Cannabis Abuse or Dependence and Post-operative Outcomes After Appendectomy and Cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Though cannabis is gaining broader acceptance among society and a noted increase in legalization, little is known regarding its impact on post-operative outcomes. We conducted this study to quantify the relationship between cannabis abuse or dependence (CbAD) on post-operative outcomes after cholecystectomy and appendectomy. METHODS: Using the 2013-2015 Nationwide Readmissions Database, we identified discharges associated with cholecystectomy or appendectomy from January 2013-August 2015. Patients were grouped by CbAD history. The primary outcomes were length of stay, serious adverse events, home discharge, and 30-day readmission. Propensity-score matching was used to account for differences between groups and all statistics accounted for the matched sample. RESULTS: The final sample included 3288 patients with a CbAD history matched 1:1 to patients without a CbAD history (total sample = 6576). After matching, acceptable balance was achieved in clinical characteristics between groups. In the cholecystectomy cohort (n = 1707 pairs), CbAD patients had longer hospitalizations (3.5 versus 3.2 d, P 0.003) and similar rates of serious adverse events (6.1 versus 4.8, P 0.092), home discharge (96.1 vs 96.2, P 0.855), and readmission (8.3 versus 6.9, P 0.137). In the appendectomy cohort (n = 1581 pairs), CbAD patients had longer hospital stays (2.7 versus 2.5 d, P 0.024); more frequent serious adverse events (5.0 versus 3.5, P 0.041); and similar home discharge (96.8 vs 97.3, P 0.404) and readmission (5.4 versus 5.1, P 0.639) rates. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with a history of CbAD in the cholecystectomy and appendectomy cohorts had slightly longer hospital stays, and patients with a history of CbAD in the appendectomy group displayed a slight increase in adverse events, but otherwise similar clinical outcomes without clinically significant increases in complications compared to patients without this history.

Venous Thromboembolism After Surgical Treatment of Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a serious complication after the surgical treatment of breast cancer. Contemporary guidelines limit VTE chemoprophylaxis to the period of hospitalization. We conducted this study to evaluate the frequency of postdischarge VTE among surgically treated breast cancer patients and identify patient level factors associated with postdischarge VTE. METHODS: Using Arkansas, Florida, Nebraska, and New York state inpatient databases, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult women who underwent surgical treatment for breast cancer between October 1, 2008, and September 30, 2013. The primary outcome was a VTE event within 90 days of discharge. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to identify patient factors associated with VTE development. RESULTS: The final sample included 52,547 women with most undergoing mastectomy without reconstruction (n = 25,665), followed by mastectomy with implant based reconstruction (n = 16,851), lumpectomy (n = 5319), and mastectomy with autologous reconstruction (n = 4622). There were 395 patients (0.8%) who developed at least 1 VTE. Of the 395 VTEs, 32.9% (n = 130) were identified before discharge, whereas 67.1% were identified within 90 days after discharge. Patients with respiratory disease (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.56 [1.22-1.98]), hypothyroidism (AOR = 1.31 [1.01-1.70]), a hospital stay of more than 5 days (AOR = 8.07 [5.99-10.89]), previous VTE (AOR = 6.26 [3.95-9.91]), or mastectomy with autologous reconstruction (AOR = 1.50 [1.03-2.19]) more frequently developed postdischarge VTEs. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly two thirds of all 90-day VTE events after breast cancer surgery occur after discharge. Further research should determine whether a longer course of VTE prophylaxis is warranted among specific populations including those with prolonged hospitalizations, previous VTE, and those undergoing autologous reconstruction.

Added Healthcare Charges Conferred by Smoking in Outpatient Plastic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: A history of smoking confers additional risk of complications following plastic surgical procedures, which may require hospital-based care to address. OBJECTIVES: To determine if patients with a smoking history experience higher rates of complications leading to higher hospital-based care utilization, and therefore greater healthcare charges, after common outpatient plastic surgeries. METHODS: Using ambulatory surgery data from California, Florida, Nebraska, and New York, we identified adult patients who underwent common facial, breast, or abdominal contouring procedures from January 2009 to November 2013. Our primary outcomes were hospital-based, acute care (hospital admissions and emergency department visits), serious adverse events, and cumulative healthcare charges within 30 days of discharge. Multivariable regression models were used to compare outcomes between patients with and without a smoking history. RESULTS: The final sample included 214,761 patients, of which 10,426 (4.9%) had a smoking history. Compared to patients without, those with a smoking history were more likely to have a hospital-based, acute care encounter (3.4% vs 7.1%; AOR = 1.36 [1.25-1.48]) or serious adverse event (0.9% vs 2.2%; AOR = 1.38 [1.18-1.60]) within 30 days. On average, these events added $1826 per patient with a smoking history. These findings were consistent when stratified by specific procedure and controlled for patient factors. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing common outpatient plastic surgery procedures who have a history of smoking are at risk for more frequent complications, and incur higher healthcare charges than patients who are nonsmokers.

The Relationship Between Geographic Access to Plastic Surgeons and Breast Reconstruction Rates Among Women Undergoing Mastectomy for Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Despite a national health care policy requiring payers to cover breast reconstruction, rates of postmastectomy reconstruction are low, particularly among minority populations. We conducted this study to determine if geographic access to a plastic surgeon impacts breast reconstruction rates. METHODS: Using 2010 inpatient and ambulatory surgery data from 10 states, we identified adult women who underwent mastectomy for breast cancer. Data were aggregated to the health service area (HSA) level and hierarchical generalized linear models were used to risk-standardize breast reconstruction rates (RSRR) across HSAs. The relationship between an HSA's RSRR and plastic surgeon density (surgeons/100,000 population) was quantified using correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The final cohort included 22,997 patients across 134 HSAs. There was substantial variation in plastic surgeon density (median, 1.4 surgeons/100,000; interquartile range, [0.0-2.6]/100,000) and the use of breast reconstruction (median RSRR, 43.0%; interquartile range, [29.9%-62.8%]) across HSAs. Higher plastic surgeon density was positively correlated with breast reconstruction rates (correlation coefficient = 0.66, P < 0.001) and inversely related to time between mastectomy and reconstruction (correlation coefficient = -0.19, P < 0.001). Non-white and publicly insured women were least likely to undergo breast reconstruction overall. Among privately insured patients, racial disparities were noted in high surgeon density areas (white = 79.0% vs. non-white = 63.3%; P < 0.001) but not in low surgeon density areas (34.4% vs 36.5%; P = 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: The lack of geographic access to a plastic surgeon serves as a barrier to breast reconstruction and may compound disparities in care associated with race and insurance status. Future efforts to improve equitable access should consider strategies to ensure access to appropriate clinical expertise.

A Risk Model and Cost Analysis of Incisional Hernia After Elective, Abdominal Surgery Based Upon 12,373 Cases: The Case for Targeted Prophylactic Intervention.

OBJECTIVES: Incisional hernia (IH) remains a common, highly morbid, and costly complication. Modest progress has been realized in surgical technique and mesh technology; however, few advances have been achieved toward understanding risk and prevention. In light of the increasing emphasis on prevention in today's health care environment and the billions in costs for surgically treated IH, greater focus on predictive risk models is needed. METHODS: All patients undergoing gastrointestinal or gynecologic procedures from January 1, 2005 to June 1, 2013, within the University of Pennsylvania Health System were identified. Comorbidities and operative characteristics were assessed. The primary outcome was surgically treated IH after index procedures. Patients with prior hernia, less than 1-year follow-up, or emergency surgical procedures were excluded. Cox hazard regression modeling with bootstrapped validation, risk factor stratification, and assessment of model performance were conducted. RESULTS: A total of 12,373 patients with a 3.5% incidence of surgically treated IH (follow-up 32.2 ±â€Š26.6 months) were identified. The cost of surgical treatment of IH and management of associated complications exceeded $17.5 million. Notable independent risk factors for IH were ostomy reversal (HR = 2.76), recent chemotherapy (HR = 2.04), bariatric surgery (HR = 1.78), smoking history (HR = 1.74), liver disease (HR = 1.60), and obesity (HR = 1.96). High-risk patients (20.6%) developed IH compared with 0.5% of low-risk patients (C-statistic = 0.78). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates an internally validated preoperative risk model of surgically treated IH after 12,000 elective, intra-abdominal procedures to provide more individualized risk counseling and to better inform evidence-based algorithms for the role of prophylactic mesh.

Geographic Variation in Access to Plastic Surgeons.

INTRODUCTION: While recent studies project a national shortage of plastic surgeons, there may currently exist areas within the United States with few plastic surgeons. We conducted this study to describe the current geographic distribution of the plastic surgery workforce across the United States. METHODS: Using the 2013 to 2014 Area Health Resource File, we estimated the number of plastic surgeons at the health service area (HSA) level in 2010 and 2012. The density of plastic surgeons was calculated as a ratio per 100,000 population. The HSAs were grouped by plastic surgeon density, and population characteristics were compared across subgroups. Characteristics of HSAs with increases and decreases in plastic surgeon density were also compared. RESULTS: The final sample included 949 HSAs with a total population of 313,989,954 people. As of 2012, there were an estimated 7600 plastic surgeons, resulting in a national ratio of 2.42 plastic surgeons/100,000 population. However, over 25 million people lived in 468 HSAs (49.3%) without a plastic surgeon, whereas 106 million people lived in 82 HSAs (8.6%) with 3.0 or more/100,000 population. Plastic surgeons were more likely to be distributed in HSAs where a higher percentage of the population was younger than 65 years, female, and residing in urban areas. Between 2010 and 2012, 11 HSAs without a plastic surgeon increased density, whereas 15 HSAs lost all plastic surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: Plastic surgeons are asymmetrically distributed across the United States leaving over 25 million people without geographic access to the specialty. This distribution tends to adversely impact older and rural populations.

Hospital-Based Acute Care After Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: Implications for Quality Measurement.

BACKGROUND: Although hospital readmissions are being adopted as a quality measure after total hip or knee arthroplasty, they may fail accurately capture the patient's postdischarge experience. METHODS: We studied 272,853 discharges from 517 hospitals to determine hospital emergency department (ED) visit and readmission rates. RESULTS: The hospital-level, 30-day, risk-standardized ED visit (median = 5.6% [2.4%-13.7%]) and hospital readmission (5.0% [2.6%-9.2%]) rates were similar and varied widely. A hospital's risk-standardized ED visit rate did not correlate with its readmission rate (r = -0.03, P = .50). If ED visits were included in a broader "readmission" measure, 246 (47.6%) hospitals would change perceived performance groups. CONCLUSION: Including ED visits in a broader, hospital-based, acute care measure may be warranted to better describe postdischarge health care utilization.

Assessing Risk Factors for Hospital-Based, Acute Care Within Thirty Days of Craniosynostosis Surgery Using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project.

While in-hospital outcomes and long-term results of craniosynostosis surgery have been described, no large studies have reported on postoperative readmission and emergency department (ED) visits. The authors conducted this study to describe the incidence, associated diagnoses, and risk factors for these encounters within 30 days of craniosynostosis surgery.Using 4 state-level databases, the authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients <3 years of age who underwent surgery for craniosynostosis. The primary outcome was any hospital based, acute care (HBAC; ED visit or hospital readmission) within 30 days of discharge. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to identify factors associated with this outcome.The final sample included 1120 patients. On average, patients were ages 4.6 months with the majority being male (67.3%) and having Medicaid (52%) or private (48.0%) insurance. Ninety-nine patients (8.8%) had at least 1 HBAC encounter within 30 days and 13 patients (1.2%) had 2 or more. The majority of encounters were managed in the ED without hospital admission (56.6%). In univariate analysis, age, race, insurance status, and initial length of stay significantly differed between the HBAC and non-HBAC groups. In multivariate analysis, only African-American race (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 5.98 [1.49-23.94]) and Hispanic ethnicity (AOR = 5.31 [1.88-14.97]) were associated with more frequent HBAC encounters.Nearly 10% of patients with craniosynostosis require HBAC postoperatively with ED visits accounting for the majority of these encounters. Race is independently associated with HBAC, the cause of which is unknown and will be the focus of future research.

A Longitudinal Assessment of Outcomes and Healthcare Resource Utilization After Immediate Breast Reconstruction-Comparing Implant- and Autologous-based Breast Reconstruction.

OBJECTIVES: Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) after mastectomy for cancer has increased in recent years, yet long-term, modality-specific comparative data are lacking. We performed this study to compare short- and long-term outcomes after expander, autologous (AT), and direct-to-implant (DI) breast reconstruction. METHODS: Using four state-level inpatient and ambulatory surgery databases, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult women who underwent mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction from 2008 to 2009. Our primary outcomes were complications within 90 days of surgery, rate of secondary breast surgery within 3 years, and cumulative healthcare charges. RESULTS: The final cohort included 15,154 women who underwent mastectomy with tissue expander (TE: 70.5%), autologous (AT: 18.1%), or direct to implant (DI: 11.3%) reconstruction. Ninety-day complications were lowest after expander and highest after AT breast reconstruction (TE = 6.5% [reference] vs AT = 13.1% [2.09, 1.82-2.41] vs DI = 6.6% [1.03, 0.84-1.27], P < 0.001). However, adjusted rates of secondary breast procedures were most frequent after expander (2021/1000 discharges) and least frequent after AT (949.0/1000 discharges) reconstruction (P < 0.001). Specifically, unplanned revisions were highest among the tissue expander cohort (TE = 59.2% vs AT = 34.4% vs DI = 45.9%, P < 0.001). The cumulative, adjusted healthcare charges for secondary breast procedures differed slightly across groups (TE = $63,806 vs AT = $66,882 vs DI = $64,145, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Complications and secondary breast procedures, including unplanned revisions, after breast reconstruction are common and vary by reconstructive modality. The frequency of these secondary procedures adds substantial healthcare charges to the care of the breast reconstruction patient.

Hospital-based acute care after outpatient colonoscopy: implications for quality measurement in the ambulatory setting.

INTRODUCTION: Ambulatory surgery centers now report immediate hospital transfer rates as a measure of quality. For patients undergoing colonoscopy, this measure may fail to capture adverse events, which occur after discharge yet still require a hospital-based acute care encounter. OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to estimate rates of immediate hospital transfer and hospital-based acute care following outpatient colonoscopy performed in ambulatory surgery centers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Using state ambulatory surgery databases from the 2009-2010 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, we identified adult patients who underwent colonoscopy. Immediate hospital transfer and overall acute health care utilization in the 14 days following colonoscopy was determined from corresponding inpatient, ambulatory surgery, and emergency department databases. To compare rates across centers while accounting for differences in patient populations, we calculated risk-standardized rates using hierarchical generalized linear modeling. RESULTS: The final sample included 1,137,381 colonoscopy discharges from 1019 centers. At the ambulatory surgery center level, the median risk-standardized hospital transfer rate was 0.0% (interquartile range=0.0%), whereas the hospital-based acute care rate was 2.1% (interquartile range=0.6%), with few centers (N=36) having no observed encounters. No correlation was noted between the risk-standardized hospital transfer and hospital-based acute care rates (volume weighted correlation coefficient=0.04, P=0.16). CONCLUSIONS: Patients more frequently experience hospital-based acute care encounters after colonoscopy than the need for immediate hospital transfer. Broadening existing quality measures to include hospital-based acute care in the postdischarge period may provide a more complete measure of quality.

Acute health care resource utilization for ileostomy patients is higher than expected.

BACKGROUND: Patients requiring an ileostomy following colorectal surgery are at risk for increased health-care utilization after discharge. Prior studies evaluating postoperative ileostomy care may underestimate health-care utilization by reporting only "same-institution" readmission rates. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the rates of health-care utilization of new ostomates within 30 days of discharge in a multicenter environment. DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study. SETTINGS: This study was conducted at acute-care, community hospitals in California, Florida, Nebraska, and New York. PATIENTS: Adult patients who underwent colorectal surgery with primary anastomosis, colostomy, or ileostomy between July 2009 and September 2010 were identified. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measured was hospital-based acute care, defined as hospital readmission or emergency department visit, at any hospital within 30 days of surgery. Multivariate regression models were used to compare the outcomes across groups. RESULTS: Overall, 75,136 patients underwent colectomy with most receiving a primary anastomosis (79.3%), whereas colostomies were created in 12.8% and ileostomies were created in 8.0%. Diagnoses of colorectal cancer (36.1%) or diverticular disease (22.0%) were most common. Patients with a colostomy (18.8%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.23 [95% CI, 1.17-1.30]) or ileostomy (36.1%; AOR, 2.28 [95% CI 2.15-2.42]) were significantly more likely than patients with a primary anastomosis (16.2%) to have a hospital-based acute-care encounter within 30 days of discharge. Among patients undergoing ileostomy, postoperative infection, renal failure, and dehydration were the most common diagnoses for hospital-based acute-care events. Overall, 20% of these encounters occurred at hospitals other than where the index surgery occurred. LIMITATIONS: Coding accuracy, the inability to capture events occurring in physician offices, and the retrospective study design were limitations of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing colorectal surgery with an ileostomy return to the hospital after discharge twice as frequently as those with a primary anastomosis or colostomy, often to hospitals other than the primary institution. As postdischarge health-care utilization becomes a measured quality metric, it is increasingly important to help these patients to safely transition to home.

Hospital variation in risk-standardized hospital admission rates from US EDs among adults.

BACKGROUND: Variation in hospital admission rates of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) may represent an opportunity to improve practice. We seek to describe national variation in hospital admission rates from the ED and to determine the degree to which variation is not explained by patient characteristics or hospital factors. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample of ED visits among adults within the 2010 National Hospital Ambulatory Care Survey ED data of hospitals with admission rates from the ED between 5% and 50%. We calculated risk-standardized hospital admission rates (RSARs) from the ED using contemporary hospital profiling methodology, accounting for patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Among 19831 adult ED visits in 252 hospitals, there were 4148 hospital admissions from the ED. After accounting for patients' sociodemographic and clinical factors, the median RSAR from the ED was 16.9% (interquartile range, 15.0%-20.4%), and 8.1% of the variation in RSARs was attributable to an institution-specific effect. Even after accounting for hospital teaching status, ownership, urban/rural location, and geographical location, 7.0% of the variation in RSARs from the ED was still attributable to an institution-specific effect. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: There was variation in hospital admission rates from the ED in the United States, even after adjusting for patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and accounting for hospital factors. Our findings suggest that suggesting that the likelihood of being admitted from the ED is not only dependent on clinical factors but also at which hospital the patient seeks care.

The measurable cost of complications for outpatient cosmetic surgery in patients with mental health diagnoses.

BACKGROUND: Mental health conditions, including psychiatric and substance abuse diagnoses, have been associated with poor postoperative outcomes, but no studies have quantified the relationship to date. OBJECTIVE: The authors examine the association between mental health conditions and immediate postoperative outcomes as defined by further hospital-based acute care within 30 days of surgery. METHODS: California State Ambulatory Surgery, Inpatient, and Emergency Department Databases were used to identify all adult patients undergoing outpatient cosmetic plastic surgery between January 2007 and October 2011. Patients were subgrouped by the presence of mental health or substance abuse conditions. Primary outcome was the need for hospital-based acute care (admission or emergency department visit) within 30 days after surgery. Multivariable logistic regression models compared outcomes between groups. RESULTS: Of 116,597 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 3.9% and 1.4% had either a psychiatric or substance abuse diagnosis, respectively. Adjusting for medical comorbidities, patients with psychiatric disorders more frequently required hospital-based acute care within 30 days postoperatively than those without mental illness diagnoses (11.1% vs 3.6%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.78 [95% confidence interval, 1.59-1.99]). This was true both for hospital admissions (3.5% vs 1.1%; AOR, 1.61 [1.32-1.95]) and emergency department visits (8.8% vs 2.7%; AOR, 1.88 [1.66-2.14]). The most common acute diagnoses were surgical in nature, including postoperative infection, hemorrhage, and hematoma; the median hospital admission charge was $35 637. Similar findings were noted among patients with a substance abuse diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health conditions are independently associated with the need for more frequent hospital-based acute care following surgery, thus contributing to added costs of care. A patient's mental health should be preoperatively assessed and appropriately addressed before proceeding with any elective procedure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

Hospital-based, acute care encounters after radiofrequency ablation of hepatic tumours.

BACKGROUND: The use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for cancer is increasing; however, post-discharge outcomes have not been well described. The aim of the present study was to determine rates of hospital-based, acute care utilization within 30 days of discharge after RFA. METHODS: Using state-level data from California, patients were identified who were at least 40 years of age who underwent RFA of hepatic tumours without a concurrent liver resection from 2007-2011. Our primary outcome was hospital readmissions or emergency department visits within 30 days of discharge. A multivariable regression model was constructed to identify patient factors associated with these events. RESULTS: The final sample included 1764 patients treated at 100 centres. Hospital readmissions (11.3/100 discharges), emergency department visits (6.0/100 discharges) and overall acute care utilization (17.3/100 discharges) were common. Most encounters occurred within 10 days of discharge for diagnoses related to the procedure. Patients with renal failure [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.98 (1.11-3.53)], obesity [AOR = 1.69 (1.03-2.77)], drug abuse [AOR = 2.95 (1.40-6.21)] or those experiencing a complication [AOR = 1.52 (1.07-2.15)] were more likely to have a hospital-based acute care encounter within 30 days of discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital-based acute care after RFA is common. Patients should be counselled regarding the potential for acute care utilization and interventions targeted to high-risk populations.

The Military-Civilian Partnership Quality Improvement Program Concept: A Process to Improve Data Collection and Outcomes Assessment.

INTRODUCTION: Military-Civilian Partnerships (MCPs) are vital for maintaining the deployment readiness of military health care physicians. However, tracking their clinical activity has proven to be challenging. In this study, we introduce a locally driven process aimed at the passive collection of external clinical workload data. This process is designed to facilitate an assessment of MCP physicians' deployment readiness and the effectiveness of individual MCPs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2020 to February 2023, we conducted a series of quality improvement projects at the Wright Patterson Medical Center (WPMC) to enhance our data collection efforts for MCP physicians. Our methodology encompassed several steps. First, we assessed our existing data collection processes and their outcomes to identify improvement areas. Next, we tested various data collection methods, including self-reporting, a web-based smart phone application, and an automated process based on billing or electronic health record data. Following this, we refined our data collection process, incorporating the identified improvements and systematically tracking outcomes. Finally, we evaluated the refined process in 2 different MCPs, with our primary outcome measure being the collection of monthly health care data. RESULTS: Our examination at the WPMC initially identified several weaknesses in our established data collection efforts. These included unclear responsibility for data collection within the Medical Group, an inadequate roster of participating MCP physicians, and underutilization of military and community resources for data collection. To address these issues, we implemented revisions to our data collection process. These revisions included establishing clear responsibility for data collection through the Office of Military-Civilian Partnerships, introducing a regular "roll call" to match physicians to MCP agreements, passively collecting data each month through civilian partner billing or information technology offices, and integrating Office of Military-Civilian Partnership efforts into regular executive committee meetings. As a result, we observed a 4-fold increase in monthly data capture at WPMC, with similar gains when the refined process was implemented at an Air Force Center for the Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills site. CONCLUSIONS: The Military-Civilian Partnership Quality Improvement Program concept is an effective, locally driven process for enhancing the capture of external clinical workload data for military providers engaged in MCPs. Further examination of the Military-Civilian Partnership Quality Improvement Program process is needed at other institutions to validate its effectiveness and build a community of MCP champions.

Hospital readmissions and emergency department visits following laparoscopic and open colon resection for cancer.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic colectomy for the treatment of colon cancer has been widely adopted in community practice, in part, because of shorter hospitalizations. The benefits of a shorter hospital stay are only realized if readmissions and emergency department visits, collectively termed revisits, do not increase after discharge. We conducted a population-based analysis to determine whether hospitals with higher laparoscopic colectomy rates have higher revisit rates. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether hospital utilization after discharge is increased for patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy for cancer. DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study. SETTINGS: Data were gathered from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's inpatient and emergency department databases for California. These databases include data from all nonfederal hospitals in the State of California. PATIENTS: Patients who underwent elective colectomy for cancer from 2008 to 2009 were included. INTERVENTIONS: The primary intervention was elective colectomy with the use of the open or laparoscopic approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The correlation between hospital laparoscopy rates and hospital readmission rates, emergency department visit rates, and revisit rates was calculated. RESULTS: Overall, 6760 patients were treated at 176 hospitals. For every 100 patients discharged, there were 14.0 readmissions and 9.2 emergency department encounters. At the hospital level, laparoscopy rates varied considerably (median = 45.7%, range = 2.2%-88.9%), as did the risk-standardized readmission (12.1%, 8.6%-16.5%), emergency department encounter (7.8%, 4.1%-18.0%), and revisit rates (17.9%, 13.0%-26.4%). A hospital's laparoscopy rate was not significantly correlated with its risk-standardized readmission (weighted correlation coefficient = 0.05, p = 0.50), emergency department encounter (-0.11, p = 0.16), or revisit (-0.03, p = 0.70) rates. LIMITATIONS: There are inherent limitations when using administrative data. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals where a greater proportion of colon resections for cancer are approached laparoscopically do not have higher 30-day, risk-standardized readmission, emergency department encounter, or revisit rates.

Outcomes and costs associated with robotic colectomy in the minimally invasive era.

BACKGROUND: Robotic-assisted surgery has become increasingly common; however, it is unclear if its use for colectomy improves in-hospital outcomes compared with the laparoscopic approach. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to compare in-hospital outcomes and costs between patients undergoing robotic or laparoscopic colectomy. DESIGN: This study is a retrospective review of the 2008 to 2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. SETTINGS, PATIENTS, INTERVENTIONS: All adult patients who underwent an elective robotic or laparoscopic colectomy in hospitals performing both procedures (N = 2583 representing an estimated 12,732 procedures) were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes included intraoperative and postoperative complications, length of stay, and direct costs of care. Regression models were used to compare these outcomes between procedural approaches while controlling for baseline differences in patient characteristics. RESULTS: Overall, 6.1% of patients underwent a robotic procedure. Factors associated with robotic-assisted colectomy included younger age, benign diagnoses, and treatment at a lower-volume center. Patients undergoing robotic and laparoscopic procedures experienced similar rates of intraoperative (3.0% vs 3.3%; adjusted OR = 0.88 (0.35-2.22)) and postoperative (21.7% vs 21.6%; adjusted OR = 0.84 (0.54-1.30)) complications, as well as risk-adjusted average lengths of stay (5.4 vs 5.5 days, p = 0.66). However, robotic-assisted colectomy resulted in significantly higher costs of care ($19,231 vs $15,807, p < 0.001). Although the overall postoperative morbidity rate was similar between groups, the individual complications experienced by each group were different. LIMITATIONS: A limitation of this study is the potential miscoding of robotic cases in administrative data. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic-assisted colectomy significantly increases the costs of care without providing clear reductions in overall morbidity or length of stay. As the use of robotic technology in colon surgery continues to evolve, critical appraisal of the benefits offered in comparison with the resources consumed is required.

Associations between mental health and surgical outcomes among women undergoing mastectomy for cancer.

Following diagnosis of breast cancer, many women experience serious psychological distress, which can adversely affect their cancer care and outcomes. We conducted this study to examine the association between mental health conditions and hospital outcomes and costs among women undergoing mastectomy for invasive breast cancer. Using nationally representative data from the 2005 to 2008 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we identified women aged ≥18 years with invasive breast cancer who underwent inpatient mastectomy (N = 40,202). Individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis (major depressive, posttraumatic stress, panic, adjustment, or generalized anxiety disorder) or substance abuse were compared with those without a mental health condition. Outcomes included risk of complications, prolonged hospitalization (>3 days), and direct costs of care. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to control for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Overall, 4.5% of patients had a mental health condition. Patients with substance abuse were more likely than those without to experience both complications (8.5% versus 4.8%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.61 [1.30-2.00]) and prolonged hospitalization (26.4% versus 13.6%; AOR = 2.25 [1.95-2.59]), and to have higher average costs ($9,855 versus $9,128, p = 0.009). Presence of psychiatric diagnoses was also significantly associated with increased complications (5.9% versus 4.8%; AOR = 1.21 [1.10-1.34]), prolonged hospitalization (8.5% versus 4.8%; AOR = 1.40 [1.32-1.49]), and higher average costs ($9,723 versus $9,108, p < 0.001). Mental health conditions are associated with poorer outcomes and higher costs in breast cancer patients undergoing inpatient mastectomy. Greater efforts are needed to identify and manage these patients with psychiatric and substance use disorders during the perioperative period.

Use of hospital-based acute care among patients recently discharged from the hospital.

IMPORTANCE: Current efforts to improve health care focus on hospital readmission rates as a marker of quality and on the effectiveness of transitions in care during the period after acute care is received. Emergency department (ED) visits are also a marker of hospital-based acute care following discharge but little is known about ED use during this period. OBJECTIVES: To determine the degree to which ED visits and hospital readmissions contribute to overall use of acute care services within 30 days of discharge from acute care hospitals, to describe the reasons patients return for ED visits, and to describe these patterns among Medicare beneficiaries and those not covered by Medicare insurance. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospective study of patients aged 18 years or older (mean age: 53.4 years) who were discharged between July 1, 2008, and September 31, 2009, from acute care hospitals in 3 large, geographically diverse states (California, Florida, and Nebraska) with data recorded in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project state inpatient and ED databases. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The 3 primary outcomes during the 30-day period after hospital discharge were ED visits not resulting in admission (treat-and-release encounters), hospital readmissions from any source, and a combined measure of ED visits and hospital readmissions termed hospital-based acute care. RESULTS: The final cohort included 5,032,254 index hospitalizations among 4,028,555 unique patients. In the 30 days following discharge, 17.9% (95% CI, 17.9%-18.0%) of hospitalizations resulted in at least 1 acute care encounter. Of these 1,233,402 postdischarge acute care encounters, ED visits comprised 39.8% (95% CI, 39.7%-39.9%). For every 1000 discharges, there were 97.5 (95% CI, 97.2-97.8) ED treat-and-release visits and 147.6 (95% CI, 147.3-147.9) hospital readmissions in the 30 days following discharge. The number of ED treat-and-release visits ranged from a low of 22.4 (95% CI, 4.6-65.4) encounters per 1000 discharges for breast malignancy to a high of 282.5 (95% CI, 209.7-372.4) encounters per 1000 discharges for uncomplicated benign prostatic hypertrophy. Among the highest volume discharges, the most common reason patients returned to the ED was always related to their index hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: After discharge from acute care hospitals in 3 states, ED visits within 30 days were common among adults and accounted for 39.8% of postdischarge hospital-based acute care visits. Improving care transitions should focus not only on decreasing readmissions but also on ED visits.