Search

Introduction: Severely burned patients exhibit increased nutritional requirements and are at high risk of developing sepsis. Selenium is an essential trace element supporting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways, mediated by incorporation into selenoproteins. The selenium status may affect sepsis risk in burn injury., Methods: This prospective cohort study included 90 adult patients admitted to Zurich Burn Center, Switzerland. All patients received a continuous intravenous infusion of 1000 μg sodium selenite per day during the first week as part of local standard of care. Three complementary biomarkers of serum selenium status were determined at nine time-points up to six months postburn, namely total selenium, selenoprotein P, and glutathione peroxidase 3. The resulting data were correlated to clinical parameters and outcomes, with sepsis as the primary end point., Results: A high fraction of the patients displayed selenium deficiency already at admission, and developed sepsis during hospitalization (n = 55; 61 %). Selenium status at admission was inversely related to burn severity. Low baseline selenoprotein P was associated with sepsis incidence, irrespective of trauma severity (adjusted HR, 1.94; 95 % CI, 1.05-3.63; p = 0.035). Burn severity and baseline concentrations of selenoprotein P and white blood cells together predicted sepsis with an area under the curve of 0.84 (95 % CI, 0.75-0.93; p < 0.0001). Supplemental selenium was associated with a transient normalization of selenium status., Conclusion: Considering its rapid decline following severe burn injury, the assessment of serum selenoprotein P upon admission may contribute to an early prediction of sepsis risk., Competing Interests: Competing interests LS holds shares of selenOmed GmbH, a company involved in Se status assessment; no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work are indicated., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The liver-derived selenium (Se) transporter selenoprotein P (SELENOP) declines in critical illness as a negative acute phase reactant and has recently been identified as an autoantigen. Hepatic selenoprotein biosynthesis and cotranslational selenocysteine insertion are sensitive to inflammation, therapeutic drugs, Se deficiency, and other modifiers. As severe burn injury induces a heavy inflammatory burden with concomitant Se depletion, we hypothesized an impairment of selenoprotein biosynthesis in the acute post-burn phase, potentially triggering the development of autoantibodies to SELENOP (SELENOP-aAb). To test this hypothesis, longitudinal serum samples from severely burned patients were analyzed over a period of six months. Newly occurring SELENOP-aAb were detected in 8.4% (7/83) of the burn patients, with onset not earlier than two weeks after injury. Prevalence of SELENOP-aAb was associated with injury severity, as aAb-positive patients have suffered more severe burns than their aAb-negative counterparts (median [IQR] ABSI: 11 [7-12] vs. 7 [5.8-8], p = 0.023). Autoimmunity to SELENOP was not associated with differences in total serum Se or SELENOP concentrations. A positive correlation of kidney-derived glutathione peroxidase (GPx3) with serum SELENOP was not present in the patients with SELENOP-aAb, who showed delayed normalization of GPx3 activity post-burn. Overall, the data suggest that SELENOP-aAb emerge after severe injury in a subset of patients and have antagonistic effects on Se transport. The nature of burn injury as a sudden event allowed a time-resolved analysis of a direct trigger for new-onset SELENOP-aAb, which may be relevant for severely affected patients requiring intensified acute and long-term care., Competing Interests: LS holds shares of selenOmed GmbH, a company involved in Se status assessment. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Turan, Klein, Graf, Chillon, Plock and Schomburg.)

Oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, and metabolic derangements are hallmarks of burn pathophysiology. Severely burned patients are highly susceptible to infectious complications. Selenium-binding protein 1 (SELENBP1) modulates intracellular redox homeostasis, and elevated serum concentrations have been associated with adverse clinical outcomes in trauma patients. We hypothesized that serum SELENBP1 at hospital admission and during hospitalization may constitute a meaningful biomarker of disease severity and the clinical course in burn injury, with pulmonary infection as primary endpoint. To this end, we conducted a prospective cohort study that included 90 adult patients admitted to the Burn Center of the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. Patients were treated according to the local standard of care, with high-dose selenium supplementation during the first week. Serum SELENBP1 was determined at nine time-points up to six months postburn and the data were correlated to clinical parameters. SELENBP1 was initially elevated and rapidly declined within the first day. Baseline SELENBP1 levels correlated positively with the Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI) (R = 0.408; p < 0.0001). In multiple logistic regression, a higher ABSI was significantly associated with increased pulmonary infection risk (OR, 14.4; 95% CI, 3.2-88.8; p = 0.001). Similarly, baseline SELENBP1 levels constituted a novel but less accurate predictor of pulmonary infection risk (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 0.7-8.9; p = 0.164). Further studies are needed to explore the additional value of serum SELENBP1 when stratifying patients with respect to the clinical course following major burns and, potentially, for monitoring therapeutic measures aimed at reducing tissue damage and oxidative stress.

Background: The expression of amino acid transporters is known to vary during acute pancreatitis (AP) except for LAT1 ( slc7a5 ), the expression of which remains stable. LAT1 supports cell growth by importing leucine and thereby stimulates mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity, a phenomenon often observed in cancer cells. The mechanisms by which LAT1 influences physiological and pathophysiological processes and affects disease progression in the pancreas are not yet known., Aim: To evaluate the role of LAT1 in the development of and recovery from AP., Methods: AP was induced with caerulein (cae) injections in female and male mice expressing LAT1 or after its knockout (LAT1 Cre/LoxP). The development of the initial AP injury and its recovery were followed for seven days after cae injections by daily measuring body weight, assessing microscopical tissue architecture, mRNA and protein expression, protein synthesis, and enzyme activity levels, as well as by testing the recruitment of immune cells by FACS and ELISA., Results: The initial injury, evaluated by measurements of plasma amylase, lipase, and trypsin activity, as well as the gene expression of dedifferentiation markers, did not differ between the groups. However, early metabolic adaptations that support regeneration at later stages were blunted in LAT1 knockout mice. Especially in females, we observed less mTOR reactivation and dysfunctional autophagy. The later regeneration phase was clearly delayed in female LAT1 knockout mice, which did not regain normal expression of the pancreas-specific differentiation markers recombining binding protein suppressor of hairless-like protein (rbpjl) and basic helix-loop-helix family member A15 (mist1). Amylase mRNA and protein levels remained lower, and, strikingly, female LAT1 knockout mice presented signs of fibrosis lasting until day seven. In contrast, pancreas morphology had returned to normal in wild-type littermates., Conclusion: LAT1 supports the regeneration of acinar cells after AP. Female mice lacking LAT1 exhibited more pronounced alterations than male mice, indicating a sexual dimorphism of amino acid metabolism., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have nothing to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pancreatitis is known to be painful in humans and companion animals. However, the extent of pain in experimental mouse models of acute pancreatitis is unknown. Consequently, the severity classification of acute pancreatitis in mice is controversially discussed and standardized pain management is missing. In this study, we investigated acute Cerulein-induced pancreatitis with pain-specific and well-being orientated parameters to detect its impact on mice. Male C57BL/6J male mice were injected with Cerulein; animals that received saline injections served as control group. The animals were observed for weight change and water intake. To assess pain, behaviors like stretch-and-press and reduced rearing, the Mouse Grimace Scale, and von Frey hypersensitivity were assessed. Fecal corticosterone metabolites and burrowing behavior were assessed to detect changes in the animal's well-being. Pancreatitis severity was evaluated with amylase and lipase in the blood and pancreas histology. To investigate whether different analgesics can alleviate signs of pain, and if they influence pancreas inflammation, animals received Buprenorphine, Paracetamol in combination with Tramadol, or Metamizole in the drinking water. The calculated intake of these analgesics via drinking reached values stated to be efficient for pain alleviation. While pancreatitis did not seem to be painful, we detected acute pain from Cerulein injections that could not be alleviated by analgesics. The number of inflammatory cells in the pancreas did not differ with the analgesic administered. In conclusion: (1) Cerulein injections appear to be acutely painful but pain could not be alleviated by the tested analgesics, (2) acute pancreatitis induced by our protocol did not induce obvious signs of pain, (3) analgesic substances had no detectable influence on inflammation. Nevertheless, protocols inducing more severe or even chronic pancreatitis might evoke more pain and analgesic treatment might become imperative. Considering our results, we recommend the use of Buprenorphine via drinking water in these protocols. Further studies to search for efficient analgesics that can alleviate the acute pain induced by Cerulein injections are needed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Durst, Graf, Graf, Kron, Arras, Zechner, Palme, Talbot and Jirkof.)

Background: CRS/HIPEC gained acceptance as a treatment for selected patients with peritoneal metastasis. However, the pathophysiology behind HIPEC is poorly understood, and a variety of regimens are currently in use. In this study, we describe for the first-time changes in the postoperative systemic inflammatory reaction, highly different among HIPEC treatment protocols., Methods: HIPEC was performed with three protocols, different with regard to perfusion times and drugs: (mitomycinC/doxorubicin, 90min), (cisplatin, 90min) (oxaliplatin, 30min). Serial blood samples were assessed for C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cells (WBC), pancreatic stone protein (PSP) and bacterial component (16s rDNA). The study was approved by the local ethics committee and registered at clinicaltirals.gov (NCT02741167)., Results: Overall, 140 patients from two European centers were included. In patients without postoperative complications, a secondary peak of inflammatory parameters, CRP (p = 0.015) and PSP (p = 0.004) was observed after HIPEC for 90 min with mitomycinC/doxorubicin or cisplatin but not after 30 min oxaliplatin. In patients after 90 min HIPEC, postoperative serum bacterial 16srDNA level were 2.1 times higher (95% CI 0.646-3.032, p = 0.015) compared to 30 min oxaliplatin., Discussion: In conclusion, we identified a secondary inflammatory reaction after 90 min HIPEC, either with mitomycinC/doxorubicin or cisplatin, not observed after short course HIPEC with oxaliplatin. This protocol dependent physiology of acute phase proteins should be known in the clinical management of patients after HIPEC., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Many states in the United States, including Pennsylvania, have opted to rely on private managed care organizations to provide health insurance coverage for their Medicaid population in recent years. Geisinger Health System has been one such organization since 2013. Based on its existing care management model involving data-driven population management, advanced patient-centered medical homes, and targeted case management, Geisinger's Medicaid management efforts have been redesigned specifically to accommodate those with complex health care issues and social service needs to facilitate early intervention, effective and efficient care support, and ultimately, a positive impact on health care outcomes. An analysis of Geisinger's claims data suggests that during the first 19 months since beginning Medicaid member enrollment, Geisinger's Medicaid members, particularly those eligible for the supplemental security income benefits, have incurred lower inpatient, outpatient, and professional costs of care compared to expected levels. However, the total cost savings were partially offset by the higher prescription drug costs. These early data suggest that an integrated Medicaid care management effort may achieve significant cost of care savings. (Population Health Management 2016;19:257-263).

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of beta-lactam monotherapy and beta- lactam/macrolide combination therapy in the outpatient management of children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP)., Methods: This retrospective cohort study included children, ages 1-18 years, with CAP diagnosed between January 1, 2008 and January 31, 2010 during outpatient management in the Geisinger Health System. The primary exposure was receipt of beta-lactam monotherapy or beta-lactam/macrolide combination therapy. The primary outcome was treatment failure, defined as a follow-up visit within 14 days of diagnosis resulting in a change in antibiotic therapy. Logistic regression within a propensity score- restricted cohort was used to estimate the likelihood of treatment failure., Results: Of 717 children in the analytical cohort, 570 (79.4%) received beta-lactam monotherapy and 147 (20.1%) received combination therapy. Of those who received combination therapy 58.2% of children were under 6 years of age. Treatment failure occurred in 55 (7.7%) children, including in 8.1% of monotherapy recipients, and 6.1% of combination therapy recipients. Treatment failure rates were highest in children 6-18 years receiving monotherapy (12.9%) and lowest in children 6-18 years receiving combination therapy (4.0%). Children 6-18 years of age who received combination therapy were less likely to fail treatment than those who received beta-lactam monotherapy (propensity-adjusted odds ratio, 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.28, 0.95)., Conclusion: Children 6-18 years of age who received beta- lactam/macrolide combination therapy for CAP in the outpatient setting had lower odds of treatment failure compared with those who received beta-lactam monotherapy., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objectives: To estimate long-term cost savings associated with patients' exposure to an all-or-none bundle of measures for primary care management of diabetes., Study Design: In 2006, Geisinger's primary care clinics implemented an all-or-none diabetes system of care (DSC). Claims data from Geisinger Health Plan were used to identify those who met Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set criteria for diabetes and had 2 or more diabetes-related encounters on different dates before 2006. A cohort of 1875 members exposed to the DSC was then compared against a propensity score matched non-DSC comparison cohort from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2013., Methods: A set of generalized linear models with log link and gamma distribution was estimated. The key explanatory variable was each member's bundle exposure measured in months. The dependent variables were inpatient and outpatient facility costs, professional cost, and total medical cost excluding prescription drugs measured on a per-member-per-month basis., Results: Over the study period, the total medical cost saving associated with DSC exposure was approximately 6.9% (P < .05). The main source of the saving was reductions in inpatient facility cost, which showed approximately 28.7% savings (P < .01) over the study period. During the first year of the DSC exposure, however, there were significant increases in outpatient (13%; P < .05) and professional (9.7%; P < .05) costs., Conclusions: A system of care with an all-or-none bundled measure used in primary care for patients with diabetes may reduce long-term cost of care while improving health outcomes.

Background: Most children diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are treated in the outpatient setting. The objective of this study was to determine the comparative clinical effectiveness of beta-lactam monotherapy and macrolide monotherapy in this population., Study Design: Children, 1-18 years old, with a clinical diagnosis of CAP at an outpatient practice affiliated (n = 71) with Geisinger Health System during January 1, 2008 to January 31, 2010 were eligible. The primary exposure was receipt of beta-lactam or macrolide monotherapy. The primary outcome was treatment failure defined as change in antibiotic prescription within 14 days of the initial pneumonia diagnosis. Propensity scores were used to determine the likelihood of receiving macrolide monotherapy. Treatment groups were matched 1:1, based on propensity score, age group and asthma status. Multivariable conditional logistic regression models estimated the association between macrolide monotherapy and treatment failures., Results: Of 1999 children with CAP, 1164 were matched. In the matched cohorts, 24% of children had asthma. Patients who received macrolide monotherapy had no statistical difference in treatment failure regardless of age when compared with patients who received beta-lactam monotherapy., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that children diagnosed with CAP in the outpatient setting and treated with beta-lactam or macrolide monotherapy have the same likelihood to fail treatment regardless of age.

Background: Electronic medical records and insurance claims data from the Geisinger Health System were examined to assess the real-world healthcare costs of being overweight or obese at different glycemic stages, including normal glycemia, pre-diabetes (PreD), and type 2 diabetes (T2D)., Methods: The medical history of the sample subjects was segmented into different glycemic stages via diagnosis codes, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c or fasting plasma glucose laboratory results, and use of antidiabetic drugs. Healthcare resource utilization captured by the claims and associated costs (in 2013 values) were examined for each glycemic stage. The association between costs and body mass index (BMI) was estimated by regressions, and adjusted for sociodemographics. We predicted the adjusted incremental annual costs associated with high BMI, relative to normal BMI (18.5-24.9 kg/m(2))., Results: We identified 48,344 adults in normal glycemic stage, 3,085 in the PreD stage, and 9,526 in the T2D stage (mean age 46, 58, and 60 years, respectively; mean BMI 29, 32, and 33 kg/m(2), respectively). The adjusted incremental annual costs associated with high BMI relative to normal BMI ranged from $336 for overweight (25-29.9 kg/m(2)) to $1,850 for class III obesity (≥40 kg/m(2)) during normal glycemic stage; were only significant for class III ($2,434) during the PreD stage; and ranged from $1,139 for overweight to $4,649 for class III during the T2D stage (all p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Positive associations between healthcare costs and BMI levels were observed within each glycemic stage. Management of body weight is important in reducing the overall healthcare costs, especially for subjects with PreD or T2D.

Value-Based Healthcare: Summit 2014 clearly achieved the three goals set forth at the beginning of this document. First, the live event informed and educated attendees through a discussion of the evolving value-based healthcare environment, including a collaborative effort to define the important role of cardiovascular ultrasound in that environment. Second, publication of these Summit proceedings in the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography will inform a wider audience of the important insights gathered. Third, moving forward, the ASE will continue to build a ‘‘living resource’’ on its website, http://www.asecho.org, for clinicians, researchers, and administrators to use in advocating for the value of cardiovascular ultrasound in the new value-based healthcare environment. The ASE looks forward to incorporating many of the Summit recommendations as it works with its members, legislators, payers, hospital administrators, and researchers to demonstrate and increase the value of cardiovascular ultrasound. All Summit attendees shared in the infectious enthusiasm generated by this proactive approach to ensuring cardiovascular ultrasound’s place as ‘‘The Value Choice’’ in cardiac imaging.

Early evidence suggests that the patient-centered medical home has the potential to improve patient outcomes while reducing the cost of care. However, it is unclear how this care model achieves such desirable results, particularly its impact on cost. We estimated cost savings associated with Geisinger Health System's patient-centered medical home clinics by examining longitudinal clinic-level claims data from elderly Medicare patients attending the clinics over a ninety-month period (2006 through the first half of 2013). We also used these data to deconstruct savings into its main components (inpatient, outpatient, professional, and prescription drugs). During this period, total costs associated with patient-centered medical home exposure declined by approximately 7.9 percent; the largest source of this savings was acute inpatient care ($34, or 19 percent savings per member per month), which accounts for about 64 percent of the total estimated savings. This finding is further supported by the fact that longer exposure was also associated with lower acute inpatient admission rates. The results of this study suggest that patient-centered medical homes can lead to sustainable, long-term improvements in patient health outcomes and the cost of care., (Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.)

Background: The role of adjunct systemic corticosteroid therapy in children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is not known. The objective was to determine the association between adjunct systemic corticosteroid therapy and treatment failure in children who received antibiotics for treatment of CAP in the outpatient setting., Methods: The study included a retrospective cohort study of children, aged 1-18 years, with a diagnosis of CAP who were managed at an outpatient practice affiliated with Geisinger Health System from January 1, 2008 to January 31, 2010. The primary exposure was the receipt of adjunct corticosteroid therapy. The primary outcome was treatment failure defined as a respiratory-associated follow-up within 14 days of diagnosis in which the participant received a change in antibiotic therapy. The probability of receiving adjunct systemic corticosteroid therapy was calculated using a matched propensity score. A multivariable conditional logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between adjunct corticosteroids and treatment failure., Results: Of 2244 children with CAP, 293 (13%) received adjunct corticosteroids, 517 (23%) had underlying asthma, and 624 (28%) presented with wheezing. Most patients received macrolide monotherapy for their CAP diagnosis (n = 1329; 59%). Overall, treatment failure was not associated with adjunct corticosteroid treatment (odds ratio [OR], 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93 and 3.19), but the association was statistically significant among patients with no history of asthma (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.03 and 5.52), with no statistical association among patients with a history of asthma., Conclusion: Adjunct corticosteroid therapy was associated with treatment failure among children diagnosed with CAP who did not have underlying asthma., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess how the risks of glycemic stage transitions observed in clinical practice vary with body mass index (BMI). These transitions included progression from euglycemia ('normal') to prediabetes (PreD) and from PreD to type 2 diabetes (T2D), as well as from normal directly to T2D, and reversions from PreD to normal., Methods: We examined the Geisinger Health System electronic health records and insurance claims data, segmenting a subject's medical history into normal, PreD, and/or T2D glycemic stages via diagnosis codes, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) or fasting plasma glucose lab results, and use of anti-diabetic drugs. Weibull survival models, adjusted for age, gender, race, and smoking, were used to estimate the glycemic progression hazard ratios for BMI categories relative to normal BMI., Results: The sample included 32,864 adults with normal glycemic levels at baseline and 4483 with PreD. The adjusted hazard ratios for normal to PreD progression ranged from 1.8 (25 ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m(2)) to 6.5 (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m(2)); for PreD to T2D, 1.3 to 2.9; for normal to T2D, 1.8 to 9.5; and for PreD to normal, ∼0.7 across all BMI., Limitations: The glycemic transitions may be recognized after the true onset since periodic glycemic testing was not required across the study population., Conclusions: A positive association between the risks of progression along the glycemic continuum and BMI levels was observed in a real-world United States practice setting.

Improving the quality of care for chronic diseases is an important issue for most health care systems in industrialized nations. One widely adopted approach is the Chronic Care Model (CCM), which was first developed in the late 1990s. In this article we present the results from two large surveys in the United States and Germany that report patients' experiences in different models of patient-centered diabetes care, compared to the experiences of patients who received routine diabetes care in the same systems. The study populations were enrolled in either Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania or Barmer, a German sickness fund that provides medical insurance nationwide. Our findings suggest that patients with type 2 diabetes who were enrolled in the care models that exhibited key features of the CCM were more likely to receive care that was patient-centered, high quality, and collaborative, compared to patients who received routine care. This study demonstrates that quality improvement can be realized through the application of the Chronic Care Model, regardless of the setting or distinct characteristics of the program., (Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.)

Objectives: To determine whether a system of care with an all-or-none bundled measure for primary-care management of diabetes mellitus reduced the risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications compared with usual care., Study Design: A parallel pre-post observational design was used. In 2006, a system of care for diabetes was implemented for some members of the Geisinger Health Plan. A total of 4095 primary-care patients were in the Diabetes System of Care group (DS) and compared with a propensity score-matched cohort of 4095 primary care patients not in the system of care (non-Diabetes System of Care [NDS])., Methods: Cumulative hazard rate was measured over a 3-year period for retinopathy, amputation, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI)., Results: The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for MI (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.65- 0.90), stroke (HR, 0.79; CI, 0.65-0.97), and retinopathy (HR, 0.81; CI, 0.68-0.97) were all significantly lower among DS patients. The adjusted HR for major amputations (HR, 1.32; CI, 0.45-3.85) did not differ between groups, but only 17 major amputations occurred during the follow-up period. The necessary number of patients to treat in order to prevent 1 event over 3 years was 82 for MI, 178 for stroke, and 151 for retinopathy., Conclusions: A system of care with an all-or-none bundled measure used in primary care for patients with diabetes may reduce the risk of MI, stroke, and retinopathy over a 3-year period.

Patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) have the potential to improve patient experience of care. Since 2006, Geisinger Health System has implemented its own version of an advanced PCMH model, referred to as ProvenHealth Navigator (PHN). To evaluate the impact of PHN on patient experience of care, the authors conducted a survey of patients whose primary care clinics had been transformed to "PHN sites" and were under case management at the time of the survey. A comparable survey of patients from non-PHN sites also was conducted for comparison. The results suggest that patients in PHN sites were significantly more likely to report positive changes in their care experience and quality; moreover, they were more likely to cite the physician's office as their usual source of care rather than the emergency room (83% vs. 68% for physician's office; 11% vs. 23% for emergency room). However, the results also suggest that there was no significant difference between PHN and non-PHN patients in their perceptions of access to care or primary care physician performance in terms of patient-centered care (eg, listening, explaining, involving patients in decision making). These findings are consistent with the expectation that transformation of primary care into PCMH can lead to improved patient experience of care.

Background: National quality indicators show little change in the overuse of antibiotics for uncomplicated acute bronchitis. We compared the effect of 2 decision support strategies on antibiotic treatment of uncomplicated acute bronchitis., Methods: We conducted a 3-arm cluster randomized trial among 33 primary care practices belonging to an integrated health care system in central Pennsylvania. The printed decision support intervention sites (11 practices) received decision support for acute cough illness through a print-based strategy, the computer-assisted decision support intervention sites (11 practices) received decision support through an electronic medical record-based strategy, and the control sites (11 practices) served as a control arm. Both intervention sites also received clinician education and feedback on prescribing practices, as well as patient education brochures at check-in. Antibiotic prescription rates for uncomplicated acute bronchitis in the winter period (October 1, 2009, through March 31, 2010) following introduction of the intervention were compared with the previous 3 winter periods in an intent-to-treat analysis., Results: Compared with the baseline period, the percentage of adolescents and adults prescribed antibiotics during the intervention period decreased at the printed decision support intervention sites (from 80.0% to 68.3%) and at the computer-assisted decision support intervention sites (from 74.0% to 60.7%) but increased slightly at the control sites (from 72.5% to 74.3%). After controlling for patient and clinician characteristics, as well as clustering of observations by clinician and practice site, the differences for the intervention sites were statistically significant from the control sites (P = .003 for control sites vs printed decision support intervention sites and P = .01 for control sites vs computer-assisted decision support intervention sites) but not between themselves (P = .67 for printed decision support intervention sites vs computer-assisted decision support intervention sites). Changes in total visits, 30-day return visit rates, and proportion diagnosed as having uncomplicated acute bronchitis were similar among the study sites., Conclusions: Implementation of a decision support strategy for acute bronchitis can help reduce the overuse of antibiotics in primary care settings. The effect of printed vs computer-assisted decision support strategies for providing decision support was equivalent., Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00981994.

The need for improved models of chronic care is great and will become critical over the next years as the Medicare-aged population doubles. Many promising models have been developed by outstanding groups across the country. This article reviews key strategies used by successful models in chronic disease management and discusses in detail how Geisinger has evolved and organized its cohesive delivery model., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To estimate cost savings associated with ProvenHealth Navigator (PHN), which is an advanced model of patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) developed by Geisinger Health System, and determine whether those savings increase over time., Study Design: A retrospective claims data analysis of 43 primary care clinics that were converted into PHN sites between 2006 and 2010. The study population included Geisinger Health Plan's Medicare Advantage plan enrollees who were 65 years or older treated in these clinics (26,303 unique members)., Methods: Two patient-level multivariate regression models (with and without interaction effects between prescription drug coverage and PHN exposure) with member fixed effects were used to estimate the effect of members' exposure to PHN on per-member per-month total cost, controlling for member risk, seasonality, yearly trend, and a set of baseline clinic characteristics., Results: In both models, a longer period of PHN exposure was significantly associated with a lower total cost. The total cumulative cost savings over the study period was 7.1% (95% confi dence interval [CI] 2.6-11.6) using the model with the prescription drug coverage interaction effects and 4.3% (95% CI 0.4-8.3) using the model without the interaction effects. Corresponding return on investment was 1.7 (95% CI 0.3-3.0) and 1.0 (95% Cl -0.1 to 2.0), respectively., Conclusions: Our finding suggests that PCMHs can lead to significant and sustainable cost savings over time.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 provides for a number of major payment and delivery system initiatives. These potential changes need to be tested, scaled, and adapted with an urgency not evident in previous demonstration projects of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We discuss lessons learned from our iterative tests of care reengineering at Geisinger--specifically, through our advanced medical home model, ProvenHealth Navigator, and the way we continuously modified the model to improve quality and value. We hypothesize that the most important ingredient in our model has been the embedding of nurse case managers into our community practices and the real-time feedback of data on the use of health services by the most complex patients.

Background: The primary care medical home has been promoted to integrate and improve patient care while reducing healthcare spending, but with little formal study of the model or evidence of its efficacy. ProvenHealth Navigator (PHN), an intensive multidimensional medical home model that addresses care delivery and financing, was introduced into 11 different primary care practices. The goals were to improve the quality, efficiency, and patient experience of care., Objective: To evaluate the ability of a medical home model to improve the efficiency of care for Medicare beneficiaries., Study Design: Observational study using regression modeling based on preintervention and postintervention data and a propensity-selected control cohort., Methods: Four years of claims data for Medicare patients at 11 intervention sites and 75 control groups were analyzed to compute hospital admission and readmission rates, and the total cost of care. Regression modeling was used to establish predicted rates and costs in the absence of the intervention. Actual results were compared with predicted results to compute changes attributable to the PHN model., Results: ProvenHealth Navigator was associated with an 18% (P <.01) cumulative reduction in inpatient admissions and a 36% (P = .02) cumulative reduction in readmissions across the total population over the study period., Conclusions: Investing in the capabilities of primary care practices to serve as medical homes may increase healthcare value by improving the efficiency of care. This study demonstrates that the PHN model is capable of significantly reducing admissions and readmissions for Medicare Advantage members.