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Research Spotlights
Highlighting exceptional peer-reviewed journal publications featuring data, software products, and tools from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP).
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Research Spotlights

More than 2,200 peer-reviewed journal publications feature data, software products, and tools from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). This research can impact healthcare policy, practice, and future research. Here are a few recent examples:
Bariatric Surgery Complications Before vs. After Implementation of a National Policy Restricting Coverage to Centers of Excellence
Dimick JB, Nicholas LH, Ryan AM, Thumma JR, Birkmeyer JD.
Jama 2013 Feb; 309(8):792-9.
    This study uses the 2004 through 2009 State Inpatient Databases (SID) for 12 states to determine the effect on improvement and outcomes before and after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) restricted coverage of bariatric surgery to hospitals designated as centers of excellence (COE).

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Measuring the Effect of Policy Interventions at the Population Level: Some Methodological Concerns
Huesch MD, Ostbye T, Ong MK.
Health Econ 2012 Oct;21(10):1234-49.
    This study uses the 2004 through 2007 State Inpatient Databases (SID) and the 2005 through 2007 State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) to examine statewide admission rates for acute myocardial infarctions, strokes and lower limb fractures, and emergency room encounter rates for asthma exacerbations before and after the smoking ban.

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Hospital Cost and Quality Performance in Relation to Market Forces: An Examination of U.S. Community Hospitals in the "Post-managed Care Era"
Jiang HJ, Friedman B, Jiang S.
Int J Health Care Finance Econ 2013 Mar;13(1):53-71.
    This study uses the 2001-2005 State Inpatient Databases (SID) for 29 states, the Cost-to-Charge Ratio Files (CCR), Hospital Market Structure File (HMS), and Inpatient Quality Indicators (IQI) to determine whether managed care and hospital competition has a positive effect on hospital cost and quality performance.

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Psychiatric-related Emergency Department Visits among Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
Kalb LG, Stuart EA, Freedman B, Zablotsky B, Vasa R.
Pediatr Emerg Care 2012 Dec;28(12):1269-76.
    This study uses the 2008 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) and Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) to look at the prevalence and characteristics of psychiatric-related ED visits for children aged 3-17 years with an autism spectrum disorder.

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Disparities in Access to Hospitals with Robotic Surgery for Patients with Prostate Cancer Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy
Kim SP, Boorjian SA, Shah ND, Weight CJ, Tilburt JC, Han LC, et al.
J Urol 2013 Feb;189(2):514-20.
    This study uses the 2006 through 2008 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) and Comorbidity Software to examine population trends and socioeconomic disparities in radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer patients by hospitals with robotic surgery. Read more about this publication
Ethnic Differences in Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders: Implications for Reducing Health Care Disparities
Moy E, Mau MK, Raetzman S, Barrett M, Miyamura JB, Chaves KH, et al.
Ethn Dis 2013 Jan;23(1):6-11.
    This study uses the 2005 through 2007 Hawaii State Inpatient Databases (SID), Patient Quality Indicators (PQI), and Disparities Analysis File to produce reliable estimates of health care quality among Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander, and Asian American subgroups.

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Concentration of Hospital Care for Acute Sickle Cell Disease-related Visits
Panepinto JA, Owens PL, Mosso AL, Steiner CA, Brousseau DC.
Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012 Oct;59(4):685-9.
    This study uses the 2005 through 2006 State Inpatient Databases (SID) and State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) to determine the level of hospital care for privately and publicly insured patients with multiple sickle cell disease related acute care visits.

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Harnessing the Power of Enhanced Data for Healthcare Quality Improvement: Lessons from a Minnesota Hospital Association Pilot Project
Pine M, Sonneborn M, Schindler J, Stanek M, Maeda JL, Hanlon C.
J Healthc Manag 2012 Nov;57(6):406-18.
    This study uses data from the Minnesota Hospital Association to determine the feasibility of creating hybrid administrative-clinical databases from hospital data captured electronically to improve hospital performance, identify best practices for capturing and using data from organizations with varying capabilities, and engage stakeholders and peer-group organizations to share information and support efforts to create and utilize hybrid databases.

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Epidemiology of Cryptococcal Meningitis in the US: 1997-2009
Pyrgos V, Seitz AE, Steiner CA, Prevots DR, Williamson PR.
PLoS One 2013 Feb;8(2):e56269.
    This study uses the 1997 through 2009 State Inpatient Databases (SID) for 18 states to identify incidence, trends, and morbidity and mortality rates for Cryptococcal Meningitis-associated hospitalizations in the U.S.

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Community Hospital Admission from the Emergency Department by Persons with Substance Use Disorders
Schildhaus S, Stocks C, Santora PB, Smith MW.
J Subst Abuse Treat 2013 Feb;44(2):201-7.
    This study uses the 2008 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) to investigate whether health conditions and insurance status are predictors of admission to a community hospital directly from an ED visit for patients with a substance abuse disorder diagnosis.

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To view previous examples of research spotlights, please refer to the Research Spotlights Archives

To view a comprehensive list of publications that used HCUP data and tools, please refer to the Publications Search Feature, which provides publications listed by author. Information includes title, publication, data, and sometimes access to an abstract.
Internet Citation: Research Spotlights. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). May 2013. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/spotlights.jsp.
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Last modified 5/10/13