced methodologies to assess risk associated with patient hand-offs and transitions at admission to and discharge from hospitals. The study examined the cost of such care process enhancements to enable reporting of the business case for this intervention in an integrated delivery system (IDS) setting, and assessed the impact of enhanced risk and cost information to IDS decisionmakers.
Period: 5/03-10/04
Funding: $299,994

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Organization and Coordination of Care

Establishing a Nationally Representative Database of Medical Group Practices
Partner: University of Minnesota
Description: MGMA and the University of Minnesota developed the Group Practice Research Network (GPRN), a collaboration of leading medical group practices across the Nation interested in research initiatives to improve medical group practices. GPRN's goal is to facilitate an aggressive, flexible and statistically valid program of research that can respond quickly to emerging issues in health care delivery in medical practices. Network members will generate research ideas, participate in research projects and test the feasibility of practice improvement initiatives.
Period: 6/03-5/05
Funding: $299,987

Developing an Adaptable Model for Hospital Care Redesign
Partner: Denver Health
Description: The overarching focus of this project was to remove the silos of care between and across hospital disciplines. Denver Health served as a pilot site for redesign of selected hospital units or departments based on input from operational, organizational and regulatory experts, providers and administrators, patients and families. Three primary areas of hospital redesign were addressed: internal and external process redesign and infrastructure redesign.
Period: 9/03-10/04
Funding: $349,919

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Improving Long-term Care

Improving Transitions and Outcomes for Heart Failure Patients through a Hospital-Home Care Information Exchange
Partner: Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Description: An information-based hospital-home care transition intervention was designed and pilot-tested to improve care and outcomes for heart failure patients. The study goal was to improve communication among members of the transition team at discharge and at readmission to: increase "on-time," safe, appropriate hospital discharge; reduce medical errors associated with hand-offs; and reduce unnecessary re-hospitalizations, and improve selected patient outcomes.
Period: 9/03-5/04
Funding: $212,446

Improving the Management of Falls in Long-term Care Facilities
Partner: Emory Center on Health Outcomes and Quality
Description: This quality improvement project is modifying key components of an existing Falls Management Program for adaptation in community settings. The feasibility and impact of this modified program is being evaluated in 26 Georgia nursing homes. For nursing homes interested in improving falls management, the project will produce educational materials, training manuals, a computer Web-based user-friendly interface for entering fall reporting form data, a Web-based, centralized quality improvement data base and related quality improvement reports, and qualitative data on adherence.
Period: 1/04-1/06
Funding: $375,775

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Quality Improvement

Developing and Testing a Health Plan Tool to Identify At-risk Enrollees and Gaps in Care
Partner: Center for Health Care Policy and Evaluation (CHCPE)
Description: Data from the Health of Seniors survey of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are being linked to UnitedHealth Group Medicare+Choice plans' administrative (enrollment and claims) data to compare members whose functional status decreased, remained stable or increased on a variety of key health care variables. Analyses of the combined survey and administrative data will be used to develop a predictive model that health plans can use to identify members at risk of declining functional status for care management programs.
Period: 10/03-4/05
Funding: $160,138

e-ICUs: Quality, Safety and Cost Performance
Partner: Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Description: This study evaluated the clinical outcomes and impact of an e-ICU system in a medical ICU at a large academic medical center. The investigators performed a budgetary perspective cost-impact economic analysis of the e-ICU system across a variety of ICU settings, and assessed provider attitudes regarding the use of the e-ICU system.
Period: 9/03-12/04
Funding: $360,572

Measuring the Clinical Benefit and ROI of Diabetes Care
Partner: HMO Research Network
Description: A natural history model of diabetes mellitus is being refined and adapted by Kaiser to estimate the net clinical benefit provided by participating plans or systems to their diabetic patients. Data from various participating health plans are being collected and entered into the model for a specified set of performance and cost measures. The study is examining variation among plans or systems in apparent clinical benefit and costs of care. The investigators will recommend a natural history model, data collection methods, and a reporting format to best express the relative value of programs in the eyes of various stakeholders.
Period: 1/04-4/05
Funding: $250,000

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Knowledge Transfer and Utilization

Further Analysis and Dissemination of Otitis Media Guideline Implementation, and Tracking Impact of CLAS Guides
Partner: HMO Research Network
Description: This study permitted follow-on work for promising findings and products produced in two previous IDSRN projects conducted by the HMO Research Network. First, additional analyses were conducted for data gathered for an Otitis Media Guideline Implementation study and new results will be published. The second study tracked the use of culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) guidelines, produced for CMS, in Medicare+Choice plans and reported on the value and outcomes of using the guides.
Period: 9/03-6/04
Funding: $49,112

Facilitating Knowledge Transfer and Utilization Via Hospital Patient Safety Indicator Online Query Tool
Partner: Research Triangle Institute
Description: RTI developed a secured, password-protected, Web query application for hospitals to directly generate their own Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) from a statewide hospital discharge database. This project extended the work of an ongoing PSI project initiative led by RTI in conjunction with its IDSRN partner, Intermountain Health Care in Salt Lake City, UT. The intent of the Web application was to transform the current paper-and-postage practice into a paperless process, resulting in a more cost efficient and timely process.
Period: 9/03-9/04
Funding: $61,053

Refining a Tool to Assess Racial/Ethnic and SES Disparities in Health Plans' Performance on HEDIS Measures
Partner: CHCPE
Description: A tool developed by RAND and CHCPE as part of a previous IDSRN project was refined and adapted for use by health plans interested in examining racial/ethnic disparities in performance on HEDIS measures. The tool is meant to facilitate analyses of the nature and extent of racial/ethnic and SES disparities among different enrollee subgroups and across a variety of measures using health plan data. Algorithms and macros import raw data into a simple but flexible spreadsheet model that allows users to instantly view or print key information in tabular and graphical form for any measures and subgroups.
Period: 9/03-3/04
Funding: $62,547

Development of Curricula to Train Users in the Application of the QIs and Interpretation of QI Output
Partner: Research Triangle Institute
Description: A curriculum was developed to train users in the application and interpretation of the Quality Indicators (QIs) of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The initial core curriculum was developed for a single stakeholder group (purchasers), and was pilot-tested in a live training session held in conjunction with a National Business Coalition on Health annual meeting. After making refinements, this core curriculum is being modified to respond to some of the unique needs of users representing other major stakeholder groups. The modified curricula is being pilot-tested in additional live training sessions held in conjunction with other national meetings.
Period: 10/03-4/05
Funding: $124,000

Adding Mapping Capabilities to a Bioterrorism Preparedness Inventory Tool
Partner: Abt
Description: Associates Abt and Geisinger Health System added mapping functions to a Web-based bioterrorism preparedness inventory tool previously developed through the IDSRN. The mapping capabilities allow users to overlay geographic features and demographic data for large parts of the State of Pennsylvania; print maps; zoom in and out of mapped areas; determine travel distances; access additional information and find a particular map location (address / town / county / ZIP code) and re-position the map to the center of that location.
Period: 10/03-2/04
Funding: $49,236

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Current as of February 2005

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Internet Citation:

IDSRN Project Awards: Field Partnerships to Conduct and Use Research: Awards in Fiscal Year 2003. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/idsrnproj03.htm

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