Examining the role of race and quality of home health agencies in delayed initiation of home health services for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD).

INTRODUCTION: We examined differences in the timeliness of the initiation of home health care by race and the quality of home health agencies (HHA) among patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). METHODS: Medicare claims and home health assessment data were used for the study cohort: individuals aged ≥65 years with ADRD, and discharged from the hospital. Home health latency was defined as patients receiving home health care after 2 days following hospital discharge. RESULTS: Of 251,887 patients with ADRD, 57% received home health within 2 days following hospital discharge. Black patients were significantly more likely to experience home health latency (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11-1.19) compared to White patients. Home health latency was significantly higher for Black patients in low-rating HHA (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.22-1.37) compared to White patients in high-rating HHA. DISCUSSION: Black patients are more likely to experience a delay in home health care initiation than White patients.

Home health services for minorities in urban and rural areas with Alzheimer's and related dementia.

Timely access and continuum of care in older adults with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD) is critical. This is a retrospective study on Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with ADRD diagnosis discharged to home with home health care following an episode of acute hospitalization. Our sample included 262,525 patients. White patients in rural areas have significantly higher odds of delay (odds ratio [OR], 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06). Black patients in urban areas (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.12-1.19) and Hispanic patients in urban areas also were more likely to have a delay (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03-1.11). Black and Hispanic patients residing in urban areas had a higher likelihood of delay in home healthcare initiation following hospitalization compared to Whites residing in urban areas.

Medicare Claim-Based National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale to Predict 30-Day Mortality and Hospital Readmission.

BACKGROUND: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) penalizes hospitals for higher than expected 30-day mortality rates using methods without accounting for condition severity risk adjustment. For patients with stroke, CMS claims did not quantify stroke severity until recently, when the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) reporting began. OBJECTIVE: Examine the predictive ability of claim-based NIHSS to predict 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital readmission in patients with ischemic stroke. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of Medicare claims data. PATIENTS: Medicare beneficiaries with ischemic stroke (N=43,241) acute hospitalization between October 2016 and November 2017. MEASUREMENTS: All-cause 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital readmission. NIHSS score was derived from ICD-10 codes and stratified into the following: minor to moderate, moderate, moderate to severe, and severe categories. RESULTS: Among 43,241 patients with ischemic stroke with NIHSS from 2,659 US hospitals, 64.6% had minor to moderate stroke, 14.3% had moderate, 12.7% had moderate to severe, and 8.5% had a severe stroke,10.1% died within 30 days, 12.1% were readmitted within 30 days. The NIHSS exhibited stronger discriminant property (C-statistic 0.83, 95% CI: 0.82-0.84) for 30-day mortality compared to Elixhauser (0.74, 95% CI: 0.73-0.75). A monotonic increase in the adjusted 30-day mortality risk occurred relative to minor to moderate stroke category: hazard ratio [HR]=2.92 (95% CI=2.59-3.29) for moderate stroke, HR=5.49 (95% CI=4.90-6.15) for moderate to severe stroke, and HR=7.82 (95% CI=6.95-8.80) for severe stroke. After accounting for competing risk of mortality, there was a significantly higher readmission risk in the moderate stroke (HR=1.11, 95% CI=1.03-1.20), but significantly lower readmission risk in the severe stroke (HR=0.84, 95% CI=0.74-0.95) categories. LIMITATION: Timing of NIHSS reporting during hospitalization is unknown. CONCLUSIONS: Medicare claim-based NIHSS is significantly associated with 30-day mortality in Medicare patients with ischemic stroke and significantly improves discriminant property relative to the Elixhauser comorbidity index.

Feasibility and thematic analysis of narrative visualization materials with physical activity monitoring among breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer survivors have a unique risk for negative health outcomes. Engaging in routine physical activity (PA) can reduce these risks. However, PA levels are low among this population. Narrative visualization (NV) is a technique that uses drawings, photographs, and text to contextualize data, which may increase integrated regulation, or motivation related to personal values and identity. A PA intervention targeting breast cancer survivors using an NV strategy may improve PA behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine whether scrapbooking activities could successfully be used as an NV strategy for older (55+) breast cancer survivors. METHODS: Breast cancer survivors were given workbooks, wearable electronic activity monitors, instant cameras, and art supplies including a variety of stickers (e.g., emojis, affirmations). Participants were instructed to use these materials for 7 days. The workbook pages prompted participants to re-draw their daily activity graphs from the wearable's mobile app, then annotate them with text, photographs, stickers, etc. to reflect what the data meant to them. Hybrid thematic analysis was used to analyze the photographs, drawings, and written content to identify emergent themes. Content analysis was also used to investigate use of stickers and photographs. RESULTS: Of the 20 consented women (mean age 67 ± 5 years, 45% non-Hispanic white), 3 participants were lost to follow-up or unable to complete the procedures. The NV procedures were successfully utilized by the remaining 17 participants, who collectively used 945 stickers over 7 days, most of which were emojis. Emojis were both positively and negatively valanced. Participants took a mean of 9 photos over 7 days and completed workbook questions regarding current PA and PA goals. Themes within the photos included family, specific locations, everyday objects, religion, and friends. Themes within the written portions of the workbook included family, chores and obligations, health, personal reflection, hobbies, and shopping. CONCLUSIONS: The materials provided allowed breast cancer survivors to successfully use NV techniques to reflect on their PA data and behavior. These techniques show promise for promoting integrated regulation in activity monitoring interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was funded by the National Cancer Institute ( R21CA218543 ) beginning July 1, 2018.

Making the Case for Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Big-Data Rehabilitation Research: Implications for Optimizing Patient-Centered Care.

Advances in data science and timely access to health informatics provide a pathway to integrate patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) into clinical workflows and optimize rehabilitation service delivery. With the shift toward value-based care in the United States health care system, as highlighted by the recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services incentive and penalty programs, it is critical for rehabilitation providers to systematically collect and effectively use PROMs to facilitate evaluation of quality and outcomes within and across health systems. This editorial discusses the potential of PROMs to transform clinical practice, provides examples of health systems using PROMs to guide care, and identifies barriers to aggregating data from PROMs to conduct health services research. The article proposes 2 priority areas to help advance rehabilitation health services research: (1) standardization of collecting PROMs data in electronic health records to facilitate comparing health system performance and quality and (2) increased partnerships between rehabilitation providers, researchers, and payors to accelerate health system learning. As health care reform continues to emphasize value-based payment strategies, it is essential for the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation to be at the forefront of demonstrating its value in the care continuum.

Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Change in Self-Care and Change in Mobility Quality Measures: Development and Reliability and Validity Testing.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development, implementation and reliability and validity testing of the inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) Change in Self-Care and Change in Mobility quality measures. DESIGN: We describe the activities involved in developing and implementing the 2 facility-level quality measures, including public comment opportunities. We examined facility-level reliability using split-half testing and Pearson product-moment correlations, Spearman rank correlations, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC2,1). We examined validity by comparing facility-level quality measure scores and facility disease-specific certification status. SETTING: All 1117 IRFs in the United States with at least 20 Medicare stays that ended in 2017. PARTICIPANTS: Facility-level quality measure scores (N=1117) were derived from data from 427,517 (self-care) and 427,956 (mobility) Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage IRF patient stays in 2017. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Facility-level Change in Self-Care and Change in Mobility quality measure scores and facility Disease-Specific Certification for Stroke Rehabilitation from The Joint Commission were used in validity analysis. RESULTS: The split-half quality measure scores showed strong, positive correlations for the facility-level self-care (Pearson=0.903, Spearman=0.884, ICC=0.903, P<.0001) and mobility (Pearson=0.903, Spearman=0.884, ICC= 0.903, P<.0001) quality measure scores, providing evidence of reliability. ICCs remained strong when stratifying by provider volume. IRFs with stroke certification had slightly higher mean and median quality measure scores than IRFs without certification, and IRFs with the higher quality measure scores tended to have a higher percentage of certified IRFs. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses support the reliability and validity of the Change in Self-Care and Change in Mobility quality measure scores in IRFs.

Identifying factors associated with acute hospital discharge dispositions in patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: Identify sociodemographic, injury, and hospital-level factors associated with acute hospital discharge dispositions following acute hospitalization for moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the United States. METHODS: The 2011-2014 National Trauma Data Bank data was used, including 466 acute care hospitals and 114,736 patients ≥16 years old who survived moderate-to-severe TBI. Outcome was acute hospital discharge dispositions: home with/without care (HC), skilled nursing home/other care facility (SNF/ICF) and inpatient rehabilitation/long-term care facility (IRF). Independent variables were patients' sociodemographic, injury, and hospital-level factors. Multilevel modeling was used to assess associations and compare likelihood of discharges. RESULTS: Of all patients, 74.5%, 14.6% ,and 10.9% were discharged to HC, SNF/ICF ,and IRF, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficients indicated that hospitals explained 14.3% and 14.8% of variations in probabilities of institution dispositions. Sociodemographic factors including older age, females, Non-Hispanic Whites, recipients of commercial insurance, and Medicare/Medicaid were significantly associated with higher institution discharges. Hospital-related factors including bed size, teaching status, trauma accreditations, and hospital locations were significantly associated with discharge dispositions. CONCLUSION: Identifying factors associated with discharge dispositions after acute hospitalization of TBI is pertinent to ensure quality of care and optimal patient outcomes. Further research into hospital-related variations in acute care discharge dispositions is recommended.

Economic impact of comorbid TBI-dementia on VA facility and non-VA facility costs, 2000-2020.

OBJECTIVE: There is evidence Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is associated with increased risk of dementia (D). We compared VA and non-VA facility costs associated with TBI+D and each diagnosis alone, relative to neither diagnosis, annually and over time, 2000-2020. METHODS: We estimated adjusted panel models of annual VHA costs in VA and non-VA facilities, stratified by age, and by TBI-dementia status. We also estimated cost for the TBI+D cohort by time since TBI and dementia diagnoses. All costs were 2021 inflation adjusted. RESULTS: Veterans <65 ($30,736) and ≥65 ($15,650) with TBI+D, while veterans <65 ($3,379) and ≥65 ($4,252) with TBI-only had higher annual total VHA costs, relative to neither diagnosis. Veterans with TBI+D < 65 ($42,864) and ≥65 ($72,424) had higher costs in years≥15 after TBI diagnosis, while <65 ($36,431) and ≥65 ($37,589) had higher costs in years ≥10 after dementia diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The main cost driver was inpatient non-VA facility costs. Veterans had continuously increasing inpatient care costs in non-VA facilities over time since their TBI and dementia diagnoses. Given budget constraints on the VA system, quality of care in non-VA facilities warrants comparison with VA facilities to make informed decisions regarding referrals to non-VA facilities.

Clinical features of dementia cases ascertained by ICD coding in LIMBIC-CENC multicenter study of mild traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: Describe dementia cases identified through International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding in the Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium - Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (LIMBIC-CENC) multicenter prospective longitudinal study (PLS) of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). DESIGN: Descriptive case series using cross-sectional data. METHODS: Veterans Affairs (VA) health system data including ICD codes were obtained for 1563 PLS participants through the VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI). Demographic, injury, and clinical characteristics of Dementia positive and negative cases are described. RESULTS: Five cases of dementia were identified, all under 65 years old. The dementia cases all had a history of blast-related mTBI and all had self-reported functional problems and four had PTSD symptomatology at the clinical disorder range. Cognitive testing revealed some deficits especially in the visual memory and verbal learning and memory domains, and that two of the cases might be false positives. CONCLUSIONS: ICD codes for early dementia in the VA system have specificity concerns, but could be indicative of cognitive performance and self-reported cognitive function. Further research is needed to better determine links to blast exposure, blast-related mTBI, and PTSD to early dementia in the military population.

Associations of Multiple Chronic Conditions With Physical Performance and Falls Among Older Adults With Back Pain: A Longitudinal, Population-based Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of chronic conditions measured at baseline with physical performance and falls over time among older adults with back pain. We examined both number and type (depression, anxiety, arthritis) of chronic conditions. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: National Health and Aging Trends Study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2438 community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with bothersome back pain (N=2438). The sample was mostly female (62%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 59%-64%) and aged 65-74 years (56%; 95% CI, 53%-58%). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) (range, 0-12, lower indicates worse function) and recurrent falls measured annually over 6 years. RESULTS: Multiple chronic conditions were highly prevalent (82%; 95% CI, 79%-84%) among those reporting back pain. Adjusted regressions using survey weights with Taylor series linearization method and containing interaction terms for comorbidity and time showed having 2-3 chronic conditions vs 0-1 was associated with lower SPPB scores, and differences grew over time (for example 0.61 points lower [95% CI, -0.88 to -0.34] and 1.22 points lower [95% CI, -1.76 to -0.67] in rounds 3 and 6, respectively). Having ≥4 chronic conditions was associated with lower SPPB scores at all time points vs 0-1 (point estimate range, -1.72 to -2.31). Arthritis alone; the combination of arthritis with depression; and the triad of arthritis, depression, and anxiety were associated with lower SPPB scores at all time points. Logistic regression models showed presence of 2-3 and ≥4 chronic conditions was associated with increased odds of recurrent falls in any given year (odds ratio, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.35-2.69 and odds ratio, 3.92; 95% CI, 2.81-5.46, respectively). Those with the triad of arthritis, depression, and anxiety had greater odds of recurrent falls vs none or 1 condition. CONCLUSIONS: Among older adults with back pain, those with multiple chronic conditions, including co-occurrence of arthritis, depression, and anxiety, have greater risk for poor physical functioning and falls over time.

Relationship Between Nursing Home Compare Improvement in Function Quality Measure and Physical Recovery After Hip Replacement.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with a total or partial hip replacement admitted to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) after the improvement in function quality measure was added to Nursing Home Compare in July 2016 have greater physical recovery than patients admitted before July 2016. DESIGN: Pre (January 1, 2015-June 30, 2016) vs post (July 1, 2016-December 31, 2017) design. SETTING: Skilled nursing facilities (n=12,829). PARTICIPANTS: Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries (N=106,832) discharged from acute hospitals to SNF after hip replacement between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The 5- and 14-day minimum data set assessments were used to calculate total scores for the quality measure, self-care, mobility, and balance. We calculated the average adjusted change per 10 days and any improvement between the 5- and 14-day assessments. RESULTS: The average adjusted change per 10 days for the quality measure total score for patients admitted before July 2016 and after July 2016 was 1.00 points (standard error, 0010) and 1.06 points (standard error, 0.010), respectively (P<.01). This was a relative increase of 6.0%. Among patients admitted to a SNF before July 2016, 44.4% (standard error, 0.06) had any improvement in the quality measure total score compared with 45.5% (standard error, 0.23) of patients admitted after July 2016 (P<.01). This was a relative increase of 2.5%. The adjusted change per 10 days and percentage of patients who had any improvement in the total scores for self-care, mobility, and balance were all significantly higher after July 2016. CONCLUSIONS: Patients admitted to a SNF after a hip replacement after July 2016 had greater physical recovery than patients admitted before the improvement in function quality measure was added to Nursing Home Compare.

Predictors of Discharge Settings After Total Knee Arthroplasty in Medicare Patients.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the factors associated with acute hospital discharge to the 3 most common postacute settings following total knee arthroplasty (TKA): inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and directly back to the community. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Acute care hospitals submitting claims to Medicare. PARTICIPANTS: National cohort (N=1,189,286) of 100% Medicare Part A data files from 2009-2011. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Observed rates and adjusted odds of discharge to the 3 main postacute settings based on the clinical and facility level variables: amount of comorbidity, bilateral procedures, and facility TKA volume. RESULTS: Using IRF discharge as the reference, patients who received a bilateral procedure had lower odds of both SNF and community discharge, patients with more comorbidity had lower odds for community discharge and higher odds for SNF discharge, and patients who received their TKA from hospitals with lower TKA volumes had lower odds of SNF and community discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical populations within Medicare beneficiaries may systematically vary across the 3 most common discharge settings following TKA. This information may be helpful for a better understanding on which patient or clinical factors influence postacute care settings following TKA. Additional research including functional status, living situation, and social support systems would be beneficial.

Frailty transitions predict healthcare use and Medicare payments in older Mexican Americans: a longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known regarding the impact of transitions in frailty on healthcare use and payment in older Mexican Americans. We address this gap in knowledge by investigating the effect of early transitions in physical frailty on the use of healthcare services and Medicare payments involving older Mexican Americans. METHODS: Longitudinal analyses were conducted using the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (Hispanic-EPESE) survey data from five Southwest states linked to the Medicare claims files from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Seven hundred and eighty-eight community-dwelling Mexican Americans 72 years and older in 2000/01 were studied. We used a modified Frailty Phenotype (unintentional weight loss, weakness, self-reported exhaustion and slow walking speed) to classify frailty status (non-frail, pre-frail or frail). Each participant was placed into one of 5 frailty transition groups: 1) remain non-frail, 2) remain pre-frail, 3) remain frail, 4) improve (pre-frail to non-frail, frail to non-frail, frail to pre-frail) and 5) worse (non-frail to pre-frail, non-frail to frail, pre-frail to frail). The outcomes for the one-year follow-up period (2000-2001) were: (a) healthcare use (hospitalization, emergency room [ER] admission and physician visit); and (b) Medicare payments (total payment and outpatient payment). RESULTS: Mean age was 78.8 (SD = 5.1) years and 60.3% were female in 1998/99. Males who remained pre-frail (Odds Ratio [OR] = 3.49, 1.13-10.8, remained frail OR = 6.92, 1.61-29.7) and transitioned to worse frail status (OR = 4.49, 1.74-11.6) had significantly higher hospitalization risk compared to individuals who remained non-frail. Males in the 'worsened' groups, and females in the 'improved' groups, had significantly higher Medicare payments than individuals who remained non-frail (Cost Ratio [CR] = 2.00, 1.30-3.09; CR = 1.53, 1.12-2.09, respectively]. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare use and Medicare payments differed by frailty transition status. The differences varied by sex. Research is necessary to elucidate the relationship between frailty transitions and outcomes, sex difference and Medicare payment for older Mexican Americans living in the community.

Association of Pain on Hospital Discharge with the Risk of 30-Day Readmission in Patients with Total Hip and Knee Replacement.

BACKGROUND: It is not clear if there is a risk of 30-day readmissions following total hip and knee arthroplasty in patients reporting high levels of pain at hospital discharge. We examined the relationship between post-surgical pain on the day of discharge and 30-day readmission in patients who received total knee and hip arthroplasty. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study was conducted of patients who received total knee (n = 155,284) or hip arthroplasty (n = 89,283) from 2011 to 2018 using electronic health records from the Optum database. Four categories of pain at discharge were created, from none to severe. Multivariate logistic regression models to predict 30-day all-cause readmission were adjusted for patient and clinical characteristics and built separately for knee and hip arthroplasty patients. RESULTS: Mean ages for hip and knee patients were 64.4 (standard deviation 11.3) and 65.7 (standard deviation 9.7) years, respectively. The majority of patients were female (hip: 54.4%; knee: 61.5%). The unadjusted rate of 30-day readmission was 3.54% for hip replacement and 3.66% for knee replacement. In models adjusted for patient and clinical characteristics, for patients with total hip replacement, the odds of 30-day readmission for those with severe pain score at discharge vs those with no pain at discharge were 1.60 (95% confidence interval 1.33-1.92). Similarly, readmission likelihood increased as pain at discharge increased (severe pain vs no pain) for patients with total knee arthroplasty (odds ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval 1.19-1.59). CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that the pain scores on the day of discharge are associated with 30-day hospital readmission.

Use of Hospital-Based Rehabilitation Services and Hospital Readmission Following Ischemic Stroke in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between hospital-based rehabilitation service use and all-cause 30-day hospital readmission among patients with ischemic stroke. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of inpatient Medicare claims data using Standard Analytical Files. SETTING: Acute hospitals across the United States. PARTICIPANTS: From nationwide data, Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries (N=88,826) aged 66 years or older hospitalized for ischemic stroke between January to November 2010. INTERVENTIONS: Hospital-based rehabilitation services were quantified using Medicare inpatient claims revenue center codes for evaluation (occupational therapy [OT] and physical therapy [PT]), as well as the number of therapy units delivered. Therapy minutes for both OT and PT services were categorized into none, low, medium, and high. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All-cause 30-day hospital readmission. A generalized linear mixed model was used to examine the effect of hospital-based rehabilitation services on 30-day hospital readmission, after adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics. RESULTS: In fully adjusted models, compared to patients who received no PT, we observed a monotonic inverse relationship between the amount of PT and hospital readmission. For low PT (30 minutes), the odds ratio (OR) was 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-0.96). For medium PT (>30 to ≤75 minutes), the OR was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.82-0.95). For high PT (>75 minutes), the OR was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.80-0.93). CONCLUSION: Hospital-based PT services were associated with lower risk of 30-day hospital readmission in patients with ischemic stroke.

Impacts of an Integrated Medicaid Managed Care Program for Adults with Behavioral Health Conditions: The Experience of Illinois.

This study assessed the impact of the Integrated Care Program (ICP), a new Medicaid managed care model in Illinois, on health services utilization and costs for adults with behavioral health conditions. Data sources included Medicaid claims, encounter records, and state payment data for 28,127 persons with a behavioral health diagnosis. Difference-in-differences models, in conjunction with propensity score weighting, were used to compare utilization and costs between ICP enrollees and a fee-for-service (FFS) comparison group. The model considered the impact of the SMART Act, which restricted access to care for the comparison group. Before the SMART Act, ICP was associated with 2.8 fewer all-cause primary care visits, 34.6 fewer behavioral health-specific outpatient visits, and 2.5 fewer all-cause inpatient admissions per 100 persons per month, and $228 lower total costs per member per month relative to the FFS group. After the SMART Act, ICP enrollees had increased outpatient and dental services utilization without significantly higher costs. The relative increase in utilization was due primarily to decreased utilization in the restricted FFS group after the SMART Act. By the end of the study period, the ICP group had 13.3 more all-cause primary care visits, 1.5 more emergency department visits, and 1.4 more dental visits per 100 persons per month relative to the FFS program. A fully-capitated, integrated managed care program has the potential to reduce overall Medicaid costs for people with behavioral health conditions without negative effects on service utilization.

Elder abuse and mistreatment: results from medicare claims data.

Elder abuse and mistreatment (EM) continues to be a growing problem as the US population ages. Despite the growth, detection of EM continues to lag. However, Medicare claims data and the electronic health record might provide an opportunity to encourage better detection. We evaluated Medicare claims data from 2012-2014 for beneficiaries who had a diagnostic code for EM discharged from any types of facility. We extracted records for 10,181 individuals examining demographic characteristics, residential characteristics, residential location, type of facility providing care, disease co-morbidities, and disability-related conditions. Of our sample, most were female (65.1%), white (78.8%), over 75 years of age (52.6%), and from an urban setting (85.2%). While the greatest number were discharged from acute care settings, almost one-third were hospitalized in psychiatric hospitals (34.6%). Mood disorders (27.5%) and dementia (14.2%) were the most common primary diagnoses. Hypertension (67.7%), depression (44.6%), fluid and electrolyte disorder (43.6%), and cardiac arrhythmia (28.2%) were the most common co-morbidities. In Medicare claims data, we found unique features and co-morbidities associated with EM. These findings could be used to develop a clinical algorithm predictive of older adults requiring screening for EM.

Effects of Age and Sex on Hospital Readmission in Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of age and sex on 30-, 60-, and 90-day hospital readmission after acute hospital discharge for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Acute hospitals and postacute discharge settings. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals (N=52,877) with Diagnosis Related Group codes of TBI, who were divided into 4 age groups: 18 to 40, 41 to 65, 66 to 75, and ≥76 years. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All-cause hospital readmission. RESULTS: Sex differences in 30-, 60-, and 90-day hospital readmission were found among all age groups (P<.05 for all). The largest sex differences in hospital readmission were in the 2 oldest groups (66-75 and ≥76y). For both sexes, the oldest group (≥76y) had the highest adjusted 90-day readmission risk (eg, 90-d readmission: odds ratio, 2.32 [95% confidence interval, 2.01-2.69] for men; odds ratio, 1.96 [95% confidence interval, 1.59-2.43] for women). Among those readmitted within 90 days, the youngest group (18-40y) had the highest cumulative readmission percentage (35% for both sexes) within the first week of hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Age and sex were significantly associated with hospital readmission during the first 90 days postdischarge in our TBI sample. Specifically, those aged 66 to 75 or ≥76 years had the highest readmission risk over 90 days for both sexes. The findings suggest that clinicians should consider age and sex in discharge planning and for the entire episode of care for the population with TBI.

Is Profit Status of Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities Independently Associated With 30-Day Unplanned Hospital Readmission for Medicare Beneficiaries?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of facility-level factors on 30-day unplanned risk-adjusted hospital readmission after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs). DESIGN: Study using 100% Medicare claims data, covering 269,306 discharges from 1094 IRFs between October 2010 and September 2011. SETTING: IRFs with at least 30 discharges. PARTICIPANTS: A total number of 1094 IRFs (N=269,306) serving Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Risk-standardized readmission rate (RSRR) for 30-day hospital readmission. RESULTS: Profit status was the only provider-level IRF characteristic significantly associated with unplanned readmissions. For-profit IRFs had a significantly higher RSRR (13.26±0.51) than did nonprofit IRFs (13.15±0.47) (P<.001). After controlling for all other facility characteristics (except for accreditation status because of its collinearity with facility type), for-profit IRFs had a 0.1% point higher RSRR than did nonprofit IRFs, and census region was the only significant region-level characteristic, with the South showing the highest RSRR of all regions (type III test, P=.005 for both). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the inclusion of profit status on the IRF Compare website (a platform including IRF comparators to indicate quality of services). For-profit IRFs had a higher RSRR than did nonprofit IRFs for Medicare beneficiaries. The South had a higher RSRR than did other regions. The RSRR difference between for-profit and nonprofit IRFs could be due to the combined effects of organizational and regional factors.

Impact of Multiple Chronic Conditions on Activity Limitations Among Older Mexican-American Care Recipients.

INTRODUCTION: Older Mexican Americans are living longer with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). This has placed greater demands on caregivers to assist with basic activities of daily living (ADL) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). To understand the needs of older Mexican-American care recipients, we examined the impact of MCC on ADL and IADL limitations. METHODS: We analyzed data from 485 Mexican American care-receiving/caregiving dyads. Selected MCCs in the analysis were diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, arthritis, emphysema/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cognitive impairment, depression, and cancer. Care recipients were dichotomized as having 3 or more conditions or as having 2 or fewer conditions. Three comorbidity clusters were established on the basis of the most prevalent health conditions among participants with comorbid arthritis and hypertension. These clusters included arthritis and hypertension plus: diabetes (cluster 1), cognitive impairment (cluster 2), and heart disease (cluster 3). RESULTS: Care recipients with 3 or more chronic conditions (n = 314) had higher odds of having mobility limitations (OR = 1.98; 95% CI, 1.34-2.94), self-care limitations (OR = 2.53; 95% CI, 1.70-3.81), >3 ADL limitations (OR = 2.00; 95% CI, 1.28-3.17), and >3 IADL limitations (OR = 1.88; 95% CI, 1.26-2.81). All clusters had increased odds of ADL and severe ADL limitations. Of care recipients in cluster 2, those with arthritis, hypertension, and cognitive impairment had significantly higher odds of mobility limitations (OR = 2.33; 95% CI, 1.05-5.24) than those with just arthritis and hypertension. CONCLUSION: MCCs were associated with more ADL and IADL limitations among care recipients, especially for those with hypertension and arthritis plus diabetes, cognitive impairment, or heart disease. These findings can assist in developing programs to meet the needs of older Mexican-American care recipients.