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Using Michigan public health data, we assessed geographical access to specialist providers for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in urban and rural areas in Michigan and explored correlates of HCV in these areas to help inform HCV elimination planning and resource allocations. We found higher HCV incidence in urban areas, lower treatment specialist access in rural areas, but few correlates of HCV across adult populations in both areas. State and local HCV elimination planning should include population‐based screening among all adults and address geographical barriers to care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community-engaged research engages the community in a collaborative manner to improve the local setting and has been increasingly applied to health services research. These complex studies require collaboration and team building among clinical experts, methodologists, and community stakeholders, yet few examples of this process have been published. Aim: Through a study of community emergency medical services, our aim was to understand team building among content experts and methodologists to advance the framework for adaptive community-engaged research. Methods: We collected process field notes and transcripts from the project kick-off meetings and analyzed the data using an immersion/crystallization process, which is an exploratory qualitative analysis characterized by continual review of the data collected. All 25 members of the study's research team, who are both local to Michigan and reside out-of-state, were invited to attend. Results: We describe the process of the kick-off event for this community-engaged study and report major themes: collaborating throughout each stage of the kick-off meeting, building trusting relationships by challenging each other's perspectives and sharing expertise, and gaining shared experiences of learning and understanding of study content and goals. Conclusion: Team-building in community engaged health research requires thoughtful effort, and planned kick-off meeting can be a useful strategy to build a shared vision among content experts and methodologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine whether observed patterns of physician interaction around shared patients are associated with higher levels of teamwork as perceived by physicians.Data Sources/study Setting: Michigan Medicare beneficiaries who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures at 24 hospitals in the state between 2008 and 2011.Study Design: We assessed hospital teamwork using the teamwork climate scale in the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire. After aggregating across CABG discharges at these hospitals, we mapped the physician referral networks (including both surgeons and nonsurgeons) that served them and measured three network properties: (1) reinforcement, (2) clustering, and (3) density. We then used multilevel regression models to identify associations between network properties and teamwork at the hospitals on which the networks were anchored.Principal Findings: In hospitals where physicians repeatedly cared for patients with the same colleagues, physicians perceived better teamwork (β-reinforcement = 3.28, p = .003). When physicians who worked together also had other colleagues in common, the reported teamwork was stronger (β clustering = 1.71, p = .001). Reported teamwork did not change when physicians worked with a higher proportion of other physicians at the hospital (β density = -0.58, p = .64).Conclusion: In networks with higher levels of reinforcement and clustering, physicians perceive stronger teamwork, perhaps because the strong ties between them create a shared understanding; however, sharing patients with more physicians overall (i.e., density) did not lead to stronger teamwork. Clinical and organizational leaders may consider designing the structure of clinical teams to increase interactions with known colleagues and repeated interactions between providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We performed a phenome-wide association study to identify pre-existing conditions related to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prognosis across the medical phenome and how they vary by race. Methods: The study is comprised of 53,853 patients who were tested/diagnosed for COVID-19 between 10 March and 2 September 2020 at a large academic medical center. Results: Pre-existing conditions strongly associated with hospitalization were renal failure, pulmonary heart disease, and respiratory failure. Hematopoietic conditions were associated with intensive care unit (ICU) admission/mortality and mental disorders were associated with mortality in non-Hispanic Whites. Circulatory system and genitourinary conditions were associated with ICU admission/mortality in non-Hispanic Blacks. Conclusions: Understanding pre-existing clinical diagnoses related to COVID-19 outcomes informs the need for targeted screening to support specific vulnerable populations to improve disease prevention and healthcare delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diet intervention forms the cornerstone for cardiovascular disease (CVD) management. The objective was to measure the frequency of dietary counseling documentation for patients recently hospitalized with CVD. This was an observational study. Patients were included from the Michigan Value Collaborative Multipayer Claims Registry from October 2015 to February 2020. The study measured the frequency of medical claims that document dietary counseling ≤90 days after hospitalization (ie, an episode of care) for CVD events (coronary artery bypass grafting, acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and percutaneous coronary intervention). Dietary counseling documentation was defined as having an encounter-level International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision code for dietary counseling or current procedural terminology code for medical nutrition therapy or cardiac rehabilitation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to measure variation in documentation across gender, age, comorbidities, hospital geography, CVD event, and insurer. There were 175,631 episodes of care (congesitve heart failure 47.1%, acute myocardial infarction 28.7%, percutaneous coronary intervention 17.0%, and coronary artery bypass grafting 7.3%) among 146,185 individuals. Most episodes occurred among men (55.8%) and those older than age 65 years (71.9%). Dietary counseling was documented for 22.8% of episodes and was more common as cardiac rehabilitation (18.6%) than other encounter types (5.1%). In multivariable analysis, there was lower odds for dietary counseling documentation among those older than age 65 years (odds ratio [OR] 0.77; P <.001), women (OR 0.83; P <.001), with chronic kidney disease (OR 0.74; P <.001), or diabetes (OR 0.95; P <.001), but greater odds for those with obesity (OR 1.28; P <.001) and nonmetropolitan hospitals (OR 1.31; P <.001). Compared with coronary artery bypass grafting, acute myocardial infarction (OR 0.29; P <.001), confestive heart failure (OR 0.12; P <.001), and percutaneous coronary intervention (OR 0.36; P <.001) episodes had lower odds to have dietary counseling coded. Compared with Traditional Medicare, Medicaid and Medicare Advantage health maintenance organization plans had lower odds, whereas Commercial or Medicare Advantage preferred provider organization and Commercial health maintenance organization plans had higher odds to have dietary counseling documented. Results were mostly similar when evaluated by race. Dietary counseling was infrequently documented after hospitalization for CVD episodes in medical claims in a Michigan-based multipayer claims database with large variation by reason for hospitalization and patient factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assessments of healthcare value have largely focused on measuring outcomes of care at a given level of cost with less attention paid to appropriateness. However, understanding how appropriateness relates to outcomes and costs is essential to determining healthcare value.Methods and Results: In a retrospective cohort study design, administrative data from fee-for-service Medicare patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in Michigan hospitals between June 30, 2010, and December 31, 2014, were linked with clinical data from a statewide PCI registry to calculate hospital-level measures of (1) appropriate use criteria scores, (2) 90-day risk-standardized readmission and mortality rates, and (3) 90-day risk-standardized episode costs. We then used Spearman correlation coefficients to assess the relationship between these measures. A total of 29 839 PCIs were performed at 33 PCI hospitals during the study period. A total of 13.3% were for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, 25.0% for non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, 47.1% for unstable angina, 9.8% for stable angina, and 4.7% for other. The overall hospital-level mean appropriate use criteria score was 8.4±0.2. Ninety-day risk-standardized readmission occurred in 23.7%±3.7% of cases, 90-day risk-standardized mortality in 4.3%±0.6%, and mean risk-standardized episode costs were $26 159±$1074. Hospital-level appropriate use criteria scores did not correlate with 90-day readmission, mortality, or episode costs.Conclusions: Among Medicare patients undergoing PCI in Michigan, we found hospital-level appropriate use criteria scores did not correlate with 90-day readmission, mortality, or episode costs. This finding suggests that a comprehensive understanding of healthcare value requires multidimensional consideration of appropriateness, outcomes, and costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Care by emergency medical service (EMS) agencies is critical for optimizing prehospital outcomes following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We explored whether substantial differences exist in prehospital outcomes across EMS agencies in Michigan-specifically focusing on rates of sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) upon emergency department (ED) arrival.Methods: Using data from Michigan Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (MI-CARES) for years 2014-2017, we calculated rates of sustained ROSC upon ED arrival across EMS agencies in Michigan. We used hierarchical logistic regression models that accounted for patient, arrest-, community-, and response-level characteristics to determine adjusted rates of sustained ROSC among EMS agencies.Results: A total of 103 EMS agencies and 20,897 OHCA cases were included. Average age of the cohort was 62.5 years (SD = 19.6), 39.7% were female, and 17.9% had an initial shockable rhythm due to ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. The adjusted rate of sustained ROSC upon ED arrival across all EMS agencies was 23.8% with notable variation across EMS agencies (interquartile range [IQR], 20.5-29.2%). The top five EMS agencies had mean adjusted rates of sustained ROSC upon ED arrival of 42.7% (95% CI: 34.6-51.1%) while the bottom five had mean adjusted rates of 9.8% (95% CI: 7.6-12.7%).Conclusions: Substantial variation in sustained ROSC upon ED arrival exists across EMS agencies in Michigan after adjusting for patient-, arrest, community-, and response-level features. Such differences suggest opportunities to identify and improve best practices in EMS agencies to advance OHCA care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) overestimate survival compared with model-predicted estimates, but the reasons for this discrepancy are poorly understood. We characterized how patients with end-stage HF and their care partners understand prognosis and elicited their preferences around prognosis communication., Methods: We conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with patients with end-stage HF and their care partners between 2021 and 2022 at a tertiary care center in Michigan. Participants were asked to describe barriers they faced to understanding prognosis. All interviews were coded and analyzed using an iterative content analysis approach., Results: Fifteen patients with end-stage HF and 15 care partners participated, including 7 dyads. The median patient age was 66.5 years (range, 31-80) and included 9 of 15 (60%) White participants and 9 of 15 (60%) were males. Care partners included 10 of 15 (67%) White participants and 6 of 15 (40%) were males. Care partners were partners (n=7, 47%), siblings (n=4, 27%), parents (n=2, 13%), and children (n=2, 13%). Most patients demonstrated a poor understanding of their prognosis. In contrast, care partners commonly identified the patient's rapidly declining trajectory. Patients and care partners described ineffective prognosis communication with clinicians, common barriers to understanding prognosis, and similar suggestions on improving prognosis communication. Barriers to understanding prognosis included (1) conversation avoidance by physicians, (2) information inconsistency across different physicians, (3) distractions during prognosis communication due to emphasis on other conditions, and (4) confusion related to the use of medical jargon. Most patients and care partners wanted discussions around prognosis to begin early in the course of the disease, repeated routinely using layperson's terms, incorporating both quality of life and survival assessments, and involving care partners. Both patients and care partners did not expect precise survival estimates., Conclusions: Patients with end-stage HF demonstrate a poor understanding of their prognosis compared with their care partners. Patients and care partners are open to discussing prognosis early, using direct and patient-centered language., Competing Interests: Disclosures None.

Background: Wearable technology has rapidly entered consumer markets and has health-care potential; however, wearable device data for diverse populations are scarce. We therefore aimed to describe and compare key wearable signals (ie, heart rate, step count, and home blood pressure measurements) across age, sex, race, ethnicity, and clinical phenotypes., Methods: In the Michigan Predictive Activity & Clinical Trajectories in Health (MIPACT) prospective observational study, we enrolled participants from Michigan Medicine, Ann Abor, MI, USA, and followed them up for at least 90 days. Patients were included if they were aged 18 years or older, were fluent in English, owned an iPhone 6 or newer model with a supported iOS version, and had regular access to the internet throughout the study period. All participants were provided with an Apple Watch Series 3 or 4, an Omron Evolv Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor, and the MyDataHelps study smartphone application. Participants were asked to wear their watch for 12 h per day or longer and to do daily or weekly tasks, including home blood pressure measurements and breathing tasks. Heart rate, blood pressure, step counts, and distance walked were collected. The study was divided into two phases: an intensive 45-day collection phase (phase 1); and a 3-year longitudinal monitoring phase (phase 2). Here we report the first 90 days of data for all participants, which includes all of phase 1 and the first 45 days of phase 2. Participants' electronic health records were used to establish clinical diagnoses for analysis., Findings: We enrolled 6765 eligible participants between Aug 14, 2018, and Dec 19, 2019, of whom 6454 participants from Michigan Medicine completed the phase 1 study protocol and were included in this analysis (3482 [54%] women and 2972 [46%] men; 3657 [57%] participants were White, with 1094 [17%] Asian and 1090 [17%] Black participants). On days when participants wore their smart watches, median daily watch wear time was 15·5 h (IQR 14-17). Participants contributed a total of 1 107 320 blood pressure and 202 198 347 heart rate measurements over 90 days, with 172 (SD 50) blood pressure and 31 329 (SD 24 620) heart rate measurements per participant. Mean systolic blood pressure was 122 mm Hg (SD 10) and mean diastolic blood pressure was 77 mm Hg (SD 8), with 167 312 (15%) measurements having a systolic blood pressure higher than 140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure higher than 90 mm Hg. Mean resting heart rate was 64 beats per min (SD 8). Blood pressure and resting heart rate varied by sex, age, race, and ethnicity, with higher blood pressures in males and lower heart rate in participants aged 65 years or older (p<0·0001). Participants took 7511 steps per day (SD 2805) and walked 6009 metres per day (SD 2608), varying across demographic and clinical subgroups., Interpretation: These data could inform clinical trial design, interpretation of wearable data in clinical practice, and health-care interventions., Funding: Apple, University of Michigan., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests JRG is supported by grant number T32-HL007853 from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). NAP is supported by grant number N025926 from Apple. BKN reports grants from Apple, during the conduct of the study; has received grants from the American Heart Association, outside the submitted work; is a principal investigator or co-investigator on research grants from the US NIH, Veteran Affairs Health Services Research & Development, the American Heart Association, Toyota, and Janssen; has been a co-investigator on a research grant funded by Apple, which ended on Feb 29, 2020; receives compensation as editor-in-chief of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality & Outcomes, a journal of the American Heart Association; and is a co-inventor on US utility patent number US 9 962 124 as well as a provisional patent application (54423) that uses software technology with signal processing and machine learning to automate the reading of coronary angiograms, held by the University of Michigan. The patent is licensed to AngioInsight, in which BKN holds ownership shares and receives consultancy fees. The University of Michigan has also filed patents on BKN's behalf related to the use of computer vision for imaging applications in gastroenterology, with technology elements licensed to Applied Morphomics, in which BNK has no relationship or stake (University of Michigan invention disclosure number 2019–034). NS is a principal investigator or co-investigator on research grants from the US NIH, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, American Heart Association, Apple, Merck & Co, and Edwards Lifesciences; and is a co-inventor on US patent number 62/791,257 entitled Automated System And Method For Assigning Billing Codes To Medical Procedures, which is held by the University of Michigan. SK is a principal investigator or co-investigator on research grants from the US NIH, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the American Heart Association, Apple, Merck & Co, and Becton Dickinson & Company; and is a co-inventor on US patent number 62/791,257 entitled Automated System And Method For Assigning Billing Codes To Medical Procedures, which is held by the University of Michigan., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Study Objective: Outcomes of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest depend on time to therapy initiation. We hypothesize that it would be feasible to select refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients for expedited transport based on real-time estimates of the 911 call to the emergency department (ED) arrival interval, and for emergency physicians to rapidly initiate ECPR in eligible patients., Methods: In a 2-tiered emergency medical service with an ECPR-capable primary destination hospital, adults with refractory shockable or witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were randomized 4:1 to expedited transport or standard care if the predicted 911 call to ED arrival interval was less than or equal to 30 minutes. The primary outcomes were the proportion of subjects with 911 call to ED arrival less than or equal to 30 minutes and ED arrival to ECPR flow less than or equal to 30 minutes., Results: Of 151 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest 911 calls, 15 subjects (10%) were enrolled. Five of 12 subjects randomized to expedited transport had an ED arrival time of less than or equal to 30 minutes (overall mean 32.5 minutes [SD 7.1]), and 5 were eligible for and treated with ECPR. Three of 5 ECPR-treated subjects had flow initiated in less than or equal to 30 minutes of ED arrival (overall mean 32.4 minutes [SD 10.9]). No subject in either group survived with a good neurologic outcome., Conclusion: The Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for Refractory Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest trial did not meet predefined feasibility outcomes for selecting out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients for expedited transport and initiating ECPR in the ED. Additional research is needed to improve the accuracy of predicting the 911 call to ED arrival interval, optimize patient selection, and reduce the ED arrival to ECPR flow interval., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a common, life-threatening event encountered routinely by first responders, including police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS). Current literature suggests that there is significant regional variation in outcomes, some of which may be related to modifiable factors. Yet, there is a persistent knowledge gap regarding strategies to guide quality improvement efforts in OHCA care and, by extension, survival. The Enhancing Prehospital Outcomes for Cardiac Arrest (EPOC) study aims to fill these gaps and to improve outcomes., Methods and Analysis: This mixed-methods study includes three aims. In aim I, we will define variation in OHCA survival to the emergency department (ED) among EMS agencies that participate in the Michigan Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) in order to sample EMS agencies with high-survival and low-survival outcomes. In aim II, we will conduct site visits to emergency medical systems-including 911/dispatch, police, non-transport fire, and EMS agencies-in approximately eight high-survival and low-survival communities identified in aim I. At each site, key informant interviews and a multidisciplinary focus group will identify themes associated with high OHCA survival. Transcripts will be coded using a structured codebook and analysed through thematic analysis. Results from aims I and II will inform the development of a survey instrument in aim III that will be administered to all EMS agencies in Michigan. This survey will test the generalisability of factors associated with increased OHCA survival in the qualitative work to ultimately build an EPOC Toolkit which will be distributed to a broad range of stakeholders as a practical 'how-to' guide to improve outcomes., Ethics and Dissemination: The EPOC study was deemed exempt by the University of Michigan Institutional Review Board. Findings will be compiled in an 'EPOC Toolkit' and disseminated in the USA through partnerships including, but not limited to, policymakers, EMS leadership and health departments., Competing Interests: Competing interests: During the study period, MA received funding from the American Heart Association for the Michigan-Resuscitation Innovation and Science Enterprise, a collaboration focused on improvement of neurological outcomes after cardiac arrest., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Importance: Black patients are overrepresented in the number of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths in the US. Reasons for this disparity may be due to underlying comorbidities or sociodemographic factors that require further exploration., Objective: To systematically determine patient characteristics associated with racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19 outcomes., Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used comparative groups of patients tested or treated for COVID-19 at the University of Michigan from March 10, 2020, to April 22, 2020, with an outcome update through July 28, 2020. A group of randomly selected untested individuals were included for comparison. Examined factors included race/ethnicity, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, comorbidities, body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), and residential-level socioeconomic characteristics., Exposure: In-house polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, commercial antibody tests, nasopharynx or oropharynx PCR deployed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and reverse transcription-PCR tests performed in external labs., Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcomes were being tested for COVID-19, having test results positive for COVID-19 or being diagnosed with COVID-19, being hospitalized for COVID-19, requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission for COVID-19, and COVID-19-related mortality (including inpatient and outpatient). Medical comorbidities were defined from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, codes and were aggregated into a comorbidity score. Associations with COVID-19 outcomes were examined using odds ratios (ORs)., Results: Of 5698 patients tested for COVID-19 (mean [SD] age, 47.4 [20.9] years; 2167 [38.0%] men; mean [SD] BMI, 30.0 [8.0]), most were non-Hispanic White (3740 patients [65.6%]) or non-Hispanic Black (1058 patients [18.6%]). The comparison group included 7168 individuals who were not tested (mean [SD] age, 43.1 [24.1] years; 3257 [45.4%] men; mean [SD] BMI, 28.5 [7.1]). Among 1139 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, 492 (43.2%) were White and 442 (38.8%) were Black; 523 (45.9%) were hospitalized, 283 (24.7%) were admitted to the ICU, and 88 (7.7%) died. Adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and comorbidity score, Black patients were more likely to be hospitalized compared with White patients (OR, 1.72 [95% CI, 1.15-2.58]; P = .009). In addition to older age, male sex, and obesity, living in densely populated areas was associated with increased risk of hospitalization (OR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.01-1.19]; P = .02). In the overall population, higher risk of hospitalization was also observed in patients with preexisting type 2 diabetes (OR, 1.82 [95% CI, 1.25-2.64]; P = .02) and kidney disease (OR, 2.87 [95% CI, 1.87-4.42]; P < .001). Compared with White patients, obesity was associated with higher risk of having test results positive for COVID-19 among Black patients (White: OR, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.01-1.84]; P = .04. Black: OR, 3.11 [95% CI, 1.64-5.90]; P < .001; P for interaction = .02). Having any cancer was associated with higher risk of positive COVID-19 test results for Black patients (OR, 1.82 [95% CI, 1.19-2.78]; P = .005) but not White patients (OR, 1.08 [95% CI, 0.84-1.40]; P = .53; P for interaction = .04). Overall comorbidity burden was associated with higher risk of hospitalization in White patients (OR, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.11-1.53]; P = .001) but not in Black patients (OR, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.83-1.17]; P = .88; P for interaction = .02), as was type 2 diabetes (White: OR, 2.59 [95% CI, 1.49-4.48]; P < .001; Black: OR, 1.17 [95% CI, 0.66-2.06]; P = .59; P for interaction = .046). No statistically significant racial differences were found in ICU admission and mortality based on adjusted analysis., Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that preexisting type 2 diabetes or kidney diseases and living in high-population density areas were associated with higher risk for COVID-19 hospitalization. Associations of risk factors with COVID-19 outcomes differed by race.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a common and expensive procedure that has become a target for bundled payment initiatives. We described the magnitude and determinants of variation in 90-day PCI episode payments across a diverse array of patients and hospitals., Methods and Results: We linked clinical registry data from PCIs performed at 33 Michigan hospitals to 90-day episodes of care constructed using Medicare fee-for-service and commercial insurance claims from January 2012 to October 2016. Payments were price standardized and risk adjusted using clinical and administrative variables in an observed-over-expected framework. Hospitals were stratified into quartiles based on average episode payments. Payment components between the highest and the lowest quartiles were compared with identified drivers of variation (ie, index hospitalization/procedure, readmissions, postacute care, and professional fees). Among 40 925 90-day PCI episodes, the average risk-adjusted 90-day episode payment by hospital ranged between $22 154 and $27 205 with a median of $24 696 (interquartile range, $24 190-$25 643). Hospitals in the lowest and the highest quartiles had average episode payments of $23 744 and $26 504, respectively (difference, $2760). Readmission payments were the primary driver of this variation (46.2%), followed by postacute care (22.6%). Readmissions remained the primary driver of variation in key subgroups, including inpatient and outpatient PCI, as well as PCI for acute myocardial infarction and nonacute myocardial infarction indications., Conclusions: Substantial hospital-level variation exists in 90-day PCI episode payments. Over half the variation between high- and low-payment hospitals was related to care after the index procedure, primarily because of readmissions and postacute care. Hospitals and policymakers should consider targeting these components when developing initiatives to reduce PCI-related spending.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) post percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with increased mortality but both death and AKI share common risk factors. Moreover, the effect of a high contrast dose, a known modifiable risk factor for AKI, on mortality is unknown. The aim of our study was to analyze the association between AKI and in-hospital mortality post PCI after adjustment for confounding by common risk factors., Methods and Results: This study was performed using a regional registry of all patients undergoing PCI in Michigan. Primary end points were AKI (serum creatinine increase >0.5 mg/dL) and all-cause in-hospital mortality. Propensity matching was performed, with each AKI patient matched to 4 controls. Attributable risk fraction and the exposed index number of AKI for mortality were calculated within the propensity-matched cohort. Between 2010 and 2013, 92 317 patients underwent PCI, of whom 2141 (2.3%) developed AKI. We matched 1371/2141 patients with AKI to 5484 controls. AKI was strongly associated with mortality (odds ratio=12.52, 95% confidence interval 9.29-16.86) in the propensity-matched cohort. The attributable risk fraction for mortality of AKI was 31.4% (95% confidence interval 26.8%-37.5%), and one death could be prevented for every 9 cases of AKI successfully avoided. The independent impact of a high contrast dose at time of PCI on in-hospital mortality risk was weak (adjusted odds ratio 1.19, 95% confidence interval 0.97-1.45)., Conclusions: Nearly one-third of the in-hospital mortality post PCI is attributable to AKI. Preventing 9 cases of AKI could potentially prevent one death. These study findings stress the need for developing effective AKI preventive strategies beyond minimization of contrast dose., (© 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: Revascularization decisions can profoundly impact patient survival, quality of life, and procedural risk. Although use of Heart Teams to make revascularization decisions is growing, data on their implementation in the real-world are limited. Our objective was to assess the prevalence of Heart Teams and their association with collaboration in routine practice., Methods: A survey of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons at 31 hospitals in Michigan was performed in May, 2011--prior to the recommendation for using Heart Teams in national guidelines. This survey included all percutaneous coronary intervention-performing hospitals in Michigan participating in the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium and Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons Quality Collaborative. It targeted both the use of Heart Teams and multidisciplinary Case Conferences., Results: There were 53 physician survey respondents from 27 hospitals with 4 hospitals not responding. Among respondents, 11 (40.7%) hospitals reported no Heart Teams or Case Conferences while 7 (25.9%) hospitals reported either a Heart Team or Case Conference. However, there was disagreement about the presence of a Heart Team at seven hospitals, and about Case Conferences at nine hospitals. Hospitals with definite Heart Teams reported significantly greater levels of collaboration between cardiologists and cardiac surgeons., Conclusion: The overall presence of Heart Teams prior to their recommendation in national guidelines was limited. Even among hospitals with a potential Heart Team, there was substantial disagreement between respondents about their presence. Further refinement of the definition of a Heart Team and measures of successful implementation are needed.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the use of and outcomes associated with use of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in real-world practice., Background: The role of NAC in the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is controversial, leading to widely varying recommendations for its use., Methods: Use of NAC was assessed in consecutive patients undergoing nonemergent percutaneous coronary intervention from 2006 to 2009 in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium, a large multicenter quality improvement collaborative. We examined the overall prevalence of NAC use in these patients and then used propensity matching to link its use with clinical outcomes, including CIN, nephropathy-requiring dialysis, and death., Results: Of the 90,578 percutaneous coronary interventions performed during the study period, NAC was used in 10,574 (11.6%) procedures, with its use steadily increasing over the study period. Patients treated with NAC were slightly older and more likely to have baseline renal insufficiency and other comorbidities. In propensity-matched, risk-adjusted models, we found no differences in outcomes between patients treated with NAC and those not receiving NAC for CIN (5.5% vs. 5.5%, p = 0.99), nephropathy-requiring dialysis (0.6% vs. 0.6%, p = 0.69), or death (0.6% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.15). These findings were consistent across many prespecified subgroups., Conclusions: Use of NAC is common and has steadily increased over the study period but does not seem to be associated with improved clinical outcomes in real-world practice., (Copyright © 2012 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Transfusion practices in hospitalised patients are being re-evaluated, in part due to studies indicating adverse effects in patients receiving large quantities of stored blood. Concomitant with this re-examination have been reports showing variability in the use of specific blood components. This investigation was designed to assess hospital variation in blood use and outcomes in cardiac surgery patients., Methods: We evaluated outcomes in 24,789 Medicare beneficiaries in the state of Michigan, USA who received coronary artery bypass graft surgery from 2003 to 2006. Using a cohort design, patients were followed from hospital admission to assess transfusions, in-hospital infection and mortality, as well as hospital readmission and mortality 30 days after discharge. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression was used to calculate the intrahospital correlation coefficient (for 40 hospitals) and compare outcomes by transfusion status., Results: Overall, 30% (95 CI, 20% to 42%) of the variance in transfusion practices was attributable to hospital site. Allogeneic blood use by hospital ranged from 72.5% to 100% in women and 49.7% to 100% in men. Allogeneic, but not autologous, blood transfusion increased the odds of in-hospital infection 2.0-fold (95% CI 1.6 to 2.5), in-hospital mortality 4.7-fold (95% CI 2.4 to 9.2), 30-day readmission 1.4-fold (95% CI 1.2 to 1.6), and 30-day mortality 2.9-fold (95% CI 1.4 to 6.0) in elective surgeries. Allogeneic transfusion was associated with infections of the genitourinary system, respiratory tract, bloodstream, digestive tract and skin, as well as infection with Clostridium difficile. For each 1% increase in hospital transfusion rates, there was a 0.13% increase in predicted infection rates., Conclusion: Allogeneic blood transfusion was associated with an increased risk of infection at multiple sites, suggesting a system-wide immune response. Hospital variation in transfusion practices after coronary artery bypass grafting was considerable, indicating that quality efforts may be able to influence practice and improve outcomes.

Background: Clinical research has developed slowly in most academic hospitalist programs, possibly because of a failure to recognize the important role of specialists in the diagnosis and management of complex medical patients as well as their expertise in clinical research. Ideally, a successful hospital-based clinical research program will need to partner hospitalists with specialists., Purpose: The University of Michigan's Specialist-Hospitalist Allied Research Program (SHARP) was designed to jumpstart hospital-based clinical and translational research at a major academic medical center by pairing specialists and hospitalists to ask and answer novel research questions., Description: SHARP is codirected by a hospitalist and a subspecialist and includes key personnel such as a hospitalist investigator, a clinical research nurse, a research associate, and a clinical epidemiologist. The program is guided by an oversight committee that includes institutional research leadership. Two initial projects have already been supported. The first, a collaboration between infectious disease specialists and hospitalists, is a prospective trial of antiseptic agents and techniques to reduce false-positive blood cultures. The second pairs geriatricians and clinical pharmacists with hospitalists to prospectively study techniques to reduce medication errors around the time of hospital discharge. Although initial pilot projects are single-institution studies, SHARP's goal is to expand its clinical research to include multicenter investigation. Metrics to evaluate SHARP include the number of successfully completed projects, extramural grants submitted and funded, and peer-reviewed publications., Conclusion: A successful hospital-based clinical research program combines hospitalists and specialists in a collaborative environment to identify optimal strategies for delivering inpatient care., (Copyright 2008 Society of Hospital Medicine.)

Background: In 2005, Michigan expanded primary percutaneous coronary intervention (P-PCI) capability to 12 hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery. We determined the potential impact of this expansion on geographic access to P-PCI for patients., Methods: Geographic information systems using the US Census Survey and hospital data from the state of Michigan were used to construct maps with 20-mile hospital service areas around P-PCI hospitals with and without on-site cardiac surgery. Geographic access was calculated as the percentage of the population living within the hospital service areas of these 2 types of hospitals., Results: Of 9,938,444 persons in Michigan, 7,694,834 (77.4%) lived within 20 miles of a P-PCI hospital. Thirty centers with on-site cardiac surgery provided access for 7,219,995 persons (72.6%). The 12 P-PCI hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery increased access by 474,839 persons (4.8%). Of these, 3 geographically isolated facilities, which were at least 20 miles away from another P-PCI hospital, accounted for the greatest improvement in geographic access (n = 425,700 [4.3%]), whereas the remaining 9 hospitals increased access by only 49,139 persons (0.5%)., Conclusions: Expansion of P-PCI to hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery in Michigan improved geographic access to a modest extent.

We identified 155 patients who were admitted with an acute coronary syndrome and a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level