Accountable Care Organization Attribution and Post-Acute Skilled Nursing Facility Outcomes for People Living With Dementia.

OBJECTIVES: Under the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model, reductions in healthcare spending have been achieved by targeting post-acute care, particularly in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). People with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) are frequently discharged to SNF for post-acute care and may be at particular risk for unintended consequences of SNF cost reduction efforts. We examined SNF length of stay (LOS) and outcomes among ACO-attributed and non-ACO-attributed ADRD patients. DESIGN: Observational serial cross-sectional study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Twenty percent national random sample of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries (2013-2017) to identify beneficiaries with a diagnosis of ADRD and with a hospitalization followed by SNF admission (n = 263,676). METHODS: Our primary covariate of interest was ACO (n = 66,842) and non-ACO (n = 196,834) attribution. Hospital readmission and death were measured for 3 time periods (<30, 31-90, and 91-180 days) following hospital discharge. We used 2-stage least squares regression to predict LOS as a function of ACO attribution, and patient and facility characteristics. RESULTS: ACO-attributed ADRD patients have shorter SNF LOS than their non-ACO counterparts (31.7 vs 32.8 days; P < .001). Hospital readmission rates for ACO vs non-ACO differed at ≤30 days (13.9% vs 14.6%; P < .001) but were similar at 31-90 days and 91-180 days. No significant difference was observed in mortality post-hospital discharge for ACO vs non-ACO at ≤30 days; however, slightly higher mortality was observed at 31-90 days (8.4% vs 8.8%; P = .002) and 91-180 days (7.6% vs 7.9%; P = .011). No significant association was found between LOS and readmission, with small effects on mortality favoring ACOs in fully adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Being an ACO-attributed patient is associated with shorter SNF LOS but is not associated with changes in readmission or mortality after controlling for other factors. Policies that shorten LOS may not have adverse effects on outcomes for people living with dementia.

Cost and utilization of healthcare services for persons with diabetes.

AIMS: Describe and compare healthcare costs and utilization for insured persons with type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and without diabetes in the United States. METHODS: Using a nationally representative healthcare claims database, we identified matched persons with T1D, T2D, and without diabetes using a propensity score quasi-randomization technique. In each year between 2009 and 2018, we report costs (total and out-of-pocket) and utilization for all healthcare services and those specific to medications, diabetes-related supplies, visits to providers, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits. RESULTS: In 2018, we found out-of-pocket costs and total costs were highest for persons with T1D (out-of-pocket: $2,037.2, total: $25,652.0), followed by T2D (out-of-pocket: $1,543.3, total: $22,408.1), and without diabetes (out-of-pocket: $1,122.7, total: $14,220.6). From 2009 to 2018, out-of-pocket costs were increasing for persons with T1D(+6.5 %) but decreasing for T2D (-7.5 %) and without diabetes (-2.3 %). Medication costs made up the largest proportion of out-of-pocket costs regardless of diabetes status (T1D: 51.4 %, T2D: 55.4 %,without diabetes: 51.1 %). CONCLUSIONS: Given the substantial out-of-pocket costs for people with diabetes, especially for those with T1D, providers should screen all persons with diabetes for financial toxicity (i.e., wide-ranging problems stemming from healthcare costs). In addition, policies that aim to lower out-of-pocket costs of cost-effective diabetes related healthcare are needed with a particular focus on medications.

ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY AND ADEQUACY OF PANRETINAL PHOTOCOAGULATION IN PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY USING ULTRA-WIDEFIELD IMAGING.

PURPOSE: To assess the characteristics of completed panretinal photocoagulation (PRP), using ultra-widefield imaging in proliferative diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: Quantitative assessment of ultra-widefield imaging images of 133 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy with completed PRP was made using ImageJ software. The parameters assessed included distance of laser spots from the optic disk, foveal center, superior and inferior arcades, and extent of the maximum width of laser. Areas assessed were total area of the image, area of the inner limit within which laser spots are restricted, minimum areas of unlasered patches, total area lasered, and ideal area to be covered by PRP. RESULTS: Two hundred one images were assessed for the final analysis. The mean distance of laser spots was 4.2 ± 2.4 mm from the optic disk (nasal) and 6.6 ± 2.5 mm from the foveal center (temporal). The mean distance of laser spots from the superior arcade vessel was 3.2 ± 1.9 mm and 6.2 ± 4.4 mm from the inferior arcade. The mean area of the retina that should have been ideally lasered was found to be 900 ± 267 mm 2 , and the actual area lasered was found to be 681 ± 254.4 mm 2 . CONCLUSION: Approximately one-quarter area of the retina continues to remain ischemic because of the lack of inadequate coverage of PRP. Further longitudinal studies are recommended, using ultra-widefield imaging to objectively assess the adequacy of PRP and its role in modulating the course of progression of the retinopathy.

The Impact of Nurse Practitioner Care and Accountable Care Organization Assignment on Skilled Nursing Services and Hospital Readmissions.

BACKGROUND: Accountable care organizations (ACOs) and the employment of nurse practitioners (NP) in place of physicians are strategies that aim to reduce the cost and improve the quality of routine care delivered in skilled nursing facilities (SNF). The recent expansion of ACOs and nurse practitioners into SNF settings in the United States may be associated with improved health outcomes for patients. OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between ACO attribution and NP care delivery during SNF visits and the relationship between NP care delivery during SNF visits and unplanned hospital readmissions. METHODS: We obtained a sample of 527,329 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with 1 or more SNF stays between 2012 and 2017. We used logistic regression to measure the association between patient ACO attribution and evaluation and management care delivered by NPs in addition to the relationship between evaluation and management services delivered by NPs and hospital readmissions. RESULTS: ACO beneficiaries were 1.26% points more likely to receive 1 or more E&M services delivered by an NP during their SNF visits [Marginal Effect (ME): 0.0126; 95% CI: (0.009, 0.0160)]. ACO-attributed beneficiaries receiving most of their E&M services from NPs during their SNF visits were at a lower risk of readmission than ACO-attributed beneficiaries receiving no NP E&M care (5.9% vs. 7.1%; P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Greater participation by the NPs in care delivery in SNFs was associated with a reduced risk of patient readmission to hospitals. ACOs attributed beneficiaries were more likely to obtain the benefits of greater nurse practitioner involvement in their care.

Costs and Utilization of New-to-Market Neurologic Medications.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare the utilization and costs (total and out-of-pocket) of new-to-market neurologic medications with existing guideline-supported neurologic medications over time. METHODS: We used a healthcare pharmaceutical claims database (from 2001 to 2019) to identify patients with both a diagnosis of 1 of 11 separate neurologic conditions and either a new-to-market medication or an existing guideline-supported medication for that condition. Neurologic conditions included orthostatic hypotension, spinal muscular atrophy, Duchenne disease, Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Huntington disease, tardive dyskinesia, transthyretin amyloidosis, and migraine. New-to-market medications were defined as all neurologic medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2014 and 2018. In each year, we determined the median out-of-pocket and standardized total costs for a 30-day supply of each medication. We also measured the proportion of patients receiving new-to-market medications compared with all medications specific for the relevant condition. RESULTS: We found that the utilization of most new-to-market medications was small (<20% in all but 1 condition), compared with existing, guideline-supported medications. The out-of-pocket and standardized total costs were substantially larger for new-to-market medications. The median (25th percentile, 75th percentile) out-of-pocket costs for a 30-day supply in 2019 were largest for edaravone ($712.8 [$59.8-$802.0]) and eculizumab ($91.1 [$3.0-$3,216.4]). For new-to-market medications, the distribution of out-of-pocket costs was highly variable and the trends over time were unpredictable compared with existing guideline-supported medications. DISCUSSION: Despite the increasing number of FDA-approved neurologic medications, utilization of newly approved medications in the privately insured population remains small. Given the high costs and similar efficacy for most of the new medications, limited utilization may be appropriate. However, for new medications with greater efficacy, future studies are needed to determine whether high costs are a barrier to utilization.

Small practice participation and performance in Medicare accountable care organizations.

OBJECTIVES: Alternative payment models (APMs) encouraging provider collaboration may help small practices overcome the participation challenges that they face in APMs. We aimed to determine whether small practices in accountable care organizations (ACOs) reduced their beneficiaries' spending more than large practices in ACOs. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of Medicare patients attributed to ACOs and non-ACOs. METHODS: We conducted a modified difference-in-differences analysis that allowed us to compare large vs small practices before and after the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACO started, between 2010 and 2016. Our sample included Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with 12 months of Medicare Part A and Part B (unless death) who were attributed to small (≤ 15 providers) and large (> 15 providers) practices participating in ACOs and non-ACOs. The outcome was patient annual spending based on CMS' total per capita costs. RESULTS: Patients attributed to small practices in ACOs had annual Medicare spending decreases of $269 (95% CI, $213-$325; P < .001) more than patients attributed to large practices in ACOs. Small ACO practices reduced spending more than large practices by $165 for physician services (95% CI, $140-$190; P < .001), $113 for hospital/acute care (95% CI, $65-162; P < .001), and $52 for other services (95% CI, $27-$77; P < .001). Small practices in ACOs spent $253 more on average at baseline than small practices in non-ACOs. ACOs with a higher proportion of small practices were more likely to receive shared savings payments. CONCLUSIONS: Small practices in ACOs controlled costs more so than large practices. Small practice participation may generate higher savings for ACOs.

Machine Learning Methods to Identify Missed Cases of Bladder Cancer in Population-Based Registries.

PURPOSE: Population-based cancer incidence rates of bladder cancer may be underestimated. Accurate estimates are needed for understanding the burden of bladder cancer in the United States. We developed and evaluated the feasibility of a machine learning-based classifier to identify bladder cancer cases missed by cancer registries, and estimated the rate of bladder cancer cases potentially missed. METHODS: Data were from population-based cohort of 37,940 bladder cancer cases 65 years of age and older in the SEER cancer registries linked with Medicare claims (2007-2013). Cases with other urologic cancers, abdominal cancers, and unrelated cancers were included as control groups. A cohort of cancer-free controls was also selected using the Medicare 5% random sample. We used five supervised machine learning methods: classification and regression trees, random forest, logic regression, support vector machines, and logistic regression, for predicting bladder cancer. RESULTS: Registry linkages yielded 37,940 bladder cancer cases and 766,303 cancer-free controls. Using health insurance claims, classification and regression trees distinguished bladder cancer cases from noncancer controls with very high accuracy (95%). Bacille Calmette-Guerin, cystectomy, and mitomycin were the most important predictors for identifying bladder cancer. From 2007 to 2013, we estimated that up to 3,300 bladder cancer cases in the United States may have been missed by the SEER registries. This would result in an average of 3.5% increase in the reported incidence rate. CONCLUSION: SEER cancer registries may potentially miss bladder cancer cases during routine reporting. These missed cases can be identified leveraging Medicare claims and data analytics, leading to more accurate estimates of bladder cancer incidence.

Increasing Out-of-Pocket Costs for Neurologic Care for Privately Insured Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the out-of-pocket (OOP) costs of evaluation and management (E/M) services and common diagnostic testing for neurology patients. METHODS: Using a large, privately insured health care claims database, we identified patients with a neurologic visit or diagnostic test from 2001 to 2016 and assessed inflation-adjusted OOP costs for E/M visits, neuroimaging, and neurophysiologic testing. For each diagnostic service each year, we estimated the proportion of patients with OOP costs, the mean OOP cost, and the proportion of the total service cost paid OOP. We modeled OOP cost as a function of patient and insurance factors. RESULTS: We identified 3,724,342 patients. The most frequent neurologic services were E/M visits (78.5%), EMG/nerve conduction studies (NCS) (7.7%), MRIs (5.3%), and EEGs (4.5%). Annually, 86.5%-95.2% of patients paid OOP costs for E/M visits and 23.1%-69.5% for diagnostic tests. For patients paying any OOP cost, the mean OOP cost increased over time, most substantially for EEG, MRI, and E/M. OOP costs varied considerably; for an MRI in 2016, the 50th percentile paid $103.10 and the 95th percentile paid $875.40. The proportion of total service cost paid OOP increased. High deductible health plan (HDHP) enrollment was associated with higher OOP costs for MRI, EMG/NCS, and EEG. CONCLUSION: An increasing number of patients pay OOP for neurologic diagnostic services. These costs are rising and vary greatly across patients and tests. The cost sharing burden is particularly high for the growing population with HDHPs. In this setting, neurologic evaluation might result in financial hardship for patients.

Financial Hardship Among Hispanic Women with Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Little is known about financial hardship among Hispanic women with thyroid cancer. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of financial hardship and to identify correlates of financial hardship in this understudied patient group. Methods: We surveyed Hispanic women who had diagnoses of thyroid cancer reported to the Los Angeles Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry in 2014-2015, and who had previously completed our thyroid cancer survey in 2017-2018 (N = 273; 80% response rate). Acculturation was assessed with the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH). Patients were asked about three outcome measures since their thyroid cancer diagnosis: (i) financial status, (ii) insurance status, and (iii) material measures of financial hardship, collapsed into a single composite measure of financial hardship. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify correlates of financial hardship. Results: Patients' median age at diagnosis was 47 years (range 20-79 years); 49% were low-acculturated and 47% reported financial hardship. Since their thyroid cancer diagnosis, 31% and 12% of the cohort reported being worse off regarding financial and insurance status, respectively. In multivariable analysis, high-acculturated older women were less likely to experience financial hardship compared with high-acculturated 20-year-old women. While financial hardship decreased with age for high-acculturated women (p = 0.002), financial hardship remained elevated across all age groups for low-acculturated women (p = 0.54). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that across all age groups, low-acculturated Hispanic women with thyroid cancer are vulnerable to financial hardship, emphasizing the need for tailored patient-focused interventions.

The Relationship Between Imaging and Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis and Survival.

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists over whether there has been a true increase in the occurrence of thyroid cancer or overdiagnosis secondary to imaging practices. Because cancer overdiagnosis is associated with detection of indolent disease, overdiagnosis can be associated with perceived improvement in survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked database was used to determine the relationship between type of imaging leading to thyroid cancer diagnosis and survival. Disease-specific and overall survival were evaluated in 11,945 patients aged ≥66 years with differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosed between January 1, 2001, and September 30, 2015, who prior to their cancer diagnosis initially underwent thyroid ultrasound versus other imaging capturing the neck. Analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model with propensity score. RESULTS: Patients who underwent thyroid ultrasound as compared with other imaging had improved disease-specific and overall survival (p < .001, p < .001). However, those who underwent thyroid ultrasound were less likely to have comorbidities (p < .001) and more likely to be younger (p < .001), be female (p < .001), have localized cancer (p < .001), and have tumor size ≤1 cm (p < .001). After using propensity score analysis and adjusting for tumor characteristics, type of initial imaging still correlated with better overall survival but no longer correlated with better disease-specific survival. CONCLUSION: There is improved disease-specific survival in patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer after thyroid ultrasound as compared with after other imaging. However, better disease-specific survival is related to these patients being younger and healthier and having lower-risk cancer, suggesting that thyroid ultrasound screening contributes to cancer overdiagnosis. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The findings from this study have implications for patients, physicians, and policy makers. Patients who have thyroid ultrasound as their initial imaging are fundamentally different from those who are diagnosed after other imaging. Because patients undergoing ultrasound are younger and healthier and are diagnosed with lower-risk thyroid cancer, they are less likely to die of their thyroid cancer. However, being diagnosed with thyroid cancer can lead to cancer-related worry and create risks for harm from treatments. Thus, efforts are needed to reduce inappropriate use of ultrasound, abide by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations, and apply nodule risk stratification tools when appropriate.

Intensive Care Unit and Acute Care Unit Length of Stay After Congenital Heart Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative length of stay (LOS) is an important quality metric and is known to vary widely across hospitals after congenital heart surgery. Whether this variability is explained by factors associated with the intensive care unit (ICU) or acute care unit (ACU) remains unclear. We evaluated the relationship between ICU and ACU LOS and the impact of ACU characteristics on postoperative LOS. METHODS: Hospitalizations for congenital heart surgery within the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4) registry (August 2014 to February 2018) were included. Models were developed for ICU, ACU, and postoperative LOS by adjusting for differences in case-mix across hospitals. PC4 hospitals participating in the Pediatric Acute Care Cardiology Collaborative (PAC3) were also surveyed on ACU organizational factors and practice patterns. RESULTS: Overall, 19,674 hospitalizations across 27 hospitals were included. There was significant variation in ICU and ACU LOS. Postperative LOS appeared to be most closely related to ICU LOS; 75% (6 of 8) of hospitals with shorter than expected postoperative LOS also had shorter than expected ICU LOS. A clear relationship between postoperative and ACU LOS was not observed. Hospitals with an ACU able to provide higher-acuity care as indexed according to the PAC3 survey were more likely to have shorter postoperative LOS (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: For hospitals that achieve shorter than expected postoperative LOS after congenital heart surgery, ICU LOS appears to be the primary driver. Higher-acuity resources in the ACU may be an important factor facilitating earlier transfer from the ICU. These data are key to informing quality improvement initiatives geared toward reducing postoperative LOS.

Association of out-of-pocket costs on adherence to common neurologic medications.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between out-of-pocket costs and medication adherence in 3 common neurologic diseases. METHODS: Utilizing privately insured claims from 2001 to 2016, we identified patients with incident neuropathy, dementia, or Parkinson disease (PD). We selected patients who were prescribed medications with similar efficacy and tolerability, but differential out-of-pocket costs (neuropathy with gabapentinoids or mixed serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors [SNRIs], dementia with cholinesterase inhibitors, PD with dopamine agonists). Medication adherence was defined as the number of days supplied in the first 6 months. Instrumental variable analysis was used to estimate the association of out-of-pocket costs and other patient factors on medication adherence. RESULTS: We identified 52,249 patients with neuropathy on gabapentinoids, 5,246 patients with neuropathy on SNRIs, 19,820 patients with dementia on cholinesterase inhibitors, and 3,130 patients with PD on dopamine agonists. Increasing out-of-pocket costs by $50 was associated with significantly lower medication adherence for patients with neuropathy on gabapentinoids (adjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.91, 0.89-0.93) and dementia (adjusted IRR 0.88, 0.86-0.91). Increased out-of-pocket costs for patients with neuropathy on SNRIs (adjusted IRR 0.97, 0.88-1.08) and patients with PD (adjusted IRR 0.90, 0.81-1.00) were not significantly associated with medication adherence. Minority populations had lower adherence with gabapentinoids and cholinesterase inhibitors compared to white patients. CONCLUSIONS: Higher out-of-pocket costs were associated with lower medication adherence in 3 common neurologic conditions. When prescribing medications, physicians should consider these costs in order to increase adherence, especially as out-of-pocket costs continue to rise. Racial/ethnic disparities were also observed; therefore, minority populations should receive additional focus in future intervention efforts to improve adherence.

Out-of-pocket costs are on the rise for commonly prescribed neurologic medications.

OBJECTIVE: To determine out-of-pocket costs for neurologic medications in 5 common neurologic diseases. METHODS: Utilizing a large, privately insured, health care claims database from 2004 to 2016, we captured out-of-pocket medication costs for patients seen by outpatient neurologists with multiple sclerosis (MS), peripheral neuropathy, epilepsy, dementia, and Parkinson disease (PD). We compared out-of-pocket costs for those in high-deductible health plans compared to traditional plans and explored cumulative out-of-pocket costs over the first 2 years after diagnosis across conditions with high- (MS) and low/medium-cost (epilepsy) medications. RESULTS: The population consisted of 105,355 patients with MS, 314,530 with peripheral neuropathy, 281,073 with epilepsy, 120,720 with dementia, and 90,801 with PD. MS medications had the fastest rise in monthly out-of-pocket expenses (mean [SD] $15 [$23] in 2004, $309 [$593] in 2016) with minimal differences between medications. Out-of-pocket costs for brand name medications in the other conditions also rose considerably. Patients in high-deductible health plans incurred approximately twice the monthly out-of-pocket expense as compared to those not in these plans ($661 [$964] vs $246 [$472] in MS, $40 [$94] vs $18 [$46] in epilepsy in 2016). Cumulative 2-year out-of-pocket costs rose almost linearly over time in MS ($2,238 [$3,342]) and epilepsy ($230 [$443]). CONCLUSIONS: Out-of-pocket costs for neurologic medications have increased considerably over the last 12 years, particularly for those in high-deductible health plans. Out-of-pocket costs vary widely both across and within conditions. To minimize patient financial burden, neurologists require access to precise cost information when making treatment decisions.

Thyroid Ultrasound and the Increase in Diagnosis of Low-Risk Thyroid Cancer.

Context: Thyroid cancer incidence increased with the greatest change in adults aged ≥65 years. Objective: To determine the relationship between area-level use of imaging and thyroid cancer incidence over time. Design, Setting and Participants: Longitudinal imaging patterns in Medicare patients aged ≥65 years residing in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) regions were assessed in relationship to differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosis in patients aged ≥65 years included in SEER-Medicare. Linear mixed-effects modeling was used to determine factors associated with thyroid cancer incidence over time. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine patient characteristics associated with receipt of thyroid ultrasound as initial imaging. Main Outcome Measure: Thyroid cancer incidence. Results: Between 2002 and 2013, thyroid ultrasound use as initial imaging increased (P < 0.001). Controlling for time and demographics, use of thyroid ultrasound was associated with thyroid cancer incidence (P < 0.001). Findings persisted when cohort was restricted to papillary thyroid cancer (P < 0.001), localized papillary thyroid cancer (P = 0.004), and localized papillary thyroid cancer with tumor size ≤1 cm (P = 0.01). Based on our model, from 2003 to 2013, at least 6594 patients aged ≥65 years were diagnosed with thyroid cancer in the United States due to increased use of thyroid ultrasound. Thyroid ultrasound as initial imaging was associated with female sex and comorbidities. Conclusion: Greater thyroid ultrasound use led to increased diagnosis of low-risk thyroid cancer, emphasizing the need to reduce harms through reduction in inappropriate ultrasound use and adoption of nodule risk stratification tools.

Variation in Adjusted Mortality for Medical Admissions to Pediatric Cardiac ICUs.

OBJECTIVES: Pediatric cardiac ICUs should be adept at treating both critical medical and surgical conditions for patients with cardiac disease. There are no case-mix adjusted quality metrics specific to medical cardiac ICU admissions. We aimed to measure case-mix adjusted cardiac ICU medical mortality rates and assess variation across cardiac ICUs in the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium. DESIGN: Observational analysis. SETTING: Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium clinical registry. PATIENTS: All cardiac ICU admissions that did not include cardiac surgery. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary endpoint was cardiac ICU mortality. Based on multivariable logistic regression accounting for clustering, we created a case-mix adjusted model using variables present at cardiac ICU admission. Bootstrap resampling (1,000 samples) was used for model validation. We calculated a standardized mortality ratio for each cardiac ICU based on observed-to-expected mortality from the fitted model. A cardiac ICU was considered a statistically significant outlier if the 95% CI around the standardized mortality ratio did not cross 1. Of 11,042 consecutive medical admissions from 25 cardiac ICUs (August 2014 to May 2017), the observed mortality rate was 4.3% (n = 479). Final model covariates included age, underweight, prior surgery, time of and reason for cardiac ICU admission, high-risk medical diagnosis or comorbidity, mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at admission, and pupillary reflex. The C-statistic for the validated model was 0.87, and it was well calibrated. Expected mortality ranged from 2.6% to 8.3%, reflecting important case-mix variation. Standardized mortality ratios ranged from 0.5 to 1.7 across cardiac ICUs. Three cardiac ICUs were outliers; two had lower-than-expected (standardized mortality ratio <1) and one had higher-than-expected (standardized mortality ratio >1) mortality. CONCLUSIONS: We measured case-mix adjusted mortality for cardiac ICU patients with critical medical conditions, and provide the first report of variation in this quality metric within this patient population across Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium cardiac ICUs. This metric will be used by Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium cardiac ICUs to assess and improve outcomes by identifying high-performing (low-mortality) centers and engaging in collaborative learning.

Variation in Case-Mix Adjusted Unplanned Pediatric Cardiac ICU Readmission Rates.

OBJECTIVES: To identify modifiable factors leading to unplanned readmission and characterize differences in adjusted unplanned readmission rates across hospitals. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected clinical registry data SETTING:: Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium clinical registry. PATIENTS: Patients admitted to a pediatric cardiac ICU at Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium hospitals. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We examined pediatric cardiac ICU encounters in the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium registry from October 2013 to March 2016. The primary outcomes were early (< 48 hr from pediatric cardiac ICU transfer) and late (2-7 d) unplanned readmission. Generalized logit models identified independent predictors of unplanned readmission. We then calculated observed-to-expected ratios of unplanned readmission and identified higher-than or lower-than-expected unplanned readmission rates for those with an observed-to-expected ratios greater than or less than 1, respectively, and a 95% CI that did not cross 1. Of 11,301 pediatric cardiac ICU encounters (16 hospitals), 62% were surgical, and 18% were neonates. There were 175 (1.6%) early unplanned readmission, and 300 (2.7%) late unplanned readmission, most commonly for respiratory (31%), or cardiac (28%) indications. In multivariable analysis, unique modifiable factors were associated with unplanned readmission. Although shorter time between discontinuation of vasoactive infusions and pediatric cardiac ICU transfer was associated with early unplanned readmission, nighttime discharge was independently associated with a greater likelihood of late unplanned readmission. Two hospitals had lower-than-expected unplanned readmission in both the early and late categories, whereas two other hospitals were higher-than-expected in both. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis demonstrated time from discontinuation of critical care therapies to pediatric cardiac ICU transfer as a significant, modifiable predictor of unplanned readmission. We identified two hospitals with lower-than-expected adjusted rates of both early and late unplanned readmission, suggesting that their systems are well designed to prevent unplanned readmission. This offers the possibility of disseminating best practices to other hospitals through collaborative learning.

Readmission Rates and Skilled Nursing Facility Utilization After Major Inpatient Surgery.

BACKGROUND: There is widespread interest in reducing use of postacute care (ie, care after hospital discharge) following major surgery, provided that such reductions do not worsen quality outcomes such as readmission rates. OBJECTIVES: To describe the association between changes in skilled nursing facility (SNF) use and changes in readmission rates after surgery. RESEARCH DESIGN: This was a observational study. SUBJECTS: Fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or total hip replacement (THR) from 2008 to 2013. MEASURES: Primary exposure was risk-adjusted SNF use initiated 0-2 days after hospital discharge, and the primary outcome was risk-adjusted readmission rates from 3 to 30 days after discharge. RESULTS: Among 176,994 patients who underwent CABG at 804 hospitals and 233,955 patients who underwent THR at 1220 hospitals, hospital-level SNF utilization increased after CABG (16.4%-19.0%, P=0.001) and THR (40.8%-45.5%, P<0.001), from 2008 to 2013. Hospital readmission rates decreased for CABG (14.7%-12.7%, P<0.001) but did not change for THR (4.9%-4.8%, P=0.55), from 2008 to 2013. However, there was wide variation in hospital-level change in readmission rates. After adjusting for hospital characteristics and baseline readmission rates, there was no statistically significant association between change in SNF use and change in readmission rates (0.017 and 0.011 percentage point increase in SNF use for every one percentage point increase in readmission rates for CABG and THR respectively, P=0.58 and 0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Changes in use of postacute care after THR and CABG have not been associated with changes in readmission rates.

Treatment-Free Survival in Patients With Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.

Objective: Cancer recurrence is a primary concern for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer; however, population-level data on recurrent or persistent disease do not currently exist. The objective of this study was to determine treated recurrent or persistent thyroid cancer by using a population-based registry, identify correlates of poor treatment-free survival, and define prognostic groups for treatment-free survival. Methods: In this population-based study, we evaluated treatment-free survival in 9273 patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program-Medicare with a diagnosis of differentiated thyroid cancer between 1998 and 2012. Treated recurrence was defined by treatment of recurrent or persistent differentiated thyroid cancer with surgery, radioactive iodine, or radiation therapy at ≥1 year after diagnosis. Multivariable analysis was performed with Cox proportional hazards regression, survival trees, and random survival forests. Results: In this cohort the median patient age at time of diagnosis was 69 years, and 75% of the patients were female. Using survival tree analyses, we identified five distinct prognostic groups (P < 0.001), with a prediction accuracy of 88.7%. The 5-year treatment-free survival rates of these prognostic groups were 96%, 91%, 85%, 72%, and 52%, respectively, and the 10-year treatment-free survival rates were 94%, 87%, 80%, 64%, and 39%. Based on survival forest analysis, the most important factors for predicting treatment-free survival were stage, tumor size, and receipt of radioactive iodine. Conclusion: In this population-based cohort, five prognostic groups for treatment-free survival were identified. Understanding treatment-free survival has implications for the care and long-term surveillance of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.