Decrease In Use Of Resources Research Articles

Decreases in resource use after implementing an interdisciplinary management program for patients with placenta accreta spectrum

Objective Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) often causes severe morbidity and demands the availability of abundant health resources. Research has shown that the participation of experienced interdisciplinary groups in specialized centers improves clinical outcomes. Our objective is to measure resource use variation after implementing an interdisciplinary management program for this condition. Methods Using detailed billing information, hospital care resource use was measured at constant prices for women with PAS who were treated between 2011 and 2019. Cases were classified before (Group 1) and after (Group 2) the implementation of the program. A third group included women with intraoperative MAP findings (Group 3). Comparisons were made using descriptive statistics. Results The mean reduction in resource use after the program was 16.5% per patient. The program also reduced variability in resource use as measured by the standard deviation and the coefficient of variation, which decreased by 55.2% and 46.3%, respectively. Conclusion The interdisciplinary management of patients affected by PAS in experienced hospitals is associated with a reduction in resource use and variability.

Temporal Trends in Resource Use, Cost, and Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in the United States

ObjectiveTo evaluate the contemporary trends in outcomes and resource use associated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the United States. MethodsWe identified patients who underwent TAVR between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2017, in the National Readmission Database. We assessed temporal trends in clinical outcomes, length-of-stay, non-home discharges, and cost of the index TAVR hospitalization. We also evaluated the changes in the burden of hospitalizations before and after TAVR. ResultsA total of 89,202 patients were included. In-hospital mortality decreased from 5.3% (188) in 2012 to 1.6% (484) in 2017 (adjusted odds ratio: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.30 to 0.46). Risk-adjusted incidences of new dialysis, vascular complications, blood transfusion, and mechanical ventilation decreased, but strokes and pacemaker implantations remained unchanged. Length of stay decreased from median of 7 (interquartile range [IQR]: 4 to 11) to 2 (IQR: 2 to 5) days (P<.001). Risk-adjusted non-home discharges decreased from 32.2% (1134) to 15.5% (386) (P<.001). Median cost of the TAVR hospitalization decreased from $56,022 (IQR: $43,690 to $75,174) to $46,101 (IQR: $36,083 to $59,752) (P<.001). Pre-TAVR admissions at 30, 90, and 180 days decreased from 21.6% (713), 39.5% (1160), and 50.5% (1009) in 2012 to 15.5% (4451), 30.2% (7186), and 36.8% (5928) in 2017, respectively (P<.001). Similarly, re-hospitalizations at 30, 90, and 180 days post-TAVR decreased from 17.5% (531), 27.9% (657), and 34.2% (521) to 12.4% (3486), 21.1% (4783), and 29.1% (4306), respectively (P<.001). The expenditure on index, pre-, and post-TAVR hospitalizations increased from $0.53 to $2.8 billion between 2012 and 2017. ConclusionThis study reflects the changes in the characteristics and outcomes of TAVR in the United States between 2012 and 2017. It also shows the temporal decrease in resource use, cost, and burden of hospitalizations among patients undergoing TAVR in the United States, but an increase in the overall expenditure on TAVR-related hospitalizations.

Performance Monitoring via Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy for Virtual Reality Based Basic Life Support Training.

The use of serious game tools in training of medical professions is steadily growing. However, there is a lack of reliable performance assessment methods to evaluate learner’s outcome. The aim of this study is to determine whether functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can be used as an additional tool for assessing the learning outcome of virtual reality (VR) based learning modules. The hypothesis is that together with an improvement in learning outcome there would be a decrease in the participants’ cerebral oxygenation levels measured from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) region and an increase of participants’ serious gaming results. To test this hypothesis, the subjects were recruited and divided into four groups with different combinations of prior virtual reality experience and prior Basic Life Support (BLS) knowledge levels. A VR based serious gaming module for teaching BLS and 16-Channel fNIRS system were used to collect data from the participants. Results of the participants’ scores acquired from the serious gaming module were compared with fNIRS measures on the initial and final training sessions. Kruskal Wallis test was run to determine any significant statistical difference between the groups and Mann–Whitney U test was utilized to obtain pairwise comparisons. BLS training scores of the participants acquired from VR based serious game’s the learning management system and fNIRS measurements revealed decrease in use of resources from the PFC, but increase in behavioral performance. Importantly, brain-based measures can provide an additional quantitative metric for trainee’s expertise development and can assist the medical simulation instructors.

Association between 12-hr shifts and nursing resource use in an acute hospital: Longitudinal study.

AimTo evaluate whether ≥12‐hr shifts are associated with a decrease in resource use, in terms of care hours per patient day and staffing costs per patient day.BackgroundNurses working long shifts may become less productive and no research has investigated whether potential cost savings are realized.MethodA retrospective longitudinal study using routinely collected data from 32 wards within an English hospital across 3 years (1 April 2012–31 March 2015). There were 24,005 ward‐days. Hierarchical linear mixed models measured the association between the proportion of ≥12‐hr shifts worked on a ward‐day, care hours per patient day and staffing costs per patient day.ResultsCompared with days with no ≥12‐hr shifts, days with between 50% and 75% ≥12‐hr shifts had more care hours per patient day and higher costs (estimate for care hours per patient day: 0.32; 95% CI: 0.28–0.36; estimate for staffing costs per patient day: £8.86; 95% CI: 7.59–10.12).ConclusionsWe did not find reductions in total care hours and costs associated with the use of ≥12‐hr shifts. The reason why mixed shift patterns are associated with increased cost needs further exploration.Implications for Nursing ManagementIncreases in resource use could result in additional costs or loss of productivity for hospitals. Implementation of long shifts should be questioned.

Evidence of the water-energy nexus in tourist accommodation

The water-energy nexus is critical to solving multiple resource challenges simultaneously, but has rarely been considered in tourism, despite evidence that tourism can be both energy and water intensive. A database of 876 environmentally certified hotels globally was used to explore the resource use, savings achievements and existence of different nexuses. . Differentiated by accommodation type (vacation, business, and villas), the research established robust benchmarks for energy (175–420 MJ per guest-night), water (358–1338 L per guest-night) and waste (2.1–2.9 L per guest-night), and found that annual improvements in resource intensity are in the order of several percent, with the first years of being in a certification program yielding the largest reductions. Absolute decreases in resource use over time could not be observed, raising concerns that efficiency gains are outweighed by growth. The relationship between all three resource indicators was significant, but particularly pronounced for the water-energy nexus, indicating the intrinsically close relationship between ‘water for energy’ and ‘energy for water’. The main contribution of this research is to provide an important knowledge basis for harnessing this nexus. Taking a nexus approach to resource savings in tourism is an important step towards achieving not only relative but also absolute reductions.

Impact of parecoxib on hospital discharge: retrospective analysis of Brazilian health insurance

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Adequate postoperative pain and renal colic control is critical for patients' recovery and to decrease hospitalization costs and the use of resources. So, this study aimed at evaluating hospitalization time of patients treated with parecoxib sodium versus other non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs to manage postoperative pain of appendectomy or fractures and renal colic. METHODS: This is a retrospective data analysis of Brazilian private hospitals medical bills, including patients treated with non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs to decrease post-appendectomy pain (n=1618), post orthopedic fracture pain (n=2858 and renal colic (n=6555), between January and June 2014. Mean hospitalization time was evaluated according to each group of drugs. Mean difference among groups was calculated by the Kruskal-Wallis method. RESULTS: Mean hospitalization time for patients submitted to appendectomy was 1.95 days with parecoxib versus 2.20 with other non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (p= 0.006). For patients submitted to orthopedic fracture surgery, mean time was 1.75 days with parecoxib versus 1.93 days with other anti-inflammatory drugs (p=0.008). Parecoxib has also significantly decreased hospitalization time for renal colic as compared to other drugs (25.2h versus 32.9h; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Parecoxib sodium has provided shorter hospitalization time with possible decrease in use of resources and costs and should be considered a choice for such painful conditions.

Health economic consequences related to the diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome

To evaluate the use and costs of medical resources before and after a diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) in a large primary care population in the UK. We applied an existing data set for medical resource use among patients with a coded diagnosis of FMS. The observed quantities of 157 types of medical resource use before and after the diagnosis of FMS were multiplied by unit costs in order to calculate the cost of care (general practitioner [GP] visits, drugs, referrals, and diagnostics) within the National Health Service, excluding hospital costs. Costs before diagnosis were used in a trend analysis to predict later costs, assuming the diagnosis had never been made, and these predicted costs were compared with the observed costs after diagnosis. Following a diagnosis of FMS, a decrease in costs as compared with the predicted trend was observed. In the 4 years after diagnosis, the average difference between the predicted and observed cost was pound66.21 per 6 months per patient. This suggests that making the diagnosis leads to savings and a decrease in resource use. The main effect was observed for tests and imaging ( pound24.02 per 6 months), followed by pharmaceuticals ( pound22.27), referrals ( pound15.56), and GP visits ( pound4.36). Failure to diagnose a true case of FMS has its own costs, largely in excess GP visits, investigations, and prescriptions.

Topiramate in Migraine Prophylaxis: Long‐Term Impact on Resource Utilization and Cost

To evaluate the medical resource utilization and overall cost of care among patients treated with topiramate (TPM) for migraine prevention in a commercially insured population. Background.-Preventive migraine therapy with TPM significantly reduces the frequency of migraine attacks. Limited data exist on the real-world health care consumption associated with TPM therapy for migraine prevention. Data were obtained from a large geographically diverse integrated medical and pharmacy claims database representative of the commercially insured population. The date of the first TPM claim between July 2000 and December 2003 was considered the index date. Patients needed at least 1 triptan prescription (Rx) claim during the 6-month preindex period, and > or =2 TPM Rx claims in the 12 months following index TPM Rx to be included in the analysis. Headache-related inpatient and outpatient resource use were compared: preindex vs postindex period 1 (months 1-6) and preindex vs postindex period 2 (months 7-12). Subgroup analyses were conducted based on the triptan consumption during the 6-month preindex period: Cohort L (low triptan users) with < or =36 triptan doses, and Cohort H (high triptan users) with >36 triptan doses. The sample included 2645 plan members (1778 patients in Cohort L, and 867 patients in Cohort H). TPM utilization was associated with significantly less triptan utilization in the first (34.8 quantity dispensed; 7.5% decrease) and second (30.2; 19.6% decrease) follow-up periods compared to the preindex period (37.6; both P < .0001). In postindex period 1, there was a 46% decrease in emergency department (ED) visits, 39% decrease in diagnostic procedures (eg, CT scans and MRIs), and a 33% decrease in hospital admission; physician office visits were unchanged. In postindex period 2, there was a 46% decrease in ED visits, 72% decrease in diagnostic procedures, 61% decrease in hospital admissions, and a 35% decrease in physician office visits. Decreases in resource use were observed in both cohorts L and H. Mean +/- SD total headache-related cost was $2118 +/- $3406 per patient in the preperiod, versus $2450 +/- $3318 in follow-up period 1 and $2009 +/- $3136 in follow-up period 2. In this sample of patients from a diverse set of health plans receiving TPM, significant decreases in resource use were observed within 6 months of TPM initiation, and this trend continued in follow-up period 2. Although there was an initial increase in total headache-related cost upon introduction of TPM (follow-up period 1), the cost in follow-up period 2 was lower than in the preindex period, suggesting that benefits of long-term treatment with TPM can be achieved without increasing total cost.

Infliximab decreases resource use among patients with Crohn's disease.

Surgery accounts for one half, and hospitalizations for one third, of overall costs for patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Infliximab induces remission and heals fistulas in CD but is more costly than traditional therapies. Its impact upon resource use in CD is unknown. The medical records were reviewed for all CD patients managed at our institution for at least 1 full year both before and after initial infliximab infusion. The incidences of hospitalizations, hospitalized days, surgeries, endoscopies, radiologic examinations, outpatient and emergency room (ER) visits were studied (weighted according to time period). There were 79 patients (59% female, mean age 38.6 years). A decrease was seen in the annual incidence of all surgeries (38%, p < 0.01), gastrointestinal (GI) surgeries (18%, p < 0.05), endoscopies (43%, p < 0.01), ER visits (66%, p < 0.05), all outpatient visits (16%, p < 0.05), outpatient GI visits (20%, p < 0.01), all radiologic examinations (12%, p < 0.01), and non-plain films (13%, p < 0.01). Fistula patients (n = 37) had decreases in hospitalizations (59%, p < 0.05); GI surgeries (59%, p < 0.01); all surgeries (66%, p < 0.01); all, GI, and surgical outpatient visits (27%, 26%, and 70%, respectively, p < 0.05 for all); ER visits (64%, p < 0.05); all radiologic examinations (40%, p < 0.05); and non-plain films (61%, p < 0.05). Patients with luminal disease(n = 42) had decreases in endoscopies (52%, p < 0.05), and ER visits (69%, p < 0.05). Patients of both genders and all ages experienced decreases in resource use. Patients with CD decreased their use of some services, with a decreased number of hospitalizations and a decrease in the use of surgical services seen primarily in the patients infused for fistulas. This decrease in use of healthcare resources raises the potential of overall cost savings in CD patients receiving this drug.

PID15: MANAGING AIDS IN THE ERA OF ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY: CHANGES IN THE RATE AND COST OF HOSPITALIZATIONS

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials have shown that highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) alters the natural progression of HIV. This study was undertaken to determine if, apart from the beneficial clinical impact, there has been a change in the cost of AIDS-related care. METHODS: Data from the Massachusetts (MA) Department of Public Health and hospital discharge databases for 1995–1998 were used to examine changes in hospital admission and discharge patterns, and hospital costs for adults with AIDS across the four years. Analyses involved log transformation to address highly skewed distributions, ANOVA to compare continuous variables and Chi-Square to compare the proportions. Hospital costs include all accommodations and ancillaries. Cost estimates, adjusted for medical inflation and cost-to-charge ratios, are reported in 1998 US$. RESULTS: From 1995 to 1998, the rate of hospital admissions for MA residents with AIDS declined substantially. In 1995, 86% of the 3,162 AIDS patients were admitted at least once during the year compared to 31% of the 5,636 patients in 1998. The mean number of annual admissions per patient dropped from 2 to 1.76 and the inpatient case fatality rate fell from 6.7% to 4.6%. The mean LOS per AIDS admission fell by 1.3 days; a greater decline than the 0.4 day average observed in MA over the same period. The mean hospital stay cost decreased from $8,070 to $7,538. These changes accounted for a $2,900 drop in the mean annual hospitalization cost per AIDS patient during that time. Discharge to sub-acute inpatient and home health services fell by 8.6% in this period. All changes reported are statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The change in LOS is not the result of post-discharge resource use shifting. The decrease in resource use and costs observed after the introduction of HAART are consistent with an economically beneficial impact of these agents.