What drives variation in spending for breast cancer patients within geographic regions?

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To estimate and describe factors driving variation in spending for breast cancer patients within geographic region.

Data source

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database from 2009-2013.

Study design

The proportion of variation in monthly medical spending within geographic region attributed to patient and physician factors was estimated using multilevel regression models with individual patient and physician random effects. Using sequential models, we estimated the contribution of differences in patient and disease characteristics or use of cancer treatment modalities to patient-level and physician-level variance in spending. Services associated with high spending physicians were estimated using linear regression.

Data extraction

SUBMITTER: Sinaiko AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6338302 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature