For-Profit Status and Geographic Distribution of Trauma Centers in the US.

This cohort study assesses geographic distribution of for-profit and not-for-profit trauma centers in the US designated by their states between 2014 and 2018.

Regional Differences in Palliative Care Utilization Among Geriatric Colorectal Cancer Patients Needing Emergent Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of palliative care (PC) in critical illness are validated across a range of diseases, yet it remains underutilized in surgical patients. This study analyzed patient and hospital factors predictive of PC utilization for elderly patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) requiring emergent surgery. METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample was queried for patients aged ≥ 65 years admitted emergently with CRC from 2009 to 2014. Patients undergoing colectomy, enterectomy, or ostomy formation were included and stratified according to documentation of PC consultation during admission. Chi-squared testing identified unadjusted group differences, and multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of PC. RESULTS: Of 86,573 discharges meeting inclusion criteria, only 3598 (4.2%) had PC consultation. Colectomy (86.6%) and ostomy formation (30.4%) accounted for the operative majority. PC frequency increased over time (2.9% in 2009 to 6.2% in 2014, P < 0.001) and was nearly twice as likely to occur in the West compared with the Northeast (5.7 vs. 3.3%, P < 0.001) and in not-for-profit compared with proprietary hospitals (4.5 vs. 2.3%, P < 0.001). PC patients were more likely to have metastases (60.1 vs. 39.9%, P < 0.001) and die during admission (41.5 vs. 6.4%, P < 0.001). On multivariable logistic regression, PC predictors (P < 0.05) included region outside the Northeast, increasing age, more recent year, and metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: In the USA, PC consultation for geriatric patients with surgically managed complicated CRC is low. Regional variation appears to play an important role. With mounting evidence that PC improves quality of life and outcomes, understanding the barriers associated with its provision to surgical patients is paramount.

Hidden burden of venous thromboembolism after trauma: A national analysis.

BACKGROUND: Trauma patients are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). One in four trauma readmissions occur at a different hospital. There are no national studies measuring readmissions to different hospitals with VTE after trauma. Thus, the true national burden in trauma patients readmitted with VTE is unknown and can provide a benchmark to improve quality of care. METHODS: The Nationwide Readmission Database (2010-2014) was queried for patients ≥18 years non-electively admitted for trauma. Patients with VTE or inferior vena cava filter placement on index admission were excluded. Outcomes included 30-day and 1-year readmission to both index and different hospitals with a new diagnosis of VTE. Multivariable logistic regression identified risk factors. Results were weighted for national estimates. RESULTS: Of the 5,151,617 patients admitted for trauma, 1.2% (n = 61,800) were readmitted within 1 year with VTE. Of those, 29.6% (n = 18,296) were readmitted to a different hospital. Risk factors for readmission to a different hospital included index admission to a for-profit hospital (OR 1.33 [1.27-1.40], p < 0.001), skull fracture (OR 1.20 [1.08-1.35], p < 0.001), Medicaid (OR 1.16 [1.06-1.26], p < 0.001), hospitalization >7 days (OR 1.12 [1.07-1.18], p < 0.001), and the lowest quartile of median household income for patient ZIP code (OR 1.13 [1.07-1.19], p < 0.01). The yearly cost of 1-year readmission for VTE was $256.9 million, with $90.4 million (35.2%) as a result of different hospital readmission. CONCLUSIONS: Previously unreported, over one in three patients readmitted with VTE a year after hospitalization for trauma, accounting for over a third of the cost, present to another hospital and are not captured by current metrics. Risk factors are unique. This has significant implications for benchmarking, outcomes, prevention, and policy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Epidemiological study, level II.

Which patients receive surgery in for-profit and non-profit hospitals in a universal health system? An explorative register-based study in Norway.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the socioeconomic status (SES) and case-mix among day surgical patients treated at private for-profit hospitals (PFPs) and non-profit hospitals (NPs) in Norway, and to explore whether the use of PFPs in a universal health system has compromised the principle of equal access regardless of SES. DESIGN: A retrospective, exploratory study comparing hospital types using the Norwegian Patient Register linked with socioeconomic data from Statistics Norway by using Norwegian citizens' personal identification numbers. SETTING: The Norwegian healthcare system. POPULATION: All publicly financed patients in five Norwegian metropolitan areas having day surgery for meniscus (34 100 patients), carpal tunnel syndrome (15 010), benign breast hypertrophy (6297) or hallux valgus (2135) from 2009 to 2014. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Having surgery at a PFP or NP. RESULTS: Across four unique procedures, the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for using PFPs were generally lower for the lowest educational level (0.77-0.87) and the lowest income level (0.68-0.89), though aORs were not always significant. Likewise, comorbidity and previous hospitalisation had lower aORs (0.62-0.95; 0.44-0.97, respectively) for having surgery at PFPs across procedures, though again aORs were not always significant. No clear patterns emerged with respect to age, gender or higher levels of income and education. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence from our study of four procedures suggests that equal access to PFPs compared with NPs for those patients at the lowest education and income levels may be compromised, though further investigations are needed to generalise these findings across more procedures and probe causal mechanisms and appropriate policy remedies. The finding that comorbidity and previous hospitalisation had lower odds of treatment at PFPs indicates that NPs play an essential role for more complex patients, but raises questions about patient preference and cream skimming.

Are Patients Undergoing an Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Treated Differently at a Physician-owned Hospital?

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. BACKGROUND: Physician-owned specialty hospitals focus on taking care of patients with a select group of conditions. In some instances, they may also create a potential conflict of interest for the surgeon. The effect this has on the surgical algorithm for patients with degenerative cervical spine conditions has not been determined. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients who underwent a 1- or 2-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion between October 2009 and December 2014 at either a physician-owned specialty hospital or an independently owned community hospital were identified. Demographic information, the time course for treatment and the nonoperative treatment regimen were evaluated. RESULTS: In total, 115 patients undergoing surgery at a physician-owned specialty hospital and 149 patients undergoing surgery at an independent community hospital were identified. Demographic data between the groups including the presence of 12 medical comorbidities and insurance status was similar between the groups. The only difference that was identified was that patients at the surgeon-owned hospital were marginally younger than patients who had surgery at the independent hospital (49.7 vs. 50.0, P=0.048). No difference in the median number of months from the onset of symptoms to surgery (6.51 vs. 7.53 mo, respectively; P=0.55), from the onset of symptoms to the preoperative visit (6.02 vs. 6.02, P=0.64), or from the initial surgical consultation to surgery (0.99 vs. 1.02, P=0.31) was identified. No difference in the number of patients who underwent formal physical therapy (72.2% vs. 67.1%, P=0.42) or who had a cervical steroid injection (55.6% vs. 50.3%, P=0.25%) was identified between patients who had surgery at a physician-owned or independent hospital; however, patients who underwent surgery at the physician-owned hospital were more likely to have taken oral anti-inflammatories (93.0% vs. 83.9%, P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: When comparing hospitals with similar resources, surgeons do not preferentially select younger, healthier patients with higher paying insurance to be treated at the physician-owned hospital. Furthermore, both the time from the onset of symptoms to surgery and the nonoperative treatment regimen were similar between patients treated at the 2 facilities.

Understanding Costs of Care in the Operating Room.

Importance: Increasing value requires improving quality or decreasing costs. In surgery, estimates for the cost of 1 minute of operating room (OR) time vary widely. No benchmark exists for the cost of OR time, nor has there been a comprehensive assessment of what contributes to OR cost. Objectives: To calculate the cost of 1 minute of OR time, assess cost by setting and facility characteristics, and ascertain the proportion of costs that are direct and indirect. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis examined annual financial disclosure documents from all comparable short-term general and specialty care hospitals in California from fiscal year (FY) 2005 to FY2014 (N = 3044; FY2014, n = 302). The analysis focused on 2 revenue centers: (1) surgery and recovery and (2) ambulatory surgery. Main Outcomes and Measures: Mean cost of 1 minute of OR time, stratified by setting (inpatient vs ambulatory), teaching status, and hospital ownership. The proportion of cost attributable to indirect and direct expenses was identified; direct expenses were further divided into salary, benefits, supplies, and other direct expenses. Results: In FY2014, a total of 175 of 302 facilities (57.9%) were not for profit, 78 (25.8%) were for profit, and 49 (16.2%) were government owned. Thirty facilities (9.9%) were teaching hospitals. The mean (SD) cost for 1 minute of OR time across California hospitals was $37.45 ($16.04) in the inpatient setting and $36.14 ($19.53) in the ambulatory setting (P = .65). There were no differences in mean expenditures when stratifying by ownership or teaching status except that teaching hospitals had lower mean (SD) expenditures than nonteaching hospitals in the inpatient setting ($29.88 [$9.06] vs $38.29 [$16.43]; P = .006). Direct expenses accounted for 54.6% of total expenses ($20.40 of $37.37) in the inpatient setting and 59.1% of total expenses ($20.90 of $35.39) in the ambulatory setting. Wages and benefits accounted for approximately two-thirds of direct expenses (inpatient, $14.00 of $20.40; ambulatory, $14.35 of $20.90), with nonbillable supplies accounting for less than 10% of total expenses (inpatient, $2.55 of $37.37; ambulatory, $3.33 of $35.39). From FY2005 to FY2014, expenses in the OR have increased faster than the consumer price index and medical consumer price index. Teaching hospitals had slower growth in costs than nonteaching hospitals. Over time, the proportion of expenses dedicated to indirect costs has increased, while the proportion attributable to salary and supplies has decreased. Conclusions and Relevance: The mean cost of OR time is $36 to $37 per minute, using financial data from California's short-term general and specialty hospitals in FY2014. These statewide data provide a generalizable benchmark for the value of OR time. Furthermore, understanding the composition of costs will allow those interested in value improvement to identify high-yield targets.

Outsourcing day surgery to private for-profit hospitals: the price effects of competitive tendering.

Setting prices for elective patient treatments in private for-profit (PFP) hospitals in traditional tax-funded health systems is challenging since both the organisation of these hospitals and the tasks they perform differ considerably from what we find in public hospitals. From the year 2000, Norway became one of a few countries to gradually implement a procurement system based on competitive tendering when outsourcing elective surgery. In this study we analyse the effect of introducing competitive tendering on the prices paid to PFP hospitals. Pricing data were collected from the formal contracts awarded to PFP hospitals and defined in terms of both absolute and relative prices. We found that PFP hospitals performed day surgeries at markedly lower prices than public hospitals and that competitive tendering triggered the price reduction. We speculate that the PFP hospitals' lack of acute services, less severe patient population, reduced teaching responsibilities and ability to streamline production, as well as other factors, explain the lower prices at PFP hospitals.

Wait times in Canada.

A significant barrier to accessing healthcare in Canada is long waiting lists, which can be linked to the way that Medicare was structured. After significant pressure, provincial governments began to address wait times. An example of a successful strategy to reduce wait times for elective surgery is the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative, which saw wait times in the province change from being among the longest in Canada to the shortest.

The impact of erlotinib use in non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated in a private reference general hospital and in a private cancer clinic from 2005 to 2011.

OBJECTIVE: To report the demographic data and clinical outcomes of non-small-cell lung cancer patients exposed to erlotinib in any line of treatment. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of nonsmall-cell lung cancer patients from a reference general hospital and a private oncology clinic, who received erlotinib from 2005 to 2011. Statistical analysis was performed and we evaluated demographic data and response to treatment, by correlating the results of this first cohort published in Brazil with results of current literature. RESULTS: A total of 44 patients were included; 65.9% were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, and 63.6% had metastatic disease. The mean age was 63.3 years. The median follow-up was 47.9 months. Epidermal growth factor receptor mutation screening was performed in 22.7% of patients (n=10), with mutation present in 30% of patients. The median overall survival was 46.3 months, and there was a higher probability of survival at 60 months for females compared to males (29.4% versus 15.8%; p=0.042). The other variables did not present significant statistical difference. CONCLUSION: We collected the largest cohort of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who have used erlotinib in Brazil to date, and demonstrated that outcomes of patients treated at our clinic during the study period were consistent with the results of current literature in similar patients.

The impact of erlotinib use in non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated in a private reference general hospital and in a private cancer clinic from 2005 to 2011 / O impacto do uso do erlotinibe em pacientes portadores de neoplasia de pulmão de não pequenas células tratados em um hospital geral de referência e clínica particular de oncologia no período de 2005 a 2011

ABSTRACT Objective: To report the demographic data and clinical outcomes of non-small-cell lung cancer patients exposed to erlotinib in any line of treatment. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of nonsmall-cell lung cancer patients from a reference general hospital and a private oncology clinic, who received erlotinib from 2005 to 2011. Statistical analysis was performed and we evaluated demographic data and response to treatment, by correlating the results of this first cohort published in Brazil with results of current literature. Results: A total of 44 patients were included; 65.9% were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, and 63.6% had metastatic disease. The mean age was 63.3 years. The median follow-up was 47.9 months. Epidermal growth factor receptor mutation screening was performed in 22.7% of patients (n=10), with mutation present in 30% of patients. The median overall survival was 46.3 months, and there was a higher probability of survival at 60 months for females compared to males (29.4% versus 15.8%; p=0.042). The other variables did not present significant statistical difference. Conclusion: We collected the largest cohort of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who have used erlotinib in Brazil to date, and demonstrated that outcomes of patients treated at our clinic during the study period were consistent with the results of current literature in similar patients. .

RESUMO Objetivo: Relatar as características demográficas e a evolução de pacientes com neoplasia de pulmão de não pequenas células que receberam erlotinibe em qualquer linha de tratamento. Métodos: Coletamos retrospectivamente dados de pacientes portadores de neoplasia de pulmão de não pequenas células que receberam erlotinibe em qualquer linha de tratamento em um hospital geral de referência e em uma clínica particular de oncologia em São Paulo, no período de 2005 a 2011. Foi realizada a análise estatística e foram avaliados aspectos demográficos e resposta ao tratamento estabelecido, correlacionando os resultados dessa primeira coorte publicada no Brasil com resultados da literatura vigente. Resultados: Foram avaliados 44 pacientes, dos quais 65,9% eram portadores de adenocarcinoma e 63,6% tinham doença metastática. A média de idade foi de 63,3 anos. O seguimento mediano foi de 47,9 meses. A pesquisa de mutação do receptor do fator de crescimento epidérmico foi realizada em 22,7% dos pacientes (n=10), resultando positiva em 30% dos avaliados. A sobrevida global mediana foi de 46,3 meses, e observou-se uma probabilidade maior de sobrevida em 60 meses para o grupo feminino, quando comparado ao grupo masculino (29,4% versus 15,8%; p=0,042). As demais variáveis não apresentaram diferença estatística significativa. Conclusão: Coletamos a maior sequência de pacientes com neoplasia de pulmão de não pequenas células que fizeram uso de erlotinibe no Brasil até a data vigente e demonstramos que a evolução dos pacientes tratados no período avaliado teve resultados concordantes com os da literatura vigente em pacientes semelhantes. .

Declining incidence of acromioplasty in Finland.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: An increased incidence rate of acromioplasty has been reported; we analyzed data from the Finnish National Hospital Discharge Register. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During the 14-year study period (1998-2011), 68,877 acromioplasties without rotator cuff repair were performed on subjects aged 18 years or older. RESULTS: The incidence of acromioplasty increased by 117% from 75 to 163 per 10(5) person years between 1998 and 2007. The highest incidence was observed in 2007, after which the incidence rate decreased by 20% to 131 per 10(5) person years in 2011. The incidence declined even more at non-profit public hospitals from 2007 to 2011. In contrast, it continued to rise at profit-based private orthopedic clinics. INTERPRETATION: We propose that this change in clinical practice is due to accumulating high-quality scientific evidence that shows no difference in outcome between acromioplasty and non-surgical interventions for rotator cuff disease with subacromial impingement syndrome. However, the exact cause of the declining incidence cannot be defined based solely on a registry study. Interestingly, this change was not observed at private clinics, where the number of operations increased steadily from 2007 to 2011.

Do diagnosis-related group-based payments incentivise hospitals to adjust output mix?

This study investigates whether the diagnosis-related group (DRG)-based payment method motivates hospitals to adjust output mix in order to maximise profits. The hypothesis is that when there is an increase in profitability of a DRG, hospitals will increase the proportion of that DRG (own-price effects) and decrease those of other DRGs (cross-price effects), except in cases where there are scope economies in producing two different DRGs. This conjecture is tested in the context of the case payment scheme (CPS) under Taiwan's National Health Insurance programme over the period of July 1999 to December 2004. To tackle endogeneity of DRG profitability and treatment policy, a fixed-effects three-stage least squares method is applied. The results support the hypothesised own-price and cross-price effects, showing that DRGs which share similar resources appear to be complements rather substitutes. For-profit hospitals do not appear to be more responsive to DRG profitability, possibly because of their institutional characteristics and bonds with local communities. The key conclusion is that DRG-based payments will encourage a type of 'product-range' specialisation, which may improve hospital efficiency in the long run. However, further research is needed on how changes in output mix impact patient access and pay-outs of health insurance.

Geographic variation in admissions for knee replacement, hip replacement, and hip fracture in France: evidence of supplier-induced demand in for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals.

INTRODUCTION: We sought to determine whether there was evidence of supplier-induced demand in mainland France, where health care is mainly financed by a public and compulsory health insurance and provided by both for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals. METHODS: Using a dataset of all admissions to French hospitals for 2009 and 2010, we calculated department-level age-adjusted and sex-adjusted per capita admission rates for hip replacement, knee replacement, and hip fracture for 2 age groups (45-64 and 65-99 y old), for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals. We used spatial regression analysis to examine the relationship between ecological variables, procedure rates, and supply of surgeons or sector-specific surgical beds. RESULTS: The large majority of hip and knee replacement surgeries were performed in for-profit hospitals, whereas the large majority of hip fracture admissions were in not-for-profit hospitals; nonetheless, we found approximately 2-fold variation in per capita rates of hip and knee replacement surgery in both age groups and settings. Spatial regression results showed that among younger patients, higher incomes were associated with lower admission rates; among older patients, higher levels of reliance on social benefits were associated with lower rates of elective surgery in for-profit hospitals. Although overall surgical bed supply was not associated with admission rates, for-profit-specific and not-for-profit-specific bed supply were associated with higher rates of elective procedures within a respective hospital type. DISCUSSION: We found evidence of supplier-induced demand within the French for-profit and not-for-profit hospital systems; however, these systems appear to complement one another so that there is no overall national supplier-induced effect.

The impact of global budgeting on treatment intensity and outcomes.

This paper investigates the effects of global budgets on the amount of resources devoted to cardio-cerebrovascular disease patients by hospitals of different ownership types and these patients' outcomes. Theoretical models predict that hospitals have financial incentives to increase the quantity of treatments applied to patients. This is especially true for for-profit hospitals. If that's the case, it is important to examine whether the increase in treatment quantity is translated into better treatment outcomes. Our analyses take advantage of the National Health Insurance of Taiwan's implementation of global budgets for hospitals in 2002. Our data come from the National Health Insurance's claim records, covering the universe of hospitalized patients suffering acute myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, hemorrhagic stroke, and ischemic stroke. Regression analyses are carried out separately for government, private not-for-profit and for-profit hospitals. We find that for-profit hospitals and private not-for-profit hospitals did increase their treatment intensity for cardio-cerebrovascular disease patients after the 2002 implementation of global budgets. However, this was not accompanied by an improvement in these patients' mortality rates. This reveals a waste of medical resources and implies that aggregate expenditure caps should be supplemented by other designs to prevent resources misallocation.

For-profit hospital ownership status and use of brachytherapy after breast-conserving surgery.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relationship between operative care for breast cancer at for-profit hospitals and subsequent use of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT). Among Medicare beneficiaries, we examined whether hospital ownership status is associated with the use of breast brachytherapy--a newer and more expensive modality--as well as overall RT. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of female Medicare beneficiaries who received breast-conserving surgery for invasive breast cancer in 2008 and 2009. We assessed the relationship between hospital ownership and receipt of brachytherapy or overall RT by using hierarchical generalized linear models. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 35,118 women, 8.0% of whom had breast-conserving operations at for-profit hospitals. Among patients who received RT, those who underwent operation at for-profit hospitals were more likely to receive brachytherapy (20.2%) than patients treated at not-for-profit hospitals (15.2%; odds ratio [OR] for for-profit versus not-for-profit: 1.50; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.23-1.84; P < .001). Among women aged 66-79 years, there was no relationship between hospital ownership status and overall use of RT. Among women ages 80-94 years of age--the group least likely to benefit from RT due to shorter life expectancy--undergoing breast-conserving operations at a for-profit hospital was associated with greater overall use of RT (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.03-1.45, P = .03) and brachytherapy use (OR 1.66; 95% CI 1.18-2.34, P = .003). CONCLUSION: Operative care at for-profit hospitals was associated with increased use of the newer and more expensive RT modality, brachytherapy. Among the oldest women who are least likely to benefit from RT, operative care at a for-profit hospital was associated with greater overall use of RT, with this difference largely driven by the use of brachytherapy.

Variations in the open market costs for prostate cancer surgery: a survey of US hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To examine variation in the open market cost of a radical prostatectomy (RP) procedure in the US hospitals for an uninsured patient, as many proposals for health care reform highlight the importance of individuals actively participating in selecting care. However, reports suggest that obtaining procedure prices remains challenging and highly variable. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used 2011-2012 US News and World Report rankings to identify a cohort of 100 hospitals making an effort to include an equal distribution of both academic and private centers, city size, and geographic region. Each hospital was called and the essence of the script included a caller stating he was a healthy, uninsured 55-year-old man recently diagnosed with Gleason 3 + 4 prostatic adenocarcinoma with no metastases. Facility, surgeon, and anesthesia fees were solicited. RESULTS: Seventy hospitals provided facility prices. Facility estimates averaged $34,720 (±20,335; range, $10,100-$135,000), which was statistically higher at academics centers. No significant differences were seen by region, population, or hospital ranking. Surgeon and anesthesia fees were provided by 10%, averaging $8280 (±$4282; range, $4028-$18,720). Thirty-three hospitals provided discounted fees for prompt payment averaging 34% (±16%; range, 10%-80%). CONCLUSION: There is wide variation in pricing for RP, with higher rates found in academic centers. Wide variation in facility costs were observed, and nearly all were unable to provide surgeon and/or anesthesia fees. Currently, it appears to be unacceptably difficult for men with prostate cancer without insurance to obtain prices for an RP procedure.

The use of failure mode and effect analysis in a radiation oncology setting: the Cancer Treatment Centers of America experience.

Delivering radiation therapy in an oncology setting is a high-risk process where system failures are more likely to occur because of increasing utilization, complexity, and sophistication of the equipment and related processes. Healthcare failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) is a method used to proactively detect risks to the patient in a particular healthcare process and correct potential errors before adverse events occur. FMEA is a systematic, multidisciplinary team-based approach to error prevention and enhancing patient safety. We describe our experience of using FMEA as a prospective risk-management technique in radiation oncology at a national network of oncology hospitals in the United States, capitalizing not only on the use of a team-based tool but also creating momentum across a network of collaborative facilities seeking to learn from and share best practices with each other. The major steps of our analysis across 4 sites and collectively were: choosing the process and subprocesses to be studied, assembling a multidisciplinary team at each site responsible for conducting the hazard analysis, and developing and implementing actions related to our findings. We identified 5 areas of performance improvement for which risk-reducing actions were successfully implemented across our enterprise.