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2024 NOV 2 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Researchers detail new data in Clinical Trial Research. According to news reporting [...]

2024 NOV 2 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Researchers detail new data in adverse drug reactions. According to news reporting [...]

2024 NOV 2 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Current study results on Opioids have been published. According to news originating [...]

2024 OCT 19 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Investigators publish new report on dysphagia. According to news reporting out of [...]

2024 OCT 19 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Investigators publish new report on atrial fibrillation. According to news originating from [...]

2024 OCT 5 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- New research on antimicrobials and healthcare epidemiology is the subject of a [...]

2024 SEP 7 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Investigators publish new report on military medicine. According to news reporting out [...]

Objective: To develop weights to estimate state population-based hospitalization rates for all residents of a state using only data from in-state hospitals which exclude residents treated in other states. Data Sources and Study Setting: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), State Inpatient Databases (SID), 2018-2019,47 states+DC. Study Design: We identified characteristics for patients hospitalized in each state differentiating movers (discharges for patients hospitalized outside state of residence) from stayers (discharges for patients hospitalized in state of residence) and created weights based on 2018 data informed by these characteristics. We calculated standard errors using a sampling framework and compared weight-based estimates against complete observed values for 2019. Data Collection/Extraction Methods: SID are based on administrative billing records collected by hospitals, shared with statewide data organizations, and provided to HCUP. Principal Findings: Of 34,186,766 discharged patients in 2018, 4.2% were movers. A higher share of movers (vs. stayers) lived in state border and rural counties; a lower share had discharges billed to Medicaid or were hospitalized for maternal/neonatal services. The difference between 2019 observed and estimated total discharges for all included states and DC was 9402 (mean absolute percentage error = 0.2%). We overestimated discharges with an expected payer of Medicaid, from the lowest income communities, and for maternal/neonatal care. We underestimated discharges with an expected payer of private insurance, from the highest income communities, and with injury diagnoses and surgical services. Estimates for most subsets were not within a 95% confidence interval, likely due to factors impossible to account for (e.g., hospital closures/openings, shifting consumer preferences). Conclusions: The weights offer a practical solution for researchers with access to only a single state's data to account for movers when calculating population-based hospitalization rates. KEYWORDS health care-seeking behavior, inpatient data, out-of-state hospitalizations, population-based rates, weighting methods, 1 | INTRODUCTION Constructing accurate population-based rates of conditions or hospital events is critical for monitoring population health, evaluating the effectiveness of health programs, and informing health care interventions and [...]

2024 AUG 8 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Women's Health Weekly -- Data detailed on Pregnancy Complications have been presented. According to news reporting from Los […]

2024 JUN 27 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Women's Health Weekly -- Investigators publish new report on health systems and policies. According to news reporting originating [...]

2024 MAY 25 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Investigators publish new report on heart failure. According to news reporting out [...]

2024 APR 13 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Fresh data on cancer are presented in a new report. According to [...]

2024 APR 13 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- New study results on abdominal aortic aneurysm have been published. According to [...]

2024 APR 13 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- New research on heart failure is the subject of a new report. [...]

2024 APR 11 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Women's Health Weekly -- Researchers detail new data in Oncology - Breast Cancer. According to news reporting from [...]

2024 APR 6 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- A new study on epidural abscess is now available. According to news [...]

2024 MAR 16 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Research findings on gastroschisis are discussed in a new report. According to [...]

2024 FEB 24 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Investigators discuss new findings in Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases and Conditions - [...]

2024 FEB 17 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Data detailed on obesity have been presented. According to news reporting out [...]

2024 FEB 3 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Current study results on Liver Diseases and Conditions - Hepatitis have been [...]

2024 JAN 27 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Data detailed on Obesity, Fitness and Wellness have been presented. According to [...]

2024 JAN 13 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Research findings on dementia are discussed in a new report. According to [...]

2024 JAN 6 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Current study results on sepsis have been published. According to news originating [...]

Objective: To evaluate the impact of hospitals' participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) on their financial performance. Data Sources: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital Cost Reports and MSSP Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) Provider-Level Research Identifiable File from 2011 to 2018. Study Design: We used an event-study design to estimate the temporal effects of MSSP participation on hospital financial outcomes and compared within-hospital changes over time between MSSP and non-MSSP hospitals while controlling for hospital and year fixed effects and organizational and service-area characteristics. The following financial outcomes were evaluated: outpatient revenue, inpatient revenue, net patient revenue, Medicare revenue, operating margin, inpatient revenue share, Medicare revenue share, and allowance and discount rate. Data Collection/Extraction Methods: Secondary data linked at the hospital level. Principal Findings: Controlling for trends in non-MSSP hospitals, MSSP participation was associated with differential increases in net patient revenue by $3.28 million (p < 0.001), $3.20 million (p < 0.01), and $4.20 million (p < 0.01) in the second, third, and fourth year and beyond after joining MSSP, respectively. Medicare revenue differentially increased by $1.50 million (p < 0.05), $2.24 million (p < 0.05), and $4.47 million (p < 0.05) in the first, second, and fourth year and beyond. Inpatient revenue share differentially increased by 0.29% (p < 0.05) in the second year and 0.44% (p < 0.05) in the fourth year and beyond. Medicare revenue share differentially increased by 0.17% (p < 0.01), 0.25% (p < 0.01), 0.32% (p < 0.01), and 0.41% (p < 0.01) in consecutive years following MSSP participation. MSSP participation was associated with 0.33% (p < 0.05) and 0.39% (p < 0.05) differential reduction in allowance and discount rate in the second and third years. Conclusions: MSSP participation was associated with differential increases in net patient revenue, Medicare revenue, inpatient revenue share, and Medicare revenue share, and a differential reduction in allowance and discount rate. KEYWORDS accountable care organizations, financial performance, hospital, Medicare, Medicare Shared Savings Program What is known on this topic * Prior research suggests that the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) was associated with modest reductions in Medicare spending, reduced inpatient utilization, reduced readmissions, improved preventive care, and improved patient experience. * An increasing number of hospitals are participating in MSSP Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). * Few studies have examined the relationship between MSSP participation and hospital financial performance. What this study adds * This study leverages a national sample and a quasi-experimental design to estimate the effects of MSSP participation on hospital financial outcome measures. * MSSP participation was associated with differential increases in net patient revenue, Medicare revenue, inpatient revenue share, and Medicare revenue share, and a differential reduction in allowance and discount rate. * The evidence of no decline in operating margins after MSSP participation alleviates the policy concern that the MSSP may threaten hospitals' financial viability., 1 | INTRODUCTION As a value-based payment model, the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model is expected to curb spending growth and improve care quality by incorporating organizational accountability and pay-forperformance [...]

Objective: To estimate the association of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) implemented in 2011 with caregiver health and health care use. Data Sources: VHA claims and electronic health records from May 2009 to May 2018. Study Design: Using a retrospective, pre-post study design with inverse probability of treatment weights to address selection into treatment, we examine the association of PCAFC on caregivers who are veterans: (1) outpatient primary, specialty, and mental health care visits; (2) probability of uncontrolled hypertension and anxiety/depression; and (3) VHA health care costs. We compare outcomes for caregivers approved for PCAFC (treatment) to caregivers denied PCAFC (comparison). Data Collection/Extraction Methods: Not applicable. Principal Findings: In the year pre-application, we observe similar probabilities of having any VHA primary care (~36%), VHA specialty care (~24%), and VHA or VHA-purchased mental health care (~22%) for treatment and comparison caregivers. In the year post-application, treated caregivers had a 5.89 percentage point larger probability of any outpatient VHA primary care (p = 0.002) and 4.34 percentage points larger probability of any outpatient mental health care use (p = 0.014). Post-application, probabilities of having uncontrolled hypertension or diagnosed anxiety/depression were higher for both treated and comparison groups. In the second year post-application, treated caregivers had a 1.88 percentage point larger probability of uncontrolled hypertension (p = 0.019) and 4.68 percentage points larger probability of diagnosed anxiety/depression (predicted probabilities: treated = 0.30; comparison = 0.25; p = 0.005). We find no evidence of differences in VHA total costs by PCAFC status. Conclusions: Our findings that PCAFC enrollment is associated with increased health care diagnosis and service use may reflect improved access for previously unmet needs in the population of veteran caregivers for veterans in PCAFC. The costs and value of these increases can be weighed against other effects of the program to inform national policies supporting caregivers. KEYWORDS access to care, anxiety, caregivers, depression, health care costs, veterans What is known on this topic * Prior research found the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) improves veteran care-recipients' access to care and increases total VHA costs. * Compared with non-caregivers, family caregivers of older adults, typically spouses, experience adverse mental health and physical health outcomes, yet the health effects of caregiving on younger caregivers are unknown. What this study adds * By restricting the sample to caregivers and care-recipients who are both veterans in the VHA system, we estimate caregiver health outcomes while controlling for care-recipient and caregiver characteristics of predominately non-elderly, spousal caregivers. * We find enrollment in PCAFC is associated with increased outpatient care use and increased diagnosed anxiety/depression among these caregivers., 1 | INTRODUCTION In 2014, an estimated 1.1 million friends or family members of US veterans were family caregivers providing uncompensated care to veterans who served post-9/11. (1) Compared with [...]

Objective: To determine if greater non-profit hospital spending for community benefits is associated with better health outcomes in the county where they are located. Data Sources and Study Setting: Community benefit data from IRS Form 990/Schedule H was linked to health outcome data from Area Health Resource Files, Map the Meal Gap, and Medicare claims from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services at the county level. Counties with at least one non-profit hospital in the United States from 2015 to 2019 (N = 5469 across the 5 years) were included. Study Design: We ran multiple regressions on community benefit expenditures linked with the number of health professionals, food insecurity, and adherence to diabetes and hypertension medication for each county. Data Collection: The three outcomes were chosen based on prior studies of community benefit and a recent survey sent to 12 health care executives across four regions of the U.S. Data on community benefit expenditures and health outcomes were aggregated at the county level. Principal Findings: Average hospital community benefit spending in 2019 was $63.6 million per county ($255 per capita). Multivariate regression results did not demonstrate significant associations of total community benefit spending with food insecurity or medication adherence for diabetes. Statistically significant associations with the number of health professionals per 1000 (coefficient, 12.10; SE, 0.32; p < 0.001) and medication adherence for hypertension (marginal effect, 0.27; SE, 0.09; p = 0.003) were identified, but both would require very large increases in community benefit spending to meaningfully improve outcomes. Conclusions: Despite varying levels of non-profit hospital community benefit investment across counties, higher community benefit expenditures are not associated with an improvement in the selected health outcomes at the county level. Hospitals can use this information to reassess community benefit strategies, while federal, state, and local governments can use these findings to redefine the measures of community benefit they use to monitor and grant tax exemption. KEYWORDS health care disparities, health care organizations and systems, health economics, health policy/politics/law/regulation, hospitals, state health policies What is known on this topic * Non-profit hospitals spend billions of dollars on community benefits with the expectation that they will provide benefits to their local communities. * The impact of these investments is not well known. What this study adds * Hospital community benefit expenditures are not associated with better health outcomes at the county level., 1 | INTRODUCTION In a report released by the American Hospital Association in 2021, non-profit hospitals claimed to be spending $105 billion on community benefit services in 2018. (1) Proponents [...]

Objective: To examine the limitations of peer grouping and associated challenges measuring social risk in Medicare's Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). Under peer grouping, hospitals are divided into quintiles based on the proportion of a hospital's Medicare inpatients with Medicaid ('dual share'). This approach was implemented to address concerns that the HRRP unfairly penalized hospitals that disproportionately serve disadvantaged patients. Data: Public data on hospitals in the HRRP. Design: We examined the relationship between hospital dual share and readmission rates within peer groups; changes in hospitals' peer group assignments, readmission rates, and penalties; and the relationship between state Medicaid eligibility rules and peer groups. Data Collection: Public data on hospital characteristics and readmission rates for 3119 hospitals from 2019 to 2020. Principal Findings: The proportion of dual inpatients among hospitals of the same peer group varied by as much as 69 percentage points (ppt). Within peer groups, a one ppt increase in dual share was associated with a 0.01 ppt increase in the difference from the median readmission rate (p < 0.001). From 2019 to 2020, 8.8% of hospitals switched peer groups. Compared to hospitals that did not switch, those moving to a lower peer group had a higher mean penalty in 2020 (0.096 ppt; p = 0.006); those moving to a higher group had a lower mean penalty (-0.06 ppt; p = 0.079). However, changes in penalties did not correspond to changes in readmission rates. Hospitals in states with higher Medicaid income eligibility limits were more likely to be in higher peer groups. Conclusions: Peer grouping is limited in the extent to which it accounts for differences in hospitals' patient populations, and it may not fully insulate hospitals from penalties linked to changes in patient mix. These problems arise from the construction of peer groups and the measure of social risk used to define them. KEYWORDS dual eligibles, Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, Medicaid, Medicare What is known on this topic * Prior research suggests that Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) penalized hospitals serving higher proportions of socially disadvantaged patients. * To address this concern, the HRRP was revised to account for differences in the socioeconomic status of patients across hospitals through peer grouping. * This new methodology divides hospitals into five peer groups, defined based on the hospitallevel proportion of Medicare inpatients with Medicaid ('dual share'). What this study adds * Our results reveal that peer grouping is limited in the extent to which it accounts for socioeconomic differences among hospitals' patient populations or fully insulates hospitals from penalties related to changes in patient mix. * Using the dual share of inpatients as a measure of social risk can be problematic because this measure is related, in part, to differences in Medicaid eligibility rules across states. * We discuss alternatives to peer grouping that may be more effective in accounting for social risk factors., 1 | INTRODUCTION In response to concerns that Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) disproportionately penalized hospitals serving socioeconomically disadvantaged patients, (1-8) the 21st Century Cures Act directed the Centers [...]

2023 DEC 30 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Data detailed on osteomyelitis have been presented. According to news reporting from [...]

2023 DEC 11 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Stem Cell Week -- New research on male kidney diseases and conditions is the subject of a new [...]