Can postoperative process of care utilization or complication rates explain the volume-cost relationship for cancer surgery?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Past studies identify an association between provider volume and outcomes, but less is known about the volume-cost relationship for cancer surgery. We analyze the volume-cost relationship for 6 cancer operations and explore whether it is influenced by the occurrence of complications and/or utilization of processes of care.

Methods

Medicare hospital and inpatient claims for the years 2005 through 2009 were analyzed for 6 cancer resections: colectomy, rectal resection, pulmonary lobectomy, pneumonectomy, esophagectomy, and pancreatic resection. Regressions were first estimated to quantify the association of provider volume with costs, excluding measures of complications and processes of care as explanatory variables. Next, these variables were added to the regressio

SUBMITTER: Ho V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6748327 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature