"Somebody Like Me": Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Staff in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Objective

The vaccination of skilled nursing facility (SNF) staff is a critical component in the battle against COVID-19. Together, residents and staff constitute the single most vulnerable population in the pandemic. The health of these workers is completely entangled with the health of those they care for. Vaccination of SNF staff is key to increasing uptake of the vaccine, reducing health disparities, and reopening SNFs to visitors. Yet, as the vaccine rollout begins, some SNF staff are declining to be vaccinated. The purpose of this article is to describe reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy reported by staff of skilled nursing facilities and understand factors that could potentially reduce hesitancy.

Design

Five virtual focus groups were conducted with staff of SNFs as part of a larger project to improve vaccine uptake.

Setting and Participants

Focus groups with 58 staff members were conducted virtually using Zoom.

Measures

Focus groups sought to elicit concerns, perspectives, and experiences related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination.

Results

Our findings indicate that some SNF staff are hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Reasons for this hesitancy include beliefs that the vaccine has been developed too fast and without sufficient testing; personal fears about pre-existing medical conditions, and more general distrust of the government.

Conclusions and Implications

SNF staff indicate that seeing people like themselves receive the vaccination is more important than seeing public figures. We discuss the vaccination effort as a social enterprise and the need to develop long-term care provider-academic-community partnerships in response to COVID-19 and in expectation of future pandemics.

Predictors of potentially suboptimal treatment of urinary tract infections in long-term care facilities

BACKGROUND

Suboptimal antibiotic treatment of urinary tract infection (UTI) is high in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and likely varies between facilities. Large-scale evaluations have not been conducted.

AIM

To identify facility-level predictors of potentially suboptimal treatment of UTI in Veterans Affairs (VA) LTCFs and to quantify variation across facilities.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of 21,938 residents in 120 VA LTCFs (2013-2018) known as Community Living Centers (CLCs). Potentially suboptimal treatment was assessed from drug choice, dose frequency, and/or treatment duration. To identify facility characteristics predictive of suboptimal UTI treatment, LTCFs with higher and lower rates of suboptimal treatment (≥median, < median) were compared using unconditional logistic regression models. Joinpoint regression models were used to quantify average percentage difference across facilities. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to quantify variation across facilities.

FINDINGS

The rate of potentially suboptimal antibiotic treatment varied from 1.7 to 34.2 per 10,000 bed-days across LTCFs. The average percentage difference in rates across facilities was 2.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.4-2.7). The only facility characteristic predictive of suboptimal treatment was the incident rate of UTI per 10,000 bed-days (odds ratio: 4.9; 95% CI: 2.3-10.3). Multilevel models demonstrated that 94% of the variation between facilities was unexplained after controlling for resident and CLC characteristics. The median odds ratio for the full multilevel model was 1.37.

CONCLUSION

Potentially suboptimal UTI treatment was variable across VA LTCFs. However, most of the variation across LTCFs was unexplained. Future research should continue to investigate factors that are driving suboptimal antibiotic treatment in LTCFs.

Adjuvanted influenza vaccine and influenza outbreaks in U.S. nursing homes: Results from a pragmatic cluster-randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Influenza outbreaks in nursing homes pose a threat to frail residents and occur even in vaccinated populations. We conducted a pragmatic cluster-randomized trial comparing adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine (aTIV) versus trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV). Here, we report an exploratory analysis to compare the effect of aTIV versus TIV on facility-reported influenza outbreaks.

METHODS

Nursing homes were randomized to offer older residents either aTIV or TIV for the 2016-17 influenza season. The impact of the intent-to-treat vaccine assignment was evaluated for the total number of outbreaks reported from November-March. We collected data according to standard CDC definitions for both suspected outbreaks and those with a laboratory-confirmed case in nursing homes, and adjusted for facility-level vaccination rates and resident characteristics.

RESULTS

Of 823 randomized nursing homes, 777 (aTIV, n=387; TIV, n=390) reported information on influenza outbreaks. The treatment groups had similar characteristics at baseline except for race/ethnicity: homes assigned to TIV had a higher percentage of African-American residents (18.0% versus 13.7%). There were 133 versus 162 facility-reported suspected influenza outbreaks in aTIV versus TIV facilities respectively, of these 115 versus 140 were laboratory confirmed. The aTIV group experienced a 17% reduction in suspected (rate ratio, RR, 0.83, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.65, 1.05) and laboratory-confirmed influenza outbreaks (RR 0.83, 95%CI: 0.63, 1.06). Covariate adjustment increased the estimated reduction for suspected outbreaks to 21% (RR 0.79, 95%CI: 0.61, 0.99) and 22% for laboratory confirmed (RR 0.78, 95%CI: 0.60, 1.02).

CONCLUSIONS

In an exploratory analysis of a cluster-RCT we observed 17-21% fewer outbreaks with aTIV than TIV.ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02882100.

Temperature Screening for SARS-CoV-2 in Nursing Homes: Evidence from Two National Cohorts

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Infection screening tools classically define fever as 38.0°C (100.4°F). Frail older adults may not mount the same febrile response to systemic infection as younger or healthier individuals. We evaluate temperature trends among nursing home (NH) residents undergoing diagnostic SARS-CoV-2 testing and describe the diagnostic accuracy of temperature measurements for predicting test-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study evaluating diagnostic accuracy of pre-SARS-CoV-2 testing temperature changes.

SETTING

Two separate NH cohorts tested diagnostically (e.g., for symptoms) for SARS-CoV-2. PARTICIPANTS Veterans residing in Veterans Affairs (VA) managed NHs and residents in a private national chain of community NHs.

MEASUREMENTS

For both cohorts, we determined the sensitivity, specificity, and Youden's index with different temperature cutoffs for SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction results.

RESULTS

The VA cohort consisted of 1,301 residents in 134 facilities from March 1, 2020, to May 14, 2020, with 25% confirmed for SARS-CoV-2. The community cohort included 3,368 residents spread across 282 facilities from February 18, 2020, to June 9, 2020, and 42% were confirmed for SARS-CoV-2. The VA cohort was younger, less White, and mostly male. A temperature testing threshold of 37.2°C has better sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2, 76% and 34% in the VA and community NH, respectively, versus 38.0°C with 43% and 12% sensitivity, respectively.

CONCLUSION

A definition of 38.0°C for fever in NH screening tools should be lowered to improve predictive accuracy for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Stakeholders should carefully consider the impact of adopting lower testing thresholds on testing availability, cost, and burden on staff and residents. Temperatures alone have relatively low sensitivity/specificity, and we advocate any threshold be used as part of a screening tool, along with other signs and symptoms of infection.

Cluster-randomized trial of adjuvanted vs. non-adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine in 823 U.S. nursing homes

BACKGROUND

Influenza leads in preventable infection-related hospitalization in nursing home (NH) residents. The adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine (aTIV) is more immunogenic than similarly-dosed non-adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) and observational studies suggest aTIV better prevents hospitalizations in older adults. We prospectively tested this in a NH setting.

METHODS

NHs with ≥ 50 long-stay residents ≥ 65 years were randomized to offer aTIV or TIV for residents for the 2016-17 influenza season. Using intent-to-treat resident-level analysis with Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for clustering by facility and a priori baseline covariates (e.g., age, heart failure, and facility-level characteristics), we assessed relative aTIV:TIV effectiveness for hospitalization [i.e., all-cause, respiratory, and pneumonia and influenza, (P&I)].

RESULTS

We randomized 823 NHs, housing 50,012 eligible residents, to aTIV or TIV. Residents were similar between groups by age (mean, ~79), heart failure, lung disease, and influenza and pneumococcal vaccine uptake, except aTIV homes housed fewer Black residents (14.5 vs. 18.9%). Staff vaccine uptake was similar (~55%). P&I and all-cause resident hospitalization rates were lower (adjusted HR 0.80, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.98, p=0.03; aHR 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89, 0.99, p=0.02, respectively) for aTIV vs TIV, while the respiratory hospitalization rate was similar, in a season where vaccine effectiveness was considered poor.

CONCLUSIONS

aTIV was more effective than TIV in preventing all-cause and P&I hospitalization from NHs during an A/H3N2 predominant season when TIV was relatively ineffective.Funded by Seqirus. ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02882100.

Temperature in Nursing Home Residents Systematically Tested for SARS-CoV-2

Objectives

Many nursing home residents infected with SARS-CoV-2 fail to be identified with standard screening for the associated COVID-19 syndrome. Current nursing home COVID-19 screening guidance includes assessment for fever, defined as a temperature of at least 38.0°C. The objective of this study was to describe the temperature changes before and after universal testing for SARS-CoV-2 in nursing home residents.

Design

Cohort study.

Setting and Participants

The Veterans Administration (VA) operates 134 Community Living Centers (CLC), similar to nursing homes, that house residents who cannot live independently. VA guidance to CLCs directed daily clinical screening for COVID-19 that included temperature assessment.

Measures

All CLC residents (n = 7325) underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing. We report the temperature in the window of 14 days before and after universal SARS-CoV-2 testing among CLC residents. Baseline temperature was calculated for 5 days before the study window.

Results

SARS-CoV-2 was identified in 443 (6.0%) residents. The average maximum temperature in SARS-CoV-2–positive residents was 37.66 (0.69) compared with 37.11 (0.36) (P = .001) in SARS-CoV-2–negative residents. Temperatures in those with SARS-CoV-2 began rising 7 days before testing and remained elevated during the 14-day follow-up. Among SARS-CoV-2–positive residents, only 26.6% (n = 118) met the fever threshold of 38.0°C during the survey period. Most residents (62.5%, n = 277) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 did experience 2 or more 0.5°C elevations above their baseline values. One cohort of SARS-CoV-2 residents' (20.3%, n = 90) temperatures never deviated >0.5°C from baseline.

Conclusions and Implications

A single screening for temperature is unlikely to detect nursing home residents with SARS-CoV-2. Repeated temperature measurement with a patient-derived baseline can increase sensitivity. The current fever threshold as a screening criteria for SARS-CoV-2 infection should be reconsidered.

Variation in Hospital-Based Rehabilitation Services Among Patients With Ischemic Stroke in the United States

BACKGROUND

Little is known about variation in use of rehabilitation services provided in acute care hospitals for people who have had a stroke.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to examine patient and hospital sources of variation in acute care rehabilitation services provided for stroke.

DESIGN

This was a retrospective, cohort design.

METHODS

The sample consisted of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with ischemic stroke admitted to acute care hospitals in 2010. Medicare claims data were linked to the Provider of Services file to gather information on hospital characteristics and the American Community Survey for sociodemographic data. Chi-square tests compared patient and hospital characteristics stratified by any rehabilitation use. We used multilevel, multivariable random effect models to identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with the likelihood of receiving any rehabilitation and with the amount of therapy received in minutes.

RESULTS

Among 104,295 patients, 85.2% received rehabilitation (61.5% both physical therapy and occupational therapy; 22.0% physical therapy only; and 1.7% occupational therapy only). Patients received 123 therapy minutes on average (median [SD] = 90.0 [99.2] minutes) during an average length of stay of 4.8 [3.5] days. In multivariable analyses, male sex, dual enrollment in Medicare and Medicaid, prior hospitalization, ICU stay, and feeding tube were associated with lower odds of receiving any rehabilitation services. These same variables were generally associated with fewer minutes of therapy. Patients treated by tissue plasminogen activator, in limited-teaching and nonteaching hospitals, and in hospitals with inpatient rehabilitation units, were more likely to receive more therapy minutes.

LIMITATION

The findings are limited to patients with ischemic stroke.

CONCLUSION

Only 61% of patients with ischemic stroke received both physical therapy and occupational therapy services in the acute setting. We identified considerable variation in the use of rehabilitation services in the acute care setting following a stroke.

Association of Physician Specialty with Hospice Referral for Hospitalized Nursing Home Patients with Advanced Dementia

OBJECTIVES

Hospitalists hospice referral patterns have been unstudied. This study aims to examine hospice referral rates by attending type for hospitalized nursing home (NH) residents with advanced cognitive impairment (ACI) at the time of discharge between 2000 and 2010.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

Hospitalized NH residents age ≥66 drawn from the 20% sample of Medicare beneficiaries with ACI, 4 or more activities of daily living (ADL) impairments on last minimum data set (MDS) assessment completed within 120 days of admission (n = 128,989).

MEASUREMENTS

Hospice referral was defined as referral to hospice within 1 day after hospital discharge. Attending physician type was determined by Part B physician billing for 100% of the billings during that admission. Continuity of care was defined as the hospital physician also billing for an outpatient visit within 120 days of that hospital admission. Number of ADL impairments, cognitive measures, pre-admission illnesses and illness severity were derived from the MDS.

RESULTS

Of the 105,329 hospitalized patients with ACI that survived to discharge (72.3% white, 30.6% male), the hospice referral rate at the time of hospital discharge increased from 2.8% in 2000 to 11.2% in 2010. Using a multivariate, hospital fixed effects model examining changes in the distribution of inpatient attending physicians, hospitalists compared to generalist physicians were more likely to refer these patients to hospice at discharge (AOR 1.17, 95% CI 1.09-1.26). Continuity of physician care from the outpatient setting to the hospital was associated with lower hospice referral (AOR 0.78, 95% CI 0.73-0.85).

CONCLUSION

Hospice referrals for NH-dwelling persons with ACI admitted to the hospital increased between 2000 and 2011 and disproportionately so when the attending physician was a hospitalist.

Intensive care utilization among nursing home residents with advanced cognitive and severe functional impairment

BACKGROUND

Dementia is a progressive terminal illness which requires decisions around aggressiveness of care.

OBJECTIVE

The study objective was to examine the rate of intensive care unit (ICU) utilization and its regional variation among persons with both advanced cognitive and severe functional impairment.

METHODS

We utilized the Minimum Data Set (MDS) to identify a cohort of decedents between 2000 and 2007 who (1) were in a nursing home (NH) 120 days prior to death and (2) had an MDS assessment indicating advanced cognitive and functional impairment as identified by cognitive performance scale (CPS) ≥5 and total dependence or extensive assistance in seven activities of daily living (ADLs). ICU utilization in the last 30 days of life was determined from Medicare claims files. A multivariate logistic regression model examined the likelihood of ICU admission in 2007 versus 2000 adjusting for sociodemographics, orders to limit life sustaining treatment, and health status.

RESULTS

Among 474,829 Medicare NH residents with advanced cognitive impairment followed during 2000-2007, we observed an increase in ICU utilization from 6.1% in 2000 to 9.5% in 2007. After adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, orders to limit life sustaining treatment, and measures of health status, the likelihood of a resident being admitted to an ICU was higher in 2007 compared to 2000 (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.71, 95% CI 1.60-1.81). Additionally, substantial regional variation was noted in ICU utilization, from 0.82% in Montana to 22% in the District of Columbia.

CONCLUSIONS

Even among patients with advanced cognitive and functional impairment, ICU utilization in the last 30 days increased and varied by geographic region.

What is below the support layer affects carbon nanotube growth: an iron catalyst reservoir yields taller nanotube carpets

Here we demonstrate an approach to enhance the growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by including a catalyst reservoir underneath the thin-film alumina catalyst underlayer. This reservoir led to enhanced CNT growth due to the migration of catalytic material from below the underlayer up to the surface through alumina pinholes during processing. This led to the formation of large Fe particles, which in turn influenced the morphology evolution of the catalytic iron surface layer through Ostwald ripening. With inclusion of this catalyst reservoir, we observed CNT growth up to 100% taller than that observed without the catalyst reservoir consistently across a wide range of annealing and growth durations. Imaging studies of catalyst layers both for different annealing times and for different alumina support layer thicknesses demonstrate that the surface exposure of metal from the reservoir leads to an active population of smaller catalyst particles upon annealing as opposed to a bimodal catalyst size distribution that appears without inclusion of a reservoir. Overall, the mechanism for growth enhancement we present here demonstrates a new route to engineering efficient catalyst structures to overcome the limitations of CNT growth processes.

Skilled nursing facility admissions of nursing home residents with advanced dementia

OBJECTIVES

To describe the extent to which hospitalized nursing home (NH) residents with advanced dementia were admitted to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) after a qualifying hospitalization and to identify resident and nursing home characteristics associated with a greater likelihood of SNF admissions.

DESIGN

Cohort study using data from the Minimum Data Set, Medicare claims, and the On-line Survey Certification of Automated Records.

SETTING

United States, 2000-2006.

PARTICIPANTS

Nursing home residents with advanced dementia aged 65 and older with a 3-day hospitalization (N = 4,177).

MEASUREMENTS

The likelihood of SNF admission after hospitalization was calculated. Resident and nursing home factors associated with SNF admission were identified using hierarchical multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Sixty-one percent of residents with advanced dementia were admitted to a SNF after their hospitalization. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement during hospitalization was strongly associated with SNF admission (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.31, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.85-2.88), as was better functional status (AOR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.05-1.38). The presence of diabetes mellitus was associated with lower likelihood of SNF admission (AOR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.73-0.99). Facility features significantly associated with SNF admission included more than 100 beds (AOR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.07-1.46), being part of a chain (AOR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.14-1.50), urban location (AOR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.03-1.41), and for-profit status (AOR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.09-1.51).

CONCLUSION

The majority of nursing home residents with advanced dementia are admitted to SNFs after a qualifying hospitalization. SNF admission is strongly associated with PEG tube insertion during hospitalization and with nursing home factors. Efforts to optimize appropriate use of SNF services in individuals with advanced dementia should focus on these factors.

Decision making and outcomes of a hospice patient hospitalized with a hip fracture

CONTEXT

Hospice patients are at risk for falls and hip fracture with little clinical information to guide clinical decision making.

OBJECTIVES

To examine whether surgery is done and survival of hip fracture surgery among persons receiving hospice services.

METHODS

This was an observational cohort study from 1999 to 2007 of Medicare hospice beneficiaries aged 75 years and older with incident hip fracture. We studied outcomes among hospice beneficiaries who did and did not have surgical fracture repair. Main outcomes included the trends in the proportion of those undergoing surgery, the site of death, and six-month survival.

RESULTS

Between 1999 and 2007, approximately 1% (n=14,400) of patients aged 75 years and older admitted with a diagnosis of their first hip fracture were receiving hospice services in the 30 days before that admission and 83.4% underwent surgery. Among patients on hospice at the time of the hip fracture, 8.8% died during the initial hospitalization and an additional two-thirds died within the first six months on hospice. The median survival from hospital admission was 25.9 days for those forgoing surgery compared with 117 days for those who had surgery, adjusted for age, race, and other covariates (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Despite being on hospice services, the majority underwent surgery with improved survival. Sixty-six percent of all individuals on hospice at the time of the fracture died in the first six months, with the majority returning to hospice services.

Falls in newly admitted nursing home residents: a national study

OBJECTIVES

To examine the relationship between nursing home (NH) organizational characteristics and falls in newly admitted NH residents.

DESIGN

Observational cross-sectional study from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2006.

SETTING

NHs in the United States in 2006.

PARTICIPANTS

Individuals (n = 230,730) admitted to a NH in 2006 without a prior NH stay and with a follow-up Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment completed 30 days or more after admission.

MEASUREMENTS

The relationship between experiencing a fall noted on the MDS assessment and NH characteristics (e.g., staffing, profit and chain status, religious affiliation, hospital-based facility status, number of beds, presence of a special care unit, funding) was examined, adjusting for NH resident characteristics.

RESULTS

Twenty-one percent of this cohort (n = 47,750) had experienced at least one fall in the NH at the time of the MDS assessment, which was completed for newly admitted NH residents who had at least a 30-day stay. NHs with higher certified nursing assistant (CNA) staffing had lower rates of falls (adjusted odds ratio = 0.97, 95% confidence interval = 0.95-0.99).

CONCLUSION

For newly admitted NH residents, NHs with higher CNA staffing had a lower fall rate. In an effort to maximize fall prevention efforts, further research is needed to understand the relationship between CNA staffing and falls in this NH population.

The residential history file: studying nursing home residents' long-term care histories(*)

OBJECTIVE

To construct a data tool, the Residential History File (RHF), that summarizes information from Medicare claims and nursing home (NH) Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments to track people through health care locations, including non-Medicare-paid NH stays.

DATA SOURCES

Online Survey of Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) data for 202 free-standing NHs, Medicare Denominator, claims (parts A and B), and MDS assessments for 60,984 people who were present in one of these NHs in 2006.

METHODS

The algorithm creating the RHF is outlined and the RHF for the study data are used to describe place of death. The identification of residents in NHs is compared with the reports in OSCAR and part B claims.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

The RHF correctly identified 84.8 percent of part B claims with place-of-service in NH, and it identified 18.3 less residents on average than reported in the OSCAR on the day of the survey. The RHF indicated that 17.5 percent non-Medicare NH decedents were transferred to the hospital to die versus 45.6 percent skilled nursing facility decedents.

CONCLUSIONS

The population-based design of the RHF makes it possible to conduct policy-relevant research to examine the variation in the rate and type of health care transitions across the United States.

Predictors of physical therapy clinic performance in the treatment of patients with low back pain syndromes

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Little is known about organizational and service delivery factors related to quality of care in physical therapy. This study sought to identify characteristics related to differences in practice outcomes and service utilization.

SUBJECTS

The sample comprised 114 outpatient clinics and 1,058 therapists who treated 16,281 patients with low back pain syndromes during the period 2000-2001. Clinics participated with the Focus on Therapeutic Outcomes, Inc (FOTO) database.

METHODS

Hierarchical linear models were used to risk adjust treatment outcomes and number of visits per treatment episode. Aggregated residual scores from these models were used to classify each clinic into 1 of 3 categories in each of 3 types of performance groups: (1) effectiveness, (2) utilization, and (3) overall performance (ie, composite measure of effectiveness and utilization). Relationships between clinic classification and the following independent variables were examined by multinomial logistic regression: years of therapist experience, number of physical therapists, ratio of physical therapists to physical therapist assistants, proportion of patients with low back pain syndromes, number of new patients per physical therapist per month, utilization of physical therapist assistants, and setting.

RESULTS

Clinics that were lower utilizers of physical therapist assistants were 6.6 times more likely to be classified into the high effectiveness group compared with the low effectiveness group, 6.7 times more likely to be classified in the low utilization group compared with the high utilization group, and 12.4 times more likely to be classified in the best performance group compared with the worst performance group. Serving a higher proportion of patients with low back pain syndromes was associated with an increased likelihood of being classified in the lowest or middle group. Years of physical therapist experience was inversely associated with being classified in the middle utilization group compared with the highest utilization group.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that, in the treatment of patients with low back pain syndromes, clinics that are low utilizers of physical therapist assistants are more likely to provide superior care (ie, better patient outcomes and lower service use).

Malignant disease and the elderly

Most cancers are diseases of the ageing. Approximately 50% of all cancers occur among those over 65 and nearly 60% of all cancer deaths occur among the elderly. The cumulative risk of acquiring cancer among those aged 65-85 is 17% in females and 23% in males. Cancer incidence increases steadily as a function of age, reaching 23 per 1000 population among those aged 85 and older. Recent estimates of age-specific cancer prevalence rates for women over 70 were 106 per 1000 population and were 118 per 1000 population among men over 70. The rapidly shifting age distribution in most industrialized nations, including the growth of the 'old-old', means that the actual number of older people with cancer will increase at least in proportion to the ageing of the population. This trend will have an impact on the health-care system and may affect social norms regarding the treatment of elderly cancer patients. This paper reviews these trends and presents data from a series of research projects and the related literature to examine how older people respond to cancer symptoms and treatment and whether the treatment received by aged cancer patients differs from that given to younger patients. The relationship between age and stage of disease at presentation is explored, together with the manner in which older cancer patients' disease is identified, the 'aggressiveness' of treatment pursued, and patients' responses to those treatments.

Hospitalization of nursing home residents: the effects of states' Medicaid payment and bed-hold policies

OBJECTIVE

Hospitalizations of nursing home residents are costly and expose residents to iatrogenic disease and social and psychological harm. Economic constraints imposed by payers of care, predominantly Medicaid policies, are hypothesized to impact hospitalizations.

DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING

Federally mandated resident assessments were merged with Medicare claims and eligibility files to determine hospitalizations and death within 150 days of baseline assessment. Nursing home and market characteristics were obtained from the Online Survey Certification and Reporting, and the Area Resource File, respectively. States' average daily Medicaid nursing home payments and bed-hold policies were obtained independently.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort study of 570,614 older (> or =65-year-old), non-MCO (Medicare Managed Care), long-stay (> or =90 days) residents in 8,997 urban, freestanding nursing homes assessed between April and June 2000, using multilevel models to test the impact of state policies on hospitalizations controlling for resident, nursing home, and market characteristics.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Overall, 99,379 (17.4 percent) residents were hospitalized with rates varying from 8.4 percent in Utah to 24.9 percent in Louisiana. Higher Medicaid per diem was associated with lower odds of hospitalizations (5 percent lower for each $10 above average $103.5, confidence intervals [CI] 0.91-0.99). Hospitalization odds were higher by 36 percent in states with bed-hold policies (CI: 1.12-1.63).

CONCLUSIONS

State Medicaid bed-hold policy and per-diem payment have important implications for nursing home hospitalizations, which are predominantly financed by Medicare. This study emphasizes the importance of properly aligning state Medicaid and federal Medicare policies in regards to the subsidy of acute, maintenance, and preventive care in the nursing home setting.

Hospitalization of nursing home residents: the effects of states' Medicaid payment and bed-hold policies

OBJECTIVE

Hospitalizations of nursing home residents are costly and expose residents to iatrogenic disease and social and psychological harm. Economic constraints imposed by payers of care, predominantly Medicaid policies, are hypothesized to impact hospitalizations.

DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING

Federally mandated resident assessments were merged with Medicare claims and eligibility files to determine hospitalizations and death within 150 days of baseline assessment. Nursing home and market characteristics were obtained from the Online Survey Certification and Reporting, and the Area Resource File, respectively. States' average daily Medicaid nursing home payments and bed-hold policies were obtained independently.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort study of 570,614 older (> or =65-year-old), non-MCO (Medicare Managed Care), long-stay (> or =90 days) residents in 8,997 urban, freestanding nursing homes assessed between April and June 2000, using multilevel models to test the impact of state policies on hospitalizations controlling for resident, nursing home, and market characteristics.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Overall, 99,379 (17.4 percent) residents were hospitalized with rates varying from 8.4 percent in Utah to 24.9 percent in Louisiana. Higher Medicaid per diem was associated with lower odds of hospitalizations (5 percent lower for each $10 above average $103.5, confidence intervals [CI] 0.91-0.99). Hospitalization odds were higher by 36 percent in states with bed-hold policies (CI: 1.12-1.63).

CONCLUSIONS

State Medicaid bed-hold policy and per-diem payment have important implications for nursing home hospitalizations, which are predominantly financed by Medicare. This study emphasizes the importance of properly aligning state Medicaid and federal Medicare policies in regards to the subsidy of acute, maintenance, and preventive care in the nursing home setting.