1
|
Kum Ghabowen I, Epane JP, Shen JJ, Goodman X, Ramamonjiarivelo Z, Zengul FD. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Financial Impact of 30-Day Readmissions for Selected Medical Conditions: A Focus on Hospital Quality Performance. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:750. [PMID: 38610171 PMCID: PMC11011876 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12070750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) established the Hospital Quality Initiative in 2010 to enhance patient safety, reduce hospital readmissions, improve quality, and minimize healthcare costs. In response, this study aims to systematically review the literature and conduct a meta-analysis to estimate the average cost of procedure-specific 30-day risk-standardized unplanned readmissions for Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), Heart Failure (HF), Pneumonia, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), and Total Hip Arthroplasty and/or Total Knee Arthroplasty (THA/TKA). METHODS Eligibility Criteria: This study included English language original research papers from the USA, encompassing various study designs. Exclusion criteria comprise studies lacking empirical evidence on hospital financial performance. INFORMATION SOURCES A comprehensive search using relevant keywords was conducted across databases from January 1990 to December 2019 (updated in March 2021), covering peer-reviewed articles and gray literature. Risk of Bias: Bias in the included studies was assessed considering study design, adjustment for confounding factors, and potential effect modifiers. SYNTHESIS OF RESULTS The review adhered to PRISMA guidelines. Employing Monte Carlo simulations, a meta-analysis was conducted with 100,000 simulated samples. Results indicated mean 30-day readmission costs: USD 16,037.08 (95% CI, USD 15,196.01-16,870.06) overall, USD 6852.97 (95% CI, USD 6684.44-7021.08) for AMI, USD 9817.42 (95% CI, USD 9575.82-10,060.43) for HF, and USD 21,346.50 (95% CI, USD 20,818.14-21,871.85) for THA/TKA. DISCUSSION Despite the financial challenges that hospitals face due to the ACA and the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, this meta-analysis contributes valuable insights into the consistent cost trends associated with 30-day readmissions. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review and meta-analysis provide comprehensive insights into the financial implications of 30-day readmissions for specific medical conditions, enhancing our understanding of the nexus between healthcare quality and financial performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iwimbong Kum Ghabowen
- Department of Healthcare Administration, School of Public Health, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas Nevada, NV 89154, USA; (I.K.G.); (J.J.S.)
| | - Josue Patien Epane
- Department of Healthcare Administration, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA;
| | - Jay J. Shen
- Department of Healthcare Administration, School of Public Health, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas Nevada, NV 89154, USA; (I.K.G.); (J.J.S.)
| | - Xan Goodman
- University Libraries, School of Public Health, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas Nevada, NV 89154, USA;
| | - Zo Ramamonjiarivelo
- School of Health Administration, College of Health Professions, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA;
| | - Ferhat Devrim Zengul
- Department of Health Services Administration, School of Health Professions, University of Alabama Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gonzalez AA, Motaganahalli A, Saunders J, Dev S, Dev S, Ghaferi AA. Including socioeconomic status reduces readmission penalties to safety-net hospitals. J Vasc Surg 2024; 79:685-693.e1. [PMID: 37995891 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2023.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) financially penalizes "excessive" postoperative readmissions. Concerned with creating a double standard for institutions treating a high percentage of economically vulnerable patients, Medicare elected to exclude socioeconomic status (SES) from its risk-adjustment model. However, recent evidence suggests that safety-net hospitals (SNHs) caring for many low-SES patients are disproportionately penalized under the HRRP. We sought to simulate the impact of including SES-sensitive models on HRRP penalties for hospitals performing lower extremity revascularization (LER). METHODS This is a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of national data on Medicare patients undergoing open or endovascular LER procedures between 2007 and 2009. We used hierarchical logistic regression to generate hospital risk-standardized 30-day readmission rates under Medicare's current model (adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, and procedure type) compared with models that also adjust for SES. We estimated the likelihood of a penalty and penalty size for SNHs compared with non-SNHs under the current Medicare model and these SES-sensitive models. RESULTS Our study population comprised 1708 hospitals performing 284,724 LER operations with an overall unadjusted readmission rate of 14.4% (standard deviation: 5.3%). Compared with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services model, adjusting for SES would not change the proportion of SNHs penalized for excess readmissions (55.1% vs 53.4%, P = .101) but would reduce penalty amounts for 38% of SNHs compared with only 17% of non-SNHs, P < .001. CONCLUSIONS For LER, changing national Medicare policy to including SES in readmission risk-adjustment models would reduce penalty amounts to SNHs, especially for those that are also teaching institutions. Making further strides toward reducing the national disparity between SNHs and non-SHNs on readmissions, performance measures require strategies beyond simply altering the risk-adjustment model to include SES.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew A Gonzalez
- Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN; William Tierney Center for Health Services Research, Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, IN; Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
| | - Anush Motaganahalli
- William Tierney Center for Health Services Research, Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Jordan Saunders
- William Tierney Center for Health Services Research, Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, IN; Catherine and Joseph Aresty Department of Urology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Sharmistha Dev
- William Tierney Center for Health Services Research, Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, IN; Richard L. Roudebush Veterans' Administration Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN; Department of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Shantanu Dev
- William Tierney Center for Health Services Research, Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, IN; College of Engineering, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | - Amir A Ghaferi
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Shaikh CF, Munir MM, Woldesenbet S, Endo Y, Azap L, Yang J, Katayama E, Dawood Z, Pawlik TM. Association of persistent poverty and U.S. News and World Report hospital rankings among patients undergoing major surgery. Am J Surg 2024; 228:11-19. [PMID: 37596185 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We sought to determine the association of persistent poverty on patient outcomes relative to US News World Report (USNWR) rankings among individuals undergoing common major surgical procedures. METHODS Medicare beneficiaries who underwent AAA repair, CABG, colectomy, or lung resection were identified. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between care at USNWR hospitals, county-level duration of poverty (never-high poverty (NHP); intermittent high poverty (IHP): persistent-poverty (PP)) and 30-day mortality. RESULTS Among 916,164 beneficiaries, individuals residing in PP neighborhoods who received surgical care at ranked hospitals had lower risk-adjusted 30-day mortality (5.89% vs 8.89%; p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, 30-day mortality was lower at ranked hospitals across all poverty categories with greatest decrease among patients from PP regions (NHP: OR-0.91, 95%CI0.87-0.95; IHP: OR-0.78, 95%CI0.69-0.88; PP: OR-0.69, 95%CI0.57-0.83; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Receipt of surgical care at top-ranked hospitals was associated with improvement in postoperative mortality, especially among patients residing in persistent poverty..
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chanza Fahim Shaikh
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Muhammad Musaab Munir
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Selamawit Woldesenbet
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Yutaka Endo
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Lovette Azap
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jason Yang
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Erryk Katayama
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Zaiba Dawood
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lachar J, Avila CJ, Qayyum R. The Long-Term Effect of Financial Penalties on 30-Day Hospital Readmission Rates. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2023; 49:521-528. [PMID: 37394398 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2023.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the immediate effect of financial penalties imposed by the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was a decrease in 30-day hospital readmission rates, the long-term effects are unclear. The authors studied 30-day readmissions before and immediately after HRRP penalties and during the most recent period before the COVID-19 pandemic and examined whether readmission trends differed between penalized and non-penalized hospitals. METHODS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services hospital archive data and US Census Bureau data were used to analyze hospital characteristics, including readmission penalty status, and hospital service area (HSA) demographic information, respectively. These two datasets were matched by HSA crosswalk files, available through the Dartmouth Atlas files. Using data from 2005-2008 as baseline, the authors examined hospital readmission trends before (2008-2011) and after penalties (during three periods: 2011-2014, 2014-2017, 2017-2019). Mixed linear models were used to examine readmission trends through periods, and differences by hospital penalty status without and with adjustment for hospital characteristics and HSA demographic information. RESULTS For all hospitals combined, rates for 2008-2011 vs. 2011-2014 were as follows: pneumonia, 18.6% vs. 17.0%; heart failure (HF), 24.8% vs. 22.0%; acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 19.7% vs. 17.0% (p < 0.001 for all three conditions). Rates for 2014-2017 vs. 2017-2019 were as follows: pneumonia, 16.8% vs. 16.8% (p = 0.87), HF, 21.7% vs. 21.9% (p < 0.001); AMI, 16.0% vs. 15.8% (p < 0.001). Compared to penalized hospitals, using difference-in-differences, non-penalized hospitals had a significantly greater increase for two conditions between the 2014-2017 and 2017-2019 periods: pneumonia 0.34%, p < 0.001; and HF 0.24%, p = 0.002. CONCLUSION Long-term readmission rates are lower than pre-HRRP rates, with recent trends decreasing further for AMI, stabilizing for pneumonia, and increasing for HF.
Collapse
|
5
|
Siriwardhana C, Carrazana E, Liow K, Chen JJ. Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Alzheimer's Disease Link with Cardio and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Based on Hawaii Medicare Data. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2023; 7:1103-1120. [PMID: 37849625 PMCID: PMC10578323 DOI: 10.3233/adr-230003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background There is an expanding body of literature implicating heart disease and stroke as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Hawaii is one of the six majority-minority states in the United States and has significant racial health disparities. The Native-Hawaiians/Pacific-Islander (NHPI) population is well-known as a high-risk group for a variety of disease conditions. Objective We explored the association of cardiovascular disease with AD development based on the Hawaii Medicare data, focusing on racial disparities. Methods We utilized nine years of Hawaii Medicare data to identify subjects who developed heart failure (HF), ischemic heart disease (IHD), atrial fibrillation (AF), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, and progressed to AD, using multistate models. Propensity score-matched controls without cardiovascular disease were identified to compare the risk of AD after heart disease and stroke. Racial/Ethnic differences in progression to AD were evaluated, accounting for other risk factors. Results We found increased risks of AD for AF, HF, IHD, and stroke. Socioeconomic (SE) status was found to be critical to AD risk. Among the low SE group, increased AD risks were found in NHPIs compared to Asians for all conditions selected and compared to whites for HF, IHD, and stroke. Interestingly, these observations were found reversed in the higher SE group, showing reduced AD risks for NHPIs compared to whites for AF, HF, and IHD, and to Asians for HF and IHD. Conclusions NHPIs with poor SE status seems to be mostly disadvantaged by the heart/stroke and AD association compared to corresponding whites and Asians.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chathura Siriwardhana
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Enrique Carrazana
- Department of Medicine, University of Hawaii John Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Kore Liow
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Hawaii John Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Memory Disorders Center, Stroke & Neurologic Restoration Center, Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - John J. Chen
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wei MY. Multimorbidity, 30-Day Readmissions, and Postdischarge Mortality Among Medicare Beneficiaries Using a New ICD-Coded Multimorbidity-Weighted Index. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2023; 78:727-734. [PMID: 36480692 PMCID: PMC10061939 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glac242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medically complex, disabled adults have high 30-day readmission rates. However, physical functioning is not routinely included in risk-adjustment models. We examined the association between multimorbidity with readmissions and mortality using a physical functioning weighted International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-coded multimorbidity-weighted index (MWI-ICD) representing 84 conditions. METHODS We included Medicare beneficiaries with ≥1 hospitalization 2000-2015 who participated in a Health and Retirement Study interview before admission. We computed MWI-ICD by summing physical functioning weighted conditions from Medicare claims. We examined 30-, 90-, and 365-day postdischarge mortality using multivariable logistic regression and length of stay through zero-inflated negative binomials. Models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index, smoking status, physical activity, education, net worth, and marital status/living arrangement. RESULTS The final sample of 10 737 participants had mean ± standard deviation (SD) age 75.9 ± 8.7 years, MWI-ICD 14.9 ± 9.0, and 20% had a 30-day readmission. Adults in the highest versus lowest quartile MWI-ICD had 92% increased odds of 30-day readmission (odds ratio [OR] = 1.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.65-2.22). A 1-point increase in MWI-ICD was associated with 24% increased odds of 30-day readmission (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.18-1.31). A 1-point increase in MWI-ICD was associated with 32% increased odds of death within 365-day postdischarge (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.25-1.40). Readmitted participants with the highest versus lowest quartile MWI-ICD had 37% increased number of expected hospitalized days (incidence rate ratio = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.17-1.59). CONCLUSION Among Medicare beneficiaries, multimorbidity using MWI-ICD is associated with an increased risk of readmissions, mortality, and longer length of stay. MWI-ICD appears to be a valid measure of multimorbidity that embeds physical functioning and presents an opportunity to incorporate functional status into claims-based risk-adjustment models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Y Wei
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, Department of Internal Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California,USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Aswani MS, Roberts ET. Social risk adjustment in the hospital readmission reduction program: Pitfalls of peer grouping, measurement challenges, and potential solutions. Health Serv Res 2023; 58:51-59. [PMID: 35249227 PMCID: PMC9836940 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.13969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the limitations of peer grouping and associated challenges measuring social risk in Medicare's Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). Under peer grouping, hospitals are divided into quintiles based on the proportion of a hospital's Medicare inpatients with Medicaid ("dual share"). This approach was implemented to address concerns that the HRRP unfairly penalized hospitals that disproportionately serve disadvantaged patients. DATA Public data on hospitals in the HRRP. DESIGN We examined the relationship between hospital dual share and readmission rates within peer groups; changes in hospitals' peer group assignments, readmission rates, and penalties; and the relationship between state Medicaid eligibility rules and peer groups. DATA COLLECTION Public data on hospital characteristics and readmission rates for 3119 hospitals from 2019 to 2020. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The proportion of dual inpatients among hospitals of the same peer group varied by as much as 69 percentage points (ppt). Within peer groups, a one ppt increase in dual share was associated with a 0.01 ppt increase in the difference from the median readmission rate (p < 0.001). From 2019 to 2020, 8.8% of hospitals switched peer groups. Compared to hospitals that did not switch, those moving to a lower peer group had a higher mean penalty in 2020 (0.096 ppt; p = 0.006); those moving to a higher group had a lower mean penalty (-0.06 ppt; p = 0.079). However, changes in penalties did not correspond to changes in readmission rates. Hospitals in states with higher Medicaid income eligibility limits were more likely to be in higher peer groups. CONCLUSIONS Peer grouping is limited in the extent to which it accounts for differences in hospitals' patient populations, and it may not fully insulate hospitals from penalties linked to changes in patient mix. These problems arise from the construction of peer groups and the measure of social risk used to define them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monica S. Aswani
- Department of Health Services AdministrationUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health ProfessionsBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Eric T. Roberts
- Department of Health Policy and ManagementUniversity of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public HealthPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wright B, Akiyama J, Potter AJ, Sabik LM, Stehlin GG, Trivedi AN, Wolinsky FD. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Hospital-Based Care Among Dual Eligibles Who Use Health Centers. Health Equity 2023; 7:9-18. [PMID: 36744239 PMCID: PMC9892926 DOI: 10.1089/heq.2022.0037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Health center use may reduce hospital-based care among Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles, but racial and ethnic disparities in this population have not been widely studied. We examined the extent of racial and ethnic disparities in hospital-based care among duals using health centers and the degree to which disparities occur within or between health centers. Methods We used 2012-2018 Medicare claims and health center data to model emergency department (ED) visits, observation stays, hospitalizations, and 30-day unplanned returns as a function of race and ethnicity among dual eligibles using health centers. Results In rural and urban counties, age-eligible Black individuals had more ED visits (7.9 [4.0, 11.7] and 13.7 [10.0, 17.4] per 100 person-years) and were more likely to experience an unplanned return (1.4 [0.4, 2.4] and 1 [0.4, 1.6] percentage points [pp]) than White individuals, but were less likely to be hospitalized (-3.3 [-3.9, -2.8] and -1.2 [-1.6, -0.9] pp). In urban counties, age-eligible Black individuals were 1.2 [0.9, 1.5] pp more likely than White individuals to have observation stays. Other racial and ethnic groups used the same or less hospital-based care than White individuals. Including state and health center fixed effects eliminated Black versus White disparities in all outcomes, except hospitalization. Results were similar among disability-eligible duals. Conclusion Racial and ethnic disparities in hospital-based care among dual eligibles are less common within than between health centers. If health centers are to play a more central role in eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities, these differences across health centers must be understood and addressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brad Wright
- Department of Family Medicine, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,*Address correspondence to: Brad Wright, PhD, Department of Health Services Policy and Management, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Suite 355, Columbia, SC 29208, USA,
| | - Jill Akiyama
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Public Health, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrew J. Potter
- Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice, California State University, Chico, California, USA
| | - Lindsay M. Sabik
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Grace G. Stehlin
- Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Amal N. Trivedi
- Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Fredric D. Wolinsky
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Spivack SB, Qin L, Herrin J, Goutos DB, Schreiber M, Fleisher LA, Venkatesh AB, Bernheim S. Assessing Hospital Quality Scores By Proportion Of Patients Dually Eligible For Medicare And Medicaid. Health Aff (Millwood) 2023; 42:35-43. [PMID: 36623224 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been reporting hospital star ratings since 2016. Some stakeholders have criticized the star ratings methodology for not adjusting for social risk factors. We examined the relationship between 2021 star rating scores and hospitals' proportion of Medicare patients dually eligible for Medicaid. We found that, on average, hospitals caring for a greater proportion of dually eligible patients had lower star ratings, but there was significant overlap in performance among hospitals when we stratified them by quintile of dually eligible patients. Hospitals in the highest quintile (those with the greatest proportion of dually eligible patients) had the best mean mortality scores (0.28) but the worst readmission (-0.44) and patient experience (-0.78) scores. We assigned star ratings after stratifying the readmission measure group by proportion of dually eligible patients and found that a total of 142 hospitals gained a star and 161 hospitals lost a star, of which 126 (89 percent) and 1 (<1 percent) were in the highest quintile, respectively. Adjusting public reporting tools such as star ratings for social risk factors is ultimately a policy decision, and views on the appropriateness of accounting for factors such as proportion of dually eligible patients are mixed, depending on the organization and stakeholder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Michelle Schreiber
- Michelle Schreiber, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Lee A Fleisher
- Lee A. Fleisher, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
| | - Arjun B Venkatesh
- Arjun B. Venkatesh, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, and Yale University
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Solnick RE, Vijayasiri G, Li Y, Kocher KE, Jenq G, Bozaan D. Emergency department returns and early follow-up visits after heart failure hospitalization: Cohort study examining the role of race. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0279394. [PMID: 36548344 PMCID: PMC9778499 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Health disparities in heart failure (HF) show that Black patients face greater ED utilization and worse clinical outcomes. Transitional care post-HF hospitalization, such as 7-day early follow-up visits, may prevent ED returns. We examine whether early follow-up is associated with lower ED returns visits within 30 days and whether Black race is associated with receiving early follow-up after HF hospitalization. This was a retrospective cohort analysis of all Black and White adult patients at 13 hospitals in Michigan hospitalized for HF from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2020. Adjusted risk ratios (aRR) were estimated from multivariable logistic regressions. The analytic sample comprised 6,493 patients (mean age = 71 years (SD 15), 50% female, 37% Black, 9% Medicaid). Ten percent had an ED return within 30 days and almost half (43%) of patients had 7-day early follow-up. Patients with early follow-up had lower risk of ED returns (aRR 0.85 [95%CI, 0.71-0.98]). Regarding rates of early follow-up, there was no overall adjusted association with Black race, but the following variables were related to lower follow-up: Medicaid insurance (aRR 0.90 [95%CI, 0.80-1.00]), dialysis (aRR 0.86 [95%CI, 0.77-0.96]), depression (aRR 0.92 [95%CI, 0.86-0.98]), and discharged with opioids (aRR 0.94 [95%CI, 0.88-1.00]). When considering a hospital-level interaction, three of the 13 sites with the lowest percentage of Black patients had lower rates of early follow-up in Black patients (ranging from 15% to 55% reduced likelihood). Early follow-up visits were associated with a lower likelihood of ED returns for HF patients. Despite this potentially protective association, certain patient factors were associated with being less likely to receive scheduled follow-up visits. Hospitals with lower percentages of Black patients had lower rates of early follow-up for Black patients. Together, these may represent missed opportunities to intervene in high-risk groups to prevent ED returns in patients with HF.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E. Solnick
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Now at Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Ganga Vijayasiri
- Integrated Michigan Patient-Centered Alliance in Care Transitions (I-MPACT), Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Yiting Li
- Integrated Michigan Patient-Centered Alliance in Care Transitions (I-MPACT), Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Keith E. Kocher
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Department of Learning Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Grace Jenq
- Integrated Michigan Patient-Centered Alliance in Care Transitions (I-MPACT), Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - David Bozaan
- Integrated Michigan Patient-Centered Alliance in Care Transitions (I-MPACT), Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Kim H, Mahmood A, Hammarlund NE, Chang CF. Hospital value-based payment programs and disparity in the United States: A review of current evidence and future perspectives. Front Public Health 2022; 10:882715. [PMID: 36299751 PMCID: PMC9589294 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.882715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Beginning in the early 2010s, an array of Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) programs has been developed in the United States (U.S.) to contain costs and improve health care quality. Despite documented successes in these efforts in some instances, there have been growing concerns about the programs' unintended consequences for health care disparities due to their built-in biases against health care organizations that serve a disproportionate share of disadvantaged patient populations. We explore the effects of three Medicare hospital VBP programs on health and health care disparities in the U.S. by reviewing their designs, implementation history, and evidence on health care disparities. The available empirical evidence thus far suggests varied impacts of hospital VBP programs on health care disparities. Most of the reviewed studies in this paper demonstrate that hospital VBP programs have the tendency to exacerbate health care disparities, while a few others found evidence of little or no worsening impacts on disparities. We discuss several policy options and recommendations which include various reform approaches and specific programs ranging from those addressing upstream structural barriers to health care access, to health care delivery strategies that target service utilization and health outcomes of vulnerable populations under the VBP programs. Future studies are needed to produce more explicit, conclusive, and consistent evidence on the impacts of hospital VBP programs on disparities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyunmin Kim
- School of Health Professions, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
- Division of Health Systems Management and Policy, School of Public Health, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Asos Mahmood
- Division of Health Systems Management and Policy, School of Public Health, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- Center for Health System Improvement, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
- Department of Medicine-General Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Noah E. Hammarlund
- Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Cyril F. Chang
- Department of Economics, Fogelman College of Business and Economics, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Rogstad TL, Gupta S, Connolly J, Shrank WH, Roberts ET. Social Risk Adjustment In The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: A Systematic Review And Implications For Policy. Health Aff (Millwood) 2022; 41:1307-1315. [PMID: 36067432 PMCID: PMC9513720 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Value-based payment programs adjust payments to providers based on spending, quality, or health outcomes. Concern that these programs penalize providers disproportionately serving vulnerable patients prompted calls to adjust performance measures for social risk factors. We reviewed fourteen studies of social risk adjustment in Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), a value-based payment model that initially did not adjust for social risk factors but subsequently began to do so. Seven studies found that adding social risk factors to the program's base risk-adjustment model (which adjusts only for age, sex, and comorbidities) reduced differences in risk-adjusted readmissions and penalties between safety-net hospitals and other hospitals. Three studies found that peer grouping, the HRRP's current approach to social risk adjustment, reduced penalties among safety-net hospitals. Two studies found that differences in risk-adjusted readmissions and penalties were further narrowed when augmentation of the base model was combined with peer grouping. Two studies showed that it is possible to adjust for social risk factors without obscuring quality differences between hospitals. These findings support the use of social risk adjustment to improve provider payment equity and highlight opportunities to enhance social risk adjustment in value-based payment programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa L Rogstad
- Teresa L. Rogstad , Teresa Rogstad Consulting, Lino Lakes, Minnesota
| | - Shweta Gupta
- Shweta Gupta, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois
| | - John Connolly
- John Connolly, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Eric T Roberts
- Eric T. Roberts, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Carrasco-Aguilar A, Galán JJ, Carrasco RA. Obamacare: A bibliometric perspective. Front Public Health 2022; 10:979064. [PMID: 36033824 PMCID: PMC9416003 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.979064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Obamacare is the colloquial name given to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) signed into law by President Obama in the USA, which ultimately aims to provide universal access to health care services for US citizens. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the political-legal, economic, social, management (or administrative), and medical (or health) repercussions of this law, using a bibliometric methodology as a basis. In addition, the main contributors to research on ACA issues have been identified in terms of authors, organizations, journals, and countries. The downward trend in scientific production on this law has been noted, and it has been concluded that a balance has not yet been reached between the coexistence of private and public health care that guarantees broad social coverage without economic or other types of barriers. The law requires political consensus to be implemented in a definitive and global manner for the whole of the United States.
Collapse
|
14
|
Kamath CC, O’Byrne TJ, Lewallen DG, Berry DJ, Maradit Kremers H. Neighborhood-Level Socioeconomic Deprivation, Rurality, and Long-Term Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Total Joint Arthroplasty: Analysis from a Large, Tertiary Care Hospital. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes 2022; 6:337-346. [PMID: 35814186 PMCID: PMC9256822 DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To assess the impact of neighborhood-level socioeconomic status factors (area deprivation index [ADI] and rural classification) and their interaction with individual-level socioeconomic status (education-level) on long-term outcomes following total joint arthroplasty (TJA) surgery. Patients and Methods This was a cohort study of 46,828 TJA surgeries performed on patients at a tertiary care hospital between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2019. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between ADI and rurality and their interaction with individual-level education on the risk of periprosthetic joint infections, revision surgery, and mortality. Results At the time of surgery, 2589 (6%) patients lived in the most deprived neighborhoods (ADI quintile >80%) and 10,728 (23%) lived in small isolated rural towns. Patients from the most deprived neighborhoods were more likely to experience revision surgery (hazard ratio, [HR], 1.39; 95% CI, 1.10-1.76) and mortality (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.09-1.42). Patients from small rural towns were also more likely to undergo revision surgery (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.01-1.28). The mortality risk was 13%, 18%, and 24% higher for patients in the 3 highest ADI quintiles than those from the lowest quintile. Education gradient was more notable in the least deprived neighborhoods than in the most deprived neighborhoods. Conclusion Neighborhood disadvantage and rurality are negatively associated with the risk of revision surgery and both independently and in interaction with individual-level education with the risk of mortality. There is a need for population-level health interventions to mitigate area-based socioeconomic disadvantages in TJA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Celia C. Kamath
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Thomas J. O’Byrne
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | | | - Daniel J. Berry
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Hilal Maradit Kremers
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- Correspondence: Address to Hilal Maradit Kremers, MD, Department of Quantitative Health Science, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Kamath CC, O’Byrne TJ, Lewallen DG, Berry DJ, Maradit Kremers H. Association of Rurality and Neighborhood Level Socioeconomic Deprivation with Perioperative Health Status in Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients: Analysis from a Large, Tertiary Care Hospital. J Arthroplasty 2022; 37:1505-1513. [PMID: 35337946 PMCID: PMC9356998 DOI: 10.1016/j.arth.2022.03.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individual socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with disparities in access to care and worse outcomes in total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Neighborhood-level SES measures are sometimes used as a proxy for individual-level SES, but the validity of this approach is unknown. We examined neighborhood level SES and rurality on perioperative health status in TJA. METHODS The study population comprised 46,828 TJA surgeries performed at a tertiary care hospital. Community area deprivation index (ADI) was derived from the 2015 American Census Survey. Logistic regression was used to examine perioperative characteristics by ADI and rurality. RESULTS Compared to patients from the least deprived neighborhoods, patients from the most deprived neighborhoods were likely to be female (odds ratioOR 1.46, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.33-1.61), non-white (OR 1.36, 95% CI: 1.13-1.64), with education high school or less (OR 4.85, 95% CI: 4.35-5.41), be current smokers (OR 2.20, 95% CI: 1.61-2.49), have BMI>30 kg/m2 (OR 1.43, 95% CI: 1.30-1.57), more limitation on instrumental activities of daily living (OR 1.75, 95% CI: 1.55-1.97) and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score > II (OR 2.0, 95% CI: 1.11-1.37). There was a progressive association between the degree of area level deprivation with preexisting comorbidities. Patients from rural communities were more likely to be male, white, have body mass index (BMI)>30 kg/m2 and lower education levels. However, rurality was either not associated or negatively associated with comorbidities. CONCLUSION TJA patients from lower SES neighborhoods have worse behavioral risk factors and higher comorbidity burden than patients from higher SES neighborhoods. Patients from rural communities have worse behavioral risk factors but not comorbidities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Celia C. Kamath
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Thomas J. O’Byrne
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | | | - Daniel J. Berry
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Hilal Maradit Kremers
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota,Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Landau AJ, Oladeji AK, Hosseinzadeh P. Assessment of Ethno-racial and Insurance-based Disparities in Pediatric Forearm and Tibial Fracture Care in the United States. J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev 2022; 6:e22.00126. [PMID: 35908228 PMCID: PMC10566840 DOI: 10.5435/jaaosglobal-d-22-00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite growing attention to healthcare disparities and interventions to improve inequalities, additional identification of disparities is needed, particularly in the pediatric population. We used state and nationwide databases to identify factors associated with the surgical treatment of pediatric forearm and tibial fractures. METHODS The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient, Emergency Department, and Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases from four US states and the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample database were quarried using International Classification of Diseases codes to identify patients from 2006 to 2015. Multivariable regression models were used to determine factors associated with surgical treatment. RESULTS State databases identified 130,006 forearm (1575 open) and 51,979 tibial fractures (1339 open). Surgical treatment was done in 2.6% of closed and 37.5% of open forearm fractures and 7.9% of closed and 60.5% of open tibial fractures. A national estimated total of 3,312,807 closed and 46,569 open forearm fractures were included, 59,024 (1.8%) of which were treated surgically. A total of 719,374 closed and 26,144 open tibial fractures were identified; 52,506 (7.0%) were treated surgically. Multivariable regression revealed that race and/or insurance status were independent predictors for the lower likelihood of surgery in 3 of 4 groups: Black patients were 43% and 35% less likely to have surgery after closed and open forearm fractures, respectively, and patients with Medicaid were less often treated surgically for open tibial fractures in state (17%) and nationwide (20%) databases. CONCLUSIONS Disparities in pediatric forearm and tibial fracture care persist, especially for Black patients and those with Medicaid; identification of influencing factors and interventions to address them are important in improving equality and value of care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Landau
- From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery; Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Afolayan K. Oladeji
- From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery; Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Pooya Hosseinzadeh
- From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery; Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Bucholz EM, Toomey SL, McCulloch CE, Bardach NS. Adjusting for Social Risk Factors in Pediatric Quality Measures: Adding to the Evidence Base. Acad Pediatr 2022; 22:S108-S114. [PMID: 35339237 PMCID: PMC9279115 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Outcome and utilization quality measures are adjusted for patient case-mix including demographic characteristics and comorbid conditions to allow for comparisons between hospitals and health plans. However, controversy exists around whether and how to adjust for social risk factors. OBJECTIVE To assess an approach to incorporating social risk variables into a pediatric measure of utilization from the Pediatric Quality Measures Program (PQMP). METHODS We used data from California Medicaid claims (2015-16) and Massachusetts All Payer Claims Database (2014-2015) to calculate health plan performance using measure specifications from the Pediatric Asthma Emergency Department Use measure. Health plan performance categories were assessed using mixed effect negative binomial models with and without adjustment for social risk factors, with both models adjusting for age, gender and chronic condition category. Mixed effects linear models were then used to compare patient social risk for health plans that changed performance categories to patient social risk for health plans that did not. RESULTS Of 133 health plans, serving 404,649 pediatric patients with asthma, 7% to 13% changed performance categories after social risk adjustment. Health plans that moved to higher performance categories cared for lower socioeconomic status (SES) patients whereas those that moved to lower performance categories cared for higher SES patients. CONCLUSIONS Adjustment for social risk factors changed performance rankings on the PQMP Pediatric Asthma Emergency Department Use measure for a substantial number of health plans. Some health plans caring for higher risk patients performed more poorly when social risk factors were not included in risk adjustment models. In light of this, social risk factors are incorporated into the National Quality Forum-endorsed measure; whether to incorporate social risk factors into pediatric quality measures will differ depending on the use case.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily M. Bucholz
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Sara L. Toomey
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Charles E. McCulloch
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco
| | - Naomi S. Bardach
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Shashikumar SA, Waken RJ, Aggarwal R, Wadhera RK, Joynt Maddox KE. Three-Year Impact Of Stratification In The Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. Health Aff (Millwood) 2022; 41:375-382. [PMID: 35254934 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) financially penalizes hospitals with high readmission rates. In fiscal year 2019 the program was changed to account for the association between social risk and high readmission rates. The new approach stratifies hospitals into five groups by hospitals' proportion of patients dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, and it evaluates performance within each stratum instead of within the national cohort. Its impact on hospitals caring for vulnerable populations has not been studied. We calculated the change in average annual penalty percentage, before and after stratification, for safety-net hospitals, rural hospitals, and hospitals caring for a high share of Black and Hispanic or Latino patients. We found that stratification by proportion of dual enrollees was associated with a decrease in penalties by -0.09 percentage points at hospitals with the highest proportion of dual enrollees, -0.08 percentage points at rural hospitals, and -0.06 percentage points at hospitals with a large share of Black and Hispanic or Latino patients. Fully adjusted analyses suggest that these patterns were driven by penalty reductions at rural hospitals and hospitals disproportionately serving Black and Hispanic or Latino patients. Given the allocation of fewer penalties to these hospitals, we conclude that the stratification mandate was a modest step toward equity within the HRRP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - R J Waken
- R. J. Waken, Washington University in St. Louis
| | - Rahul Aggarwal
- Rahul Aggarwal, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rishi K Wadhera
- Rishi K. Wadhera, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Wallace J, McWilliams JM, Lollo A, Eaton J, Ndumele CD. Residual Confounding in Health Plan Performance Assessments: Evidence From Randomization in Medicaid. Ann Intern Med 2022; 175:314-324. [PMID: 34978862 DOI: 10.7326/m21-0881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Risk adjustment is used widely in payment systems and performance assessments, but the extent to which it distinguishes plan or provider effects from confounding due to patient differences is typically unknown. OBJECTIVE To assess the degree to which risk-adjusted measures of health plan performance adequately adjust for the variation across plans that arises because of differences in patient characteristics (residual confounding). DESIGN Comparison between plan performance estimates based on enrollees who made plan choices (observational population) and estimates based on enrollees assigned to plans (randomized population). SETTING Natural experiment in which more than two thirds of a state's Medicaid population in 1 region was randomly assigned to 1 of 5 plans. PARTICIPANTS 137 933 enrollees in 2013 to 2014, of whom 31.1% selected a plan and 68.9% were randomly assigned to 1 of the same 5 plans. MEASUREMENTS Annual total spending (that is, payments to providers), primary care use, dental care use, and avoidable emergency department visits, all scored as plan-specific deviations from the "average" plan performance within each population. RESULTS Enrollee characteristics were appreciably imbalanced across plans in the observational population, as expected, but were not in the randomized population. Annual total spending varied across plans more in the observational population (SD, $147 per enrollee) than in the randomized population (SD, $70 per enrollee) after accounting for baseline differences in the observational and randomized populations and for differences across plans. On average, a plan's spending score (its deviation from the "average" performance) in the observational population differed from its score in the randomized population by $67 per enrollee in absolute value (95% CI, $38 to $123), or 4.2% of mean spending per enrollee (P = 0.009, rejecting the null hypothesis that this difference would be expected from sampling error). The difference was reduced modestly by risk adjustment to $62 per enrollee (P = 0.012). Residual confounding was similarly substantial for most other performance measures. Further adjustment for social factors did not materially change estimates. LIMITATION Potential heterogeneity in plan effects between the 2 populations. CONCLUSION Residual confounding in risk-adjusted performance assessments can be substantial and should caution policymakers against assuming that risk adjustment isolates real differences in plan performance. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE Arnold Ventures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Wallace
- Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut (J.W., A.L., C.D.N.)
| | - J Michael McWilliams
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, and Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (J.M.M.)
| | - Anthony Lollo
- Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut (J.W., A.L., C.D.N.)
| | - Janet Eaton
- Yale School of Public Health, and Tobin Center for Economic Policy, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (J.E.)
| | - Chima D Ndumele
- Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut (J.W., A.L., C.D.N.)
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Brown SM, Dinglas VD, Akhlaghi N, Bose S, Banner-Goodspeed V, Beesley S, Groat D, Greene T, Hopkins RO, Mir-Kasimov M, Sevin CM, Turnbull AE, Jackson JC, Needham DM. Association between unmet medication needs after hospital discharge and readmission or death among acute respiratory failure survivors: the addressing post-intensive care syndrome (APICS-01) multicenter prospective cohort study. Crit Care 2022; 26:6. [PMID: 34991660 PMCID: PMC8738999 DOI: 10.1186/s13054-021-03848-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) commonly experience long-lasting physical, cognitive, and/or mental health impairments. Unmet medication needs occurring immediately after hospital discharge may have an important effect on subsequent recovery. Methods and analysis In this multicenter prospective cohort study, we enrolled ARF survivors who were discharged directly home from their acute care hospitalization. The primary exposure was unmet medication needs. The primary outcome was hospital readmission or death within 3 months after discharge. We performed a propensity score analysis, using inverse probability weighting for the primary exposure, to evaluate the exposure–outcome association, with an a priori sample size of 200 ARF survivors. Results We enrolled 200 ARF survivors, of whom 107 (53%) were female and 77 (39%) were people of color. Median (IQR) age was 55 (43–66) years, APACHE II score 20 (15–26) points, and hospital length of stay 14 (9–21) days. Of the 200 participants, 195 (98%) were in the analytic cohort. One hundred fourteen (57%) patients had at least one unmet medication need; the proportion of medication needs that were unmet was 6% (0–15%). Fifty-six (29%) patients were readmitted or died by 3 months; 10 (5%) died within 3 months. Unmet needs were not associated (risk ratio 1.25; 95% CI 0.75–2.1) with hospital readmission or death, although a higher proportion of unmet needs may have been associated with increased hospital readmission (risk ratio 1.7; 95% CI 0.96–3.1) and decreased mortality (risk ratio 0.13; 95% CI 0.02–0.99). Discussion Unmet medication needs are common among survivors of acute respiratory failure shortly after discharge home. The association of unmet medication needs with 3-month readmission and mortality is complex and requires additional investigation to inform clinical trials of interventions to reduce unmet medication needs. Study registration number: NCT03738774. The study was prospectively registered before enrollment of the first patient. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13054-021-03848-3.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel M Brown
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Intermountain Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. .,Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. .,Center for Humanizing Critical Care, Intermountain Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. .,Shock Trauma ICU, Intermountain Medical Center, 5121 S. Cottonwood Street, Murray, UT, 84107, USA.
| | - Victor D Dinglas
- Outcomes After Critical Illness and Surgery (OACIS) Group and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Narjes Akhlaghi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Somnath Bose
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Sarah Beesley
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Intermountain Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Center for Humanizing Critical Care, Intermountain Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Danielle Groat
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Intermountain Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Center for Humanizing Critical Care, Intermountain Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Tom Greene
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ramona O Hopkins
- Center for Humanizing Critical Care, Intermountain Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Psychology Department and Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Mustafa Mir-Kasimov
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Salt Lake City Veterans Administration, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Carla M Sevin
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Alison E Turnbull
- Outcomes After Critical Illness and Surgery (OACIS) Group and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Dale M Needham
- Outcomes After Critical Illness and Surgery (OACIS) Group and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Wilcock AD, Joshi S, Escarce J, Huckfeldt PJ, Nuckols T, Popescu I, Sood N. Luck of the draw: Role of chance in the assignment of medicare readmissions penalties. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261363. [PMID: 34932592 PMCID: PMC8691630 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pay-for-performance programs are one strategy used by health plans to improve the efficiency and quality of care delivered to beneficiaries. Under such programs, providers are often compared against their peers in order to win bonuses or face penalties in payment. Yet luck has the potential to affect performance assessment through randomness in the sorting of patients among providers or through random events during the evaluation period. To investigate the impact luck can have on the assessment of performance, we investigated its role in assigning penalties under Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Policy (HRRP), a program that penalizes hospitals with excess readmissions. We performed simulations that estimated program hospitals' 2015 readmission penalties in 1,000 different hypothetical fiscal years. These hypothetical fiscal years were created by: (a) randomly varying which patients were admitted to each hospital and (b) randomly varying the readmission status of discharged patients. We found significant differences in penalty sizes and probability of penalty across hypothetical fiscal years, signifying the importance of luck in readmission performance under the HRRP. Nearly all of the impact from luck arose from events occurring after hospital discharge. Luck played a smaller role in determining penalties for hospitals with more beds, teaching hospitals, and safety-net hospitals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D. Wilcock
- University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Sushant Joshi
- Sol Price School of Public Policy, Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - José Escarce
- Department of General Internal Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Peter J. Huckfeldt
- School of Public Health, Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Teryl Nuckols
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Ioana Popescu
- Department of General Internal Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Neeraj Sood
- Sol Price School of Public Policy, Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Murray F, Allen M, Clark CM, Daly CJ, Jacobs DM. Socio-demographic and -economic factors associated with 30-day readmission for conditions targeted by the hospital readmissions reduction program: a population-based study. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1922. [PMID: 34688255 PMCID: PMC8540163 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11987-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Early hospital readmissions remain common in patients with conditions targeted by the CMS Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). There is still no consensus on whether readmission measures should be adjusted based on social factors, and there are few population studies within the U.S. examining how social characteristics influence readmissions for HRRP-targeted conditions. The objective of this study was to determine if specific socio-demographic and -economic factors are associated with 30-day readmissions in HRRP-targeted conditions: acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, acute myocardial infarction, and heart failure. Methods The Nationwide Readmissions Database was used to identify patients admitted with HRRP-targeted conditions between January 1, 2010 and September 30, 2015. Stroke was included as a control condition because it is not included in the HRRP. Multivariate models were used to assess the relationship between three social and economic characteristics (gender, urban/rural hospital designation, and estimated median household income within the patient’s zip code) and 30-day readmission rates using a hierarchical two-level logistic model. Age-adjusted models were used to assess relationship differences between Medicare vs. non-Medicare populations. Results There were 19,253,997 weighted index hospital admissions for all diagnoses and 3,613,488 30-day readmissions between 2010 and 2015. Patients in the lowest income quartile (≤$37,999) had an increased odds of 30-day readmission across all conditions (P < 0.0001). Female gender and rural hospital designation were associated with a decreased odds of 30-day readmission for most targeted conditions (P < 0.05). Similar findings were also seen in patients ≥65 years old. Conclusions Socio-demographic and -economic factors are associated with 30-day readmission rates and should be incorporated into tools or interventions to improve discharge planning and mitigate against readmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frances Murray
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Meghan Allen
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Collin M Clark
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Christopher J Daly
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - David M Jacobs
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Ghosh AK, Soroka O, Shapiro M, Unruh MA. Association Between Racial Disparities in Hospital Length of Stay and the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program. Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol 2021; 8:23333928211042454. [PMID: 34485622 PMCID: PMC8411641 DOI: 10.1177/23333928211042454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: On average Black patients have longer LOS than comparable White patients.
Longer hospital length of stay (LOS) may be associated with higher
readmission risk. However, evidence suggests that the Hospital Readmission
Reduction Program (HRRP) reduced overall racial differences in 30-day
adjusted readmission risk. Yet, it is unclear whether the HRRP narrowed
these LOS racial differences. Objective: We examined the relationship between Medicare-insured Black-White differences
in average, adjusted LOS (ALOS) and the HRRP’s implementation and evaluation
periods. Methods: Using 2009-2017 data from State Inpatient Dataset from New York, New Jersey,
and Florida, we employed an interrupted time series analysis with
multivariate generalized regression models controlling for patient, disease,
and hospital characteristics. Results are reported per 100 admissions. Results: We found that for those discharged home, Black-White ALOS differences
significantly widened by 4.15 days per 100 admissions (95% CI: 1.19 to 7.11,
P < 0.001) for targeted conditions from before to
after the HRRP implementation period, but narrowed in the HRRP evaluation
period by 1.84 days per 100 admissions for every year-quarter (95% CI: −2.86
to −0.82, P < 0.001); for those discharged to non-home
destinations, there was no significant change between HRRP periods, but ALOS
differences widened over the study period. Black-White ALOS differences for
non-targeted conditions remained unchanged regardless of HRRP phase and
discharge destination. Conclusion: Increased LOS for Black patients may have played a role in reducing
Black-White disparities in 30-day readmission risks for targeted conditions
among patients discharged to home.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arnab K Ghosh
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Orysya Soroka
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martin Shapiro
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mark A Unruh
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Stability over time of the "hospital effect" on 30-day unplanned readmissions: Evidence from administrative data. Health Policy 2021; 125:1393-1397. [PMID: 34362578 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2021.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Past studies showed that hospital characteristics affect hospital performance in terms of 30-day unplanned readmissions, proving the existence of a "hospital effect". However, the stability over time of this effect has been under-investigated. This study offers new evidence about the stability over time of the hospital effect on 30-day unplanned readmissions. Using 78,907 heart failure (HF) records collected from 116 hospitals in the Lombardy Region (Northern Italy) over three years (2010-2012), this study analysed hospital performance in terms of 30-day unplanned readmissions. Hospitals with unusually high and low readmission rates were identified through multi-level regression that combined both patient and hospital covariates in each year. Our results confirm that although hospital covariates - and the connected managerial choices - affect the 30-day unplanned readmissions of a specific year, their effect is not stable in the short-term (3 years). This has important implications for pay-for-performance schemes and quality improvement initiatives.
Collapse
|
25
|
Kim TW, Choi ES, Kim WJ, Jo HS. The Association with COPD Readmission Rate and Access to Medical Institutions in Elderly Patients. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2021; 16:1599-1606. [PMID: 34113092 PMCID: PMC8184368 DOI: 10.2147/copd.s302631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Up to 20% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) require re-admission within 30 days of discharge after hospitalization for acute exacerbations of the disease. These re-admissions can increase morbidity and the economic burden of COPD. Reducing re-admissions has become a policy target in many developed countries. We investigated the risk factors for COPD re-admissions among older adults with COPD. Patients and Methods Data obtained from the National Health Insurance Service-Senior Cohort (NHIS-SC) in Korea were analyzed. The subjects included 558,147 patients aged ≥70 who had been admitted for COPD between 2013 and 2015. Re-admission was defined as being re-hospitalized within 30 days after discharge. The key variables selected from the database included income-based insurance contributions, demographical variables, information on inpatient medical services, types of healthcare facilities, and emergency time relevance index (TRI). The TRI is a regional medical-use analysis index that evaluates whether the capacity of the medical services available is appropriate for the medical needs of the target residents. Results In 814 COPD re-admission cases among 4867 total admissions due to COPD in elderly subjects, higher re-admission rates were associated with male sex, admission to district hospitals, medical aid recipients, and a longer hospital stay. When additionally adjusting the TRI to identify the difference in re-admission rates due to medical service accessibility, the same results were found, except for the areas of residence. The TRI was lower in re-admission cases (odds ratio 0.991 [95% CI, 0.984‒0.998], P = 0.013). Conclusion In this study, COPD re-admission rates among older adults were significantly associated with sex, length of hospital stay, and the type of hospital. The capacity of the medical services provided was also related to the COPD re-admission rate. Better access to appropriate emergency services is associated with reduction of COPD re-admission rates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tae Wan Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Eun Sil Choi
- Gangwon Public Health Policy Institute, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Woo Jin Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Heui Sug Jo
- Department of Health Policy & Management, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kandagatla P, Su WTK, Adrianto I, Jordan J, Haeusler J, Rubinfeld I. The Effects of Harm Events on 30-Day Readmission in Surgical Patients. J Healthc Qual 2021; 43:101-109. [PMID: 32195743 DOI: 10.1097/jhq.0000000000000261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Readmission is an increasingly important focus for improvement regarding quality, value, and patient burden in our surgical patient population. We hypothesized that inpatient harm events increase the likelihood of readmission in surgical patients. We created a system-wide inpatient registry with 30-day readmission. A surgical subset was created, and harm events were tracked through the electronic health record system. Between 2015 and 2017, 37,048 surgical patient encounters met inclusion criterion. A total of 2,887 patients (7.69%) were readmitted. After multiple logistic regression of the highly significant harm measures, seven harm measures remained statistically significant (p < .05). Those with the three highest odds ratios were mucosal pressure ulcer, Clostridium difficile, and glucose <40. Incorporating harm measures to the traditional risk, predictive model for 30-day readmission improved our model performance (area under the ROC curve from 0.68 to 0.71). This study demonstrated that inpatient hospital-based harm events can be electronically monitored and used to predict 30-day readmission.
Collapse
|
27
|
Gilmore-Bykovskyi A, Cotton Q, Morgan J, Block L. Diverse perspectives on hospitalisation events among people with dementia: protocol for a multisite qualitative study. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e043016. [PMID: 33550256 PMCID: PMC7925923 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People living with dementia (PLWD) are more likely to experience hospitalisation events (hospitalisation, rehospitalisation) than those without dementia. Many hospitalisation events, particularly rehospitalisation within 30 days of discharge, are thought to be avoidable. Yet our understanding of dementia-specific risk and protective factors surrounding avoidable hospitalisation is limited to specific intersetting transitions and predominantly clinician perspectives. Broader insights are needed to design accessible and effective solutions for reducing avoidable hospitalisations. We have designed the Stakeholders Understanding of Prevention Protection and Opportunities to Reduce HospiTalizations (SUPPORT) Study to address these gaps. The objectives of the SUPPORT Study are to elicit and examine family caregiver, community and hospital providers' perspectives on avoidable hospitalisation events among PLWD, and to identify opportunities for effective prevention. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We will conduct a multisite, descriptive qualitative study to interview around 100 family caregivers, community and hospital providers. We will identify and sample from regions and communities with higher socio-contextual disadvantage and hospital utilisation, and will aim to recruit individuals representing diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds. Interviews will follow a descriptive qualitative design in conjunction with constant comparison techniques to sample divergent situations and events. We will employ a range of analytical approaches to address specific research questions including thematic (inductive and deductive), comparative and dimensional analysis. Interviews will be conducted individually or in focus groups and follow a semistructured interview guide. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study is approved by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Institutional Review Board. Informed consent procedures will incorporate steps to evaluate capacity to provide informed consent in the event that participants express concerns with thinking or memory or demonstrate challenges recalling study details during the consent process to ensure capacity to consent to participation. A series of publicly available reports, seminars and symposia will be undertaken in collaboration with collaborating organisation partners.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi
- Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Quinton Cotton
- Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jennifer Morgan
- Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Laura Block
- Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Pandey A, Keshvani N, Khera R, Lu D, Vaduganathan M, Joynt Maddox KE, Das SR, Kumbhani DJ, Goyal A, Girotra S, Chan P, Fonarow GC, Matsouaka R, Wang TY, de Lemos JA. Temporal Trends in Racial Differences in 30-Day Readmission and Mortality Rates After Acute Myocardial Infarction Among Medicare Beneficiaries. JAMA Cardiol 2021; 5:136-145. [PMID: 31913411 DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2019.4845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Importance The association of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) with reductions in racial disparities in 30-day outcomes for myocardial infarction (MI), is unknown, including whether this varies by HRRP hospital penalty status. Objective To assess temporal trends in 30-day readmission and mortality rates among black and nonblack patients discharged after hospitalization for acute MI at low-performing and high-performing hospitals, as defined by readmission penalty status after HRRP implementation. Design, Setting, and Participants This observational cohort analysis used data from the multicenter National Cardiovascular Data Registry Chest Pain-MI Registry centers that were subject to the first cycle of HRRP, between January 1, 2008, and November 30, 2016. All patients hospitalized with MI who were included in National Cardiovascular Data Registry Chest Pain-MI Registry were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed from April 2018 to September 2019. Exposures Hospital performance category and race (black compared with nonblack patients). Centers were classified as high performing or low performing based on the excess readmission ratio (predicted to expected 30-day risk adjusted readmission rate) for MI during the first HRRP cycle (in October 2012). Main Outcomes and Measures Thirty-day all-cause readmission and mortality rates. Results Among 753 hospitals that treated 155 397 patients with acute MI (of whom 11 280 [7.3%] were black), 399 hospitals (53.0%) were high performing. Thirty-day readmission rates declined over time in both black and nonblack patients (annualized 30-day readmission rate: 17.9% vs 20.8%). Black (compared with nonblack) race was associated with higher unadjusted odds of 30-day readmission in both low-performing and high-performing centers (odds ratios: before HRRP: low-performing hospitals, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.03-1.26]; P = .01; high-performing hospitals, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.04-1.32]; P = .01; after HRRP: low-performing hospitals, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.13-1.34]; P < .001; high-performing hospitals, 1.25 [95% CI, 1.12-1.39]; P < .001). However, these racial differences were not significant after adjustment for patient characteristics. The 30-day mortality rates declined significantly over time in nonblack patients, with stable (nonsignificant) temporal trends among black patients. Adjusted associations between race and 30-day mortality showed that 30-day mortality rates were significantly lower among black (compared with nonblack) patients in the low-performing hospitals (odds ratios: pre-HRRP, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.63-0.97]; P = .03; post-HRRP, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.68-0.95]; P = .01) but not in high-performing hospitals. Finally, the association between race and 30-day outcomes did not vary after the HRRP period began in either high-performing or low-performing hospitals. Conclusions and Relevance In this analysis, 30-day readmission rates among patients with MI declined over time for both black and nonblack patients. Differences in race-specific 30-day readmission rates persisted but appeared to be attributable to patient-level factors. The 30-day mortality rates have declined for nonblack patients and remained stable among black patients. Implementation of the HRRP was not associated with improvement or worsening of racial disparities in readmission and mortality rates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ambarish Pandey
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
| | - Neil Keshvani
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
| | - Rohan Khera
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
| | - Di Lu
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Muthiah Vaduganathan
- Brigham and Women's Hospital Heart and Vascular Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Karen E Joynt Maddox
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Sandeep R Das
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
| | - Dharam J Kumbhani
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
| | - Abhinav Goyal
- Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Saket Girotra
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Paul Chan
- Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri.,Department of Cardiology, University of Missouri, Kansas City
| | - Gregg C Fonarow
- Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles.,Section Editor
| | | | - Tracy Y Wang
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - James A de Lemos
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Kim KM, Max W, White JS, Chapman SA, Muench U. Do penalty-based pay-for-performance programs improve surgical care more effectively than other payment strategies? A systematic review. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2020; 60:623-630. [PMID: 33304576 PMCID: PMC7711081 DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2020.11.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of this systematic review is to assess if penalty-based pay-for-performance (P4P) programs are more effective in improving quality and cost outcomes compared to two other payment strategies (i.e., rewards and a combination of rewards and penalties) for surgical care in the United States. Penalty-based programs have gained in popularity because of their potential to motivate behavioral change more effectively than reward-based programs to improve quality of care. However, little is known about whether penalties are more effective than other strategies. Materials and methods A systematic literature review was conducted according to the PRISMA guideline to identify studies that evaluated the effects of P4P programs on quality and cost outcomes for surgical care. Five databases were used to search studies published from 2003 to March 1, 2020. Studies were selected based on the PRISMA guidelines. Methodological quality of individual studies was assessed based on ROBINS-I with GRADE approach. Results This review included 22 studies. Fifteen cross-sectional, 1 prospective cohort, 4 retrospective cohort, and 2 case-control studies were found. We identified 11 unique P4P programs: 5 used rewards, 3 used penalties, and 3 used a combination of rewards and penalties as a payment strategy. Five out of 10 studies reported positive effects of penalty-based programs, whereas evidence from studies evaluating P4P programs with a reward design or combination of rewards and penalties was little or null. Conclusions This review highlights that P4P programs with a penalty design could be more effective than programs using rewards or a combination of rewards and penalties to improve quality of surgical care. Evidence on the effectiveness of pay-for-performance programs in quality improvement is mixed. Five out of 10 studies reported positive effects of penalty-based programs. Evidence from studies evaluating P4P programs with a reward design or combination of rewards and penalties was little or null. The increasing use of penalty-based pay-for-performance programs has the potential to improve surgical care quality. Penalties may induce stronger provider and hospital behavioral change than other payment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Mi Kim
- Clinical Excellence Research Center, School of Medicine, Stanford University, 365 Lasuen St Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
| | - Wendy Max
- Institute for Health & Aging, University of California, 3333 California Street, Suite 340, San Francisco, CA, 94118, United States
| | - Justin S White
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies & Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, 3333 California Street, Suite 265, San Francisco, CA, 94118, United States
| | - Susan A Chapman
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Nursing, University of California, 3333 California Street, Room 455Q UCSF Box 0612, San Francisco, CA, 94118, United States
| | - Ulrike Muench
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences & Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Room 455H UCSF Box 0612, San Francisco, CA, 94118, United States
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Readmission Rates for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: an Interrupted Time Series Analysis. J Gen Intern Med 2020; 35:3581-3590. [PMID: 32556878 PMCID: PMC7728926 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-020-05958-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hospital readmission rates decreased for myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (CHF), and pneumonia with implementation of the first phase of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). It is not established whether readmissions fell for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an HRRP condition added in 2014. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether HRRP penalties influenced COPD readmissions among Medicare, Medicaid, or privately insured patients. DESIGN We analyzed a retrospective cohort, evaluating readmissions across implementation periods for HRRP penalties ("pre-HRRP" January 2010-April 2011, "implementation" May 2011-September 2012, "partial penalty" October 2012-September 2014, and "full penalty" October 2014-December 2016). PATIENTS We assessed discharged patients ≥ 40 years old with COPD versus those with HRRP Phase 1 conditions (AMI, CHF, and pneumonia) or non-HRRP residual diagnoses in the Nationwide Readmissions Database. INTERVENTIONS HRRP was announced and implemented during this period, forming a natural experiment. MEASUREMENTS We calculated differences-in-differences (DID) for 30-day COPD versus HRRP Phase 1 and non-HRRP readmissions. KEY RESULTS COPD discharges for 1.2 million Medicare enrollees were compared with 22 million non-HRRP and 3.4 million HRRP Phase 1 discharges. COPD readmissions decreased from 19 to 17% over the study. This reduction was significantly greater than non-HRRP conditions (DID - 0.41%), but not HRRP Phase 1 (DID + 0.02%). A parallel trend was observed in the privately insured, with significant reduction compared with non-HRRP (DID - 0.83%), but not HRRP Phase 1 conditions (DID - 0.45%). Non-significant reductions occurred in Medicaid (DID - 0.52% vs. non-HRRP and - 0.21% vs. Phase 1 conditions). CONCLUSIONS In Medicare, HRRP implementation was associated with reductions in COPD readmissions compared with non-HRRP controls but not versus other HRRP conditions. Parallel findings were observed in commercial insurance, but not in Medicaid. Condition-specific penalties may not reduce readmissions further than existing HRRP trends.
Collapse
|
31
|
Are Improvements Still Needed to the Modified Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: a Health and Retirement Study (2000-2014)? J Gen Intern Med 2020; 35:3564-3571. [PMID: 33051840 PMCID: PMC7728935 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-020-06222-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To address concerns that the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) unfairly penalized safety net hospitals treating patients with high social and functional risks, Medicare recently modified HRRP to compare hospitals with similar proportions of high-risk, dual-eligible patients ("peer group hospitals"). Whether the change fully accounts for patients' social and functional risks is unknown. OBJECTIVE Examine risk-standardized readmission rates (RSRRs) and hospital penalties after adding patient-level social and functional and community-level risk factors. DESIGN Using 2000-2014 Medicare hospital discharge, Health and Retirement Study, and community-level data, latent factors for patient social and functional factors and community factors were identified. We estimated RSRRs for peer groups and by safety net status using four hierarchical logistic regression models: "base" (HRRP model); "patient" (base plus patient factors); "community" (base plus community factors); and "full" (all factors). The proportion of hospitals penalized was calculated by safety net status. PATIENTS 20,255 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries (65+) with eligible index hospitalizations MAIN MEASURES: RSRRs KEY RESULTS: Half of safety net hospitals are in peer group 5. Compared with other hospitals, peer group 5 hospitals (most dual-eligibles) treated sicker, more functionally limited patients from socially disadvantaged groups. RSRRs decreased by 0.7% for peer groups 2 and 4 and 1.3% for peer group 5 under the patient and full (versus base) models. Measured performance improved after adjusting for patient risk factors for hospitals in peer group 4 and 5 hospitals, but worsened for those in peer groups 1, 2, and 3. Under the patient (versus base) model, fewer safety net hospitals (48.7% versus 51.3%) but more non-safety net hospitals (50.0% versus 49.1%) were penalized. CONCLUSIONS Patient-level risk adjustment decreased RSRRs for hospitals serving more at-risk patients and proportion of safety net hospitals penalized, while modestly increasing RSRRs and proportion of non-safety net hospitals penalized. Results suggest HRRP modifications may not fully account for hospital variation in patient-level risk.
Collapse
|
32
|
Yuce TK, Chung JW, Barnard C, Bilimoria KY. Association of State Certificate of Need Regulation With Procedural Volume, Market Share, and Outcomes Among Medicare Beneficiaries. JAMA 2020; 324:2058-2068. [PMID: 33231664 PMCID: PMC7686860 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2020.21115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Certificate of need laws provide state-level regulation of health system expenditure. These laws are intended to limit spending and control hospital expansion in order to prevent excess capacity and improve quality of care. Several states have recently introduced legislation to modify or repeal these regulations, as encouraged by executive order 13813, issued in October 2017 by the Trump administration. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the difference in markers of hospital activity and quality by state certificate of need status. These markers include hospital procedural volume, hospital market share, county-level procedures per 10 000 persons, and patient-level postoperative outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A cross-sectional study involving Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older who underwent 1 of the following 10 procedures from January 1, 2016, through November 30, 2018: total knee or hip arthroplasty, coronary artery bypass grafting, colectomy, ventral hernia repair, lower extremity vascular bypass, lung resection, pancreatic resection, cystectomy, or esophagectomy. EXPOSURES State certificate of need regulation status as determined by data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Outcomes of interest included hospital procedural volume; hospital market share (range, 0-1; reflecting 0%-100% of market share); county-level procedures per 10 000 persons; and patient-level postoperative 30-day mortality, surgical site infection, and readmission. RESULTS A total of 1 545 952 patients (58.0% women; median age 72 years; interquartile range, 68-77 years) at 3631 hospitals underwent 1 of the 10 operations. Of these patients, 468 236 (30.3%) underwent procedures in the 15 states without certificate of need regulations and 1 077 716 (69.7%) in the 35 states with certificate of need regulations. The total number of procedures ranged between 729 855 total knee arthroplasties (47.21%) and 4558 esophagectomies (0.29%). When comparing states without vs with certificate of need regulations, there were no significant differences in overall hospital procedural volume (median hospital procedure volume, 241 vs 272 operations per hospital for 3 years; absolute difference, 31; 95% CI, -27.64 to 89.64; P = .30). There were no statistically significant differences between states without vs with certificate of need regulations for median hospital market share (median, 28% vs 52%; absolute difference, 24%; 95% CI, -5% to 55%; P = .11); procedure rates per 10 000 Medicare-eligible population (median, 239.23 vs 205.41 operations per Medicare-eligible population in 3 years; absolute difference, 33.82; 95% CI, -84.08 to 16.43; P = .19); or 30-day mortality (1.17% vs 1.33%, odds ratio [OR], 1.04; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.16; P = .52), surgical site infection (1.24% vs 1.25%; OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.04; P = .21), or readmission rate (9.69% vs 8.40%; OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.57 to 1.12; P = .19). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among Medicare beneficiaries who underwent a range of surgical procedures from 2016 through 2018, there were no significant differences in markers of hospital volume or quality between states without vs with certificate of need laws. Policy makers should consider reevaluating whether the current approach to certificate of need regulation is achieving the intended objectives and whether those objectives should be updated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tarik K. Yuce
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery and Center for Healthcare Studies, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jeanette W. Chung
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery and Center for Healthcare Studies, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Cynthia Barnard
- Department of Quality Strategies, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Karl Y. Bilimoria
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery and Center for Healthcare Studies, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Quality Strategies, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Mahmoudi E, Kamdar N, Furgal A, Sen A, Zazove P, Bynum J. Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations Among Older Adults: 2010-2014. Ann Fam Med 2020; 18:511-519. [PMID: 33168679 PMCID: PMC7708283 DOI: 10.1370/afm.2605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE We undertook a study to examine national trends in potentially preventable hospitalizations-those for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions that could have been avoided if patients had timely access to primary care-across 3,200 counties and various subpopulations of older adults in the United States. METHODS We used 2010-2014 Medicare claims data to examine trends in potentially preventable hospitalizations among beneficiaries aged 65 years and older and developed heat maps to examine county-level variation. We used a generalized estimating equation and adjusted the model for demographics, comorbidities, dual eligibility (Medicare and Medicaid), ZIP code-level income, and county-level number of primary care physicians and hospitals. RESULTS Across the 3,200 study counties, potentially preventable hospitalizations decreased in 327 counties, increased in 123 counties, and did not change in the rest. At the population level, the adjusted rate of potentially preventable hospitalizations declined by 3.45 percentage points from 19.42% (95% CI, 18.4%-20.5%) in 2010 to 15.97% (95% CI, 15.3%-16.6%) in 2014; it declined by 2.93, 2.87, and 3.33 percentage points among White, Black, and Hispanic patients to 14.96% (95% CI, 14.67%-15.24%), 17.92% (95% CI, 17.27%-18.58%), and 17.10% (95% CI, 16.25%-18.0%), respectively. Similarly, the rate for dually eligible patients fell by 3.71 percentage points from 21.62% (95% CI, 20.5%-22.8%) in 2010 to 17.91% (95% CI, 17.2%-18.7%) in 2014. (P <.001 for all). CONCLUSIONS During 2010-2014, rates of potentially preventable hospitalization did not change in the majority of counties. At the population level, although the rate declined among all subpopulations, dually eligible patients and Black and Hispanic patients continued to have substantially higher rates compared with non-dually eligible and White patients, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elham Mahmoudi
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Neil Kamdar
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Allison Furgal
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Ananda Sen
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Phillip Zazove
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Julie Bynum
- Institute of Gerontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Schiltz NK, Dolansky MA, Warner DF, Stange KC, Gravenstein S, Koroukian SM. Impact of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Limitations on Hospital Readmission: an Observational Study Using Machine Learning. J Gen Intern Med 2020; 35:2865-2872. [PMID: 32728960 PMCID: PMC7573020 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-020-05982-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limitations in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) hinder a person's ability to live independently in the community and self-manage their conditions, but its impact on hospital readmission has not been firmly established. OBJECTIVE To test the importance of IADL dependency as a predictor of 30-day readmissions and quantify its impact relative to other morbidities. DESIGN A retrospective cohort study of the population-based Health and Retirement Study linked to Medicare claims data. Random forest was used to rank each predictor variable in terms of its ability to predict readmission. Classification and regression tree (CART) was used to identify complex multimorbidity combinations associated with high or low risk of readmission. Generalized linear regression was used to estimate the adjusted relative risk of readmission for IADL limitations. SUBJECTS Hospitalizations of adults age 65 and older (n = 20,007), from 6617 unique subjects. MAIN MEASURES The main outcome was 30-day all-cause unplanned readmission. The main predictor of interest was self-reported IADL limitation. Other key predictors were self-reported complex multimorbidity including chronic diseases, geriatric syndromes, and activities of daily living (ADL) limitations, along with demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors. KEY RESULTS The overall 30-day readmission rate in the study was 16.4%. Random forest analysis ranked ADLs and IADL limitations as the two most important predictors of 30-day readmission. CART identified hospitalizations of patients with IADL limitations and diabetes as a subgroup at the highest risk of readmission (26% readmitted). Multivariable regression analyses showed that ADL limitations were associated with 1.17 (1.06-1.29) times higher risk of readmission even after adjusting for other patient covariates. Risk prediction was modest though for even the best model (AUC = 0.612). CONCLUSIONS IADL limitations are key predictors of 30-day readmission as demonstrated using several machine learning methods. Routine assessment of functional abilities in hospital settings could help identify those most at risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas K Schiltz
- Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing , Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Room 459H, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7343, USA. .,Department of Population & Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA. .,Center for Community Health Integration, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Mary A Dolansky
- Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing , Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Room 459H, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7343, USA.,Department of Population & Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - David F Warner
- Department of Sociology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Kurt C Stange
- Department of Population & Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Center for Community Health Integration, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Family & Community Health, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Stefan Gravenstein
- Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Providence Veterans Administration Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Siran M Koroukian
- Department of Population & Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Center for Community Health Integration, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Alberti PM, Baker MC. Dual eligible patients are not the same: How social risk may impact quality measurement's ability to reduce inequities. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e22245. [PMID: 32957371 PMCID: PMC7505368 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000022245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CMS recently decided to produce private "healthcare disparities reports" that include dual eligibility (DE) as the sole stratifying variable used to assess pneumonia readmission disparities. RESEARCH DESIGN We measure the relationship between DE status and readmissions, both with and without conceptually relevant social risk factors, including air pollution, severe housing problems, and food insecurity, using data from county- and hospital-level readmission rates, DE status, and social risk factors. RESULTS At the county level, the relationship between DE status and readmissions is partially confounded by at least three social risk factors. DE populations vary widely across hospitals, creating unequal between-hospital comparisons. CONCLUSIONS Because of differences in the DE population, between-hospital comparisons could be misleading using a methodology that stratifies by DE only. We suggest viable alternatives to sole-factor stratification to properly account for social risk factors and better isolate quality differences that might yield readmission rate inequities. IMPLICATIONS CMS's healthcare disparities reports provided to hospitals are limited by relying exclusively on DE proportion as the measure of social risk, undercutting the power of quality measurement and its related incentives to close or minimize healthcare inequities.
Collapse
|
36
|
Li AHT, Palmer KS, Taljaard M, Paterson JM, Brown A, Huang A, Marani H, Lapointe-Shaw L, Pincus D, Wettstein MS, Kulkarni GS, Wasserstein D, Ivers N. Effects of quality-based procedure hospital funding reform in Ontario, Canada: An interrupted time series study. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236480. [PMID: 32813687 PMCID: PMC7437861 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Government of Ontario, Canada, announced hospital funding reforms in 2011, including Quality-based Procedures (QBPs) involving pre-set funds for managing patients with specific diagnoses/procedures. A key goal was to improve quality of care across the jurisdiction. Methods Interrupted time series evaluated the policy change, focusing on four QBPs (congestive heart failure, hip fracture surgery, pneumonia, prostate cancer surgery), on patients hospitalized 2010–2017. Outcomes included return to hospital or death within 30 days, acute length of stay (LOS), volume of admissions, and patient characteristics. Results At 2 years post-QBPs, the percentage of hip fracture patients who returned to hospital or died was 3.13% higher in absolute terms (95% CI: 0.37% to 5.89%) than if QBPs had not been introduced. There were no other statistically significant changes for return to hospital or death. For LOS, the only statistically significant change was an increase for prostate cancer surgery of 0.33 days (95% CI: 0.07 to 0.59). Volume increased for congestive heart failure admissions by 80 patients (95% CI: 2 to 159) and decreased for hip fracture surgery by 138 patients (95% CI: -183 to -93) but did not change for pneumonia or prostate cancer surgery. The percentage of patients who lived in the lowest neighborhood income quintile increased slightly for those diagnosed with congestive heart failure (1.89%; 95% CI: 0.51% to 3.27%) and decreased for those who underwent prostate cancer surgery (-2.08%; 95% CI: -3.74% to -0.43%). Interpretation This policy initiative involving a change to hospital funding for certain conditions was not associated with substantial, jurisdictional-level changes in access or quality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alvin Ho-ting Li
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Karen S. Palmer
- Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Monica Taljaard
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - J. Michael Paterson
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adalsteinn Brown
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anjie Huang
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Husayn Marani
- Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Daniel Pincus
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marian S. Wettstein
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Surgical Oncology (Urology), Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Girish S. Kulkarni
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Surgical Oncology (Urology), Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Wasserstein
- Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Noah Ivers
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Karim SA, Nevola A, Morris ME, Tilford JM, Chen HF. Financial Performance of Hospitals in the Appalachian Region Under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program and Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program. J Rural Health 2020; 37:296-307. [PMID: 32613645 DOI: 10.1111/jrh.12475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The Hospital Readmission and Reduction Program (HRRP) and Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program (HVBP) propose to improve quality of patient care by either rewarding or penalizing hospitals through inpatient reimbursement. This study analyzes the effect of both programs on profitability of hospitals located in the Appalachian Region (AR) compared to hospitals in Appalachian states and the rest of the United States. METHODS This study used a retrospective research design with a longitudinal unbalanced panel dataset from 2008 to 2015. Hospitals participating in both HRRP and HVBP during this time frame were included in the study. A difference-in-difference model with hospital-level fixed effects, controlling for hospital and market characteristics, was used to determine effects of both programs on profitability of hospitals serving the AR, Appalachian states, and the rest of the United States. FINDINGS After implementation of HRRP and HVBP, only hospitals located in Appalachian states experienced a significant decrease in operating margin (-1.14 percentage points). Unexpectedly, during the same time period, total margin increased significantly for hospitals located in the AR (1.05 percentage points), Appalachian states (1.71 percentage points), and the rest of the United States (2.38 percentage points). CONCLUSIONS HRRP and HVBP financially incentivize hospitals to focus efforts on improving patient care. The programs may not have the anticipated results. Increases in total margin for all hospitals during the study period indicate access to nonpatient revenues, offsetting the financial penalties from both programs. This revenue source may undermine the program's objectives of delivering value and achieving quality outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saleema A Karim
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Adrienne Nevola
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Michael E Morris
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - J Mick Tilford
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Hsueh-Fen Chen
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Roshanghalb A, Mazzali C, Lettieri E. Composite Outcomes of Mortality and Readmission in Patients with Heart Failure: Retrospective Review of Administrative Datasets. J Multidiscip Healthc 2020; 13:539-547. [PMID: 32612362 PMCID: PMC7322138 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s255206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Controlling the quality of care through readmissions and mortality for patients with heart failure (HF) is a national priority for healthcare regulators in developed countries. In this longitudinal cohort study, using administrative data such as hospital discharge forms (HDFs), emergency departments (EDs) accesses, and vital statistics, we test new covariates for predicting mortality and readmissions of patients hospitalized for HF and discuss the use of combined outcome as an alternative. Methods Logistic models, with a stepwise selection method, were estimated on 70% of the sample and validated on the remaining 30% to evaluate 30-day mortality, 30-day readmissions, and the combined outcome. We followed an extraction method for any-cause mortality and unplanned readmission within 30 days after incident HF hospitalization. Data on patient admission and previous history were extracted by HDFs and ED dataset. Results Our principal findings demonstrate that the model’s discriminant ability is consistent with literature both for mortality (AUC=0.738, CI (0.729–0.748)) and readmissions (AUC=0.578, CI (0.562–0.594)). Additionally, the discriminant ability of the composite outcome model is satisfactory (AUC=0.675, CI (0.666–0.684)). Conclusion Hospitalization characteristics and patient history introduced in the logistic models do not improve their discriminant ability. The composite outcome prediction is led more by mortality than readmission, without improvements for the comprehension of the readmission phenomenon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Afsaneh Roshanghalb
- Department of Management, Economics & Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Emanuele Lettieri
- Department of Management, Economics & Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Cher BAY, Ryan AM, Hoffman GJ, Sheetz KH. Association of Medicaid Eligibility With Surgical Readmission Among Medicare Beneficiaries. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e207426. [PMID: 32520361 PMCID: PMC7287571 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.7426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is beginning to consider adjusting for social risk factors, such as dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid, when evaluating hospital performance under value-based purchasing programs. It is unknown whether dual eligibility represents a unique domain of social risk or instead represents clinical risk unmeasured by variables available in traditional Medicare claims. OBJECTIVE To assess how dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid is associated with risk-adjusted readmission rates after surgery. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 55 651 Medicare beneficiaries undergoing general, vascular, and gynecologic surgery at 62 hospitals in Michigan between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2016. Representative cohorts were derived from traditional Medicare claims (n = 29 710) and the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (MSQC) clinical registry (n = 25 941), which includes additional measures of clinical risk. Statistical analysis was conducted between April 10 and July 15, 2019. The association between dual eligibility and risk-adjusted 30-day readmission rates after surgery was compared between models inclusive and exclusive of additional measurements of clinical risk. The study also examined how dual eligibility is associated with hospital profiling using risk-adjusted readmission rates. EXPOSURES Dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Risk-adjusted all-cause 30-day readmission after surgery. RESULTS There were a total of 3986 dual-eligible beneficiaries in the Medicare claims cohort (2554 women; mean [SD] age, 72.9 [6.9] years) and 1608 dual-eligible beneficiaries in the MSQC cohort (990 women; mean [SD] age, 72.9 [6.8] years). In both data sets, higher proportions of dual-eligible beneficiaries were younger, female, and nonwhite than Medicare-only beneficiaries (Medicare claims cohort: female, 2554 of 3986 [64.1%] vs 12 879 of 25 724 [50.1%]; nonwhite, 1225 of 3986 [30.7%] vs 2783 of 25 724 [10.8%]; MSQC cohort: female, 990 of 1608 [61.6%] vs 12 578 of 24 333 [51.7%]; nonwhite, 416 of 1608 [25.9%] vs 2176 of 24 333 [8.9%]). In the Medicare claims cohort, dual-eligible beneficiaries were more likely to be readmitted (15.5% [95% CI, 13.7%-17.3%]) than Medicare-only beneficiaries (13.3% [95% CI, 12.7%-13.9%]; difference, 2.2 percentage points [95% CI, 0.4-3.9 percentage points]). In the MSQC cohort, after adjustment for more granular measures of clinical risk, dual eligibility was not significantly associated with readmission (difference, 0.6 percentage points [95% CI, -1.0 to 2.2 percentage points]). In both the Medicare claims and MSQC cohorts, adding dual eligibility to risk-adjustment models had little association with hospital ranking using risk-adjusted readmission rates. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study suggests that dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid may reflect unmeasured clinical risk of readmission in claims data. Policy makers should consider incorporating more robust measures of social risk into risk-adjustment models used by value-based purchasing programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A. Y. Cher
- University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
- Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Andrew M. Ryan
- Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor
- University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, Ann Arbor
| | - Geoffrey J. Hoffman
- University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, Ann Arbor
- Department of Systems, Population, and Leadership, University of Michigan School of Nursing, Ann Arbor
| | - Kyle H. Sheetz
- Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Fahrenbach J, Chin MH, Huang ES, Springman MK, Weber SG, Tung EL. Neighborhood Disadvantage and Hospital Quality Ratings in the Medicare Hospital Compare Program. Med Care 2020; 58:376-383. [PMID: 31895306 PMCID: PMC7171595 DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provide nationwide hospital ratings that may influence reimbursement. These ratings do not account for the social risk of communities and may inadvertently penalize hospitals that service disadvantaged neighborhoods. OBJECTIVE This study examines the relationship between neighborhood social risk factors (SRFs) and hospital ratings in Medicare's Hospital Compare Program. RESEARCH DESIGN 2017 Medicare Hospital Compare ratings were linked with block group data from the 2015 American Community Survey to assess hospital ratings as a function of neighborhood SRFs. SUBJECTS A total of 3608 Medicare-certified hospitals in 50 US states. MEASURES Hospital summary scores and 7 quality group scores (100 percentile scale), including effectiveness of care, efficiency of care, hospital readmission, mortality, patient experience, safety of care, and timeliness of care. RESULTS Lower hospital summary scores were associated with caring for neighborhoods with higher social risk, including a reduction in hospital score for every 10% of residents who reported dual-eligibility for Medicare/Medicaid [-3.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI), -4.7 to -2.0], no high-school diploma (-0.8%; 95% CI, -1.5 to -0.1), unemployment (-1.2%; 95% CI, -1.9 to -0.4), black race (-1.2%; 95% CI, -1.7 to -0.8), and high travel times to work (-2.5%; 95% CI, -3.3 to -1.6). Associations between neighborhood SRFs and hospital ratings were largest in the timeliness of care, patient experience, and hospital readmission groups; and smallest in the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of care groups. CONCLUSIONS Hospitals serving communities with higher social risk may have lower ratings because of neighborhood factors. Failing to account for neighborhood social risk in hospital rating systems may reinforce hidden disincentives to care for medically underserved areas in the United States.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Fahrenbach
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and Innovation, University of Chicago
| | - Marshall H Chin
- Section of General Internal Medicine, University of Chicago
- Chicago Center for Diabetes Translation Research, University of Chicago
| | - Elbert S Huang
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and Innovation, University of Chicago
- Section of General Internal Medicine, University of Chicago
- Chicago Center for Diabetes Translation Research, University of Chicago
| | - Mary K Springman
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and Innovation, University of Chicago
| | - Stephen G Weber
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and Innovation, University of Chicago
- Section of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, University of Chicago
| | - Elizabeth L Tung
- Section of General Internal Medicine, University of Chicago
- Chicago Center for Diabetes Translation Research, University of Chicago
- Center for Health and the Social Sciences; University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Relative Effects of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program on Hospitals That Serve Poorer Patients. Med Care 2020; 57:968-976. [PMID: 31567860 DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Hospitals that serve poorer populations have higher readmission rates. It is unknown whether these hospitals effectively lowered readmission rates in response to the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). OBJECTIVE To compare pre-post differences in readmission rates among hospitals with different proportion of dual-eligible patients both generally and among the most highly penalized (ie, low performing) hospitals. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study using piecewise linear model with estimated hospital-level risk-standardized readmission rates (RSRRs) as the dependent variable and a change point at HRRP passage (2010). Economic burden was assessed by proportion of dual-eligibles served. SETTING Acute care hospitals within the United States. PARTICIPANTS Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years or older discharged alive from January 1, 2003 to November 30, 2014 with a principal discharge diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), and pneumonia. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE Decrease in hospital-level RSRRs in the post-law period, after controlling for the pre-law trend. RESULTS For AMI, the pre-post difference between hospitals that service high and low proportion of dual-eligibles was not significant (-65 vs. -64 risk-standardized readmissions per 10000 discharges per year, P=0.0678). For CHF, RSRRs declined more at high than low dual-eligible hospitals (-79 vs. -75 risk-standardized readmissions per 10000 discharges per year, P=0.0006). For pneumonia, RSRRs declined less at high than low dual-eligible hospitals (-44 vs. -47 risk-standardized readmissions per 10000 discharges per year, P=0.0003). Among the 742 highest penalized hospitals and all conditions, the pre-post decline in rate of change of RSRRs was less for high dual-eligible hospitals than low dual-eligible hospitals (-68 vs. -74 risk-standardized readmissions per 10000 discharges per year for AMI, -88 vs. -97 for CHF, and -47 vs. -56 for pneumonia, P<0.0001 for all). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE For all hospitals, differences in pre-post trends in RSRRs varied with disease conditions. However, for the highest-penalized hospitals, the pre-post decline in RSRRs was greater for low than high dual-eligible hospitals for all penalized conditions. These results suggest that high penalty, high dual-eligible hospitals may be less able to improve performance on readmission metrics.
Collapse
|
42
|
Nasser JS, Chung WHJ, Gudal RA, Kotsis SV, Momoh AO, Chung KC. Quality Measures in Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction: Identifying Metrics to Improve Care. PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY-GLOBAL OPEN 2020; 8:e2630. [PMID: 32309080 PMCID: PMC7159953 DOI: 10.1097/gox.0000000000002630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Specific measures tailored to the properties of individual procedures will ensure the appropriate evaluation of quality. Because postmastectomy breast reconstruction (PMBR) is becoming increasingly common, a review of the literature is timely to identify potential breast reconstruction-specific measures that can be applied by institutions and national healthcare organizations to improve quality. METHODS We searched PubMed and Embase for studies examining the quality of care for patients undergoing PMBR. Data extracted from the articles include basic study characteristics, the number of quality metrics, type of quality metric (defined by Donabedian model), and the domain of quality (defined by the National Academy of Medicine). RESULTS A total of 2,158 articles were identified in the initial search, and 440 studies were included for data extraction. The most common type of quality measure was outcome measures (91%), and the least common measure was structure measures (1%). The most common metrics were operative time (41%), hospital type (28%), and aspects of the patient-provider interactions (20%). Additionally, we found that timeliness and equity were least common among the 6 National Academy of Medicine domains. CONCLUSIONS We identified metrics utilized in the PMBR, some of which can be further investigated through high-level evidence studies and incorporated into policy. Because many factors influence surgical outcomes and breast reconstruction is driven by patient preferences, an inclusion of structure, process, and outcome metrics will help improve care for this patient population. Moreover, nonpunitive initiatives, specifically quality collaboratives, may provide an avenue to improve care quality without compromising patient safety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S. Nasser
- From the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C
- Section of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - William H. J. Chung
- Section of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - Ryan A. Gudal
- Section of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - Sandra V. Kotsis
- Section of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - Adeyiza O. Momoh
- Section of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - Kevin C. Chung
- Section of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Shahian DM, Liu X, Mort EA, Normand SLT. The association of hospital teaching intensity with 30-day postdischarge heart failure readmission and mortality rates. Health Serv Res 2020; 55:259-272. [PMID: 31916243 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.13248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate risk-adjusted, 30-day postdischarge heart failure mortality and readmission rates stratified by hospital teaching intensity. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING A total of 709 221 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries discharged from 3135 US hospitals between 1/1/2013 and 11/30/2014 with a principal diagnosis of heart failure. STUDY DESIGN Hospitals were classified as Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems (COTH) major teaching hospitals, non-COTH teaching hospitals, and nonteaching hospitals. Hospital teaching status was linked with MedPAR patient data and FY2016 Hospital Readmission Reduction Program penalties. Index hospitalization survival probabilities were estimated with hierarchical logistic regression and used to stratify index hospitalization survivors into severity deciles. Decile-specific models were estimated for 30-day postdischarge readmission and mortality. Thirty-day postdischarge outcomes were estimated by teaching intensity and penalty categories. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Averaged across deciles, adjusted 30-day COTH hospital readmission rates were, on a relative scale ([COTH minus nonteaching] ÷ nonteaching), 1.63 percent higher (95% CI: 0.89 percent, 2.25 percent) than at nonteaching hospitals, but their average adjusted 30-day postdischarge mortality rates were 11.55 percent lower (95% CI: -13.78 percent, -9.37 percent). Penalized COTH hospitals had the highest readmission rates of all categories (23.99 percent [95% CI: 23.50 percent, 24.49 percent]) but the lowest 30-day postdischarge mortality (8.30 percent [95% CI: 7.99 percent, 8.57 percent] vs 9.84 percent [95% CI: 9.69 percent, 9.99 percent] for nonpenalized, nonteaching hospitals). CONCLUSIONS Heart failure readmission penalties disproportionately impact major teaching hospitals and inadequately credit their better postdischarge survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David M Shahian
- Center for Quality and Safety, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Xiu Liu
- Center for Quality and Safety, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elizabeth A Mort
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Center for Quality and Safety, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sharon-Lise T Normand
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Gilmore-Bykovskyi A, Crnich CJ, Kind AJH. In Pursuit of Meaningful Performance Measures for Postacute Care. JAMA Netw Open 2019; 2:e1917558. [PMID: 31834389 PMCID: PMC6913886 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.17558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi
- School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison
| | - Christopher J Crnich
- William S. Middleton Veterans Hospital Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Madison, Wisconsin
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison
| | - Amy J H Kind
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison
- William S. Middleton Veterans Hospital Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Madison, Wisconsin
- Health Services and Care Research Program, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Evidence of the Linkage Between Hospital-based Care Coordination Strategies and Hospital Overall (Star) Ratings. Med Care 2019; 58:18-26. [PMID: 31725493 DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the new era of value-based payment models and pay for performance, hospitals are in search of the silver bullet strategy or bundle of strategies capable of improving their performance on quality measures. OBJECTIVES To determine whether there is an association between adoption of hospital-based care coordination strategies and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services overall hospital quality (star) ratings and readmission rates. RESEARCH DESIGN We used survey data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) and categorized respondents by the number of care coordination strategies that they reported having widely implemented. We used multiple logistic regression models to examine the association between the number of strategies and hospital overall rating performance and disease-specific 30-day excess readmission ratios, while controlling for hospital and county characteristics and state-fixed effects. SUBJECTS A total of 710 general acute care noncritical access hospitals that received star ratings and responded to the 2015 AHA Care Systems and Payment Survey. MEASURES Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services overall hospital ratings, 30-day excess readmission ratios. RESULTS As compared with hospitals with 0-2 strategies, hospitals with 3 to 4 strategies (P=0.007), 5-7 strategies (P=0.002), or 8-12 strategies (P=0.002) had approximately 2.5× the odds of receiving a top rating (4 or 5 stars). Care coordination strategies were positively associated with lower 30-day readmission ratios for patients with chronic medical conditions, but not for surgical patients. Medication reconciliation, visit summaries, outreach after discharge, discharge care plans, and disease management programs were each individually associated with top ratings. CONCLUSIONS Care coordination strategies are associated with high overall hospital ratings.
Collapse
|
46
|
Gai Y, Pachamanova D. Impact of the Medicare hospital readmissions reduction program on vulnerable populations. BMC Health Serv Res 2019; 19:837. [PMID: 31727168 PMCID: PMC6857270 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4645-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was established by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in an effort to reduce excess hospital readmissions, lower health care costs, and improve patient safety and outcomes. Although studies have examined the policy's overall impacts and differences by hospital types, research is limited on its effects for different types of vulnerable populations. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the HRRP on readmissions for three targeted conditions (acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia) among four types of vulnerable populations, including low-income patients, patients served by hospitals that serve a high percentage of low-income or Medicaid patients, and high-risk patients at the highest quartile of the Elixhauser comorbidity index score. METHODS Data on patient and hospital information came from the Nationwide Readmission Database (NRD), which contained all discharges from community hospitals in 27 states during 2010-2014. Using difference-in-difference (DD) models, linear probability regressions were conducted for the entire sample and sub-samples of patients and hospitals in order to isolate the effect of the HRRP on vulnerable populations. Multiple combinations of treatment and control groups and triple difference (DDD) methods were used for testing the robustness of the results. All models controlled for the patient and hospital characteristics. RESULTS There have been statistically significant reductions in readmission rates overall as well as for vulnerable populations, especially for acute myocardial infarction patients in hospitals serving the largest percentage of low-income patients and high-risk patients. There is also evidence of spillover effects for non-targeted conditions among Medicare patients compared to privately insured patients. CONCLUSIONS The HRRP appears to have created the right incentives for reducing readmissions not only overall but also for vulnerable populations, accruing societal benefits in addition to previously found reductions in costs. As the reduction in the rate of readmissions is not consistent across patient and hospital groups, there could be benefits to adjusting the policy according to the socioeconomic status of a hospital's patients and neighborhood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yunwei Gai
- Associate Professor, Economics Division, Babson College, 231 Forest Street, Babson Park, MA, 02457, USA.
| | - Dessislava Pachamanova
- Professor, Mathematics and Sciences Division, Babson College, 231 Forest Street, Babson Park, MA, 02457, USA
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Li BY, Urish KL, Jacobs BL, He C, Borza T, Qin Y, Min HS, Dupree JM, Ellimoottil C, Hollenbeck BK, Lavieri MS, Helm JE, Skolarus TA. Inaugural Readmission Penalties for Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty Procedures Under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. JAMA Netw Open 2019; 2:e1916008. [PMID: 31755949 PMCID: PMC6902819 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.16008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services policy that levies hospital reimbursement penalties based on excess readmissions of patients with 4 medical conditions and 3 surgical procedures. A greater understanding of factors associated with the 3 surgical reimbursement penalties is needed for clinicians in surgical practice. OBJECTIVE To investigate the first year of HRRP readmission penalties applied to 2 surgical procedures-elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA)-in the context of hospital and patient characteristics. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Fiscal year 2015 HRRP penalization data from Hospital Compare were linked with the American Hospital Association Annual Survey and with the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database for hospitals in the state of Florida. By using a case-control framework, those hospitals were separated based on HRRP penalty severity, as measured with the HRRP THA and TKA excess readmission ratio, and compared according to orthopedic volume as well as hospital-level and patient-level characteristics. The first year of HRRP readmission penalties applied to surgery in Florida Medicare subsection (d) hospitals was examined, identifying 60 663 Medicare patients who underwent elective THA or TKA in 143 Florida hospitals. The data analysis was conducted from February 2016 to January 2017. EXPOSURES Annual hospital THA and TKA volume, other hospital-level characteristics, and patient factors used in HRRP risk adjustment. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The HRRP penalties with HRRP excess readmission ratios were measured, and their association with annual THA and TKA volume, a common measure of surgical quality, was evaluated. The HRRP penalties for surgical care according to hospital and readmitted patient characteristics were then examined. RESULTS Among 143 Florida hospitals, 2991 of 60 663 Medicare patients (4.9%) who underwent THA or TKA were readmitted within 30 days. Annual hospital arthroplasty volume seemed to follow an inverse association with both unadjusted readmission rates (r = -0.16, P = .06) and HRRP risk-adjusted readmission penalties (r = -0.12, P = .14), but these associations were not statistically significant. Other hospital characteristics and readmitted patient characteristics were similar across HRRP orthopedic penalty severity. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study's findings suggest that higher-volume hospitals had less severe, but not significantly different, rates of readmission and HRRP penalties, without systematic differences across readmitted patients.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Aged
- Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/adverse effects
- Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/statistics & numerical data
- Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/adverse effects
- Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/statistics & numerical data
- Case-Control Studies
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S./economics
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S./standards
- Female
- Florida
- Humans
- Male
- Patient Readmission/economics
- Patient Readmission/statistics & numerical data
- Reimbursement Mechanisms/economics
- Reimbursement Mechanisms/organization & administration
- Risk Adjustment
- United States
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Y. Li
- Dow Division for Urologic Health Services Research, Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Kenneth L. Urish
- Magee Bone and Joint Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Bruce L. Jacobs
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Chang He
- Dow Division for Urologic Health Services Research, Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons Quality Collaborative, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Tudor Borza
- Dow Division for Urologic Health Services Research, Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin, Madison
| | - Yongmei Qin
- Dow Division for Urologic Health Services Research, Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Hye Sung Min
- Dow Division for Urologic Health Services Research, Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - James M. Dupree
- Dow Division for Urologic Health Services Research, Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Chad Ellimoottil
- Dow Division for Urologic Health Services Research, Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Brent K. Hollenbeck
- Dow Division for Urologic Health Services Research, Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Mariel S. Lavieri
- Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Jonathan E. Helm
- Operations and Decision Technologies, Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Bloomington
| | - Ted A. Skolarus
- Dow Division for Urologic Health Services Research, Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Health Services Research and Development, Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Buxbaum JD, Lindenauer PK, Cooke CR, Nuliyalu U, Ryan AM. Changes in coding of pneumonia and impact on the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program. Health Serv Res 2019; 54:1326-1334. [PMID: 31602637 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.13207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether changes in diagnosis assignment explain reductions in 30-day readmission for patients with pneumonia following the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). DATA SOURCES 100 percent MedPAR, 2008-2015. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study of Medicare discharges in HRRP-eligible hospitals. Outcomes were 30-day readmission rates for pneumonia under a "narrow" definition (used for the HRRP until October 2015; n = 2 288 644) and a "broad" definition that included certain diagnoses of sepsis and aspiration pneumonia (used since October 2015; n = 3 618 215). We estimated changes in 30-day readmissions in the pre-HRRP period (January 2008-March 2010), the HRRP implementation period (April 2010-September 2012), and the HRRP penalty period (October 2012-June 2015). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Under the narrow definition, adjusted annual readmission rates changed by +0.07 percentage points (pp) during the pre-HRRP period (95% CI: -0.03 pp, +0.18 pp), -1.07 pp during HRRP implementation (95% CI: -1.15 pp, -0.99 pp), and -0.09 pp during the penalty period (95% CI: -0.18 pp, -0.00 pp). Under the broad definition, 30-day readmissions changed by +0.21 pp during the pre-HRRP period (95% CI: +0.12 pp, +0.30 pp), -1.28 pp during HRRP implementation (95% CI: -1.35 pp, -1.21 pp), and -0.09 pp during the penalty period (95% CI: -0.16 pp, -0.02 pp). CONCLUSIONS Changes in the coding of inpatient pneumonia admissions do not explain readmission reduction following the HRRP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason D Buxbaum
- PhD Program in Health Policy, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Peter K Lindenauer
- Institute for Healthcare Delivery and Population Science, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts
| | - Colin R Cooke
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Ushapoorna Nuliyalu
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Andrew M Ryan
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Center for Evaluating Health Reform, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Cole AP, Ramaswamy A, Harmouch S, Fletcher SA, Gild P, Sun M, Lipsitz SR, Chiang HA, Haider AH, Preston MA, Kibel AS, Trinh QD. Multilevel Analysis of Readmissions After Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer in the USA: Does the Hospital Make a Difference? Eur Urol Oncol 2019; 2:349-354. [PMID: 31277772 DOI: 10.1016/j.euo.2018.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 08/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hospitals are increasingly being held responsible for their readmissions rates. The contribution of hospital versus patient factors (eg, case mix) to hospital readmissions is unknown. OBJECTIVE To estimate the relative contribution of hospital and patient factors to readmissions after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We identified individuals who underwent RC in 2014 in the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD). The NRD is a nationally representative (USA), all-payer database that includes readmissions at index and nonindex hospitals. Survey weights were used to generate national estimates. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS The main outcome was readmission within 30 d after RC. Using a multilevel mixed-effects model, we estimated the statistical association between patient and hospital characteristics and readmission. A hospital-level random-effects term was used to estimate hospital-level readmission rates while holding patient characteristics constant. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS We identified a weighted sample of 7095 individuals who underwent RC at 341 hospitals in the USA. The 30-d readmission rate was 29.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 27.8-31.2%), ranging from 1.4% (95% CI 0.6-2.2%) in the bottom quartile to 73.6% (95% CI 68.4-78.7) in the top. In our multilevel model, female sex and comorbidity score were associated with a higher likelihood of readmission. The hospital random-effects term, encompassing both measured and unmeasured hospital characteristics, contributed minimally to the model for readmission when patient characteristics were held constant at population mean values (pseudo-R2<0.01% for hospital effects). Surgical volume, bed size, hospital ownership, and academic status were not significantly associated with readmission rates when these terms were added to the model. CONCLUSIONS After adjusting for patient characteristics, hospital-level effects explained little of the large between-hospital variability in readmission rates. These findings underscore the limitations of using 30-d post-discharge readmissions as a hospital quality metric. PATIENT SUMMARY The chance of being readmitted after radical cystectomy varies substantially between hospitals. Little of this variability can be explained by hospital-level characteristics, while far more can be explained by patient characteristics and random variability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander P Cole
- Division of Urological Surgery and Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ashwin Ramaswamy
- Division of Urological Surgery and Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sabrina Harmouch
- Division of Urological Surgery and Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sean A Fletcher
- Division of Urological Surgery and Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Philipp Gild
- Department of Urology, Hamburg University Hospital, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maxine Sun
- Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stuart R Lipsitz
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - H Abraham Chiang
- Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adil H Haider
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark A Preston
- Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adam S Kibel
- Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Quoc-Dien Trinh
- Division of Urological Surgery and Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Warchol SJ, Monestime JP, Mayer RW, Chien WW. Strategies to Reduce Hospital Readmission Rates in a Non-Medicaid-Expansion State. PERSPECTIVES IN HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 2019; 16:1a. [PMID: 31423116 PMCID: PMC6669363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
On October 1, 2012, as part of the Affordable Care Act, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began to reduce payments to hospitals with excessive rehospitalization rates through the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. These financial penalties have intensified hospital leaders' efforts to implement strategies to reduce readmission rates. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore organizational strategies that leaders use to reduce readmission rates in hospitals located in a non-Medicaid-expansion state. The data collection included semistructured interviews with 15 hospital leaders located in five metropolitan and rural hospitals in southwest Missouri. Consistent with prior research, the use of predictive analytics stratified by patient population was acknowledged as a key strategy to help reduce avoidable rehospitalization. Study findings suggest that leveraging data from the electronic health records to identify at-risk patients provides comprehensive health information to reduce readmissions. Hospital leaders also revealed the need to understand and address the health needs of their local population, including social determinants such as lack of access to transportation as well as food and housing.
Collapse
|