Urologist practice divestment from radiation vault ownership and treatment patterns for prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Urologists practicing in single-specialty groups with ownership in radiation vaults are more likely to treat men with prostate cancer. The effect of divestment of vault ownership on treatment patterns is unclear. METHODS: A 20% sample of national Medicare claims was used to perform a retrospective cohort study of men with prostate cancer diagnosed between 2010 and 2019. Urology practices were categorized by radiation vault ownership as nonowners, continuous owners, and divested owners. The primary outcome was use of local treatment, and the secondary outcome was use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). A difference-in-differences framework was used to measure the effect of divestment on outcomes compared to continuous owners. Subgroup analyses assessed outcomes by noncancer mortality risk (high [>50%] vs. low [≤50%]). RESULTS: Among 72 urology practices that owned radiation vaults, six divested during the study. Divestment led to a decrease in treatment compared with those managed at continuously owning practices (difference-in-differences estimate, -13%; p = .03). The use of IMRT decreased, but this was not statistically significant (difference-in-differences estimate, -10%; p = .13). In men with a high noncancer mortality risk, treatment (difference-in-differences estimate, -28%; p < .001) and use of IMRT (difference-in-differences estimate, -27%; p < .001) decreased after divestment. CONCLUSIONS: Urology group divestment from radiation vault ownership led to a decrease in prostate cancer treatment. This decrease was most pronounced in men who had a high noncancer mortality risk. This has important implications for health care reform by suggesting that payment programs that encourage constraints on utilization, when appropriate, may be effective in reducing overtreatment.

The 340B Program and oral specialty drugs for advanced prostate cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Expensive oral specialty drugs for advanced prostate cancer can be associated with treatment disparities. The 340B program allows hospitals to purchase medications at discounts, generating savings that can improve care of the socioeconomically disadvantaged. This study assessed the effect of hospital 340B participation on advanced prostate cancer. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries with advanced prostate cancer from 2012 to 2019. The primary outcome was use of an oral specialty drug. Secondary outcomes included monthly out-of-pocket costs and treatment adherence. We evaluated the effects of 1) hospital 340B participation, 2) a regional measure vulnerability, the social vulnerability index (SVI), and 3) the interaction between hospital 340B participation and SVI on outcomes. RESULTS: There were 2237 and 1100 men who received care at 340B and non-340B hospitals. There was no difference in specialty drug use between 340B and non-340B hospitals, whereas specialty drug use decreased with increased SVI (odds ratio, 0.95, p = .038). However, the interaction between hospital 340B participation and SVI on specialty drug use was not significant. Neither 340B participation, SVI, or their interaction were associated with out-of-pocket costs. Although hospital 340B participation and SVI were not associated with treatment adherence, their interaction was significant (p = .020). This demonstrated that 340B was associated with better adherence among socially vulnerable men. CONCLUSIONS: The 340B program was not associated with specialty drug use in men with advanced prostate cancer. However, among those who were started on therapy, 340B was associated with increased treatment adherence in more socially vulnerable men.

Body image disturbances in adolescent and young adult cancer patients confronting infertility risk and fertility preservation decisions.

PURPOSE: Body image is a major psychosocial concern for all cancer patients but can affect the adolescent and young adult (AYA) population in distinct ways. Similarly, the prospect of infertility and the fertility preservation process can create additional stress during cancer treatment. Discussions regarding infertility inherently implicate the body and its reproductive function, but downstream effects on self-perception have not been previously described. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of AYAs as they considered their risk of infertility and options for fertility preservation (FP), specifically the ways in which this impacted body image and FP decision-making. METHODS: AYA cancer patients (n = 27) aged 12-25 years whose cancer and treatment conferred risk of infertility were recruited through electronic health record query at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Participants completed semi-structured interviews, which were recorded, transcribed, and deductively coded for themes related to information needs, knowledge of treatment effects on fertility, and reproductive concerns after cancer. Emergent, inductive themes related to body image were identified. RESULTS: Body image concerns, related to both physical appearance and body functioning emerged. Common concerns included anticipating change as it pertains to the body and its functions, physical discomfort, fear of judgment, and meeting expectations of the body. While these themes are broad in nature, they have been previously explored in relation to body image in general and their emergence in the oncofertility space provides guidance for further optimization of infertility and fertility preservation discussions. CONCLUSIONS: AYA cancer patients experience a multitude of body image related disturbances when faced with the possibility of infertility and fertility preservation. In identifying and exploring these themes, future opportunities for improving oncofertility practice and discussions among AYAs with a focus on body image positivity are called upon.

Differentiating gender-based reproductive concerns among adolescent and young adult cancer patients: A mixed methods study.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have examined the distinct reproductive concerns (RC) of men and women in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patient population. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore and differentiate the RC of AYAs. METHODS: Participants completed the Reproductive Concerns After Cancer (RCAC) scale and participated in a semistructured interview. Interviews were deductively coded based on an analytic schema derived from the RCAC. RESULTS: After identifying participants through the electronic health record, 27 younger AYAs, ages 12-25, enrolled in the study. Four inductive themes emerged and differed by gender. These include differential temporality, acceptance, and openness to alternatives, partner influence, and parental/guardian influence. AYA men reported fewer RC (M = 49.4, SD = 9.6) compared to AYA women (M = 56.8, SD = 8.4). CONCLUSIONS: Oncofertility care providers are advised to account for short- and long-ranging concerns based on AYAs' gender. Future evaluations of patient-reported outcome measures specific to AYA RC are recommended.

Urologic oncology patient perspectives during COVID-19 treatment delays.

PURPOSE: We sought to describe patient experiences during COVID-19 related delays in urologic cancer treatment. METHODS: We conducted a mixed methods study with an explanatory-sequential design. Survey findings are presented here. Patients from a Midwestern Cancer Center and the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) self-reported via survey their experience of treatment delay, patient-provider communication, and coping strategies. We quantified patient distress with an ordinal scale (0-10), based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer (NCCN-DT). RESULTS: Forty-four patients with bladder, prostate, and kidney cancers consented to the survey. Most individuals were male (n = 29; 66%) and older than 61 years of age (n = 34; 77%). Median time since diagnosis was 6 months. Dominant reactions to treatment delay included fear that cancer would progress (n = 22; 50%) and relief at avoiding COVID-19 exposure (n = 19; 43%). Most patients reported feeling that their providers acknowledged their emotions (n = 31; 70%), yet 23 patients (52%) did not receive follow-up phone calls and only 24 (55%) felt continually supported by their providers. Patients' median distress level was 5/10 with 68% (n = 30) of patients reaching a clinically significant level of distress (≥ 4). Thematically grouped suggestions for providers included better communication, more personalized support, and better patient education. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a high proportion of urologic cancer patients reached a clinically significant level of distress. While they felt concern from providers, they desired more engagement and personalized care.

Narrow band imaging versus white light cystoscopy alone for transurethral resection of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Disease recurrence and progression remain major challenges for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Narrow band imaging (NBI) is an optical enhancement technique that may improve resection of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and thereby lead to better outcomes for people undergoing the procedure.  OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of NBI- and white light cystoscopy (WLC)-guided transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) compared to WLC-guided TURBT in the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. SEARCH METHODS: We performed a comprehensive literature search of 10 databases, including the Cochrane Library, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE, Embase, several clinical trial registries, and grey literature for published and unpublished studies, irrespective of language. The search was performed per an a priori protocol on 3 December 2021. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized controlled trials of participants with suspected or confirmed non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Participants in the control group must have received WLC-guided TURBT alone (hereinafter simply referred to as 'WLC TURBT'). Participants in the intervention group had to have received NBI- and WLC-guided TURBT (hereinafter simply referred to as 'NBI + WLC TURBT'). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently selected studies for inclusion/exclusion, performed data extraction, and assessed risk of bias. We conducted meta-analysis on time-to-event and dichotomous data using a random-effects model in RevMan, according to Cochrane methods. We rated the certainty of evidence for each outcome according to the GRADE approach. Primary outcomes were time to recurrence, time to progression, and the occurrence of a major adverse event, defined as a Clavien-Dindo III, IV, or V complication. Secondary outcomes included time to death from bladder cancer and the occurrence of a minor adverse event, defined as a Clavien-Dindo I or II complication.  MAIN RESULTS: We included eight studies with a total of 2152 participants randomized to the standard WLC TURBT or to NBI + WLC TURBT. A total of 1847 participants were included for analysis.  Based on limited confidence in the time-to-event data, we found that participants who underwent NBI + WLC TURBT had a lower risk of disease recurrence over time compared to participants who underwent WLC TURBT (hazard ratio 0.63, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.89; I2 = 53%; 6 studies, 1244 participants; low certainty of evidence). No studies examined disease progression as a time-to-event outcome or a dichotomous outcome. There was likely no difference in the risk of a major adverse event between participants who underwent NBI + WLC TURBT and those who underwent WLC TURBT (risk ratio 1.77, 95% CI 0.79 to 3.96; 4 studies, 1385 participants; low certainty of evidence). No studies examined death from bladder cancer as a time-to-event outcome or a dichotomous outcome. There was likely no difference in the risk of a minor adverse event between participants who underwent NBI + WLC TURBT and those who underwent WLC TURBT (risk ratio 0.88, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.56; I2 = 61%; 4 studies, 1385 participants; low certainty of evidence).  AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Compared to WLC TURBT alone, NBI + WLC TURBT may lower the risk of disease recurrence over time while having little or no effect on the risks of major or minor adverse events.

Delayed urologic cancer care in the COVID-19 pandemic: Patients' experiences.

OBJECTIVE: To understand experiences of patients with genitourinary cancer who experienced delayed cancer care due to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a mixed methods study with an explanatory sequential design. Qualitative findings are reported here. Patients with muscle invasive bladder, advanced prostate or kidney cancer were eligible. Participants were selected for interviews if they self-reported low (0-3/10) or high (6-10/10) levels of distress on a previous survey. Participants were interviewed about their experiences. Interviews were transcribed, coded and categorised using thematic data analysis methodology. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were interviewed. Seven had prostate cancer, six bladder cancer and five kidney cancer. Six themes were derived from the interviews: (1) arriving at cancer diagnosis was hard enough, (2) response to treatment delay, (3) labelling cancer surgery as elective, (4) fear of COVID-19 infection, (5) quality of patient-provider relationship and communication and (6) what could have been done differently. CONCLUSION: These findings offer insight into the concerns of patients with genitourinary cancers who experienced treatment delays due to COVID-19. This information can be applied to support patients with cancers more broadly, should treatment delays occur in the future.

Intensity of end-of-life care for dual-eligible beneficiaries with cancer and the impact of delivery system affiliation.

BACKGROUND: Dual-eligible beneficiaries, who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid, are a vulnerable population with much to gain from efforts to improve quality. Integrated delivery networks and cancer centers, with their emphasis on care coordination and communication, may improve quality of care for dual-eligible patients with cancer at the end of life. METHODS: This study used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry data linked with Medicare claims to evaluate quality for beneficiaries who died of cancer and were diagnosed from 2009 to 2014. High-intensity care was evaluated with 7 end-of-life quality measures according to dual-eligible status with multivariable logistic regression models. Regression-based techniques were used to assess the effect of delivery system affiliation (ie, cancer center or integrated delivery network vs no affiliation). RESULTS: Among 100,549 beneficiaries who died during the study interval, 22% were dually eligible. Inferior outcomes were identified for dual-eligible beneficiaries in comparison with nondual beneficiaries across nearly every quality measure assessed, including >1 hospitalization in the last 30 days (12.6% vs 11.3%; P < .001) and a greater proportion of deaths occurring in a hospital setting (30.2% vs 26.2%; P < .001). Receipt of care in an affiliated delivery system was associated with reduced deaths in a hospital setting and increased hospice utilization for dual-eligible beneficiaries. CONCLUSIONS: Dual-eligible status is associated with higher intensity care at the end of life. Delivery system affiliation has a modest impact on quality at the end of life, and this suggests that targeted efforts may be needed to optimize quality for this group of vulnerable patients.

Adherence and out-of-pocket costs among Medicare beneficiaries who are prescribed oral targeted therapies for advanced prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Abiraterone and enzalutamide are high-cost oral therapies that increasingly are used to treat patients with advanced prostate cancer; these agents carry the potential for significant financial consequences to patients. In the current study, the authors investigated coping and material measures of the financial hardship of these therapies among patients with Medicare Part D coverage. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective cohort study on a 20% sample of Medicare Part D enrollees who underwent treatment with abiraterone or enzalutamide between July 2013 and June 2015. The authors described the variability in adherence rates and out-of-pocket payments among hospital referral regions in the first 6 months of therapy and determined whether adherence and out-of-pocket payments were associated with patient factors and the socioeconomic characteristics of where a patient was treated. RESULTS: There were 4153 patients who filled abiraterone or enzalutamide prescriptions through Medicare Part D in 228 hospital referral regions. The mean adherence rate was 75%. The median monthly out-of-pocket payment for abiraterone and enzalutamide was $706 (range, $0-$3505). After multilevel, multivariable adjustment for patient and regional factors, adherence was found to be lower in patients who were older (69% for patients aged ≥85 years vs 76% for patients aged <70 years; P < .01) and in those with low-income subsidies (69% in those with a subsidy vs 76% in those without a subsidy; P < .01). Both Hispanic ethnicity and living in a hospital referral region with a higher percentage of Hispanic beneficiaries were found to be independently associated with higher out-of-pocket payments for abiraterone and enzalutamide. CONCLUSIONS: There were substantial variations in the adherence rate and out-of-pocket payments among Medicare Part D beneficiaries who were prescribed abiraterone and enzalutamide. Sociodemographic patient and regional factors were found to be associated with both adherence and out-of-pocket payments.

Understanding the Costs Associated With Surgical Care Delivery in the Medicare Population.

BACKGROUND: Surgical care has been largely untargeted by Medicare payment reforms because episode costs associated with its delivery are not currently well understood. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the costs of inpatient and outpatient surgery in the Medicare population. METHODS: We analyzed claims data from a 20% national sample of Medicare beneficiaries (2008-2014). For a given study year, we identified all inpatient and outpatient procedures and constructed claims windows around them to define surgical episodes. After summing payments for services rendered during each episode, we totaled all inpatient and outpatient episode payments by surgical specialty. For inpatient episodes, we determined component payments related to the index hospitalization, readmissions, physician services, and postacute care. For outpatient episodes, we differentiated by the site of care (hospital outpatient department versus physician office versus ambulatory surgery center). We used linear regression to evaluate temporal trends in inpatient and outpatient surgical spending. Finally, we estimated the contribution of surgical care to overall Medicare expenditures. RESULTS: Total Medicare payments for surgical care are substantial, representing 51% of Program spending in 2014. They declined modestly over the study period, from $133.1 billion in 2008 to $124.9 billion in 2014 (-6.2%, P = 0.085 for the temporal trend). While spending on inpatient surgery contributed the most to total surgical payments (69.4% in 2014), it declined over the study period, driven by decreases in index hospitalization (-16.7%, P = 0.002) and readmissions payments (-27.0%, P = 0.003). In contrast, spending on outpatient surgery increased by $8.5 billion (28.7%, P < 0.001). This increase was realized across all sites of care (hospital outpatient department: 36.6%, P < 0.001; physician office: 22.1%, P < 0.001; ambulatory surgery center: 36.6%, P < 0.001). Ophthalmology and hand surgery witnessed the greatest growth in surgical spending over the study period. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Surgical care accounts for half of all Medicare spending. Our findings not only highlight the magnitude of spending on surgery, but also the areas of greatest growth, which could be targeted by future payment reforms.

Association Between Hospital Participation in Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations and Readmission Following Major Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organizations (ACOs) on hospital readmission after common surgical procedures. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Hospital readmissions following surgery lead to worse patient outcomes and wasteful spending. ACOs, and their associated hospitals, have strong incentives to reduce readmissions from 2 distinct Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services policies. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study using a 20% national Medicare sample to identify beneficiaries undergoing 1 of 7 common surgical procedures-abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, colectomy, cystectomy, prostatectomy, lung resection, total knee arthroplasty, and total hip arthroplasty-between 2010 and 2014. The primary outcome was 30-day risk-adjusted readmission rate. We performed difference-in-differences analyses using multilevel logistic regression models to quantify the effect of hospital ACO affiliation on readmissions following these procedures. RESULTS: Patients underwent a procedure at one of 2974 hospitals, of which 389 were ACO affiliated. The 30-day risk-adjusted readmission rate decreased from 8.4% (95% CI, 8.1-8.7%) to 7.0% (95% CI, 6.7-7.3%) for ACO affiliated hospitals (P < 0.001) and from 7.9% (95% CI, 7.8-8.0%) to 7.1% (95% CI, 6.9-7.2%) for non-ACO hospitals (P < 0.001). The difference-in-differences of the 2 trends demonstrated an additional 0.52% (95% CI, 0.97-0.078%) absolute reduction in readmissions at ACO hospitals (P = 0.021), which would translate to 4410 hospitalizations avoided. CONCLUSION: Readmissions following common procedures decreased significantly from 2010 to 2014. Hospital affiliation with Shared Savings ACOs was associated with significant additional reductions in readmissions. This emphasis on readmission reduction is 1 mechanism through which ACOs improve value in a surgical population.

Variation in Physician-Specific Episode Payments for Major Cancer Surgery and Implications for the Merit-Based Incentive Program.

BACKGROUND: Nearly 1.5 million clinicians in the United States will be affected by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) new payment program, the Merit-based Incentive Program (MIPS), where clinicians will be penalized or rewarded based on the health care expenditures of their patients. We therefore examined expenditures for major cancer surgery to understand physician-specific variation in episode payments. METHODS: We used Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare data to identify patients aged 66-99 y who underwent a prostatectomy, nephrectomy, lung, or colorectal resection for cancer from 2008 to 2012. We calculated 90-d episode payments, attributed each episode to a physician, and evaluated physician-level payment variation. Next, we determined which component (index admission, readmission, physician services, postacute care, hospice) drove differences in payments. Finally, we evaluated payments by geographic region, number of comorbidities, and cancer stage. RESULTS: We identified 39,109 patients who underwent surgery by 1 of 7182 providers. There was wide variation in payments for each procedure (prostatectomy: $7046-$40,687; nephrectomy: $8855-$82,489; lung resection: $11,167-$223,467; colorectal resection: $9711-$199,480). The largest component difference in episode payments varied by condition: physician payments for prostatectomy (29%), postacute care for nephrectomy (38%) and colorectal resections (38%), and index hospital admission for lung resections (43%) but were fairly stable across region, comorbidity number, and cancer stage. CONCLUSIONS: For patients undergoing major cancer surgery, 90-d episode payments vary widely across surgeons. The components driving such variation differ by condition but remain stable across region, number of comorbidities, and cancer stage. These data suggest that programs to reduce specific component payments may have advantages over those targeting individual physicians for decreasing health care expenditures.

Early effect of Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organization participation on prostate cancer care.

BACKGROUND: Accountable care organizations (ACOs) can improve prostate cancer care by decreasing treatment variations (ie, avoidance of treatment in low-value settings). Herein, the authors performed a study to understand the effect of Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs on prostate cancer care. METHODS: Using a 20% Medicare sample, the authors identified men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer from 2010 through 2013. Rates of treatment, potential overtreatment (ie, treatment in men with a ≥75% chance of 10-year mortality from competing risks), and Medicare payments were measured using regression models. The impact of ACO participation was assessed using difference-in-differences analyses. RESULTS: Before implementation of ACOs, the treatment rate was 71.8% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 70.2%-73.3%) for ACO-aligned beneficiaries and 72.3% (95% CI, 71.7%-73.0% [P = .51]) for non-ACO-aligned beneficiaries. After implementation, this rate declined to 68.4% (95% CI, 66.1%-70.7% [P = .017]) for ACO-aligned beneficiaries and 69.3% (95% CI, 68.5%-70.1% [P<.001]) for non-ACO-aligned beneficiaries. There was no differential effect noted for ACO participation. The rate of potential overtreatment decreased from 48.2% (95% CI, 43.1%-53.3%) to 40.2% (95% CI, 32.4%-48.0% [P = .087]) for ACO-aligned beneficiaries and increased from 44.3% (95% CI, 42.1%-46.5%) to 47.0% (95% CI, 44.5%-49.5% [P = .11]) for non-ACO-aligned beneficiaries. These changes resulted in a significant relative decrease in overtreatment of 17% for ACO-aligned beneficiaries (difference-in-differences, 10.8%; P = .031). Payments were not found to be differentially affected by ACO alignment. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of prostate cancer and annual payments decreased significantly between 2010 and 2013, but ACO participation did not appear to impact these trends. Among men least likely to benefit, Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO alignment was associated with a significant decline in prostate cancer treatment. Cancer 2018;124:563-70. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Costs of Cancer Care Across the Disease Continuum.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to estimate Medicare payments for cancer care during the initial, continuing, and end-of-life phases of care for 10 malignancies and to examine variation in expenditures according to patient characteristics and cancer severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare data to identify patients aged 66-99 years who were diagnosed with one of the following 10 cancers: prostate, bladder, esophageal, pancreatic, lung, liver, kidney, colorectal, breast, or ovarian, from 2007 through 2012. We attributed payments for each patient to a phase of care (i.e., initial, continuing, or end of life), based on time from diagnosis until death or end of study interval. We summed payments for all claims attributable to the primary cancer diagnosis and analyzed the overall and phase-based costs and then by differing demographics, cancer stage, geographic region, and year of diagnosis. RESULTS: We identified 428,300 patients diagnosed with one of the 10 malignancies. Annual payments were generally highest during the initial phase. Mean expenditures across cancers were $14,381 during the initial phase, $2,471 for continuing, and $13,458 at end of life. Payments decreased with increasing age. Black patients had higher payments for four of five cancers with statistically significant differences. Stage III cancers posed the greatest annual cost burden for four cancer types. Overall payments were stable across geographic region and year. CONCLUSION: Considerable differences exist in expenditures across phases of cancer care. By understanding the drivers of such payment variations across patient and tumor characteristics, we can inform efforts to decrease payments and increase quality, thereby reducing the burden of cancer care. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Considerable differences exist in expenditures across phases of cancer care. There are further differences by varying patient characteristics. Understanding the drivers of such payment variations across patient and tumor characteristics can inform efforts to decrease costs and increase quality, thereby reducing the burden of cancer care.

Association of Delivery System Integration and Outcomes for Major Cancer Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Integrated delivery systems (IDSs) are postulated to reduce spending and improve outcomes through successful coordination of care across multiple providers. Nonetheless, the actual impact of IDSs on outcomes for complex multidisciplinary care such as major cancer surgery is largely unknown. METHODS: Using 2011-2013 Medicare data, this study identified patients who underwent surgical resection for prostate, bladder, esophageal, pancreatic, lung, liver, kidney, colorectal, or ovarian cancer. Rates of readmission, 30-day mortality, surgical complications, failure to rescue, and prolonged hospital stay for cancer surgery were compared between patients receiving care at IDS hospitals and those receiving care at non-IDS hospitals. Generalized estimating equations were used to adjust results by cancer type and patient- and hospital-level characteristics while accounting for clustering of patients within hospitals. RESULTS: The study identified 380,053 patients who underwent major resection of cancer, with 38% receiving care at an IDS. Outcomes did not differ between IDS and non-IDS hospitals regarding readmission and surgical complication rates, whereas only minor differences were observed for 30-day mortality (3.5% vs 3.2% for IDS; p < 0.001) and prolonged hospital stay (9.9% vs 9.2% for IDS; p < 0.001). However, after adjustment for patient and hospital characteristics, the frequencies of adverse perioperative outcomes were not significantly associated with IDS status. CONCLUSIONS: The collective findings suggest that local delivery system integration alone does not necessarily have an impact on perioperative outcomes in surgical oncology. Moving forward, stakeholders may need to focus on surgical and oncology-specific methods of care coordination and quality improvement initiatives to improve outcomes for patients undergoing cancer surgery.

Understanding the relationship between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Hospital Compare star rating, surgical case volume, and short-term outcomes after major cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: Both the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) Hospital Compare star rating and surgical case volume have been publicized as metrics that can help patients to identify high-quality hospitals for complex care such as cancer surgery. The current study evaluates the relationship between the CMS' star rating, surgical volume, and short-term outcomes after major cancer surgery. METHODS: National Medicare data were used to evaluate the relationship between hospital star ratings and cancer surgery volume quintiles. Then, multilevel logistic regression models were fit to examine the association between cancer surgery outcomes and both star rankings and surgical volumes. Lastly, a graphical approach was used to compare how well star ratings and surgical volume predicted cancer surgery outcomes. RESULTS: This study identified 365,752 patients undergoing major cancer surgery for 1 of 9 cancer types at 2,550 hospitals. Star rating was not associated with surgical volume (P < .001). However, both the star rating and surgical volume were correlated with 4 short-term cancer surgery outcomes (mortality, complication rate, readmissions, and prolonged length of stay). The adjusted predicted probabilities for 5- and 1-star hospitals were 2.3% and 4.5% for mortality, 39% and 48% for complications, 10% and 15% for readmissions, and 8% and 16% for a prolonged length of stay, respectively. The adjusted predicted probabilities for hospitals with the highest and lowest quintile cancer surgery volumes were 2.7% and 5.8% for mortality, 41% and 55% for complications, 12.2% and 11.6% for readmissions, and 9.4% and 13% for a prolonged length of stay, respectively. Furthermore, surgical volume and the star rating were similarly associated with mortality and complications, whereas the star rating was more highly associated with readmissions and prolonged length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of other information, these findings suggest that the star rating may be useful to patients when they are selecting a hospital for major cancer surgery. However, more research is needed before these ratings can supplant surgical volume as a measure of surgical quality. Cancer 2017;123:4259-4267. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Health Care Integration and Quality among Men with Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: The delivery of high quality prostate cancer care is increasingly important for health systems, physicians and patients. Integrated delivery systems may have the greatest ability to deliver high quality, efficient care. We sought to understand the association between health care integration and quality of prostate cancer care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used SEER-Medicare data to perform a retrospective cohort study of men older than age 65 with prostate cancer diagnosed between 2007 and 2011. We defined integration within a health care market based on the number of discharges from a top 100 integrated delivery system, and compared rates of adherence to well accepted prostate cancer quality measures in markets with no integration vs full integration (greater than 90% of discharges from an integrated system). RESULTS: The average man treated in a fully integrated market was more likely to receive pretreatment counseling by a urologist and radiation oncologist (62.6% vs 60.3%, p=0.03), avoid inappropriate imaging (72.2% avoided vs 60.6%, p <0.001), avoid treatment when life expectancy was less than 10 years (23.7% vs 17.3%, p <0.001) and avoid multiple hospitalizations in the last 30 days of life (50.2% vs 43.6%, p=0.001) than when treated in markets with no integration. Additionally, patients treated in fully integrated markets were more likely to have complete adherence to all eligible quality measures (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.27-1.50). CONCLUSIONS: Integrated systems are associated with improved adherence to several prostate cancer quality measures. Expansion of the integrated health care model may facilitate greater delivery of high quality prostate cancer care.

Association Between Patient Satisfaction and Short-Term Outcomes After Major Cancer Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether patient satisfaction, as measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, is associated with short-term outcomes after major cancer surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We first used national Medicare claims to identify patients who underwent a major extirpative cancer surgery from 2011 to 2013. Next, we used Hospital Compare data to assign the HCAHPS score to the hospital where the patient underwent surgery. We then performed univariate statistical analyses and fit multilevel logistic regression models to evaluate the relationship between excellent patient satisfaction and short-term cancer surgery outcomes for all surgery types combined and then by each individual surgery type. RESULTS: We identified 373,692 patients who underwent major cancer surgery for one of nine cancers at 2617 hospitals. In both unadjusted and adjusted analyses, hospitals with higher proportions of patients reporting excellent satisfaction had lower complication rates (p < 0.001), readmissions (p < 0.001), mortality (p < 0.001), and prolonged length of stay (p < 0.001) than hospitals with lower proportions of satisfied patients, but with modest differences. This finding held true broadly across individual cancer types for complications, mortality, and prolonged length of stay, but less so for readmissions. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital-wide excellent patient satisfaction scores are associated with short-term outcomes after major cancer surgery overall, but are modest in magnitude.