Primary Care Behavioral Health Integration and Care Utilization: Implications for Patient Outcome and Healthcare Resource Use.

BACKGROUND: Behavioral health (BH) integration in primary care (PC) can potentially improve outcomes and reduce cost of care. While different models of integration exist, evidence from real-world examples is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness and value of integration. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of six PC practice sites located in Western New York that implemented a primary care behavioral health (PCBH) integration model. OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of PCBH on all-cause healthcare utilization rates. DESIGN: A retrospective observational study based on historical multi-payer health insurance claims data. Claims data were aggregated on a per-member-per-month basis to compare utilization rates among the patients in the PC practice sites that had implemented PCBH to those in the sites that had not yet done so. PARTICIPANTS: The sample included 6768 unique adult health plan members between October 2015 and June 2017 with at least one BH diagnosis code who were attributed to one of the six newly integrated PC practice sites. INTERVENTIONS: Under the PCBH integration model, BH specialists were embedded in PC practice sites to treat a wide range of BH conditions. MAIN MEASURES: Rates of all-cause ED visits and hospital admissions, along with rates of PC provider and BH provider visits. KEY RESULTS: PCBH implementation was associated with reductions in the rates of outpatient ED visits (14.2%; p < 0.001) and PC provider visits (12.0%; p < 0.001), as well as with an increased rate of BH provider visits (7.5%; p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: PCBH integration appears to alter the treatment patterns among patients with BH conditions by shifting patient visits away from ED and PC providers toward BH providers who specialize in treatment of such patients.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Educational Module for the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale.

OBJECTIVE: Catatonia is widely underdiagnosed, in large part due to inaccurate recognition of its specific features. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an online educational module to improve theoretical and practical knowledge of the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS) across a broad range of clinicians and medical students. METHOD: A 1-h online module, including a training manual and videos, was disseminated to medical students, psychiatry residents and fellows, and psychiatrists through national Listservs and through the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. Participants completed pre- and post-module testing consisting of a 50-question multiple-choice test and a 3-min standardized patient video scored using the 23-item BFCRS. Participants accessed the module from October 1, 2020, to April 4, 2021. Immediate improvement and 3-month knowledge retention were assessed using quantitative and qualitative analyses. RESULTS: Study enrollment was high with moderate dropout (pre-testing: n = 482; post-testing: n = 236; 3-month testing: n = 105). Adjusting for demographics, large pre-post improvements were found in performance (multiple-choice: 11.3 points; standardized patient scoring: 4.2 points; both p < 0.001) and for nearly all individual BFCRS items. Knowledge attrition was modest, and improvements persisted at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: This educational resource provides descriptive and demonstrative reference standards of the items on the BFCRS. This curriculum improved identification of catatonia's features on both multiple choice and standardized patient scoring across all ages and training levels with good overall knowledge retention.

Demonstrated health care cost savings for women: findings from a community health worker intervention designed to address depression and unmet social needs.

To evaluate the impact of a community health worker intervention (CHW) (referred to as Personalized Support for Progress (PSP)) on all-cause health care utilization and cost of care compared with Enhanced Screening and Referral (ESR) among women with depression. A total of 223 patients (111 in PSP and 112 in ESR randomly assigned) from three women's health clinics with elevated depressive symptoms were enrolled in the study. Their electronic health records were queried to extract all-cause health care encounters along with the corresponding billing information 12 months before and after the intervention, as well as during the first 4-month intervention period. The health care encounters were then grouped into three mutually exclusive categories: high-cost (> US$1000 per encounter), medium-cost (US$201-$999), and low-cost (≤ US$200). A difference-in-difference analysis of mean total charge per patient between PSP and ESR was used to assess cost differences between treatment groups. The results suggest the PSP group was associated with a higher total cost of care at the baseline; taking this baseline difference into account, the PSP group was associated with lower mean total charge amounts (p = 0.008) as well as a reduction in the frequency of high-cost encounters (p < 0.001) relative to the ESR group during the post-intervention period. Patient-centered interventions that address unmet social needs in a high-cost population via CHW may be a cost-effective approach to improve quality of care and patient outcomes.

Unused medications and disposal patterns at home: Findings from a Medicare patient survey and claims data.

OBJECTIVE: To examine what medications are most frequently left unused by patients, how much is left unused, and how these medications are disposed of among Medicare beneficiaries. DESIGN: Secondary data analysis combining insurance claims and telephone survey data of Medicare Advantage members. SETTING: Regional health plan in Central Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred twenty-one Medicare Advantage members who had Part D coverage through the plan as of December 31, 2013, and completed the telephone survey in May 2014. INTERVENTION: Telephone survey conducted by a survey research center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Member survey response. RESULTS: Of the 2,994 medications in the dataset, 247 (8%) were reported being left unused by patients. Of the 247, the most common medications were those for pain (15%), hypertension (14%), antibiotics (11%), and psychiatric disorders (9%). Approximately 15% of unused medications were controlled substances. The reasons for being unused varied by drug type. For example, for pain medications, adverse effects and overprescribing were the most commonly cited reasons; for hypertension medications, "dosage changed by doctor" was the most common reason. Most commonly, unused portions accounted for approximately 25% to 50% of the unused medications identified by patients. Approximately 11% of unused medication was disposed of via drug take-back programs, whereas the majority was kept in a cabinet (55%), thrown in the trash (14%), or flushed down the toilet (9%). CONCLUSION: A lack of patient adherence alone does not explain unused medications and their improper disposal. Community-level interventions designed to improve prescription efficiency and patient awareness of appropriate disposal methods-particularly of controlled substances-are necessary to reduce the potentially harmful effects of improper disposal of unused medications.

Patient ratings of case managers in a medical home: associations with patient satisfaction and health care utilization.

BACKGROUND: Case managers are employed in medical homes to coordinate care for clinically complex patients. OBJECTIVE: To measure the association of patient perceptions of case manager performance with overall satisfaction and subsequent health care utilization. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Integrated health system in Pennsylvania. PATIENTS: Members of the health system-owned health plan who 1) received primary care in the health system's clinics, 2) were exposed to clinic-embedded case managers, and 3) completed a survey of satisfaction with care. MEASUREMENTS: Survey assessment of case manager performance and overall satisfaction with care and claims-based assessment of case manager performance and subsequent hospitalizations or emergency department visits. Survey measures were dichotomized into very good versus less than very good. RESULTS: A total of 1755 patients (44%) completed the survey and 1415 met study criteria. Survey respondents who reported very good ratings of case manager performance across all items had a higher probability of reporting very good overall satisfaction with care (92.2% vs. 62.5%; P < 0.001) and had a lower incidence of subsequent emergency department visits (incidence rate ratio, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.64 to 0.98]; P = 0.029) but not hospitalizations (incidence rate ratio, 0.92 [CI, 0.75 to 1.11]; P = 0.37) up to 2 years after the survey compared with survey respondents who reported less-than-very good case manager performance on 1 or more questions on the survey. LIMITATIONS: Satisfaction data demonstrated substantial ceiling effects. Survey nonresponse may have introduced bias in the results. CONCLUSION: Patients' favorable perceptions of case managers are associated with higher overall satisfaction with care and may lower risk for future acute care use. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Using Discrete Form Data in the Electronic Medical Record to Predict the Likelihood of Psychiatric Consultation.

BACKGROUND: Manually screening for mental health needs in acute medical-surgical settings is thorough but time-intensive. Automated approaches to screening can enhance efficiency and reliability, but the predictive accuracy of automated screening remains largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this project are to develop an automated screening list using discrete form data in the electronic medical record that identify medical inpatients with psychiatric needs and to evaluate its ability to predict the likelihood of psychiatric consultation. METHODS: An automated screening list was incorporated into an existing manual screening process for 1 year. Screening items were applied to the year's implementation data to determine whether they predicted consultation likelihood. Consultation likelihood was designated high, medium, or low. This prediction model was applied hospital-wide to characterize mental health needs. RESULTS: The screening items were derived from nursing screens, orders, and medication and diagnosis groupers. We excluded safety or suicide sitters from the model because all patients with sitters received psychiatric consultation. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the regression model was 84%. The two most predictive items in the model were "3 or more psychiatric diagnoses" (odds ratio 15.7) and "prior suicide attempt" (odds ratio 4.7). The low likelihood category had a negative predictive value of 97.2%; the high likelihood category had a positive predictive value of 46.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Electronic medical record discrete data elements predict the likelihood of psychiatric consultation. Automated approaches to screening deserve further investigation.

Automated Screening to Enhance Proactive Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Services in Acute Medicine Units: Evaluation of Service Outcomes.

Objective: Proactive consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry aims to meet the mental health needs of medical-surgical populations-many of which go unmet by the conventional C-L model-through systematic screening and integrated care. We implemented an automated screening list to enhance case identification of an existing proactive C-L service and evaluated service metrics along with clinician- and patient-reported outcomes.Methods: Service outcomes were evaluated using historical and contemporary comparison data. Adjusted difference-in-difference analyses were used to determine change in consult characteristics, mean length of stay (LOS), and scores on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). Practitioners and nurses were surveyed regarding service satisfaction, perceived safety, and burnout.Results: During the intervention, the consult rate was 3-fold higher than at baseline. Change in time to consultation was equivocal. Overall mean LOS was not reduced, but observed LOS was 1.2 days shorter than expected among non-COVID patients receiving psychiatric consultation (P = not significant). Mean patient-rated hospital satisfaction on HCAHPS was 1 point higher on intervention units during the intervention. Surveys revealed broad satisfaction with this model among practitioners and improved perception of safety among nurses.Conclusions: Proactive C-L psychiatry enhanced by automated screening was associated with improved service utilization and evidence suggestive of LOS reduction among those most likely to receive direct benefit from this model of care. Further, both patient and clinician ratings were improved during the intervention. Proactive C-L psychiatry provides benefits to patients, clinicians, and health systems and may be poised to achieve the Triple Aim in health care.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2024;26(2):23m03647. Author affiliations are listed at the end of this article.

Prevalent Gaps in Understanding the Features of Catatonia Among Psychiatrists, Psychiatry Trainees, and Medical Students.

Background: Catatonia is often overlooked, and a key factor for underdiagnosis may be an inadequate understanding of catatonia's heterogeneous phenotypes. The aim of this study was to identify the current state of theoretical and applied knowledge of catatonic features among psychiatry trainees and practitioners using the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS), the most commonly used instrument to identify and score catatonia.Methods: We created an online 50-item multiple-choice test and 3-minute standardized patient video to be scored using the BFCRS. Email invitations were sent to medical students and psychiatry residents and fellows through listservs of psychiatry clerkship and residency directors and to consultation-liaison psychiatrists through the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. Participants could access the exam from October 1 to December 31, 2020.Results: In our sample (n = 482), participants correctly answered an average of 55% of test questions and identified 69% of BFCRS items on the standardized patient exam. Multivariable regression adjusting for demographics revealed that, compared to medical students, psychiatrists scored 7 points higher on the multiple-choice test and identified only 2 more items correctly on the BFCRS. Older participants performed worse than younger participants. No meaningful performance differences were identified by region or gender. Several items were consistently misidentified.Conclusions: We found significant inaccuracies in clinicians' understanding of catatonic features irrespective of their stage of training and years of experience. These data suggest prevalent gaps in catatonia recognition among psychiatrists, psychiatry trainees, and medical students utilizing the BFCRS. This has important implications for clinical research and patient care.

Proactive Integration of Mental Health Care in Hospital Medicine: PRIME Medicine.

BACKGROUND: Proactive consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry has been shown to reduce hospital length of stay (LOS), increase psychiatric C-L consult rate, and improve hospital staff satisfaction. Nursing attrition has not been studied in relation to proactive C-L. OBJECTIVE: Our primary aim in evaluating the proactive C-L service called Proactive Integration of Mental Health Care in Medicine (PRIME Medicine) is to analyze change in LOS over 10 months using historical and contemporary comparison cohorts. As secondary aims, we assess change in psychiatric consultation rate, time to consultation, and change in nurse attrition. METHODS: PRIME Medicine was implemented on 3 hospital medicine units as a quality-improvement project. Team members systematically screened patients arriving to assigned units for psychiatric comorbidity. Identified patients were reviewed with hospitalist teams and nurses with the goal of early intervention. RESULTS: Including historical and contemporary comparison cohorts, the mean sample age was 62.4 years (n = 8884). Absolute LOS was unchanged, but difference-in-difference analysis trended toward reduced LOS by 0.16 day (P = 0.08). Consultation rate increased from 1.6% (40 consults) to 7.4% (176 consults). Time to consultation was unchanged (4.0-3.8 d). Annual per-unit nursing turnover increased from 4.7 to 5.7 on PRIME units but from 8.5 to 12.0 on comparison units. Nurses citing "population" as the reason for leaving decreased from 2.7 to 1.7 on PRIME units but increased from 1.5 to 4.5 on comparison units. PRIME Medicine led to increased consultation rate, and our unit-wide outcomes provide a conservative estimate of effect. Factors that may have influenced effect size include our cohort's advanced age, considerable emergency department boarding times, increasing proportion of patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities, and concurrent LOS-reduction initiatives on all units. The favorable trends in nursing attrition on PRIME units may be explained in part by our prior finding that PRIME Medicine was associated with enhanced nursing satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: While PRIME Medicine had no more than a modest effect on LOS, it was associated with a markedly increased psychiatric consult rate and favorable trends in nursing retention. This analysis highlights important factors that should be considered when implementing and determining value metrics for a proactive C-L service.

Taking the Long View in an Inpatient Medical Unit: A Person-Centered, Integrated Team Approach for Patients With Severe Mental Illnesses.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with severe mental illnesses and related conditions, such as substance misuse and suicide attempts, are among the highest utilizers of acute inpatient medical services. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a specialized medical unit that uses a comprehensive biopsychosocial model to care for patients with severe mental illnesses. METHODS: The study used administrative data to compare patients with severe mental illnesses admitted to a specialized unit with patients admitted to medically similar acute (non-intensive care) medical units in a tertiary academic medical center. With controls for sociodemographic variables, illness severity, and medical complexity, multivariate regression analyses compared utilization outcomes for patients from the specialized unit with outcomes from comparison units. RESULTS: Patients on the specialized unit (N=2,077) were younger, had more mental disorder diagnoses, and were more likely to have less severe general medical illness and less medical complexity than patients from comparison units (N=12,824). Analyses of a subsample of patients with complex behavioral health diagnoses indicated that those on the specialized unit had a shorter average stay, higher odds of discharge to home, and lower odds of 30-day readmission, compared with those on comparison units. CONCLUSIONS: Specialized units targeted to the needs of patients with serious mental illnesses can provide a moment of engagement when vulnerable patients are likely to benefit from more coordinated care. Findings suggest that a specialized unit that capitalizes on this moment of engagement and uses a biopsychosocial model of care can improve utilization outcomes.

Integration of a proactive, multidisciplinary mental health team on hospital medicine improves provider and nursing satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE: Psychiatric comorbidity among hospital medicine patients is common and often complicates care delivery and compromises outcomes. Team-based, proactive consultation-liaison (CL) psychiatry has been shown to reduce hospital length of stay (LOS) and care costs, but staff satisfaction with this model has not been explored in detail. Here we evaluate its impact on hospital medicine provider and nurse satisfaction. METHODS: We implemented a team-based proactive CL service that reviews all admitted hospital medicine patients across 3 units for psychiatric comorbidity and provides unit-wide integrated mental health care. Hospital medicine staff completed surveys before and after a 6-month pilot phase: 10-item provider surveys covered resource adequacy, safety, time for healthcare improvements, and burnout; 26-item nurse surveys included the same 10 items plus 8 on behavioral health assessment competency and 8 on intervention competency. Additionally, we characterized psychiatric comorbidity, calculated consultation latency and volume and also average LOS during these 6 months. RESULTS: The provider response rate was 57% (20/35 before; 21/37 after) and roughly a third for nurses (32/~90 and 31/~90, respectively). Providers rated 9 of 10 items as improved, including one on burnout. Nursing satisfaction improved similarly but with lower effect sizes. During the pilot (n = 1590), 71% had chart-identified psychiatric comorbidity. Consultation latency decreased by 0.86 days; consultation rate increased nearly 3-fold; and average LOS decreased by 0.33 days. CONCLUSIONS: Team-based proactive CL psychiatry enhances provider and nurse satisfaction and may even reduce provider burnout. We also confirmed that this model is associated with reduced average LOS.

Impact of primary and specialty care integration via asynchronous communication.

OBJECTIVES: To describe and evaluate the impact of primary and specialty care integration via asynchronous communication at a large integrated healthcare system. STUDY DESIGN: In January 2014, Geisinger's primary care providers (PCPs) were given access to an asynchronous communication tool, Ask-a-Doc (AAD), that enabled direct communication with specialists in 14 medical specialties and 5 surgical specialties. Internal data were collected to assess PCPs' acceptance and use of the tool, as well as satisfaction. Insurance claims data were obtained to assess the impact on healthcare utilization and cost. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of health plan claims data was conducted among those patients who had at least 1 specialist visit with 1 of the participating specialties between January 2014 and December 2016. A set of difference-in-differences multivariate linear regression models with patient fixed effects was estimated, in which those who were not exposed to AAD served as the comparison group. RESULTS: Acceptance and use of AAD among PCPs gradually increased over time but varied by specialty. AAD was associated with an approximately 14% reduction in total cost of care during the first month of follow-up and a 20% reduction (P <.001) during the second month. These reductions in cost of care appeared to be driven by reductions in emergency department visits and physician office visits. CONCLUSIONS: Geisinger's AAD experience suggests that the integration of primary and specialty care via the use of a highly reliable and efficient asynchronous communication system can potentially lead to reductions in avoidable care and more efficient use of specialty care.

Impact of a pharmacist-led diabetes management on outcomes, utilization, and cost.

PURPOSE: Pharmacist-led medication therapy disease management (MTDM) has shown improvement in clinical outcomes in patients with certain chronic diseases. However, only limited data demonstrating the impact on health care utilization and cost of care are available. This study seeks to evaluate the impact of a pharmacist-led MTDM program on clinical surrogate outcomes, care utilization, and cost of care among patients with diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted by utilizing electronic health records and insurance claims data. Patients were identified between February 2011 and December 2014. Data were collected from Geisinger, a large integrated health care system located in Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. A total of 5,500 patients with diabetes mellitus were identified; 2,750 were enrolled in MTDM and were 1-to-1 propensity score-matched to a comparison cohort not enrolled in a pharmacist-led MTDM program. RESULTS: There were no differences between groups in composite HbA1c, blood pressure, or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goal attainment at 12 months (12% vs 12%, P=0.53). HbA1c goal was reached more frequently among patients without MTDM compared to those at 12 months (57% vs 51%, P<0.0001). There were no significant differences between the two cohorts in the attainment of blood pressure or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals at 12 months. MTDM was associated with reduced all-cause hospitalization rate (-19.6%; P=0.02) as well as increased primary care physician visits (18.5%; P<0.001) and lower average per-member-per-month medical cost (-13%, P=0.027). CONCLUSION: Despite the lack of impact on the clinical surrogate outcomes, MTDM was associated with lower cost of care and fewer hospitalizations, possibly facilitated by increased monitoring (ie, higher primary care utilization).

Impact of a multidisciplinary pain management program on patient care utilization and cost of care.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic pain is a highly prevalent and costly condition with few proven treatment options. Since 2014, Geisinger's Department of Pain Medicine has implemented the Multidisciplinary Pain Program (MPP), which consists of a 3-day educational seminar followed by 12 months of comprehensive care. This study examines the impact of MPP on care utilization and cost between 2014 and 2016. METHODS: A retrospective health insurance claims data analysis covering a 3-year period between January 2013 and December 2016. Among all patients referred to MPP during the period, a subset of those who were Geisinger Health Plan (GHP) members was identified (113 patients). Those who were GHP members and were referred to MPP after December 2016 served as the contemporaneous comparison group (69 patients). GHP's claims data for the corresponding period were analyzed on a per-member-per-month (PMPM) basis. RESULTS: MPP was associated with US$754 PMPM reduction in total cost of care including prescription drug costs (P=0.014) and US$846 reduction in total medical cost excluding prescription drugs (P=0.006). These cost savings were attributable to reductions in utilization of high-end diagnostic imaging (52 per-1,000 members-per month; P=0.015) and acute inpatient admissions (20 per-1,000 members-per month; P=0.086). CONCLUSION: Patients enrolled in MPP were less likely to use expensive diagnostic imaging and experienced fewer hospitalizations, resulting in total cost of care savings. These findings are consistent with the expectation that MPP improves health outcomes among patients suffering from chronic pain.

An Analysis of a Biometric Screening and Premium Incentive-Based Employee Wellness Program: Enrollment Patterns, Cost, and Outcome.

Since 2012, a large health care system has offered an employee wellness program providing premium discounts for those who voluntarily undergo biometric screenings and meet goals. This study evaluates the program impact on care utilization and total cost of care, taking into account employee self-selection into the program. A retrospective claims data analysis of 6453 employees between 2011 and 2015 was conducted, categorizing the sample into 3 mutually exclusive subgroups: Subgroup 1 enrolled and met goals in all years, Subgroup 2 enrolled or met goals in some years but not all, and Subgroup 3 never enrolled. Each subgroup was compared to a cohort of employees in other employer groups (N = 24,061). Using a difference-in-difference method, significant reductions in total medical cost (14.2%; P = 0.014) and emergency department (ED) visits (11.2%; P = 0.058) were observed only among Subgroup 2 in 2015. No significant impact was detected among those in Subgroup 1. Those in Subgroup 1 were less likely to have chronic conditions at baseline. The results indicate that the wellness program enrollment was characterized by self-selection of healthier employees, among whom the program appeared to have no significant impact. Yet, cost savings and reductions in ED visits were observed among the subset of employees who enrolled or met goal in some years but not all, suggesting a potential link between the wellness program and positive behavior changes among certain subsets of the employee population.

Patient characteristics and healthcare utilization patterns associated with unused medications among medicare patients.

OBJECTIVE: To examine what patient characteristics and healthcare utilization patterns are associated with the likelihood of having unused medications among elderly Medicare patients. DESIGN: Secondary data analysis combining insurance claims and phone survey data of Medicare Advantage members. SETTING: Regional health plan in Central Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: 528 Medicare Advantage members (age 65 and older), who had Medicare Part D coverage through Geisinger Health Plan as of December 31, 2013, and completed the phone survey in May of 2014. MAIN OUTCOME: Member survey response indicating whether or not the member had any unused medication at the time of the survey. RESULTS: 27% of the patients in the sample (142 out of 528) indicated having one or more unused medications. In a bivariate analysis, these patients had higher prevalence of chronic conditions, utilized more medical care (more emergency department visits and physician office visits), and incurred higher cost of care. In a multivariate analysis, patients who received medications with days' supply greater than 30 (odds ratio (OR) = 1.59; p = 0.03) and utilized more acute care (defined as inpatient admissions or emergency department visits) (OR = 4.2; p = 0.04) were more likely to have unused medications. Moreover, patients who were advised by health care professionals about proper medication disposal were less likely to have unused medications (OR = 0.52; p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest potential ways to develop effective strategies to reduce amounts of unused medications. Such strategies are likely to involve limiting quantities of medications dispensed at each fill, and patient education on proper disposal of unused medications, particularly during care transitions.

Patterns of Multiple Emergency Department Visits: Do Primary Care Physicians Matter?

CONTEXT: Overutilization and overreliance on Emergency Departments (EDs) as a usual source of care can lead to unnecessarily high costs and undesirable consequences, such as a gap in care coordination and inadequate provision of preventive care. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with multiple ED visits by patients, in particular, the impact of primary care physicians (PCPs) on their patients' multiple ED visit rates. DESIGN: Geisinger Health Plan claims data among adult patients who averaged more than 1 ED visit within a 12-month period between 2013 and 2014 were obtained (N = 20,351). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rate of ED visits. Three linear regression models using patient characteristics and utilization patterns as covariates along with PCP fixed effects were estimated to explain the variation in the multiple ED visit rates. RESULTS: Multiple ED visits were significantly associated with younger age (18-39 years), having Medicaid insurance, and greater comorbidity. Higher rates of physician office visits and inpatient admissions were also associated with higher rates of multiple ED visits. Accounting for PCP characteristics only marginally improved the explained variation (R2 increased from 0.14 to 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple ED visit patterns are likely driven by patients' health conditions and care needs rather than by their PCPs. Multiple ED visits also appear to be complementary, rather than substitutionary, to PCP visits, suggesting that PCP-focused interventions aimed at reducing ED use are unlikely to have a major impact.

Patterns of health care utilization and cost before and after opioid overdose: findings from 10-year longitudinal health plan claims data.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the longitudinal pattern of health care utilization and cost of care before and after opioid overdose (OD) over a 10-year period using health plan claims data. METHODS: Patients who had experienced opioid ODs between April 2005 and March 2015 were identified from Geisinger Health System's electronic health records. Among these patients, a subgroup of patients who were Geisinger Health Plan (GHP) members at any point between January 2006 and December 2015 were also identified. From the corresponding GHP claims data, their all-cause health care utilization (inpatient admissions, emergency department [ED] visits, and physician office visits) and total medical costs, excluding prescription medication cost, were obtained. Per-member-per-month estimates for each month before and after the index date of opioid OD were calculated, adjusting for age, gender, plan type, year, and comorbidity via multivariate regression models. RESULTS: A total of 942 opioid OD patients with an average GHP enrollment period of 41.4 months were identified. ED visit rates rose rapidly starting around 19-24 months prior to the opioid OD date. Acute inpatient admission rates and total medical cost also rose rapidly starting around 12 months prior. After the OD date, the utilization rates and cost declined but tended to remain above those of the pre-OD period. CONCLUSION: Opioid OD is preceded by sharp increases in utilization of acute care and cost well before the actual OD. These findings therefore suggest that early signals of OD may be detected from patterns of acute care utilization, particularly the ED visits.

Impact of a Complex Care Management Model on Cost and Utilization Among Adolescents and Young Adults with Special Care and Health Needs.

Adolescents and young adults with special care and health needs in the United States-many of whom have Medicaid coverage-at the transition phase between pediatric and adult care often experience critical care gaps. To address this challenge, a new model-referred to as Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC)-has been developed and implemented by Geisinger Health System since 2012. CCC comprises a care team, consisting of a generalist physician, advanced practitioner, pharmacist, and a nurse case manager, that develops and closely follows a coordinated care plan. This study examines the CCC impact on total cost of care and utilization by analyzing Geisinger Health Plan claims data obtained from 83 Medicaid patients enrolled in CCC. A set of multivariate regression models with patient fixed effects was estimated to obtain adjusted differences in cost and acute care utilization between the months in which the patients were enrolled and the months not enrolled in CCC. The results indicate that CCC enrollment was associated with a 28% reduction in per-member-per-month total cost ($3931 observed vs. $5451 expected; P = 0.028), driven by reductions in hospitalization and emergency department visits. This finding suggests a clinical redesign focused on adolescent and young adults with complex care needs can potentially reduce total cost and acute care utilization among such patients.

Impact of a value-based insurance design for physical therapy to treat back pain on care utilization and cost.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a value-based insurance design providing enhanced access to physical therapy (PT) for treatment of back pain on treatment patterns and cost of care. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of claims data obtained from Geisinger Health Plan (GHP). In April 2013, GHP began offering "PT bundle" - i.e., a bundle of up to five PT visits for a single one-time copay that can be renewed for another bundle of five PT visits - for its employer-based plan members with back pain. METHODS: A cohort of GHP members who were preauthorized for the PT bundle were compared against a contemporaneous cohort of GHP members who were preauthorized for PT under the standard per-visit copay arrangement between January 2013 and October 2014. RESULTS: Among the PT bundle cohort, the PT visit rate during the first 9 months since the PT preauthorization date had dramatically increased and then gradually decreased in subsequent months. The PT bundle was also associated with 29%-35% short-term reductions in emergency department visits and with 12%-20% reductions in primary care visits after 6 months. No significant impact on hospitalization or cost was observed. CONCLUSION: Implementation of the PT bundle appears to have led to a change in the treatment pattern of back pain that is more consistent with the recommended guidelines to use more conservative management such as PT as the first-line treatment for back pain.