1. Prospective analysis of outcomes and economic factors of same-day bilateral cataract surgery in the United States.
- Author
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Rush SW, Gerald AE, Smith JC, Rush JA, and Rush RB
- Subjects
- Aged, Case-Control Studies, Economics, Female, Health Care Costs, Humans, Lens Implantation, Intraocular economics, Lens Implantation, Intraocular methods, Male, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Treatment Outcome, United States, Visual Acuity physiology, Ambulatory Surgical Procedures economics, Cost of Illness, Ophthalmology economics, Phacoemulsification economics, Phacoemulsification methods
- Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the visual and economic benefits of same-day bilateral cataract surgery versus separate-day bilateral cataract surgery in the United States., Setting: Private practice, Amarillo, Texas, USA., Design: Prospective controlled nonrandomized clinical trial., Methods: A cohort of patients having same-day bilateral cataract surgery was age-matched with a cohort of control patients who had standard separate-day bilateral cataract surgery. The primary outcome was a comparison of the direct cost for the patient, physician, ambulatory surgery center (ASC), and third-party payer., Results: The same-day cohort (42 patients, 84 eyes) had similar baseline characteristics and postoperative outcomes as the control cohort (42 patients, 84 eyes). The same-day cohort had less total distance traveled for care (P = .0039 and P < .0001 for in-town and out-of-town residents, respectively), less total time spent traveling for care (P = .0008 and P < .0001 for in-town and out-of-town residents, respectively), less total number of visits required for care (P < .0001), and less total time for vision recovery (P < .0001) than the control cohort. The physician and ASC reimbursements were lower in the same-day cohort (P = .0028 and P = .0016, respectively), whereas the total physician time spent caring for the patient in surgery was not different between the 2 groups (P = .7310). The total ASC expenses were higher in the same-day cohort (P < .0001). The total third-party payer cost was significantly less in the same-day cohort (P < .0001)., Conclusion: Visual and economic benefits for the patient can be achieved with same-day bilateral cataract surgery in the U.S. at the present time., Financial Disclosure: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned., (Copyright © 2015 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2015
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