Hip Fracture Treatment and Outcomes Among Community-Dwelling People Living With Dementia.

Importance: The decision for surgical vs nonsurgical treatment for hip fracture can be complicated among community-dwelling people living with dementia. Objective: To compare outcomes of community-dwelling people living with dementia treated surgically and nonsurgically for hip fracture. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cross-sectional study undertook a population-based analysis of national Medicare fee-for-service data. Participants included community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries with dementia and an inpatient claim for hip fracture from January 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018. Analyses were conducted from November 10, 2022, to October 17, 2023. Exposure: Surgical vs nonsurgical treatment for hip fracture. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was mortality within 30, 90, and 180 days. Secondary outcomes consisted of selected post-acute care services. Results: Of 56 209 patients identified with hip fracture (73.0% women; mean [SD] age, 86.4 [7.0] years), 33 142 (59.0%) were treated surgically and 23 067 (41.0%) were treated nonsurgically. Among patients treated surgically, 73.3% had a fracture of the femoral head and neck and 40.2% had moderate to severe dementia (MSD). Among patients with MSD and femoral head and neck fracture, 180-day mortality was 31.8% (surgical treatment) vs 45.7% (nonsurgical treatment). For patients with MSD treated surgically vs nonsurgically, the unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of 180-day mortality was 0.56 (95% CI, 0.49-0.62; P < .001) and the adjusted OR was 0.59 (95% CI, 0.53-0.66; P < .001). Among patients with mild dementia and femoral head and neck fracture, 180-day mortality was 26.5% (surgical treatment) vs 34.9% (nonsurgical treatment). For patients with mild dementia who were treated surgically vs nonsurgically for femoral head and neck fracture, the unadjusted OR of 180-day mortality was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.60-0.76; P < .001) and the adjusted OR was 0.71 (95% CI, 0.63-0.79; P < .001). For patients with femoral head and neck fracture, there was no difference in admission to a nursing home within 180 days when treated surgically vs nonsurgically. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of community-dwelling patients with dementia and fracture of the femoral head and neck, patients with MSD and mild dementia treated surgically experienced lower odds of death compared with patients treated nonsurgically. Although avoiding nursing home admission is important to persons living with dementia, being treated surgically for hip fracture did not necessarily confer a benefit in that regard. These data can help inform discussions around values and goals with patients and caregivers when determining the optimal treatment approach.

Health equity considerations in pragmatic trials in Alzheimer's and dementia disease: Results from a methodological review.

Introduction: To improve dementia care delivery for persons across all backgrounds, it is imperative that health equity is integrated into pragmatic trials. Methods: We reviewed 62 pragmatic trials of people with dementia published 2014 to 2019. We assessed health equity in the objectives; design, conduct, analysis; and reporting using PROGRESS-Plus which stands for Place of residence, Race/ethnicity, Occupation, Gender/sex, Religion, Education, Socioeconomic status, Social capital, and other factors such as age and disability. Results: Two (3.2%) trials incorporated equity considerations into their objectives; nine (14.5%) engaged with communities; 4 (6.5%) described steps to increase enrollment from equity-relevant groups. Almost all trials (59, 95.2%) assessed baseline balance for at least one PROGRESS-Plus characteristic, but only 10 (16.1%) presented subgroup analyses across such characteristics. Differential recruitment, attrition, implementation, adherence, and applicability across PROGRESS-Plus were seldom discussed. Discussion: Ongoing and future pragmatic trials should more rigorously integrate equity considerations in their design, conduct, and reporting. Highlights: Few pragmatic trials are explicitly designed to inform equity-relevant objectives.Few pragmatic trials take steps to increase enrollment from equity-relevant groups.Disaggregated results across equity-relevant groups are seldom reported.Adherence to existing tools (e.g., IMPACT Best Practices, CONSORT-Equity) is key.

Pain Impacting Quality of Life in Persons with Dementia Dying in the Nursing Home by Alternative Medicare Payment Model.

Background: Medicare alternative payment models were created to improve health care value by controlling costs and improving care quality. Objective: To determine if prevalence of pain affecting quality of life (QoL) differs by Medicare payment model among nursing home (NH) decedents with dementia at the end of life. Setting/Subjects: NH decedents in 2017/2018 in the United States with dementia who self-reported pain on a Minimum Data Set assessment in the last 30 days of life. Measurements: Main outcome was pain impacting QoL (i.e., affecting day-to-day activities or sleep). Multivariable logistic analysis examined the association between payment model (traditional Medicare [TM], Medicare Advantage [MA], or accountable care organizations [ACOs]) and pain impacting QoL after controlling for potential confounders. Results: There were 115,757 NH residents with dementia who self-reported pain in the last 30 days of life. Of those, 17.8% (n = 20,585) reported having pain the last five days from assessment, which varied by Medicare payment model (17.7% in TM, 17.5% in MA, and 19.1% in ACOs; p < 0.001). Among decedents reporting pain, 23.6% of ACO decedents reported pain affecting QoL compared to 22.1% in MA and 21.6% in TM (p = 0.09). After adjustment, decedents in ACOs compared to TM had greater predicted probability of pain affecting QoL (absolute marginal difference 0.017, 95% CI 0.00-0.035, p = 0.05), and persons in MA did not differ from persons in TM (absolute marginal difference 0.005, 95% CI -0.008 to 0.019, p = 0.41). Conclusions and Implications: Among dementia decedents dying with pain, pain impacted QoL in more than one in five persons. All payment models can improve pain management.

Nursing Home Staff Perceptions of End-of-Life Care for Residents With Advanced Dementia: A Multisite Qualitative Study.

Nursing homes (NHs) are an important site of death for residents with advanced dementia. Few studies have explored the experiences of NH staff about providing end-of-life care for residents with advanced dementia. This study aimed to describe NH staff perceptions on where end-of-life care should be delivered, the role of Medicare hospice care, and their experiences providing end-of-life care to residents with advanced dementia. Data from the Assessment of Disparities and Variation for Alzheimer's disease Nursing home Care at End of life study were used to explore the study objectives. Semistructured interviews with 158 NH staff working in 13 NHs across the United States were analyzed. Most NH staff endorsed the NH as a better site of death for residents with advanced dementia compared with a hospital. They expressed mixed perceptions about hospice care. However, regardless of their role, the staff expressed experiencing difficult emotions while providing end-of-life care to residents with dementia because of the close attachments they had formed with them and bearing witness to their decline. The findings show that most NH staff have strong emotional attachments to their dying residents with dementia and prefer to care for them at the NH rather than transfer them to the hospital.

Association of Nursing Home Organizational Culture and Staff Perspectives With Variability in Advanced Dementia Care: The ADVANCE Study.

IMPORTANCE: Regional, facility, and racial and ethnic variability in intensity of care provided to nursing home residents with advanced dementia is well documented but poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To assess the factors associated with facility and regional variation in the intensity of care for nursing home residents with advanced dementia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In the ADVANCE (Assessment of Disparities and Variation for Alzheimer Disease Nursing Home Care at End of Life) qualitative study, conducted from June 1, 2018, to July 31, 2021, nationwide 2016-2017 Medicare Minimum Data Set information identified 4 hospital referral regions (HRRs) with high (n = 2) and low (n = 2) intensity of care for patients with advanced dementia based on hospital transfer and tube-feeding rates. Within those HRRs, 14 facilities providing relatively high-intensity and low-intensity care were recruited. A total of 169 nursing home staff members were interviewed, including administrators, directors of nursing, nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, dieticians, medical clinicians, and chaplains. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Data included 275 hours of observation, 169 staff interviews, and abstraction of public nursing home material (eg, websites). Framework analyses explored organizational factors and staff perceptions across HRRs and nursing homes in the following 4 domains: physical environment, care processes, decision-making processes, and implicit and explicit values. RESULTS: Among 169 staff members interviewed, 153 (90.5%) were women, the mean (SD) age was 47.6 (4.7) years, and 54 (32.0%) were Black. Tube-feeding rates ranged from 0% in 5 low-intensity facilities to 44.3% in 1 high-intensity facility, and hospital transfer rates ranged from 0 transfers per resident-year in 2 low-intensity facilities to 1.6 transfers per resident-year in 1 high-intensity facility. The proportion of Black residents in facilities ranged from 2.9% in 1 low-intensity facility to 71.6% in 1 high-intensity facility, and the proportion of Medicaid recipients ranged from 45.3% in 1 low-intensity facility to 81.3% in 1 high-intensity facility. Factors distinguishing facilities providing the lowest-intensity care from those providing the highest-intensity care facilities included more pleasant physical environment (eg, good repair and nonmalodorous), standardized advance care planning, greater staff engagement in shared decision-making, and staff implicit values unfavorable to tube feeding. Many staff perceptions were ubiquitous (eg, adequate staffing needs), with no distinct pattern across nursing homes or HRRs. Staff in all nursing homes expressed assumptions that proxies for Black residents were reluctant to engage in advance care planning and favored more aggressive care. Except in nursing homes providing the lowest-intensity care, many staff believed that feeding tubes prolonged life and had other clinical benefits. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study found that variability in the care of patients with advanced dementia may be reduced by addressing modifiable nursing home factors, including enhancing support for low-resource facilities, standardizing advance care planning, and educating staff about evidence-based care and shared decision-making. Given pervasive staff biases toward proxies of Black residents, achieving health equity for nursing home residents with advanced dementia must be the goal behind all efforts aimed at reducing disparities in their care.

Dementia diagnosis in the hospital and outcomes among patients with advanced dementia documented in the Minimum Data Set.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with dementia do not always have a diagnosis of dementia noted on their hospital claims. Whether this lack of documentation is associated with patient outcomes is unknown. We examined the association between a dementia diagnosis listed on a hospital claim and patient outcomes among individuals with a Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using administrative claims data and nursing home MDS assessments. Hospitalized patients aged 66 and older with advanced dementia noted on an MDS assessment completed within 120 days prior to their first hospitalization in 2017 were included. Advanced dementia was defined based on an MDS diagnosis of dementia, dependency in four or more activities of daily living, and a Cognitive Function Scale score indicative of moderate to severe impairment. Multilevel regression with a random intercept at the hospital level was used to examine the relationship between documentation of dementia in inpatient hospital Medicare claims and the following patient outcomes after adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics: invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) use, intensive care unit or coronary care unit (ICU/CCU) use, 30-day mortality, and hospital length of stay (LOS). RESULTS: In 2017, among 120,989 patients with advanced dementia and a nursing home stay, 90.57% had a dementia diagnosis on their hospital claims. In adjusted models, documentation of a dementia diagnosis was associated with lower use of the ICU/CCU (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.78 [95% confidence interval 0.74, 0.81]), use of IMV (AOR: 0.50 [0.47, 0.54]), and 30-day mortality (AOR: 0.81 [0.77, 0.85]). Patients with a dementia diagnosis had a shorter LOS. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with advanced dementia, those whose dementia diagnosis was documented on their inpatient hospital Medicare claim experienced lower use of ICU/CCU, use of IMV, lower 30-day mortality, and shorter LOS than those whose diagnosis was not documented.

Dying with dementia in Medicare Advantage, Accountable Care Organizations, or traditional Medicare.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Medicare Advantage (MA) and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) operate under incentives to reduce burdensome and costly care at the end of life. We compared end-of-life care for persons with dementia who are in MA, ACOs, or traditional Medicare (TM). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective study of decedents with dementia enrolled in MA, attributed to an ACO, or in TM. Decedents had a nursing home stay between 91 and 180 days prior to death, two or more functional impairments, and mild to severe cognitive impairment. MEASUREMENTS: Hospitalization, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) use, and in-hospital death in the last 30 days of life reported in Medicare billing. RESULTS: Among 370,094 persons with dementia, 93,801 (25.4%) were in MA (mean age [SD], 86.9 [7.7], 67.6% female), 39,586 (10.7%) were ACO attributed (mean age [SD], 87.2 [7.6], 67.3% female), and 236,707 (63.9%) were in TM (mean age [SD], 87.0 [7.8], 67.6% female). The proportion hospitalized in the last 30 days of life was higher among TM enrollees (27.9%) and those ACO attributed (28.1%) than among MA enrollees (20.5%, p ≤ 0.001). After adjustment for socio-demographics, cognitive and functional impairments, comorbidities, and Hospital Referral Region, adjusted odds of hospitalization in the 30 days prior to death was 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70-0.74) among MA enrollees and 1.05 (95% CI 1.02-1.09) among those attributed to ACOs relative to TM enrollees. Relative to TM, the adjusted odds of death in the hospital were 0.78 (95% CI 0.75-0.81) among MA enrollees and 1.02 (95% CI 0.96-1.08) for ACO participants. Dementia decedents in MA had a lower likelihood of IMV use (adjusted odds ratio 0.80, 95% CI 0.75-0.85) compared to TM. CONCLUSIONS: Among decedents with dementia, MA enrollees but not decedents in ACOs experienced less costly and potentially burdensome care compared with those with TM. Policy changes are needed for ACOs.

Achieving Health Equity in Embedded Pragmatic Trials for People Living with Dementia and Their Family Caregivers.

Embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs) advance research on Alzheimer's disease/Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) in real-world contexts; however, health equity issues have not yet been fully considered, assessed, or integrated into ePCT designs. Health disparity populations may not be well represented in ePCTs without special efforts to identify and successfully recruit sites of care that serve larger numbers of these populations. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Imbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory's Health Equity Team will contribute to the overall mission of the collaboratory by developing and implementing strategies to address health equity in the conduct of ePCTs and ensure the collaboratory is a national resource for all Americans with dementia. As a first step toward meeting these goals, this article reviews what is currently known about the inclusion of health disparities populations of people living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers in ePCTs, highlights unique challenges related to health equity in the conduct of ePCTs, and suggests priority areas in the design and implementation of ePCTs to increase the awareness and avoidance of pitfalls that may perpetuate and magnify healthcare disparities. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:S8-S13, 2020.

Predicting Mortality and Adverse Outcomes: Comparing the Frailty Index to General Prognostic Indices.

BACKGROUND: Mortality prediction models are useful to guide clinical decision-making based on prognosis. The frailty index, which allows prognostication and personalized care planning, has not been directly compared with validated prognostic models. OBJECTIVE: To compare the discrimination of mortality, disability, falls, and hospitalization between a frailty index and validated prognostic indices. DESIGN: Secondary Analysis of the National Health and Aging Trends Study. PARTICIPANTS: Seven thousand thirty-three Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older. MEASUREMENTS: We measured a deficit-accumulation frailty index, Schonberg index, and Lee index at the 2011 baseline assessment. Primary outcome was mortality at 5 years. Secondary outcomes were decline in activities of daily living (ADL), decline in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), fall, and hospitalization at 1 year. We used C-statistics to compare discrimination between indices, adjusting for age and sex. RESULTS: The study population included 4146 (44.8%) with age ≥ 75 years, with a median frailty index of 0.15 (interquartile range 0.09-0.25). A total of 1385 participants died (14.7%) and 2386 (35.2%) were lost to follow-up. Frailty, Schonberg, and Lee indices predicted mortality similarly: C-statistics (95% confidence interval) were 0.78 (0.77-0.80) for frailty index; 0.79 (0.78-0.81) for Schonberg index; and 0.78 (0.77-0.80) for Lee index. The frailty index had higher C-statistics for decline in ADL function (frailty index, 0.80 [0.78-0.83]; Schonberg, 0.74 [0.72-0.76]; Lee, 0.74 [0.71-0.77]) and falls (frailty index, 0.66 [0.65-0.68]; Schonberg, 0.61 [0.58-0.63]; Lee, 0.61 [0.59-0.63]). C-statistics were similar for decline in IADL function (frailty index, 0.61 [0.59-0.63]; Schonberg, 0.60 [0.59-0.62]; Lee, 0.60 [0.58-0.62]) and hospitalizations (frailty index, 0.68 [0.66-0.70]; Schonberg, 0.68 [0.66-0.69]; Lee, 0.65 [0.63-0.67]). CONCLUSIONS: A deficit-accumulation frailty index performs as well as prognostic indices for mortality prediction, and better predicts ADL disability and falls in community-dwelling older adults. Frailty assessment offers a unifying approach to risk stratification for key health outcomes relevant to older adults.

The Impact of Frailty on Long-Term Patient-Oriented Outcomes after Emergency General Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Few studies examine the impact of frailty on long-term patient-oriented outcomes after emergency general surgery (EGS). We measured the prevalence of frailty among older EGS patients and examined the impact of frailty on 1-year outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using 2008 to 2014 Medicare claims. SETTING: Acute care hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Patients 65 years or older who received one of the five EGS procedures with the highest mortality burden (partial colectomy, small bowel resection, peptic ulcer disease repair, adhesiolysis, or laparotomy). MEASUREMENTS: A validated claims-based frailty index (CFI) identified patients who were not frail (CFI < .15), pre-frail (.15 ≤ CFI < .25), mildly frail (.25 ≤ CFI < .35), and moderately to severely frail (CFI ≥ .35). Multivariable Cox regression compared 1-year mortality. Multivariable Poisson regression compared rates of post-discharge hospital encounters (hospitalizations, intensive care unit stay, emergency department visit) and home time over 1 year after discharge. All regression models adjusted for age, sex, race, admission from facility, procedure, sepsis, inpatient palliative care delivery, trauma center designation, hospital bed size, and teaching status, and they were clustered by patient and hospital referral region. RESULTS: Among 468 459 older EGS adults, 37.4% were pre-frail, 12.4% were mildly frail, and 3.6% were moderately to severely frail. Patients with mild frailty experienced a higher risk of 1-year mortality compared with non-frail patients (hazard ratio = 1.97; confidence interval [CI] = 1.94-2.01). In the year after discharge, patients with mild and moderate to severe frailty had more hospital encounters compared with non-frail patients (7.8 and 11.5 vs 2.0 per person-year; incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 4.01; CI = 3.93-4.08 vs IRR = 5.89; CI = 5.70-6.09, respectively). Patients with mild and moderate to severe frailty also had fewer days at home in the year after discharge compared with non-frail patients (256 and 203 vs 302 mean days; IRR = .97; CI = .96-.97 vs IRR = .95; CI = .94-.95, respectively). CONCLUSION: Older EGS patients with frailty are at increased risk for poor 1-year outcomes and decreased home time. Targeted interventions for older EGS patients with frailty during the index EGS hospitalization are urgently needed to improve long-term outcomes. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1037-1043, 2020.

Black Nursing Home Residents More Likely to Watch Advance Care Planning Video.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aims to identify resident characteristics associated with being offered and subsequently shown an advance care planning (ACP) video in the Pragmatic Trial of Video Education in Nursing Homes (PROVEN) and if differences are driven by within- and/or between-facility differences. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study, from March 1, 2016, to May 31, 2018. SETTING: A total of 119 PROVEN intervention nursing homes (NHs). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 43 303 new NH admissions. MEASUREMENTS: Data came from the Minimum Data Set and an electronic record documenting whether a video was offered and shown to residents. We conduct both naïve logistic regression models and hierarchical logistic models, controlling for NH fixed effects, to examine the overall differences in offer and show rate by resident characteristics. RESULTS: In naïve regression models, compared to white residents, black residents are 7.8 percentage point (pp) (95% confidence interval [CI] = -9.1 to -6.5 pp) less likely to be offered the video. These differences decrease to 1.3 pp (95% CI = -2.61 to -0.02 pp) when accounting for NH fixed effects. In fully adjusted models, black residents compared to white residents were 2.1 pp more likely to watch the video contingent on being offered (95% CI = 0.4-3.7 pp). Residents with cognitive impairment were less likely to be offered and shown the video. CONCLUSIONS: After controlling for NH fixed effects, there were smaller racial differences in being offered the video, but once offered, black residents were more likely to watch the video. This suggests that black residents are receptive to this type of ACP intervention but need to be given an opportunity to be exposed. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:603-608, 2020.

Potentially burdensome end-of-life transitions among nursing home residents with poor-prognosis cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study examined factors associated with potentially burdensome end-of-life (EOL) transitions between care settings among older adults with advanced cancer in nursing homes (NHs). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of deceased older NH residents with poor-prognosis solid tumors was conducted with Medicare claims and the Minimum Data Set. A potentially burdensome transition was defined as 2 or more hospitalizations or an intensive care unit admission in the last 90 days of life. RESULTS: Among 34,670 subjects, many had moderate to severe cognitive impairment (53.8%), full dependence in activities of daily living (ADLs; 66.5%), and comorbidities such as congestive heart failure (CHF; 29.3%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (34.1%). Only 56.3% of the patients used hospice at any time in the 90 days before death; 36.0% of the patients experienced a potentially burdensome EOL transition, and this was higher among patients who did not receive hospice (45.4% vs 28.7%; P < .01). In multivariable analyses, full dependence in ADLs (odds ratio [OR], 1.70; P < .01), CHF (OR, 1.48; P < .01), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR, 1.28; P < .01) were associated with a higher risk of burdensome EOL transitions. Those with do-not-resuscitate directives (OR, 0.60; P < .01) and impaired cognition (OR, 0.89; P < .01) had lower odds of burdensome EOL transitions. CONCLUSIONS: NH residents with advanced cancer have substantial comorbidities and functional impairment, yet more than a third experience potentially burdensome EOL transitions. These findings help to identify a population at risk for poor EOL outcomes in order to target interventions, and they point to the importance of advanced care planning in this population.

Readiness assessment for pragmatic trials (RAPT): a model to assess the readiness of an intervention for testing in a pragmatic trial.

BACKGROUND: Pragmatic randomized, controlled trials (PCTs) test the effectiveness of interventions implemented in routine clinical practice. Because PCT findings are generalizable, this approach is gaining momentum among interventionists and funding agencies seeking to accelerate the testing and adoption of evidence-based strategies to improve care and outcomes. Particular attention is being paid to non-pharmacological interventions, which are often complex and may be difficult to uniformly implement across multiple sites. While many such non-pharmacological interventions have proven efficacious in small trials, most have not been widely adopted. PCTs could accelerate effectiveness testing and adoption, yet there are no established criteria to identify interventions ready for testing in a PCT. METHODS: We convened 30 interventionists and healthcare leaders to identify criteria to assess the readiness of non-pharmacological interventions for PCTs. Based on this discussion, we created a model with multiple domains, qualitative scoring guidelines for each domain, and a graphical summary of readiness assessments. All workshop participants had an opportunity to review and comment on the resulting model; three piloted it with their own interventions. Several other experts also provided input. RESULTS: The Readiness Assessment for Pragmatic Trials (RAPT) model enables interventionists to assess an intervention's readiness for PCTs. RAPT includes nine domains: implementation protocol, evidence, risk, feasibility, measurement, cost, acceptability, alignment, and impact. Domains reflect a range of considerations regarding the feasibility of successfully employing PCT methods and the prospect of an intervention's widespread adoption, if proven effective. Individuals evaluating an intervention are asked to qualitatively assess each domain from low to high readiness. In this report, we provide assessment guidelines and examples of scored interventions. CONCLUSIONS: RAPT is the first model to help interventionists and funders assess the extent to which interventions are ready for PCTs. Scoring efficacious interventions using RAPT can inform research team discussions regarding whether or not to advance an intervention to effectiveness testing using a PCT and how do design that PCTs.

High Burden of Palliative Care Needs of Older Adults During Emergency Major Abdominal Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify preoperative illness burden in older adults undergoing emergency major abdominal surgery (EMAS), to examine the association between illness burden and postoperative outcomes, and to describe end-of-life care in the year after discharge. DESIGN: Retrospective study using data from Health and Retirement Study interviews linked to Medicare claims (2000-2012). SETTING: National population-based dataset. PARTICIPANTS: Medicare beneficiaries who underwent EMAS. MEASUREMENTS: High illness burden, defined as ≥2 of the following vulnerabilities: functional dependence, dementia, use of helpers, multimorbidity, poor prognosis, high healthcare utilization. In-hospital outcomes were complications and mortality. Postdischarge outcomes included emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and 365-day mortality. For individuals discharged alive who died within 365 days of surgery, outcomes included hospice use, hospitalization, ICU use, and ED use in the last 30 days of life. Multivariable regression was used to determine the association between illness burden and outcomes. RESULTS: Of 411 participants, 57% had high illness burden. More individuals with high illness burden had complications (45% vs 28% p=0.00) and in-hospital death (20% vs 9%, p=0.00) than those without. After discharge (n=349), individuals with high illness burden experienced more ED visits (57% vs 46%, P=.04) and were more likely to die (35% vs 13%, p=0.00). Of those who died after discharge (n=86), 75% had high illness burden, median survival was 67 days (range 21-141 days), 48% enrolled in hospice, 32% died in the hospital, 23% were in the ICU in the last 30 days of life and 37% had an ED visit in the last 30 days of life. CONCLUSION: Most older adults undergoing EMAS have preexisting high illness burden and experience high mortality and healthcare use in the year after surgery, particularly near the end of life. Concurrent surgical and palliative care may improve quality of life and end-of-life care in these people. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2072-2078, 2018.

Long-term outcomes among octogenarians with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Data evaluating the long-term outcomes, particularly with regard to treatment modality, of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in octogenarians are limited. The primary objectives were to evaluate the disposition (living at home vs institutional settings) and analyze the predictors of long-term survival and return to home for octogenarians after SAH. METHODS: Data pertaining to patients age 80 and older who underwent microsurgical clipping or endovascular coiling for SAH were extracted from 100% nationwide Medicare inpatient claims and linked with the Minimum Data Set (2008-2011). Patient disposition was tracked for 2 years after index SAH admission. Multivariable logistic regression stratified by aneurysm treatment modality, and adjusted for patient factors including SAH severity, evaluated predictors of return to home at 60 and 365 days after SAH. Survival 365 days after SAH was analyzed with a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: A total of 1298 cases were included in the analysis. One year following SAH, 56% of the patients had died or were in hospice care, 8% were in an institutional post-acute care setting, and 36% had returned home. Open microsurgical clipping (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54-0.81), male sex (aHR 0.70, 95% CI 0.57-0.87), tracheostomy (aHR 0.63, 95% CI 0.47-0.85), gastrostomy (aHR 0.60, 95% CI 0.48-0.76), and worse SAH severity (aHR 0.94, 95% CI 0.92-0.97) were associated with reduced likelihood of patients ever returning home. Older age (aHR 1.09, 95% CI 1.05-1.13), tracheostomy (aHR 2.06, 95% CI 1.46-2.91), gastrostomy (aHR 1.55, 95% CI 1.14-2.10), male sex (aHR 1.66, 95% CI 1.20-2.23), and worse SAH severity 1.51 (95% CI 1.04-2.18) were associated with reduced survival. CONCLUSIONS: In this national analysis, 56% of octogenarians with SAH died, and 36% returned home within 1 year of SAH. Coil embolization predicted returning to home, which may suggest a benefit to endovascular treatment in this patient population.

The Impact of Dementia Special Care Units on Quality of Care: An Instrumental Variables Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the quality of care following admission to a nursing home (NH) with and without a dementia special care unit (SCU) for residents with dementia. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: National resident-level minimum dataset assessments (MDS) 2005-2010 merged with Medicare claims and provider-level data from the Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting database. STUDY DESIGN: We employ an instrumental variable approach to address the endogeneity of selection into an SCU facility controlling for a range of individual-level covariates. We use "differential distance" to a nursing home with and without an SCU as our instrument. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Minimum dataset assessments performed at NH admission and every quarter thereafter. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Admission to a facility with an SCU led to a reduction in inappropriate antipsychotics (-9.7 percent), physical restraints (-9.6 percent), pressure ulcers (-3.3 percent), feeding tubes (-8.3 percent), and hospitalizations (-14.7 percent). We found no impact on the use of indwelling urinary catheters. Results held in sensitivity analyses that accounted for the share of SCU beds and the facilities' overall quality. CONCLUSIONS: Facilities with an SCU provide better quality of care as measured by several validated quality indicators. Given the aging population, policies to promote the expansion and use of dementia SCUs may be warranted.

Advanced Age and Post-Acute Care Outcomes After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Older patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) are unique, and determinants of post-acute care outcomes are not well elucidated. The primary objective was to identify hospital characteristics associated with 30-day readmission and mortality rates after hospital discharge among older patients with aSAH. METHODS AND RESULTS: This cohort study used Medicare patients ≥65 years discharged from US hospitals from January 1, 2008, to November 30, 2010, after aSAH. Medicare data were linked to American Hospital Association data to describe characteristics of hospitals treating these patients. Using multivariable logistic regression to adjust for patient characteristics, hospital factors associated with (1) hospital readmission and (2) mortality within 30 days after discharge were identified. A total of 5515 patients ≥65 years underwent surgical repair for aSAH in 431 hospitals. Readmission rate was 17%, and 8.5% of patients died within 30 days of discharge. In multivariable analyses, patients treated in hospitals with lower annualized aSAH volumes were more likely to be readmitted 30 days after discharge (lowest versus highest quintile, 1-2 versus 16-30 cases; adjusted odds ratio, 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.56-2.84). Patients treated in hospitals with lower annualized aSAH volumes (lowest versus highest quintile: adjusted odds ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-2.19) had a greater likelihood of dying 30 days after discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Older patients with aSAH discharged from hospitals treating lower volumes of such cases are at greater risk of readmission and dying within 30 days. These findings may guide clinician referrals, practice guidelines, and regulatory policies influencing which hospitals should care for older patients with aSAH.