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Background: Stroke is a common and important adverse event after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the elderly. It is unclear whether the risk of stroke after AMI has changed with improvements in treatments and outcomes for AMI in the last decade., Methods: To assess trends in risk of stroke after AMI, we used a national sample of Medicare data to identify Fee-for-Service patients (n = 2,305,441) aged ≥65 years who were discharged alive after hospitalization for AMI from 1999 to 2010., Results: We identified 57,848 subsequent hospitalizations for ischemic stroke and 4,412 hospitalizations for hemorrhagic stroke within 1 year after AMI. The 1-year rate of ischemic stroke decreased from 3.4% (95% CI 3.3%-3.4%) to 2.6% (2.5%-2.7%; P < .001). The risk-adjusted annual decline was 3% (hazard ratio, 0.97; [0.97-0.98]) and was similar across all age and sex-race groups. The rate of hemorrhagic stroke remained stable at 0.2% and did not differ by subgroups. The 30-day mortality for patients admitted with ischemic stroke after AMI decreased from 19.9% (18.8%-20.9%) to 18.3% (17.1%-19.6%) and from 48.3% (43.0%-53.6%) to 45.7% (40.3%-51.2%) for those admitted with hemorrhagic stroke. We observed a decrease in 1-year mortality from 37.8% (36.5%-39.1%) to 35.3% (33.8%-36.8%) for ischemic stroke and from 66.6% (61.4%-71.5%) to 60.6% (55.1%-65.9%) for hemorrhagic stroke., Conclusions: From 1999 to 2010, the 1-year risk for ischemic stroke after AMI declined, whereas the risk of hemorrhagic stroke remained unchanged. However, 30-day and 1-year mortality continued to be high., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There are few data characterizing temporal changes in hospitalization for recurrent acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after AMI., Methods and Results: Using a national sample of 2 305 441 Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for AMI from 1999 to 2010, we evaluated changes in the incidence of 1-year recurrent AMI hospitalization and mortality using Cox proportional hazards models. The observed recurrent AMI hospitalization rate declined from 12.1% (95% CI 11.9 to 12.2) in 1999 to 8.9% (95% CI 8.8 to 9.1) in 2010, a relative decline of 26.4%. The observed recurrent AMI hospitalization rate declined by a relative 27.7% in whites, from 11.9% (95% CI 11.8 to 12.1) to 8.6% (95% CI 8.5 to 8.8) versus a relative decline in blacks of 13.6% from 13.2% (95% CI 12.6 to 13.8) to 11.4% (95% CI 10.9 to 12.0). The risk-adjusted rate of annual decline in recurrent AMI hospitalizations was 4.1% (HR 0.959; 95% CI 0.958 to 0.961), and whites experienced a higher rate of decline (HR 0.957, 95% CI 0.956 to 0.959) than blacks (HR 0.974, 95% CI 0.970 to 0.979).The overall, observed 1-year mortality rate after hospitalization for recurrent AMI declined from 32.4% in 1999 to 29.7% in 2010, a relative decline of 8.3% (P<0.05). In adjusted analyses, 1-year mortality after recurrent AMI hospitalization declined 1.8% per year (HR, 0.982; 95% CI 0.980 to 0.985)., Conclusions: In a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for AMI from 1999 to 2010, hospitalization for recurrent AMI decreased, as did subsequent mortality, albeit to a lesser extent. The risk of recurrent AMI hospitalization declined less in black patients than in whites, increasing observed racial disparities by the end of the study period., (© 2014 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.)

Background: Previous studies have reported conflicting findings regarding how the incidence of heart failure (HF) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has changed over time, and data on contemporary national trends are sparse., Methods and Results: Using a complete national sample of 2 789 943 AMI hospitalizations of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries from 1998 through 2010, we evaluated annual changes in the incidence of subsequent HF hospitalization and mortality using Poisson and survival analysis models. The number of patients hospitalized for HF within 1 year after AMI declined modestly from 16.1 per 100 person-years in 1998 to 14.2 per 100 person years in 2010 (P<0.001). After adjusting for demographic factors, a relative 14.6% decline for HF hospitalizations after AMI was observed over the study period (incidence risk ratio, 0.854; 95% confidence interval, 0.809-0.901). Unadjusted 1-year mortality following HF hospitalization after AMI was 44.4% in 1998, which decreased to 43.2% in 2004 to 2005, but then increased to 45.5% by 2010. After adjusting for demographic factors and clinical comorbidities, this represented a 2.4% relative annual decline (hazard ratio, 0.976; 95% confidence interval, 0.974-0.978) from 1998 to 2007, but a 5.1% relative annual increase from 2007 to 2010 (hazard ratio, 1.051; 95% confidence interval, 1.039-1.064)., Conclusions: In a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries, HF hospitalization after AMI decreased from 1998 to 2010, which may indicate improvements in the management of AMI. In contrast, survival after HF following AMI remains poor, and has worsened from 2007 to 2010, demonstrating that challenges still remain for the treatment of this high-risk condition after AMI.

Safety-net hospitals, which include urban hospitals serving large numbers of low-income, uninsured, and otherwise vulnerable populations, have historically faced greater financial strains than hospitals that serve more affluent populations. These strains can affect hospitals' quality of care, perhaps resulting in worse outcomes that are commonly used as indicators of care quality-mortality and readmission rates. We compared risk-standardized rates of both of these clinical outcomes among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries admitted for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia. These beneficiaries were admitted to urban hospitals within Metropolitan Statistical Areas that contained at least one safety-net and at least one non-safety-net hospital. We found that outcomes varied across the urban areas for both safety-net and non-safety-net hospitals for all three conditions. However, mortality and readmission rates were broadly similar, with non-safety-net hospitals outperforming safety-net hospitals on average by less than one percentage point across most conditions. For heart failure mortality, there was no difference between safety-net and non-safety-net hospitals. These findings suggest that safety-net hospitals are performing better than many would have expected.

Context: It is not known whether recent declines in ischemic heart disease and its risk factors have been accompanied by declines in heart failure (HF) hospitalization and mortality., Objective: To examine changes in HF hospitalization rate and 1-year mortality rate in the United States, nationally and by state or territory., Design, Setting, and Participants: From acute care hospitals in the United States and Puerto Rico, 55,097,390 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized between 1998 and 2008 with a principal discharge diagnosis code for HF., Main Outcome Measures: Changes in patient demographics and comorbidities, HF hospitalization rates, and 1-year mortality rates., Results: The HF hospitalization rate adjusted for age, sex, and race declined from 2845 per 100,000 person-years in 1998 to 2007 per 100,000 person-years in 2008 (P < .001), a relative decline of 29.5%. Age-adjusted HF hospitalization rates declined over the study period for all race-sex categories. Black men had the lowest rate of decline (4142 to 3201 per 100,000 person-years) among all race-sex categories, which persisted after adjusting for age (incidence rate ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.79-0.84). Heart failure hospitalization rates declined significantly faster than the national mean in 16 states and significantly slower in 3 states. Risk-adjusted 1-year mortality decreased from 31.7% in 1999 to 29.6% in 2008 (P < .001), a relative decline of 6.6%. One-year mortality rates declined significantly in 4 states but increased in 5 states., Conclusions: The overall HF hospitalization rate declined substantially from 1998 to 2008 but at a lower rate for black men. The overall 1-year mortality rate declined slightly over the past decade but remains high. Changes in HF hospitalization and 1-year mortality rates were uneven across states.

Context: Whether decreases in the length of stay during the past decade for patients with heart failure (HF) may be associated with changes in outcomes is unknown., Objective: To describe the temporal changes in length of stay, discharge disposition, and short-term outcomes among older patients hospitalized for HF., Design, Setting, and Participants: An observational study of 6,955,461 Medicare fee-for-service hospitalizations for HF between 1993 and 2006, with a 30-day follow-up., Main Outcome Measures: Length of hospital stay, in-patient and 30-day mortality, and 30-day readmission rates., Results: Between 1993 and 2006, mean length of stay decreased from 8.81 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.79-8.83 days) to 6.33 days (95% CI, 6.32-6.34 days). In-hospital mortality decreased from 8.5% (95% CI, 8.4%-8.6%) in 1993 to 4.3% (95% CI, 4.2%-4.4%) in 2006, whereas 30-day mortality decreased from 12.8% (95% CI, 12.8%-12.9%) to 10.7% (95% CI, 10.7%-10.8%). Discharges to home or under home care service decreased from 74.0% to 66.9% and discharges to skilled nursing facilities increased from 13.0% to 19.9%. Thirty-day readmission rates increased from 17.2% (95% CI, 17.1%-17.3%) to 20.1% (95% CI, 20.0%-20.2%; all P < .001). Consistent with the unadjusted analyses, the 2005-2006 risk-adjusted 30-day mortality risk ratio was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.91-0.93) compared with 1993-1994, and the 30-day readmission risk ratio was 1.11 (95% CI, 1.10-1.11)., Conclusion: For patients admitted with HF during the past 14 years, reductions in length of stay and in-hospital mortality, less marked reductions in 30-day mortality, and changes in discharge disposition accompanied by increases in 30-day readmission rates were observed.

Background: Amid recent efforts to reduce cardiovascular risk, whether rates of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the United States have declined for elderly patients is unknown., Methods and Results: Medicare fee-for-service patients hospitalized in the United States with a principal discharge diagnosis of AMI were identified through the use of data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from 2002 to 2007, a time period selected to reduce changes arising from the new definition of AMI. The Medicare beneficiary denominator file was used to determine the population at risk. AMI hospitalization rates were calculated annually per 100,000 beneficiary-years with Poisson regression analysis and stratified according to age, sex, and race. The annual AMI hospitalization rate in the fee-for-service Medicare population fell from 1131 per 100,000 beneficiary-years in 2002 to 866 in 2007, a relative 23.4% decline. After adjustment for age, sex, and race, the AMI hospitalization rate declined by 5.8%/y. From 2002 to 2007, white men experienced a 24.4% decrease in AMI hospitalizations, whereas black men experienced a smaller decline (18.0%; P<0.001 for interaction). Black women had a smaller decline in AMI hospitalization rate compared with white women (18.4% versus 23.3%, respectively; P<0.001 for interaction)., Conclusions: AMI hospitalization rates fell markedly in the Medicare fee-for-service population between 2002 and 2007. However, black men and women appeared to have had a slower rate of decline compared with their white counterparts.

Background: Heart transplant centers are generally considered "centers of excellence" for heart failure care. However, their overall performance has not previously been evaluated in a broad population of elderly patients with heart failure, many of whom are not transplant candidates., Methods and Results: We identified >1 million elderly Medicare beneficiaries who were hospitalized for heart failure between 2004 and 2006 at >4500 hospitals. We calculated 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates and standardized mortality ratios as well as 30-day risk-standardized readmission rates and standardized readmission ratios at heart transplant centers and non-heart transplant hospitals using risk-standardization models that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services uses for public reporting. The 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates were lower at heart transplant centers than non-heart transplant hospitals nationally (10.6% versus 11.5%, P<0.001) but were similar at peer institutions offering coronary artery bypass grafting within the same geographical region (10.6% versus 10.6%, P=0.96). The mean standardized mortality ratio for heart transplant centers was 0.9 (SD, 0.1; range, 0.7 to 1.3). No differences were noted in 30-day risk-standardized readmission rates between heart transplant centers and non-heart transplant hospitals nationally (23.6% versus 23.8%, P=0.55). The mean standardized readmission ratio for heart transplant centers was 1.0 (SD, 0.1; range, 0.8 to 1.2)., Conclusions: In elderly Medicare patients with heart failure, heart transplant centers have lower 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates than non-heart transplant hospitals nationally; however, this difference is not present in comparison with peer institutions or for 30-day risk-standardized readmission rates.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to report on the all-cause readmission and repeat revascularization rates after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Background: Although PCIs are frequently performed, 30-day rates of readmission and repeat revascularization after PCI are not known., Methods: Retrospective analysis of a cohort of Medicare fee-for-service admissions associated with a PCI in 2005. Primary outcomes were 30-day all-cause readmission rates and 30-day readmission rates associated with a revascularization procedure., Results: A total of 315,241 PCI procedures performed at 1,108 hospitals were included in the analysis. The all-cause 30-day readmission rate was 14.6%, and the all-cause 30-day mortality rate was 1.0%. All-cause 30-day mortality among readmitted patients was higher than patients who were not readmitted (3.6% vs. 0.6%; p < 0.001). The 30-day readmission rate of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients was significantly higher than that of non-AMI patients (AMI 17.5%, non-AMI 13.6%, p < 0.001). Among all patients readmitted within 30 days after the index PCI, 27.5% had an associated revascularization procedure (PCI 25.8%, coronary artery bypass grafting 1.7%). The median readmission rates varied across hospitals, from 8.9% in the lowest decile to 22.0% in the highest decile., Conclusions: A substantial proportion of PCI patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge, and readmission rates vary widely across hospitals. Readmissions within 30 days of an index PCI procedure were associated with a significantly higher 30-day mortality rate, and more than one-quarter of such readmissions resulted in a repeat revascularization procedure. These findings warrant further attention to determine whether these readmissions are preventable.

Byline: Harlan M. Krumholz, Jersey Chen, Jaime E. Murillo, David J. Cohen, Martha J. Radford Abstract: Although cost estimates for acute myocardial infarction are necessary for decisions about allocating scarce resources, there is a relative paucity of studies that estimate these costs across the entire spectrum of hospitals in actual clinical practice. This study sought to determine the correlates of in-hospital costs for acute myocardial infarction in patients 65 years of age and older. In the Cooperative Cardiovascular Project pilot, medical records were abstracted for acute myocardial infarction hospitalizations in Connecticut from June 1, 1992, through May 20, 1993. In-hospital costs were calculated by multiplying charges from cost centers by the Medicare ratio of cost-to-charge. Among the 2628 patients in the study sample, the total mean in-hospital cost was $14,772, and the median in-hospital cost was $10,409 (twenty-fifth to seventy-fifth percentile, $6960 to $17,225). The largest proportion of the costs were concentrated in room costs (43% of the total). Although several demographic and clinical characteristics were significantly associated with cost, they accounted for only 7% of the variation. In-hospital procedures and adverse outcomes accounted for 53% of the variation. (Am Heart J 1998;135:523-31.) Author Affiliation: New Haven, Middletown, and Farmington, Conn., and Boston, Mass Article History: Received 27 February 1997; Accepted 18 August 1997 Article Note: (footnote) [star] From the aSection of Cardiovascular Medicine, bDepartment of Medicine, the Section of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, cDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, and the Yale-New Haven Hospital Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, the dConnecticut Peer Review Organization, Middletown, eCardiology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Medical School, Farmington, Conn., and the fDivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, Mass., [star][star] Supported in part by the Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation., a Reprint requests: Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St., P.O. Box 208025, New Haven, CT 06520-8025, E-mail: harlan.krumholz@yale.edu, aa The analyses upon which this publication is based were performed under Contract Number 500-96-P549, entitled 'Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review Organization for the State of Connecticut,' sponsored by the Health Care Financing Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author assumes full responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the ideas presented. This article is a direct result of the Health Care Quality Improvement Program initiated by the Health Care Financing Administration, which has encouraged identification of quality improvement projects derived from analysis of patterns of care, and therefore required no special funding on the part of this Contractor. Ideas and contributions to the author concerning experience in engaging with issues presented are welcomed., acents 0002-8703/98/$5.00 + 0 4/1/86011

Purpose Platinum based chemotherapy is widely used for bladder cancer but is associated with vascular toxicity, especially thromboembolism. We evaluated the short-term (less than 1 year) and intermediate-term (2 to 5 years) vascular toxicity of platinum agents in older patients with bladder cancer. Materials and Methods We identified Medicare beneficiaries 66 to 94 years old diagnosed with stage II-III bladder cancer from 1998 to 2007 in the SEER-Medicare database. We measured the association between platinum based chemotherapy and vascular events (thromboembolic and nonthromboembolic) using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Results The sample included 5,057 patients, of whom 21.3% received platinum based chemotherapy. Patients receiving platinum based chemotherapy were more likely to be younger and male with less comorbidity than those not receiving any chemotherapy. During the first year after diagnosis the patients who received platinum based chemotherapy had a higher risk of a thromboembolic event (19.8% vs 11.6%, AHR 1.43, 95% CI 1.17–1.75) compared to those who did not receive chemotherapy. The likelihood of having a thromboembolic outcome was similar whether platinum chemotherapy was cisplatin based (21.1%, AHR 1.56, 95% CI 1.22–2.00) or carboplatin based (18.9%, AHR 1.35, 95% CI 1.07–1.71). During years 2 to 5 after diagnosis there was no significant association between platinum chemotherapy and the risk of thromboembolic events. The risk of nonthromboembolic vascular events was not increased with platinum chemotherapy in either period. Conclusions Patients receiving platinum based chemotherapy were at higher risk for thromboembolism but not other vascular events, particularly in the first year after diagnosis. This risk of thromboembolism is similar for cisplatin and carboplatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on an observational study which estimated hospital-level 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) for patients discharged with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Administrative data and a validated risk model were used to evaluate 3,195,672 discharges in 2,755,370 patients discharged from nonfederal acute care hospitals in the U.S. between January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2006. A significant decrease was observed in the risk-standardized hospital mortality rate for Medicare patients discharged with AMI, as well as between-hospital variation.

Examines the association between U.S. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) accreditation of hospitals, quality of care and survival among Medicare patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Requirements under the JCAHO accreditation program; Quality of AMI care and outcomes; Mortality rates of hospitals accredited with commendation.

Examines whether Medicare patients with acute myocardial infarction admitted to one of HCI-Mercer's `100 top hospitals' in the United States had better outcomes than patients treated in other hospitals. Suitability of the top 100 list for identifying hospitals with higher financial measures; Lack of evidence that the quality of care was sacrificed for the sake of efficiency.