Acute Care Episode Research Articles

Incidence, mortality, and cost trends in nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia in medicaid beneficiaries, 2015-2019

Nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia is associated with substantial morbidity, mortality, and costs during an episode of acute care. We examined NVHAP incidence, mortality, and costs of Medicaid beneficiaries over a 5-year period (2015-2019). Overall NVHAP incidence was 2.63 per 1,000 patient days, and mortality was 7.76%, with an excess cost per NVHAP case of $20,189.

Impact of age and frailty on acute care use during immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment: A population-based study.

12002 Background: ICIs are a common therapeutic option across solid tumors. However, older adults were poorly represented in clinical trials evaluating ICIs, especially those who are very old or frail. Although ICIs are better tolerated than chemotherapy, some patients develop immune related adverse events (irAEs) that may require hospitalization. We performed a population-level retrospective cohort study to evaluate the impact of age and frailty among older adults on acute care use and irAE related hospitalizations. Methods: We used administrative data deterministically linked across databases to identify a cohort of cancer patients > 65 years of age receiving ICIs from June 2012 to October 2018 in Ontario, Canada and obtained data on socio-demographic and clinical covariates, and acute care utilization. Acute care use was defined as an emergency department visit or hospitalization from initiation to 120 days after the last ICI dose; hospitalizations were classified as irAE related based on ICD-10 codes. Frailty was assessed using the McIsaac Frailty Index. Multivariable competing risk analyses with Fine Gray subdistribution hazards evaluated the impact of age and frailty on both acute care use and irAE hospitalizations adjusted for sex, rurality, BMI, autoimmune history, hospitalization within 60 days prior to starting ICI and comorbidity score. Results: Among 2737 patients, median age 73 (18% age > 80, 50% age 70-79); 43% received Nivolumab, 41% Pembrolizumab and 13% Ipilimumab; 53% had lung cancer, 34% melanoma. 70% were robust, 26% pre-frail and 4% frail. Most patients (1962; 72%) had an acute care episode during the window, while 212 (8%) had an irAE hospitalization. Older age was associated with reduced risk of being hospitalized due to an irAE when measured as a continuous variable (aHR 0.97 per year [0.95-0.99] p = 0.01). Older adults, age > 80 years were also less likely to be hospitalized due to an irAE (age 70-79 vs 65-69, aHR 0.92 [0.66-1.27] p = 0.61, age > 80 vs 65-69, aHR 0.63 [0.39-1.01] p = 0.05). Age was not associated with acute care use as a continuous or categorical variable. Increasing frailty was associated with increased risk of acute care use during ICI treatment (pre-frail vs robust, aHR 1.20 [1.07-1.36] p = 0.003; frail vs robust, aHR 1.45 [1.12-1.86] p = 0.004) but was not associated with irAE hospitalizations. When evaluating both age and frailty in the same model, the identified associations remained significant. Conclusions: Among older adults receiving ICIs, age was not associated with acute care use but may be associated with reduced risk of experiencing an irAE related hospitalization. In contrast, frailty was associated with risk of acute care use but was not associated with risk of an irAE related hospitalization. Age and frailty may need to be considered independently when evaluating their use as potential factors influencing toxicity risk among older adults receiving ICIs.

Oncology hospital at home in rural communities: The Huntsman at Home rural experience.

1535 Background: Oncology hospital at home programs have shown promise in decreasing unplanned health care utilization while improving quality of life. While most hospital at home programs serve local urban areas, we extended our oncology hospital at home program, Huntsman at Home, to provide equitable distribution of program services for cancer patients living in rural communities at a distance from our cancer center. Methods: Utilizing a community engagement approach we redesigned our urban Huntsman at Home program for 3 rural communities in Southeastern Utah, a 2 to 5 hour one-way drive from Huntsman Cancer Institute. We systematically collected patient data and program modifications required for rural community delivery during the program’s first 6 months. Care was delivered by on-ground and telehealth nurse practitioner visits and on-ground registered nurse and physical therapy visits. Cardiovascular remote monitoring was utilized during acute care episodes. Results: A total of 47 cancer patients (31 men; 16 women; mean age 69 years) were admitted to the rural program during the first 6 months. Seven patients had 9 acute illness episodes of care. The average length of acute episode care was 6.1 days for treatment of infection, respiratory distress/ hypoxia, cardiac instability (hypotension, tachycardia), and dehydration/electrolyte imbalance and uncontrolled vomiting. Forty patients received subacute management aimed to prevent acute episodes and escalation to the emergency department (ED) or hospitalization. Subacute patients were in the program an average of 15.8 days. There were 4 appropriate escalations (2 hospitalizations, 1 ED visit returned to home and 1 ED visit with hospitalization) for symptoms related to disease progression requiring imaging and hospital-based procedures and one for diagnosis of a post-surgical PE. We found geographic and social determinates of health impacted rural patients’ cancer burden, most notably transportation barriers (44.7%). Secondarily, we found food insecurity impacted nutritional status in 14.9% of patients. A significant number of patients experienced financial toxicity (29.8%) related to lost wages, co-pays and/or out of pocket expenses for care. Lack of health literacy impacted 48.9% of patients effectively navigating their health care and self-management at home. Robust communication and coordination between the hospital at home clinical team, local primary care providers, the rural hospital, community resources and the patients’ cancer center oncology team were keys to improving care pathways. Conclusions: Rural oncology hospital at home is feasible and addresses geographic disparities in equitable access to acute and subacute cancer care in local communities. It requires adaptation to rural needs and culture, coordinated escalation procedures and a focus on addressing geographic and social determinates of health that impact cancer burden.

A multi-centre cohort study on healthcare use due to medication-related harm: the role of frailty and polypharmacy.

ObjectivesTo determine the association between frailty and medication-related harm requiring healthcare utilisation.DesignProspective observational cohort study.SettingSix primary and five secondary care sites across South East England, September 2013–November 2015.ParticipantsOne thousand and two hundred and eighty participants, ≥65 years old, who were due for discharge from general medicine and older persons’ wards following an acute episode of care. Exclusion criteria were limited life expectancy, transfer to another hospital and consent not gained.Main outcome measuresMedication-related harm requiring healthcare utilisation (including primary, secondary or tertiary care consultations related to MRH), including adverse drug reactions, non-adherence and medication error determined via the review of data from three sources: patient/carer reports gathered through a structured telephone interview; primary care medical record review; and prospective consultant-led review of readmission to recruiting hospital. Frailty was measured using a Frailty Index, developed using a standardised approach. Marginal estimates were obtained from logistic regression models to examine how probabilities of healthcare service use due to medication-related harm were associated with increasing number of medicines and frailty.ResultsHealthcare utilisation due to medication-related harm was significantly associated with frailty (OR = 10.06, 95% CI 2.06–49.26, P = 0.004), independent of age, gender, and number of medicines. With increasing frailty, the need for healthcare use as a result of MRH increases from a probability of around 0.2–0.4. This is also the case for the number of medicines.ConclusionsFrailty is associated with MRH, independent of polypharmacy. Reducing the burden of frailty through an integrated health and social care approach, alongside strategies to reduce inappropriate polypharmacy, may reduce MRH related healthcare utilisation.

Implications of Payment for Acute Myocardial Infarctions as a 90-Day Bundled Single Episode of Care: A Cost of Illness Analysis.

ObjectivesEvaluate the cost of illness associated with the 90-day period following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and the implication of care pathway (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] vs medical management [MM]), in order to assess the potential financial risk incurred by providers for AMI as an episode of care.PerspectiveReimbursement payment systems for acute care episodes are shifting from 30-day to 90-day bundled payment models. Since follow-up care and readmissions beyond the early days/weeks post-AMI are common, financial risk may be transferred to providers.SettingAMI hospitalization Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) standard analytical files between 10/1/2015 and 9/30/2016 were reviewed.MethodsIncluded patients were Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of AMI subsequently treated with either PCI or MM. Payments were standardized to remove geographic variation and separated into reimbursements for services during the hospitalization and from discharge to 90 days post-discharge. Results were stratified by Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups (MS-DRGs) individually and grouped between patients treated with MM and PCI. Risk-adjusted likelihood of utilization of post-acute nursing care and all-cause readmission was assessed by logistic regression.ResultsA total of 96,546 patients were included in the analysis. The highest total mean payment (US$32,714) was for MS-DRG 248 (PCI with non-drug-eluting stent with major complication or comorbidity). Total payments were similar between MM and PCI patients, but MM patients incurred the majority of costs in the post-acute period after discharge, with the converse true for PCI patients. MM without catheterization was associated with a twofold increase in risk of requiring post-acute nursing care and 90-day readmission versus PCI (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 2.01 [1.92–2.11] and 2.17 [2.08–2.27]). Smaller hospital size, diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, prior AMI, and multivessel disease were predictors of higher healthcare utilization.ConclusionsMS-DRGs associated with the lowest reimbursements (and presumably, lowest costs of inpatient care) incur the highest post-discharge expenditures. As the CMS Bundled Payment for Care Improvement and similar programs are implemented, there will be a need to account for heterogeneous post-discharge care costs. Video abstract (MP4 274659 KB)Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41669-022-00328-4.

Payer-Level Care Coordination and Re-admission to Acute Mental Health Care for Uninsured Individuals.

This study determined the short- and long-term outcomes associated with payer-level care coordination, compared with care-as-usual in "high-utilizers" of acute care services in a large, publicly funded safety net system. Administrative claims data (2016-2020) were analyzed. All patients were "high-utilizers," defined by the State of Florida as either (a) 3 + more acute care episodes in a 6-month period or (b) 1 + acute care episodes in the past 6months lasting 16 + days. Patients enrolled in care coordination (n = 178) were compared to usual care (n = 1,127) on rates of re-admission and post-discharge engagement in outpatient/residential services. Care coordination was associated with reduced rates of re-admission, significant cost savings, and enhanced engagement in post-discharge non-crisis services. In light of the observed clinical and economic benefits associated with care coordination, payers, policymakers, and administrators of acute care settings should consider potential return on investment for allocation of resources to support specialty care coordination programs.

Hospital-acquired complications: the relative importance of hospital- and patient-related factors.

To quantify the prevalence of hospital-acquired complications; to determine the relative influence of patient- and hospital-related factors on complication rates. Retrospective analysis of administrative data (Integrated South Australian Activity Collection; Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset) for multiple-day acute care episodes for adults in public hospitals. Thirty-eight major public hospitals in South Australia and Victoria, 2015-2018. Hospital-acquired complication rates, overall and by complication class, by hospital and hospital type (tertiary referral, major metropolitan service, major regional service); variance in rates (intra-class correlation coefficient, ICC) at the patient, hospital, and hospital type levels as surrogate measures of their influence on rates. Of 1558978 public hospital episodes (10029918 bed-days), 151486 included a total of 214286 hospital-acquired complications (9.72 [95% CI, 9.67-9.77] events per 100 episodes; 2.14 [95% CI, 2.13-2.15] events per 100 bed-days). Complication rates were highest in tertiary referral hospitals (12.7 [95% CI, 12.6-12.8] events per 100 episodes) and for episodes including intensive care components (37.1 [95% CI, 36.7-37.4] events per 100 episodes). For all complication classes, inter-hospital variation was determined more by patient factors (overall ICC, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.53-0.57) than by hospital factors (ICC, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.02-0.07) or hospital type (ICC, 0.01; 95% CI, 0.001-0.03). Hospital-acquired complications were recorded for 9.7% of hospital episodes, but patient-related factors played a greater role in determining their prevalence than the treating hospital.

The Association of Antibiotic (ATB) exposure prior to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment on early emergency room and hospitalization utilization: A population-based study.

304 Background: ICIs are becoming a common therapeutic option for many solid tumors. Prior studies have shown that ATB exposure can negatively impact ICI outcomes through gut microbiome changes leading to poorer overall survival; however, less is known about the potential impact of ATB exposure on toxicities from ICI. We undertook a population-based retrospective cohort study in patients receiving ICIs to evaluate the impact of ATB exposure on early acute care use, defined as emergency department visit or hospitalization, within 30 days of initiation of ICI therapy. Methods: Administrative data was utilized to identify a cohort of cancer patients > 65 years of age receiving ICIs from June 2012 to October 2018 in Ontario, Canada. We linked databases deterministically to obtain socio-demographic and clinical co-variates, ATB prescription claims and acute care utilization. Patients were censored if they died within 30 days of initiating ICI therapy. The impact of ATB exposure within 60 days prior to starting ICI on early acute care use was evaluated using multi-variable logistic regression models, adjusted for age, gender, rurality, recent hospitalization within 60 days prior to starting ICI and comorbidity score. Results: Among 2737 patients (median age 73 years), 43% received Nivolumab, 41% Pembrolizumab and 13% Ipilimumab, most commonly for lung cancer (53%) or melanoma (34%). Of these patients, 19% had ATB within 60 days prior to ICI with a median ATB treatment duration of 9 days (SD = 13). 647 (25%) patients had an acute care episode within 30 days of starting ICIs; 182 (7%) patients passed away within 30 days without acute care use and were censored from further analyses. Any ATB exposure within 60 days prior to ICI was associated with greater likelihood of acute care use (aOR = 1.34 95% CI [1.07-1.67] p = 0.01). A dose effect was seen based on weeks of ATB exposure within 60 days prior to ICI (aOR = 1.12 per week [1.04-1.21] p = 0.004) and early acute care use. ATB class analysis identified that exposure to penicillins (aOR = 1.54 [1.11-2.15] p = 0.01) and fluoroquinolones (aOR = 1.55 [1.11-2.17] p = 0.01) within 60 days of starting ICIs were associated with a greater likelihood of acute care use, while there was no significant association between cephalosporin exposure and early acute care use (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Exposure to ATBs, specifically fluoroquinolones and penicillins, prior to ICI therapy is associated with greater likelihood of hospitalization or emergency room visits within 30 days after initiation of ICIs, even after adjustment for relevant co-variates including age, comorbidity score and recent hospitalization prior to ICI initiation. Further studies are required to better understand the mechanisms of recent ATB exposure on early acute care use among patients receiving ICIs.

Comparing the average cost of outpatient care of public and for-profit private providers in India

IntroductionUnderstanding the cost of care associated with different kinds of healthcare providers is necessary for informing the policy debates in mixed health-systems like India’s. Existing studies reporting Out of Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) per episode of outpatient care in public and private providers in India do not provide a fair comparison because they have not taken into account the government subsidies received by public facilities. Public and private health insurance in India do not cover outpatient care and for-profit providers have to meet all their costs out of the payments they take from patients.MethodsThe average direct cost per acute episode of outpatient care was compared for public providers, for-profit formal providers and informal private providers in Chhattisgarh state of India. For public facilities, government subsidies for various inputs were taken into account. Resources used were apportioned using Activity Based Costing. Land provided free to public facilities was counted at market prices. The study used two datasets: a) household survey on outpatient utilisation and OOPE b) facility survey of public providers to find the input costs borne by government per outpatient-episode.ResultsThe average cost per episode of outpatient care was Indian Rupees (INR) 400 for public providers, INR 586 for informal private providers and INR 2643 for formal for-profit providers and they managed 39.3, 37.9 and 22.9% of episodes respectively. The average cost for government and households put together was greater for using formal for-profit providers than the public providers. The disease profile of care handled by different types of providers was similar. Volume of patients and human-resources were key cost drivers in public facilities. Close to community providers involved less cost than others.Conclusions and recommendationsThe findings have implications for the desired mix of public and private providers in India’s health-system. Poor regulation of for-profit providers was an important structural cost driver. Purchasing outpatient care from private providers may not reduce average cost. Policies to strengthen public provisioning of curative primary care close to communities can help in reducing cost.

Effectiveness and Predictors of Discontinuation of Aripiprazole Long-acting Injection: A 12-Month Naturalistic Cohort Study.

This study aimed to explore the discontinuation rate of aripiprazole long-acting injection (LAI) in a naturalistic clinical setting. A retrospective cohort study of 1 year duration was conducted on the first 200 patients registered to receive aripiprazole LAI in Sussex, UK. Rate of discontinuation and the association of robustly recorded clinical variables with discontinuation or a new acute care episode were explored. Of 200 registered, 173 patients initiated aripiprazole LAI and 40% discontinued this by 1 year. Mean discontinuation time was 18 weeks. The commonest discontinuation reason was "patient choice," independent of efficacy or adverse effects. Not having a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum was the only variable significantly associated with treatment continuation after 1 year. No single diagnostic group accounted for this, although a greater continuation rate was observed in those with bipolar disorder. Illness severity factors at baseline, including apparent treatment resistance, had no impact on later aripiprazole LAI discontinuation or on acute service use over the year. Medication-related variables had no identified impact on acute service use. This study supports the clinical utility of aripiprazole LAI for its licensed indications. The 1-year discontinuation rate is equivalent to that in reports of similarly designed studies of paliperidone LAI. Further exploration of nonmedication factors influencing LAI discontinuation is required. Preferential use of aripiprazole LAI over other medications may be supported due to fewer associated metabolic adverse effects.

Opportunities Beyond the Anesthesiology Department: Broader Impact Through Broader Thinking.

Ensuring a productive clinical and research workforce requires bringing together physicians and communities to improve health, by strategic targeting of initiatives with clear and significant public health relevance. Within anesthesiology, the traditional perspective of the field's health impact has focused on providing safe and effective intraoperative care, managing critical illness, and treating acute and chronic pain. However, there are limitations to such a framework for anesthesiology's public health impact, including the transient nature of acute care episodes such as the intraoperative period and critical illness, and a historical focus on analgesia alone-rather than the complex psychosocial milieu-for pain management. Due to the often episodic nature of anesthesiologists' interactions with patients, it remains challenging for anesthesiologists to achieve their full potential for broad impact and leadership within increasingly integrated health systems. To unlock this potential, anesthesiologists should cultivate new clinical, research, and administrative roles within the health system-transcending traditional missions, seeking interdepartmental collaborations, and taking measures to elevate anesthesiologists as dynamic and trusted leaders. This special article examines 3 core themes for how anesthesiologists can enhance their impact within the health care system and pursue new collaborative health missions with nonanesthesiologist clinicians, researchers, and administrative leaders. These themes include (1) reframing of traditional anesthesiologist missions toward a broader health system-wide context; (2) leveraging departmental and institutional support for professional career development; and (3) strategically prioritizing leadership attributes to enhance system-wide anesthesiologist contributions to improving overall patient health.

Determinants of Discharge Disposition From Acute Care for Survivors of Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury: Results From a Large Population-Based Cohort Data Set

ObjectiveTo identify determinants of discharge disposition from acute care among survivors of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI), stratified by sex. DesignPopulation-based retrospective cohort study using provincial data in Ontario, Canada. The determinants were grouped into predisposing, need, and enabling factors using the Anderson Behavioral Model. SettingAcute care. ParticipantsSurvivors of HIBI aged ≥20 years at the time of hospitalization and discharged alive from acute care between April 1, 2002, and March 31, 2017. There were 7492 patients with HIBI, of whom 28% (N=2077) survived their acute care episode. InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresDischarge disposition from acute care, categorized as complex continuing care (CCC), long-term care (LTC), inpatient rehabilitation (IR), home with support, home without support, and transferred to another acute care. ResultsThe discharge dispositions for the 2077 survivors were IR 23.4% (n=487), CCC 19.5% (n=404), LTC 6.2% (n=128), home without support 31.2% (n=647), home with support 15.1% (n=314), and other 4.6%. Multinomial multivariable logistic regression analysis using home without support as the reference category revealed that female patients were significantly more likely than male patients to be discharged to LTC/CCC. Those who were older, were frail, and had longer stay in acute care or special care unit (SCU) were more likely to be discharged to LTC/CCC. The only significant determinant for IR was longer stay in acute care. Survivors with cardiac-related injury were less likely to be discharged to LTC/CCC. Income was a significant factor for male patients but not for female patients in the sex-stratified analysis. The following variables were investigated but were not significant determinants in this study: need factors (comorbidity score, prior psychiatric disorders, health care utilization) and enabling factors (income quintile, rural area of residence). ConclusionsPredisposing (age, sex) and need factors (frailty, acute care days, SCU days, type of injury) were significant determinants of discharge disposition from acute care after HIBI. In spite of a system with universal coverage, sex differences were found, with more female patients being discharged to CCC/LTC rather than IR, controlling for age and other confounders. These findings should be considered in appropriate discharge planning from acute care for survivors of HIBI.

What triggers an episode of acute low back pain? A protocol of a replication case-crossover study

ObjectiveTo describe all the procedures of a study that will replicate a previous case-crossover study investigating physical and psychosocial transient exposure risk factors for triggering an episode of acute non-specific...

Cost comparison of two approaches to chiropractic care for patients with acute and sub-acute low Back pain care episodes: a cohort study

BackgroundLow back pain (LBP) imposes a costly burden upon patients, healthcare insurers, and society overall. Spinal manipulation as practiced by chiropractors has been found be cost-effective for treatment of LBP, but there is wide variation among chiropractors in their approach to clinical care, and the most cost-effective approach to chiropractic care is uncertain. To date, little has been published regarding the cost effectiveness of different approaches to chiropractic care. Thus, the current study presents a cost comparison between chiropractic approaches for patients with acute or subacute care episodes for low back pain.MethodsWe employed a retrospective cohort design to examine costs of chiropractic care among patients diagnosed with acute or subacute low back pain. The study time period ranged between 07/01/2016 and 12/22/2017. We compared cost outcomes for patients of two cohorts of chiropractors within health care system: Cohort 1) a general network of providers, and Cohort 2) a network providing conservative evidence-based care for rapid resolution of pain. We used generalized linear regression modeling to estimate the comparative influence of demographic and clinical factors on expenditures.ResultsA total of 25,621 unique patients were included in the analyses. The average cost per patient for Cohort 2 (mean allowed amount $252) was lower compared to Cohort 1 (mean allowed amount $326; 0.77, 95% CI 0.75–0.79, p < .001). Patient and clinician related factors such as health plan, provider region, and sex also significantly influenced costs.ConclusionsThis study comprehensively analyzed cost data associated with the chiropractic care of adults with acute or sub-acute low back pain cared by two cohorts of chiropractic physicians. In general, providers in Cohort 2 were found to be significantly associated with lower costs for patient care as compared to Cohort 1. Utilization of a clinical model characterized by a patient-centered clinic approach and standardized, best-practice clinical protocols may offer lower cost when compared to non-standardized clinical approaches to chiropractic care.

Evaluating the feasibility of ReWork-SCI: a person-centred intervention for return-to-work after spinal cord injury

ObjectivesTo evaluate the feasibility of: (1) ReWork-SCI with regard to adherence and acceptability and (2) a study design for evaluating ReWork-SCI with regard to recruitment, retention and outcome measures.DesignPre-test and...

MEDICARE

Research ObjectiveLower extremity joint replacements (LEJR) are among the most common and expensive inpatient surgeries for Medicare beneficiaries. The Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) Model of 2016 is a bundled‐payment initiative for LEJR that was mandated for hospitals in 67 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) covering the episode of acute and postacute care (PAC). It provides financial incentives for participating hospitals to improve outcomes and reduce episode cost of care. Approximately 30% of LEJR beneficiaries receive institutional PAC (ie, care in skilled nursing facility [SNF], inpatient rehabilitation center, or long‐term hospital) after an inpatient stay. This study aims to determine the impact of CJR on (1) institutional PAC use, readmission rate, and SNF care outcomes for patients discharged to SNFs (the most common type of institutional PAC); and (2) existing gaps in these measures between Medicare‐only and dual‐eligible (Medicare beneficiaries who are also eligible for Medicaid) patients.Study DesignWe conducted difference‐in‐difference models with MSA sampling weights using Medicare claims and assessment files, and hospital and PAC facility datasets from 2013 to 2017. We compared patient outcomes in hospitals of 75 initially randomly assigned MSAs (participation in CJR mandated) and outcomes of hospitals in 120 control areas. In analyses on all LEJR patients, the outcomes included institutional PAC utilization rate, all‐cause 30‐/90‐day readmission rates, and total payments for readmissions. In analyses on patients discharged to SNF, outcomes included SNF five‐star ratings, rate of successful community discharge, rate of transition to long‐stayers, SNF length of stay (LOS), and SNF total spending. All models adjusted for important patient, facility, and market characteristics.Population Studied457,472 patients from 763 CJR‐hospitals and 597,764 patients from 924 control hospitals during 2013‐2017.Principal FindingsCJR was associated with a 2.35‐percentage‐point (P &lt; .001) decrease in institutional PAC utilization, and a 1.74‐percentage‐point (P = .001) and a 1.97‐percentage‐point (P &lt; .001) decline in 30‐day and 90‐day readmission rates, respectively. The corresponding reductions in total payments for readmissions were $629.89 (P = .003) and $676.74 (P = 0.006), respectively. Among patients discharged to SNF, the CJR policy was associated with a 4.58‐percentage point (P = .002) higher rate of discharge to 4‐ or 5‐star SNFs, 0.76 days of reduction (P = .001) in SNF LOS, and $481.82 (P = .019) less SNF care spending. Compared to Medicare‐only patients, dual‐eligible beneficiaries with partial benefits had $1911.53 (P = .017) lower in total payments for 30‐day readmission and had $2545.08 (P = .040) lower in aggregate spending for 90‐day readmission in the treatment hospitals, under the CJR. No significant relationships were found between CJR and other SNF outcomes, or between CJR and disparities in other outcomes examined in this study between Medicare‐only and dual‐eligible LEJR patients.ConclusionsThe mandatory CJR bundled payments reform led to reduced use of institutional PAC and readmission rates, but had no effect on important SNF outcomes, such as successful discharge to community, for LEJR patients initially discharged to SNF. Furthermore, the CJR had no effect on disparities in postdischarge outcomes associated with Medicaid insurance.Implications for Policy or PracticeFuture Medicare alternative payment models and revisions to the mandatory CJR and other voluntary initiatives could incorporate incentives for improved SNF outcomes and equality of care.Primary Funding SourceNational Institutes of Health.

Practice Makes Perfect: Bundled Payment Models for 90-Day Total Knee Arthroplasty Episodes

Commentary In this article, Schilling et al. provide a proper and elegant analysis of the variation in payments and resource utilization for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) immediately prior to the April 2016 implementation of the U.S. Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) bundled payment program, which was mandatory at the time of the study. Using the 100% sample of Medicare Part A claims data for this study, the authors included all elective unilateral primary TKAs performed in patients who were ≥65 years of age between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2016. One methodological concern is a lack of description of the methods used to handle missing data, negative costs, and zero costs that exist with claims data. The inclusion of such data could impact the results, even with this large sample size of >700,000 TKAs. Regardless, this article contributes very good information to the body of knowledge of alternate payment models, and the authors even suggest that the risk-adjusted model could be adopted by hospitals to benchmark their performance in such models. However, questions remain about the degree to which the CJR program was responsible for the results and whether providers will successfully sustain these improvements. Schilling et al. illustrate that resource utilization, measured by Medicare Part A payments, length of hospital stay, readmissions, and inpatient post-acute care utilization, for Medicare patients undergoing TKA decreased nationally from 2014 to 2016. Therefore, these trends in decreased spending and resource utilization began prior to April 2016 when the CJR model was implemented. The CJR model was implemented in a time when other value-based initiatives were impacting TKA care redesign, particularly the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) program, which began in 2013 and broadly influenced utilization rates in participating markets1,2. Furthermore, the early results of BPCI Advanced suggest that retrospective shared savings models such as CJR and BPCI create a floor in market pricing, after which incentives become too low to elicit participation1-3. Although the CJR model participation was initially mandatory, voluntary participation continues through December 2020. Early evaluations have suggested that the CJR model was somewhat successful. Barnett et al. reported a modest 3% decrease in spending with no significant changes in postoperative complications4. It is reasonable to posit that the gradual transition from a fee-for-service payment model to a value-based care model impacted the decrease that Schilling et al. report. Although payment reform has been underway since 1983, the first bundled payment model for orthopaedics began in 2009 with the Acute Care Episode (ACE) program5. The testing of this model was narrow in scope, with just 5 hospitals participating5. In 2013, the Medicare BPCI initiative began, with >1,200 participating entities in July 20183. The BPCI initiative substantially broadened the scope to include physician groups and post-acute facilities, in addition to hospitals. Most participants chose a retrospective shared savings model that focused on reducing post-acute utilization, which drove down the mean episode costs in participating markets, without degradation in outcomes. This had 2 important effects: (1) early participants developed best practices for the BPCI program that the CJR program participants were able to replicate to perform well with respect to all shared savings, and (2) strong performance in the BPCI program lowered the mean target spending for Medicare nationally for this procedure, thus reducing the opportunity for further shared savings in subsequent programs in a given market. There was an initial 16% decrease in participants just before the March 1, 2019, deadline to enroll in the BPCI Advanced program6. Presumably, this is because institutions and providers cannot lower costs and readmissions sufficiently more to warrant participation. The time periods of the BPCI and CJR programs overlapped and both included Medicare patients2,3. Therefore, the trend in the improved value of TKA illustrated by Schilling et al. includes the successful impacts of the BPCI program. The CJR program began in April 2016 and, at the time, it was mandatory for total joint replacement unless providers were participating in the BPCI program, which began in 20132,3. The design of the CJR bundled payment model was informed by the BPCI bundled payment model; however, physician groups could be episode initiators with the BPCI program but not with the CJR program. Regardless, the effects of the BPCI model are present in the data used in this study. This does not negate the importance and utility of this study by Schilling et al. to serve as a benchmark for future bundled payment models that will include procedure-based bundles.

Current emergency response in montreal: How does it fit in the services offered to homeless people who use substances?

Background This paper presents an assessment of the current emergency response to homeless people who use substances in Montreal, a major North American city. This project addresses the rising concern about homelessness in high-income countries. Several studies have shown that homeless people frequently use emergency services (i.e., police, paramedical, and hospital), especially in the context of substance use. Yet, the key actors’ perspectives are poorly documented.Method Our team conducted a needs analysis using a deliberative democratic evaluation. Data collection strategies included an intersectoral World Café (n = 34, including police, specialized professionals, community stakeholders, political representatives, researchers, and people who have been homeless) and individual interviews with health professionals (n = 5) and homeless people (n = 8). We performed a thematic content analysis based on a conceptual framework of access to health care and of collaboration.Findings This study provided key information on the role of emergency services and the needs of key actors, in terms of the dimensions of access to health care (approachability, acceptability, availability, and appropriateness) and continuity. Our main results show that, according to the participants, the emergency response is relevant when homeless people are a danger to themselves or to others, and during episodes of acute physical and psychological care. However, emergency service providers still stigmatize homelessness and substance use, which negatively affects intervention quality. Finally, our main results highlight the interdependence between the emergency services and health, social, and community services.Conclusion The emergency response is necessary and appropriate in some situations. It remains important to intervene upstream and to improve the attitudes and practices of emergency service providers. Finally, it is necessary to adapt services to the needs of homeless substance users and improve service continuity, for example, by adopting a population-based approach.

Early Surgical Complications of Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients With Morbid Obesity: Propensity-Matched Cohort Study of 3683 Patients

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to determine whether the high risk of surgical complications within 1 year of total hip arthroplasty (THA) is due to associated comorbidities or morbid obesity alone as measured by body mass index (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2). MethodsPopulation-based retrospective cohort study was conducted of all adults in Ontario undergoing primary THA for osteoarthritis (2012-2018). All patients were followed for 1 year. Outcomes were compared among matched groups (hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, frailty, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, asthma, and Charlson score). Primary outcome measure was major surgical complications within 1 year (composite of deep infection requiring surgery, dislocation requiring closed or open reduction, and revision surgery). ResultsA total of 3683 patients with morbid obesity were matched and had a significantly greater risk of major complications within 1-year (132 [3.6%] vs 54 [1.5%]; hazard ratio [HR] 2.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.98-3.25). This included greater risk for deep infection requiring surgery (100 [2.8%] vs 26 [0.7%]; HR 3.85, 95% CI; 2.70-45.48) and revision arthroplasty (86 [2.4%] vs 34 [0.9%]; HR 2.61, 95% CI; 1.92-3.55). Operative time was also longer with a median 116 (99-138) vs 102 (87-121) minutes. There were no significant differences in hospital stay, cost of acute care episode, or medical complications. ConclusionPatients’ large body habitus seems to contribute to the increased risk of surgical complications within 1-year of THA. Future research is needed to identify ways of mitigating surgical complications such as centralizing care for this complex group of patients in specialist centers.

Economic and Clinical Burden of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Episodes of Care in the United States: A Retrospective Analysis of a Commercial Payer Database.

In the United States, the incidence of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has steadily increased over the last decade; in 2019, it was estimated that AML would affect 21,450 new patients and lead to 10,920 deaths. Detailed real-world cost estimates and comparisons of key AML treatment episodes, such as in high-intensity chemotherapy (HIC), low-intensity chemotherapy (LIC), hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and relapsed/refractory (R/R), are scarce in the commercially insured U.S. To examine health resource utilization (HRU), clinical burden, and direct health care costs across various AML treatment episodes in a large sample of commercially insured U.S. A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted. Patients with newly diagnosed AML were followed to identify the key active treatment episodes across the course of their disease. Data were obtained from 2 sources: IQVIA's Real-World Data (RWD) Adjudicated Claims Database - U.S. (formerly known as PharMetrics Plus), which comprises adjudicated claims for more than 150 million unique enrollees across the United States, and IQVIA Charge Detail Master Hospital Database, which has detailed data regarding services received in an inpatient setting. Calculation of all-cause HRU was based on physician office visits, nonphysician office visits, emergency department visits, inpatient visits, and outpatient pharmacy utilization. Calculation of all-cause health care costs was based on total allowed costs and reported by the following cost components: physician office visits, nonphysician office visits, emergency department visits, inpatient visits, and outpatient pharmacy utilization. Symptom and toxicity events were estimated via proxies such as diagnosis codes, procedures, and treatments administered. The final study sample consisted of 1,542 HIC-induction (HIC-I), 591 HIC-consolidation (HIC-C), 628 LIC, 1,000 patients with HSCT, and 707 patients with R/R AML. Total mean episode costs were highest in R/R episodes ($439,104), followed by HSCT ($329,621), HIC-I ($198,657), HIC-C ($73,428), and LIC ($53,081) episodes. Across all treatment episodes, hospitalization was the largest contributor to cost with mean hospitalization costs ranging from $308,978 in the R/R setting to $49,580 for patients receiving LIC; of these, costs related to intensive care unit admission were a noteworthy contributor. In patients with R/R AML and HSCT, expenditures related to pharmacy utilization averaged $24,640 and $12,203, respectively, and expenditures related to physician office visits averaged $10,926 and $6,090, respectively; these expenditures were much lower across other episodes. Across all categories of symptom and toxicity events, cardiovascular events was the only category of event that was a significant predictor of higher cost across all episodes. Symptom and toxicity events commonly associated with AML were associated with significantly increased costs, especially in R/R episodes. This resource utilization and direct health care cost analysis highlights the substantial economic burden associated with key AML treatment episodes in the United States, specifically during HIC-I, HSCT, and R/R episodes. This study was funded by Astellas Pharma. Astellas employees were involved in the study design, interpretation of data, writing of the manuscript, and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Pandya and Wilson are employees of Astellas Pharma U.S. Walsh was an employee of Astellas Pharma U.S. while the study was conducted. Chen, McGuiness, and Wade are employees of IQVIA, which received funding from Astellas Pharma U.S. Madeiros was employed at Stanford University while this study was conducted and received a consulting fee from Astellas for work on this study. Data discussed in this study were previously presented at the 59th Annual American Society for Hematology Meeting & Exposition, 2017; December 9-12, 2017; Atlanta, GA.