Objectives 1) To examine the incidence, variations, and costs in potentially avoidable hospitalizations (PAHs) among nursing home (NH) residents at the end-of-life. 2) To identify the association between NH characteristics and a facility-level quality measure (QM) for PAH. Design Retrospective study. Setting Hospitalizations originating from NHs. Participants Long-term care NH residents who died in 2007. Measurements We constructed a risk-adjusted QM for PAH. Poisson regression model was used to predict the count of PAH given residents’ risk factors. For each facility, the QM was defined as the difference between the observed facility-specific rate (per 1,000 person-years) of PAH (O) and the expected risk-adjusted rate (E). We then fit a logistic regression model with state fixed-effects to examine the association between facility characteristics and the likelihood of having higher than expected rates of PAH (O-E>0). QM values higher than 0 indicate worse than average quality. Results Almost 50% of hospital admissions for NH residents in their last year of life were for potentially avoidable diagnoses, costing Medicare $1billion. Five conditions were responsible for over 80% of PAHs. PAH QM across facilities showed significant variation (mean=11.96; std dev=142.26; range: −399.48-398.09). Chain and hospital-based facilities were more likely to exhibit better performance (O-E<0). Facilities with higher nursing staffing were more likely to have better performance, as did facilities with higher skilled staff ratio, facilities with nurse practitioners/physician assistants, and those with on-site x-ray services. Conclusion Variations in facility-level PAHs suggest that a potential for reducing hospital admissions for these conditions may exist. Presence of modifiable facility characteristics associated with PAH performance provides insights into possible interventions for reducing PAHs at the end-of-life.
Context The proportion of US deaths occurring in nursing homes (NHs) has been increasing in the last two decades and is expected to reach 40% by 2020. Despite being recognized as an important setting in the provision of end-of-life care (EOL), little is known about the quality of care provided to dying NH residents. There has been some, but largely anecdotal evidence suggesting that many US NHs transfer dying residents to hospitals, in part to avoid incurring the cost of providing intensive on-site care, and in part because they lack resources to appropriately serve the dying residents. We assessed longitudinal trends and geographic variations in place of death among NH residents, and examined the association between residents’ characteristics, treatment preferences, and the probability of dying in hospitals. Methods We used the Minimum Data Set (NH assessment records), Medicare denominator (eligibility) file, and Medicare inpatient and hospice claims to identify decedent NH residents. In CY2003–2007, there were 2,992,261 Medicare eligible nursing home decedents from 16,872 US Medicare and/or Medicaid certified NHs. Our outcome of interest was death in NH or in a hospital. The analytical strategy included descriptive analyses and multiple logistic regression models, with facility fixed effects, to examine risk-adjusted temporal trends in place of death. Findings Slightly over 20% of decedent NH residents died in hospitals each year. Controlling for individual level risk factors and for facility fixed effects, the likelihood of residents dying in hospitals has increased significantly each year between 2003 through 2007. Conclusions This study fills a significant gap in the current literature on EOL care in US nursing homes by identifying frequent facility-to-hospital transfers and an increasing trend of in-hospital deaths. These findings suggest a need to rethink how best to provide care to EOL nursing home residents.
Objective Frequent use of healthcare services associated with pediatric asthma places substantial economic burden on families and society. The purpose of this study is to examine the cost saving effects of a peer-led program through reduction in healthcare utilization in comparison to an adult-led program. Methods Randomly assigned adolescents (13-17 years) participated in either peer-led (n=59) or adult-led (n=53) asthma self-management program. Healthcare utilization data were collected at baseline and at 3-, 6- and 9-months post-intervention. Negative binomial regression models were conducted to examine the effects of the peer-led program on healthcare utilization. Net cost savings were estimated based on differences in program costs and healthcare utilization costs between groups. Results Significant group differences were found in acute office visits and school clinic visits after controlling for race and socioeconomic status. The incidence rate of acute office visits was 80-82% less for the peer-led group during follow-ups. The peer-led group was 4 to 5 times more likely to use school clinics due to asthma than the adult-led group during follow-ups. The non-research cost of peer-led program per participant was lower than the adult-led program, $64 vs. $99 respectively. The net cost saving from the reduction in acute office visits and the lower program costs of the peer-led program was estimated $51.8 per person for a 3-month period. Conclusions An asthma self-management program using peer leaders can potentially yield healthcare cost savings through the reduction in acute office visits in comparison to a traditional program led by healthcare professionals.
Managing clinically complex populations poses a major challenge for state agencies trying to control health care costs and improve quality of care for Medicaid beneficiaries. In Washington State a care coordination intervention, the Chronic Care Management program, was implemented for clinically complex Medicaid beneficiaries who met risk criteria defined by a predictive modeling algorithm. We used propensity score matching to evaluate the program's impact on health care spending and utilization and mortality. We found large and significant reductions in inpatient hospital costs ($318 per member per month) among patients who used the program. The estimated reduction in overall medical costs of $248 per member per month exceeded the cost of the intervention but did not reach statistical significance. These results suggest that well-designed targeted care coordination services could reduce health care spending for Medicaid beneficiaries with complex health care needs.
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