Measuring low-value care in Medicare

Nonhome discharge is an independent risk factor for readmission after primary total shoulder arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Use of total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) in the United States has increased substantially within the last 2 decades, and this trend is expected to continue. As TSA volume has continued to increase, health care policy has shifted toward an emphasis on value-based care. Therefore, it is important to understand variables that may increase TSA costs, including readmission rates. Patients discharged to home health care (HHC) or post-acute care (PAC) facilities have demonstrated increased readmission rates after TSA. However, few studies have directly compared HHC with PAC facilities and routine home discharge while accounting for pertinent demographics. The purpose of this study was to compare 180-day readmission rates between routine home discharge, HHC, and PAC facility groups after primary TSA.

METHODS

The Nationwide Readmissions Database was queried from 2010 to 2020 to identify all patients who underwent primary TSA. Readmission rates were compared between routine home discharge, HHC, and PAC facility groups. Binary logistic regression identified independent risk factors for readmission within 180 days.

RESULTS

From 2010 to 2020 a total of 171,898 patients underwent TSA. Of them, 71% were routinely discharged home, 21% were discharged to HHC, and 8% were discharged to a PAC facility. After adjusting for income, insurance, obesity status, age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and gender, discharge to a PAC facility was independently predictive of readmission within 180 days after TSA (odds ratio: 1.69, 95% confidence interval: 1.59-1.79, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients discharged to a PAC facility after TSA had higher readmission rates than HHC and routine home discharges that persisted even after controlling for relevant demographics. Clinicians should be cognizant of the risks and benefits of different discharge methods and consider home discharges for suitable candidates. Understanding risk factors that increase health care expenditures has significant utility for institutions in the era of bundled care. However, it is important that alternative payment models do not disincentivize orthopedic surgeons from providing care to medically complex patients.

Fiscal Impact of Expanded Medicare Coverage for GLP-1 Receptor Agonists to Treat Obesity

Importance

Despite the clinical benefits of treating obesity and related complications, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are not yet covered by Medicare Part D, partly due to high drug costs. The Biden administration's proposal to expand Part D coverage underscores the need to assess the balance between fiscal costs and benefits to guide policy decisions.

Objective

To estimate the 10-year net fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1RAs for obesity treatment.

Design, Setting, and Participants

In this economic evaluation, a 10-year fiscal impact analysis was conducted between 2026 and 2035 using the validated Diabetes, Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease Microsimulation model. The base-case analysis incorporated a 10% 1-time uptake rate for eligible adults in each new cohort, 40% adherence beyond the first year, and a 10% additional price discount beyond current net prices. A 3-way sensitivity analysis was conducted with varying uptake, adherence, and additional price discounts. The model included current and future Medicare beneficiaries with body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 30 and higher or 27 and higher with at least 1 obesity-related comorbidity. Data were analyzed from March to December 2024.

Exposure

GLP-1RA therapy.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Total Medicare drug costs for GLP-1RAs for obesity indications not covered by Medicare, long-term health care cost offsets from reduced obesity-related comorbidities, and net fiscal impact.

Results

Among 30 million cumulative Medicare beneficiaries (survey-weighted mean [SE] age, 64.5 [0.4] years; 54.1% female) identified as eligible for new GLP-1RAs for obesity treatment over the next 10 years, the base-case analysis estimated that 3 million would receive treatment. Medicare's total drug costs were projected at $65.9 billion and health care cost offsets from clinical benefits at $18.2 billion, resulting in net increased spending of $47.7 billion. Three-way sensitivity analysis estimated that higher uptake and adherence would lead to increased health care savings from clinical benefits. However, these savings were estimated to remain less than additional spending on GLP-1RAs and to extensively increase net spending.

Conclusions and Relevance

This economic evaluation estimates that expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1RAs would increase access and reduce obesity-related comorbidities but impose substantial costs over 10 years. Even with a moderate scenario (5% uptake, 20% adherence, and 30% additional price discount), net spending was still projected to reach $8 billion over a decade, underscoring the need for further price reductions, lower-cost strategies to prevent weight regain, and reductions in spending on low-value care.

Evaluating the impact of 2011 tort reform limiting noneconomic damages in North Carolina and Tennessee on testing, imaging, and procedure utilization

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of tort reform laws passed in 2011 capping noneconomic damages in North Carolina and Tennessee on rates and adjusted per user costs of tests, imaging, and procedures in the Medicare fee-for-service population.

STUDY SETTING AND DESIGN

State-level synthetic difference-in-differences, adjusting for the percent of FFS Medicare beneficiaries in the state who were female, had ever been on Medicare Advantage, were eligible for Medicaid for at least 1 month of the year, and total state risk-adjusted, standardized per-capita costs. Analyses of North Carolina and Tennessee were performed separately. We measured the average treatment effect on the treated.

DATA SOURCES AND ANALYTIC SAMPLE

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Geographic Variation Public Use File, 2007-2019.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Our analysis showed no economically significant impact of these laws in either state, though we found a small but statistically significant increase (average treatment effect on the treated: $46, 95% confidence interval: $6-$87) in adjusted per user cost of procedures in Tennessee.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that caps on noneconomic damages alone may be insufficient to modify physician practice habits and impact utilization. Future work should attempt to better understand the economic and noneconomic incentives that shape physician ordering decisions.

Telemedicine Adoption and Low-Value Care Use and Spending Among Fee-for-Service Medicare Beneficiaries

Importance

Low-value care is a persistent problem with direct and cascading harms. Telemedicine is now commonly used and may reduce low-value testing by introducing barriers to completing tests at a given visit or expand opportunities for low-value testing by contributing to higher visit volumes.

Objective

To quantify the association between telemedicine adoption and low-value testing among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries.

Design, Setting, and Participants

In this cohort study using 100% fee-for-service Medicare claims data, US health systems were divided into quartiles based on 2020 telemedicine adoption. Beneficiary-level linear regression in difference-in-differences (DiD) analyses was used to compare beneficiaries who were continuously enrolled from 2019 through 2022 and were attributed before telemedicine adoption (2019) to high telemedicine-adopting (top quartile) vs low telemedicine-adopting (bottom quartile) health systems on low-value test and visit outcomes in 2022 vs 2019. Data were analyzed from October 2023 to December 2024.

Exposure

Health system telemedicine adoption.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Receipt of, and spending on, 20 low-value screening, preoperative, chronic condition management, and acute diagnostic tests, as well as total visits (in person and virtual).

Results

The sample included 1 382 033 beneficiaries who were attributed to high-telemedicine systems (mean [SD] age, 71.6 [10.5] years; 58.8% female) and 999 051 beneficiaries who were attributed to low-telemedicine systems (mean [SD] age, 71.8 [10.0] years; 57.0% female). From 2019 to 2022, those in high-telemedicine systems had a small differential rise in visits (DiD visits per beneficiary, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.21) and differential decreases in use of 7 of 20 low-value tests: cervical cancer screening (DiD, -0.45 percentage points [pp]; 95% CI, -0.72 to -0.17 pp), screening electrocardiograms (DiD, -1.30 pp; 95% CI, -1.96 to -0.65 pp), screening metabolic panels (DiD, -1.84 pp; 95% CI, -2.87 to -0.80 pp), preoperative complete blood cell counts (DiD, -0.64 pp; 95% CI, -1.06 to -0.22 pp), preoperative metabolic panels (DiD, -1.35 pp; -1.91 to -0.80 pp), total or free T3 (triiodothyronine) level testing for hypothyroidism (DiD, -0.90 pp; 95% CI, -1.38 to -0.41 pp), and imaging for uncomplicated low back pain (DiD, -1.66 pp; 95% CI, -2.35 to -0.98 pp). There were no statistically significant differences in other tests. Those in high-telemedicine systems saw statistically significant differential decreases in spending on visits per beneficiary (-$47.87; 95% CI, -$86.85 to -$8.88) and on 2 of 20 low-value tests, but no differences in low-value spending overall.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study, telemedicine adoption was associated with modestly lower use of 7 of 20 examined low-value tests (most point-of-care) and no changes in use of other low-value tests, despite a small rise in total visits that might offer more testing opportunities. Results suggest possible benefits of telemedicine and mitigate concerns about telemedicine contributing to increased spending.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Low-Value Care Among Older Adults in a Large Statewide Health System

BACKGROUND

As value-based payment models incorporate both measures of health equity and low-value care (LVC), understanding how LVC varies by race is vital for interventions. Therefore, we measured racial differences in LVC in a contemporary sample.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of claims from adults ≥ 55 years receiving care at five academic medical centers in California from 2019 to 2021. Our sample included patients who received a service that could be classified as LVC. The primary outcome was whether a service was classified as LVC. Secondary outcomes included clinical categories of LVC (preventive screening, diagnostic testing, prescription drugs, and preoperative testing). We examined associations between race/ethnicity with outcomes using multivariable regression models adjusted for patient characteristics and medical center.

RESULTS

Among 15,720 members who received potentially LVC, non-Hispanic White older adults comprised 59% of the sample, followed by Asian (17%), unknown race (8%), Latino (8%), non-Hispanic Black (5%), other race (2%). In adjusted models, Asian (-4.9 percentage points [pp]; 95% CI -5.9, -3.8 pp), Black (-5.4 pp; 95% CI -8.0, -2.7 pp), and Latino (-2.5 pp; 95% CI -4.6, -0.4 pp) older adults were less likely to receive LVC compared to White older adults, specifically preventive and preoperative services. Asian, Black, and Latino older adults, however, were more likely to receive low-value prescriptions.

CONCLUSIONS

These diverging racial patterns in LVC across different measures likely reflect differential mechanisms, underscoring the need to use clinically specific measures rather than composite measures, which obscure underlying heterogeneity and could lead to potentially harmful and inequity-producing interventions.

Inappropriate Laboratory Testing: Significant Waste Quantified by a Large-Scale Year-Long Study of Medicare and Commercial Payer Reimbursement

CONTEXT.—

Laboratory testing, beyond what is essential for managing health, is considered low-value care, posing patient risks and wasting resources. Measuring excess testing on a national level is crucial to identify waste and optimize healthcare resource allocation for maximum impact.

OBJECTIVE.—

To measure inappropriate laboratory testing and its cost across Medicare and many US commercial payers.

DESIGN.—

A retrospective analysis on 2019 claims data measured the frequency of 4 commonly used laboratory tests among 64 million individuals with Medicare and 168 million with commercial insurance. Tests included 25-hydroxy vitamin D, prostate-specific antigen, lipid panel, and hemoglobin A1c. Clinical guidelines, medical literature, and payer recommendations were used to determine appropriate testing frequencies. Costs of excessive testing were calculated using the 2019 clinical lab fee schedule. A targeted analysis of 2022 data confirmed 2019 trends.

RESULTS.—

Analysis of ∼84 million tests from ∼1 billion outpatient test claim records revealed that 7% to 51% of tests exceeded recommended frequencies, with some egregious overuse: for example, hemoglobin-A1c or prostate-specific antigen every week. The conservative cost estimate for 4 excess tests surpassed $350 million.

CONCLUSIONS.—

This extensive study, involving 232 million people, found that 14.4 million of 60.5 million individuals (23.8%) tested had undergone excessive laboratory testing, with likely little benefit and possible harm. Extrapolating findings to all laboratory testing suggests that Medicare alone may have incurred direct excess expenses from $1.95 to $3.28 billion in 2019, without factoring the hidden costs of excessive testing (eg, downstream care). Addressing unnecessary testing is crucial to lowering costs and redirecting resources for greater patient benefit.

Selecting indicators for the measurement of low-value care using German claims data: A three-round modified Delphi panel

By reducing healthcare services that offer little benefit or potential harm to patients (low-value care), resources can be redirected towards more adequate treatments, improving healthcare efficiency and patient outcomes. This study aimed to systematically incorporate clinical expertise across medical disciplines through a Delphi process to establish indicators for measuring low-value care, ensuring their acceptance by medical societies, the broader medical community, and patients. We developed two versions (one with higher sensitivity and one with higher specificity) for almost each of the 42 indicators identified as potentially measurable in a previous systematic review. We conducted a three-round modified Delphi panel based on the RAND/UCLA appropriateness methodology, with 62 experts from 52 Scientific Medical Societies and professional organisations, and patient representatives. In round one, each indicator was rated for its ability to indicate low-value healthcare and its measurability in German claims data. This was followed by an online discussion in round two. The indicators were then modified based on expert feedback and re-assessed in round three. As a result, 24 indicators were deemed appropriate for measuring low-value care, covering areas such as pharmaceuticals, diagnostic tests, screening, and treatment. For example, one indicator identified patients with cancer who received chemotherapy in the last month of life. These indicators will help identify healthcare services that may require policy-level interventions to improve the quality of care. However, most low-value care indicators can only be measured in German claims data if documentation requirements for relevant information are expanded.

Development of International Quality Measures Targeting Low-Value Care in Hand Surgery

PURPOSE

Low-value care, defined as care in which there is no evidence of benefit, increases the risk of harm, or adds unnecessary costs, persists in hand and upper extremity care globally. To date, there are no quality measures to measure low-value care for a global setting. We aimed to develop international quality measures that are important, feasible, usable, and scientifically acceptable for reducing low-value care in hand surgery.

METHODS

We performed a literature review to identify areas of potential low-value care for hand surgery. A consortium of 11 United States-based surgeons with experience in hand and upper-extremity surgery and/or quality measure development completed a modified Research and Development (RAND)/ University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Delphi Appropriateness process to evaluate the importance, feasibility, usability, and scientific acceptability of 10 candidate quality measures to reduce low-value hand surgical care. A modified RAND/UCLA Delphi Appropriateness process was subsequently conducted that included a panel of 20 international hand surgeons who voted on the same 10 measures using the same voting criteria. Panelist agreement or disagreement was assessed using predetermined criteria.

RESULTS

United States and international panelists achieved agreement on the four criteria for five of the 10 measures; thus, these five measures were deemed valid. These measures include minimizing the unnecessary use of immobilization for fifth metacarpal neck fractures, postinjury imaging of distal radius fractures, perioperative antibiotics for soft tissue hand surgery, pre-operative testing, and opioid use after hand surgery. Two measures were deemed valid by the US panelists only, and two measures were deemed valid by the international panel only.

CONCLUSIONS

United States- and international-based hand and upper-extremity surgeons achieved consensus on an international quality measure portfolio to reduce low-value care in hand surgery, which may vary in practices settings globally.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

These quality measures may be used to reduce low-value care in many types of health systems globally.

Monitoring low-value care in medical patients from Swiss university hospitals using a Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) national data stream and patient and public involvement: LUCID study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Healthcare practices providing minimal or no benefit to recipients have been estimated to represent 20% of healthcare costs. However, defining, measuring and monitoring low-value care (LVC) and its downstream consequences remain a major challenge. The purpose of the National Data Stream (LUCID NDS) is to identify and monitor LVC in medical inpatients using routinely collected hospital data.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This protocol describes a multistep approach to the identification and surveillance of LVC: (1) creating an NDS based on Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) principles using routinely collected hospital data from medical inpatients who signed a general consent for data reuse from 2014 onwards; (2) selecting recommendations applicable to medical inpatients using data from LUCID NDS to develop a comprehensive and robust set of LVC indicators; (3) establishing expert consensus on the most relevant and actionable recommendations to prevent LVC; (4) applying the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy methodology to assess the level of evidence of recommendations; (5) involving patients and the public at various stages of LUCID NDS; and (6) designing monitoring rules within the LUCID NDS and validating quality measures.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The ethics committees of all five participating university hospitals (Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich) approved LUCID NDS as a national registry on quality of care. We will disseminate our findings in peer-reviewed journals, at professional conferences, and through short reports sent to participating entities and stakeholders; moreover, lay summaries are provided for patients and the broader public on our webpage (www.LUCID-nds.ch).

How does undervaluation in medical savings accounts (MSAs) affect healthcare utilization? Evidence from administrative data in China

This study examines how the undervaluation of funds in Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) influences healthcare utilization in China. Given that MSA funds are restricted to healthcare expenses, individuals may undervalue these funds relative to cash, leading to potential overuse of health care. Through an event study approach using administrative data, we find significant reductions in healthcare utilization after MSA balances are depleted-outpatient care expenses drop by 49 percent, and drugstore purchases decrease by 41 percent. These effects persist across socioeconomic groups, indicating that liquidity constraints are not a major factor. Our back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that insured individuals undervalue MSA funds by 40-70 %. This research sheds light on the behavioral impacts of MSAs and the broader implications of perceived price distortions in health insurance.

Breast and Prostate Cancer Screening by Life Expectancy in Patients with Kidney Failure on Dialysis

Key Points

Breast and prostate cancer screening were more frequent among patients on hemodialysis waitlisted for kidney transplant. Among patients not waitlisted for transplant, we found that screening rates were generally higher among patients with higher predicted 5-year survival. Among patients not waitlisted for transplant and with the highest predicted 5-year survival, there was a deficit of screening compared with waitlisted patients.

Background

The Choosing Wisely campaign suggests an individualized approach to cancer screening among patients receiving dialysis. We aimed to evaluate breast and prostate cancer screening among patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis by kidney transplant waitlist status and 5-year survival probability.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a nationally representative population of hemodialysis patients. Patients receiving hemodialysis each calendar year from 2003 to 2018, ≥1 year of Medicare as the Primary Payer, and age 50–69 years were included. The cohort was split into prognosis and cancer screening sets. Models of 5-year survival were built in the prognosis set using logistic regression. Five-year survival probabilities were generated in the cancer screening set, excluding patients with prior breast or prostate cancer, and screening over the next year was assessed.

Results

One hundred sixty thousand five hundred thirty-seven patients contributed 356,165 person-years to the cancer screening set (59% of the person-years were contributed by males, median age was 60 years). Compared with a benchmark rate of 50% (e.g ., mammography every other year), 42% of waitlisted female-years were screened by mammography. Overall, 17% of nonwaitlisted female-years were screened (20% among those with >50% probability of 5-year survival and 8% among those with <10% probability of 5-year survival). Compared with a benchmark rate of 20% (e.g ., serum prostate-specific antigen screening up to 5 years apart), 24% of waitlisted male-years were screened with serum prostate-specific antigen. Overall, 15% of nonwaitlisted male-years were screened (13% among those with >50% probability of 5-year survival and 11% among those with <10% probability of five-survival). Patterns were similar after age-standardization.

Conclusions

Patients with higher predicted survival have higher rates of cancer screening, suggesting providers consider life expectancy. However, nonwaitlisted patients with high probability of 5-year survival were less likely to be screened compared with waitlisted patients. Interventions may be needed to close this screening gap.

Quantifying Low-Value Care in Germany: An Observational Study Using Statutory Health Insurance Data From 2018 to 2021

OBJECTIVES

Low-value care refers to medical services whose benefits do not outweigh the costs and potential harm. This study estimates the prevalence, distribution, and associated costs of 24 low-value care services within the German public healthcare system.

METHODS

This study was designed as a large-scale retrospective observational study using statutory health insurance data provided by the Techniker Krankenkasse, spanning from 2018 to 2021, covering approximately 11.1 million insured individuals annually. The prevalence of 24 low-value service indicators, which were identified through a systematic review and expert consultations, was calculated. To address uncertainties in distinguishing between appropriate and low-value care, both broad (potential overestimation) and narrow definitions (potential underestimation) were applied to all suitable indicators, providing a range within which the true extent of low-value care is expected to lie.

RESULTS

Between 2019 and 2021, 1.6 million patients were identified as having received at least 1 low-value service using the 24 indicators. Of all 10.6 million delivered services (cases) evaluated, on average per year, 1.1 million cases (broad definition) and 0.43 million cases (narrow definition) were classified as low-value care, corresponding to 10.4% and 4.0%, respectively. The costs incurred by the identified services were approximately euros €15.5 million (broad definition) and €9.9 million (narrow definition) annually.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the limitations of German statutory health insurance data, considerable low-value care was found within several of the 24 low-value indicators. The findings highlight the necessity for targeted interventions to mitigate low-value care in Germany, guiding healthcare policy and practice to enhance quality and safety effectively.

Primary Care Practice Telehealth Use and Low-Value Care Services

Importance

The rapid expansion of telehealth transformed how primary care practices deliver care; however, uncertainties about the quality of telehealth-delivered care compared with in-person care remain. While there are concerns that increased telehealth may introduce wasteful care, how telehealth affects the delivery of low-value care is unknown.

Objective

To examine whether a primary care practice's level of telehealth use is associated with changes in the rates of low-value care.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This retrospective cohort study using a difference-in-differences study design was conducted from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2022, using Medicare fee-for-service claims data. Participants were Medicare beneficiaries attributed to primary care practices in Michigan.

Exposures

Low, medium, or high tertile of practice-level telehealth use.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Low-value care was assessed using 8 claims-based measures relevant to primary care, grouped into 4 main categories: office-based, laboratory-based, imaging-based, and mixed-modality services. Poisson regression models were used to estimate the association between practice-level telehealth use and rates of low-value care services, controlling for practice-level characteristics.

Results

A total of 577 928 beneficiaries (332 100 [57%] women; mean [SD] age, 76 [8] years) attributed to 2552 primary care practices were included in the study. After adjusting for practice-level characteristics and baseline differences in low-value care rates between telehealth use groups, high practice-level telehealth use was associated with lower rates of low-value cervical cancer screening (-2.9 [95% CI, -5.3 to -0.4] services per 1000 beneficiaries) and lower rates of low-value thyroid testing (-40 [95% CI, -70 to -9] tests per 1000 beneficiaries) compared with low practice-level telehealth use. Of the other 6 outcomes examined, there was no association between practice-level telehealth use and rates of low-value care services.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries who received care from primary care practices in Michigan, some low-value care services (ie, cervical cancer screening among women older than 65 years and low-value thyroid testing) were lower among practices with high telehealth use, and there was no association between practice-level telehealth use in rates of most other low-value care services not delivered in the office. As telehealth continues to be an important part of care delivery, evaluating how it may encourage or discourage low-value care services is critical to understanding its impact on quality of care.

Evaluation of Low-Value Services Across Major Medicare Advantage Insurers and Traditional Medicare

Importance

Compared with traditional Medicare (TM), Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers have greater financial incentives to reduce the delivery of low-value services (LVS); however, there is limited evidence at a national level on the prevalence of LVS utilization among MA vs TM beneficiaries and whether LVS utilization rates vary among the largest MA insurers.

Objective

To determine whether there are differences in the rates of LVS delivered to Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in MA vs TM, overall and by the 7 largest MA insurers.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study included Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older residing in the US in 2018 with complete demographic information. Eligible TM beneficiaries were enrolled in Parts A, B, and D, and eligible MA beneficiaries were enrolled in Part C with Part D coverage. Data analysis was conducted between February 2022 and August 2024.

Exposures

Medicare plan type.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was utlization of 35 LVS defined by the Milliman Health Waste Calculator. An overdispersed Poisson regression model was used to calculate estimated margins comparing risk-adjusted rates of LVS in TM vs MA, overall and across the 7 largest MA insurers.

Results

The study sample included 3 671 364 unique TM beneficiaries (mean [SD] age, 75.7 [7.7] years; 1 502 631 female [40.9%]) and 2 299 618 unique MA beneficiaries (mean [SD] age, 75.3 [7.3] years; 983 592 female [42.8%]). LVS utilization was lower among those enrolled in MA compared with TM (50.02 vs 52.48 services per 100 beneficiary-years; adjusted absolute difference, -2.46 services per 100 beneficiary-years; 95% CI, -3.16 to -1.75 services per 100 beneficiary-years; P < .001). Within MA, LVS utilization was lower among beneficiaries enrolled in HMOs vs PPOs (48.03 vs 52.66 services per 100 beneficiary-years; adjusted absolute difference, -4.63 services per 100 beneficiary-years; 95% CI, -5.53 to -3.74 services per 100 beneficiary-years; P < .001). While MA beneficiaries enrolled in UnitedHealth, Humana, Centene, and smaller MA insurers had lower rates of LVS compared with those in TM, beneficiaries enrolled in CVS, Cigna, and Anthem showed no differences. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association plans had higher rates of LVS compared with TM.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cross-sectional study of nearly 6 million Medicare beneficiaries, utilization of LVS was on average lower among MA beneficiaries compared with TM beneficiaries, possibly owing to stronger financial incentives in MA to reduce LVS; however, meaningful differences existed across some of the largest MA insurers, suggesting that MA insurers may have variable ability to influence LVS reduction.

Prognostic Value of Stress Myocardial Perfusion Imaging Across the Spectrum of Cardiovascular Risk

BACKGROUND

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is widely used to identify ischemia. There is limited research to evaluate if there is a risk threshold below which SPECT-MPI may not add significant prognostic value.

METHODS

Between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2018, individuals who underwent SPECT-MPI were stratified into 4 risk groups. The primary outcome was acute myocardial infarction (MI) or death. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to calculated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Among 48,845 patients (52.3% male, median age 67 years), 8.5% were low risk, 4.8% borderline risk, 18.1% intermediate risk, and 68.6% high risk based on the American College of Cardiology pooled cohort equation. Ischemia was more commonly detected in the high-risk cohort (19.4% in high-risk vs 6.5% in low-risk). SPECT-MPI testing was associated with a significantly increased use of preventive medications such as statin therapy, regardless of stress test results. At a median follow-up of 4.2 years, there was no significant association between ischemia and death or MI in the low-risk cohort (adjusted HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 0.94-3.92) or the borderline-risk cohort (adjusted HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 0.79-3.15). Ischemia was associated with a higher risk of death or MI in the intermediate-risk (adjusted HR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.24-1.99) and high-risk groups (adjusted HR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.44-1.64).

CONCLUSIONS

SPECT-MPI was less useful for risk stratification among low-risk patients because of their low event rates regardless of test results.

Low-Value Clinical Practices in Pediatric Trauma Care

Importance

Reducing low-value care has the potential to improve patient experiences and outcomes and decrease the unnecessary use of health care resources. Research suggests that low-value practices (ie, the potential for harm exceeds the potential for benefit) in adult trauma care are frequent and subject to interhospital variation; evidence on low-value practices in pediatric trauma care is lacking.

Objective

To estimate the incidence of low-value practices in pediatric trauma care and evaluate interhospital practice variation.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A retrospective multicenter cohort study in a Canadian provincial trauma system was conducted. Children younger than 16 years admitted to any of the 59 provincial trauma centers from April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2022, were included.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Low-value practices were identified from systematic reviews of clinical practice guidelines on pediatric trauma. The frequencies of low-value practices were evaluated by estimating incidence proportions and cases per 1000 admissions (low if ≤10% and ≤10 cases, moderate if >10% or >10 cases, and high if >10% and >10 cases) were identified. Interhospital variation with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were assessed (low if <5%, moderate if 5%-20%, and high if >20%).

Results

A total of 10 711 children were included (mean [SD] age, 7.4 [4.9] years; 6645 [62%] boys). Nineteen low-value practices on imaging, fluid resuscitation, hospital/intensive care unit admission, specialist consultation, deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis, and surgical management of solid organ injuries were identified. Of these, 14 (74%) could be evaluated using trauma registry data. Five practices had moderate to high frequencies and interhospital variation: head computed tomography in low-risk children (7.1%; 33 per 1000 admissions; ICC, 8.6%), pretransfer computed tomography in children with a clear indication for transfer (67.6%; 4 per 1000 admissions; ICC, 5.7%), neurosurgical consultation in children without clinically important intracranial lesions (11.6%; 13 per 1000 admissions; ICC, 15.8%), hospital admission in isolated mild traumatic brain injury (38.8%; 98 per 1000 admissions; ICC, 12.4%), and hospital admission in isolated minor blunt abdominal trauma (10%; 5 per 1000 admissions; ICC, 31%).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study, low-value practices appeared to be frequent and subject to interhospital variation. These practices may represent priority targets for deimplementation interventions, particularly as they can be measured using routinely collected data.

Use and Cost of Low-Value Services Among Veterans Dually Enrolled in VA and Medicare

BACKGROUND

Over half of veterans enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) are also enrolled in Medicare, potentially increasing their opportunity to receive low-value health services within and outside VA.

OBJECTIVES

To characterize the use and cost of low-value services delivered to dually enrolled veterans from VA and Medicare.

DESIGN

Retrospective cross-sectional.

PARTICIPANTS

Veterans enrolled in VA and fee-for-service Medicare (FY 2017-2018).

MAIN MEASURES

We used VA and Medicare administrative data to identify 29 low-value services across 6 established domains: cancer screening, diagnostic/preventive testing, preoperative testing, imaging, cardiovascular testing, and surgery. We determined the count of low-value services per 100 veterans delivered in VA and Medicare in FY 2018 overall, by domain, and by individual service. We applied standardized estimates to determine each service's cost.

KEY RESULTS

Among 1.6 million dually enrolled veterans, the mean age was 73, 97% were men, and 77% were non-Hispanic White. Overall, 63.2 low-value services per 100 veterans were delivered, affecting 32% of veterans; 22.9 services per 100 veterans were delivered in VA and 40.3 services per 100 veterans were delivered in Medicare. The total cost was $226.3 million (M), of which $62.6 M was spent in VA and $163.7 M in Medicare. The most common low-value service was prostate-specific antigen testing at 17.3 per 100 veterans (VA 55.9%, Medicare 44.1%). The costliest low-value service was percutaneous coronary intervention (VA $10.1 M, Medicare $32.8 M).

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly 1 in 3 dually enrolled veterans received a low-value service in FY18, with twice as many low-value services delivered in Medicare vs VA. Interventions to reduce low-value services for veterans should consider their substantial use of such services in Medicare.

Racial difference in receiving computed tomography for head injury patients in emergency departments

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Prior studies have suggested potential racial differences in receiving imaging tests in emergency departments (EDs), but the results remain inconclusive. In addition, most prior studies may only have limited racial groups for minority patients. This study aimed to investigate racial differences in head computed tomography (CT) administration rates in EDs among patients with head injuries.

METHODS

Patients with head injuries who visited EDs were examined. The primary outcome was patients receiving head CT during ED visits, and the primary exposure was patient race/ethnicity, including Asian, Hispanic, Non-Hispanic Black (Black), and Non-Hispanic White (White). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey database, adjusting for patients and hospital characteristics.

RESULTS

Among 6130 patients, 51.9% received a head CT scan. Asian head injury patients were more likely to receive head CT than White patients (59.1% versus 54.0%, difference 5.1%, p < 0.001). This difference persisted in adjusted results (odds ratio, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.06-2.16, p = 0.022). In contrast, Black and Hispanic patients have no significant difference in receiving head CT than White patients after the adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

Asian head injury patients were more likely to receive head CT than White patients. This difference may be attributed to the limited English proficiency among Asian individuals and the fact that there is a wide variety of different languages spoken by Asian patients. Future studies should examine rates of receiving other diagnostic imaging modalities among different racial groups and possible interventions to address this difference.

Quality-of-Care Outcomes in Vertical Relationships Between Physicians and Health Systems

Importance

Vertical relationships (ownership, affiliations, joint contracting) between physicians and health systems are increasing in the US. Many proponents of vertical relationships argue that increased spending associated with consolidation is accompanied by improvements in quality of care.

Objective

To assess the association of vertical relationships between primary care physicians (PCPs) and large health systems and quality of care.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This stacked difference-in-differences study compared outcomes for patients whose attributed PCP entered a vertical relationship with a large system in 2015 or 2017 to patients whose PCP was either never or always in a vertical relationship with a large system from 2013 to 2017. Models account for differences between PCPs, patient characteristics, market concentration, and secular trends. Data were derived from the 2013 to 2017 Massachusetts All-Payer Claims Database. The study population included commercially insured individuals attributed to a PCP in the Massachusetts Health Quality Partners' Massachusetts Provider Database in 2013, 2015, or 2017. Analyses were conducted between January 2021 and January 2024.

Exposure

PCPs attributed to patients in the study entering a vertical relationship with a large health system in 2015 or 2017.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Low-value care utilization, posthospitalization follow-up, utilization among patients with ambulatory care-sensitive conditions, practice site visit fragmentation, and timeliness of specialty care.

Results

The study population included 4 603 172 patient-year observations from 2013 to 2017. Among all patients in the study, 53.5% were female, 35.3% had any chronic condition, and the mean (SD) age was 38.9 (20.3) years. There was no association between vertical relationships and low-value care or ambulatory care-sensitive conditions utilization. A patient's PCP entering a vertical relationship had no association with the probability of follow-up within 90 days of cancer diagnosis with any oncologist but was associated with a 7.34-percentage point (pp) (95% CI, 2.28-12.40; P = .01) increase in the probability of follow-up with an oncologist in the health system. Vertical relationships were associated with increased posthospitalization follow-up with a physician in the health system by 7.51 pp (95% CI, 2.96-12.06: P = .001) in the 2015 subgroup. PCP-health system vertical relationships were associated with a significant decrease in fragmentation of practice site visits of -1.05 pp (95% CI, -2.05 to 0.05; P = .04).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, vertical relationships between PCPs and large health systems were associated with patient steering and changes in care delivery processes, but not necessarily improvements in patient outcomes.

Development of a disease-based hospital-level diagnostic intensity index

OBJECTIVES

Low-value care is associated with increased healthcare costs and direct harm to patients. We sought to develop and validate a simple diagnostic intensity index (DII) to quantify hospital-level diagnostic intensity, defined by the prevalence of advanced imaging among patients with selected clinical diagnoses that may not require imaging, and to describe hospital characteristics associated with high diagnostic intensity.

METHODS

We utilized State Inpatient Database data for inpatient hospitalizations with one or more pre-defined discharge diagnoses at acute care hospitals. We measured receipt of advanced imaging for an associated diagnosis. Candidate metrics were defined by the proportion of inpatients at a hospital with a given diagnosis who underwent associated imaging. Candidate metrics exhibiting temporal stability and internal consistency were included in the final DII. Hospitals were stratified according to the DII, and the relationship between hospital characteristics and DII score was described. Multilevel regression was used to externally validate the index using pre-specified Medicare county-level cost measures, a Dartmouth Atlas measure, and a previously developed hospital-level utilization index.

RESULTS

This novel DII, comprised of eight metrics, correlated in a dose-dependent fashion with four of these five measures. The strongest relationship was with imaging costs (odds ratio of 3.41 of being in a higher DII tertile when comparing tertiles three and one of imaging costs (95 % CI 2.02-5.75)).

CONCLUSIONS

A small set of medical conditions and related imaging can be used to draw meaningful inferences more broadly on hospital diagnostic intensity. This could be used to better understand hospital characteristics associated with low-value care.

Development and Validation of a Quantitative Coronary CT Angiography Model for Diagnosis of Vessel-Specific Coronary Ischemia

BACKGROUND

Noninvasive stress testing is commonly used for detection of coronary ischemia but possesses variable accuracy and may result in excessive health care costs.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to derive and validate an artificial intelligence-guided quantitative coronary computed tomography angiography (AI-QCT) model for the diagnosis of coronary ischemia that integrates atherosclerosis and vascular morphology measures (AI-QCTISCHEMIA) and to evaluate its prognostic utility for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

METHODS

A post hoc analysis of the CREDENCE (Computed Tomographic Evaluation of Atherosclerotic Determinants of Myocardial Ischemia) and PACIFIC-1 (Comparison of Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography [SPECT], Positron Emission Tomography [PET], and Hybrid Imaging for Diagnosis of Ischemic Heart Disease Determined by Fractional Flow Reserve) studies was performed. In both studies, symptomatic patients with suspected stable coronary artery disease had prospectively undergone coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA), myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), SPECT, or PET, fractional flow reserve by CT (FFRCT), and invasive coronary angiography in conjunction with invasive FFR measurements. The AI-QCTISCHEMIA model was developed in the derivation cohort of the CREDENCE study, and its diagnostic performance for coronary ischemia (FFR ≤0.80) was evaluated in the CREDENCE validation cohort and PACIFIC-1. Its prognostic value was investigated in PACIFIC-1.

RESULTS

In CREDENCE validation (n = 305, age 64.4 ± 9.8 years, 210 [69%] male), the diagnostic performance by area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) on per-patient level was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.75-0.85) for AI-QCTISCHEMIA, 0.69 (95% CI: 0.63-0.74; P < 0.001) for FFRCT, and 0.65 (95% CI: 0.59-0.71; P < 0.001) for MPI. In PACIFIC-1 (n = 208, age 58.1 ± 8.7 years, 132 [63%] male), the AUCs were 0.85 (95% CI: 0.79-0.91) for AI-QCTISCHEMIA, 0.78 (95% CI: 0.72-0.84; P = 0.037) for FFRCT, 0.89 (95% CI: 0.84-0.93; P = 0.262) for PET, and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.67-0.78; P < 0.001) for SPECT. Adjusted for clinical risk factors and coronary CTA-determined obstructive stenosis, a positive AI-QCTISCHEMIA test was associated with aHR: 7.6 (95% CI: 1.2-47.0; P = 0.030) for MACE.

CONCLUSIONS

This newly developed coronary CTA-based ischemia model using coronary atherosclerosis and vascular morphology characteristics accurately diagnoses coronary ischemia by invasive FFR and provides robust prognostic utility for MACE beyond presence of stenosis.

Race and Ethnicity and Diagnostic Testing for Common Conditions in the Acute Care Setting

Importance

Overuse of diagnostic testing is pervasive, but the extent to which it varies by race and ethnicity in the acute care setting is poorly understood.

Objective

To use a previously validated diagnostic intensity index to evaluate differences in diagnostic testing rates by race and ethnicity in the acute care setting, which may serve as a surrogate for diagnostic test overuse.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a cross-sectional study of emergency department (ED) discharges, hospital observation stays, and hospital admissions using administrative claims among EDs and acute care hospitals in Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, and New Jersey, from 2016 through 2018. The diagnostic intensity index pairs nonspecific principal discharge diagnoses (nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, chest pain, and syncope) with related diagnostic tests to estimate rates of nondiagnostic testing. Adults with an acute care encounter with a principal discharge diagnosis of interest were included. Data were analyzed from January to February 2024.

Exposure

Race and ethnicity (Asian, Black, Hispanic, White, other [including American Indian, multiracial, and multiethnic], and missing).

Main Outcomes and Measures

Receipt of a diagnostic test. Generalized linear models with a hospital-specific indicator variable were estimated to calculate the adjusted odds ratio of receiving a test related to the principal discharge diagnosis by race and ethnicity, controlling for primary payer and zip code income quartile.

Results

Of 3 683 055 encounters (1 055 575 encounters [28.7%] for Black, 300 333 encounters [8.2%] for Hispanic, and 2 140 335 encounters [58.1%] for White patients; mean [SD] age of patients with encounters, 47.3 [18.8] years; 2 233 024 encounters among females [60.6%]), most (2 969 974 encounters [80.6%]) were ED discharges. Black compared with White patients discharged from the ED with a diagnosis of interest had an adjusted odds ratio of 0.74 (95% CI, 0.72-0.75) of having related diagnostic testing. No other racial or ethnic disparities of a similar magnitude were observed in any acute care settings.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, White patients discharged from the ED with a nonspecific diagnosis of interest were significantly more likely than Black patients to receive related diagnostic testing. The extent to which this represents diagnostic test overuse in White patients vs undertesting and missed diagnoses in Black patients deserves further study.

'The health care system is more like a business'-medical overuse from the patients' perspective in Germany: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

Medical overuse exposes patients to unnecessary risks of harm. It is an open question whether and how patients perceive the concept of medical overuse, its causes and negative consequences.

DESIGN

A qualitative study design, using elements of the Grounded Theory Approach by Strauss and Corbin.

SETTING

Between May 2017 and January 2020, we recruited participants and conducted face-to-face interviews in the participants' homes. Data collection took place in Bavaria, Germany.

PARTICIPANTS

We recruited 16 participants (female=8, male=8) with various characteristics for the study. We used different strategies such as flyers in supermarkets, pharmacies, participants spreading information about the study or local multipliers (snowball sampling).

RESULTS

The participants mostly defined medical overuse as too much being done but understood the concept superficially. During the interviews, most participants could describe examples of medical overuse. They named a variety of direct and indirect drivers with economic factors suspected to be the main driver. As a consequence of medical overuse, participants named the physical and emotional harm (eg, side effects of medication). They found it difficult to formulate concrete solutions. In general, they saw themselves more in a passive role than being responsible for bringing about change and solutions themselves. Medical overuse is a 'problem of the others'. The participants emphasised that health education is important in reducing medical overuse.

CONCLUSIONS

Medical overuse was little discussed among participants, although many participants reported experiences of too much medicine. Health education and strengthening the patients' self-responsibility can play a vital role in reducing medical overuse.

The Road To Value Can't Be Paved With A Broken Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

Value-based payment has been promoted for increasing quality, controlling spending, and improving patient and practitioner experience. Meanwhile, needed reforms to fee-for-service payment (the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule) have been ignored as policy makers seek to move payment toward alternatives, even though the fee schedule is an intrinsic part of Alternative Payment Models. In this article, we show how value-based payment and the fee schedule should be viewed as complementary, rather than as separate silos. We trace the origins of embedded flaws in the fee schedule that must be fixed if value-based payment is to succeed. These include payment distortions that directly compromise value by overpaying for certain procedures and imaging services while underpaying for services that add value for beneficiaries. We also show how the fee schedule can accommodate bundled payments and population-based payments that are central to Alternative Payment Models. We draw two conclusions. First, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should correct misvalued services and establish a hybrid payment for primary care that blends fee-for-service and population-based payment. Second, Congress should alter the thirty-five-year-old statutory basis for setting Medicare fees to allow CMS to explicitly consider policy priorities such as workforce shortages in refining fee levels.

Utilization of low- and high-value health care by individuals with and without cognitive impairment

OBJECTIVES

Cognitive impairment and dementia have rising prevalence and impact the health care utilization and lives of older adults. Receipt of low-value (LV) care and underutilization of high-value (HV) care by individuals with these cognitive disorders may have negative consequences for patient health, health system efficiency, and societal welfare. Evidence on health care value among cognitively impaired individuals is limited; we thus ascertained receipt of LV and HV health care in older adults with normal cognition, cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND), and dementia.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study of Health and Retirement Study data linked to Medicare claims (1996-2018).

METHODS

We examined the association between cognitive decline and the receipt of 5 LV and 7 HV services vs individuals with no change in cognition.

RESULTS

Receipt of LV care ranged from 4% to 13% regardless of cognitive status. Cognitive decline (from unimpaired to either CIND or dementia) was associated with decreased probability of receipt of 1 LV service (colorectal cancer screening at 85 years and older [5-percentage-point reduction; P = .047]) and 3 HV services (glucose-lowering drugs [7-percentage-point reduction; P = .029], statins [32-percentage-point reduction; P = .045], and antiresorptive therapy [61-percentage-point reduction; P = .019]).

CONCLUSIONS

LV service receipt is wasteful and may be harmful, but it was not consistently associated with cognitive status. Lack of HV care for those with cognitive impairment could be a missed opportunity to improve well-being or reduce preventable adverse events. Our results suggest opportunities for improving the quality of care received by all older adults, including those with cognitive impairment.

Best Practices in Documenting and Coding High-Value Care in Workers' Compensation Encounters-ACOEM Guidance Statement

ABSTRACT

Workers' compensation outpatient care requires attention to causation, functional assessment, work disability prevention, and return-to-work planning, elements not usually addressed in other types of outpatient encounters. Because these elements of care deviate from the usual pattern of ambulatory services, providers of workers' compensation care have faced challenges in billing and auditing practices resulting in underpayment when providing high-value care based on evidence-based guidelines. Recent changes in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rules on documentation requirements for coding outpatient evaluation and management encounters offer an opportunity for occupational health clinicians to be paid appropriately for care that follows occupational medicine practice guidelines. There remains a need to define the elements of documentation that should be expected in delivering high-value workers' compensation care. This article provides guidance for documenting high-value workers' compensation care.

Impact of atherosclerosis imaging-quantitative computed tomography on diagnostic certainty, downstream testing, coronary revascularization, and medical therapy: the CERTAIN study

AIMS

The incremental impact of atherosclerosis imaging-quantitative computed tomography (AI-QCT) on diagnostic certainty and downstream patient management is not yet known. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical utility of the routine implementation of AI-QCT versus conventional visual coronary CT angiography (CCTA) interpretation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this multi-centre cross-over study in 5 expert CCTA sites, 750 consecutive adult patients referred for CCTA were prospectively recruited. Blinded to the AI-QCT analysis, site physicians established patient diagnoses and plans for downstream non-invasive testing, coronary intervention, and medication management based on the conventional site assessment. Next, physicians were asked to repeat their assessments based upon AI-QCT results. The included patients had an age of 63.8 ± 12.2 years; 433 (57.7%) were male. Compared with the conventional site CCTA evaluation, AI-QCT analysis improved physician's confidence two- to five-fold at every step of the care pathway and was associated with change in diagnosis or management in the majority of patients (428; 57.1%; P < 0.001), including for measures such as Coronary Artery Disease-Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) (295; 39.3%; P < 0.001) and plaque burden (197; 26.3%; P < 0.001). After AI-QCT including ischaemia assessment, the need for downstream non-invasive and invasive testing was reduced by 37.1% (P < 0.001), compared with the conventional site CCTA evaluation. Incremental to the site CCTA evaluation alone, AI-QCT resulted in statin initiation/increase an aspirin initiation in an additional 28.1% (P < 0.001) and 23.0% (P < 0.001) of patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The use of AI-QCT improves diagnostic certainty and may result in reduced downstream need for non-invasive testing and increased rates of preventive medical therapy.

Discrepancies Among Hospitals and Regions in the Provision of Low-Value Care

BACKGROUND

Low-value care (LVC) is a critical issue in terms of patient safety and fiscal policy; however, little has been known in Asia. For the purpose of better understanding the extent of LVC on a national level, the utilization, costs, and associated characteristics of selected international recommendations were assessed in this study.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study used the National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data during 2013-2017 to evaluate the LVC utilization. Adult beneficiaries who enrolled in the NHI program and received at least one of the low-value services in hospitals were included. We measured seven procedures derived from the international recommendations at the hospital level, and a composite measure was created by summing the total utilization of selected services to determine the overall prevalence and corresponding cost. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was adopted to estimate the association.

RESULTS

A total of 1 970 496 episodes of LVC was identified among 1 218 146 beneficiary-year observations and 2054 hospital-year observations. Overall, the utilization rate of the composite measure increased from 150.70 to 186.23 episodes per 10 000 beneficiaries with the growth in cost from US$ 5.40 to US$ 6.90 million. LVC utilization was proportional to the volume of outpatient visits and length of stay. Also, hospitals with a large volume of outpatient visits (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 95% CI, 2.10: 1.26 to 3.49 for Q2-Q3, 2.88: 1.45 to 5.75 for ≥Q3) and a higher proportion of older patients (aOR: 95% CI, 1.06: 1.02 to 1.11) were more likely to have high costs.

CONCLUSION

The utilization and corresponding cost of LVC appeared to increase annually despite the relatively lower prevalence compared to other countries. Multicomponent interventions such as recommendations, de-implementation policies and payment reforms are considered effective ways to reduce LVC. Repeated measurements would be needed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

Reducing unwarranted chest x-rays in bronchiolitis: Importance of a robust analysis

AIM

Bronchiolitis is the commonest reason for hospitalisation amongst infants and is often a target for low-value care (LVC) reduction. We aimed to assess the impact of a multifaceted intervention (clinician education, parent engagement, audit-feedback) on rates of chest x-rays (CXR) in bronchiolitis.

METHODS

Longitudinal study of CXRs ordered in infants (1-12 months) diagnosed with bronchiolitis in the Emergency Department (ED) of an Australian paediatric hospital between May 2016 and February 2023. We used logistic regression to measure the impact of the intervention on unwarranted CXR orders, controlling for other potential impacting variables such as time, patient characteristics (age/sex), clinical variables (fever, hypoxia, tachypnoea), seasonal factors (month, day of the week, business hours) and time passed since intervention.

RESULTS

Ten thousand one hundred and nine infants were diagnosed with bronchiolitis in the ED over the study period, with 939 (9.3%) receiving a CXR, of which 69% (n = 651) were considered unwarranted. Rates of unwarranted CXRs reduced from 7.9% to 5.4% post-intervention (P < 0.0001). Logistic regression showed the intervention had no significant effect (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.65-1.23) once other variables and underlying time-based trends were accounted for.

CONCLUSIONS

Although pre-post rates appeared significantly improved, a robust analysis demonstrated that our multi-faceted intervention was not effective in reducing CXRs in bronchiolitis. The decision to order CXR was associated with clinical features that overlap with pneumonia suggesting ongoing misconceptions regarding the role of CXR for this indication. Our study highlights the value of large electronic medical record datasets and robust methodology to avoid falsely attributing underlying trends to the LVC intervention.

The Effectiveness of Public Awareness Initiatives Aimed at Encouraging the Use of Evidence-Based Recommendations by Health Professionals: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

Public awareness initiatives have attracted growing attention globally, as a strategy to reduce low-value care and disinformation. However, knowledge gap remains in determining their effects. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize existing evidence to date on global effectiveness of public awareness initiatives.

METHODS

Primary quantitative studies focusing on passive delivery of public awareness initiatives that targeted health professionals were included. Eligible studies were identified through search of MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Business Source Complete, Emerald Insight, and Google (initially on December 19, 2018, followed by updated search between July 8-10, 2019, and then between March 8-9, 2022) and the reference list of relevant studies. Methodological quality of included studies was assessed using modified McMaster critical appraisal tool. A narrative synthesis of the study outcomes was conducted.

RESULTS

Twenty studies from United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and multicountry were included. Nineteen studies focused on Choosing Wisely initiative and one focused on National Institute of Clinical Excellence reminders. Most studies investigated one recommendation of a specialty. The findings showed conflicting evidence on the effectiveness of public awareness initiatives, suggesting passive delivery has limited success in reducing low-value care among health professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

This review highlights the complexity of change in an established practice pattern in health care. As passive delivery of public awareness initiatives has limited potential to initiate and sustain change, wide-ranging intervention components need to be integrated for a successful implementation.

Comparison of prior authorization across insurers: cross sectional evidence from Medicare Advantage

OBJECTIVE

To measure and compare the scope of US insurers' policies for prior authorization (PA), a process by which insurers assess the necessity of planned medical care, and to quantify differences in PA across insurers, physician specialties, and clinical service categories.

DESIGN

Cross sectional analysis.

SETTING

PA policies for five insurers serving most of the beneficiaries covered by privately administered Medicare Advantage in the US, 2021, as applied to utilization patterns observed in Medicare Part B.

PARTICIPANTS

30 540 086 beneficiaries in traditional Medicare Part B.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Proportions of government administered traditional Medicare Part B spending and utilization that would have required PA according to Medicare Advantage insurer rules.

RESULTS

The insurers required PA for 944 to 2971 of the 14 130 clinical services (median 1899; weighted mean 1429) constituting 17% to 33% of Part B spending (median 28%; weighted mean 23%) and 9% to 41% of Part B utilization (median 22%; weighted mean 18%). 40% of spending ($57bn; £45bn; €53bn) and 48% of service utilization would have required PA by at least one insurer; 12% of spending and 6% of utilization would have required PA by all insurers. 93% of Part B medication spending, or 74% of medication use, would have required PA by at least one Medicare Advantage insurer. For all Medicare Advantage insurers, hematology and oncology drugs represented the largest proportion of PA spending (range 27-34%; median 33%; weighted mean 30%). PA rates varied widely across specialties.

CONCLUSION

PA policies varied substantially across private insurers in the US. Despite limited consensus, all insurers required PA extensively, particularly for physician administered medications. These findings indicate substantial differences in coverage policies between government administered and privately administered Medicare. The results may inform ongoing efforts to focus PA more effectively on low value services and reduce administrative burdens for clinicians and patients.

Using Behavioral Economics to Reduce Low-Value Care Among Older Adults: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Use of low-value care is common among older adults. It is unclear how to best engage clinicians and older patients to decrease use of low-value services.

Objective

To test whether the Committing to Choose Wisely behavioral economic intervention could engage primary care clinicians and older patients to reduce low-value care.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Stepped-wedge cluster randomized clinical trial conducted at 8 primary care clinics of an academic health system and a private group practice between December 12, 2017, and September 4, 2019. Participants were primary care clinicians and older adult patients who had diabetes, insomnia, or anxiety or were eligible for prostate cancer screening. Data analysis was performed from October 2019 to November 2023.

Intervention

Clinicians were invited to commit in writing to Choosing Wisely recommendations for older patients to avoid use of hypoglycemic medications to achieve tight glycemic control, sedative-hypnotic medications for insomnia or anxiety, and prostate-specific antigen tests to screen for prostate cancer. Committed clinicians had their photographs displayed on clinic posters and received weekly emails with alternatives to these low-value services. Educational handouts were mailed to applicable patients before scheduled visits and available at the point of care.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Patient-months with a low-value service across conditions (primary outcome) and separately for each condition (secondary outcomes). For patients with diabetes, or insomnia or anxiety, secondary outcomes were patient-months in which targeted medications were decreased or stopped (ie, deintensified).

Results

The study included 81 primary care clinicians and 8030 older adult patients (mean [SD] age, 75.1 [7.2] years; 4076 men [50.8%] and 3954 women [49.2%]). Across conditions, a low-value service was used in 7627 of the 37 116 control patient-months (20.5%) and 7416 of the 46 381 intervention patient-months (16.0%) (adjusted odds ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65-0.97). For each individual condition, there were no significant differences between the control and intervention periods in the odds of patient-months with a low-value service. The intervention increased the odds of deintensification of hypoglycemic medications for diabetes (adjusted odds ratio, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.06-3.24) but not sedative-hypnotic medications for insomnia or anxiety.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this stepped-wedge cluster randomized clinical trial, the Committing to Choose Wisely behavioral economic intervention reduced low-value care across 3 common clinical situations and increased deintensification of hypoglycemic medications for diabetes. Use of scalable interventions that nudge patients and clinicians to achieve greater value while preserving autonomy in decision-making should be explored more broadly.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03411525.

Stakeholder perspectives on payment reform in maternity care in the Netherlands: A Q-methodology study

Based on theoretical notions, there is consensus that alternative payment models to the common fee-for-service model have the potential to improve healthcare quality through increased collaboration and reduced under- and overuse. This is particularly relevant for maternity care in the Netherlands because perinatal mortality rates are relatively high in comparison to other Western countries. Therefore, an experiment with bundled payments for maternity care was initiated in 2017. However, the uptake of this alternative payment model remains low, as also seen in other countries, and fee-for-service models prevail. A deeper understanding of stakeholders' perspectives on payment reform in maternity care is necessary to inform policy makers about the obstacles to implementing alternative payment models and potential ways forward. We conducted a Q-methodology study to explore perspectives of stakeholders (postpartum care managers, midwives, gynecologists, managers, health insurers) in maternity care in the Netherlands on payment reform. Participants were asked to rank a set of statements relevant to payment reform in maternity care and explain their ranking during an interview. Factor analysis was used to identify patterns in the rankings of statements. We identified three distinct perspectives on payment reform in maternity care. One general perspective, broadly supported within the sector, focusing mainly on outcomes, and two complementary perspectives, one focusing more on equality and one focusing more on collaboration. This study shows there is consensus among stakeholders in maternity care in the Netherlands that payment reform is required. However, stakeholders have different views on the purpose and desired design of the payment reform and set different conditions. Working towards payment reform in co-creation with all involved parties may improve the general attitude towards payment reform, may enhance the level of trust among stakeholders, and may contribute to a higher uptake in practice.

Barriers to the use of clinical practice guidelines: a qualitative study of Danish physiotherapists and chiropractors

PURPOSE

Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Providing evidence-based practice (EBP) for patients with LBP is more cost-effective compared with non-EBP. To help health care professionals provide EBP, several clinical practice guidelines have been published. However, a relatively poor uptake of the guidelines has been identified across various countries. To enhance future implementation of EBP, the aim of this study was to explore barriers to using LBP guidelines in clinical practice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A qualitative constructivist grounded theory design was employed in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the barriers. Semi-structured interviews (+/- observations) of nine physiotherapists and nine chiropractors from primary care in the Central Denmark Region were conducted.

RESULTS

Two key barriers were found to using guidelines in practice: (1) a scepticism due to doubts about validity and applicability of the guidelines, which emerged particularly among physiotherapists; and (2) a deep biomechanical professional identity, due to perceived role, interest, lack of skills, and patient preferences, which emerged particularly among chiropractors.

CONCLUSIONS

For guidelines to be better implemented in practice, these key barriers must be addressed in a tailored strategy. Furthermore, this study showed a difference in barriers between the two professions.

Fifteen Lessons from Fifteen Years of the Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program in Thailand

The Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) was established in 2007. This article highlights 15 lessons from over 15 years of experience, noting five achievements about what HITAP has done well, five areas that it is currently working on, and five aims for work in the future. HITAP built capacity for HTA and linked research to policy and practice in Thailand. With collaborators from academic and policy spheres, HITAP has mobilized regional and global support, and developed global public goods to enhance the field of HTA. HITAP's semi-autonomous structure has facilitated these changes, though they have not been without their challenges. HITAP aims to continue its work on HTA for public health interventions and disinvestments, effectively engaging with stakeholders and strategically managing its human resources. Moving forward, HITAP will develop and update global public goods on HTA, work on emerging topics such as early HTA, address issues in digital health, real-world evidence and equity, support HTA development globally, particularly in low-income settings, and seek to engage more effectively with the public. HITAP seeks to learn from its experience and invest in the areas identified so that it can grow sustainably. Its journey may be relevant to other countries and institutions that are interested in developing HTA programs.

Identifying Strategies to Reduce Low-Value Preoperative Testing for Low-Risk Procedures: a Qualitative Study of Facilities with High or Recently Improved Levels of Testing

BACKGROUND

Healthcare agencies and perioperative professional organizations recommend avoiding preoperative screening tests for low-risk surgical procedures. However, low-value preoperative tests are still commonly ordered even for generally healthy patients and active strategies to reduce this testing have not been adequately described.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to learn from hospitals with either high levels of testing or that had recently reduced use of low-value screening tests (aka "delta sites") about reasons for testing and active deimplementation strategies they used to effectively improve practice.

DESIGN

Qualitative study of semi-structured telephone interviews.

PARTICIPANTS

We identified facilities in the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA) with high or recently improved burden of potentially low-value preoperative testing for carpal tunnel release and cataract surgery. We recruited perioperative clinicians to participate.

APPROACH

Questions focused on reasons to order preoperative screening tests for patients undergoing low-risk surgery and, more importantly, what strategies had been successfully used to reduce testing. A framework method was used to identify common improvement strategies and specific care delivery innovations.

KEY RESULTS

Thirty-five perioperative clinicians (e.g., hand surgeons, ophthalmologists, anesthesiologists, primary care providers, directors of preoperative clinics, nurses) from 29 VHA facilities participated. Facilities that successfully reduced the burden of low-value testing shared many improvement strategies (e.g., building consensus among stakeholders; using evidence/norm-based education and persuasion; clarifying responsibility for ordering tests) to implement different care delivery innovations (e.g., pre-screening to decide if a preop clinic evaluation is necessary; establishing a dedicated preop clinic for low-risk procedures).

CONCLUSIONS

We identified a menu of common improvement strategies and specific care delivery innovations that might be helpful for institutions trying to design their own quality improvement programs to reduce low-value preoperative testing given their unique structure, resources, and constraints.

Patterns of Diagnostic Evaluation and Determinants of Treatment in Older Patients With Non-transfusion Dependent Myelodysplastic Syndromes

BACKGROUND

Older patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), particularly those with no or one cytopenia and no transfusion dependence, typically have an indolent course. Approximately, half of these receive the recommended diagnostic evaluation (DE) for MDS. We explored factors determining DE in these patients and its impact on subsequent treatment and outcomes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We used 2011-2014 Medicare data to identify patients ≥66 years of age diagnosed with MDS. We used Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis to identify combinations of factors associated with DE and its impact on subsequent treatment. Variables examined included demographics, comorbidities, nursing home status, and investigative procedures performed. We conducted a logistic regression analysis to identify correlates associated with receipt of DE and treatment.

RESULTS

Of 16 851 patients with MDS, 51% underwent DE. patients with MDS with no cytopenia (n = 3908) had the lowest uptake of DE (34.7%). Compared to patients with no cytopenia, those with any cytopenia had nearly 3 times higher odds of receiving DE [adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 2.81: 95% CI, 2.60-3.04] and the odds were higher for men than for women [AOR, 1.39: 95%CI, 1.30-1.48] and for Non-Hispanic Whites [vs. everyone else (AOR, 1.17: 95% CI, 1.06-1.29)]. The CART showed DE as the principal discriminating node, followed by the presence of any cytopenia for receiving MDS treatment. The lowest percentage of treatment was observed in patients without DE, at 14.6%.

CONCLUSION

In this select older patients with MDS, we identified disparities in accurate diagnosis by demographic and clinical factors. Receipt of DE influenced subsequent treatment but not survival.

Impact of low-value medications on quality of life, hospitalization and costs - A longitudinal analysis of patients living with dementia

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to analyze the impact of low-value medications (Lvm), that is, medications unlikely to benefit patients but to cause harm, on patient-centered outcomes over 24 months.

METHODS

This longitudinal analysis was based on baseline, 12 and 24 months follow-up data of 352 patients with dementia. The impact of Lvm on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), hospitalizations, and health care costs were assessed using multiple panel-specific regression models.

RESULTS

Over 24 months, 182 patients (52%) received Lvm at least once and 56 (16%) continuously. Lvm significantly increased the risk of hospitalization by 49% (odds ratio, confidence interval [CI] 95% 1.06-2.09; p = 0.022), increased health care costs by €6810 (CI 95% -707€-14,27€; p = 0.076), and reduced patients' HRQoL (b = -1.55; CI 95% -2.76 to -0.35; p = 0.011).

DISCUSSION

More than every second patient received Lvm, negatively impacting patient-reported HRQoL, hospitalizations, and costs. Innovative approaches are needed to encourage prescribers to avoid and replace Lvm in dementia care.

HIGHLIGHTS

Over 24 months, more than every second patient received low-value medications (Lvm). Lvm negatively impact physical, psychological, and financial outcomes. Appropriate measures are needed to change prescription behaviors.

Differences in use of high- and low-value health care between immigrant and US-born adults

OBJECTIVE

To examine differences in the use of high- and low-value health care between immigrant and US-born adults.

DATA SOURCE

The 2007-2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

STUDY DESIGN

We split the sample into younger (ages 18-64 years) and older adults (ages 65 years and over). Our outcome measures included the use of high-value care (eight services) and low-value care (seven services). Our key independent variable was immigration status. For each outcome, we ran regressions with and without individual-level characteristics.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS

N/A.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Before accounting for individual-level characteristics, the use of high- and low-value care was lower among immigrant adults than US-born adults. After accounting for individual-level characteristics, this difference decreased in both groups of younger and older adults. For high-value care, significant differences were observed in five services and the direction of the differences was mixed. The use of breast cancer screening was lower among immigrant than US-born younger and older adults (-5.7 [95% CI: -7.4 to -3.9] and -2.9 percentage points [95% CI: -5.6 to -0.2]) while the use of colorectal cancer screening was higher among immigrant than US-born younger and older adults (2.6 [95% CI: 0.5 to 4.8] and 3.6 [95% CI: 0.2 to 7.0] percentage points). For low-value care, we did not identify significant differences except for antibiotics for acute upper respiratory infection among younger adults and opioids for back pain among older adults (-3.5 [95% CI: -5.5 to -1.5] and -3.8[95% CI: -7.3 to -0.2] percentage points). Particularly, differences in socioeconomic status, health insurance, and care access between immigrant and US-born adults played a key role in accounting for differences in the use of high- and low-value health care. The use of high-value care among immigrant and US-born adults increased over time, but the use of low-value care did not decrease.

CONCLUSION

Differential use of high- and low-value care between immigrant and US-born adults may be partly attributable to differences in individual-level characteristics, especially socioeconomic status, health insurance, and access to care.

Sources of Low-Value Care Received by Medicare Beneficiaries and Associated Spending Within US Health Systems

This cross-sectional study examines referrals for low-value health care services and associated spending by ordering clinician among Medicare beneficiaries.

Measuring low-value care in hospital discharge records: evidence from China

Background

Plenty of efforts have been made to reduce the use of low-value care (the care that is not expected to provide net benefits for patients) across the world, but measures of low-value care have not been developed in China. This study aims to develop hospital discharge records-based measures of low-value surgical procedures, evaluate their annual use and associated expenditure, and analyze the practice patterns by characterizing its temporal trends and correlations across rates of different low-value procedures within hospitals.

Methods

Informed by evidence-based lists including Choosing Wisely, we developed 11 measures of low-value surgical procedures. We evaluated the count and proportion of low-value episodes, as well as the proportion of expenditure and medical insurance payouts for these episodes, using hospital discharge records in Sichuan Province, China during a period of 2016-2022. We compared the count and expenditure detected by different versions of these measures, which varied in sensitivity and specificity. We characterized the temporal trends in the rate of low-value surgical procedures and estimated the annual percent change using joint-point regression. Additionally, we calculated the Spearman correlation coefficients between the risk-standardized rates of low-value procedures which were estimated by multilevel models adjusting for case mix across hospitals.

Findings

Low-value episodes detected by more specific versions of measures accounted for 3.25% (range, 0.11%-71.66%), and constituted 6.03% (range, 0.32%-84.63%) and 5.90% (range, 0.33%-82.86%) of overall expenditure and medical insurance payouts, respectively. The three figures accounted for 5.90%, 8.41%, and 8.38% in terms of more sensitive versions of measures. Almost half of the low-value procedures (five out of eleven) experienced an increase in rates during the period of 2016-2022, with four of them increasing over 20% per year. There was no significant correlation across risk-standardized rates of different low-value procedures within hospitals (mean r for pairwise, 0.03; CI, -0.02, 0.07).

Interpretation

Despite overall low-value practices detected by the 11 developed measures was modest, certain clinical specialties were plagued by widespread low-value practices which imposed heavy economic burdens for the healthcare system. Given the pervasive and significant upward trends in rates of low-value practices, it has become increasingly urgent to reduce such practices. Interventions in reducing low-value practices in China would be procedure-specific as practice patterns of low-value care varied by procedures and common drivers of low-value practices may not exist.

Funding

The National Science Foundation of China (72074163), Taikang Yicai Public Health and Epidemic Control Fund, Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2022YFS0052 and 2021YFQ0060), and Sichuan University (2018hhf-27 and SKSYL201811).

Variation in Low-Value Service Use Across Veterans Affairs Facilities

BACKGROUND

It is unclear whether extensive variation in the use of low-value services exists even within a national integrated delivery system like the Veterans Health Administration (VA).

OBJECTIVE

To quantify variation in the use of low-value services across VA facilities and examine associations between facility characteristics and low-value service use.

DESIGN

In this retrospective cross-sectional study of VA administrative data, we constructed facility-level rates of low-value service use as the mean count of 29 low-value services per 100 Veterans per year. Adjusted rates were calculated via ordinary least squares regression including covariates for Veteran sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. We quantified the association between adjusted facility-level rates and facility geographic/operational characteristics.

PARTICIPANTS

5,242,301 patients across 139 VA facilities.

MAIN MEASURES

Use of 29 low-value services within six domains: cancer screening, diagnostic/preventive testing, preoperative testing, imaging, cardiovascular testing and procedures, and surgery.

KEY RESULTS

The mean rate of low-value service use was 20.0 services per 100 patients per year (S.D. 6.1). Rates ranged from 13.9 at the 10th percentile to 27.6 at the 90th percentile (90th/10th percentile ratio 2.0, 95% CI 1.8‒2.3). With adjustment for patient covariates, variation across facilities narrowed (S.D. 5.2, 90th/10th percentile ratio 1.8, 95% CI 1.6‒1.9). Only one facility characteristic was positively associated with low-value service use percent of patients seeing non-VA clinicians via VA Community Care, p < 0.05); none was associated with total low-value service use after adjustment for other facility characteristics. There was extensive variation in low-value service use within categories of facility operational characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite extensive variation in the use of low-value services across VA facilities, we observed substantial use of these services across facility operational characteristics and at facilities with lower rates of low-value service use. Thus, system-wide interventions to address low-value services may be more effective than interventions targeted to specific facilities or facility types.

Reducing Overuse by Healthcare Systems: A Positive Deviance Analysis

BACKGROUND

Healthcare in the USA is increasingly delivered by large healthcare systems that include one or more hospitals and associated outpatient practices. It is unclear what role healthcare systems play in driving or preventing overutilization of healthcare services in the USA.

OBJECTIVE

To learn how high-value healthcare systems avoid overuse of services DESIGN: We identified "positive deviant" health systems using a previously constructed Overuse Index. These systems have much lower-than-average overuse of healthcare services. We confirmed that these health systems also delivered high-quality care. We conducted semi-structured interviews with executive leaders of these systems to validate a published framework for understanding drivers of overuse.

PARTICIPANTS

Leaders at select healthcare systems in the USA.

INTERVENTIONS

None APPROACH: We developed an interview guide and conducted semi-structured interviews. We iteratively developed a code book. Paired reviewers coded and reconciled each interview. We analyzed the interviews by applying constant comparative techniques. We mapped the emergent themes to provide the first empirical data to support a previously developed theoretical framework.

KEY RESULTS

We interviewed 15 leaders from 10 diverse healthcare systems. Consistent with important domains from the overuse framework, themes from our study support the role of clinicians and patients in avoiding overuse. The leaders described how they create a culture of professional practice and how they modify clinicians' attitudes to facilitate high-value practices. They also described how their patients view healthcare consumption and the characteristics of their patient populations allowed them to practice high-value medicine. They described the role of quality metrics, insurance plan ownership, and alternative payment model participation as encouraging avoidance of overuse.

CONCLUSIONS

Our qualitative analysis of positive deviant health systems supports the framework that is in the published literature, although health system leaders also described their financial structures as another important factor for reducing overuse and encouraging high-value care delivery.

Who's Accountable? Low-Value Care Received By Medicare Beneficiaries Outside Of Their Attributed Health Systems

Policy makers and payers increasingly hold health systems accountable for spending and quality for their attributed beneficiaries. Low-value care-medical services that offer little or no benefit and have the potential for harm in specific clinical scenarios-received outside of these systems could threaten success on both fronts. Using national Medicare data for fee-for-service beneficiaries ages sixty-five and older and attributed to 595 US health systems, we describe where and from whom they received forty low-value services during 2017-18 and identify factors associated with out-of-system receipt. Forty-three percent of low-value services received by attributed beneficiaries originated from out-of-system clinicians: 38 percent from specialists, 4 percent from primary care physicians, and 1 percent from advanced practice clinicians. Recipients of low-value care were more likely to obtain that care out of system if age 75 or older (versus ages 65-74), male (versus female), non-Hispanic White (versus other races or ethnicities), rural dwelling (versus metropolitan dwelling), more medically complex, or experiencing lower continuity of care. However, out-of-system service receipt was not associated with recipients' health systems' accountable care organization status. Health systems might improve quality and reduce spending for their attributed beneficiaries by addressing out-of-system receipt of low-value care-for example, by improving continuity.

What Difference Does a Health Plan Make? Evidence from Random Plan Assignment in Medicaid

Exploiting the random assignment of Medicaid beneficiaries to managed care plans, we find substantial plan-specific spending effects despite plans having identical cost sharing. Enrollment in the lowest-spending plan reduces spending by at least 25%-primarily through quantity reductions-relative to enrollment in the highest-spending plan. Rather than reducing "wasteful" spending, lower-spending plans broadly reduce medical service provision-including the provision of low-cost, high-value care-and worsen beneficiary satisfaction and health. Consumer demand follows spending: a 10 percent increase in plan-specific spending is associated with a 40 percent increase in market share. These facts have implications for the government's contracting problem and program cost growth.

Data-driven approach to identifying potential laboratory overuse in general internal medicine (GIM) inpatients

BACKGROUND

Reducing laboratory test overuse is important for high quality, patient-centred care. Identifying priorities to reduce low value testing remains a challenge.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a simple, data-driven approach to identify potential sources of laboratory overuse by combining the total cost, proportion of abnormal results and physician-level variation in use of laboratory tests.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A multicentre, retrospective study at three academic hospitals in Toronto, Canada. All general internal medicine (GIM) hospitalisations between 1 April 2010 and 31 October 2017.

RESULTS

There were 106 813 GIM hospitalisations during the study period, with median hospital length-of-stay of 4.6 days (IQR: 2.33-9.19). There were 21 tests which had a cumulative cost >US$15 400 at all three sites. The costliest test was plasma electrolytes (US$4 907 775), the test with the lowest proportion of abnormal results was red cell folate (0.2%) and the test with the greatest physician-level variation in use was antiphospholipid antibodies (coefficient of variation 3.08). The five tests with the highest cumulative rank based on greatest cost, lowest proportion of abnormal results and highest physician-level variation were: (1) lactate, (2) antiphospholipid antibodies, (3) magnesium, (4) troponin and (5) partial thromboplastin time. In addition, this method identified unique tests that may be a potential source of laboratory overuse at each hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

A simple multidimensional, data-driven approach combining cost, proportion of abnormal results and physician-level variation can inform interventions to reduce laboratory test overuse. Reducing low value laboratory testing is important to promote high value, patient-centred care.

Performance on Patient Experience Measures of Former Chief Medical Residents as Physician Exemplars Chosen by the Profession

Importance

Physicians' knowledge about each other's quality is central to clinical decision-making, but such information is not well understood and is rarely harnessed to identify exemplars for disseminating best practices or quality improvement. One exception is chief medical resident selection, which is typically based on interpersonal, teaching, and clinical skills.

Objective

To compare care for patients of primary care physicians (PCPs) who were former chiefs with care for patients of nonchief PCPs.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Using 2010 to 2018 Medicare Fee-For-Service Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey data (response rate, 47.6%), Medicare claims for random 20% samples of fee-for-service beneficiaries, and medical board data from 4 large US states, we compared care for patients of former chief PCPs with care for patients of nonchief PCPs in the same practice using linear regression. Data were analyzed from August 2020 to January 2023.

Exposures

Receiving the plurality of primary care office visits from a former chief PCP.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Composite of 12 patient experience items as primary outcome and 4 spending and utilization measures as secondary outcomes.

Results

The CAHPS samples included 4493 patients with former chief PCPs and 41 278 patients with nonchief PCPs. The 2 groups were similar in age (mean [SD], 73.1 [10.3] years vs 73.2 [10.3] years), sex (56.8% vs 56.8% female), race and ethnicity (1.2% vs 1.0% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.3% vs 1.9% Asian or Pacific Islander, 4.8% vs. 5.6% Hispanic, 7.3% vs 6.6% non-Hispanic Black, and 81.5% vs. 80.0% non-Hispanic White), and other characteristics. The Medicare claims for random 20% samples included 289 728 patients with former chief PCPs and 2 954 120 patients with nonchief PCPs. Patients of former chief PCPs rated their care experiences significantly better than patients of nonchief PCPs (adjusted difference in composite, 1.6 percentage points; 95% CI, 0.4-2.8; effect size of 0.30 standard deviations (SD) of the physician-level distribution of performance; P = .01), including markedly higher ratings of physician-specific communication and interpersonal skills typically emphasized in chief selection. Differences were large for patients of racial and ethnic minority groups (1.16 SD), dual-eligible patients (0.81 SD), and those with less education (0.44 SD) but did not vary significantly across groups. Differences in spending and utilization were minimal overall.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, patients of PCPs who were former chief medical residents reported better care experiences than patients of other PCPs in the same practice, especially for physician-specific items. The study results suggest that the profession possesses information about physician quality, motivating the development and study of strategies for harnessing such information to select and repurpose exemplars for quality improvement.