AHRQ Announces Notices of Intent for Funding To Evaluate Health System Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

AHRQ Stats

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Today's Headlines:

• AHRQ Announces Notices of Intent for Funding To Evaluate Health System Response to COVID-19 Pandemic.
• Review Affirms Effectiveness of Antibiotics, Steroids in Treating Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
• Deadline Extended to April 20 for AHRQ Challenge on Digital Solutions To Support Care Transitions.
• Applications Due May 25 and June 5 for Research Projects on Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antibiotic Resistance.
• Featured Studies on the Nation's Health Systems.
• Highlights From AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network.
• AHRQ in the Professional Literature.

AHRQ Announces Notices of Intent for Funding To Evaluate Health System Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

AHRQ has published two Notices of Intent about new funding opportunities to support research that can empower health system leaders, providers, policymakers and others as they look for the best ways to treat patients and allocate critical resources for the COVID-19 pandemic. AHRQ plans to make up to $5 million available to evaluate how health systems and healthcare professionals are responding to COVID-19, including the rapid expansion of telemedicine during the outbreak; the impact of COVID-19 on quality, safety and value of health systems’ response; and the role of primary care practices and professionals during the epidemic. In addition, AHRQ plans to make at least $2.5 million available to supplement active AHRQ grants and cooperative agreements so that current grantees and their institutions, many of which are on the front lines of care, can expand on high-impact new knowledge about COVID-19. Access the Notices of Intent:

• New Funding Opportunity Announcement to Support Novel, High-Impact Studies Evaluating Health System and Healthcare Professional Responsiveness to COVID-19.
• Revision Supplements to Existing AHRQ Grants and Cooperative Agreements to Address Health System Responsiveness to COVID-19.

Review Affirms Effectiveness of Antibiotics, Steroids in Treating Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), antibiotics and steroids are effective in treating both mild and severe episodes of symptom flare-ups, according to an AHRQ-funded systematic review. Authors noted that uncertainty has persisted about whether COPD patients experiencing mild flare-ups—referred to as exacerbations—benefitted from antibiotics and steroids. Their research review showed that two treatment regimens—antibiotics given over a three- to 14-day period and steroids given for nine to 56 days—were associated with improved breathing in mild to severe cases. The review consisted of 68 randomized controlled trials comprising nearly 10,800 adults. Access the abstract of the review, published in Annals of Internal Medicine. 

Deadline Extended to April 20 for AHRQ Challenge on Digital Solutions To Support Care Transitions

Applications will be accepted until April 20 for the AHRQ challenge competition intended to identify cutting-edge digital solutions for managing transitions in care. Transitions in care are critically important, especially at times when health systems face a surge in demand for services, and communication between providers and patients is vital to getting patients the care they need. The Digital Solutions to Support Care Transitions Challenge has a total prize pool of $175,000. Applicants are asked to develop interoperable health information technology solutions that engage patients and family caregivers during care transitions from inpatient hospital care to home, especially among Americans who may have low health literacy or limited English-language proficiency. Access more information.

Applications Due May 25 and June 5 for Research Projects on Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antibiotic Resistance

AHRQ is funding innovative research proposals to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria (CARB). Applications are due May 25 for demonstration and dissemination projects (R18) and on June 5 for large research projects (R01). HAI projects in both grant categories should demonstrate new ways to detect, prevent and reduce HAIs. CARB projects should address ways to promote appropriate antibiotic use, reduce the transmission of resistant bacteria or prevent HAIs. The funding is opento researchers in all healthcare settings: long-term care, ambulatory care, acute care hospitals, and those focusing on transitions between care settings. 

Featured Studies on the Nation's Health Systems

AHRQ's Comparative Health System Performance Initiative funds studies about how healthcare delivery systems promote evidence-based practices and patient-centered outcomes research in delivering care. Publications include:

• A National Survey of the Frequency of Drug Company Detailing Visits and Free Sample Closets in Practices Delivering Primary Care.
• Decision Aid Implementation and Patients' Preferences for Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment: Insights from the High Value Healthcare Collaborative.
• What Are the Determinants of Health System Performance? Findings from the Literature and a Technical Expert Panel.

Access the initiative's Compendium of U.S. Health Systems, the first publicly available database that gives researchers, policymakers and healthcare administrators a snapshot of the nation's health systems.

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:

• Opioid guidelines for common dental surgical procedures: a multidisciplinary panel consensus.
• Errors during resuscitation: the impact of perceived authority on delivery of care.
• A protocol for the safe use of hazardous drugs in the OR.
• Detecting patient deterioration using artificial intelligence in a rapid response system.

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).

AHRQ in the Professional Literature

Provider-to-provider telemedicine improves adherence to sepsis bundle care in community emergency departments. Mohr NM, Campbell KD, Swanson MB, et al. J Telemed Telecare 2020 Jan 5. [Epub ahead of print.] Access the abstract on PubMed®.

The impact of one's sex and social living situation on rehabilitation outcomes after a stroke. Hay CC, Graham JE, Pappadis MR, et al. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2020 Jan; 99(1):48-55. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Trends in the use of skilled nursing facility and home health care under the hospital readmissions reduction program: an interrupted time-series analysis. Popescu I, Sood N, Joshi S, et al. Med Care 2019 Oct; 57(10):757-65. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Practicing clinicians' recommendations to reduce burden from the electronic health record inbox: a mixed-methods study. Murphy DR, Satterly T, Giardina TD, et al. J Gen Intern Med 2019 Sep; 34(9):1825-32. Epub 2019 Jul 10. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Potentially inappropriate use of intravenous opioids in hospitalized patients. Moore AB, Navarrett S, Herzig SJ. J Hosp Med 2019 Nov 1; 14(10):678-80. Epub 2019 Jun 19. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Advancing antimicrobial stewardship in outpatient dialysis centers using the positive deviance process. Lindberg CM, Lindberg CC, D'Agata EMC, et al. Nephrol Nurs J 2019 Sep-Oct; 46(5):511-8. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Use of Medicare data to identify team-based primary care: Is it possible? Kuo YF, Raji MA, Lin YL, et al. Med Care 2019 Nov; 57(11):905-12. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Laparoscopic hysterectomy route, resource use, and outcomes: change after power morcellation warning. Desai VB, Wright JD, Lin H, et al. Obstet Gynecol 2019 Aug; 134(2):227-38. Access the abstract on PubMed®.