Study Finds Association Between Smoking and Chronic Pain

AHRQ Stats: Rates of Long COVID by Race

Just 7.3 percent of non-Hispanic Asian adults with a prior COVID-19 infection reported ever having Long COVID as of spring 2023, compared with 14.6 percent of non-Hispanic White adults. (Source: AHRQ Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #557 – Prevalence of Long COVID Among Adults Who Have Ever Had COVID-19, by Selected Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, Spring 2023.)  

Today's Headlines:

• Study Finds Association Between Smoking and Chronic Pain.
• No Clear Link Between Pathogen Type and Severity of Respiratory Infections.
• Apply Now for Funding on Projects To Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antibiotic Resistance.
• Dec. 10 Webinar Will Highlight Strategies To Reduce Healthcare Workforce Turnover.
• More AHRQ Webinars.
• Highlights From AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network.
• New Research and Evidence From AHRQ.
• AHRQ in the Professional Literature.

Study Finds Association Between Smoking and Chronic Pain

Although smokers represent just 16 percent of the population, they account for nearly one-third of opioid prescriptions and 40 percent of annual morphine-equivalent doses, according to an AHRQ analysis that found a strong connection among smoking, chronic pain and opioid use. The study, an analysis of data from AHRQ’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey published in Journal of Pain, found that smokers are also significantly more likely to experience chronic pain and start or continue opioid use with stronger opioid dosages. Researchers also found that people who quit smoking show a 20 percent drop in opioid use and a 23 percent reduction in pain within a year, eventually reaching similar pain and opioid-use levels as nonsmokers over time. Integrating smoking cessation programs into pain management could bring lasting relief to people with chronic pain, the authors concluded. Access the abstract.

No Clear Link Between Pathogen Type and Severity of Respiratory Infections

Infection type—whether viral, bacterial or mixed—does not significantly influence symptom duration or severity of acute lower respiratory tract infections in outpatient adults, according to an AHRQ-supported study published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection. Researchers tracked more than 700 patients, focusing on cough symptoms, duration and microbiology. Among those tested, 16 percent had viral infections, 34 percent had bacterial infections and 27 percent had mixed infections. Viral or mixed infections were more likely than bacterial infections to cause fever, chills, body aches and general discomfort. The average cough duration ranged from 14 to 17 days across infection types, with viral infections being slightly milder in overall severity. Common pathogens included Haemophilus influenzae and rhinovirus, with SARS-CoV-2 among viral cases. Access the abstract.

Apply Now for Funding on Projects To Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antibiotic Resistance

AHRQ is seeking research proposals aimed at preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and for combatting antibiotic-resistant bacteria (CARB). Applications for funding are due Jan. 25, 2025, for demonstration and dissemination projects (R18) and Feb. 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. Funding is available for research in all settings: long-term care, ambulatory care, acute care hospitals and those focusing on transitions between care settings. AHRQ encourages research proposals that address inequities in healthcare delivery areas.  

Dec. 10 Webinar Will Highlight Strategies To Reduce Healthcare Workforce Turnover

A webinar on Dec. 10 from noon to 1 p.m. ET will highlight strategies to reduce staff turnover and promote workforce safety in healthcare. Turnover among the frontline healthcare workforce continues to impact workforce stability and patient outcomes. The webinar, sponsored by the AHRQ-led National Action Alliance for Patient and Workforce Safety, will feature expert presentations on nurse turnover and its impact on patient care, and evidence-based recommendations for creating environments that support retention and well-being. Access more information about the National Action Alliance, a public-private collaboration established by AHRQ on behalf of HHS. Register for the webinar, access tools and resources to improve care, review previous webinars and subscribe to the initiative’s newsletter.

More AHRQ Webinars

• Dec. 3, 1 to 2 p.m. ET: Person-Centered Care Planning for People With Multiple Chronic Conditions will feature preliminary findings from an AHRQ-funded project on approaches to providing person-centered care for people with multiple chronic conditions. Presenters from Oregon Health & Science University will identify persistent barriers and promising strategies for high-quality care planning. The project was funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund.
• Dec. 3, 3 to 4:30 p.m. ET: Advancing Digital Healthcare Equity: Navigating Disparities in the Digital Age will explore the intersection of technology, healthcare and equity. The federal expert panel will explore some of the latest frameworks, data and tools to inform and advance health and digital healthcare equity.

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:

• Large language model influence on diagnostic reasoning: a randomized clinical trial.
• Designing an intervention to improve medication safety for nursing home residents based on experiential knowledge related to patient safety culture at the nursing home front line: cocreative process study.
• Improving adverse drug event reporting by healthcare professionals.

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

New Research and Evidence From AHRQ

• Statistical Brief: Overview of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-Related Adult Inpatient Stays, 2016–2021 (PDF, 523 KB).

AHRQ in the Professional Literature

Performance of risk models to predict mortality risk for patients with heart failure: evaluation in an integrated health system. Ahmad FS, Hu TL, Adler ED, et al. Clin Res Cardiol 2024 Sep;113(9):1343-54. Epub 2024 Apr 2. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Performance of health care service area definitions for capturing variation in inpatient care and social determinants of health. Crook H, Horta M, Michelson KA, et al. Health Serv Res 2024 Aug;59(4):e14312. Epub 2024 May 2. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Effects of Medicaid managed care on early detection of cancer: evidence from mandatory Medicaid managed care program in Pennsylvania. Kwon Y, Roberts ET, Cole ES, et al. Health Serv Res 2024 Oct;59(5):e14348. Epub 2024 Jul 3. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Medicare Advantage plan characteristics associated with sorting their beneficiaries to providers that generate fewer avoidable hospital stays. Xu J, Anderson KE, Liu A, et al. Health Serv Res 2024 Aug;59(4):e14335. Epub 2024 May 29. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Perception of medication safety-related behaviors among different age groups: web-based cross-sectional study. Lang Y, Chen KY, Zhou Y, et al. Interact J Med Res 2024 Aug 12;13:e58635. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Variable impact of medical scribes on physician electronic health record documentation practices: a quantitative analysis across a large, integrated health-system. Florig ST, Corby S, Devara T, et al. J Am Board Fam Med 2024 Mar-Apr;37(2):228-41. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Advancing patient-centered clinical decision support in today's health care ecosystem: key themes from the Clinical Decision Support Innovation Collaborative's 2023 Annual Meeting. Dullabh P, Dhopeshwarkar R, Cope E, et al. JAMIA Open 2024 Dec;7(4):ooae109. Epub 2024 Oct 23. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Prenatal care clinician preferences among patients with Spanish-preferred language. Butler HM, Bazan M, Rivera L, et al. Obstet Gynecol 2024 Oct 1;144(4):517-25. Epub 2024 Aug 15. Access the abstract on PubMed®.