Discretionary decision making by primary care physicians and the cost of U.S. Health care

Inpatient total thyroidectomy costs and outcomes vary regionally: A nationwide study

Objectives

While it is known that surgical costs continue to rise in the United States, there is little information about the specific underlying factors for this variation in many common procedures. This study investigates the influence of geographic location and hospital demographics on hospital cost and postoperative outcomes in adult patients undergoing total thyroidectomy (TT).

Methods

The National Inpatient Sample was queried for patients who underwent primary TT between 2016 and 2017. Multivariable analyses were conducted to determine estimates and odds ratios (OR) between various hospital factors and total cost, prolonged length of stay (LOS), and non-home discharge. Reference categories were small bed-size and Northeast region.

Results

A weighted total of 16,880 patients with mean age of 50.6 years were included. Most patients were female (73.8%), White (57.0%), and treated at Southern (32.4%), large bed-size (65.1%), and urban teaching (82.7%) hospitals. Medium and large bed-size hospitals were associated with a 6.5% (p < .001) and 7.5% (p < .001) reduction in TT cost, respectively. TT cost was greatest in the West, associated with a 32.4% increase (p < .001). Patients in the Midwest (OR 1.366, p = .011) had prolonged LOS, whereas patients treated in the Midwest (OR 0.436, p < .001), South (OR 0.438, p < .001), and West (OR 0.502, p < .001) had lower odds of non-home discharge.

Conclusion

There is geographic variation in both costs and outcomes of TT. Although Northeastern hospitals had the lowest costs for TT, they were associated with the greatest odds for non-home discharge.Level of evidence: IV.

Trends in Volume and Charges of Retinal Tear Patients in the Emergency Department

PURPOSE

To characterize retinal tears (RTs) and calculate the economic burden of RTs that present to the emergency department (ED) in the US.

METHODS

We used a large national ED database to retrospectively analyze RTs that presented to the ED from 2006 to 2019. Using extrapolation methods, national of the RT patient ED volume, demographics, comorbidities, disposition, inpatient (IP) charges, and ED charges were calculated.

RESULTS

During the period between 2006 and 2019, 15841 ED encounters had RT listed as the primary diagnosis. The average annual RT ED encounters was 2,640 ± 856 and comprised an average of 6.4 × 10 - 5 % of all ED visits annually. The number and ED percentage of RT encounters did not change during this time period (p = .22, p = .67, respectively). Most patients were males, Caucasian, paid with private insurance, and admitted to EDs in the Northeast. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (19%), a history of cataracts (15%), and diabetes (7.2%). During this time period, RTs charges added up to more than $79 million and $33 million in the ED and IP settings, respectively. Mean per-encounter ED and IP charges increased by 145% (p = .0008) and 86% (p = .0047), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Despite the stable number of RT patients presenting to the ED, RTs place a significant economic burden to the healthcare system, which increases yearly. We recommend physicians and policy makers to work together to pass laws that could prevent the increasing healthcare charges.

Outcomes of cervical spinal stenosis surgery in patients aged ≥ 65 years based on insurance status: a single-center cohort study from a tertiary center in Germany

OBJECTIVE

The prevalence of degenerative disorders of the spine, such as cervical spinal stenosis with cervical spine myelopathy (CSM) in the geriatric population, has rapidly increased worldwide. To date, there has been no systematic analysis comparing outcomes in older patients suffering from progressive CSM and undergoing surgery depending on their health insurance status. We sought to compare the clinical outcomes and complications after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) or posterior decompression with fusion in patients aged ≥ 65 years with multilevel cervical spinal canal stenosis and concomitant CSM with special focus on their insurance status.

METHODS

Clinical and imaging data were retrieved from patients' electronic medical records at a single institution between September 2005 and December 2021. Patients were allocated into two groups with respect to their health insurance status: statutory health insurance (SHI) vs. private insurance (PI).

RESULTS

A total of 236 patients were included in the SHI group and 100 patients in the privately insured group (PI) group. The overall mean age was 71.7 ± 5.2 years. Regarding comorbidities, as defined with the age-adjusted CCI, SHI patients presented with higher rates of comorbidities as defined by a CCI of 6.7 ± 2.3 and higher prevalence of previous malignancies (9.3%) when compared to the PI group (CCI 5.4 ± 2.5, p = 0.051; 7.0%, p = 0.048). Both groups underwent ACDF (SHI: 58.5% vs. PI: 61.4%; p = 0.618), and the surgical duration was similar between both groups. Concerning the intraoperative blood transfusion rates, no significant differences were observed. The hospital stay (12.5 ± 1.1 days vs. 8.6 ± 6.3 days; p = 0.042) and intenisve care unit stay (1.5 ± 0.2 days vs. 0.4 ± 0.1 days; p = 0.049) were significantly longer in the PI group than in the SHI group. Similar in-hospital and 90-day mortality rates were noted across the groups. The presence of comorbidities, as defined with the age-adjusted CCI, poor neurological status at baseline, and SHI status, was significant predictor for the presence of adverse events, while the type of surgical technique, operated levels, duration of surgery, or blood loss was not.

CONCLUSIONS

Herein, we found that surgeons make decisions independent of health insurance status and aim to provide the most optimal therapeutic option for each individual; hence, outcomes were similar between the groups. However, longer hospitalization stays were present in privately insured patients, while SHI patients presented on admission with poorer baseline status.

Geographic Variation in Operative Management of Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction

INTRODUCTION

Variation in surgical management exists nationally. We hypothesize that geographic variation exists in adhesive small bowel obstruction (aSBO) management.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis of a national commercial insurance claims database (MarketScan) sample (2017-2019) was performed in adults with hospital admission due to aSBO. Geographic variation in rates of surgical intervention for aSBO was evaluated by state and compared to a risk-adjusted national baseline using a Bayesian spatial rates Poisson regression model. For individual-level analysis, patients were identified in 2018, with 365-d look back and follow-up periods. Logistic regression was performed for individual-level predictors of operative intervention for aSBO.

RESULTS

Two thousand one hundred forty-five patients were included. State-level analysis revealed rates of operative intervention for aSBO were significantly higher in Missouri and lower in Florida. On individual-level analysis, age (P < 0.01) and male sex (P < 0.03) but not comorbidity profile or prior aSBO, were negatively associated with undergoing operative management for aSBO. Patients presenting in 2018 with a history of admission for aSBO the year prior experienced a five-fold increase in odds of representation (odds ratio: 5.4, 95% confidence interval: 3.1-9.6) in 2019. Patients who received an operation for aSBO in 2018 reduced the odds of readmission in the next year by 77% (odds ratio: 0.23, 95% confidence interval: 0.1-0.5). The volume of operations performed within a state did not influence readmission.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical management of aSBO varies across the continental USA. Operative intervention is associated with decreased rates of representation in the following year. These data highlight a critical need for standardized guidelines for emergency general surgery patients.

Strategies to Reduce Low-Value Cardiovascular Care: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Low-value health care services that provide little or no benefit to patients are common, potentially harmful, and costly. Nearly half of the patients in the United States will receive at least 1 low-value test or procedure annually, creating risk of avoidable complications from subsequent cascades of care and excess costs to patients and society. Reducing low-value care is of particular importance to cardiovascular health given the high prevalence and costs of cardiovascular disease in the United States. This scientific statement describes the current scope and impact of low-value cardiovascular care; reviews existing literature on patient-, clinician-, health system-, payer-, and policy-level interventions to reduce low-value care; proposes solutions to achieve meaningful and equitable reductions in low-value care; and suggests areas for future research priorities.

Opportunities to improve the quality of inpatient consultation: one hospital’s investigation but an age old struggle

Inpatient consultation is widely used by hospital physician teams to access specialized expertise and procedures. However, the quality of the resultant consultation varies widely. This commentary describes prior efforts to understand variation in rates of consultation and potential implications across the spectrum of care from underuse to overuse. Improving the quality of consultation requires a full understanding of the aspects of consultation that contribute to quality, including clear requests and communications from the consulting team, but also recognition of organizational and cultural constraints that can impact the availability and quality of consultations provided.

Physician Practice Pattern Variations in Common Clinical Scenarios Within 5 US Metropolitan Areas

Question

To what extent do physician-level variations in the appropriateness or quality of care exist within metropolitan areas, notably among specialists?

Findings

In this cross-sectional study of 8788 physicians across 7 specialties in 5 US metropolitan areas, sizeable physician-level practice pattern variations were evident across 14 common clinical scenarios where practice guidelines and clinical evidence can help discern, on average, the appropriateness or quality of clinical decisions. Variations were robust to adjustment for patient and area-level characteristics, and measure reliability was generally high.

Meaning

Within-area physician-level variations in practice patterns were qualitatively similar across clinical scenarios, despite practice guidelines designed to reduce variation.

Importance

While variations in quality of care have been described between US regions, physician-level practice pattern variations within regions remain poorly understood, notably among specialists.

Objective

To examine within-area physician-level variations in decision-making in common clinical scenarios where guidelines specifying appropriateness or quality of care exist.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study used 2016 through 2019 data from a large nationwide network of commercial insurers, provided by Health Intelligence Company, LLC, within 5 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Physician-level variations in appropriateness and quality of care were measured using 14 common clinical scenarios involving 7 specialties. The measures were constructed using public quality measure definitions, clinical guidelines, and appropriateness criteria from the clinical literature. Physician performance was calculated using a multilevel model adjusted for patient age, sex, risk score, and socioeconomic status with physician random effects. Measure reliability for each physician was calculated using the signal-to-noise approach. Within-MSA variation was calculated between physician quintiles adjusted for patient attributes, with the first quintile denoting highest quality or appropriateness and the fifth quintile reflecting the opposite. Data were analyzed March through October 2021.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Fourteen measures of quality or appropriateness of care, with 2 measures each in the domains of cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, obstetrics, orthopedics, and neurosurgery.

Results

A total of 8788 physicians were included across the 5 MSAs, and about 2.5 million unique patient-physician pairs were included in the measures. Within the 5 MSAs, on average, patients in the measures were 34.7 to 40.7 years old, 49.1% to 52.3% female, had a mean risk score of 0.8 to 1.0, and more likely to have an employer-sponsored insurance plan that was either self-insured or fully insured (59.8% to 97.6%). Within MSAs, physician-level variations were qualitatively similar across measures. For example, statin therapy in patients with coronary artery disease ranged from 54.3% to 70.9% in the first quintile of cardiologists to 30.5% to 42.6% in the fifth quintile. Upper endoscopy in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease without alarm symptoms spanned 14.6% to 16.9% in the first quintile of gastroenterologists to 28.2% to 33.8% in the fifth quintile. Among patients with new knee or hip osteoarthritis, 2.1% to 3.4% received arthroscopy in the first quintile of orthopedic surgeons, whereas 25.5% to 30.7% did in the fifth quintile. Appropriate prenatal screening among pregnant patients ranged from 82.6% to 93.6% in the first quintile of obstetricians to 30.9% to 65.7% in the fifth quintile. Within MSAs, adjusted differences between quintiles approximated unadjusted differences. Measure reliability, which can reflect consistency and reproducibility, exceeded 70.0% across nearly all measures in all MSAs.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cross-sectional study of 5 US metropolitan areas, sizeable physician-level practice variations were found across common clinical scenarios and specialties. Understanding the sources of these variations may inform efforts to improve the value of care.

Audits of Antimicrobial Usage in a Tertiary Care Center in Hyderabad

Background Irrational prescriptions have an ill effect on health as well as on healthcare expenditure. Prescription auditing is an important tool to improve the quality of prescriptions, which in turn improves the quality of health care provided. Regular and timely audits of antibiotic prescriptions can prevent irrational antibiotic usage. Introduction The inappropriate use of drugs is a global health problem, especially in developing countries like India. In 2015, during the 68th World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Southeast Asia, all Member States of the region, including India, endorsed the "Regional Strategy for Patient Safety in the WHO Southeast Asia Region (2016-2025)" aiming to support the development of national quality of care and patient safety strategies, policies, and plans and commit to translating those objectives of the Regional Strategy into actionable strategies at country level. Methodology A retrospective observational study was conducted in a 330-bedded, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)-accredited tertiary healthcare center. The study period was six months, from January 2019 to June 2019. Results Ninety-five point four-five percent (95.45%) of the doctors attended the sensitization program and all accepted following the standard prescribing protocols. Sixty-nine point seven percent (69.7%) of the doctors were aware of the availability of drugs in the hospital pharmacy stores. Seventy-four point two-four percent (74.24%) of the doctors were aware of the ongoing prescription audits. Seventy-two point two-seven percent (72.27%) of the treating doctors were of the opinion of selecting the appropriate antibiotics based on hospital antibiogram. The importance of antibiograms from cultures and environmental surveillance was followed well only after sensitizing all the treating doctors. Ninety-five point four-five percent (95.45%) of the doctors were of the opinion of taking the permission of a higher authority to start high-end antibiotics. Seventy-seven point one-zero percent (77.10%) doctors recommended sample collection prior to antibiotic administration. Sixty-three percent (63%) of the patient's clinical condition improved with the antibiotics prescribed prior to the culture report. Conclusion By judicious use of antibiotics, we can reduce the evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and extend the useful life of antibiotics that are still effective. Antibiotic use patterns must be studied to address complications resulting from a large number of antibiotics.

Association of Cardiology Billing Amounts With Health Care Utilization and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Background The relationship between health care utilization and outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation is unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate whether cardiologists' billing amounts in a fee-for-service environment are associated with better patient-level clinical outcomes. Methods and Results A retrospective cohort study was conducted using administrative claims data of cardiologists in Ontario, Canada between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2016. The cardiologists were stratified into quintiles based on their median billing patterns per patient over the observation period. The primary outcomes were patient-level receipt of repeat visits, cardiac diagnostic tests, and medications ≤1 year of index date. The secondary clinical outcomes were death, emergency department visits, and all-cause hospitalization 1-year post-index visit. The patient cohort comprised 182 572 patients with atrial fibrillation (median age 74 years, 58% male) from 467 cardiologists. Patients with atrial fibrillation seen by higher-billing cardiologists were 26% more likely to have an echocardiogram (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.26 [95% CI, 1.10-1.43] for quintile 5 versus 2), 28% a stress test (aOR, 1.28 [1.12-1.46] for quintile 5 versus 2), 25% continuous electrocardiographic monitoring (aOR, 1.25 [1.08-1.46] for quintile 4 versus 2), and 79% more likely to get a stress echocardiogram (aOR, 1.79 [1.32-2.42] for quintile 5 versus 2). They also had a higher rate of all-cause hospitalization (aOR, 1.13 [1.07-1.20]). Mortality rates were similar across cardiologists billing quintiles (eg, aOR, 0.98 [0.87-1.11] for quintile 4 versus 2). Conclusions Higher-billing cardiologists ordered more diagnostic tests per patient with atrial fibrillation but these are not associated with improvements in outcomes.

Evolution of Palliative Care in the Department of Veterans Affairs: Lessons from an Integrated Health Care Model

Palliative care (PC) is beneficial, however, in many settings it is under-resourced and unable to consistently meet the needs of patients and their families. A lack of national health policy support for PC contributes to underutilization and the low value care experienced by many patients with serious illness at the end of life. Through a series of transformative health care structure and process improvements including developing robust initiatives and promoting institutional culture change, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has significantly improved the quality of PC among veterans. VA's strategic simultaneous top-down and bottom-up approach to develop programs, policies, and initiatives provides important perspectives and deserves attention toward advancing PC in the broader U.S. health care system. Although opportunities for improvement exist, the comprehensive framework within VA should help inform the future of program development and serve as a model for integrated and accountable care organizations to emulate.

Cost-Effectiveness of TransCarotid Artery Revascularization versus Carotid Endarterectomy

OBJECTIVES

Recent studies have demonstrated that TransCarotid Artery Stenting (TCAR) has comparable outcomes to the surgical gold standard, carotid endarterectomy (CEA). However, few studies have analyzed the cost of TCAR and no study has evaluated its cost-effectiveness. The purpose of this study is to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing TCAR to CEA for carotid artery stenosis.

METHODS

We built a Markov microsimulation using transition probabilities and utilities from existing literature for symptomatic patients undergoing TCAR or CEA. Costs were derived from literature then converted to 2019 dollars. The model included six health states with monthly cycle lengths: surgery, death, alive after surgery, alive after myocardial infarction, alive after stroke, and alive after stroke and death. Quality adjusted life years (QALYs), costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were analyzed over a five-year period. One-way sensitivity and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to study the impact of parameter variability on cost effectiveness.

RESULTS

For symptomatic patients, CEA cost $7821 for 2.85 QALYs while TCAR cost $19154 for 2. 92 QALYs, leading to an ICER of $152,229 per QALY gained in the TCAR arm Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that our model was most sensitive to probability of restenosis, costs of TCAR and costs of CEA. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis demonstrated TCAR would be considered cost effective 49% of iterations.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that while five-year costs for TCAR were greater than CEA, TCAR afforded greater QALYs than CEA. TCAR became cost-effective at six-years follow-up.

Cost sharing and the demand for health services in a regulated market

This paper measures consumer responsiveness to cost sharing in healthcare using a regression discontinuity design. I use a novel and detailed claims-level dataset from the Colombian healthcare market, where the government exogenously determines a tier system for coinsurance rates and copays based on the enrollee's monthly income. I find that patients exposed to higher coinsurance rates demand fewer services relative to patients facing lower cost sharing. This reduction holds for both discretionary and preventive services. Lower utilization translates into lower costs, despite evidence that patients facing higher prices do not substitute away from more expensive providers.

Medical Practice Variation Among Primary Care Physicians: 1 Decade, 14 Health Services, and 3,238,498 Patient-Years

PURPOSE

Variation in medical practice is associated with poorer health outcomes, increased costs, disparities in care, and increased burden on the public health system. In the present study, we sought to describe and assess inter- and intra-primary care physician variation, adjusted for patient and clinic characteristics, over a decade of practice and across a broad range of health services.

METHODS

We assessed practice patterns of 251 primary care physicians in southern Israel. For each of 14 health services (imaging tests, cardiac tests, laboratory tests, and specialist visits) we described interphysician and intraphysician variation, adjusted for patient case mix and clinic characteristics, using the coefficient of variation. The adjusted rates were assessed by generalized linear negative-binomial mixed models.

RESULTS

The variation between physicians was on average 3-fold greater than the variation of individual physician practice over the years. Services with low utilization were associated with greater inter- and intraphysician variation: r_s = (-0.58), P = .03 and r_s = (-0.39), P = .17, respectively. In addition, physician utilization ranks averaged over all health services were consistent across the 14 health services (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.93-0.95).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show greater variation in practice patterns between physicians than for individual physicians over the years. It appears that the variation remains high even after adjustment for patient and clinic characteristics and that the individual physician utilization patterns are stable across health services. We propose that personal behavioral characteristics of medical practitioners might explain this variation.

Determinants of Medical Practice Variation Among Primary Care Physicians: Protocol for a Three Phase Study

BACKGROUND

One of the greatest challenges of modern health systems is the choice and use of resources needed to diagnose and treat patients. Medical practice variation (MPV) is a broad term which entails the differences between health care providers inclusive of both the overuse and underuse. In this paper, we describe a 3-phase research protocol examining MPV in primary care.

OBJECTIVE

We aim to identify the potential targets for behavioral modification interventions to reduce the variation in practice patterns and thus improve health care, decrease costs, and prevent disparities in care.

METHODS

The first phase will delineate the variation in primary care practice over a wide range of services and long follow-up period (2003-2017), the second will examine the 3 determinants of variation (ie, patient, physician, and clinic characteristics), and attempt to derive the unexplained variance. In the third phase, we will assess a novel component that might contribute to the previously unexplained variance - the physicians' personal behavioral characteristics (such as risk aversion, fear of malpractice, stress from uncertainty, empathy, and burnout).

RESULTS

This work was supported by the research grant from Israel National Institute for Health Policy Research (Grant No. 2014/134). Soroka University Medical Center Institutional Ethics Committee has approved the updated version of the study protocol (SOR-14-0063) in February 2019. All relevant data for phases 1 and 2, including patient, physician, and clinic, were collected from the Clalit Health Services data set in 2019 and are currently being analyzed. The evaluation of the individual physician characteristics (eg, risk aversion) by the face-to-face questionnaires was started on 2018 and remains in progress. We intend to publish the results during 2020-2021.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results of our study, we aim to propose a list of potential targets for focused behavioral intervention. Identifying new targets for such an intervention can potentially lead to a decrease in the unwarranted variation in the medical practice. We suggest that such an intervention will result in optimization of the health system, improvement of health outcomes, reduction of disparities in care and savings in cost.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/18673.

Association between variations in the number of hospital beds and inpatient chemo/radiotherapy for breast cancer: a study using a large claim database

OBJECTIVE

Chemo/radiotherapy for breast cancer patients does not require hospitalisation in most cases. We investigated the relationship between the proportion of hospitalisation for chemo/radiotherapy over total hospitalisation and the number of hospital beds per capita among breast cancer cases.

DESIGN

A retrospective observational study.

SETTING

Hospitals in Japan.

PARTICIPANTS

In total, 561,165 records of hospitalisation of breast cancer cases were extracted from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database from April 2012 to March 2016.Intervention(s) and main outcome measure(s): A multivariable beta regression model accounting for the clustering effect within each prefecture was used to examine the relationship between the number of hospital beds per capita in each prefecture and the proportion of hospitalisation for inpatient chemo/radiotherapy treatment or the number of surgical operations for breast cancer patients in each prefecture.

RESULTS

The proportion of hospitalisation for inpatient chemo/radiotherapy treatment varied from 2.6% to 61.8% in 2016. The logit proportion of hospitalisation for inpatient chemo/radiotherapy treatment was significantly higher for every additional hospital bed per capita (0.0027, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.0014-0.0040). In contrast, no significant relationship was observed between the number of surgical operations for breast cancer per capita and the number of hospital beds per capita.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that a higher number of regional hospital beds were associated with a higher proportion of hospitalisation for chemo/radiotherapy treatment, suggesting that inpatient chemo/radiotherapy may be a provider-induced practice.

Medicare Part D Spending on Drugs Prescribed by Oncologists: Temporal Trends and Regional Variation

PURPOSE

Drug cost is a significant factor in the ever-increasing expenditures for cancer health care.

METHODS

We used Medicare Part D administrative data to explore prescribing patterns and attributed drug costs of oncologists from 2013 to 2017. We highlighted regional variation in spending and potential associations. We used the location quotient (LQ) to measure the relative concentration of oncologists compared with the national average by hospital referral regions. Costs were reported in 2017 US dollars (inflation adjusted) for cross-year comparisons.

RESULTS

Oncology's share in Part D spending showed an uninterrupted increasing trend. In 2017, oncologists prescribed medicines with $12.8 billion in Part D costs (8.3% of all Part D payments), which exceeded 2013 costs by $7.3 billion, when their claim payments were $5.5 billion (5.0% of all Part D payments). Oncology contributed a higher annual growth in Part D drug costs compared with all other providers (15.1% and 3.1%, respectively, for 2017). The top 3 drugs increased cost by approximately $3.5 billion from 2013 to 2017. Across hospital referral regions, the oncologists' Part D share varied (median in 2017, 7.7%; interquartile range, 6.2%-9.3%) and was higher across regions where oncologists had an LQ significantly > 1 (mostly in areas with centers that excel in cancer care) and lower for an LQ significantly < 1 (median, 9.7% v 6.2%, respectively; P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Oncology increased its share in Part D drug spending, disproportionately to all other providers, with regional differences partially moderated by the oncology workforce and quality of cancer care.

National Prevalence of Complications and Cost of Small Joint Arthroplasty for Hand Osteoarthritis and Post-Traumatic Arthritis

PURPOSE

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand is commonly treated using implant arthroplasty. Despite the increasing prevalence of hand OA, population-based evidence regarding the complication profile and associated cost for patients undergoing proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint arthroplasty are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the complication profiles and variation in cost of care for patients undergoing PIP and MCP joint arthroplasty.

METHODS

We analyzed insurance claims from 2009 to 2016 using the Truven MarketScan Databases for adult patients undergoing a PIP and MCP joint arthroplasty following OA or post-traumatic arthritis diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to investigate the association of patient-level factors and complications at 2 years after surgery. Cumulative direct cost, defined as the cost of the index surgery and 2-year postoperative episode, and patient-level characteristics were examined.

RESULTS

We analyzed a total of 2,859 patients who underwent MCP joint arthroplasty (36%) or PIP joint arthroplasty (64%). On average, these procedures have a 35% complication rate. However, patients undergoing PIP joint arthroplasty were more likely to suffer a prosthetic fracture than patients undergoing MCP joint arthroplasty (3.4% vs 1.5%, respectively). Each complication resulted in an additional cost of $1,076.

CONCLUSIONS

This nationwide analysis provides a population estimate of the complication profile and associated costs of MCP and PIP joint arthroplasty for hand OA and post-traumatic arthritis. Minimizing postoperative complications after MCP and PIP joint arthroplasty is one avenue to decrease health care costs.

TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic II.

Hospital doctors' attitudes to brief educational messages that aim to modify diagnostic test requests: a qualitative study

Background

Avoidable use of diagnostic tests can both harm patients and increase the cost of healthcare. Nudge-type educational interventions have potential to modify clinician behaviour while respecting clinical autonomy and responsibility, but there is little evidence how this approach may be best used in a healthcare setting. This study aims to explore attitudes of hospital doctors to two nudge-type messages: one concerning potential future cancer risk after receiving a CT scan, another about the financial costs of blood tests.

Methods

We added two brief educational messages to diagnostic test results in a UK hospital for one year. One message on the associated long-term potential cancer risk from ionising radiation imaging to CT scan reports, and a second on the financial costs incurred to common blood test results. We conducted a qualitative study involving telephone interviews with doctors working at the hospital to identify themes explaining their response to the intervention.

Results

Twenty eight doctors were interviewed. Themes showed doctors found the intervention to be highly acceptable, as the group had a high awareness of the need to prevent harm and optimise use of finite resources, and most found the nudge-type approach to be inoffensive and harmless. However, the messages were not seen as personally relevant because doctors felt they were already relatively conservative in their use of tests.

Cancer risk was important in decision-making but was not considered to represent new knowledge to doctors. Conversely, financial costs were considered to be novel information that was unimportant in decision-making. Defensive medicine was commonly cited as a barrier to individual behaviour change. The educational cancer risk message on CT scan reports increased doctors’ confidence to challenge decisions and explain risks to patients and there were some modifications in clinical practice prompted by the financial cost message.

Conclusion

The nudge-type approach to target avoidable use of tests was acceptable to hospital doctors but there were barriers to behaviour change. There was evidence doctors perceived this cheap and light-touch method can contribute to culture change and form a foundation for more comprehensive educational efforts to modify behaviour in a healthcare environment.

Association of Regional Practice Environment Intensity and the Ability of Internists to Practice High-Value Care After Residency

IMPORTANCE

Use of health care services and physician practice patterns have been shown to vary widely across the United States. Although practice patterns-in particular, physicians' ability to provide high-quality, high-value care-develop during training, the association of a physician's regional practice environment with that ability is less well understood.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between health care intensity in the region where physicians practice and their ability to practice high-value care, specifically for physicians whose practice environment changed due to relocation after residency.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study included a national sample of 3896 internal medicine physicians who took the 2002 American Board of Internal Medicine initial certification examination followed approximately 1 decade (April 21, 2011, to May 7, 2015) later by the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) examination. At the time of the MOC examination, 2714 of these internists were practicing in a new region. Data were analyzed from March 6, 2016, to May 21, 2018.

EXPOSURES

Intensity of care in the Dartmouth Atlas hospital referral region (HRR), measured by per-enrollee end-of-life physician visits (primary) and current practice type (secondary).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The outcome, a physician's ability to practice high-value care, was assessed using the Appropriately Conservative Management (ACM) score on the MOC examination, measuring performance across all questions for which the correct answer was the most conservative option. The exposure, regional health care intensity, was measured as per-enrollee end-of-life physician visits in the Dartmouth Atlas HRR of the physician's practice.

RESULTS

Among the 3860 participating internists included in the analysis (2030 men [52.6%]; mean [SD] age, 45.6 [4.5] years), those who moved to regions in the quintile of highest health care intensity had an ACM score 0.22 SD lower (95% CI, -0.32 to -0.12) than internists who moved to regions in the quintile of lowest intensity, controlling for postresidency ACM scores. This difference reflected scoring in the 44th compared with the 53rd percentile of all examinees. This association was mildly attenuated (0.18 SD less; 95% CI, -0.28 to -0.09) after adjustment for physician and practice characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study found that practice patterns of internists who relocate after residency training appear to migrate toward norms of the new region. The demands of practicing in high-intensity regions may erode the ability to practice high-value conservative care.

A new instrument to measure high value, cost-conscious care attitudes among healthcare stakeholders: development of the MHAQ

BACKGROUND

Residents have to learn to provide high value, cost-conscious care (HVCCC) to counter the trend of excessive healthcare costs. Their learning is impacted by individuals from different stakeholder groups within the workplace environment. These individuals' attitudes toward HVCCC may influence how and what residents learn. This study was carried out to develop an instrument to reliably measure HVCCC attitudes among residents, staff physicians, administrators, and patients. The instrument can be used to assess the residency-training environment.

METHOD

The Maastricht HVCCC Attitude Questionnaire (MHAQ) was developed in four phases. First, we conducted exploratory factor analyses using original data from a previously published survey. Next, we added nine items to strengthen subscales and tested the new questionnaire among the four stakeholder groups. We used exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's alphas to define subscales, after which the final version of the MHAQ was constructed. Finally, we used generalizability theory to determine the number of respondents (residents or staff physicians) needed to reliably measure a specialty attitude score.

RESULTS

Initial factor analysis identified three subscales. Thereafter, 301 residents, 297 staff physicians, 53 administrators and 792 patients completed the new questionnaire between June 2017 and July 2018. The best fitting subscale composition was a three-factor model. Subscales were defined as high-value care, cost incorporation, and perceived drawbacks. Cronbach's alphas were between 0.61 and 0.82 for all stakeholders on all subscales. Sufficient reliability for assessing national specialty attitude (G-coefficient > 0.6) could be achieved from 14 respondents.

CONCLUSIONS

The MHAQ reliably measures individual attitudes toward HVCCC in different stakeholders in health care contexts. It addresses key dimensions of HVCCC, providing content validity evidence. The MHAQ can be used to identify frontrunners of HVCCC, pinpoint aspects of residency training that need improvement, and benchmark and compare across specialties, hospitals and regions.

Association of Clinical Characteristics With Variation in Emergency Physician Preferences for Patients

Importance

Much of the wide variation in health care has been associated with practice variation among physicians. Physicians choosing to see patients with more (or fewer) care needs could also produce variations in care observed across physicians.

Objective

To quantify emergency physician preferences by measuring nonrandom variations in patients they choose to see.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study used a large, detailed clinical data set from an electronic health record system of a single academic hospital. The data set included all emergency department (ED) encounters of adult patients from January 1, 2010, to May 31, 2015, as well as ED visits information. Data were analyzed from September 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019.

Exposure

Patient assignment to a particular emergency physician.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Variation in patient characteristics (age, sex, acuity [Emergency Severity Index score], and comorbidities) seen by emergency physicians before patient selection, adjusted for temporal factors (seasonal, weekly, and hourly variation in patient mix).

Results

This study analyzed 294 915 visits to the ED seen by 62 attending physicians. Of the 294 915 patients seen, the mean (SD) age was 48.6 (19.8) years and 176 690 patients (59.9%) were women. Many patient characteristics, such as age (F = 2.2; P < .001), comorbidities (F = 1.7; P < .001), and acuity (F = 4.7; P < .001), varied statistically significantly. Compared with the lowest-quintile physicians for each respective characteristic, the highest-quintile physicians saw patients who were older (mean age, 47.9 [95% CI, 47.8-48.1] vs 49.7 [95% CI, 49.5-49.9] years, respectively; difference, +1.8 years; 95% CI, 1.5-2.0 years) and sicker (mean comorbidity score: 0.4 [95% CI, 0.3-0.5] vs 1.8 [95% CI, 1.7-1.8], respectively; difference, +1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.4). These differences were absent or highly attenuated during overnight shifts, when only 1 physician was on duty and there was limited room for patient selection. Compared with earlier in the shift, the same physician later in the shift saw patients who were younger (mean age, 49.7 [95% CI, 49.4-49.7] vs 44.6 [95 % CI, 44.3-44.9] years, respectively; difference, -5.1 years; 95% CI, 4.8-5.5) and less sick (mean comorbidity score: 0.7 [95% CI, 0.7-0.8] vs 1.1 [95% CI, 1.1-1.1], respectively; difference, -0.4; 95% CI, 0.4-0.4). Accounting for preference variation resulted in substantial reordering of physician ranking by care intensity, as measured by ED charges, with 48 of 62 physicians (77%) being reclassified into a different quintile and 9 of 12 physicians (75%) in the highest care intensity quintile moving into a lower quintile. A regression model demonstrated that 22% of reported ED charges were associated with physician preference.

Conclusions and Relevance

This study found preference variation across physicians and within physicians during the course of a shift. These findings suggest that current efforts to reduce practice variation may not affect the variation associated with physician preferences, which reflect underlying differences in patient needs and not physician practice.

Opioid Deaths and Local Healthcare Intensity: A Longitudinal Analysis of the U.S. Population, 2003-2014

INTRODUCTION

This study examines the association between local healthcare intensity and drug death rates.

METHODS

County-level drug death rates were computed for 2003-2014 using vital statistics data adjusted for incomplete reporting of drug involvement. A county-level healthcare intensity index was constructed using Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care data. Linear regression and dose-response models were estimated for all residents and for population subgroups to analyze the relationship between healthcare intensity and drug death rates, as well as for 7 indicators of healthcare quality. Data collection and analysis were conducted in 2018 and 2019.

RESULTS

Linear estimates indicated a positive correlation between healthcare intensity and opioid-involved drug death rates. Dose-response models revealed that the association was especially pronounced for the 2 highest healthcare intensity quintiles. Moving from the lowest to the highest healthcare intensity quintile was associated with a 2.14 (95% CI=1.56, 2.72) per 100,000 rise in opioid-involved drug death rates and a 25.1% (95% CI=18.3%, 31.9%) increase from the base rate of 8.54 per 100,000. Corresponding associations were larger in absolute terms for individuals who were male, white, aged 20-44 years, and not college educated than for their counterparts, but similar in percentages, except for 2 minority racial groups and seniors. Non-opioid drug death rates were unrelated to healthcare intensity. High healthcare intensity was associated with worse healthcare quality for 6 of 7 indicators.

CONCLUSIONS

In the U.S., between 2003 and 2014, high medical care intensity was associated with elevated opioid death rates and lower healthcare quality.

Factors Contributing To Geographic Variation In End-Of-Life Expenditures For Cancer Patients

Health care spending in the months before death varies across geographic areas but is not associated with outcomes. Using data from the prospective multiregional Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium (CanCORS) study, we assessed the extent to which such variation is explained by differences in patients' sociodemographic factors, clinical factors, and beliefs; physicians' beliefs; and the availability of services. Among 1,132 patients ages sixty-five and older who were diagnosed with lung or colorectal cancer in 2003-05, had advanced-stage cancer, died before 2013, and were enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare, mean expenditures in the last month of life were $13,663. Physicians in higher-spending areas reported less knowledge about and comfort with treating dying patients and less positive attitudes about hospice, compared to those in lower-spending areas. Higher-spending areas also had more physicians and fewer primary care providers and hospices in proportion to their total population than lower-spending areas did. Availability of services and physicians' beliefs, but not patients' beliefs, were important in explaining geographic variations in end-of-life spending. Enhanced training to better equip physicians to care for patients at the end of life and strategic resource allocation may have potential for decreasing unwarranted variation in care.

Imprinting on Clinical Rotations: Multisite Survey of High- and Low-Value Medical Student Behaviors and Relationship with Healthcare Intensity

BACKGROUND

Physician behaviors are important to high-value care, and the learning environment medical students encounter on clinical clerkships may imprint their developing practice patterns.

OBJECTIVES

To explore potential imprinting on clinical rotations by (a) describing high- and low-value behaviors among medical students and (b) examining relationships with regional healthcare intensity (HCI).

DESIGN

Multisite cross-sectional survey PARTICIPANTS: Third- and fourth-year students at nine US medical schools MAIN MEASURES: Survey items measured high-value (n = 10) and low-value (n = 9) student behaviors. Regional HCI was measured using Dartmouth Atlas End-of-Life Chronic Illness Care data (ratio of physician visits per decedent compared with the US average, hospital care intensity index, ratio of medical specialty to primary care physician visits per decedent). Associations between regional HCI and student behaviors were examined using unadjusted and adjusted (controlling for age, sex, and year in school) logistic regression analyses, using median item ratings to summarize reported engagement in high- and low-value behaviors.

KEY RESULTS

Of 2623 students invited, 1304 (50%) responded. Many reported trying to determine healthcare costs (1085/1234, 88%), but only 45% (571/1257) reported including cost details in case presentations. Students acknowledged suggesting tests solely to anticipate what their supervisor would want (1143/1220, 94%), show off their ability to generate a broad differential diagnosis (1072/1218, 88%), satisfy curiosity (958/1217, 79%), protect the team from liability (938/1215, 77%), and build clinical experience (533/1217, 44%). Students in higher intensity regions reported significantly more low-value behaviors: each one-unit increase in the ratio of physician visits per decedent increased the odds of reporting low-value behaviors by 20% (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.04-1.38; P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Third- and fourth-year medical students report engaging in both high- and low-value behaviors, which are related to regional HCI. This underscores the importance of the clinical learning environment and suggests imprinting is already underway during medical school.

Influence of Peer Physicians on Intensity of End-of-Life Care for Cancer Decedents

BACKGROUND

The intensity of end-of-life care varies substantially both within and between areas. Differing practice patterns of individual physicians are likely influenced by their peers.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether intensity of end-of-life care previously provided by a physician's peers influences patterns of care at the end-of-life for that physician's patients.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Observational study.

SUBJECTS

A total of 185,947 fee-for-service Medicare enrollees with cancer who died during 2006-2010 who were treated by 26,383 physicians.

MEASURES

Spending in the last month of life, >1 emergency room visit, >1 hospitalization, intensive care unit admission in the last month of life, chemotherapy within 2 weeks of death, no/late hospice, terminal hospitalization.

RESULTS

Mean (SD) spending in the last month of life was $16,237 ($17,124). For each additional $1000 of spending for a peer physician's patients in the prior year, spending for the ego physician's patients was $83 higher (P<0.001). Among physicians with peers both in and out of their practice, more of the peer effect was explained by physicians outside of the practice ($72 increase for each $1000 increase by peer physicians' patients, P<0.001) than peer physicians in the practice ($27 for each $1000 increase by within-practice peer physicians' patients, P=0.01). Results were similar across the other measures of end-of-life care intensity.

CONCLUSIONS

Physician's peers exert influence on the intensity of care delivered to that physician's patients at the end-of-life. Physician education efforts led by influential providers and provider organizations may have potential to improve the delivery of high-value end-of-life care.

Characteristics of Emergency Department Visits and Select Predictors of Hospitalization for Adults With Newly Diagnosed Cancer in a Safety-Net Health System

PURPOSE

There is little description of emergency department (ED) visits and subsequent hospitalizations among a safety-net cancer population. We characterized patterns of ED visits and explored nonclinical predictors of subsequent hospitalization, including time of ED arrival.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with cancer (excluding leukemia and nonmelanoma skin cancer) between 2012 and 2016 at a large county urban safety-net health system. We identified ED visits occurring within 180 days after a cancer diagnosis, along with subsequent hospitalizations (observation stay or inpatient admission). We used mixed-effects multivariable logistic regression to model hospitalization at ED disposition, accounting for variability across patients and emergency physicians.

RESULTS

The 9,050 adults with cancer were 77.2% nonwhite and 55.0% female. Nearly one-quarter (24.7%) of patients had advanced-stage cancer at diagnosis, and 9.7% died within 180 days of diagnosis. These patients accrued 11,282 ED visits within 180 days of diagnosis. Most patients had at least one ED visit (57.7%); half (49.9%) occurred during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:59 pm), and half (50.4%) resulted in hospitalization. More than half (57.5%) of ED visits were for complaints that included: pain/headache, nausea/vomiting/dehydration, fever, swelling, shortness of breath/cough, and medication refill. Patients were most often discharged home when they arrived between 8:00 am and 11:59 am (adjusted odds ratio for hospitalization, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.84).

CONCLUSION

ED visits are common among safety-net patients with newly diagnosed cancer, and hospitalizations may be influenced by nonclinical factors. The majority of ED visits made by adults with newly diagnosed cancer in a safety-net health system could potentially be routed to an alternate site of care, such as a cancer urgent care clinic.

Medication overuse in oncology: current trends and future implications for patients and society

The high cost of cancer care worldwide is largely attributable to rising drugs prices. Despite their high costs and potential toxic effects, anticancer treatments could be subject to overuse, which is defined as the provision of medical services that are more likely to harm than to benefit a patient. We found 30 studies documenting medication overuse in cancer, which included 16 examples of supportive medication overuse and 17 examples of antineoplastic medication overuse in oncology. Few specific agents have been assessed, and no studies investigated overuse of the most toxic or expensive medications currently used in cancer treatment. Although financial, psychological, or physical harms of medication overuse in cancer could be substantial, there is little published evidence addressing these harms, so their magnitude is unclear. Further research is needed to better quantify medication overuse, understand its implications, and help protect patients and the health-care system from overuse.

Physician Beliefs and Patient Preferences: A New Look at Regional Variation in Health Care Spendingf

There is considerable controversy about the causes of regional variations in health care expenditures. Using vignettes from patient and physician surveys linked to fee-for-service Medicare expenditures, this study asks whether patient demand-side factors or physician supply-side factors explain these variations. The results indicate that patient demand is relatively unimportant in explaining variations. Physician organizational factors matter, but the most important factor is physician beliefs about treatment. In Medicare, we estimate that 35 percent of spending for end-of-life care and 12 percent of spending for heart attack patients (and for all enrollees) is associated with physician beliefs unsupported by clinical evidence. (JEL D83, H75, I11, I18).

What Factors Influence Reimbursement for 1 to 2 Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Procedures?

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective review.

OBJECTIVE

To determine reimbursement associated with an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and the demographic factors influencing reimbursement for an ACDF.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

ACDF has been shown to be a cost-effective procedure. However, there has been minimal analysis of factors influencing reimbursement for this procedure.

METHODS

Clinical and financial data were retrospectively reviewed for 176 patients undergoing an ACDF procedure in 2013 and 2014. Patients were included if they had primary ACDF and excluded if they were treated for a traumatic cervical spine fracture, infection, failed primary procedure, front/back procedure, or total disc replacement procedure. Clinical factors analyzed included number of levels fused, surgical time, length of stay in the hospital, estimated blood loss, implant type, Charleson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and preoperative diagnosis. Payer type and reimbursement associated with physician and hospital fees were collected for each patient. A multiple linear regression model determined the factors influencing reimbursement data using a backward conditional stepwise methodology. Variables were only included in multivariate analysis if there was a significant (P < 0.05) impact on reimbursement within univariate analysis.

RESULTS

One hundred and twenty-eight patients met inclusion criteria. The average reimbursement per patient was $24,622 (+/- standard deviation of 14,616). The only significant factors influencing reimbursement was payer type (P < 0.001) and length of hospital stay (P < 0.001). These two independent multivariate determinants of reimbursement only accounted for 18.6% of reimbursement variability.

CONCLUSION

There is substantial variability in reimbursement for ACDF procedures. Multivariate analysis indicates that payer type and length of hospital stay significantly influence reimbursement. Our model, however, only explained a small proportion of reimbursement variability indicating that factors outside our analysis may significantly affect hospital reimbursement.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3.

Regional Practice Patterns and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Intensity of End-of-Life Care

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether regional practice patterns impact racial/ethnic differences in intensity of end-of-life care for cancer decedents.

DATA SOURCES

The linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database.

STUDY DESIGN

We classified hospital referral regions (HRRs) based on mean 6-month end-of-life care expenditures, which represented regional practice patterns. Using hierarchical generalized linear models, we examined racial/ethnic differences in the intensity of end-of-life care across levels of HRR expenditures.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

There was greater variation in intensity of end-of-life care among Hispanics, Asians, and whites in high-expenditure HRRs than in low-expenditure HRRs.

CONCLUSIONS

Local practice patterns may influence racial/ethnic differences in end-of-life care.

Protection against the overuse and underuse of health care - methodological considerations for establishing prioritization criteria and recommendations in general practice

BACKGROUND

Initiatives such as "Choosing Wisely" in the USA and "Smarter Medicine" in Switzerland have published lists of widely overused health care services. The German initiative "Choosing Wisely Together (Gemeinsam Klug Entscheiden)" follows this example. The goal of our study was to prioritize important recommendations against the overuse and underuse of health care services. The final list of recommendations will be published in the German guideline "Protection against the overuse and underuse of health care".

METHODS

First, a multidisciplinary expert panel established a catalogue of prioritization criteria. Second, we extracted all the recommendations from evidence- and consensus-based German College of General Practice and Family Medicine (DEGAM) guidelines and National Health Care Guidelines (NVL). Third, the recommendations were rated by two independent panels (general practitioners and other health care professionals involved/not involved in guideline development). The prioritization process was finalized in a consensus conference held by DEGAM's Standing Guideline Committee (SLK).

RESULTS

Eleven prioritization criteria were established. A total of 782 recommendations were extracted and rated by 98 physicians and other health care professionals in a survey. In the voting process, more than 80% of the recommendations were eliminated. After the final consensus conference, twelve recommendations from DEGAM guidelines, nine DEGAM addenda and 17 NVL recommendations were chosen for inclusion in the guideline, for a total of 38 recommendations.

CONCLUSION

The selection procedure proved helpful in identifying the highest priority recommendations with which to combat the overuse and underuse of health care services. To date, in Germany there has been no attempt to compile such a list by using a systematic and transparent methodology. Hence, the guideline that results from this process can fill an important gap.

Use and Associated Spending for Anesthesiologist-Administered Services in Minor Hand Surgery

BACKGROUND

Evidence is lacking to support the use of specialized anesthesia providers in minor surgical operations for patients without medical necessity. The authors sought to estimate the extent of potentially discretionary service use (anesthesiologist-administered anesthesia services among low-risk patients).

METHODS

The authors performed a retrospective claims analysis using the Truven MarketScan Database to estimate the prevalence and cost of anesthesiologist-administered anesthesia services provided to patients undergoing minor hand surgery (i.e., carpal tunnel release, trigger finger release, or de Quervain release) from 2010 to 2015. A predictive probability model was created to estimate patient risk status. The authors examined the relationship between patient risk status and anesthesia use using multivariable regression models.

RESULTS

Of 441,579 eligible procedures, 352,779 (80 percent) involved anesthesiologist-administered anesthesia services. The total proportion of estimated anesthesiologist-administered anesthesia use in low-risk patients who did not need anesthesiologist support declined over the study period (from 69.7 percent in 2010 to 65.8 percent in 2015). Although total payments for these services remained steady between 2010 and 2014, the average payment per procedure increased regardless of procedure type (from $376.8 in 2010 to $427.9 in 2015 for a carpal tunnel release operation). Approximately 83.7 percent of payments ($133 million) to anesthesia providers is credited to services in low-risk patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Anesthesiologist-administered anesthesia services are commonly rendered to low-risk surgical patients. Existing health care reform efforts do not adequately address discretionary services that can be a targeted area for cost saving. It is important to consider the implications of potentially discretionary use of specialized anesthesia providers, particularly with the advancement of bundled payment models.

Complication-Specific In-Hospital Costs After Carotid Endarterectomy vs Carotid Artery Stenting

Purpose: To quantify and compare the incremental cost associated with in-hospital stroke, death, and myocardial infarction (MI) after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) vs carotid artery stenting (CAS). Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of 100,185 patients (mean age 70.7±9.5 years; 58.3% men) who underwent CEA (n=86,035) or CAS (n=14,150) between 2009 and 2015 and were entered into the Premier Healthcare Database. Multivariate logistic models and generalized linear models were used to analyze binary outcomes and hospitalization costs, respectively. Outcomes are presented as the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: CAS was associated with 1.6 times higher adjusted odds of stroke [aOR 1.55 (95% CI 1.36 to 1.77), p<0.001] and with 2.6 times higher odds of death [aOR 2.60 (95% CI 2.14 to 3.17), p<0.001] compared with CEA. There was no significant difference in MI risk between the 2 procedures. The adjusted incremental cost of death and MI were similar between the 2 procedures. However, the adjusted incremental cost of stroke was significantly higher in CEA compared with CAS by an estimated $2000. When stratified with respect to symptomatic status, the increased adjusted incremental cost of stroke in CEA was mainly seen in asymptomatic patients ($5284 vs $2932, p<0.01). Conclusion: The incremental cost of in-hospital stroke is relatively higher in CEA compared to CAS. However, CEA remains a more cost-effective carotid intervention due to lower complication rates and baseline costs compared with CAS. Long-term cost-effectiveness studies are needed before definite conclusions are made.

Association of diabetes diagnosis with dietary changes and weight reduction

BACKGROUND

Lifestyle modifications are associated with better outcomes for patients with diabetes. Patients' awareness of having diabetes may promote lifestyle changes, but there is limited evidence to support this assertion. This study examined whether a report of physician-diagnosed diabetes is associated with dietary changes and efforts to lose weight.

METHODS

Cross-sectional comparison of individuals with and without diabetes or prediabetes diagnosis, matched on glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, socio-demographic characteristics, and health status using propensity-score matching analysis. Non-pregnant US adult participants (aged 20 and older with an HbA1c level between 5.7% and 7.5%) in the 1999-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included (N = 10,781).

RESULTS

Compared with matched controls who did not report having diabetes or prediabetes (N = 1,769), persons with a diagnosis of diabetes or prediabetes (N = 1,769) reported less sugar consumption (14.9 grams [95% CI: 8.9 to 21.0]); less carbohydrate consumption (11.6 grams [95% CI: 1.7 to 21.5]); higher rates of trying to lose weight (12.3 percentage points [95% CI: 5.3 to 19.2]); and a greater one-year weight reduction (4.8 ounces [95% CI: 3.3 to 6.4]).

CONCLUSIONS

Awareness of a diagnosis of diabetes or prediabetes from a health profession is associated with the uptake of recommended life-style modifications.

Do NHS GP surgeries employing GPs additionally trained in integrative or complementary medicine have lower antibiotic prescribing rates? Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of national primary care prescribing data in England in 2016

OBJECTIVE

To determine differences in antibiotic prescription rates between conventional General Practice (GP) surgeries and GP surgeries employing general practitioners (GPs) additionally trained in integrative medicine (IM) or complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) (referred to as IM GPs) working within National Health Service (NHS) England.

DESIGN

Retrospective study on antibiotic prescription rates per STAR-PU (Specific Therapeutic group Age-sex weighting Related Prescribing Unit) using NHS Digital data over 2016. Publicly available data were used on prevalence of relevant comorbidities, demographics of patient populations and deprivation scores.

SETTING

Primary Care.

PARTICIPANTS

7283 NHS GP surgeries in England.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE

The association between IM GPs and antibiotic prescribing rates per STAR-PU with the number of antibiotic prescriptions (total, and for respiratory tract infection (RTI) and urinary tract infection (UTI) separately) as outcome.

RESULTS

IM GP surgeries (n=9) were comparable to conventional GP surgeries in terms of list sizes, demographics, deprivation scores and comorbidity prevalence. Negative binomial regression models showed that statistically significant fewer total antibiotics (relative risk (RR) 0.78, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.97) and RTI antibiotics (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.94) were prescribed at NHS IM GP surgeries compared with conventional NHS GP surgeries. In contrast, the number of antibiotics prescribed for UTI were similar between both practices.

CONCLUSION

NHS England GP surgeries employing GPs additionally trained in IM/CAM have lower antibiotic prescribing rates. Accessibility of IM/CAM within NHS England primary care is limited. Main study limitation is the lack of consultation data. Future research should include the differences in consultation behaviour of patients self-selecting to consult an IM GP or conventional surgery, and its effect on antibiotic prescription. Additional treatment strategies for common primary care infections used by IM GPs should be explored to see if they could be used to assist in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

The challenge of sustainability in healthcare systems: frequency and cost of diagnostic procedures in end-of-life cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Literature data on the overuse and misuse of diagnostic procedures leading to end-of-life aggressiveness are scarce due to the limited amount of estimated economic waste. This study investigated the potential overuse of diagnostic procedures in a population of end-of-life patients.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study on consecutive advanced patients admitted into two Italian hospices. Frequency and relative costs of X-ray imaging, CT scans, MRI, and interventional procedures prescribed in the 3 months before admission were collected in patient electronic charts and/or in administrative databases. We conducted a deeper analysis of 83 cancer patients with a diagnosis of at least 1 year before admission to compare the number of examinations performed at two distant time periods.

RESULTS

Out of 541 patients, 463 (85.6%) had at least one radiological exam in the 3 months before last admission. The mean radiological exam number was 3.9 ± 3.2 with a relative mean cost of 278.60 ± 270.20 € per patient with a statistically significant (p < 0.001) rise near death. In the 86-patient group, a higher number of procedures was performed in the last 3 months of life than in the first quarter of the year preceding last admission (38.43 ± 28.62 vs. 27.95 ± 23.21, p < 0.001) with a consequent increase in cost.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients nearing death are subjected to a high level of "diagnostic aggressiveness." Further studies on the integration of palliative care into the healthcare pathway could impact the appropriateness of interventions, quality of care, and, ultimately, estimated costs.

Pattern of Imaging after Lung Cancer Resection. 1992-2005

RATIONALE

Imaging intensity after lung cancer resection performed with curative intent is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the pattern and trends in the use of computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans in patients after resection of early-stage lung cancer.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database. Subjects included 8,621 Medicare beneficiaries (age, ≥66 yr) who underwent lung cancer resection with curative intent between 1992 and 2005. A surveillance CT or PET examination was defined as CT or PET imaging performed in an outpatient setting on patients who did not undergo chest radiography in the preceding 30 days.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Overall, imaging use was higher within the first 2 years versus Years 3-5 after surgical resection. Use of surveillance CT scans increased sharply from 13.7 to 57.3% of those diagnosed in 1996-1997 and 2004-2005, respectively. PET scan use increased threefold, from 6.2% in 2000-2001 to 19.6% in 2004-2005. In multivariable analyses, we observed a 32% increase in the odds of undergoing surveillance CT or PET imaging for every year of diagnosis between 1998 and 2005. There was no substantial decline in the odds of having a surveillance CT or PET scan during each successive follow-up period, suggesting no change in the intensity of surveillance over the first 5 years after surgical resection. The proportion of surveillance CT imaging performed at freestanding imaging centers increased from 18.0% in 1998-1999 to 30.6% in 2004-2005.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of CT and PET imaging for surveillance after curative-intent surgical resection of early-stage lung cancer increased sharply in the United States between 1997-1998 and 2005. In the absence of evidence demonstrating favorable outcomes, this practice was likely driven by prevailing expert opinion embedded in clinical practice guidelines made available during that time. Research is clearly needed to determine the role and optimal approach to surveillance thoracic imaging after surgical resection of lung cancer.

Using incentives to recruit physicians into behavioral trials: lessons learned from four studies

Objective

To describe lessons learned from the use of different strategies for recruiting physicians responsible for trauma triage, we summarize recruitment data from four behavioral trials run in the United States between 2010 and 2016.

Results

We ran a series of behavioral trials with the primary objective of understanding the influence of heuristics on physician decision making in trauma triage. Three studies were observational; one tested an intervention. The trials used different methods of recruitment (in-person vs. email), timing of the honorarium (pre-paid vs. conditional on completion), type of honorarium [a $100 gift card (monetary reward) vs. an iPad mini 2 (material incentive)], and study tasks (a vignette-based questionnaire, virtual simulation, and intervention plus virtual simulation). We recruited 989 physicians, asking each to complete a questionnaire or virtual simulation online. Recruitment and response rates were 80% in the study where we approached physicians in person, used a pre-paid material incentive, and required that they complete both an intervention plus a virtual simulation. They were 56% when we recruited physicians via email, used a monetary incentive conditional on completion of the task, and required that they complete a vignette-based questionnaire.

Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov; NCT02857348

The Economics of Colon Cancer

The economic burden of cancer on the national health expenditure is billions of dollars. The economic cost is measured on direct and indirect medical costs, which vary depending on stage at diagnosis, patient age, type of medical services, and site of service. Costs vary by region, physician behavior, and patient preferences. When analyzing the economic burden of survivors of colon cancer, we cannot forget the societal burden. Post-acute care and readmissions are major economic burdens. People with colon cancer have to be followed for their lifetime. Economic models are being studied to give cost-effective solutions to this problem.

Efficacy of educational video game versus traditional educational apps at improving physician decision making in trauma triage: randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether a behavioral intervention delivered through a video game can improve the appropriateness of trauma triage decisions in the emergency department of non-trauma centers.

DESIGN

Randomized clinical trial.

SETTING

Online intervention in national sample of emergency medicine physicians who make triage decisions at US hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS

368 emergency medicine physicians primarily working at non-trauma centers. A random sample (n=200) of those with primary outcome data was reassessed at six months.

INTERVENTIONS

Physicians were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to one hour of exposure to an adventure video game (Night Shift) or apps based on traditional didactic education (myATLS and Trauma Life Support MCQ Review), both on iPads. Night Shift was developed to recalibrate the process of using pattern recognition to recognize moderate-severe injuries (representativeness heuristics) through the use of stories to promote behavior change (narrative engagement). Physicians were randomized with a 2×2 factorial design to intervention (game v traditional education apps) and then to the experimental condition under which they completed the outcome assessment tool (low v high cognitive load). Blinding could not be maintained after allocation but group assignment was masked during the analysis phase.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Outcomes of a virtual simulation that included 10 cases; in four of these the patients had severe injuries. Participants completed the simulation within four weeks of their intervention. Decisions to admit, discharge, or transfer were measured. The proportion of patients under-triaged (patients with severe injuries not transferred to a trauma center) was calculated then (primary outcome) and again six months later, with a different set of cases (primary outcome of follow-up study). The secondary outcome was effect of cognitive load on under-triage.

RESULTS

149 (81%) physicians in the game arm and 148 (80%) in the traditional education arm completed the trial. Of these, 64/100 (64%) and 58/100 (58%), respectively, completed reassessment at six months. The mean age was 40 (SD 8.9), 283 (96%) were trained in emergency medicine, and 207 (70%) were ATLS (advanced trauma life support) certified. Physicians exposed to the game under-triaged fewer severely injured patients than those exposed to didactic education (316/596 (0.53) v 377/592 (0.64), estimated difference 0.11, 95% confidence interval 0.05 to 0.16; P<0.001). Cognitive load did not influence under-triage (161/308 (0.53) v 155/288 (0.54) in the game arm; 197/300 (0.66) v 180/292 (0.62) in the traditional educational apps arm; P=0.66). At six months, physicians exposed to the game remained less likely to under-triage patients (146/256 (0.57) v 172/232 (0.74), estimated difference 0.17, 0.09 to 0.25; P<0.001). No physician reported side effects. The sample might not reflect all emergency medicine physicians, and a small set of cases was used to assess performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with apps based on traditional didactic education, exposure of physicians to a theoretically grounded video game improved triage decision making in a validated virtual simulation. Though the observed effect was large, the wide confidence intervals include the possibility of a small benefit, and the real world efficacy of this intervention remains uncertain.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov; NCT02857348 (initial study)/NCT03138304 (follow-up).

Health Insurance Costs and Employee Compensation: Evidence from the National Compensation Survey

This paper examines the relationship between rising health insurance costs and employee compensation. I estimate the extent to which total compensation decreases with a rise in health insurance costs and decompose these changes in compensation into adjustments in wages, non-health fringe benefits, and employee contributions to health insurance premiums. I examine this relationship using the National Compensation Survey, a panel dataset on compensation and health insurance for a sample of establishments across the USA. I find that total hourly compensation reduces by $0.52 for each dollar increase in health insurance costs. This reduction in total compensation is primarily in the form of higher employee premium contributions, and there is no evidence of a change in wages and non-health fringe benefits. These findings show that workers are absorbing at least part of the increase in health insurance costs through lower compensation and highlight the importance of examining total compensation, and not just wages, when examining the relationship between health insurance costs and employee compensation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Nationwide Analysis of Cost Variation for Autologous Free Flap Breast Reconstruction

Importance

Cost variation among hospitals has been demonstrated for surgical procedures. Uncovering these differences has helped guide measures taken to reduce health care spending. To date, the fiscal consequence of hospital variation for autologous free flap breast reconstruction is unknown.

Objective

To investigate factors that influence cost variation for autologous free flap breast reconstruction.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A secondary cross-sectional analysis was performed using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample database from 2008 to 2010. The dates of analysis were September 2016 to February 2017. The setting was a stratified sample of all US community hospitals. Participants were female patients who were diagnosed as having breast cancer or were at high risk for breast cancer and underwent autologous free flap breast reconstruction.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Variables of interest included demographic data, hospital characteristics, length of stay, complications (surgical and systemic), and inpatient cost. The study used univariate and generalized linear mixed models to examine associations between patient and hospital characteristics and cost.

Results

A total of 3302 patients were included in the study, with a median age of 50 years (interquartile range, 44-57 years). The mean cost for autologous free flap breast reconstruction was $22 677 (interquartile range, $14 907-$33 391). Flap reconstructions performed at high-volume hospitals were significantly more costly than those performed at low-volume hospitals ($24 360 vs $18 918, P < .001). Logistic regression demonstrated that hospital volume correlated with increased cost (Exp[β], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11; P = .003). Fewer surgical complications (16.4% [169 of 1029] vs 23.7% [278 of 1174], P < .001) and systemic complications (24.2% [249 of 1029] vs 31.2% [366 of 1174], P < .001) were experienced in high-volume hospitals compared with low-volume hospitals. Flap procedures performed in the West were the most expensive ($28 289), with a greater odds of increased expenditure (Exp[β], 1.53; 95% CI, 1.46-1.61; P < .001) compared with the Northeast. A significant difference in length of stay was found between the West and Northeast (odds ratio, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.17-1.33).

Conclusions and Relevance

There is significant cost variation among patients undergoing autologous free flap breast reconstruction. Experience, as measured by a hospital's volume, provides quality health care with fewer complications but is more costly. Longer length of stay contributed to regional cost variation and may be a target for decreasing expenditure, without compromising care. In the era of bundled health care payment, strategies should be implemented to eliminate cost variation to condense spending while still providing quality care.

Utilization of long-term care after decompressive hemicraniectomy for severe stroke among older patients

BACKGROUND

While clinical trial data support decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) as improving survival among patients with severe ischemic stroke, quality of life outcomes among older persons remain controversial.

AIMS

To aid decision-making and understand practice variation, we measured long-term outcomes and patterns of regional variation for a nationwide cohort of ischemic stroke patients after DHC.

METHODS

Medicare fee-for-service ischemic stroke cases over age 65 during the year 2008 were used to create a cohort followed for 2 years (2009-2010) after stroke and DHC procedure. Rates of mortality, acute hospital readmission, and long-term care (LTC) utilization were calculated. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify individual predictors of institutional LTC. Regional variation in DHC was calculated through aggregation and merging with the state-level data.

RESULTS

Among 397,503 acute ischemic stroke patients, 130 (0.03 %) underwent DHC. Mean age was 72 years, and 75 % were between the ages of 65 and 74. Mortality was highest (38 %) within the first 30 days. At 2 years, 59 % of the original cohort had died. The 30-day rate of acute hospital readmission was 25 %. Among survivors, 75 % returned home 1 year after index stroke admission. States with higher per capita health expenditures were associated with wider variation in utilization of DHC.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a high rate of mortality among older stroke patients undergoing DHC. Although most survivors of DHC are not permanently institutionalized, there is wide variation in utilization of DHC across the USA.

Evidence base and practice variation in acute care processes for knee and hip arthroplasty surgeries

BACKGROUND

Lack of evidence contributes to unnecessary variation in treatment costs and outcomes. This study aimed to identify from interventions historically used for total knee or hip arthroplasty (TKA, THA): i) if routine use is supported by high-level evidence; ii) whether surgeon use aligns with the evidence.

METHODS

Part 1: Systematic search of electronic library databases for systematic reviews and practice guidelines concerning seven acute-care interventions. Intervention-specific recommendations concerning routine use were extracted by assessors. Part 2: Prospective medical record audit of the acute-care received by 1900 patients involving 120 orthopaedic surgeons. Surgeon use per intervention was summarized using caterpillar plots. Surgeon-specific routine and non-routine use was defined as use in ≥ 90% and ≤ 10% of patients, respectively. Primary analysis included only surgeons contributing ≥ 10 patients.

RESULTS

Continuous passive motion (TKA): Routine use not recommended; 85.7% of surgeons did not use it routinely. Tranexamic Acid: Routine use recommended; 26.9% of surgeons used it routinely. Cryotherapy: Routine use not recommended; 45.7% of surgeons used it routinely for TKA; 31.8% used it routinely for THA. Intra-articular drainage: Routine use not recommended for TKA, but possible benefits for THA; 5.7% of surgeons used it routinely for TKA, 0.0% used it routinely for THA. Antibiotic loaded bone cement: Routine use for TKA not supported, recommendations for use for THA are inconsistent; 90.0% of surgeons used it routinely for TKA, 100.0% used it routinely for THA. Patella resurfacing (TKA): No recommendation could be made; 57.1% of surgeons routinely resurfaced the patella. Indwelling urinary catheterisation: Routine use recommended; 59.6% of surgeons used it routinely.

CONCLUSION

Recommendations for routine use or not exist for some of the acute-care interventions examined. Surgeon practices vary widely even in the presence of high-level recommendations. It is unclear whether further evidence alone would lessen unwarranted practice variation.

Variation in the Use of Vestibular Diagnostic Testing for Patients Presenting to Otolaryngology Clinics with Dizziness

OBJECTIVE

We used a national otolaryngology practice-based research network database to characterize the utilization of vestibular function testing in patients diagnosed with dizziness and/or a vestibular disorder.

STUDY DESIGN

Database review.

SETTING

The Creating Healthcare Excellence through Education and Research (CHEER) practice-based research network of academic and community providers

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Dizzy patients in the CHEER retrospective database were identified through ICD-9 codes; vestibular testing procedures were identified with CPT codes. Demographics and procedures per patient were tabulated. Analysis included number and type of vestibular tests ordered, stratified by individual clinic and by practice type (community vs academic). Chi-square tests were performed to assess if the percentage of patients receiving testing was statistically significant across clinics. A logistic regression model was used to examine the association between receipt of testing and being tested on initial visit.

RESULTS

A total of 12,468 patients diagnosed with dizziness and/or a vestibular disorder were identified from 7 community and 5 academic CHEER network clinics across the country. One-fifth of these patients had at least 1 vestibular function test. The percentage of patients tested varied widely by site, from 3% to 72%; academic clinics were twice as likely to test. Initial visit vestibular testing also varied, from 0% to 96% of dizzy patients, and was 15 times more likely in academic clinics.

CONCLUSION

There is significant variation in use and timing of vestibular diagnostic testing across otolaryngology clinics. The CHEER network research database does not contain outcome data. These results illustrate the critical need for research that examines outcomes as related to vestibular testing.

Evidence for overuse of medical services around the world

Overuse, which is defined as the provision of medical services that are more likely to cause harm than good, is a pervasive problem. Direct measurement of overuse through documentation of delivery of inappropriate services is challenging given the difficulty of defining appropriate care for patients with individual preferences and needs; overuse can also be measured indirectly through examination of unwarranted geographical variations in prevalence of procedures and care intensity. Despite the challenges, the high prevalence of overuse is well documented in high-income countries across a wide range of services and is increasingly recognised in low-income countries. Overuse of unneeded services can harm patients physically and psychologically, and can harm health systems by wasting resources and deflecting investments in both public health and social spending, which is known to contribute to health. Although harms from overuse have not been well quantified and trends have not been well described, overuse is likely to be increasing worldwide.

Intensity of treatment, end-of-life care, and mortality for older patients with severe traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND

The Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) recommends that clinicians consider limiting further aggressive treatment in geriatric patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) who do not improve in 72 hours (nonresponders) owing to their poor prognosis. However, little is known about how these guidelines are followed in practice. This study compared mortality and patient care among geriatric patients with severe TBI classified as "responders" and "nonresponders" 72 hours after injury.

METHODS

Retrospective review of patients 65 years or older at a Level I trauma center with severe TBI (GCS < 8) from 2011 to 2014. We compared in-hospital mortality, end-of-life (EOL) decision making, discharge functional status, and 12-month survival in responders (GCS > 8 at 72 hours) and nonresponders (GCS ≤ 8 at 72 hours).

RESULTS

Of 90 patients, 29 (32%) died within 3 days of injury, 29 (32%) were nonresponders, and 32 (34%) were responders. An additional 19 patients (21%) died before hospital discharge, of whom 17 (89%) were nonresponders. Nonresponders had higher odds of in-hospital death (odds ratio, 31.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.71-272.9; p = 0.002). Family meetings to discuss goals of care were more common in the nonresponder group (p < 0.001) and fewer nonresponders were full code at discharge or death (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in functional status at discharge. Among patients discharged alive, there were no differences in 12-month survival.

CONCLUSION

The responder/nonresponder dichotomy identifies patients with higher in-hospital mortality outcomes and is associated with differences in EOL decision making. However, functional impairment and poor survival were prevalent, irrespective of neurologic status at 72 hours.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic/epidemiologic study, level III; therapeutic study, level IV.

Discretionary decisions and disparities in receiving drug-eluting stents under a universal healthcare system: A population-based study

Objectives

One of the main objectives behind the expansion of insurance coverage is to eliminate disparities in health and healthcare. However, researchers have not yet fully elucidated the reasons for disparities in the use of high-cost treatments among patients of different occupations. Furthermore, it remains unknown whether discretionary decisions made at the hospital level have an impact on the administration of high-cost interventions in a universal healthcare system. This study investigated the adoption of drug-eluting stents (DES) versus bare metal-stents (BMS) among patients in different occupations and income levels, with the aim of gauging the degree to which the inclination of health providers toward treatment options could affect treatment choices at the patient-level within a universal healthcare system.

Design and participants

We adopted a cross-sectional observational study design using hierarchical modeling in conjunction with the population-based National Health Insurance database of Taiwan. Patients who received either a BMS or a DES between 2007 and 2010 were included in the study.

Results

During the period of study, 42,124 patients received a BMS (65.3%) and 22,376 received DES (34.7%). Patients who were physicians or the family members of physicians were far more likely to receive DES (OR: 3.18, CI: 2.38–4.23) than were patients who were neither physicians nor in other high-status jobs (employers, other medical professions, or public service). Similarly, patients in the top 5% income bracket had a higher probability of receiving a DES (OR: 2.23, CI: 2.06–2.47, p < .001), than were patients in the lowest income bracket. After controlling for patient-level factors, the inclination of hospitals (proportion of DES>50% or between 25% and 50%) was shown to be strongly associated with the selection of DESs (OR: 3.64 CI: 3.24–4.09 and OR: 2.16, CI: 2.01–2.33, respectively).

Conclusions

Even under the universal healthcare system in Taiwan, socioeconomic disparities in the use of high-cost services remain widespread. Differences in the care received by patients of lower socioeconomic status may be due to the discretionary decisions of healthcare providers.