Cost-utility analysis of add-on vericiguat for the treatment of chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in China.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the cost-utility of the addition of vericiguat for treating chronic heart failure (CHF) in China from the healthcare payer's perspective. METHODS: A Markov model was built to estimate the cost and utility of treating CHF using vericiguat plus standard treatment (vericiguat group) vs. standard treatment alone (standard treatment group). The clinical parameters (mortality of cardiovascular and hospitalization rate of HF) were calculated according to the VICTORIA clinical trial. The HF cost and utility data were obtained from the literature published in China. One-way sensitivity analysis and probability sensitivity analysis were performed. RESULTS: According to the 13-year model, vericiguat was more expensive (155599.07 CNY vs. 259396.83 CNY) and more effective (4.41 QALYs vs. 4.54 QALYs). The incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) was 802389.27 CNY per QALY. One-way sensitivity analysis revealed that cardiovascular mortality in the two groups was the parameter that had the greatest impact on the results. The GDP per capita in 2022 in China was 85,700 CNY. The probability sensitivity analysis (PSA) showed that the probability of vericiguat being cost-effective was only 41.7% at the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of 3 times GDP per capita (257,100 CNY). CONCLUSIONS: In China, the treatment of CHF with vericiguat is not cost-effective. The drug price could decrease to 145.8 CNY, which could be considered cost-effective.

Differences in health outcomes for high-need high-cost patients across high-income countries.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores variations in outcomes of care for two types of patient personas-an older frail person recovering from a hip fracture and a multimorbid older patient with congestive heart failure (CHF) and diabetes. DATA SOURCES: We used individual-level patient data from 11 health systems. STUDY DESIGN: We compared inpatient mortality, mortality, and readmission rates at 30, 90, and 365 days. For the hip fracture persona, we also calculated time to surgery. Outcomes were standardized by age and sex. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Data was compiled by the International Collaborative on Costs, Outcomes and Needs in Care across 11 countries for the years 2016-2017 (or nearest): Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The hip sample across ranged from 1859 patients in Aragon, Spain, to 42,849 in France. Mean age ranged from 81.2 in Switzerland to 84.7 in Australia, and the majority of hip patients across countries were female. The congestive heart failure (CHF) sample ranged from 742 patients in England to 21,803 in the United States. Mean age ranged from 77.2 in the United States to 80.3 in Sweden, and the majority of CHF patients were males. Average in-hospital mortality across countries was 4.1%. for the hip persona and 6.3% for the CHF persona. At the year mark, the mean mortality across all countries was 25.3% for the hip persona and 32.7% for CHF persona. Across both patient types, England reported the highest mortality at 1 year followed by the United States. Readmission rates for all periods were higher for the CHF persona than the hip persona. At 30 days, the average readmission rate for the hip persona was 13.8% and 27.6% for the CHF persona. CONCLUSION: Across 11 countries, there are meaningful differences in health system outcomes for two types of patients.

Show Me the Money: Patients' Perspectives on a Decision Aid for Sacubitril/Valsartan Addressing Out-of-Pocket Cost.

BACKGROUND: Out-of-pocket medication costs for patients who have heart failure with reduced ejection fraction may be an important part of shared decision-making, but cost has generally been excluded from clinical discussions. This study reports patients' perspectives on a decision aid for sacubitril/valsartan that explicitly addresses out-of-pocket costs. METHODS: Structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction from 2 medical centers to elicit their views on a publicly available decision aid for sacubitril/valsartan that explicitly incorporates considerations related to out-of-pocket costs. Qualitative descriptive analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Key themes identified were general enthusiasm for decision aids for medication decisions, openness on the part of patients to incorporation of cost into decision-making and the decision aid, requests for greater specificity regarding patient-specific cost, and challenges communicating evidence of benefit in a way that allows patients to make cost-benefit analyses for themselves. Patients also raised questions regarding logistical challenges of incorporating a decision aid into the normal clinical and decision-making workflow. CONCLUSIONS: Patients were receptive to the inclusion of out-of-pocket cost as relevant in a decision aid for sacubitril/valsartan. Key challenges to effective integration of cost in these decisions include developing mechanisms for acquiring reliable patient-specific cost estimates and addressing patients' difficulties (and sometimes skepticism) applying trial evidence to their own situation. In addition, implementation strategies are important to develop to facilitate decision aid integration for routine medical decisions into clinic workflow.

Effects of quality-based procedure hospital funding reform in Ontario, Canada: An interrupted time series study.

BACKGROUND: The Government of Ontario, Canada, announced hospital funding reforms in 2011, including Quality-based Procedures (QBPs) involving pre-set funds for managing patients with specific diagnoses/procedures. A key goal was to improve quality of care across the jurisdiction. METHODS: Interrupted time series evaluated the policy change, focusing on four QBPs (congestive heart failure, hip fracture surgery, pneumonia, prostate cancer surgery), on patients hospitalized 2010-2017. Outcomes included return to hospital or death within 30 days, acute length of stay (LOS), volume of admissions, and patient characteristics. RESULTS: At 2 years post-QBPs, the percentage of hip fracture patients who returned to hospital or died was 3.13% higher in absolute terms (95% CI: 0.37% to 5.89%) than if QBPs had not been introduced. There were no other statistically significant changes for return to hospital or death. For LOS, the only statistically significant change was an increase for prostate cancer surgery of 0.33 days (95% CI: 0.07 to 0.59). Volume increased for congestive heart failure admissions by 80 patients (95% CI: 2 to 159) and decreased for hip fracture surgery by 138 patients (95% CI: -183 to -93) but did not change for pneumonia or prostate cancer surgery. The percentage of patients who lived in the lowest neighborhood income quintile increased slightly for those diagnosed with congestive heart failure (1.89%; 95% CI: 0.51% to 3.27%) and decreased for those who underwent prostate cancer surgery (-2.08%; 95% CI: -3.74% to -0.43%). INTERPRETATION: This policy initiative involving a change to hospital funding for certain conditions was not associated with substantial, jurisdictional-level changes in access or quality.

Cost-Effectiveness of the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group Screening Guidelines to Prevent Heart Failure in Survivors of Childhood Cancer.

PURPOSE: Survivors of childhood cancer treated with anthracyclines and/or chest-directed radiation are at increased risk for heart failure (HF). The International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group (IGHG) recommends risk-based screening echocardiograms, but evidence supporting its frequency and cost-effectiveness is limited. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study and St Jude Lifetime Cohort, we developed a microsimulation model of the clinical course of HF. We estimated long-term health outcomes and economic impact of screening according to IGHG-defined risk groups (low [doxorubicin-equivalent anthracycline dose of 1-99 mg/m2 and/or radiotherapy < 15 Gy], moderate [100 to < 250 mg/m2 or 15 to < 35 Gy], or high [≥ 250 mg/m2 or ≥ 35 Gy or both ≥ 100 mg/m2 and ≥ 15 Gy]). We compared 1-, 2-, 5-, and 10-year interval-based screening with no screening. Screening performance and treatment effectiveness were estimated based on published studies. Costs and quality-of-life weights were based on national averages and published reports. Outcomes included lifetime HF risk, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), lifetime costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Strategies with ICERs < $100,000 per QALY gained were considered cost-effective. RESULTS: Among the IGHG risk groups, cumulative lifetime risks of HF without screening were 36.7% (high risk), 24.7% (moderate risk), and 16.9% (low risk). Routine screening reduced this risk by 4% to 11%, depending on frequency. Screening every 2, 5, and 10 years was cost-effective for high-risk survivors, and every 5 and 10 years for moderate-risk survivors. In contrast, ICERs were > $175,000 per QALY gained for all strategies for low-risk survivors, representing approximately 40% of those for whom screening is currently recommended. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that refinement of recommended screening strategies for IGHG high- and low-risk survivors is needed, including careful reconsideration of discontinuing asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction and HF screening in low-risk survivors.

Conflicting Perspectives on the Value of Neprilysin Inhibition in Heart Failure Revealed During Development of a Decision Aid Focusing on Patient Costs for Sacubitril/Valsartan.

BACKGROUND: Despite concerns about rising costs in health care, cost is rarely an issue discussed by patients and clinicians when making treatment decisions in a clinical setting. This study aimed to understand stakeholder perspectives on a patient decision aid (PtDA) meant to help patients with heart failure choose between a generic and relatively low-cost heart failure medication (ACE [angiotensin-converting enzyme] inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker) and a newer, but more expensive, heart failure medication (angiotensin II receptor blocker neprilysin inhibitor). METHODS AND RESULTS: Feedback on the PtDA was solicited from 26 stakeholders including patients, clinicians, and the manufacturer. Feedback was recorded and discussed among development team members until consensus regarding both the interpretation of the data and the appropriate changes to the PtDA was reached. Stakeholders found the PtDA sufficient in clarifying the different treatment options for heart failure. However, patients, physicians, and the manufacturer had different opinions on the importance of highlighting cost in a PtDA. Patients indicated issues of cost were crucial to the decision while physicians and manufacturers expressed that the cost issue was secondary and should be de-emphasized. CONCLUSIONS: The stratified perspectives on the role of cost in medical decision-making expressed by our participants underscore the importance and challenge of having clear, frank discussions during clinic visits about treatment cost and perceived value.

Trends of Clinical Outcomes and Health Care Resource Use in Heart Failure in the United States.

Background Heart failure (HF) imparts a significant clinical and economic burden on the health system in the United States. Methods and Results We used the National Inpatient Sample database between September 2002 and December 2016. We examined trends of comorbidities, inpatient mortality, and healthcare resource use in patients admitted with acute HF. Outcomes were adjusted for demographic variables, comorbidities, and inflation. A total of 11 806 679 cases of acute HF hospitalization were identified. The burden of coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, valvular heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, anemia, cancer, depression, and chronic kidney disease among patients admitted with acute HF increased over time. The adjusted mortality decreased from 6.8% in 2002 to 4.9% in 2016 (P-trend<0.001; average annual decline, 1.99%), which was consistent across age, sex, and race. The adjusted mean length of stay decreased from 8.6 to 6.5 days (P<0.001), but discharge disposition to a long-term care facility increased from 20.8% to 25.6% (P<0.001). The adjusted mean cost of stay increased from $51 548 to $72 075 (P<0.001; average annual increase, 2.78%), which was partially explained by the higher proportion of procedures (echocardiogram, right heart catheterization, use of ventricular assist devices, coronary artery bypass grafting) and the higher incidence of HF complications (cardiogenic shock, respiratory failure, ventilator, and renal failure requiring dialysis). Conclusions This national data set showed that despite increasing medical complexities, there was significant reduction in inpatient mortality and length of stay. However, these measures were counterbalanced by a higher proportion of discharge disposition to long-term care facilities and expensive cost of care.

Angiotensin Receptor Neprilysin Inhibitors-2019 Update.

An abundance of new data regarding the use of the novel drug compound sacubitril/valsartan in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients is published every year since the initial publication of the PARADIGM-HF study in 2014. This review summarises the most recent evidence (2019 and onwards) of sacubitril/valsartan in CHF patients as well as provides a critical appraisal of these data. New data are grouped in categories such as real-world data, randomised controlled trials, surrogate end-points, cost-effectiveness, use of sacubitril/valsartan as an anti-hypertensive treatment, effect on diuretic dosing and implementation of this novel compound in other populations. This review of recent literature identified important messages such as early initiation during index hospitalisation or immediately post-discharge, barriers against implementation of this novel treatment modality, analytical issues regarding measuring natriuretic peptides in patients under treatment and extrapolated use of sacubitril/valsartan in other than PARADIGM-HF populations. This update may serve as a very helpful evidence-based resource for practising clinicians, future research planning and health-related policy makers.

Cost-Effectiveness of Switching Patients With Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction to Sacubitril/Valsartan: The Australian Perspective.

BACKGROUND: The cost-effectiveness, from the Australian health care perspective, of switching patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) stable on angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) to the angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) sacubitril/valsartan is unclear. We sought to assess the cost-effectiveness of sacubitril/valsartan versus enalapril in patients with HFREF in the contemporary Australian setting. METHODS: We developed a Markov model with two health states ('Alive' and 'Dead') to assess the cost-effectiveness of sacubitril/valsartan versus enalapril in patients with HFREF. Model subjects were 63 years of age at entry and had simulated follow-up over 20 years. Transition probabilities were derived from the Prospective comparison of ARNI with ACEI to Determine Impact on Global Mortality and morbidity in Heart Failure (PARADIGM-HF) study. Costs and utility data were derived from published sources. All costs and effects were discounted at an annual rate of 5% and are presented in Australian dollars. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken to test variability in key data inputs. RESULTS: In the base-case analysis, sacubitril/valsartan was found to reduce non-fatal heart failure hospitalisations and cardiovascular deaths, with numbers-needed-to-treat over a 20-year period of 40 and 27, respectively. The use of sacubitril/valsartan led to an additional 6 months of life gained per patient, translating to A$27,954 per years of life saved (YoLS) and A$40,513 per quality-adjusted-life-years (QALY) gained. The results of the sensitivity analyses indicated that the results were robust. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis supports switching HFREF patients on ACE inhibitor or ARB to sacubitril/valsartan.

Association Between Financial Incentives in Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program and Hospital Readmission Performance.

Importance: The strongest evidence for the effectiveness of Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) involves greater reductions in readmissions for hospitals receiving penalties compared with those not receiving penalties. However, the HRRP penalty is an imperfect measure of hospitals' marginal incentive to avoid a readmission for HRRP-targeted diagnoses. Objectives: To assess the association between hospitals' condition-specific incentives and readmission performance and to examine the responsiveness of hospitals to condition-specific incentives compared with aggregate penalty amounts. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort analysis used Medicare readmissions data from 2823 US short-term acute care hospitals participating in HRRP to compare 3-year (fiscal years 2016-2019) follow-up readmission performance according to tertiles of hospitals' baseline (2016) marginal incentives for each of 5 HRRP-targeted conditions (acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, and hip and/or knee surgery). Main Outcomes and Measures: Linear regression models were used to estimate mean change in follow-up readmission performance, measured using the excess readmissions ratio, with baseline condition-specific incentives and aggregate penalty amounts. Results: Of 2823 hospitals that participated in the HRRP from baseline to follow-up, 2280 (81%) had more than 1 excess readmission for 1 or more applicable condition and 543 (19%) did not have any excess readmissions. The mean (SD) financial incentive to reduce readmissions for incentivized hospitals ranged from $8762 ($3699) to $58 158 ($26 198) per 1 avoided readmission. Hospitals with greater incentives for readmission avoidance had greater decreases in readmissions compared with hospitals with smaller incentives (45% greater for pneumonia, 172% greater for acute myocardial infarction, 40% greater for hip and/or knee surgery, 32% greater for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 13% greater for heart failure), whereas hospitals with no incentives had increases in excess readmissions of 4% to 7% (median, 4% [percentage change for nonincentivized hospitals was 3.7% for pneumonia, 4.2% for acute myocardial infarction, 7.1% for hip and/or knee surgery, 3.7% for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 3.7% for heart failure]; P < .001). During the study period, each additional $5000 in the incentive amount was associated with a 0.6- to 1.3-percentage point decrease, or up to a 26% decrease, in excess readmissions (P < .001). Regression to the mean explained approximately one-third of the results depending on the condition examined. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest that improvements in readmission avoidance are more strongly associated with incentives from the HRRP than with aggregate penalty amounts, suggesting that the program has elicited sizeable changes. Worsened performance among hospitals with small or no incentives may indicate the need for reconsideration of the program's lack of financial rewards for high-performing hospitals.

Clinical and economic impact of multipoint left ventricular pacing: A comparative analysis from the Italian registry on multipoint pacing in cardiac resynchronization therapy (IRON-MPP).

INTRODUCTION: Early evidence suggests that multipoint left ventricular pacing (MPP) may improve response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). It is unknown whether this benefit is sustained and cost-effective. We used real-world data to evaluate long-term impact of MPP-ON clinical status, heart failure hospitalizations (HFH) and costs. METHODS: The Italian registry on multipoint left ventricular pacing is a prospective, multicenter registry of patients implanted with MPP-enabled CRT devices. For this analysis, clinical and echocardiographic data were collected through 24 months and compared between patients with (MPP-ON) or without (MPP-OFF) early MPP activation at implant. The total cost of each HFH was estimated with national Italian reimbursement rates. RESULTS: The study included 190 MPP-OFF and 128 MPP-ON patients with similar baseline characteristics. At 1 and 2 years, the MPP-ON group had lower rates of HFH vs MPP-OFF (1-year hazard ratio [HR]: 0.14, P = .0014; 2-year HR: 0.38, P = .009). The finding persisted in a subgroup of patients with consistent MPP activation through follow-up (1-year HR: 0.19; P = .0061; 2-year HR: 0.39, P = .022). Total HFH per-patient costs were lower in the MPP-ON vs the MPP-OFF group at 1 year (€101 ± 50 vs €698 ± 195, P < .001) and 2 years (€366 ± 149 vs €801 ± 203, P = .038). More MPP-ON patients had ≥5% improvement in ejection fraction (76.8% vs 65.4%, P = .025) and clinical composite score (66.7% vs 47.5%, P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter clinical study, early MPP activation was associated with a significant reduction in cumulative HFH and related costs after 1 and 2 years of follow-up.

The burden of non-cardiac comorbidities and association with clinical outcomes in an acute heart failure trial - insights from ASCEND-HF.

AIMS: Non-cardiac comorbidities are highly prevalent in patients with heart failure (HF). Our objective was to define the association between non-cardiac comorbidity burden and clinical outcomes, costs of care, and length of stay within a large randomized trial of acute HF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients with complete medical history for the following comorbidities were included: diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic liver disease, history of cancer within the last 5 years, chronic renal disease (baseline serum creatinine >3.0 mg/mL), current smoking, alcohol abuse, depression, anaemia, peripheral arterial disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Patients were classified by overall burden of non-cardiac comorbidities (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4+). Hierarchical generalized linear models were used to assess associations between comorbidity burden and 30-day all-cause death or HF hospitalization and 180-day all-cause death in addition to costs of care and length of stay. A total of 6945 patients were included in the final analysis. Mean comorbidity number was 2.2 (± 1.34). Patients with 4+ comorbidities had higher rates of 30-day all-cause death/HF hospitalization as compared with patients with no comorbidities [odds ratio (OR) 3.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.61-6.84; P < 0.01]. Similar results were seen with respect to 180-day death (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.33-3.43; P < 0.01). Higher comorbidity burden was associated with higher 180-day costs of care and length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Higher comorbidity burden is associated with poor clinical outcomes, higher costs of care, and extended length of stay. Further studies are needed to define the impact of comorbidity management programmes on outcomes for HF patients.

Iron deficiency in 78 805 people admitted with heart failure across England: a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Iron deficiency (ID), with or without anaemia (IDA), is an important comorbidity in people with chronic heart failure (HF), but the prevalence and significance in those admitted with HF is uncertain. We assessed the prevalence of ID or IDA in adults (age ≥21 years) hospitalised with a primary diagnosis of HF, and examined key metrics associated with these secondary diagnoses. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of Hospital Episode Statistics describing all adults admitted to National Health Service (NHS) hospitals across England from April 2015 through March 2016 with primary diagnostic discharge coding as HF, with or without subsidiary coding for ID/IDA. Results: 78 805 adults were admitted to 177 NHS hospitals with primary coding as HF: 26 530 (33.7%) with secondary coding for ID/IDA, and 52 275 (66.3%) without. Proportionately more patients coded ID/IDA were admitted as emergencies (94.8% vs 87.6%; p<0.0001). Tending to be older and female, they required a longer length of stay (15.8 vs 12.2 days; p<0.0001), with higher per capita costs (£3623 vs £2918; p<0.0001), the cumulative excess expenditure being £21.5 million. HF-related (8.2% vs 5.2%; p<0.0001) and all-cause readmission rates (25.8% vs 17.7%; p<0.05) at ≤30 days were greater in those with ID/IDA against those without, and they manifested a small but statistically significant increased inpatient mortality (13.5% v 12.9%; p=0.009). Conclusions: For adults admitted to hospitals in England, principally with acute HF, ID/IDA are significant comorbidities and associated with adverse outcomes, both for affected individuals, and the health economy.

Utilizing the index for mortality prediction after cardiac transplantation risk score to predict hospital resource consumption.

OBJECTIVE: The index for mortality prediction after cardiac transplantation (IMPACT) risk score incorporates 12 preoperative recipient-specific variables, and has been validated as an accurate predictor of short- and long-term mortality after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHTx). We believe it can also be used to predict hospital costs, and we hypothesize that higher preoperative IMPACT risk scores are associated with increased hospital resource consumption. METHODS: All OHTx patients ≥18 years of age at our institution were reviewed from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2014. Total index hospitalization costs post-transplant were extracted and presented in 2014 consumer price index inflation-adjusted US dollars. Patients were stratified into quartiles (Q) according to IMPACT risk scores. Logarithmic transformation normalized cost data, and linear regression assessed for correlation. A comparison of cost between Q of IMPACT risk score was performed using rank-sum and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-six (n = 356) OHTx were performed during the study period. The median IMPACT score for the cohort was five (interquartile range [IQR] 3-6). Eight (2.2%) patients died within 30-days and 1-year Kaplan-Meier survival was 88.3%. The median length of stay (LOS) was 16 (IQR 14-24) days. The median hospital cost for index admission was $222 200 (IQR:$169 200-$313 700). Median LOS was longer in Q4 vs Q1 (18 days vs 15 days, P = .01) and index hospital costs in Q4 were significantly higher compared to Q1 patients ($280 400 vs $205 000, P < .01). There was a significant positive correlation between IMPACT risk score and cost (regression coefficient .04, P < .01). CONCLUSION: This is the first study in adult cardiac transplantation to identify a positive correlation between hospital cost and recipient risk using the IMPACT risk score. Cost and resource consumption for the index admission after OHTx were significantly higher in the highest IMPACT risk Q compared with patients in the lowest Q.

Better With Time: An Economic Assessment of Long-Term Mechanical Circulatory Support in a Population Surviving at Least 1 Year with a Left Ventricular Assist Device.

This study aims to identify the major components of left ventricular assist device (LVAD)-related costs in a population on long-term mechanical circulatory support to gain insight into opportunities for improvements in quality, safety, and efficiency of care for end-stage heart failure patients. This was a single institution, retrospective cost analysis of patients who received a Heartmate II or HeartWare LVAD between November 2005 and October 2015. Payments for hospitalization for device implantation and subsequent readmissions were represented as the institution's 2015 Medicare reimbursement rate. The incidence, average Medicare reimbursement, and length of stay of readmissions were analyzed for the first year postimplant. A full year of LVAD-related hospitalizations in patients surviving ≥12 months, has a median Medicare reimbursement of $247,208. The most common complications related to ventricular assist devices were gastrointestinal bleeding, driveline infection, stroke, and pump thrombosis. Over 90% of total costs were incurred during the initial hospitalization. Seventy-five percent of first-time readmissions occurred within the first 4 months post discharge. Intensive care unit costs accounted for the single largest cost category during readmissions for all of the 4 most common complications. The trends demonstrated suggest that longer lengths of LVAD support in appropriately selected patients results in progressively decreasing cost-per-month up to 12 months, given the large upfront cost of device implantation and relatively modest additional costs of readmissions. This analysis emphasizes the importance of devices with improved complication profiles and clinical protocols to reduce unnecessary intensive care unit stays to increase the cost effectiveness of long-term ventricular assist device therapy.

Vascular complications associated with percutaneous left ventricular assist device placement: A 10-year US perspective.

BACKGROUND: Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in the use of percutaneous left ventricular assist devices(p-LVADs). p-LVADs are being increasingly used during complex coronary interventions and for acute cardiogenic shock. These large bore percutaneous devices have a higher risk of vascular complications. We examined the vascular complication rates from the use of p-LVAD in a national database. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the National In-patient Sample (NIS) dataset from 2005 till 2015. We used the ICD-9-CM procedure codes 37.68 and 37.62 for p-LVAD placement regardless of indications. We investigated common vascular complications, defining them by the validated ICD 9 CM codes. χ2 test and t test were used for categorical and continuous variables, respectively for comparison. RESULTS: A total of 31,263 p-LVAD placements were identified during the period studied. A majority of patients were male (72.68%) and 64.44% were white. The overall incidence of vascular complications was 13.53%, out of which 56% required surgical treatment. Acute limb thromboembolism and bleeding requiring transfusion accounted for 27.6% and 21.8% of all vascular complications. Occurrence of a vascular complication was associated with significantly higher in-hospital mortality (37.77% vs. 29.95%, p < .001), length of stay (22.7 vs. 12.2 days, p < .001) and cost of hospitalization ($ 161,923 vs. $ 95,547, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high incidence of vascular complications with p-LVAD placement including need for vascular surgery. These complications are associated with a higher in-hospital, LOS and hospitalization costs. These findings should be factored into the decision-making for p-LVAD placement.

HOSPITAL Score, LACE Index and LACE+ Index as predictors of 30-day readmission in patients with heart failure.

This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the HOSPITAL Score (Haemoglobin level at discharge, Oncology at discharge, Sodium level at discharge, Procedure during hospitalization, Index admission, number of hospital admissions, Length of stay) LACE index (Length of stay, Acute/emergent admission, Charlson comorbidy index score, Emerency department visits in previous 6 months) and LACE+ index in predicting 30-day readmission in patients with diastolic dysfunction. Heart failure remains one of the most common hospital readmissions in adults, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Different models have been used to predict 30-day hospital readmissions. All adult medical patients discharged from the SIU School of Medicine Hospitalist service from 12 June 2016 to 12 June 2018 with an International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis of diastolic heart failure were studied retrospectively to evaluate the performance of the HOSPITAL Score, LACE index and LACE+ index readmission risk prediction tools in this patient population. Of the 730 patient discharges with a diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), 692 discharges met the inclusion criteria. Of these discharges, 189 (27%) were readmitted to the same hospital within 30 days. A receiver operating characteristic evaluation showed C-statistic values to be 0.595 (95% CI 0.549 to 0.641) for the HOSPITAL Score, 0.551 (95% CI 0.503 to 0.598) for the LACE index and 0.568 (95% CI 0.522 to 0.615) for the LACE+ index, indicating poor specificity in predicting 30-day readmission. The result of this study demonstrates that the HOSPITAL Score, LACE index and LACE+ index are not effective predictors of 30-day readmission for patients with HFpEF. Further analysis and development of new prediction models are needed to better estimate the 30-day readmission rates in this patient population.

Characteristics of heart failure patients incurring high medical costs via matching specific health examination results and medical claim data: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: We describe the characteristics of patients with high medical costs by matching specific annual medical examination results and medical claim data. Clarifying the relationships between examination items and high medical costs allows the screening of high-risk persons. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: Subjects were persons insured by national health insurance in Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, from April 2016 to March 2017. To identify true heart failure (HF) patients, the disease name listed in the medical claim data was compared with drugs prescribed for HF, with extraction of only subjects whose comparative data matched. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The specific health examination includes a questionnaire on areas such as lifestyle habits, anthropometry, blood pressure, blood tests and urine tests. The percentage of the total medical costs related to the medical care of subjects with HF was described using Pareto analysis. For specific health examination items, we compared the high-cost and low-cost groups. The normality and homoscedasticity of each variable was checked and Student's t-tests and χ² tests were applied. Finally, multiple logistic regression analysis was used to detect factors in the health examination items related to high medical costs. RESULTS: Pareto analysis showed that 80% of all medical costs were paid by 30% of the HF patient population. The fees for cardiovascular surgery accounted for 54% of the total surgical cost, 64% of which included preventable diseases. Levels of creatinine (Cr) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP) and a history of smoking were found to be related to high medical costs. CONCLUSION: Analysis of specific health examination results for HF patients revealed the association between high medical costs, γ-GTP, Cr, and smoking. These results can thus serve as a reference for screening persons at high risk of HF and help prevent the exacerbation of HF.

Healthcare utilization and costs of cardiopulmonary complications following cardiac surgery in the United States.

PURPOSE: This study examined postoperative heart failure (HF) and respiratory failure (RF) complications and related healthcare utilization for one year following cardiac surgery. METHODS: This study identified adult patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and/or valve procedures from the Cerner Health Facts® database. It included patients experiencing postoperative HF or RF complications. We quantified healthcare utilization using the frequency of inpatient admissions, emergency department (ED) visits with or without hospital admission, and outpatient visits. We then determined direct hospital costs from the determined healthcare utilization. We analyzed trends over time for both HF and RF and evaluated the association between surgery type and HF complication. RESULTS: Of 10,298 patients with HF complications, 1,714 patients (16.6%) developed persistent HF; of the 10,385 RF patients, 175 (1.7%) developed persistent RF. Healthcare utilization for those with persistent complications over the one-year period following index hospital discharge comprised an average number of the following visit types: Inpatient (1.49 HF; 1.55 RF), Outpatient (2.02, 0.51), ED without hospital admission (0.33, 0.13), ED + Inpatient (0.08, 0.06). Per patient annual costs related to persistent complications of HF and RF were $20,857 and $30,745, respectively. There was a significant association between cardiac surgical type and the incidence of HF, with risk for isolated valve procedures (adjusted OR 2.60; 95% CI: 2.35-2.88) and CABG + valve procedures (adjusted OR 2.38; 95% CI: 2.17-2.61) exceeding risk for isolated CABG procedures. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that HF and RF complication rates post cardiac surgery are substantial, and complication-related healthcare utilization over the first year following surgery results in significant incremental costs. Given the need for both payers and providers to focus on healthcare cost reduction, this study fills an important gap in quantifying the mid-term economic impact of postoperative cardiac surgical complications.

Expanding Access to Home-Based Palliative Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.

Introduction: Studies show that home-based palliative care (HBPC) improves participant outcomes and satisfaction with care while also decreasing hospitalizations and emergency department visits. U.S. health care payment reforms create financial opportunities to offer HBPC. Consequently, more HBPC programs are emerging, heightening the need to evaluate their effectiveness. Methods: This randomized, controlled trial is comparing the effectiveness of an evidence-based model of HBPC and enhanced usual primary care for participants who receive primary care from medical groups and clinics organized under an accountable care organization or Medicare Advantage plan. Palliative care services are reimbursed by our partnering health plan provider. The five-year trial will enroll 1155 seriously ill participants (and ∼884 of their caregivers) with heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or advanced cancer. We are collecting data via telephone surveys with participants at baseline and one and two months postenrollment and with caregivers at baseline, one and two months postenrollments, and following the death of a loved one. We are collecting participant-reported outcome measures of pain, symptoms, anxiety, depression, participant-provider communication, and hope. Caregiver outcome measures include caregiver burden, communication with providers, anxiety, and depression. Additional outcomes are participant survival time and participants' emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Study Implementation: Challenges and Contributions: Our research team has encountered several significant challenges in early study implementation. These include engaging primary care providers in the study and coordinating logistics with a health plan. Both challenges have contributed to a lag in participant enrollment. Despite these challenges, our study holds tremendous promise to accelerate adoption and spread of an evidence-based HBPC model across the country.