New Predictive Model May Help Hospitals Reduce Length of Antibiotic Treatment

AHRQ Stats: Transportation Access Among Adults

About 6 percent of U.S. adults reported that a lack of reliable transportation kept them from medical appointments or other important activities for daily living in 2021. In that timeframe, 15.1 percent of those in fair or poor physical health and 17.8 percent of those with fair or poor mental health lacked reliable transportation, far more than those with excellent physical or mental health. (Source: AHRQ Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #558, Lack of Reliable Transportation for Daily Living Among Adults: United States, 2021.)

Today's Headlines:

• New Predictive Model May Help Hospitals Reduce Length of Antibiotic Treatment.
• Informational Webinars Scheduled for Hospitals Interested in Reducing Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections.
• Addressing Technological Barriers in Pediatric Mental Healthcare in Emergency Departments.
• Major Gaps in Electronic Health Records Challenge Alcohol-Related Care in Primary Care.
• Penicillin May Be an Effective Treatment for Staph Infections in Kids.
• March 6 Webinar Highlights Respectful Maternity Care.
• New Research and Evidence From AHRQ.
• AHRQ in the Professional Literature.

New Predictive Model May Help Hospitals Reduce Length of Antibiotic Treatment

More careful use of antibiotics at hospital discharge can help slow the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance, according to AHRQ-supported research published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Study authors built a risk-adjusted predictive model for post-discharge length of antibiotic therapy to measure how often and for how long hospitals prescribe antibiotics at discharge. Their review of 1.8 million hospital stays across 129 Veterans Health Administration hospitals from 2018 to 2021 showed that 1 in 5 patients (19.5 percent) received antibiotics at discharge, usually for about seven days. Using the model to compare hospitals, they found 30 percent of hospitals gave fewer antibiotics and shorter treatments than expected; however, 22 percent of hospitals gave antibiotics more often and for longer than needed, suggesting this metric may help hospitals identify opportunities for improved antibiotic stewardship at discharge. Access the abstract.

Informational Webinars Scheduled for Hospitals Interested in Reducing Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections

AHRQ is seeking acute care hospitals to join a free 9-month program beginning in July to implement strategies to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections. Participants will receive free expert consultation to promote infection prevention procedures, regular benchmarking reports, guidance on enhancing teamwork and continued education credits. Apply now or register for one of several informational webinars.

Addressing Technological Barriers in Pediatric Mental Healthcare in Emergency Departments

An AHRQ-supported study identified 12 technological barriers affecting pediatric mental and behavioral healthcare in pediatric and adult emergency departments. The research published in Applied Ergonomics identified limitations in electronic medical records management, ineffective communication systems in the emergency department, infrastructure inadequacies and insufficient tools for patient engagement among challenges that impact the quality and safety of care. Researchers concluded future research should focus on the barriers while aiming to create design solutions that assist clinicians in their caregiving roles for pediatric mental and behavioral healthcare, focusing on patient safety. Access the abstract.

Major Gaps in Electronic Health Records Challenge Alcohol-Related Care in Primary Care

Significant shortcomings in electronic health records (EHRs) used by primary care practices hinder the delivery of evidence-based care for alcohol use disorders (AUD) and unhealthy alcohol use, according to an AHRQ-funded study published in JAMIA Open. An evaluation of 21 EHR systems across 167 practices in seven states found that only 3 percent of practices could generate reports on preventive measures like brief interventions, and just 7 percent could report on treatment initiation and engagement for AUD. These findings highlight critical barriers that limit the ability of primary care providers to address a major public health issue, with alcohol use contributing to over 140,000 U.S. deaths annually. The study emphasizes the need for systemic improvements in EHR functionality to enhance alcohol-related care and offers actionable insights for policymakers, technology developers and healthcare providers. Access the abstract.

Penicillin May Be an Effective Treatment for Staph Infections in Kids

An AHRQ-funded study has found that penicillin may be an effective treatment for a small but significant portion of community-acquired skin and soft tissue infections in children caused by methicillin-susceptible strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Although penicillin-resistant strains comprised the majority of the infections found in a surveillance study conducted at Texas Children’s Hospital, researchers discovered that 9 percent of infections caused by MSSA could be treated with penicillin. Infections caused by penicillin-susceptible MSSA were associated with higher rates of hospital admission and surgical intervention than those caused by penicillin-resistant strains, highlighting their clinical importance. These findings suggested that it may be time to reconsider penicillin susceptibility testing and treatment options for S. aureus infections in the outpatient setting, particularly as most skin infections are managed outside hospitals. This shift could improve care and reduce reliance on other antibiotics. Access the abstract, in Microbiology Spectrum.

March 6 Webinar Highlights Respectful Maternity Care

Factors that Impact Perinatal Care Experience and Outcomes, sponsored by AHRQ’s National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research, will highlight research on delivering respectful maternity care, insurance disruptions on maternal healthcare and postpartum primary care coordination for people with multiple chronic conditions. The webinar is scheduled for March 6 from 2 to 3:15 p.m. ET.

New Research and Evidence From AHRQ

• Rapid Evidence Product: Making Healthcare Safer IV: Use of Structured Handoff Protocols for Intrahospital Within-Unit Transitions.
• Systematic Review (draft open for comment): Blood-Based Tests for Multiple Cancer Screening.

AHRQ in the Professional Literature

Modeling nursing home harms from COVID-19 staff furlough policies. Bartsch SM, Weatherwax C, Leff B, et al. JAMA Netw Open.2024 Aug;7(8):e2429613. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Effectiveness of a digital health intervention leveraging reinforcement learning: results from the Diabetes and Mental Health Adaptive Notification Tracking and Evaluation (DIAMANTE) randomized clinical trial. Aguilera A, Arévalo Avalos M, Xu J, et al. J Med Internet Res 2024 Oct 8;26:e60834. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Birthing parent perspectives on measuring the quality of perinatal care: metrics, timing, and process. Tully KP. Front Health Serv 2024 Dec 10;4:1473848. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

A human-centered approach for sharing patient experiences through digital storytelling: a research through design study. Behnam-Asl S, Umstead K, Mahtani R, et al. Des Sci. 2024;10:e23. Epub 2024 Oct 25. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Machine learning-based infection diagnostic and prognostic models in post-acute care settings: a systematic review. Xu Z, Scharp D, Hobensack M, et al. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2025 Jan;32(1):241-52. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

New linked employee-employer data show workforce composition is associated with health insurance offers among small employers. Zawacki A, Hegland TA, Keenan PS, et al. Med Care Res Rev 2025 Feb;82(1):79-87. Epub 2024 Oct 23. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Trends in short interpregnancy interval births in the United States, 2016-2022. Admon LK, MacCallum-Bridges C, Daw JR. Obstet Gynecol 2025 Jan;145(1):82-90. Epub 2024 Nov 7. Access the abstract on PubMed®.

Prevent Acute Chest Syndrome checklist (PACScheck): a quality improvement initiative to reduce acute chest syndrome. Morrone K, Strumph K, Pisacano C, et al. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2025 Jan;72(1):e31378. Epub 2024 Oct 17. Access the abstract on PubMed®.