Translating Value Across Telehealth Stakeholders: A Rapid Review of Telehealth Measurement Evidence and a New Policy Framework to Guide Telehealth Researchers.

Introduction: The surge in virtual care during the pandemic was accompanied by an increase in telehealth data of interest to policy stakeholders and other health care decision makers. However, these data often require substantial preprocessing and targeted analyses to be usable. By deliberately evaluating telehealth services with stakeholder perspectives in mind, telehealth researchers can more effectively inform clinical and policy decision making. Objective: To examine existing literature on telehealth measurement and evaluation and develop a new policy-oriented framework to guide telehealth researchers. Materials and Methods: A systematic rapid review of literature on telehealth measurement and evaluation was conducted by two independent reviewers in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The findings were analyzed and applied to the Supporting Pediatric Research on Outcomes and Utilization of Telehealth Evaluation and Measurement (STEM) Framework through the lens of key health care delivery decision makers to create a STEM Policy Framework Results: An initial search yielded 2,324 peer-reviewed articles and gray literatyre from 2012 to 2022, of which 56 met inclusion criteria. These measured and evaluated telehealth access (41.5%), quality (32.1%), cost (15.1%), experience (5.7%), and utilization (5.7%), consistent with the STEM Framework domains, but there was no universal approach. The STEM Policy Framework focuses this literature by describing data measures for each domain from the perspectives of five stakeholders. Conclusions: Literature describing measurement and evaluation approaches for telehealth is limited and not standardized, with few considering policy stakeholder perspectives. With this proposed STEM Policy Framework, we aim to improve this body of literature and support researchers seeking to inform telehealth policy through their work.

Racial/ethnic disparities in dementia incidence, outcomes, and health-care utilization.

INTRODUCTION: Racial/ethnic disparities exist in many aspects of health care, but data on racial/ethnic disparities for neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), such as dementia and Parkinson's disease (PD), are limited. METHODS: We used North and South Carolina Medicare claims from 2013 to 2017 to evaluate disparities in incidence of NDDs and in health-care utilization and outcomes for patients with NDDs. RESULTS: Disparities in incidence of NDD between Black and White beneficiaries narrowed by 0.37 per 100 person-years from 2014 to 2017. After thorough covariate adjustment, Black beneficiaries had a 4% higher risk of all-cause hospitalization, spent 8% more days in skilled nursing facilities and 14% fewer days in hospice facilities, were 38% less likely to receive physical/occupational therapy services, were 8% less likely to receive dementia medications, and were 19% less likely to receive PD medications than White beneficiaries. DISCUSSION: Effective system-level approaches to promote health equity in NDD diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes are clearly needed. HIGHLIGHTS: Racial disparities in neurodegenerative disease incidence narrowed between 2014 and 2017. Black patients were less likely than White patients to receive hospice services. Black patients were less likely than White patients to receive physical therapy. Black patients were less likely than White patients to receive Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease medications. There is a shortage of neurologists in counties with high dementia incidence.

Hospital Telehealth Adoption Increased in 2014 and 2015 and Was Influenced by Population, Hospital, and Policy Characteristics.

Background: Telehealth can increase value by reducing gaps in care, access, and cost for patients, providers, and payers. Medicare reimbursement policies aim to increase health access in areas with a provider shortage. Introduction: The influences of telehealth adoption over time are not well known, and would be beneficial for further policy discussion. Materials and Methods: Using the Information Technology Supplement to the American Hospital Association Annual Survey of Acute Care Hospitals, we determined several predictors of telehealth adoption in California hospitals from 2012 to 2015. Results: There were 870 hospitals evaluated. Telehealth adoption was more likely in 2014 and 2015. Compared with those not using telehealth, hospitals using telehealth were less likely to be located in more populated areas (odds ratio [OR] = 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57-0.98), nonrural areas as defined by metropolitan statistical area (OR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.20-0.70), and have a higher percentage of employed individuals (OR = 0.0001; 95% CI: 0.00-0.010). Hospitals were more likely to adopt telehealth if they had mobile device integration into the electronic health record (EHR) (OR = 2.97; 95% CI: 1.39-6.33) or a higher percentage of commuters in their ZIP code (OR = 20.24; 95% CI: 1.29-317.4). Telehealth reimbursement for health professional shortage areas did not contribute to increased telehealth adoption. Discussion: The findings suggest how addressing current infrastructural and policy barriers may improve value-based care. Conclusion: Our analysis suggests that telehealth has become more prominent since 2014, and factors such as significant commuting population, mobile device/EHR integration, and nonrural location influence adoption.

Stakeholders' views on the value of outcomes from clinical genetic and genomic interventions.

PURPOSE: Robust evidence about the value of clinical genomic interventions (CGIs), such as genetic/genomic testing or clinical genetic evaluation, is limited. We obtained stakeholders' perspectives on outcomes from CGIs to help inform their value. METHODS: We used an adapted Delphi expert panel process. Two anonymous survey rounds assessed the value of 44 CGI outcomes and whether a third party should pay for them, with discussion in between rounds. RESULTS: Sixty-six panelists responded to the first-round survey and 60 to the second. Policy-makers/payers gave the lowest ratings for value and researchers gave the highest. Patients/consumers had the most uncertainty about value and payment by a third party. Uncertainty about value was observed when evidence of proven health benefit was lacking, potential harms outweighed benefits for reproductive outcomes, and outcomes had only personal utility for individuals or family members. Agreement about outcomes for which a third party should not pay included prevention through surgery with unproven health benefits, establishing ancestry, parental consanguinity, and paternity. CONCLUSION: Research is needed to understand factors contributing to uncertainty and stakeholder differences about the value of CGI outcomes. Reaching consensus will accelerate the creation of metrics to generate the evidence needed to inform value and guide policies that promote availability, uptake, and coverage of CGIs.

The Value of Outpatient Imaging-Based Cancer Screening Episodes.

In order to shift US health care towards greater value, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is exploring outpatient episode-based cost measures under the new Quality Payment Program and planning a bundled payment program that will introduce the first ever outpatient episodes of care. One novel approach to capitalize on this paradigm shift and extend bundled payment policies is to engage primary care physicians and specialists by bundling outpatient imaging studies and associated procedures-central tools in disease screening and diagnosis, but also tools that are expensive and susceptible to increasing health care costs and patient harm. For example, both breast and lung cancer screening represent target areas ripe for bundled payment given high associated costs and variation in management strategies and suboptimal care coordination between responsible clinicians. Benefits to imaging-based screening episodes include stronger alignment between providers (primary care physicians, radiologists, and other clinicians), reduction in unwarranted variation, creation of appropriateness standards, and ability to overcome barriers to cancer screening adherence. Implementation considerations include safeguarding against providers inappropriately withholding care as well as ensuring that accountability and financial risk are distributed appropriately among responsible clinicians.

Limited magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine has high sensitivity for detection of acute fractures, infection, and malignancy.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine how a limited protocol MR examination compares to a full conventional MR examination for the detection of non-degenerative pathology such as acute fracture, infection, and malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of 349 non-contrast MR exams was selected retrospectively containing a 3:1:1:1 distribution of negative/degenerative change only, acute fracture, infection, and malignancy. This resulted in an even distribution of pathology and non-pathology. A limited protocol MR exam was simulated by extracting T1-weighted sagittal and T2-weighted fat-saturated (or STIR) sagittal sequences from each exam and submitting them for blinded review by two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists. The exams were evaluated for the presence or absence of non-degenerative pathology. Interpretation of the limited exam was compared to the original report of the full examination. If either reader disagreed with the original report, the case was submitted for an unblinded adjudication process with the participation of a third musculoskeletal radiologist to establish a consensus diagnosis. RESULTS: There were five false negatives for a sensitivity of 96.9 % for the limited protocol MR exam. Infection in the psoas, paraspinal muscles, and sacroiliac joint, as well as acute fractures in transverse processes and sacrum were missed by one or more readers. No cases of malignancy were missed. Overall diagnostic accuracy was 96.0 % (335/349). CONCLUSIONS: MR imaging of the lumbar spine limited to sagittal T1-weighted and sagittal T2 fat-saturated (or STIR) sequences has high sensitivity for the detection of acute fracture, infection, or malignancy compared to a conventional MR examination.

An educational forum to engage infectious diseases and microbiology residents in resource stewardship modelled after the Choosing Wisely campaign.

BACKGROUND: Rising costs present a major threat to the sustainability of health care delivery. Resource stewardship is increasingly becoming an expected competency of physicians. The Choosing Wisely framework was used to introduce resource stewardship at a national educational retreat for infectious disease and microbiology residents. METHODS: During the 2014 Annual Canadian Infectious Disease and Microbiology Resident Retreat in Toronto, Ontario, infectious disease (n=50) and microbiology (n=17) residents representing 11 Canadian universities from six provinces, were invited to participate in a modified Delphi panel. Participants were asked, in advance of the retreat, to submit up to five practices that infectious disease and microbiology specialists should not routinely perform due to lack of proven benefit(s) and/or potential harm to patients. Submissions were discussed in small and large group forums using an iterative approach involving electronic polling until consensus was reached for five practices. A finalized list was created for both educational purposes and for residents to consider enacting; however, it was not intended to replace formal society-endorsed statements. A follow-up survey at two-months was conducted. RESULTS: Consensus was reached by the residents regarding five low-value practices within the purview of infectious diseases and microbiology physicians. After the retreat, 20 participants (32%) completed the follow-up survey. The majority of respondents (75%) believed that the session was at least as relevant as other sessions they attended at the retreat, including 95% indicating that at least some of the material discussed was new to them. Since returning to their home institutions, nine (45%) respondents have incorporated what they learned into their daily practice; four (20%) reported that they have considered initiating a project related to the session; and one (5%) reported having initiated a project. CONCLUSIONS: The present educational forum demonstrated that trainees can become actively engaged in the identification and discussion of low-value practices. Embedding residence training programs with resource stewardship education will be necessary to improve the value of care offered by the future members of our profession.

HISTORIQUE: Les coûts croissants représentent une menace importante pour la pérennité des soins de santé. De plus en plus, on s'attend que les médecins aient les compétences nécessaires pour gérer les ressources. Lors d'une journée de réflexion nationale pour les résidents en infectiologie et en microbiologie, la gestion des ressources a été abordée conformément au cadre Choosing Wisely. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Pendant la journée de réflexion canadienne annuelle de 2014 pour les résidents en infectiologie et en microbiologie tenue à Toronto, en Ontario, des résidents en infectiologie (n=50) et en microbiologie (n=17) représentant 11 universités canadiennes réparties dans six provinces ont été invités à participer à un groupe Delphi modifié. Avant la journée de réflexion, ils ont été invités à soumettre jusqu'à cinq pratiques que les spécialistes de l'infectiologie ou de la microbiologie ne devraient pas effectuer systématiquement parce que leurs avantages ne sont pas démontrés ou qu'elles comportent des risques potentiels pour les patients. Ils ont examiné ces pratiques lors de forums en petits et grands groupes selon une méthode itérative par sondage électronique, jusqu'à atteindre un consensus pour cinq pratiques. Une liste définitive a été créée pour des besoins d'éducation et pour que les résidents envisagent de la respecter. Cette liste ne visait toutefois pas à remplacer les documents officiels approuvés par la Société. Un sondage de suivi a été effectué au bout de deux mois. RÉSULTATS: Les résidents sont parvenus à un consensus sur cinq pratiques de faible valeur qui relèvent des médecins en infectiologie et en microbiologie. Après la journée de réflexion, 20 participants (32 %) ont rempli le sondage de suivi. La majorité d'entre eux (75 %) trouvaient que cette séance était au moins aussi pertinente que les autres séances auxquelles ils avaient assisté pendant la journée de réflexion, et 95 % ont indiqué qu'au moins une partie de ce qui avait été abordé était nouveau pour eux. Depuis leur retour au sein de leur établissement, neuf (45 %) répondants avaient intégré ce qu'ils avaient appris à leur pratique, quatre (20 %) ont déclaré avoir envisagé un projet lié à la séance et un (5 %) a affirmé avoir lancé un projet. CONCLUSIONS: Le présent forum d'éducation a démontré que les résidents peuvent s'investir pour cerner les pratiques de faible valeur et en discuter. Il faudra intégrer la gérance de l'éducation aux programmes de résidence pour améliorer la valeur des soins offerts par les futurs membres de notre profession.

Justifying reimbursement for Alzheimer's diagnostics and treatments: Seeking alignment on evidence.

The increasing cost of health care combined with expensive new drugs and diagnostics is leading to more frequent gaps between regulatory and subsequent reimbursement approval decisions. As a result, persons with Alzheimer's disease may have difficulty accessing the benefit of medical advances. In contrast to the long history and established structure for drug approval, payer decision making is dispersed, not standardized, and perspectives on necessary evidence and the evaluation of this evidence differ and are often poorly defined. Particularly challenging is how to demonstrate the value of drugs and diagnostics for patients who do not yet have significant functional decline. Although discussions to develop consensus continue, clinical trials should begin to incorporate health system and patient-oriented outcomes. In some situations, additional studies designed to demonstrate value and comparative effectiveness will be needed. Such studies should examine outcomes of representative populations in community settings. To assure scientific advances in diagnosis and treatment benefit in patients, developing evidence to support reimbursement will become as important as obtaining regulatory approval.

Measuring value in health care: lessons from accountable care organizations.

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) were created to promote health care value by improving health outcomes while curbing health care expenditures. Although a decade has passed, the value of care delivered by ACOs is yet to be fully understood. We proposed a novel measure of health care value using data envelopment analysis and examined its association with ACO organizational characteristics and social determinants of health (SDOH). We observed that the value of care delivered by ACOs stagnated in recent years, which may be partially attributed to challenges in care continuity and coordination across providers. ACOs that were solely led by physicians and included more participating entities exhibited lower value, highlighting the role of coordination across ACO networks. Furthermore, SDOH factors, such as economic well-being, healthy food consumption, and access to health resources, were significant predictors of ACO value. Our findings suggest a "skinny in scale, broad in scope" approach for ACOs to improve the value of care. Health care policy should also incentivize ACOs to work with local communities and enhance care coordination of vulnerable patient populations across siloed and disparate care delivery systems.

Cost-Effectiveness Models of Proton Therapy for Head and Neck: Evaluating Quality and Methods to Date.

PURPOSE: Proton beam therapy (PBT) is associated with less toxicity relative to conventional photon radiotherapy for head-and-neck cancer (HNC). Upfront delivery costs are greater, but PBT can provide superior long-term value by minimizing treatment-related complications. Cost-effectiveness models (CEMs) estimate the relative value of novel technologies (such as PBT) as compared with the established standard of care. However, the uncertainties of CEMs can limit interpretation and applicability. This review serves to (1) assess the methodology and quality of pertinent CEMs in the existing literature, (2) evaluate their suitability for guiding clinical and economic strategies, and (3) discuss areas for improvement among future analyses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed was queried for CEMs specific to PBT for HNC. General characteristics, modeling information, and methodological approaches were extracted for each identified study. Reporting quality was assessed via the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards 24-item checklist, whereas methodologic quality was evaluated via the Philips checklist. The Cooper evidence hierarchy scale was employed to analyze parameter inputs referenced within each model. RESULTS: At the time of study, only 4 formal CEMs specific to PBT for HNC had been published (2005, 2013, 2018, 2020). The parameter inputs among these various Markov cohort models generally referenced older literature, excluding many clinically relevant complications and applying numerous hypothetical assumptions for toxicity states, incorporating inputs from theoretical complication-probability models because of limited availability of direct clinical evidence. Case numbers among study cohorts were low, and the structural design of some models inadequately reflected the natural history of HNC. Furthermore, cost inputs were incomplete and referenced historic figures. CONCLUSION: Contemporary CEMs are needed to incorporate modern estimates for toxicity risks and costs associated with PBT delivery, to provide a more accurate estimate of value, and to improve their clinical applicability with respect to PBT for HNC.

Developing an intraoperative 3T MRI-guided brachytherapy program within a diagnostic imaging suite: Methods, process workflow, and value-based analysis.

PURPOSE: We integrated a brachytherapy procedural workflow within an existing diagnostic 3.0-T (3T) MRI suite. This setup facilitates intraoperative MRI guidance for optimal applicator positioning, particularly for interstitial needle placements in gynecologic cases with extensive parametrial involvement. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Here we summarize the multidisciplinary collaboration, equipment, and supplies necessary to implement an intraoperative MRI-guided brachytherapy program; outline the operational workflow via process maps; and address safety precautions. We evaluate internal resource utilization associated with this progressive approach via time-driven activity-based costing methodology, comparing institutional costs to that of a traditional workflow (within a CT suite, followed by separate postprocedure MRI) over a single brachytherapy procedural episode. RESULTS: Resource utilization was only 15% higher for the intraoperative MRI-based workflow, attributable to use of the MRI suite and increased radiologist effort. Personnel expenses were the greatest cost drivers for either workflow, accounting for 76-77% of total resource utilization. However, use of the MRI suite allows for potential cost-shifting opportunities from other resources, such as CT, during the procedural episode. Improvements in process speed can also decrease costs: for each 10% decrease in case duration from baseline procedure time, total costs could decrease by roughly 8%. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis supports the feasibility of an intraoperative MRI-guided brachytherapy program within a diagnostic MRI suite and defines many of the resources required for this procedural workflow. Longer followup will define the full utility of this approach in optimizing the therapeutic ratio for gynecologic cancers, which may translate into lower costs and higher value with time, over a full cycle of care.

Clinical utility and value contribution of an MRI-positive line marker for image-guided brachytherapy in gynecologic malignancies.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of a novel MRI-positive line marker, composed of C4:S (cobalt chloride-based contrast agent) encapsulated in high-density polyethylene tubing, in permitting dosimetry and treatment planning directly on MRI. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We evaluated the clinical feasibility of the C4:S line markers in nine sequential brachytherapy procedures for gynecologic malignancies, including six tandem-and-ovoid and three interstitial cases. We then quantified the internal resource utilization of an intraoperative MRI-guided procedural episode via time-driven activity-based costing, identifying opportunities for cost-containment with use of the C4:S line markers. RESULTS: The C4:S line markers demonstrated the strongest positive signal visibility on 3D constructive interference in steady state (CISS)/FIESTA-C followed by T1-weighted sequences, permitting accurate delineation of the applicator lumen and thus the source path. These images may be fused along with traditional T2-weighted sequences for optimal tumor and anatomy contouring, followed by treatment planning directly on MRI. By eliminating postoperative CT for fusion and applicator registration from the procedural episode, use of the C4:S line markers could decrease workflow time and lower total delivery costs per procedure. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis supports the clinical utility and value contribution of the C4:S line markers, which permit accurate MRI-based dosimetry and treatment planning, thereby eliminating the need for postoperative CT for fusion and applicator registration.

Quantifying institutional resource utilization of adjuvant brachytherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy for endometrial cancer via time-driven activity-based costing.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to quantify the cost of resources required to deliver adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) for high- to intermediate-risk endometrial cancer using time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Comparisons were made for three and five fractions of vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VCB), 28 fractions of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and combined modality RT (25-fraction IMRT followed by 2-fraction VCB). Process maps were developed representing each phase of care. Salary and equipment costs were obtained to derive capacity cost rates, which were multiplied by process times and summed to calculate total costs. Costs were compared with 2018 Medicare physician fee schedule reimbursement. RESULTS: Full cycle costs for 5-fraction VCB, IMRT, and combined modality RT were 42%, 61%, and 93% higher, respectively, than for 3-fraction VCB. Differences were attributable to course duration and number of fractions/visits. Accumulation of cost throughout the cycle was steeper for VCB, rising rapidly within a shorter time frame. Personnel cost was the greatest driver for all modalities, constituting 76% and 71% of costs for IMRT and VCB, respectively, with VCB requiring 74% more physicist time. Total reimbursement for 5-fraction VCB was 40% higher than for 3-fractions. Professional reimbursement for IMRT was 31% higher than for 5-fraction VCB, vs. IMRT requiring 43% more physician TDABC than 5-fraction VCB. CONCLUSIONS: TDABC is a feasible methodology to quantify the cost of resources required for delivery of adjuvant IMRT and brachytherapy and produces directionally accurate costing data as compared with reimbursement calculations. Such data can inform institution-specific financial analyses, resource allocation, and operational workflows.

Identifying Older Adults With Serious Illness: Transitioning From ICD-9 to ICD-10.

CONTEXT: Identifying the seriously ill population is integral to improving the value of health care. Efforts to identify this population using existing data are anchored to a list of severe medical conditions (SMCs) using diagnostic codes. Published approaches have used International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes, which has since been replaced by ICD-10. OBJECTIVES: We translated SMCs from ICD-9 to ICD-10 using a refined code list. We aimed to test the hypothesis that people identified by ICD-9 or ICD-10 codes would have similar Medicare costs, health care utilization, and mortality. METHODS: Using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study linked to Medicare claims, we compared samples from periods using ICD-9 (2014) and ICD-10 (2016). We included participants with six-month fee-for-service Medicare data before their interview date who had an SMC identified within that period. We compared the groups' demographic, functional, and medical characteristics and followed up them for six months to compare outcomes. RESULTS: Among subjects in the 2016 (ICD-10) sample, 19.9% were hospitalized, 24.6% used the emergency department, 7.2% died, and average Medicare spending totaled $9902.04 over six months of follow-up. We observed no significant differences between the 2014 and 2016 samples (P > 0.05); both samples represent 18% of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. CONCLUSION: Identifying the seriously ill population using currently available data requires using ICD-10 to define SMCs. Routine measurement of function, quality of life, and caregiver strain will further enhance the identification process and efficiently target palliative care services and appropriate quality measures.

Health Care Value: Relationships Between Population Health, Patient Experience, and Costs of Care.

Health care delivery in the United States has become complex and inefficient. With national health care gross domestic product and out-of-pocket expenses increasing, the nation has not yet improved the quality of health care compared with similar nations. As a result, the public asks for greater population health, improved patient experience, and reduced expenses. In this article, the author discuss how key stakeholders, including policy makers, health systems, patients, and employers, understand how these components of health care value are defined, interlink, and provide opportunities for improvement. The author also outlines concrete improvement opportunities from across the country.

Implementation and Impact of a Hospital-Wide Instrument Set Review: Early Experiences at a Multisite Tertiary Care Academic Institution.

A multidisciplinary team of nurses, sterile processing technicians, and surgeons reviewed 609 otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) surgical instrument sets at the study institution's 3 hospitals. Implementation of the 4-phase instrument review resulted in decreased OHNS surgical instrument set types from 261 to 234 sets, and a decreased number of instruments in these sets from 18 952 to 17 084. The instrument set review resulted in an estimated savings of $35 665 in sterile processing costs for the OHNS department. Instrument review applied to all 10 surgical specialties at the institution would result in an estimated annual savings of $425 378. Through effective leadership, multidisciplinary participation of all key stakeholders, and a systematic approach, this study demonstrates that a hospital-wide quality improvement intervention for instrument set optimization can be successfully performed in a large, multisite tertiary care academic hospital.

Blood management in fast-track orthopedic surgery: an evidence-based narrative review.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Innovations able to maintain patient safety while reducing the amount of transfusion add value to orthopedic procedures. Opportunities for improvement arise especially in elective procedures, as long as room for planning is available. Although many strategies have been proposed, there is no consensus about the most successful combination. The purpose of this investigation is to identify information to support blood management strategies in fast-track total joint arthroplasty (TJA) pathway, to (i) support clinical decision making according to current evidence and best practices, and (ii) identify critical issues which need further research. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We identified conventional blood management strategies in elective orthopedic procedures. We performed an electronic search about blood management strategies in fast-track TJA. We designed tables to match every step of the former with the latter. We submitted the findings to clinicians who operate using fast-track surgery protocols in TJA at our research hospital. RESULTS: Preoperative anemia detection and treatment, blood anticoagulants/aggregants consumption, transfusion trigger, anesthetic technique, local infiltration analgesia, drainage clamping and removals, and postoperative multimodal thromboprophylaxis are the factors which can add best value to a fast-track pathway, since they provide significant room for planning and prediction. CONCLUSION: The difference between conventional and fast-track pathways does not lie in the contents of blood management, which are related to surgeons/surgeries, materials used and patients, but in the way these contents are integrated into each other, since elective orthopedic procedures offer significant room for planning. Further studies are needed to identify optimal regimens.

Closing the Loop: Optimizing Diabetes Care in the Hospital by Addressing Dispersed Information in Electronic Health Records and Using Clinical Decision Support.

Multiple factors hinder the management of diabetes in hospitals. Amid the demands of practice, health care providers must collect, collate, and analyze multiple data points to optimally interpret glucose control and manage insulin dosing. Such data points are commonly dispersed in different sections of electronic health records (EHR), and the system for data display and physician interaction with the EHR are often poorly conducive to seamless clinical decision making. In this perspective article, we examine challenges in the process of EHR data retrieval, interpretation and decision making, using glucose management as an exemplar. We propose a conceptual, systems-based design for closing the loop between data gathering, analysis and decision making in the management of inpatient diabetes. This concept capitalizes on attributes of the EHR that can enable automated recognition of cases and provision of clinical recommendations.

Use of a Surgical Debriefing Checklist to Achieve Higher Value Health Care.

Efforts to improve surgical care by using checklists have been inconsistent in results and not reproducible at scale. The ideal manner for using checklists, along with the time horizon for achieving meaningful and measurable benefits, has been unclear. This article describes a novel process for utilizing debriefing checklists to improve value in surgical care. Debriefings of 54 003 consecutive surgical cases and subsequent analysis of 4523 defects in care by multidisciplinary teams led to rapid-cycle iterative changes in care design and processes. Four dimensions of health care value were achieved: debrief-driven improvements reduced the proportion of surgical cases with reported defects, was associated with a significant reduction in the 30-day unadjusted surgical mortality, lowered costs by substantial gains in efficiency and productivity, and led to a better workforce safety climate. Meaningful and sustained improvements required consistent broad-based teamwork over multiple years, an evidence-based data-driven approach, and senior leader and governance engagement.

The Collaborative Payer Provider Model Enhances Primary Care, Producing Triple Aim Plus One Outcomes: A Cohort Study.

Rising health care costs are threatening the fiscal solvency of patients, employers, payers, and governments. The Collaborative Payer Provider Model (CPPM) addresses this challenge by reinventing the role of the payer into a full-service collaborative ally of the physician. From 2010 through 2014, a Medicare Advantage plan prospectively deployed the CPPM, averaging 30,561 members with costs that were 73.6% of fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare (p < 0.001). The health plan was not part of an integrated delivery system. After allocating $80 per member per month (PMPM) for primary care costs, the health plan had medical cost ratios averaging 75.1% before surplus distribution. Member benefits were the best in the market. The health plan was rated 4.5 Stars by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for years 1-4, and 5 Stars in study year 5 for quality, patient experience, access to care, and care process metrics. Primary care and specialist satisfaction were significantly better than national benchmarks. Savings resulted from shifts in spending from inpatient to outpatient settings, and from specialists to primary care physicians when appropriate. The CPPM is a scalable model that enables a win-win-win system for patients, providers, and payers.