Odds Of Emergency Department Visit Research Articles

Evacuation and Health Care Outcomes Among Assisted Living Residents After Hurricane Irma

Evacuation has been found to be associated with adverse outcomes among nursing home residents during hurricanes, but the outcomes for assisted living (AL) residents remain unknown. To examine the association between evacuation and health care outcomes (ie, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, mortality, and nursing home visits) among Florida AL residents exposed to Hurricane Irma. Retrospective cohort study using 2017 Medicare claims data. Participants were a cohort of Florida AL residents who were aged 65 years or older, enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service, and resided in 9-digit zip codes corresponding to US assisted living communities with 25 or more beds on September 10, 2017, the day of Hurricane Irma's landfall. Propensity score matching was used to match evacuated residents to those that sheltered-in-place based on resident and AL characteristics. Data were analyzed from September 2022 to February 2024. Whether the AL community evacuated or sheltered-in-place before Hurricane Irma made landfall. Thirty- and 90-day emergency department visits, hospitalizations, mortality, and nursing home admissions. The study cohort included 25 130 Florida AL residents (mean [SD] age 81 [9] years); 3402 (13.5%) evacuated and 21 728 (86.5%) did not evacuate. The evacuated group had 2223 women (65.3%), and the group that sheltered-in-place had 14 556 women (67.0%). In the evacuated group, 42 residents (1.2%) were Black, 93 (2.7%) were Hispanic, and 3225 (94.8%) were White. In the group that sheltered in place, 490 residents (2.3%) were Black, 707 (3.3%) were Hispanic, and 20 212 (93.0%) were White. After 1:4 propensity score matching, when compared with sheltering-in-place, evacuation was associated with a 16% greater odds of emergency department visits (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01-1.33; P = .04) and 51% greater odds of nursing home visits (AOR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.14-2.00; P = .01) within 30 days of Hurricane Irma's landfall. Hospitalization and mortality did not vary significantly by evacuation status within 30 or 90 days after the landfall date. In this cohort study of Florida AL residents, there was an increased risk of nursing home and emergency department visits within 30 days of Hurricane Irma's landfall among residents from communities that evacuated before the storm when compared with residents from communities that sheltered-in-place. The stress and disruption caused by evacuation may yield poorer immediate health outcomes after a major storm for AL residents. Therefore, the potential benefits and harms of evacuating vs sheltering-in-place must be carefully considered when developing emergency planning and response.

Risk of COVID-19 infection in long-term survivors of blood or marrow transplantation: a BMTSS report.

There is limited information regarding COVID-19 in long-term blood or marrow transplant (BMT) survivors. We leveraged the BMT Survivor Study (BMTSS) to address this gap. BMTSS included patients who underwent BMT at 1 of 3 sites in the United States between 1974 and 2014 and survived ≥2 years after BMT. A sibling cohort serves as a non-BMT comparison group. Participants (2430 BMT survivors; 780 non-BMT participants) completed the BMTSS survey between October 2020 and November 2021 about COVID-19 testing, risk mitigation behaviors, morbidity, and health care use. Median age at BMT was 46 years (range, 0-78 years) and median follow-up since BMT was 14 years (6-46 years); 76% were non-Hispanic White, 54% had received allogeneic BMT. The risk of COVID-19 infection was comparable for BMT survivors vs non-BMT participants (15-month cumulative incidence, 6.5% vs 8.1%; adjusted odd ratio [aOR]= 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65-1.33; P= .68). Among survivors, being unemployed (aOR 1.90; 95%CI, 1.12-3.23; P= .02; reference: retired) increased the odds of infection; always wearing a mask in public was protective (aOR= 0.49; 95%CI, 0.31-0.77; P= .002; reference: not always masking). When compared with COVID-positive non-BMT participants, COVID-positive BMT survivors had higher odds of hospitalization (aOR= 2.23; 95%CI, 0.99-5.05; P= .05); however, the odds of emergency department visits were comparable (aOR= 1.60; 95%CI= 0.71-3.58; P= .25). COVID-19 infection status did not increase the odds of hospitalization among BMT survivors (aOR=1.32; 95%CI= 0.89-1.95; P= .17) but did increase the odds of emergency department visits (aOR= 2.63; 95%CI, 1.74-3.98; P <.0001). These findings inform health care providers about the management of care for long-term BMT survivors during the ongoing pandemic.

A MIXED-METHODS, RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED EVALUATION OF REMOTE ACTIVITY MONITORING FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH DEMENTIA

Abstract Remote activity monitoring (RAM) technology has the potential to allow at-home caregivers to track the behaviors and activities of persons with dementia in real-time, thus facilitating more proactive symptom management. The aim of the present study was to assess whether RAM technology was associated with reductions in negative health transitions and service utilization for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (ADRD). An embedded experimental mixed methods design was used that included 179 caregivers who were followed over a 1.5 year study period. Participants were randomly assigned to receive the RAM technology system or usual care. Follow-up surveys were administered on a bi-annual basis over an 18-month period that collected information on dementia caregiver and care recipient characteristics and outcomes. We developed multilevel mixed effects models to estimate odds ratios for binary outcomes (falls, wandering, health care admissions) and categorical outcomes (frequency of falls and wandering). In adjusted models, RAM technology use was statistically and significantly associated with lower odds of emergency department visits (p&amp;lt;.05) and less frequent falls (p=.05) for people living with dementia over the 1.5 year study period. Technologies that prevent or delay the onset of negative health events via improved care management and monitoring may enhance the care of persons with dementia. As dementia continues to pose an array of challenges for someone living with ADRD, RAM or similar technologies may offer a solution to the conundrum of dementia care.

Adverse Surgical Outcomes Linked to Co-occurring Smoking and Risky Alcohol Use Among General Surgery Patients.

To assess associations between co-occurring preoperative smoking and risky alcohol use on the likelihood of adverse surgical outcomes. Risky alcohol use and smoking are the known surgical risk factors with a high co-occurrence and additive adverse effects on multiple organ systems that impact surgical health, yet no research has evaluated the impact of co-occurrence on surgical outcomes. This investigation analyzed 200,816 patients from the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative database between July 1, 2012, to December 31, 2018. Patients were classified based on past year risky alcohol use (>2 drink/day) and cigarette smoking into 4 groups: (1) risky alcohol and smoking, (2) risky alcohol only, (3) smoking only, and (4) no risky alcohol/smoking. We fitted logistic regression models, applying propensity score weights incorporating demographic, clinical, and surgical factors to assess associations between alcohol and smoking and 30-day postoperative outcomes; surgical complications, readmission, reoperation, and emergency department (ED) visits. Risky alcohol and smoking, risky alcohol only, and smoking only were reported by 2852 (1.4%), 2840 (1.4%), and 44,042 (22%) patients, respectively. Relative to all other groups, the alcohol and smoking group had greater odds of surgical complications, readmission, and reoperation. Relative to the no alcohol and smoking group, the alcohol only group higher odds of reoperation and smoking only group had higher odds of emergency department visits. The combination of smoking and risky drinking conferred the highest likelihood of complications, readmission, and reoperation before surgery. Co-occurring alcohol and smoking at the time of surgery warrants special attention as a patient risk factor and deserves additional research.

Examining the association between loneliness and emergency department visits using Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging (CLSA) data: a retrospective cross-sectional study

BackgroundLoneliness is a public health concern and its influence on morbidity and mortality are well documented. The association between loneliness and emergency department visits is less clear. Further, while sex and gender-related factors are known to be associated with loneliness and health services use, little research looks at the relationship by gender. Our study aimed to estimate the association between loneliness and emergency department use in the previous 12 months. We aimed to determine if this association differed based on gender identity and gender-related characteristics.MethodsWe used a retrospective cohort study design to analyze population-based survey data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). We analysed data from the baseline and follow-up 1 survey respondents (2015-2018) from both the tracking (telephone interviews) and comprehensive (in-home data collection) cohorts (n=44816). Loneliness was assessed using a dichotomous measure (lonely/not lonely) from a validated scale. Emergency department visits were dichotomous (yes/no) by self-reported emergency department use in the 12 months prior to the survey date. Multivariable logistic regression analyses using analytic weights examined the association between loneliness and emergency department visit, controlling for other demographic, social, and health related factors.ResultsWe identified 44,413 respondents to the baseline and follow-up 1 survey. The prevalence of loneliness in our sample was 23.1% (n=10263). Of those who had been to the emergency department in the previous year, 27.2% (n=2793) were lonely. Lonely respondents had higher odds of an emergency department visit (aOR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.05-1.21), adjusted for various demographic and health factors. Loneliness was associated with emergency department visits more so in women (aOR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.05-1.25) than in men (aOR: 1.10, 95% CI: 0.99-1.22).ConclusionsIn our study, loneliness was associated with emergency department visits in the previous 12 months. When our analysis was disaggregated by gender, we found differences in the odds of emergency department visit for men, women, and gender-diverse respondents. The odds of ED visit were higher in women than men. These findings highlight the general importance of identifying loneliness in both primary care and hospital. Care providers in ED need resources to refer patients who present in this setting with health issues complicated by social conditions such as loneliness.

Heat Waves and Emergency Department Visits Among the Homeless, San Diego, 2012-2019.

Objectives. To determine the effect of heat waves on emergency department (ED) visits for individuals experiencing homelessness and explore vulnerability factors. Methods. We used a unique highly detailed data set on sociodemographics of ED visits in San Diego, California, 2012 to 2019. We applied a time-stratified case-crossover design to study the association between various heat wave definitions and ED visits. We compared associations with a similar population not experiencing homelessness using coarsened exact matching. Results. Of the 24 688 individuals identified as experiencing homelessness who visited an ED, most were younger than 65 years (94%) and of non-Hispanic ethnicity (84%), and 14% indicated the need for a psychiatric consultation. Results indicated a positive association, with the strongest risk of ED visits during daytime (e.g., 99th percentile, 2 days) heat waves (odds ratio = 1.29; 95% confidence interval = 1.02, 1.64). Patients experiencing homelessness who were younger or elderly and who required a psychiatric consultation were particularly vulnerable to heat waves. Odds of ED visits were higher for individuals experiencing homelessness after matching to nonhomeless individuals based on age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Conclusions. It is important to prioritize individuals experiencing homelessness in heat action plans and consider vulnerability factors to reduce their burden. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(1):98-106. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306557).

Family-Rated Pediatric Health Status Is Associated With Unplanned Health Services Use.

Self-rated health is a common self-reported health measure associated with morbidity, mortality, and health care use. The objective was to investigate the association of family-rated health status (FRH) in pediatric care with administrative indicators, patient and respondent features, and unplanned health services use. Data were taken from Child-Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems surveys collected between 2015 and 2019 in Alberta, Canada and linked with administrative health records. Three analyses were performed: correlation to assess association between administrative indicators of health status and FRH, logistic regression to assess respondent and patient characteristics associated with FRH, and automated logistic regression to assess the association between FRH and unplanned health services use within 90 days of discharge. A total of 6236 linked surveys were analyzed. FRH had small but significant associations with administrative indicators. Models of FRH had better fit with patient and respondent features. Respondent relationship to child, child age, previous hospitalizations, and number of comorbidities were significantly associated with ratings of FRH. Automated models of unplanned services use included FRH as a feature, and poor ratings of health were associated with increased odds of emergency department visits (adjusted odds ratio: 2.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.62-2.85) and readmission (adjusted odds ratio: 2.48, 95% confidence interval: 1.62-2.85). FRH is a simple, single-item global rating of health for pediatric populations that provides accessible and useful information about pediatric health care needs. The results of this article serve as a reminder that family members are valuable sources of information that can improve care and potentially prevent unplanned health services use.

Access to post-acute care services reduces emergency department utilisation among individuals insured by Medicaid: An observational study.

We examined whether access to post-acute care services differed between individuals insured by Medicaid and commercial insurers and whether those differences explained emergency department utilisation 30days post-hospitalisation. Timely follow-up to community-based providers is a strategy to improve post-hospitalisation outcomes. However, little is known regarding the influence of post-acute care services on the likelihood of emergency department use post-hospitalisation for individuals insured by Medicaid. We conducted a retrospective observational study of electronic health record data from an academic medical centre in a large northeastern urban setting. The STROBE checklist was used in reporting this observational study. Our analysis included adults insured by Medicaid or commercial insurers who were discharged from medical services between 1 August-31 October 2017 (n=785). Logistic regression models were used to examine the effects of post-acute care services (primary care, home health, specialty care) on the odds of an emergency department visit. Post-hospitalisation, 12% (n=59) of individuals insured by Medicaid experienced an emergency department visit compared to 4.2% (n=13) of individuals commercially insured. Having Medicaid insurance was associated with higher odds of emergency department visits post-hospitalisation (OR=3.24). Having a home care visit or specialty care visit within 30days post-discharge were significant predictors of lower odds of emergency department visits. Specific to specialty care visits, Medicaid was no longer a significant predictor of emergency department visits with specialty care being more influential (OR=0.01). Improving connections to appropriate post-acute care services, specifically specialty care, may improve outcomes among individuals insured by Medicaid. Hospital-based nurses, including those in direct care, case management and discharge planning, play an important role in facilitating referrals and scheduling appointments prior to discharge. Individuals insured by Medicaid may require additional support in accessing these services and nurses are well-positioned to facilitate care continuity.

Cost-Related Nonadherence to Medications Among US Adults With Chronic Liver Diseases

ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of cost-related medication nonadherence (CRN) in individuals with chronic liver diseases (CLDs) in the United States. Patients and MethodsUsing the National Health Interview Survey from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2018, we identified individuals with CLDs. Using complex weighted survey analysis, we obtained national estimates and risk factors for CRN and its association with cost-reducing behaviors and measures of financial toxicity. We evaluated the association of CRN with unplanned health care use, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance, income, education, and comorbid conditions. ResultsOf 3237 respondents (representing 4.6 million) US adults with CLDs, 813 (representing 1.2 million adults, or 25%; 95% CI, 23% to 27%) reported CRN, of whom 68% (n=554/813) reported maladaptive cost-reducing behaviors. Younger age, female sex, low income, and multimorbidity were associated with a higher prevalence of CRN. Compared with patients without CRN, patients experiencing CRN had 5.1 times higher odds of financial hardship from medical bills (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.05; 95% CI, 3.73 to 6.83) and 2.9 times higher odds of food insecurity (aOR, 2.85; 95% CI, 2.02 to 4.01). The CRN was also associated with 1.5 times higher odds of emergency department visits (aOR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.94). ConclusionWe observed a high prevalence of CRN and associated consequences such as high financial distress, financial hardship from medical bills, food insecurity, engagement in maladaptive cost-reducing strategies, increased health care use, and work absenteeism among patients with CLD. These financial determinants of health have important implications in the context of value-based care.

Financial Hardship From Medical Bills Among Adults With Chronic Liver Diseases: National Estimates From the United States

Background and Aims Chronic liver diseases (CLD) affect approximately 2% of the U.S. population and are associated with substantial burden of hospitalization and costs. We estimated the national burden and consequences of financial hardship from medical bills in individuals with CLD. Approach and Results Using the National Health Interview Survey from 2014 to 2018, we identified individuals with self‐reported CLD. We used complex weighted survey analysis to obtain national estimates of financial hardship from medical bills and other financial toxicity measures (eg, cost‐related medication nonadherence, personal and/or health care–related financial distress, food insecurity). We evaluated the association of financial hardship from medical bills with unplanned health care use and work productivity, accounting for differences in age, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance, income, education, and comorbidities. Of the 3,666 (representing 5.3 million) U.S. adults with CLD, 1,377 (representing 2 million [37%, 95% CI: 35%‐39%]) reported financial hardship from medical bills, including 549 (representing 740,000 [14%, 95% CI: 13%‐16%]) who were unable to pay medical bills at all. Adults who were unable to pay medical bills had 8.4‐times higher odds of cost‐related medication nonadherence (adjusted OR [aOR], 8.39 [95% CI, 5.72‐12.32]), 6.3‐times higher odds of financial distress (aOR, 6.33 [4.44‐9.03]), and 5.6‐times higher odds of food insecurity (aOR, 5.59 [3.74‐8.37]), as compared to patients without financial hardship from medical bills. Patients unable to pay medical bills had 1.9‐times higher odds of emergency department visits (aOR, 1.85 [1.33‐2.57]) and 1.8‐times higher odds of missing work due to disease (aOR, 1.83 [1.26‐2.67]). Conclusions One in 3 adults with CLD experience financial hardship from medical bills, and frequently experience financial toxicity and unplanned healthcare use. These financial determinates of health have important implications in the context of value‐based care.

Abstract P245: Sex Differences in the Association Between Cardiovascular Risk Profiles and Hospitalizations/ED Visits Among Patients With a History of Stroke/TIA

Background: Secondary prevention addressing cardiovascular risk factors is a key care component for reducing the risk of vascular events among those who had a stroke/TIA. We assessed cardiovascular risk factor (CVD-RF) profiles and their impact on hospitalizations and Emergency Department (ED) visits and whether the association differs for men and women with prior stroke/TIA. Methods: We used data from the nationally representative Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2012-2015) for persons aged ≥ 18 years with a prior stroke/TIA. CVD-RF score included 6 self-reported factors (hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, smoking, obesity), categorized as low (0-1 factors), intermediate (2-3), or high (4-6). Outcomes included ≥ 1 hospitalization discharges or ED visits during the participant’s survey year. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed the association between CVD-RF scores and outcomes, stratified by sex. We tested for interaction by sex in a combined model with men and women. Results: The weighted sample represents 9.9 million individuals (mean age 65.1 years; 54.3% women). Overall, 16.7%, 59.3%, and 24.1% of men had low, intermediate, and high CVD-RF scores compared to 21.6%, 59.5%, and 18.9% of women. Among men, there was no significant association between CVD-RF score and the two outcomes ( Table ). Among women, even after adjustment for covariates, those with high scores had 1.89 and 2.06-fold increases in the odds of hospitalizations and ED visits, compared to those with low CVD-RF scores ( P &lt;0.05). Furthermore, women with intermediate CVD-RF scores had a 1.68-fold increase in the odds of ED visits compared to those with low scores ( P &lt;0.05). The combined model showed a significant interaction by sex. Conclusion: Women with increased CVD-RF scores had increased odds of ED visits and hospitalizations, which could be due to less effective secondary prevention. Further research is needed to explore reasons for this sex disparity.

Associations Between Socioeconomic Context and Congenital Heart Disease Related Outcomes in Adolescents and Adults

Little is known about the relation between socioeconomic factors and health outcomes in adults and adolescents with congenital heart defects (CHD). Population-level data from the Colorado CHD surveillance system from 2011 to 2013 was used to examine the association between area deprivation and outcomes including hospitalizations, emergency department visits, cardiac procedures, all-cause and cardiac-related mortality, and major adverse cardiac events. Socioeconomic context was measured by the Area Deprivation Index at census tract level. Missing race/ethnicity was imputed using the Bayesian Improved Surname Geocoding algorithm. Generalized linear models were utilized to examine health disparities across deprivation quintiles after adjusting for insurance type, race/ethnicity, age, gender, urbanicity, and CHD severity in 5,748 patients. Cases residing in the most deprived quintile had 51% higher odds of inpatient admission, 74% higher odds of emergency department visit, 41% higher odds of cardiac surgeries, and 45% higher odds of major adverse cardiac events compared with cases in the least deprived quintile. Further, rates of hospitalizations, emergency department admissions, and cardiac surgeries were elevated in the most deprived compared with the least deprived quintile. Mortality was not significantly different across quintiles. In conclusion, findings suggest significant health equity issues for adolescent and adults with CHD based on area-based deprivation.

0843 Prospective Associations of Insomnia Symptoms With Health Services Use in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Introduction Limited research has examined links of insomnia with health services use, particularly using claims-based data. We investigated the association of insomnia symptoms with costly health services use, measured by Medicare claims, in a nationally representative sample of U.S. older adults. Methods Participants were 4,302 community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years from Round 1 (2011) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study who had continuous fee-for-service Medicare coverage 1 year before and after the Round 1 interview. Participants reported past-month insomnia symptoms (i.e., sleep onset latency &amp;gt;30 minutes, difficulty returning to sleep after early awakening) which we categorized as 0, 1, or 2 symptoms. Outcomes were linked Medicare claims occurring after Round 1 interviews: emergency department (ED) visits, all-cause hospitalizations, preventable hospitalizations, all-cause 30-day readmissions, home health care (all measured as yes/no); and number of hospitalizations and ED visits. Results Overall, 18.9% of participants were hospitalized, 29.3% visited the ED, 3.1% had a preventable hospitalization, 2.6% had a readmission, and 11.7% used home health care. After adjustment for demographics, compared to participants with no insomnia symptoms, those with 2 symptoms had a higher odds of ED visits (odds ratio (OR)=1.42, p&amp;lt;0.001), all-cause hospitalizations (OR=1.30, p&amp;lt;0.01), preventable hospitalizations (OR=1.83, p&amp;lt;0.05), 30-day readmissions (OR=1.73, p&amp;lt;0.05), and home health care use (OR=1.27, p&amp;lt;0.05). These associations did not hold, however, upon further adjustment for health characteristics (i.e., depressive/anxiety symptoms, medical comorbidities and BMI). After full adjustment, reporting 2 insomnia symptoms, versus no insomnia symptoms, was associated with a greater number of ED visits (Incidence Rate Ratio=1.16, p&amp;lt;0.05). Conclusion Among older adults, a greater number of insomnia symptoms is associated with greater health services use. Insomnia symptoms may be a marker of, or exacerbate, health conditions. Targeting insomnia may lower health services use. Support National Institute on Aging: R01AG050507 &amp; R01AG050507-02S (PI: Spira); F31-AG058389; U01AG032947 (PI: Kasper) for the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health Data Use Agreement (PI: Roth, Co-I: Sheehan) with Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services titled, “Potentially modifiable factors influencing outcomes in NHATS.”

Continuity of Care and Mental Health Service Use Among Medicaid-enrolled Youths.

Recent reports of increased national estimates of pediatric psychiatric emergency department (ED) visits and psychiatric hospitalizations emphasize the need to research these utilization patterns. To assess the patient-provider continuity of care (CoC) and compare the risk of psychiatric ED visits or hospitalization according to the CoC level. A cohort design was applied to Medicaid administrative claims data (2007-2014) for 3-16-year olds with a first psychiatric diagnosis between 2009 and 2013 (n=38,825). Continuously enrolled youths with (1) ≥1 outpatient psychiatric visits and (2) ≥4 pediatric outpatient visits in the prior 24 months. The authors assessed CoC in the 24 months before the first psychiatric outpatient visit and quantified CoC using the Alpha Index. The authors assessed patient-provider CoC before first psychiatric diagnosis and the odds of psychiatric ED visits or psychiatric hospitalizations in the year after diagnosis. Of the 38,825 youths, 88.9% received a first psychiatric diagnosis by age 14. The odds of ED visits were significantly higher among youths with low CoC [6.63%, adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13-1.41] or moderate CoC (5.76%; AOR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.02-1.27) compared with those with high CoC (4.96%). Greater odds of psychiatric hospitalization related to low (7.53%; AOR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.06-1.29) or moderate CoC (7.01%; AOR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03-1.27) compared with high CoC (6.06%). The odds of potentially disruptive clinical management and costly psychiatric ED visits or hospitalizations were lower for youths with high CoC. The findings support the need to research the impact of CoC on long-term pediatric mental health service use.

Acute Care, Prescription Opioid Use, and Overdose Following Discontinuation of Long-Term Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder.

Although buprenorphine treatment reduces risk of overdose and death in opioid use disorder, most patients discontinue treatment within a few weeks or months. Adverse health outcomes following buprenorphine discontinuation were compared among patients who were successfully retained beyond 6 months of continuous treatment, a minimum treatment duration recently endorsed by the National Quality Forum. A retrospective longitudinal cohort analysis was performed using the MarketScan multistate Medicaid claims database (2013-2017), covering 12 million beneficiaries annually. The sample included adults (18-64 years of age) who received buprenorphine continuously for ≥180 days by cohorts retained for 6-9 months, 9-12 months, 12-15 months, and 15-18 months. For outcome assessment in the postdiscontinuation period, patients had to be continuously enrolled in Medicaid for 6 months after buprenorphine discontinuation. Primary adverse outcomes included all-cause emergency department visits, all-cause inpatient hospitalizations, opioid prescriptions, and drug overdose (opioid or non-opioid). Adverse events were common across all cohorts, and almost half of patients (42.1%-49.9%) were seen in the emergency department at least once. Compared with patients retained on buprenorphine for 6-9 months (N=4,126), those retained for 15-18 months (N=931) had significantly lower odds of emergency department visits (odds ratio=0.75, 95% CI=0.65-0.86), inpatient hospitalizations (odds ratio=0.79, 95% CI=0.64-0.99), and filling opioid prescriptions (odds ratio=0.67, 95% CI=0.56-0.80) in the 6 months following discontinuation. Approximately 5% of patients across all cohorts experienced one or more medically treated overdoses. Risk of acute care service use and overdose were high following buprenorphine discontinuation irrespective of treatment duration. Superior outcomes became significant with treatment duration beyond 15 months, although rates of the primary adverse outcomes remained high.

Abstract P396: Influence of Social Determinants of Health on Emergency Department Visits Among Individuals With Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke: an Analysis of the 2010-2016 National Health Interview Surveys

Introduction: Coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Over 92 million Americans have been diagnosed with CHD/stroke and have more costly emergency department (ED) visits to manage acute and chronic symptoms. These visits are often attributed to poor access to primary care, advanced age, and poor social support. Social determinants of health (SDoH) have been suggested for a variety of health outcomes, yet their relation to healthcare utilization such as ED visits among individuals with CHD/stroke is unclear. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that SDoH would be associated with having ≥1 ED visit(s) in the prior 12 months among patients with CHD and stroke. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of the 2010-2016 National Health Interview Survey was conducted among those who self-reported CHD/stroke diagnosis. Logistic regression analyses were performed with the outcome reporting ≥ 1 ED visit for any reason in the prior 12 months. SDoH examined were race, employment status, poverty, insurance status, and marital status. Results: We included 6,930 participants with diagnosis of CHD/stroke. The mean age (±sd) was 67.09 (±0.10) years. After adjusting for age, sex, perceived health status, Blacks (OR: 1.27, (95%CI: 1.14-1.41) and unmarried persons (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.11-1.31) were more likely to report having at ≥ 1 ED visits than their White and married counterparts (Table) . Compared to Whites, Asians (OR: 0.65, 95%CI: 0.51-0.81) had lower odds of having ≥ 1 ED visit. Those who were employed were less likely (OR: 0.75, 95%CI: 0.67-0.83) to have ED visits compared to those who were unemployed. Those who were not poor/near poor (OR: 0.86, 95%CI: 0.78-0.96) had lower odds of ED visits than the poor. Conclusions: Being Black, poor, unemployed and unmarried were associated with a higher odds of ED visits in the prior 12 months among those with CHD/stroke. Targeted and culturally-appropriate strategies that address SDoH among this vulnerable, high risk population may help prevent costly ED visits.

Emergency department use is high after esophagectomy and feeding tube problems are the biggest culprit

ObjectivesEsophagectomy is a complex operation with potential for prolonged recovery. We aimed to identify the incidence of and risk factors for any and frequent emergency department visits within 1 year of esophagectomy. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was performed looking at consecutive esophagectomies at a tertiary Canadian center (1999-2014). Multivariable analyses identified factors associated with any emergency department visits and frequent emergency department use (≥3 visits) within 1 year postesophagectomy. ResultsThere were 520 esophagectomies with in-hospital mortality of 6% (n = 31). Of those discharged, 29.7% (n = 145) had ≥ 1 emergency department visit. Most common causes were feeding tube problems (39.3%; n = 57) and dysphagia/stricture (13.1%; n = 19). Higher income (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.42 per $10,000) and use of hybrid/minimally invasive esophagectomy (aOR, 3.24; 95% CI, 1.71-6.11) were independently associated with having emergency department visits. Patients with hybrid/minimally invasive esophagectomy were discharged earlier than others (P < .0001). Living outside of our metropolitan area (aOR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.27-0.49) and having surgery in the later years of the study period (aOR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.86-0.97; P = .006) were both independently associated with lower odds of emergency department visits. Forty-three patients (8.8%) were frequent emergency department users, with the most common causes of repeat emergency visits being feeding tube problems. Living outside of our metropolitan area was associated with lower odds of frequent emergency visits (aOR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.14-0.45). ConclusionsThere is high emergency department use within 1 year postesophagectomy. Patients living farther away from our hospital had a lower rate of emergency department use. It is possible that they are utilizing emergency departments nearer to home; this needs further study. Feeding tube problems are the biggest culprits and are potentially modifiable.

Too much of a bad thing: Discharge opioid prescriptions in pediatric appendectomy patients

BackgroundOpioid misuse is a public health crisis in the United States. This study aimed to evaluate the discharge opioid prescription practices for pediatric simple appendectomy patients. MethodsA retrospective review of pediatric appendectomy patients at a tertiary children's hospital was conducted from October 2016 to January 2018. Only patients with simple appendicitis were included. Written opioid prescriptions were found in the electronic medical record (EMR) or through a statewide prescription monitoring database. All dosing data were converted to oral morphine equivalents (OMEs). Analysis of variance and logistic regression were used. ResultsDuring the study, 590 patients underwent appendectomy, of which 371 (62.9%) were diagnosed as having simple acute appendicitis. The majority of patients were prescribed an opioid analgesic (62.5%). Demographics were similar between those who received opioids and those who did not. The OME prescribed per day (range 0.2 to 3.4 mg/kg/day) was highly variable as was duration of prescription (1 to 30 days). Odds of emergency department visit were 3.3 times higher (95% CI 1.3–8.2) in those who received opioids. ConclusionPostdischarge prescription practices for pediatric appendectomy are highly variable. Two-thirds of patients who received narcotics had a higher rate of complications. Greater scrutiny is required to optimize opioid stewardship. Type of studyRetrospective comparative study. Level of evidenceLevel III.

Outpatient Total Shoulder Arthroplasty Does Not Increase the 90-Day Risk of Complications Compared With Inpatient Surgery in Prescreened Patients.

Outpatient total joint arthroplasty is becoming a more attractive option for hospitals, surgeons, and patients. In this study, the authors evaluated the safety of outpatient shoulder arthroplasty by comparing an outpatient cohort with an inpatient cohort. Ninety-day outcomes of consecutively performed elective shoulder arthroplasty cases from 2012 to 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were preoperatively assigned to outpatient or inpatient care. Primary outcomes were emergency department visits, readmissions, mortality, and surgical morbidity within 90 days of surgery. Two-tailed t tests were used to evaluate differences. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine if the odds of emergency department visit, readmission, or complications were significantly different between the cohorts. There were 118 outpatient and 64 inpatient shoulder arthroplasty procedures. Mean age and American Society of Anesthesiologists score were lower in the outpatient group compared with the inpatient group-68.1 vs 72.4 years (P=.01) and 2.3 vs 2.6 (P<.01), respectively. In the multivariate logistic regression model including all arthroplasty cases, the odds of outpatient to inpatient readmission was significantly different (odds ratio, 0.181; P=.027). However, when only total shoulder arthroplasty cases were included, no difference was detected. No statistically significant difference was noted for number of emergency department visits, mortality, or surgical morbidity within 90 days of surgery in any of the models. There was 1 death in the ambulatory group at 28 days after surgery. On the basis of these findings, the authors believe that, for carefully selected patients, an outpatient shoulder arthroplasty protocol is safe when compared with inpatient protocols. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(4):e563-e568.].

Impact of Depression on Health and Medical Care Utilization and Expenses in US Adults With Migraine: A Retrospective Cross Sectional Study.

The association between migraine and depression has been extensively examined and a bidirectional hypothesis of the comorbidity between the 2 diseases has been reported. However, the economic impact of comorbid depression on migraine has not been fully explored. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of depression on medical utilization and health care expenses among subjects reporting migraine. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) household component longitudinal data files (2006-2012) identified subjects (≥ 18 years) with migraines. Two groups were created from all eligible subjects with migraine based on whether comorbid depression was reported or not. The major outcome measures were annualized average total and migraine-related health care expenses and medical utilization during a 2-year period. The impact of depression on health expenses was assessed by multivariable linear regression models with log transformations. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with depression and examined the likelihood of emergency department (ED) visit adjusting for demographic and health-related variables. Among 2,400 subjects with migraine (approximate 54.3 million United States [US] individuals for years 2006-2012), 804 reported depression (representing 18.4 million individuals in the United States, 33.9%). Among migraineurs, nearly one-third received anti-migraine prescription drugs and approximately 65% with comorbid depression used antidepressants. Race (black vs white, odds ratio [OR]: 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.25, 0.52), sex (male vs female, OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.51, 0.87), perceived health status (fair to poor vs excellent-very good, OR: 2.58, 95% CI: 2.72. 4.71), insurance coverage (public vs private, OR: 1.59, 95%CI: 1.13, 2.24), and greater comorbidity (OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.28, 2.26) were significantly associated with comorbid depression in the subjects with migraine. Compared to migraine subjects without depression, the mean annual total health expenses per person ($10,012 vs. $4,740, P <.001) and mean migraine-related health expenses ($723 vs $499, P = .014) were significantly higher in those with depression. The odds of ED visit in migraineurs with comorbid depression were higher than in those without depression (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.71). Comorbid depression in subjects with migraine was associated with higher total and migraine-related health expenses and increased likelihood of all-cause ED visits. Comorbid depression management might be incorporated into migraine intervention program to improve treatment outcomes and produce potential cost savings. Further studies are needed to assess long-term effects of depression on migraine progression and health care utilization patterns.