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������ƵStats: Source of Payment Among High Spenders

In 2019, Medicare and private insurance paid for more than three-quarters of expenses for people who ranked among the top 5 percent of healthcare spenders (Medicare: 31.3 percent; private insurance: 45.4 percent) while out-of-pocket payments comprised just 7.3 percent of expenses in this group. (Source: AHRQ, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #540, .)

Today's Headlines:

• Study Highlights Racism as Root Cause of Pediatric Racial and Ethnic Disparities.
• Register Now for Sept. 22 Webinar on ������’s Decarbonization Primer.
• Web-Based Tools Help Learning Health Systems Implement Evidence.
• Join ������Ƶin Recognizing World Patient Safety Day 2022.
• ������ƵIssue Brief: Improved Diagnostic Accuracy Through Probability-Based Diagnosis.
• Register Now for Sept. 20 “Fireside Chat” on Health Services Research Driving Change in Patient Care.
• ������ƵTo Host Sept. 15 Meeting on Common Formats for Patient Safety Data Collection.
• Highlights From ������’s Patient Safety Network.
• ������Ƶin the Professional Literature.

Study Highlights Racism as Root Cause of Pediatric Racial and Ethnic Disparities

Racism is detrimental to the health and well-being of all children and adolescents, according to an AHRQ-supported article published in Pediatrics in Review. The authors identified three key mechanisms that can perpetuate racial health disparities for children and adolescents: ​exposure to historical and present-day trauma, provider bias (both implicit and explicit) and structural racism. The authors summarized literature demonstrating that ​racism at all levels—interpersonal, intrapersonal, institutional and structural—is linked to negative pediatric health outcomes. They offered strategies to address racism in medicine ​at each of these levels, particularly for pediatric providers.  The authors concluded that as racial disparities persist, and in many cases grow, it is incumbent on healthcare practitioners and policymakers to commit to lifelong learning, unlearning and teaching regarding the intersection of race, racism and health. Access the .

Register Now for Sept. 22 Webinar on ������’s Decarbonization Primer

for a webinar Sept. 22 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. ET to highlight ������’s upcoming Decarbonization Primer, “Responding to the Climate Emergency.” The event is part of the webinar series sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Climate Change and Health Equity. As the healthcare industry confronts the impacts of a changing climate, organizations are seeking guidance and support in monitoring their carbon footprint and mounting a strategic response. Webinar speakers will explain how the primer supports measurement, data collection and initial actions on decarbonization.

Web-Based Tools Help Learning Health Systems Implement Evidence

Two web-based tools developed by ������Ƶto help learning health systems implement findings from systematic reviews are highlighted in a recent in Learning Health Systems. The tools are designed to support the , and to assess the benefits and harms of . These resources, developed by ������’s Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Program, are intended to close the gap between the development and dissemination of EPC research findings by making EPC reports more accessible and increasing the application of systematic review results in support of evidence-based practices. A related describes the development, implementation and evaluation of the web-based tools. The format of these tools has been applied to EPC reports on , reducing and .

Join ������Ƶin Recognizing World Patient Safety Day 2022

As the nation’s lead agency on patient safety research, ������Ƶjoins industry colleagues in observing World Patient Safety Day on Sept. 17. This observance is meant to increase awareness about patient safety among health professionals, patients and families. This year’s theme is medication safety. Follow ������Ƶand #WPSD2022 on , andto learn more about AHRQ's proven tools and  for improving the safe use of medications, preventing infections and more.

������ƵIssue Brief: Improved Diagnostic Accuracy Through Probability-Based Diagnosis

A new ������Ƶissue brief highlights why understanding probability and managing related uncertainty are vital for making accurate, timely diagnoses. Despite discussion around the need to improve diagnosis, probabilistic reasoning has not been emphasized as a core competency. This brief presents a framework that outlines the diagnostic process and highlights the role of probabilistic understanding at each step. It highlights what information is needed to help clinicians make accurate probability assessments and propose innovative methods to train clinicians on their probabilistic reasoning skills for improving diagnostic decision-making. The authors provide fundamental concepts for understanding probability and methods to teach and inform probability for diagnostic decision-making, and they suggest a future vision for probabilistic diagnostic decisions. Access the new issue brief and additional ������Ƶissue briefs on diagnostic safety topics.

Register Now for Sept. 20 “Fireside Chat” on Health Services Research Driving Change in Patient Care

������ƵDirector Robert Otto Valdez, Ph.D., M.H.S.A., will join Melissa J. Perry, Sc.D., M.H.S., dean of George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services, for a discussion about how cutting-edge health services research benefits patients and cuts healthcare costs. The free event, scheduled for 2:05 p.m. ET on Sept. 20, is part of the annual National Health Research Forum sponsored by Research!America. and learn more about this year’s forum.

������ƵTo Host Sept. 15 Meeting on Common Formats for Patient Safety Data Collection

������Ƶwill host a virtual public meeting Sept. 15, from 2 to 2:30 p.m. ET, to discuss implementation of the Common Formats for Patient Safety Data Collection with software developers and other interested parties. Common Formats are data standards that allow nonidentifiable patient safety data to be collected and analyzed by Patient Safety Organizations and reported to the network of patient safety databases. The meeting will be an interactive forum where software developers can provide input on the use of Common Formats, which have been developed for three settings of care: hospitals, nursing homes and community pharmacies. For registration information, email SDMeetings@infinityconferences.com.

Highlights From ������’s Patient Safety Network

������’s highlights journal articles, books and tools related to patient safety. Articles featured this week include:

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Review additional new publications in PSNet’s or access recent in ������’s WebM&M (Morbidity and Mortality Rounds on the Web).

������Ƶin the Professional Literature

Risk of opioid overdose associated with concomitant use of oxycodone and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Yunusa I, Gagne JJ, Yoshida K, et al. JAMA Netw Open 2022 Feb;5(2):e220194. Access the on PubMed®.

Child Opportunity Index 2.0 and acute care utilization among children with medical complexity. Fritz CQ, Hall M, Bettenhausen JL, et al. J Hosp Med 2022 Apr;17(4):243-51. Epub 2022 Mar 16. Access the on PubMed®.

Current use, training, and barriers in point-of-care ultrasound in hospital medicine: a national survey of VA hospitals. Williams JP, Nathanson R, LoPresti CM, et al. J Hosp Med 2022 Aug;17(8):601-8. Epub 2022 Jul 17. Access the on PubMed®.

Urban and rural differences in trajectories of depressive symptoms in later life in the United States. Sun N, Hua CL, Qiu X, et al. J Appl Gerontol 2022 Jan;41(1):148-57. Epub 2020 Nov 24. Access the on PubMed®.

Racial differences in planned hysterectomy procedure route. Su WK, Coleman CM, Bossick AS, et al. J Womens Health 2022 Jan;31(1):31-7. Epub 2021 Oct 8. Access the on PubMed®.

Hospital-cardiologist integration often occurs without a practice acquisition. Post B, Nallamothu BK, Hollenbeck B. Health Serv Res 2022 Apr;57(2):333-9. Access the on PubMed®.

An economic and health outcome evaluation of telehealth in rural sepsis care: a comparative effectiveness study. Mohr NM, Schuette AR, Ullrich F, et al. J Comp Eff Res 2022 Jul;11(10):703-16. Epub 2022 May 24. Access the on PubMed®.

Physician specialties involved in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment: implications for improving health care disparities. Radhakrishnan A, Reyes-Gastelum D, Abrahamse P, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022 Feb 17;107(3):e1096-e1105. Access the on PubMed®.