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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by ´óÏóAPPor authored by ´óÏóAPPresearchers.

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1 to 25 of 455 Research Studies Displayed
Wagner L, Foster T, Bonnet K
Identifying the unique determinants influencing rural families' engagement with an existing tele-assessment approach for autism identification: a qualitative study.
This study’s goal was to understand how rural families view tele-assessment as a method for autism identification. The authors held focus groups with caregivers of children with autism and local service providers in the Southeastern U.S. They met with 22 caregivers and 10 providers. They analyzed the discussions and found four key attitudes: (1) questions about whether autism assessment can really be done online; (2) level of trust in the evaluation process, especially tele-assessment; (3) beliefs about whether tele-assessment is practical for families; and (4) worries about privacy. They concluded that there is a need to improve tele-assessment by better supporting everyone involved at different stages of the tele-assessment process. It also highlighted important areas for improvement to provide fair access to tele-assessment for rural families.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Wagner L, Foster T, Bonnet K . Identifying the unique determinants influencing rural families' engagement with an existing tele-assessment approach for autism identification: a qualitative study. Autism 2025 Jun; 29(6):1458-68. doi: 10.1177/13623613241307078..
Keywords: Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Rural Health, Access to Care
Achola EM, Jazowski SA, Nicholas LH
Evaluating access to care for Medicare beneficiaries younger than 65 years.
The purpose of this research was to examine healthcare access barriers facing Medicare beneficiaries under age 65. Using 2012-2020 Health and Retirement Study data, researchers compared experiences of beneficiaries aged 50-64 years across different Medicare coverage types. For non-dual-eligible beneficiaries, traditional Medicare with supplemental coverage was linked to reduced medication non-adherence, fewer care delays, and higher likelihood of having a regular care provider compared to those without supplemental coverage. Medicare Advantage enrollment similarly showed benefits regarding care delays and maintaining a regular provider. Among dual-eligible beneficiaries, coverage type generally had minimal impact on outcomes, though switching from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage was associated with difficulty finding physicians. The findings demonstrate how less comprehensive Medicare coverage correlates with increased healthcare access challenges for younger beneficiaries.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Achola EM, Jazowski SA, Nicholas LH . Evaluating access to care for Medicare beneficiaries younger than 65 years. Am J Manag Care 2025 May; 31(5):222-29. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2025.89732..
Keywords: Medicare, Access to Care
Kelly KM, Dhumal T, Scott VG
Genetic services in Appalachia conference series.
The purpose of this study was to examine results from a seven-session webinar series that focused on genetics care provision in a medically underserved rural area and to examine how these services adapted to challenging practice environments. Participants were largely healthcare providers with genetic services expertise from the central Appalachian region in Kentucky, West Virginia, or Tennessee. The most noted barriers that emerged were cost of services, lack of providers, and access to care. The most common facilitator was telehealth.
AHRQ-funded; HS027928.
Citation: Kelly KM, Dhumal T, Scott VG . Genetic services in Appalachia conference series. Am J Med Genet A 2025 May; 197(5):e63990. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.63990..
Keywords: Genetics, Rural Health, Rural/Inner-City Residents, Access to Care
Gutierrez JI, Jr. , Nguyen ES, Soriano KD
Identifying health services preferences for a community-based HIV status-neutral mobile clinic among marginalized populations in Oakland, CA: a maximum-difference analysis.
The authors explored desired health services preferences of marginalized populations accessing HIV-related care engagement to inform the implementation of an HIV prevention and treatment mobile clinic model. They conducted a maximum-difference survey with 154 people at community events and homeless encampments in Oakland, CA. Participants ranked 32 items in differentials of importance on a table. They prioritized 14 services, including housing, mental health counseling and screening, drug overdose prevention, personal hygiene, and food assistance. They indicated preferences for services that address basic physiological and safety needs (i.e., housing services, food, personal hygiene supplies, drug overdose treatment, and mental health support and engagement), physical examinations, screenings, and medication refills.
AHRQ-funded; HS026383.
Citation: Gutierrez JI, Jr. , Nguyen ES, Soriano KD . Identifying health services preferences for a community-based HIV status-neutral mobile clinic among marginalized populations in Oakland, CA: a maximum-difference analysis. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care 2025 May-Jun; 36(3):215-26. doi: 10.1097/jnc.0000000000000530.
Keywords: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Community-Based Practice, Vulnerable Populations, Access to Care
Mullens CL, Collins RA, Kunnath N
Trends in travel time to obtain surgical care for rural patients.
This letter described a study which investigated changes in travel time for rural and nonrural patients undergoing surgical care. The results showed that the percentage of rural patients who traveled more than 1 hour to obtain surgical care for both low- and high-risk operations significantly increased during the study period, outpacing changes for nonrural patients and indicating a persistent and growing disparity.
AHRQ-funded; HS028606.
Citation: Mullens CL, Collins RA, Kunnath N . Trends in travel time to obtain surgical care for rural patients. JAMA 2025 Apr 22; 333(16):1453-55. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.0447.
Keywords: Rural Health, Rural/Inner-City Residents, Surgery, Access to Care
Muluk SL, Drake C, Sun Z
Drive time to physicians and outcomes for bladder cancer.
Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of Pennsylvania patients with a first cancer diagnosis of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who underwent radical cystectomy at non-federal general hospitals to assess travel burden and survival outcomes. The findings indicated that drive time to oncologists and urologists is associated with timely receipt of guideline-recommended care for patients with MIBC.
AHRQ-funded; HS027396.
Citation: Muluk SL, Drake C, Sun Z . Drive time to physicians and outcomes for bladder cancer. JU Open Plus 2025 Apr; 3(4). doi: 10.1097/ju9.0000000000000273..
Keywords: Cancer, Access to Care
Jiang H, Schwirtlich T, Beestrum M
Economic evaluations of worksite health centers: a systematic review.
This study’s objective was to systematically review the cost-effectiveness or return on investment (ROI) from worksite health centers (WHCs) in the US. The authors searched four databases and the gray literature for studies that conducted economic evaluation and provided economic outcomes of US-based WHCs. They evaluated the quality and risk of bias using JBI Critical Appraisal Tools of Economic Evaluations. Out of ten studies that met the inclusion criteria, nine reported WHCs that were cost-effective or yielded positive ROI for employers, with annual cost savings per WHC ranging from $35,479 to $2,124,723 and ROI from $1.09 to $15.88 per $1 of investment. Key ROI contributors included company size, utilization, and duration of operations.
AHRQ-funded; HS028782.
Citation: Jiang H, Schwirtlich T, Beestrum M . Economic evaluations of worksite health centers: a systematic review. J Occup Environ Med 2025 Apr; 67(4):229-34. doi: 10.1097/jom.0000000000003300.
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Access to Care
Salhi RA, Kocher KE, Greenwood-Ericksen M
Precision emergency medicine in health care delivery and access: framework development and research priorities.
As part of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference, the authors conducted a rapid literature review to characterize the state of knowledge related to the intersection of precision emergency medicine with health care delivery and access. They identified core domains including expedited/personalized prehospital care, delivery to the right level of care, personalized emergency department (ED) care, alternatives to ED care/post-ED care, prediction tools for system readiness, and creation of equitable systems of care. They used their findings to develop a conceptual model and research agenda with four priority research questions that defined identification of the core domains.
AHRQ-funded; HS029275.
Citation: Salhi RA, Kocher KE, Greenwood-Ericksen M . Precision emergency medicine in health care delivery and access: framework development and research priorities. Acad Emerg Med 2025 Apr; 32(4):444-53. doi: 10.1111/acem.15028.
Keywords: Emergency Department, Healthcare Delivery, Access to Care
Tanaka T, Wehby G, Vander Weg M
US population size and outcomes of adults on liver transplant waiting lists.
This retrospective cohort’s study objective was to estimate the association between population size around liver transplant (LT) centers and waiting list outcomes for critically ill patients with chronic end-stage liver disease and high Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores or acute liver failure (ALF). Due to geographic inequities, the method for allocation was changed to basing it on acuity circles (AC) defined by fixed distances. This study compared participants from a pre-AC group and a post-AC group. The authors used population size within defined radii around each LT center (150 nautical miles [nm] for participants with high MELD scores and 500 nm for those with ALF) based on AC allocation policy. They analyzed 6142 LT candidates (1581 with ALF and 4561 with high MELD scores) during the pre-AC era and 4344 candidates (749 with ALF and 3595 with high- MELD scores) in the post-AC era, for a total of 10,486 participants. In the high-MELD cohort, being listed at a center in the lowest tertile of population size was associated with increased waiting list mortality in the AC era. Doubling of the population size was associated with a 34% reduction in the odds of mortality or dropout. However, there were no significant population densities found with the ALF cohort.
AHRQ-funded; HS029195.
Citation: Tanaka T, Wehby G, Vander Weg M . US population size and outcomes of adults on liver transplant waiting lists. JAMA Netw Open 2025 Mar 3; 8(3):e251759. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.1759..
Keywords: Transplantation, Access to Care
Hegland TA, Day RT, Moynihan KM
´óÏóAPPAuthor: Hegland TA
Access to pediatric bed capacity according to social determinants of health: all beds are not created equal.
The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to study pediatric inpatient hospital capacity and resources and to characterize differences according to Social Determinants of Health (SDoH). Data on nonelective inpatient discharges were taken from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. The results showed that, although pediatric bed capacity was evenly distributed according to SDoH, hospitals that served under-represented, disadvantaged, and rural communities had less capability and resource availability.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hegland TA, Day RT, Moynihan KM . Access to pediatric bed capacity according to social determinants of health: all beds are not created equal. J Pediatr 2025 Mar; 278:114447. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114447..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Social Determinants of Health, Access to Care, Hospitals
Mullens CL, Ibrahim AM, Clark NM
Trends in timely access to high-quality and affordable surgical care in the United States.
This study’s objective was to quantify recent trends in access to timely, high-quality, affordable surgical care in the US. The study used a combination of data from the American Hospital Association, Medicare claims, CMS's Five-Star Quality Rating System, the American Community Survey, and the MEPS. The authors found that the number of Americans lacking access to timely, high-quality, affordable surgical care increased from 97.7 million in 2010-2015 to 98.7 million in 2016-2020. They found although there were improvements in the number of Americans lacking access due to being uninsured, these improvements were offset by increasing numbers of Americans for whom timeliness, quality, and underinsured status increased as barriers to access.
AHRQ-funded; HS028606.
Citation: Mullens CL, Ibrahim AM, Clark NM . Trends in timely access to high-quality and affordable surgical care in the United States. Ann Surg 2025 Feb; 281(2):265-72. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000006586..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Surgery, Access to Care
Clark NM, Hernandez AH, Bertalan MS
Travel time as an indicator of poor access to care in surgical emergencies.
This retrospective cohort study examined how travel time to emergency care affects disease complexity and outcomes for patients with surgical emergencies. Using 2021 statewide databases from Florida and California, researchers analyzed 190,311 adults with common emergency surgical conditions. Among these patients, 3.8% lived more than 60 minutes from their initial emergency care facility. The study found that longer travel times correlated with higher odds of complex disease presentation, particularly for travel times exceeding 120 minutes compared to 15 minutes or less. Patients traveling 60+ minutes were more likely to need operative intervention, inpatient admission, interfacility transfer, longer hospital stays, and incurred higher charges. The researchers suggest that travel time may serve as a more useful metric than static measures like rurality for informing policy decisions regarding access to care.
Citation: Clark NM, Hernandez AH, Bertalan MS . Travel time as an indicator of poor access to care in surgical emergencies. JAMA Netw Open 2025 Jan 2; 8(1):e2455258. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.55258.
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Rural Health, Rural/Inner-City Residents, Access to Care, Surgery, Emergency Department, Healthcare Utilization, Health Status
Gordon RD, Kishi A, Brown JA
Rural maternal health interventions: a scoping review and implications for best practices.
The authors conducted a scoping review to synthesize the literature on rural maternal health interventions, as well as analyze mechanisms to improve care and identify barriers and facilitators to implementation. They established six proposed mechanisms of action and shared lessons for future interventions and policies to improve peripartum care for individuals in rural communities.
AHRQ-funded; HS029590.
Citation: Gordon RD, Kishi A, Brown JA . Rural maternal health interventions: a scoping review and implications for best practices. J Rural Health 2025 Jan; 41(1):e70007. doi: 10.1111/jrh.70007..
Keywords: Rural Health, Maternal Health, Community Partnerships, Access to Care
Cheng AL, DeFranco AR, Furman M
Shared medical appointments to improve equitable access to rehabilitative care for Long COVID.
The purpose of this study was to present an innovative approach using Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs) to improve equitable access to rehabilitative care for Long COVID patients. While rehabilitative care is crucial for managing Long COVID symptoms and functional impairments, many patients face financial barriers to accessing individual therapy sessions, particularly those with Medicaid or safety net insurance plans. The researchers developed a six-session SMA curriculum covering physical activity, daily living activities, and cognitive-communication functions. The program includes functional assessment, goal-setting, rehabilitation strategies, and troubleshooting implementation challenges.
AHRQ-funded; HS029911.
Citation: Cheng AL, DeFranco AR, Furman M . Shared medical appointments to improve equitable access to rehabilitative care for Long COVID. Cardiopulm Phys Ther J 2025 Jan; 36(1):50-57. doi: 10.1097/cpt.0000000000000266.
Keywords: COVID-19, Chronic Conditions, Access to Care
Sabik LM, Kwon Y, Drake C
Impact of the Affordable Care Act on access to accredited facilities for cancer treatment.
The objective of this study was to examine differential changes in receipt of surgery at National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers (NCI-CCC) and Commission on Cancer (CoC) accredited hospitals for adult patients with cancer more who might be newly eligible for coverage under Affordable Care Act insurance expansions. Data was taken from the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry. Findings showed a differential increase in receiving care at an NCI-CCC among patients in high baseline uninsurance areas and an estimated positive but not statistically significant differential change in care at the larger set of CoC hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS027396.
Citation: Sabik LM, Kwon Y, Drake C . Impact of the Affordable Care Act on access to accredited facilities for cancer treatment. Health Serv Res 2024 Dec; 59(6):e14315. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14315.
Keywords: Access to Care, Policy, Cancer
Agarwal SD, Cook BL, Liebman JB
Effect of cash benefits on health care utilization and health: a randomized study.
This paper examined the effects of cash benefits on health care utilization and health using the city of Chelsea, Massachusetts as a case study. This low-income community near Boston randomly assigned individuals by lottery to receive cash benefits of up to $400 per months for 9 months. Primary outcome was emergency department (ED) visits. Secondary outcomes included specific types of ED visits, outpatient use overall and by specialty, COVID-19 vaccination, and biomarkers such as cholesterol levels. The 1746 participants randomized to receive the cash benefits had significantly fewer emergency department visits compared with the control group (217.1 vs 317.5 emergency department visits per 1000 persons). This included reductions in emergency department visits related to behavioral health (-21.6 visits per 1000 persons) and substance use (-12.8 visits per 1000 persons) as well as those that resulted in a hospitalization (-27.3 visits per 1000 persons). The cash benefit had no statistically significant effect on total outpatient visits, visits to primary care, or outpatient behavioral health. Outpatient visits to other subspecialties were higher in the cash benefit group compared with the control group (303.1 visits per 1000 persons), particularly for individuals without a car. There was no statistically significant effect on the secondary outcomes due to the cash benefit.
AHRQ-funded; HS029259.
Citation: Agarwal SD, Cook BL, Liebman JB . Effect of cash benefits on health care utilization and health: a randomized study. JAMA 2024 Nov; 332(17):1455-63. doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.13004.
Keywords: Healthcare Utilization, Low-Income, Emergency Department, Access to Care
Arredondo K, Hughes AM, Lester HF
Churning the tides of care: when nurse turnover makes waves in patient access to primary care.
A study of Veterans Health Administration primary care teams examined how registered nurse (RN) staffing stability affects patient access to care. The research analyzed data from 5,897 Patient Aligned Care Teams across 152 facilities over 24 months. Continuous RN turnover significantly impacted appointment availability, while temporary staffing gaps showed less effect. Team characteristics, including size and overall stability, influenced healthcare access. The findings highlight the importance of RN retention in maintaining effective primary care delivery.
AHRQ-funded; HS025982.
Citation: Arredondo K, Hughes AM, Lester HF . Churning the tides of care: when nurse turnover makes waves in patient access to primary care. BMC Nurs 2024 Oct 10; 23(1):739. doi: 10.1186/s12912-024-02389-8.
Keywords: Access to Care, Primary Care, Provider: Nurse, Workforce
Sandal S, Ahn J, Chen Y
Differences in racial and ethnic disparities between first and repeat kidney transplantation.
Research examined racial and ethnic disparities in first-time versus repeat kidney transplantation using United States Renal Data System data from 1995-2018. The study analyzed outcomes for over 2.4 million patients, including White, Black, and Hispanic individuals. The investigation revealed that Black patients experienced greater disparities in accessing repeat transplantation compared to first-time procedures. Hispanic patients faced increased barriers to waitlisting for repeat transplantation versus initial transplants. The findings indicate persistent systemic barriers affecting access to repeat kidney transplantation among racial and ethnic minority groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS024600.
Citation: Sandal S, Ahn J, Chen Y . Differences in racial and ethnic disparities between first and repeat kidney transplantation. Transplantation 2024 Oct; 108(10):2144-52. doi: 10.1097/tp.0000000000005051..
Keywords: Transplantation, Kidney Disease and Health, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Access to Care
DiMeo A, Logendran R, Sommers BD
Navigating the labyrinth of pregnancy-related coverage for undocumented immigrants: an assessment of current state and federal policies.
This study assessed current state and federal policies for pregnancy-related coverage for undocumented immigrants. States must provide coverage for labor and delivery through Emergency Medicaid by federal law. The authors searched state Medicaid and federal government websites and found that 27 states and the District of Columbia provide additional coverage for prenatal care, postpartum care, or both, while 23 states do not. Twelve states include any postpartum coverage and 7 provide coverage for 12 months postpartum. Many barriers still exist to access, such as lack of transparency, lack of availability of information in multiple languages, and incorrect information.
AHRQ-funded; HS026370.
Citation: DiMeo A, Logendran R, Sommers BD . Navigating the labyrinth of pregnancy-related coverage for undocumented immigrants: an assessment of current state and federal policies. Am J Public Health 2024 Oct; 114(10):1051-60. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2024.307750..
Keywords: Maternal Health, Women, Health Insurance, Policy, Access to Care
Graetz I, Huang J, Gopalan A
Primary care telemedicine and care continuity: implications for timeliness and short-term follow-up healthcare.
This study’s objective was to examine the association between primary care visit modality with timeliness and follow-up in-person healthcare, including variation by visits with the patient's own primary care physician (PCP) versus another PCP. This cohort study looked at timeliness (visit completed within 7 days of scheduling) and in-person follow-up (PCP visits, emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations) within 7 days of the index PCP visit. Of the 4.817,317 primary care visits, 59% were in-person, 27% audio-only, and 14% video telemedicine with most (71.3%) with the patients’ own PCP. Return office visit rates and follow-up ED visits differed. For the patient’s own PCP, return office visit rates were 1.2% for in-person, 5.3% for video, and 6.1% for audio-only. For a different PCP, rates were 2.2% for in-person, 7.3% for video, and 8.1% for audio. For follow-up ED visits rates ranged from 1.4% (in-person) to 1.6% (audio-only) with own PCP, compared to 1.9% (in-person) to 2.3% (audio-only) with another PCP. Follow-up hospitalizations were rare for both in-person and video visits with the patient’s own PCP or another PCP.
AHRQ-funded; HS25189.
Citation: Graetz I, Huang J, Gopalan A . Primary care telemedicine and care continuity: implications for timeliness and short-term follow-up healthcare. J Gen Intern Med 2024 Oct; 39(13):2454-60. doi: 10.1007/s11606-024-08914-4..
Keywords: Primary Care, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Care Coordination, Access to Care
Borsky AE, Zodet M, Wolf TA
´óÏóAPPAuthor: Zodet M, Wolf TA, Bierman AS
Disparities in receipt of high-priority clinical preventive services.
This AHRQ-authored paper’s purpose was to examine potential disparities in the receipt of high-priority, clinical preventive services among adults. This study is based on a cross-sectional survey from the 2018 MEPS and includes non-institutionalized adults age ≥35 in the United States (n=14,615). Receipt of all recommended prevention services among adults age 35 and older was low (6%). Black adults were 37% less likely than white adults; those with a high school education or less were less than half as likely as college graduates; poor and low-income individuals were much less likely than those with higher incomes; the uninsured were 89% less likely than those with private insurance; and adults who spoke a language other than English had 35% lower odds than those who spoke English to receive all high-priority services.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Borsky AE, Zodet M, Wolf TA . Disparities in receipt of high-priority clinical preventive services. Discover Health Systems 2024 Sep 6; 3(76)..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Disparities, Prevention, Access to Care, Healthcare Utilization
Moon KJ, Linton SL, Kazerouni NJ
Association of economic and racial segregation with restricted buprenorphine dispensing in U.S. community pharmacies.
A nationwide telephone audit investigated buprenorphine dispensing practices at community pharmacies across the United States, examining potential disparities in access to opioid use disorder treatment medication. The study evaluated 858 pharmacies across 473 counties using secret shopper calls to assess prescription filling capabilities. Researchers measured county-level segregation patterns using the Index of Concentration at the Extremes, analyzing racial, ethnic, economic, and combined racial-economic factors. The investigation revealed that pharmacies in areas with high economic deprivation and ethnic segregation demonstrated greater likelihood of restricted buprenorphine dispensing. These dispensing limitations were particularly evident in socially and economically disadvantaged communities.
AHRQ-funded; HS026370.
Citation: Moon KJ, Linton SL, Kazerouni NJ . Association of economic and racial segregation with restricted buprenorphine dispensing in U.S. community pharmacies. Drug Alcohol Depend Rep 2024 Sep; 12:100255. doi: 10.1016/j.dadr.2024.100255..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Provider: Pharmacist, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Access to Care, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Vulnerable Populations
Terp S, Ahmed S, Reichert Z
Civil monetary penalties for EMTALA violations involving minors, 2002-2023.
An analysis of Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act civil monetary penalties from 2002-2023 revealed that 14.6% of violations involved minors. Among these cases, most infractions concerned failure to provide medical screening exams or stabilizing treatment. Nearly one-fifth involved pregnant minors, while approximately one-third involved inappropriate patient redirection without proper screening. The study highlights the need for enhanced provider education regarding EMTALA requirements, particularly in facilities with limited pediatric services.
AHRQ-funded; HS022402; HS028671.
Citation: Terp S, Ahmed S, Reichert Z . Civil monetary penalties for EMTALA violations involving minors, 2002-2023. Hosp Pediatr 2024 Aug; 14(8):674-81. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2024-007732..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Access to Care, Policy, Children/Adolescents
Hargraves JL, Cosenza C, Cleary PD
Measuring access to mental health services among primary care patients.
This survey looked at the best ways to measure access to mental health services among primary care patients using new patient survey questions that can be added to CAHPS surveys. The surveys were conducted with a stratified probability sample of patients receiving primary care services in a single state in 2018-2019. The surveys were conducted by mail or telephone using a stratified sample of Medicaid and privately insured patients, with a 14% response rate. The rate of patients getting or trying to get appointments for mental care was more than 10% for privately insured respondents and about 20% for Medicaid respondents. Of those, about 15% of privately insured respondents and 11% of Medicaid respondents reported problems getting appointments with counselors. There was a lower rate for problems to get appointments for prescriptions (8-9%).
AHRQ-funded; HS016978.
Citation: Hargraves JL, Cosenza C, Cleary PD . Measuring access to mental health services among primary care patients. Med Care 2024 Aug; 62(8):559-66. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000002029..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Behavioral Health, Primary Care, Access to Care
Myong C, Yang Z, Behr C
Mental health care use and quality among Medicaid adults with serious mental illness receiving care at Federally Qualified Health Centers vs. other settings.
This study compared mental health care utilization and acute care events for adult Medicaid enrollees with serious mental illness (SMI) who received care at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) vs. other settings. The study used data from the 2015-2016 Massachusetts All-Payer Claims Database to examine outpatient mental health care and acute care events for Medicaid adults, ages 18-64 and with major depressive, bipolar, or schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), who resided in FQHC service areas and received care from FQHCs vs. other settings in 2015. Out of a study population of 32,330 adults, 8,887 (27.5%) had at least one FQHC visit in 2015. Those who received care at FQHCs were more likely to have outpatient mental health visits (73.3% vs. 71.2%) and psychotropic medication fills (73.2% vs. 69.0%), including antidepressants among those with depressive disorders and antipsychotics among those with SSD. They were more likely to have ED visits (74.0% vs. 68.7%), but less likely to be hospitalized (27.8% vs. 31.9%). However, there was no significant difference in the likelihood of having an acute psychiatric hospitalization.
AHRQ-funded; HS025378.
Citation: Myong C, Yang Z, Behr C . Mental health care use and quality among Medicaid adults with serious mental illness receiving care at Federally Qualified Health Centers vs. other settings. BMC Health Serv Res 2024 Jul 17; 24(1):825. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11308-1..
Keywords: Behavioral Health, Medicaid, Access to Care

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