Provider and clinical setting characteristics associated with tobacco pharmacotherapy dispensed in the Veterans Health Administration.

INTRODUCTION: While initiation rates of tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy have improved both inside and outside the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), prescribing rates remain low. The objective of this study was to examine correlation of the characteristics of providers, clinics, and facilities with initiation of tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy. METHODS: This retrospective, observational study used VA outpatient electronic medical record data from federal fiscal year 2011. Logistic regression models estimated the adjusted odds ratio associated with provider characteristics for pharmacotherapy initiation. RESULTS: For the 639507 veterans who used tobacco, there were 30388 providers caring for them. Younger (p<0.001) and female (p<0.001) providers were more likely to initiate tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy. Compared to physicians, pharmacists were 74% more likely to initiate pharmacotherapy, while all groups of nurses were 5-8% and physicians' assistants were 12% less likely (p<0.001). Compared to those seen in primary care clinics, patients assessed in substance use treatment clinics were 16% more likely to have pharmacotherapy initiated (p<0.001), while those in psychiatry were 10% less likely (p<0.001), and those in outpatient surgery were 39% less likely to initiate pharmacotherapy (p<0.001). Compared to almost all other classes of VA facilities, patients seen in primary care community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) were 7-28% more likely to initiate pharmacotherapy (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: While the VA is at the leading edge of providing tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy, targeting quality improvement efforts towards providers, clinics, and facilities with low prescribing rates will be essential to continue the declining rates of tobacco use among VA patients.

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment for Pain Management for Veterans Seeking Service-Connection Payments for Musculoskeletal Disorders: SBIRT-PM Study Protocol.

BACKGROUND: Veterans with significant chronic pain from musculoskeletal disorders are at risk of substance misuse. Veterans whose condition is the result of military service may be eligible for a disability pension. Department of Veterans Affairs compensation examinations, which determine the degree of disability and whether it was connected to military service, represent an opportunity to engage Veterans in pain management and substance use treatments. A multisite randomized clinical trial is testing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment for Pain Management (SBIRT-PM) for Veterans seeking compensation for musculoskeletal disorders. This telephone-based intervention is delivered through a hub-and-spoke configuration. DESIGN: This study is a two-arm, parallel-group, 36-week, multisite randomized controlled single-blind trial. It will randomize 1,100 Veterans experiencing pain and seeking service-connection for musculoskeletal disorders to either SBIRT-PM or usual care across eight New England VA medical centers. The study balances pragmatic with explanatory methodological features. Primary outcomes are pain severity and number of substances misused. Nonpharmacological pain management and substance use services utilization are tracked in the trial. SUMMARY: Early trial enrollment targets were met across sites. SBIRT-PM could help Veterans, at the time of their compensation claims, use multimodal pain treatments and reduce existing substance misuse. Strategies to address COVID-19 pandemic impacts on the SBIRT-PM protocol have been developed to maintain its pragmatic and exploratory integrity.

Observational Study of the Downstream Consequences of Inappropriate MRI of the Lumbar Spine.

BACKGROUND: Contrary to guidelines, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often ordered in the first 6 weeks of new episodes of uncomplicated non-specific low back pain. OBJECTIVE: To determine the downstream consequences of early imaging. DESIGN: Retrospective matched cohort study using data from electronic health records of primary care clinics of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. PARTICIPANTS: Patients seeking primary care for non-specific low back pain without a red flag condition or an encounter for low back pain in the prior 6 months (N = 405,965). EXPOSURE: MRI of the lumbar spine within 6 weeks of the initial primary care visit. MAIN MEASURES: Covariates included patient demographics, health history in the prior year, and baseline pain. Outcomes were lumbar surgery, prescription opioid use, acute health care costs, and last pain score recorded within 1 year of the index visit. KEY RESULTS: Early MRI was associated with more back surgery (1.48% vs. 0.12% in episodes without early MRI), greater use of prescription opioids (35.1% vs. 28.6%), a higher final pain score (3.99 vs. 3.87), and greater acute care costs ($8082 vs. $5560), p < 0.001 for all comparisons. LIMITATIONS: Reliance on data gathered in normal clinical care and the potential for residual confounding despite the use of coarsened exact matching weights to adjust for baseline differences. CONCLUSIONS: The association between early imaging and increased utilization was apparent even in a setting largely unaffected by incentives of fee-for-service care. Reduced imaging cost is only part of the motivation to improve adherence with guidelines for the use of MRI. Early scans are associated with excess surgery, higher costs for other care, and worse outcomes, including potential harms from prescription opioids.

Assessment of Primary Care Clinician Concordance With Guidelines for Use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With Nonspecific Low Back Pain in the Veterans Affairs Health System.

Importance: Magnetic responance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine that is not concordant with treatment guidelines for low back pain represents an unnecessary cost for US health plans and may be associated with adverse effects. Use of MRI in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care clinics remains unknown. Objective: To assess the use of MRI scans during the first 6 weeks (early MRI scans) of episodes of nonspecific low back pain in VA primary care sites and to determine if historical concordance can identify clinicians and sites that are the least concordant with guidelines. Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective cohort study of electronic health records from 944 VA primary care sites from the 3 years ending in 2016. Data were analyzed between January 2017 and August 2019. Participants were patients with new episodes of nonspecific low back pain and the primary care clinicians responsible for their care. Exposures: MRI scans. Main Outcomes and Measures: The proportion of early MRI scans at VA primary care clinics was assessed. Clinician concordance with published guidelines over 2 years was used to select clinicians expected to have low concordance in a third year. Results: A total of 1 285 405 new episodes of nonspecific low back pain from 920 547 patients (mean [SD] age, 56.7 [15.8] years; 93.6% men) were attributed to 9098 clinicians (mean [SD] age, 52.1 [10.1] years; 55.7% women). An early MRI scan of the lumbar spine was performed in 31 132 of the episodes (2.42%; 95% CI, 2.40%-2.45%). Historical concordance was better than a random draw in selecting the 10% of clinicians who were subsequently the least concordant with published guidelines. For primary care clinicians, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.683 (95% CI, 0.658-0.701). For primary care sites, the area was under this curve was 0.8035 (95% CI, 0.754-0.855). The 10% of clinicians with the least historical concordance were responsible for just 19.2% of the early MRI scans performed in the follow-up year. Conclusions and Relevance: VA primary care clinics had low rates of use of early MRI scans. A history of low concordance with imaging guidelines was associated with subsequent low concordance but with limited potential to select clinicians most in need of interventions to implement guidelines.

Cost-effectiveness of a nurse-delivered, inpatient smoking cessation intervention.

Randomized controlled trials have shown that inpatient tobacco cessation interventions are highly efficacious and cost-effective. However, the degree to which smoking interventions implemented in nonrandomized, real-world practice settings are effective, and consequently, cost-effective, remains unclear. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a nurse-delivered, inpatient smoking cessation intervention, Tobacco Tactics, compared with usual care within the context of an observational, real-world study design. In this quasi-experimental study, five Michigan hospitals (N = 1,370 patients) were assigned to implement either Tobacco Tactics or usual care during October 2011-May 2013. Statistical analysis was conducted during January 2017-February 2018. Controlling for confounding using stabilized inverse probability of treatment weights, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were generated. The per person cost of tobacco cessation services in the intervention group exceeded that of usual care ($175.52 vs. $67.80; p < .001). The intervention group had a higher propensity-adjusted self-reported quit rate compared to the control group (15.7% vs. 7.0%; p < .0001). The propensity-adjusted incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $1,325 per quit (95% confidence interval: $751-$2,462), with 99.9% probability of being cost-effective at a willingness to pay of $5,000 per quit. The Tobacco Tactics intervention was found to be cost-effective and well within the range of incremental cost-per-quit findings from other studies of tobacco cessation interventions, which range from $918 to $23,200, adjusted for inflation.

Factors Influencing Primary Care Providers' Unneeded Lumbar Spine MRI Orders for Acute, Uncomplicated Low-Back Pain: a Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines suggest that magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine (LS-MRI) is unneeded during the first 6 weeks of acute, uncomplicated low-back pain. Unneeded LS-MRIs do not improve patient outcomes, lead to unnecessary surgeries and procedures, and cost the US healthcare system about $300 million dollars per year. However, why primary care providers (PCPs) order unneeded LS-MRI for acute, uncomplicated low-back pain is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To characterize and explain the factors contributing to PCPs ordering unneeded LS-MRI for acute, uncomplicated low-back pain. DESIGN: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. PARTICIPANTS: Veterans Affairs PCPs identified from administrative data as having high or low rates of guideline-concordant LS-MRI ordering in 2016. APPROACH: Providers were interviewed about their use of LS-MRI for acute, uncomplicated low-back pain and factors contributing to their decision-making. Directed content analysis of transcripts was conducted to identify and compare environmental-, patient-, and provider-level factors contributing to unneeded LS-MRI. KEY RESULTS: Fifty-five PCPs participated (8.6% response rate). Both low (n = 33) and high (n = 22) guideline-concordant providers reported that LS-MRIs were required for specialty care referrals, but they differed in how other environmental factors (stringency of radiology utilization review, management of patient travel burden, and time constraints) contributed to LS-MRI ordering patterns. Low- and high-guideline-concordant providers reported similar patient factors (beliefs in value of imaging and pressure on providers). However, provider groups differed in how provider-level factors (guideline familiarity and agreement, the extent to which they acquiesced to patients, and belief in the value of LS-MRI) contributed to LS-MRI ordering patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Results describe how diverse environmental, patient, and provider factors contribute to unneeded LS-MRI for acute, uncomplicated low-back pain. Prior research using a single intervention to reduce unneeded LS-MRI has been ineffective. Results suggest that multifaceted de-implementation strategies may be required to reduce unneeded LS-MRI.

The Costs of Hepatitis C by Liver Disease Stage: Estimates from the Veterans Health Administration.

BACKGROUND: The release of highly effective but costly medications for the treatment of hepatitis C virus combined with a doubling in the incidence of hepatitis C virus have posed substantial financial challenges for many healthcare systems. We provide estimates of the cost of treating patients with hepatitis C virus that can inform the triage of pharmaceutical care in systems with limited healthcare resources. METHODS: We conducted an observational study using a national US cohort of 206,090 veterans with laboratory-identified hepatitis C virus followed from Fiscal Year 2010 to 2014. We estimated the cost of: non-advanced Fibrosis-4; advanced Fibrosis-4; hepatocellular carcinoma; liver transplant; and post-liver transplant. The former two stages were ascertained using laboratory result data; the latter stages were ascertained using administrative data. Costs were obtained from the Veterans Health Administration's activity-based cost accounting system and more closely represent the actual costs of providing care, an improvement on the charge data that generally characterizes the hepatitis C virus cost literature. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate and predict costs per liver disease stage. Missing data were multiply imputed. RESULTS: Annual costs of care increased as patients progressed from non-advanced Fibrosis-4 to advanced Fibrosis-4, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplant (all p < 0.001). Post-liver transplant, costs decreased significantly (p < 0.001). In simulations, patients were estimated to incur the following annual costs: US $17,556 for non-advanced Fibrosis-4; US $20,791 for advanced Fibrosis-4; US $46,089 for liver cancer; US $261,959 in the year of the liver transplant; and US $18,643 per year after the liver transplant. CONCLUSIONS: Cost differences of treating non-advanced and advanced Fibrosis-4 are relatively small. The greatest cost savings would be realized from avoiding progression to liver cancer and transplant.

Cost-effectiveness of real-world administration of tobacco pharmacotherapy in the United States Veterans Health Administration.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cost-effectiveness studies in randomized clinical trials have shown that tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy is among the most cost-effective of health-care interventions. Clinical trial eligibility criteria and treatment protocols may not be followed in actual practice. This study aimed to determine whether tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy is cost-effective in real-world settings. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of costs and outcomes. SETTING: Hospitals and clinics of the US Veterans Health Administration, USA. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 589 862 US veterans who screened positive for tobacco use in 2011. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: Tobacco users who initiated smoking cessation pharmacotherapy in the 6 months after screening were compared with those who did not use pharmacotherapy in this period. Pharmacotherapy included nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion (if prescribed at 300 mg per day or specifically for tobacco cessation) or varenicline. MEASURES: Effectiveness was determined from responses to a subsequent tobacco screening conducted between 7 and 18 months after the treatment observation period. Cost of medications and prescribing health-care encounters was determined for the period between initial and follow-up tobacco use screening. Multivariate fixed-effects regression was used to assess the effect of initial treatment status on cost and outcome while controlling for differences in case-mix with propensity weighting to adjust for confounding by indication. FINDINGS: Thirteen per cent of participants received tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy within 6 months of initial screening. After an average of an additional 218.1 days' follow-up, those who initially received pharmacotherapy incurred $143.79 in additional treatment cost and had a 3.1% absolute increase in tobacco quit rates compared with those who were not initially treated. This represents an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $4705 per quit. The upper limit of the 99.9% confidence region was $5600 per quit. Without propensity adjustment, the cost-effectiveness ratio was $7144 per quit, with the upper limit of the 99.9% confidence region $9500/quit. CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy provided by the US Veterans Health Administration in 2011/12 was cost-effective in this real-world setting, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $4705 per quit.

Effectiveness of tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy in the Veterans Health Administration.

INTRODUCTION: In 2003, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) implemented a directive that cessation pharmacotherapy be made available to all who use tobacco and are interested in quitting. Despite the efficacy of cessation pharmacotherapy shown in clinical trials, the generalisability of the results in real-world settings has been challenged. Hence, the specific aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cessation pharmacotherapies in the VHA. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used VHA's electronic medical record data to compare quit rates among those who use tobacco and who did vs. did not receive any type of cessation pharmacotherapy. Included were 589 862 Veterans identified as current tobacco users during fiscal year 2011 who had not received cessation pharmacotherapy in the prior 12 months. Following a 6-month period to assess treatment, quit rates among those who were treated versus untreated were compared during the 7-18 months (12 months) post-treatment follow-up period. The estimated treatment effect was calculated from a logistic regression model adjusting for inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs) and covariates. Marginal probabilities of quitting were also obtained among those treated versus untreated. RESULTS: Adjusting for IPTWs and covariates, the odds of quitting were 24% higher among those treated versus untreated (OR=1.24, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.25, p<0.001). The marginal probabilities of quitting were 16.7% for the untreated versus 19.8% for the treated based on the weighted model. CONCLUSION: The increased quit rates among Veterans treated support the effectiveness and continuation of the VHA tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy policy.

Trends and Patient Characteristics Associated with Tobacco Pharmacotherapy Dispensed in the Veterans Health Administration.

Introduction: There is evidence suggesting that certain subgroups of people who use tobacco do not receive tobacco pharmacology as consistently as others. Methods: This retrospective, cohort study examined the trend in the use of cessation pharmacotherapy from 2004 to 2013 using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) administrative data. Among Veterans who used tobacco in the fiscal year (FY) 2011 and had not received pharmacotherapy in the prior year, multivariable Cox regression was used to assess the independent associations between patient clinical and demographic characteristics and pharmacotherapy initiation in the 6-months follow-up period. Results: Smoking cessation pharmacotherapy in the VHA increased from 13.8% in 2004 to 25.6% in 2013. In 2011, Veterans (N = 838309) who were more likely to newly receive pharmacotherapy included those with psychiatric disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, non-alcohol substance use disorder, other anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder), chronic pulmonary disease, peripheral vascular disorders, and younger Veterans (adjusted rate ratios (ARRs) ranged from 1.03 to 1.92, all p < .001). Veterans less likely to receive pharmacotherapy were those with schizophrenia or other psychosis, males, Hispanics, and those with a medical condition (uncomplicated diabetes, uncomplicated hypertension, fluid and electrolyte disorders, cardiac arrhythmia, valvular disease, hypothyroidism, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome/human immunodeficiency virus, deficiency anemia, renal failure, paralysis, coagulopathy, metastatic cancer, and other neurological disorders) (ARRs ranged from 0.74 to 0.93, all p < .001). Conclusions: Although VHA cessation pharmacotherapy use nearly doubled from 13.8% in 2004 to 25.6% in 2013, reaching undertreated subgroups, especially those with medical comorbidities, may improve cessation outcomes. Implications: Despite evidence that demographics influence the use of pharmacotherapy in smoking cessation, there is limited and contradictory information regarding how psychiatric and chronic medical illnesses affect pharmacotherapy use. Administrative data were used to determine trends and patient characteristics of those receiving pharmacotherapy to aid in smoking cessation in the Veterans Health Administration. From 2004 to 2013, pharmacotherapy use increased from 13.8% to 25.6% of current smokers. Factors associated with increased pharmacotherapy initiation were psychiatric disorders, chronic pulmonary disease, peripheral vascular disorders, and younger age. Veterans with schizophrenia or other psychosis, males, Hispanics, and most medical conditions were less likely to receive pharmacotherapy.

Effect of Interferon-Free Regimens on Disparities in Hepatitis C Treatment of US Veterans.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether implementation of interferon-free treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) reached groups less likely to benefit from earlier therapies, including patients with genotype 1 virus or contraindications to interferon treatment, and groups that faced treatment disparities: African Americans, patients with HIV co-infection, and those with drug use disorder. METHODS: Electronic medical records of the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA) were used to characterize patients with chronic HCV infection and the treatments they received. Initiation of treatment in 206,544 patients with chronic HCV characterized by viral genotype, demographic characteristics, and comorbid medical and mental illness was studied using a competing events Cox regression over 6 years. RESULTS: With the advent of interferon-free regimens, the proportion treated increased from 2.4% in 2010 to 18.1% in 2015, an absolute increase of 15.7%. Patients with genotype 1 virus, poor response to previous treatment, and liver disease had the greatest increase. Large absolute increases in the proportion treated were observed in patients with HIV co-infection (18.6%), alcohol use disorder (11.9%), and drug use disorder (12.6%) and in African American (13.7%) and Hispanic (13.5%) patients, groups that were less likely to receive interferon-containing treatment. The VHA spent $962 million on interferon-free treatments in 2015, 1.5% of its operating budget. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of patients with HCV treated in VHA increased sevenfold. The VHA was successful in implementing interferon treatment in previously undertreated populations, and this may become the community standard of care.

The Healing and Empowering Alaskan Lives Toward Healthy-Hearts (HEALTHH) Project: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of an intervention for tobacco use and other cardiovascular risk behaviors for Alaska Native People.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use and tobacco-related diseases disproportionately affect Alaska Native (AN) people. Using telemedicine, this study aims to identify culturally-tailored, theoretically-driven, efficacious interventions for tobacco use and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk behaviors among AN people in remote areas. DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial with two intervention arms: 1) tobacco and physical activity; 2) medication adherence and a heart-healthy AN diet. PARTICIPANTS: Participants are N = 300 AN men and women current smokers with high blood pressure or high cholesterol. INTERVENTIONS: All participants receive motivational, stage-tailored, telemedicine-delivered counseling sessions at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months follow-up; an individualized behavior change plan that is updated at each contact; and a behavior change manual. In Group 1, the focus is on tobacco and physical activity; a pedometer is provided and nicotine replacement therapy is offered. In Group 2, the focus is on medication adherence for treating hypertension and/or hypercholesterolemia; a medication bag and traditional food guide are provided. MEASUREMENTS: With assessments at baseline, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months, the primary outcome is smoking status, assessed as 7-day point prevalence abstinence, biochemically verified with urine anabasine. Secondary outcomes include physical activity, blood pressure and cholesterol, medication compliance, diet, multiple risk behavior change indices, and cost-effectiveness. COMMENTS: The current study has the potential to identify novel, feasible, acceptable, and efficacious interventions for treating the co-occurrence of CVD risk factors in AN people. Findings may inform personalized treatment and the development of effective and cost-effective intervention strategies for use in remote indigenous communities more broadly. Clinical Trial Registration # NCT02137902.

Leveraging routine clinical materials and mobile technology to assess CBT fidelity: the Innovative Methods to Assess Psychotherapy Practices (imAPP) study.

BACKGROUND: Identifying scalable strategies for assessing fidelity is a key challenge in implementation science. However, for psychosocial interventions, the existing, reliable ways to test treatment fidelity quality are often labor intensive, and less burdensome strategies may not reflect actual clinical practice. Cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) provide clinicians with a set of effective core elements to help treat a multitude of disorders, which, evidence suggests, need to be delivered with fidelity to maximize potential client impact. The current "gold standard" for rating CBTs is rating recordings of therapy sessions, which is extremely time-consuming and requires a substantial amount of initial training. Although CBTs can vary based on the target disorder, one common element employed in most CBTs is the use of worksheets to identify specific behaviors and thoughts that affect a client's ability to recover. The present study will develop and evaluate an innovative new approach to rate CBT fidelity, by developing a universal CBT scoring system based on worksheets completed in therapy sessions. METHODS: To develop a scoring system for CBT worksheets, we will compile common CBT elements from a variety of CBT worksheets for a range of psychiatric disorders and create adherence and competence measures. We will collect archival worksheets from past studies to test the scoring system and assess test-retest reliability. To evaluate whether CBT worksheet scoring accurately reflects clinician fidelity, we will recruit clinicians who are engaged in a CBT for depression, anxiety, and/or posttraumatic stress disorder. Clinicians and clients will transmit routine therapy materials produced in session (e.g., worksheets, clinical notes, session recordings) to the study team after each session. We will compare observer-rated fidelity, clinical notes, and fidelity-rated worksheets to identify the most effective and efficient method to assess clinician fidelity. Clients will also be randomly assigned to either complete the CBT worksheets on paper forms or on a mobile application (app) to learn if worksheet format influences clinician and client experience or differs in terms of reflecting fidelity. DISCUSSION: Scoring fidelity using CBT worksheets may allow clinics to test fidelity in a short and effective manner, enhancing continuous quality improvement in the workplace. Clinicians and clinics can use such data to improve clinician fidelity in real time, leading to improved patient outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03479398 . Retrospectively registered March 20, 2018.

Comparison of Accessibility, Cost, and Quality of Elective Coronary Revascularization Between Veterans Affairs and Community Care Hospitals.

Importance: The Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care (CC) Program supplements VA care with community-based medical services. However, access gains and value provided by CC have not been well described. Objectives: To compare the access, cost, and quality of elective coronary revascularization procedures between VA and CC hospitals and to evaluate if procedural volume or publicly reported quality data can be used to identify high-value care. Design, Setting, and Participants: Observational cohort study of veterans younger than 65 years undergoing an elective coronary revascularization, controlling for differences in risk factors using propensity adjustment. The setting was VA and CC hospitals. Participants were veterans undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and veterans undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures between October 1, 2008, and September 30, 2011. The analysis was conducted between July 2014 and July 2017. Exposures: Receipt of an elective coronary revascularization at a VA vs CC facility. Main Outcomes and Measures: Access to care as measured by travel distance, 30-day mortality, and costs. Results: In the 3 years ending on September 30, 2011, a total of 13 237 elective PCIs (79.1% at the VA) and 5818 elective CABG procedures (83.6% at the VA) were performed in VA or CC hospitals among veterans meeting study inclusion criteria. On average, use of CC was associated with reduced net travel by 53.6 miles for PCI and by 73.3 miles for CABG surgery compared with VA-only care. Adjusted 30-day mortality after PCI was higher in CC compared with VA (1.54% for CC vs 0.65% for VA, P < .001) but was similar after CABG surgery (1.33% for CC vs 1.51% for VA, P = .74). There were no differences in adjusted 30-day readmission rates for PCI (7.04% for CC vs 7.73% for VA, P = .66) or CABG surgery (8.13% for CC vs 7.00% for VA, P = .28). The mean adjusted PCI cost was higher in CC ($22 025 for CC vs $15 683 for VA, P < .001). The mean adjusted CABG cost was lower in CC ($55 526 for CC vs $63 144 for VA, P < .01). Neither procedural volume nor publicly reported mortality data identified hospitals that provided higher-value care with the exception that CABG mortality was lower in small-volume CC hospitals. Conclusions and Relevance: In this veteran cohort, PCIs performed in CC hospitals were associated with shorter travel distance but with higher mortality, higher costs, and minimal travel savings compared with VA hospitals. The CABG procedures performed in CC hospitals were associated with shorter travel distance, similar mortality, and lower costs. As the VA considers expansion of the CC program, ongoing assessments of value and access gains are essential to optimize veteran outcomes and VA spending.

Changes in Veteran Tobacco Use Identified in Electronic Medical Records.

INTRODUCTION: Electronic medical records represent a new source of longitudinal data on tobacco use. METHODS: Electronic medical records of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs were extracted to find patients' tobacco use status in 2009 and at another assessment 12-24 months later. Records from the year prior to the first assessment were used to determine patient demographics and comorbidities. These data were analyzed in 2015. RESULTS: An annual quit rate of 12.0% was observed in 754,504 current tobacco users. Adjusted tobacco use prevalence at follow-up was 3.2% greater with alcohol use disorders at baseline, 1.9% greater with drug use disorders, 3.3% greater with schizophrenia, and lower in patients with cancer, heart disease, and other medical conditions (all differences statistically significant with p<0.05). Annual relapse rates in 412,979 former tobacco users were 29.6% in those who had quit for <1 year, 9.7% in those who had quit for 1-7 years, and 1.9% of those who had quit for >7 years. Among those who had quit for <1 year, adjusted relapse rates were 4.3% greater with alcohol use disorders and 7.2% greater with drug use disorders (statistically significant with p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: High annual cessation rates may reflect the older age and greater comorbidities of the cohort or the intensive cessation efforts of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The lower cessation and higher relapse rates in psychiatric and substance use disorders suggest that these groups will need intensive and sustained cessation efforts.

Emergent Challenges in Determining Costs for Economic Evaluations.

This paper describes methods of determining costs for economic evaluations of healthcare and considers how cost determination is being affected by recent developments in healthcare. The literature was reviewed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the four principal methods of cost determination: micro-costing, activity-based costing, charge-based costing, and gross costing. A scoping review was conducted to identify key trends in healthcare delivery and to identify costing issues associated with these changes. Existing guidelines provide information on how to implement various costing methods. Bottom-up costing is needed when accuracy is paramount, but top-down approaches are often the only feasible approach. We describe six healthcare trends that have important implications for costing methodology: (1) reform in payment mechanisms; (2) care delivery in less restrictive settings; (3) the growth of telehealth interventions; (4) the proliferation of new technology; (5) patient privacy concerns; and (6) growing efforts to implement guidelines. Some costs are difficult to measure and have been overlooked. These include physician services for inpatients, facility costs for outpatient services, the cost of developing treatment innovations, patient and caregiver costs, and the indirect costs of organizational interventions. Standardized methods are needed to determine social welfare and productivity costs. In the future, cost determination will be facilitated by technological advances but hindered by the shift to capitated payment, to the provision of care in less restrictive settings, and by heightened concern for medical record privacy.

The Temporal Instability of Resting State Network Connectivity in Intractable Epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: Focal epilepsies, such as temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), are known to disrupt network activity in areas outside the epileptogenic zone [Tracy et al., 2015]. We devised a measure of temporal instability of resting state functional connectivity (FC), capturing temporal variations of BOLD correlations between brain regions that is less confounded than the "sliding window" approach common in the literature. METHODS: We investigated healthy controls and unilateral TLE patients (right and left seizure focus groups), utilizing group ICA to identify the default mode network (DMN), a network associated with episodic memory, a key cognitive deficit in TLE. Our instability analyses focused on: (1) connectivity between DMN region pairs, both within and between TLE patients and matched controls, (2) whole brain group differences between region pairs ipsilateral or contralateral to the epileptogenic temporal lobe. RESULTS: For both the whole brain and a more focused analysis of DMN region pairs, temporal stability appears to characterize the healthy brain. The TLE patients displayed more FC instability compared to controls, with this instability more pronounced for the right TLE patients. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings challenge the view that the resting state signal is stable over time, providing a measure of signal coherence change that may generate insights into the temporal components of network organization. The precuneus was the region within the DMN consistently expressing this instability, suggesting this region plays a key role in large scale temporal dynamics of the DMN, with such dynamics disrupted in TLE, putting key cognitive functions at risk. Hum Brain Mapp 38:528-540, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mapping MOS-HIV to HUI3 and EQ-5D-3L in Patients With HIV.

Objectives: The Medical Outcomes Study HIV Health Survey (MOS-HIV) is frequently used in HIV clinical trials; however, scores generated from the MOS-HIV are not suited for cost-effectiveness analyses as they do not assign utility values to health states. Our objective was to estimate and externally validate several mapping algorithms to predict Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) and EQ-5D-3L utility values from the MOS-HIV. Methods: We developed and validated mapping algorithms using data from two HIV clinical trials. Data from the first trial (n = 367) formed the estimation data set for the HUI3 (4,610 observations) and EQ-5D-3L (4,662 observations) mapping algorithms; data from the second trial (n = 168) formed the HUI3 (1,135 observations) and EQ-5D-3L (1,152 observations) external validation data set. We compared ordinary least squares (OLS) models of increasing complexity with the more flexible two-part, beta regression, and finite mixture models. We assessed model performance using mean absolute error (MAE) and mean squared error (MSE). Results: The OLS model that used MOS-HIV dimension scores along with squared terms gave the best HUI3 predictions (mean observed 0.84; mean predicted 0.80; MAE 0.0961); the finite mixture model gave the best EQ-5D-3L predictions (mean observed 0.90; mean predicted 0.88; MAE 0.0567). All models produced higher prediction errors at the lower end of the HUI3 and EQ-5D-3L score ranges (<0.40). Conclusions: The proposed mapping algorithms can be used to predict HUI3 and EQ-5D-3L utility values from the MOS-HIV, although greater error may pose a problem in samples where a substantial proportion of patients are in poor health. These algorithms may be useful for estimating utility values from the MOS-HIV for cost-effectiveness studies when HUI3 or EQ-5D-3L data are not available.

Evaluating Two Measures of Lumbar Spine MRI Overuse: Administrative Data Versus Chart Review.

PURPOSE: Lumbar spine (LS) MRI overuse may be identified in administrative data, but these data may lack the detailed clinical information needed to correctly assess overuse. The aim of this study was to compare chart review with analysis of administrative data to determine the appropriateness of LS MRI. METHODS: The sensitivity and specificity of the administrative method were determined, with inappropriateness regarded as the positive result, as if chart review determined the true state. Patients were the first 146 veterans who underwent LS MRI in the outpatient setting in fiscal year 2012 at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. The InterQual criteria for chart review and the method of evaluating administrative data developed by CMS and endorsed by the National Quality Forum were used. Slight modifications were made to each measure to ensure completeness and comparability. RESULTS: Of the 146 scans reviewed, 23% were considered inappropriate by the administrative measure, whereas 59% were considered inappropriate by chart review. Compared with chart review, the administrative measure had specificity of 82% for identifying inappropriate scans and sensitivity of 27% for identifying appropriate scans. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with chart review, analysis of administrative data identified scans that were appropriate but underestimated inappropriate ordering. Contrary to expectations, chart review resulted in more scans being classified as inappropriate. The administrative method is economically feasible for identifying the overuse of LS MRI, but it underestimates the true extent of inappropriate ordering.