Project description:ObjectiveTo investigate the geographic clustering of ambulatory surgical center (ASC) utilization in otolaryngology to determine hot spot areas of high utilization and cold spot areas of low utilization and socioeconomic factors that correlate with these hot spots and cold spots.Study designTo develop a national epidemiologic study of ASC utilization in otolaryngology in the United States.SettingUnited States of America.MethodsMultiple county-level national databases were reviewed including Center for Medicare Services (CMS) physician billing data, CMS Medicare demographic data, and US Census socioeconomic data. The analysis was conducted using the average of all Medicare billing information from 2015 to 2019. Whether a procedure was performed in an ASC was extracted from CMS data using the CMS definition of an ASC. The percentage ASC billing was calculated as the fraction of CMS payments that were performed in ASCs for the top ENT procedures. A Python-based script for database building and GeoDa, Moran's I clustering coefficient, and a 1-way analysis of variance was utilized to chart and analyze demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic trends.ResultsHot spots of utilization, with an average ASC billing of 80.13%, were seen in Southern California, Florida, Mid-Atlantic, and clusters throughout the Deep South. Cold spot clusters, with an average ASC billing of 2.21%, were located in large swaths of New England, Ohio, and the Deep South with clusters bisecting the Midwest. Cold spots had a higher percentage of poverty and percent eligible for Medicaid.ConclusionASC utilization is best used to improve cost-effectiveness and accessibility of care but what is seen is that ASC use is currently highest in cities in coastal areas which already have high levels of care access and are making the most proportional money compared to their rural counterparts.
Project description:Document trends in time to post-discharge follow-up visit for Medicare patients with an index admission for heart failure (HF), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), or community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Determine factors predicting whether the first post-discharge utilization event is a follow-up visit, treat-and-release emergency department (ED) visit, or readmission. Using Medicare claims data from 2007-2010, we plotted annual cumulative incidence functions for the time frame post-discharge to follow-up visit, accounting for competing risks with censoring at 30 days. We used multinomial probit regression to determine factors predicting the probability of first-occurring post-discharge utilization events within 30 days. For each cohort, the cumulative incidence of follow-up visits increased during the study period. For example, in 2010, 54.6% of HF patients had a follow-up visit within 10 days of discharge compared to 47.9% in 2007. Within each cohort, the largest increase in follow-up visits took place between 2008 and 2009. Follow-up visits were less likely for patients who were Black, Hispanic, and enrolled in Medicaid or Medicare Advantage, and they were more likely for patients with greater comorbidities and prior procedures as well as those with private or supplemental Medicare coverage. There were no changes in 30-day readmission rates. Although increases in follow-up visits may have been influenced by the introduction of publicly reported readmission rates in 2009, these increases did not continue in 2010 and were not associated with a change in readmissions. Patients who were Black, Hispanic, and/or enrolled in Medicaid or Medicare Advantage were less likely to have follow-up visits.
Project description:The US Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services reimburses ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) for suspected white coat hypertension. We estimated ABPM use between 2007 and 2010 among a 5% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries (≥65 years). In 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, the percentage of beneficiaries with ABPM claims was 0.10%, 0.11%, 0.10%, and 0.09%, respectively. A prior diagnosis of hypertension was more common among those with versus without an ABPM claim (77.7% vs. 47.0%). Among hypertensive beneficiaries, 95.2% of those with an ABPM claim were taking antihypertensive medication. Age 75-84 versus 65-74 years, having coronary heart disease, having chronic kidney disease, having multiple prior hypertension diagnoses, and having filled multiple classes of antihypertensive medication were associated with an increased odds for an ABPM claim among hypertensive beneficiaries. ABPM use was very low among Medicare beneficiaries and was not primarily used for diagnosing white coat hypertension in untreated individuals.
Project description:There has been a strong push to move outpatient surgery from hospital settings to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Despite the efficiency advantages of ASCs, many are concerned that these facilities could increase overall utilization.To assess the impact of ASC opening on rates of outpatient surgery.This was a retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries undergoing outpatient surgery between 2001 and 2010. We compared population-based rates of outpatient surgery in Hospital Service Areas (HSAs) with freestanding ASCs to those without. After adjusting for differences using multiple propensity score methods, we assessed the impact of ASC opening in an HSA previously without one on rates of outpatient surgery.Patients included were Medicare beneficiaries with Part B eligibility.Adjusted HSA-level rates of outpatient surgery.Adjusted outpatient surgery rates increased from 2806 to 3940 per 10,000 and the number of ASC operating rooms grew from 7036 to 11,223 (both P<0.001 for trend). By the fourth year after opening, rates of outpatient surgery increased by 10.9% (from 3338 to 3701 per 10,000) in HSAs adding an ASC for the first time. In contrast, outpatient surgery rates grew by only 2.4% and 0.6% in HSAs where an ASC was always or never present, respectively (P<0.001 for test between 3 slopes).Rather than redistributing patients from one setting to another, the opening of ASCs increases outpatient surgery use. However, the 10.9% increase is more modest than previously suggested by state-level data.
Project description:ContextTotal knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most common and costly surgical procedures performed in the United States.ObjectiveTo examine longitudinal trends in volume, utilization, and outcomes for primary and revision TKA between 1991 and 2010 in the US Medicare population.Design, setting, and participantsObservational cohort of 3,271,851 patients (aged ≥65 years) who underwent primary TKA and 318 563 who underwent revision TKA identified in Medicare Part A data files.Main outcome measuresWe examined changes in primary and revision TKA volume, per capita utilization, hospital length of stay (LOS), readmission rates, and adverse outcomes.ResultsBetween 1991 and 2010 annual primary TKA volume increased 161.5% from 93,230 to 243,802 while per capita utilization increased 99.2% (from 31.2 procedures per 10,000 Medicare enrollees in 1991 to 62.1 procedures per 10,000 in 2010). Revision TKA volume increased 105.9% from 9650 to 19,871 while per capita utilization increased 59.4% (from 3.2 procedures per 10,000 Medicare enrollees in 1991 to 5.1 procedures per 10,000 in 2010). For primary TKA, LOS decreased from 7.9 days (95% CI, 7.8-7.9) in 1991-1994 to 3.5 days (95% CI, 3.5-3.5) in 2007-2010 (P < .001). For primary TKA, rates of adverse outcomes resulting in readmission remained stable between 1991-2010, but rates of all-cause 30-day readmission increased from 4.2% (95% CI, 4.1%-4.2%) to 5.0% (95% CI, 4.9%-5.0%) (P < .001). For revision TKA, the decrease in hospital LOS was accompanied by an increase in all-cause 30-day readmission from 6.1% (95% CI, 5.9%-6.4%) to 8.9% (95% CI, 8.7%-9.2%) (P < .001) and an increase in readmission for wound infection from 1.4% (95% CI, 1.3%-1.5%) to 3.0% (95% CI, 2.9%-3.1%) (P < .001).ConclusionsIncreases in TKA volume have been driven by both increases in the number of Medicare enrollees and in per capita utilization. We also observed decreases in hospital LOS that were accompanied by increases in hospital readmission rates.
Project description:ImportanceLittle is known about how telemedicine use was evolving before the broad changes that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Understanding prepandemic patterns of telemedicine use can inform ongoing debates on the future of telemedicine policy.ObjectiveTo describe trends in telemedicine utilization among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries before the COVID-19 pandemic and the specialties of clinicians providing telemedicine.Design setting and participantsThis was a cross-sectional study and descriptive analysis of telemedicine utilization by 10.4 million fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries from 2010 to 2019. Data analysis was performed from June 6, 2019, to July 30, 2020.Main outcomes and measuresRates of telemedicine utilization, characteristics of beneficiaries who received telemedicine in 2010 to 2019, and specialties of clinicians delivering telemedicine.ResultsOf 10.4 million rural Medicare beneficiaries, telemedicine was used by 91 483 individuals (age ≥65 years, 47 135 [51.5%]; women, 51 476 [56.3%]; and White, 76 467 [83.6%] individuals) in 2019. In 2010 to 2019, telemedicine visits grew by 23.1% annually. A total of 0.9% of all fee-for-service rural beneficiaries had a telemedicine visit in 2019 compared with 0.2% in 2010. In 2019, there were 257 979 telemedicine visits or 34.8 visits per 1000 rural beneficiaries and most (75.9%) of these visits were for mental health conditions. Patients with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia (3.0% of rural beneficiaries) received 40% of all telemedicine visits in 2019. Some traditionally disadvantaged and underserved groups comprised a larger share of telemedicine users than nonusers in 2019, such as those dually insured with Medicaid (56.9% of users vs 18.6% of nonusers; adjusted odd ratio, 3.83; 95% CI, 3.77-3.89). In 2010 to 2019, telemedicine for mental health conditions shifted away from psychiatrists (71.2% to 35.8% of all telemedicine visits) to nonphysician clinicians, eg, nurse practitioners, psychologists, and social workers (21.4% to 57.2%). There was wide variation in telemedicine utilization in 2019 across counties: median (IQR), 16.0 (2.5-51.4) telemedicine users per 1000 beneficiaries). In 891 counties (29% of all US counties), at least 10% of beneficiaries with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia used a telemedicine service in 2019.Conclusions and relevanceIn this cross-sectional study of telemedicine utilization before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was sustained growth in telemedicine visits among rural beneficiaries covered by the Medicare program, especially care delivered by nurse practitioners and other nonphysician clinicians. The prepandemic model of telemedicine provided in local health care settings may be a viable modality to maintain in rural communities.
Project description:ObjectiveTo compare safety and healthcare utilization after sleeve gastrectomy versus Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in a national Medicare cohort.Summary background dataThough bariatric surgery is increasing among Medicare beneficiaries, no long-term, national studies examining comparative effectiveness between procedures exist. Bariatric outcomes are needed for shared decision-making and coverage policy concerns identified by the cMS Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee.MethodsRetrospective instrumental variable analysis of Medicare claims (2012-2017) for 30,105 bariatric surgery patients entitled due to disability or age. We examined clinical safety outcomes (mortality, complications, and reinterventions), healthcare utilization [Emergency Department (ED) visits, rehospitalizations, and expenditures], and heterogeneity of treatment effect. We compared all outcomes between sleeve and bypass for each entitlement group at 30 days, 1 year, and 3 years.ResultsAmong the disabled (n = 21,595), sleeve was associated with lower 3-year mortality [2.1% vs 3.2%, absolute risk reduction (ARR) 95% confidence interval (CI): -2.2% to -0.03%], complications (22.2% vs 27.7%, ARR 95%CI: -8.5% to -2.6%), reinterventions (20.1% vs 27.7%, ARR 95%CI: -10.7% to -4.6%), ED utilization (71.6% vs 77.1%, ARR 95%CI: -8.5% to -2.4%), and rehospitalizations (47.4% vs 52.3%, ARR 95%Ci: -8.0% to -1.7%). Cumulative expenditures were $46,277 after sleeve and $48,211 after bypass (P = 0.22). Among the elderly (n = 8510), sleeve was associated with lower 3-year complications (20.1% vs 24.7%, ARR 95%CI: -7.6% to -1.7%), reinterventions (14.0% vs 21.9%, ARR 95%CI: -10.7% to -5.2%), ED utilization (51.7% vs 57.2%, ARR 95%CI: -9.1% to -1.9%), and rehospitalizations (41.8% vs 45.8%, ARR 95%Ci: -7.5% to -0.5%). Expenditures were $38,632 after sleeve and $39,270 after bypass (P = 0.60). Procedure treatment effect significantly differed by entitlement for mortality, revision, and paraesophageal hernia repair.ConclusionsBariatric surgery is safe, and healthcare utilization benefits of sleeve over bypass are preserved across both Medicare elderly and disabled subpopulations.
Project description:ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to investigate whether the elimination of trial admissions and the initiation of documentation requirements, via the 2010 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System Rule, limited inpatient rehabilitation facility access while increasing skilled nursing facility utilization compared with home discharge in ischemic stroke patients.DesignThis is a retrospective observational study using Get with the Guidelines - Stroke hospital data between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2015 (N = 1,643,553).ResultsBetween January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009, 54.1% of patients went home, 25.4% to inpatient rehabilitation facility and 20.5% to skilled nursing facility. Between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2015, there was a 1.4% absolute increase in home discharge, a 1.1% inpatient rehabilitation facility decline and a 0.3% skilled nursing facility decline.Within the 1.1% absolute decline in inpatient rehabilitation facility discharge, the adjusted odds of inpatient rehabilitation facility versus home discharge decreased 12% after 2010 Rule (adjusted odds ratio = 0.88, 95% confidence interval = 0.87-0.89, P < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant change in skilled nursing facility versus home discharge.Lower adjusted odds of inpatient rehabilitation facility discharge versus home discharge were identical across age groups and were present in all geographic regions.ConclusionsIn populations with ischemic stroke, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2010 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System Rule was associated with a 1.1% absolute decrease in inpatient rehabilitation facility discharge, with a concomitant increase in home discharge rather than to skilled nursing facility.