Improving the imputation of race: evaluating the benefits of stratifying by age.

Health plans and other health care institutions may use indirect methods such as geocoding and surname analysis to estimate race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status in an effort to measure disparities in care or target specific demographics. This study investigated whether stratifying by age improved imputations of race and ethnicity made through geocoding. Self-reported race and ethnicity from Medicaid enrollment records and from a health risk assessment administered by a large employer were used to validate imputation results from both an age-stratified model and a standard model. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value were calculated. Both approaches successfully imputed race and ethnicity for whites, blacks, Asians, and Hispanics. The age-stratified approach identified more blacks than did the unstratified approach, and correctly identified more blacks and whites. The two approaches worked equally well for identifying Asians and Hispanics. Age stratification may improve the accuracy of imputation methods, and help health care organizations to better understand the demographics of the people they serve.

Plan designs that encourage the use of generic drugs over brand-name drugs: an analysis of a free generic benefit.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect on adherence and medical care expenditures of a pharmacy benefit change that included free generic drugs and higher copayments for brand-name drugs. STUDY DESIGN: Quasi-experimental pre-post study of patients with ischemic heart disease (1286 control and 555 intervention) and patients with diabetes mellitus (4089 control and 1846 intervention). METHODS: Medical and pharmacy claims data were analyzed for continuously enrolled members from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2008. A generalized linear model was used to predict costs as adherence changed. RESULTS: The rate of switching from brand-name drugs to generic drugs in the intervention group was not statistically different from that in the control group. The net change in adherence was higher only for the intervention group patients taking statins who switched to generic drugs, a 6.2% increase compared with an 8.5% decrease in the control group. The estimate of medical cost savings attributable to this benefit change was significant for only the metformin class of diabetes drugs. Improved adherence independent of this benefit change was estimated to reduce all-cause medical costs for patients taking sulfonylureas, metformin, and thiazolidinediones. CONCLUSIONS: Altering copayments for pharmaceuticals may affect the rate of conversion to generic drugs but is unlikely in and of itself to result in complete conversion. However, increasing adherence can result in net savings for specific diabetic drug classes, as savings from all-cause medical costs offset the increase in pharmacy costs.

Comparing quality of care between a consumer-directed health plan and a traditional plan: an analysis of HEDIS measures related to management of chronic diseases.

A cross-sectional, retrospective medical and pharmaceutical claims data analysis was conducted to determine if Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures related to care for chronic conditions differed between enrollees in a traditional comprehensive major medical plan (CMM) and a consumer-directed health plan (CDHP). Eleven HEDIS measures for 2006 were compared for CMM and CDHP enrollees in a health plan. Measures included care for persons with diabetes, asthma, depression, cardiovascular disease, and low back pain, and for persons taking persistent medications for specific conditions. In the CMM population, 1,238,949 members were eligible to be included; 131,763 members in the CDHP population were eligible. Statistical significance testing was performed. As measured by HEDIS, CDHP enrollees received higher quality of care than did CMM enrollees in areas related to low back pain, and eye exams and nephropathy screening for persons with diabetes. No significant differences were found between CDHP enrollees and CMM enrollees for measures describing medication management for persons with depression and asthma, annual monitoring for persons taking persistent medications, cholesterol management for persons with cardiovascular disease, or HbA1c testing and low-density lipoprotein screening for persons with diabetes. Enrollees in CDHPs who have chronic conditions received care at levels of quality equal to or better than CMM enrollees. The potential for increased financial responsibility in the CDHP plan did not appear to deter those enrollees from pursuing necessary care. Future research should control for the demographic factors thought to influence both selection into a plan design and quality of care.

More preventive care, and fewer emergency room visits and prescription drugs--health care utilization in a consumer-driven health plan.

Although consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) have grown dramatically, the question of whether CDHPs have reduced health care costs has not been answered definitively. This article presents what the authors believe to be the first study to analyze a large sample of claims data and to look in detail at different types of utilization among enrollees in a CDHP and those in a traditional comprehensive major medical (CMM) plan. After adjusting for the finding that CDHP enrollees are both younger and healthier than those in CMM plans, the authors found that CDHP enrollees show no consistent or significant utilization differences for measures over which consumers have little control (e.g., inpatient stays); lower utilization for measures over which consumers have greater control (e.g., emergency room visits); and higher utilization of preventive services.

Effect of a multiple-site intensive care unit telemedicine program on clinical and economic outcomes: an alternative paradigm for intensivist staffing.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether a supplemental remote intensive care unit (ICU) care program, implemented by an integrated delivery network using a commercial telemedicine and information technology system, can improve clinical and economic performance across multiple ICUs. DESIGN: Before-and-after trial to assess the effect of adding the supplemental remote ICU telemedicine program. SETTING: Two adult ICUs of a large tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 2,140 patients receiving ICU care between 1999 and 2001. INTERVENTIONS: The remote care program used intensivists and physician extenders to provide supplemental monitoring and management of ICU patients for 19 hrs/day (noon to 7 am) from a centralized, off-site facility (eICU). Supporting software, including electronic data display, physician note- and order-writing applications, and a computer-based decision-support tool, were available both in the ICU and at the remote site. Clinical and economic performance during 6 months of the remote intensivist program was compared with performance before the intervention. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Hospital mortality for ICU patients was lower during the period of remote ICU care (9.4% vs. 12.9%; relative risk, 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55-0.95), and ICU length of stay was shorter (3.63 days [95% CI, 3.21-4.04] vs. 4.35 days [95% CI, 3.93-4.78]). Lower variable costs per case and higher hospital revenues (from increased case volumes) generated financial benefits in excess of program costs. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of a supplemental, telemedicine-based, remote intensivist program was associated with improved clinical outcomes and hospital financial performance. The magnitude of the improvements was similar to those reported in studies examining the impact of implementing on-site dedicated intensivist staffing models; however, factors other than the introduction of off-site intensivist staffing may have contributed to the observed results, including the introduction of computer-based tools and the increased focus on ICU performance. Although further studies are needed, the apparent success of this on-going multiple-site program, implemented with commercially available equipment, suggests that telemedicine may provide a means for hospitals to achieve quality improvements associated with intensivist care using fewer intensivists.