An analysis of interagency collaboration: Lessons learned from Colorado's early intervention program.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to describe interagency collaboration in Part C Early Intervention (EI) programs. METHODS: Between 18 April and 9 May 2022, 48 EI service coordinators (SCs) from 14 programs in one state completed adapted versions of the Interagency Collaboration Activities Scale (IACAS) and Relational Coordination Survey (RCS). Assessing perceptions of shared structures (IACAS) and coordination quality (RCS), these combined measures summarized interagency collaboration with 11 organizations. Mean (SD) survey responses were estimated and ranked. RESULTS: Sample SCs represent a breadth of professional disciples and vary substantially in their current and desired collaborations. The quantity of SCs collaborating with organizations ranged from 0% to 98%. Nearly all (98%) reported collaborating with the school districts, few (15%) reported collaborating with insurance, and none reported collaborating with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. The majority of SCs expressed desire to increase their collaborations with most of the listed organizations. The perceived quality of collaborations varied substantially at both individual and organizational levels. When comparing SC perceptions of shared structures and coordination quality, SCs reported more favourable collaborations with school districts (IACAS rank: first and RCS rank: first) and less favourable collaborations with insurance (IACAS rank: ninth and RCS rank: seventh). Some organizations rankings varied across both scales, including pediatric primary care (IACAS rank: third and RCS rank: eighth) and hospitals (IACAS rank: sixth and RCS rank: second). Overall, SCs reported low perceived existence of shared structures while coordination quality varied by organization. Opportunities for collaborative growth were identified. DISCUSSION: Despite its importance and required implementation in EI, perceptions of interagency collaboration varied substantially within and between EI programs. There is a suggested need to increase the quantity of SCs that collaborate and identified opportunities to increase the quality of collaborations that already exist.

Building Data Infrastructure for Disease-Focused Health Economics Research.

BACKGROUND: Data infrastructure for cancer research is centered on registries that are often augmented with payer or hospital discharge databases, but these linkages are limited. A recent alternative in some states is to augment registry data with All-Payer Claims Databases (APCDs). These linkages capture patient-centered economic outcomes, including those driven by insurance and influence health equity, and can serve as a prototype for health economics research. OBJECTIVES: To describe and assess the utility of a linkage between the Colorado APCD and Colorado Central Cancer Registry (CCCR) data for 2012-2017. RESEARCH DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, AND MEASURES: This cohort study of 91,883 insured patients evaluated the Colorado APCD-CCCR linkage on its suitability to assess demographics, area-level data, insurance, and out-of-pocket expenses 3 and 6 months after cancer diagnosis. RESULTS: The linkage had high validity, with over 90% of patients in the CCCR linked to the APCD, but gaps in APCD health plans limited available claims at diagnosis. We highlight the advantages of the CCCR-APCD, such as granular race and ethnicity classification, area-level data, the ability to capture supplemental plans, medical and pharmacy out-of-pocket expenses, and transitions in insurance plans. CONCLUSIONS: Linked data between registries and APCDs can be a cornerstone of a robust data infrastructure and spur innovations in health economics research on cost, quality, and outcomes. A larger infrastructure could comprise a network of state APCDs that maintain linkages for research and surveillance.

Comparison of primary payer in cancer registry and discharge data.

OBJECTIVES: To determine agreement between variables capturing the primary payer at cancer diagnosis across the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry (PCR) and statewide facility discharge records (Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council [PHC4]) for adults younger than 65 years, and to specifically examine factors associated with misclassification of Medicaid status in the registry given the role of managed care. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of the primary cancer cases among adults aged 21 to 64 years in the PCR from 2010 to 2016 linked to the PHC4 facility visit records. METHODS: We assessed agreement of payer at diagnosis (Medicare, Medicaid, private, other, uninsured, unknown) across data sources, including positive predictive value (PPV) and sensitivity, using the PHC4 records as the gold standard. The probability of misclassifying Medicaid in registry was estimated using multivariate logit models. RESULTS: Agreement of payers was high for private insurance (PPV, 89.7%; sensitivity, 83.6%), but there was misclassification and/or underreporting of Medicaid in the registry (PPV, 80%; sensitivity, 58%). Among cases with "other" and "unknown" insurance, 73.8% and 62.1%, respectively, had private insurance according to the PHC4 records. Medicaid managed care was associated with a statistically significant increase of 12.6 percentage points (95% CI, 9.4-15.8) in the probability of misclassifying Medicaid enrollment as private insurance in the registry. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest caution in conducting and interpreting research using insurance variables in cancer registries.

Treatment Disparities in Radiation and Hormone Therapy Among Women Covered by Medicaid vs Private Insurance in Cancer Registry and Claims Data.

Importance: Prior research has reported undertreatment among patients with cancer who are insured by Medicaid, but this finding may be due, in part, to incomplete data in cancer registries. Objective: To compare disparities in radiation and hormone therapy between women with breast cancer covered by Medicaid and those with private insurance using the Colorado Central Cancer Registry (CCCR) and CCCR data supplemented with All Payer Claims Data (APCD). Design, Setting, and Participants: This observational cohort study included women aged 21 to 63 years who received breast cancer surgery. We linked the CCCR and Colorado APCD to identify Medicaid and privately insured women who were newly diagnosed with invasive, nonmetastatic breast cancer between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2017. In the radiation treatment analysis, we narrowed the sample to women who received breast-conserving surgery (Medicaid, n = 1408; private, n = 1984) and in the hormone therapy analysis, we selected women who were hormone-receptor positive (Medicaid, n = 1156; private, n = 1667). Main Outcomes and Measures: We used logistic regression to estimate the likelihood of treatment within 12 months to assess whether the results varied between data sources. Results: There were 3392 and 2823 participants in the radiation and hormone therapy cohorts, respectively. The mean (SD) age was 51.71 (8.30) years in the radiation therapy cohort, and 52.00 (8.16) years in the hormone therapy cohort. Among the participants, there were 140 (4%) and 105 (4%) who were Black non-Hispanic, 499 (15%) and 406 (14%) who were Hispanic, 2602 (77%) and 2190 (78%) were White, and 151 (4%) and 122 (4%) were other/unknown in the radiation and hormone therapy cohorts, respectively. A higher percentage of women were aged 50 years or younger in the Medicaid samples (40% vs 34% in the privately insured sample) and identified as non-Hispanic Black (about 7%) or Hispanic (approximately 24%). Treatment was underreported in both sources, but to a lesser extent in the APCD (2.5% and 2.0% for Medicaid and private insurance, respectively) compared with CCCR (19.5% and 13.3% for Medicaid and private insurance, respectively). Using CCCR data, Women with Medicaid insurance were 4 (95% CI, -8 to -1; P = .02) and 10 (95% CI, -14 to -6; P < .001) percentage points less likely to have a record of radiation and hormone therapy compared with privately insured women, respectively. Using combined CCCR and APCD, no statistically significant disparity was observed in radiation or hormone therapy between Medicaid-insured and privately insured women. Conclusions and Relevance: Among women with breast cancer covered by Medicaid vs private insurance, cancer treatment disparities may be overestimated if based solely on cancer registry data.

Adoption and Value of the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Medicare's Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) was introduced in 2011 to encourage the utilization of preventive services, but many clinicians and patients still do not participate in the visit. We qualitatively and quantitatively assessed motivations and clinical and financial value of AWVs from a primary care perspective using interviews and Medicare claims from 2012 to 2019. Primary care providers with the highest acuity patients had AWV utilization rates 11.2 percentage points lower than providers with the lowest acuity patients; utilization rates were 3.8 percentage points lower in rural counties. Adoption was motivated by patient needs and financial incentives. AWVs closed gaps in preventive care, strengthened patient-provider relationships, facilitated advance care planning, and provided an opportunity to improve quality metrics. Overall, the AWV has the potential to increase the use of high-value preventive services although not all clinics have an economic incentive to adopt the visit, which may explain some of the variability in utilization rates.

Post-Acute Care Outcomes of Cancer Patients <65 Reveal Disparities in Care Near the End of Life.

Background: Post-acute care outcomes for patients with cancer <65 with multiple payers are largely unknown. Objective: Describe the population and outcomes of younger adults discharged to skilled nursing facility (SNF) and those discharged home or with home health care six months following hospitalization. Design: Descriptive cohort analysis. Setting/Subjects: Using a linkage between the Colorado All Payers Claims Database and the Colorado Central Cancer Registry, we studied patients <65 with stage III or IV advanced cancer between 2012 and 2017. Measurements: Receipt of cancer treatment, 30-day readmission, death, and hospice use. Groups of interest were compared by patient demographics and disease characteristics using chi-square tests. Logistic regression was used to describe unadjusted and adjusted outcome rates among discharge setting. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival by discharge destination. Results: Three percent of patients were discharged to SNF, 79.0% to home, and 18.0% to home health care. SNF discharges were less likely to receive cancer treatment. Among decedents, 39.0%, 51.0%, and 58.0% of SNF, home, and home health care discharges received hospice, respectively. Patients with Medicaid were more likely to be discharged to an SNF. Black/Hispanic patients were more likely to have Medicaid and received less radiation and hospice care, irrespective of discharge location. Those who were discharged to SNF were more likely to receive radiation compared to White patients. Conclusions: Younger patients with cancer discharged to SNF were unlikely to receive cancer treatment and hospice care before death. Racial disparities exist in cancer treatment receipt and hospice use warranting further investigation.

Cancer Treatment Data in Central Cancer Registries: When Are Supplemental Data Needed?

Background: We evaluated treatment concordance between the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (APCD) and the Colorado Central Cancer Registry (CCCR) to explore whether APCDs can augment registry data. We compare treatment concordance for breast cancer, an extensively studied site with an inpatient reporting source and select leukemias that are often diagnosed outpatient. Methods: We analyzed concordance by cancer type and treatment, patient demographics, reporting source, and health insurance, calculating the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV) and Kappa statistics. We estimated an adjusted logistic regression model to assess whether the APCD statistically significantly reports additional cancer-directed treatments. Results: Among women with breast cancer, 14% had chemotherapy treatments that were absent from the CCCR. Missing treatments were more common among women younger than age 50 (15%) and patients aged 75 and older (19%), rural residents (17%), and when the reporting source was outpatient (22%). Similar and more pronounced patterns for people with leukemia were observed. Concordance for oral treatments was lower for each cancer. Sensitivity and PPVs were high, with moderate Kappa statistics. The APCD was 5.3 percentage points less likely to identify additional treatments for breast cancer patients and 10 percentage points more likely to identify additional treatments when the reporting source was an outpatient facility. Conclusion: A robust data infrastructure is needed to investigate research questions that require population-level analyses, particularly for questions seeking to reduce health inequity and comparisons across payers, including Medicare Advantage and fee-for-service. APCD data are a step toward creating an infrastructure for cancer, particularly for patients who reside in rural areas and/or receive care from outpatient centers.

Challenges in Heart Failure Disease Management in Skilled Nursing Facilities: A Qualitative Study.

Clinical guidelines recommend clinicians in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) monitor body weight and signs and symptoms related to heart failure (HF) and encourage a sodium restricted diet to improve HF outcomes; however, SNFs face considerable challenges in HF disease management (HF-DM). In the current study, we characterized the challenges of HF-DM with data from semi-structured, in-depth interviews with patients, caregivers, staff, and physicians from nine SNFs. Patients receiving skilled nursing care were interviewed together as a dyad with their caregiver. A data-driven, qualitative descriptive approach was used to understand the process and challenges of HF-DM. Coded text was categorized into descriptive themes. Interviews with five dyads (n = 10 individuals), SNF nurses and certified nursing assistants (n = 13), and physicians (n = 2) revealed that, among the sample, HF care was not prioritized above other competing health concerns. Staff operated in the challenging SNF environment largely without protocols or educational materials to prompt HF-DM. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 48(5), 13-17.].

The costs of treating all-cause dementia among American Indians and Alaska native adults who access services through the Indian Health Service and Tribal health programs.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about treatment costs for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults with dementia who access services through the Indian Health Service (IHS) and Tribal health programs. METHODS: We analyzed fiscal year 2013 IHS/Tribal treatment costs for AI/ANs aged 65+ years with dementia and a matched sample without dementia (n = 1842) to report actual and adjusted total treatment costs and costs by service type. Adjusted costs were estimated using multivariable regressions. RESULTS: Mean total treatment cost for adults with dementia were $13,027, $5400 higher than for adults without dementia ($7627). The difference in adjusted total treatment costs was $2943 (95% confidence interval [CI]: $1505, $4381), the majority of which was due to the difference in hospital inpatient costs ($2902; 95% CI: $1512, $4293). DISCUSSION: Knowing treatment costs for AI/ANs with dementia can guide enhancements to policies and services for treating dementia and effectively using health resources.

Clinical and Financial Impact of a Diagnostic Stewardship Program for Children with Suspected Central Nervous System Infection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the optimal implementation and clinical and financial impacts of the FilmArray Meningitis Encephalitis Panel (MEP) multiplex polymerase chain reaction testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in children with suspected central nervous system infection. STUDY DESIGN: A pre-post quasiexperimental cohort study to investigate the impact of implementing MEP using a rapid CSF diagnostic stewardship program was conducted at Children's Hospital Colorado (CHCO). MEP was implemented with electronic medical record indication selection to guide testing to children meeting approved use criteria: infants <2 months, immunocompromised, encephalitis, and ≥5 white blood cells/µL of CSF. Positive results were communicated with antimicrobial stewardship real-time decision support. All cases with CSF obtained by lumbar puncture sent to the CHCO microbiology laboratory meeting any of the 4 aforementioned criteria were included with preimplementation controls (2015-2016) compared with postimplementation cases (2017-2018). Primary outcome was time-to-optimal antimicrobials compared using log-rank test with Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Time-to-optimal antimicrobials decreased from 28 hours among 1124 preimplementation controls to 18 hours (P < .0001) among 1127 postimplementation cases (72% with MEP testing conducted). Postimplementation, time-to-positive CSF results was faster (4.8 vs 9.6 hours, P < .0001), intravenous antimicrobial duration was shorter (24 vs 36 hours, P = .004), with infectious neurologic diagnoses more frequently identified (15% vs 10%, P = .03). There were no differences in time-to-effective antimicrobials, hospital admissions, antimicrobial starts, or length of stay. Costs of microbiologic testing increased, but total hospital costs were unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of MEP with a rapid central nervous system diagnostic stewardship program improved antimicrobial use with faster results shortening empiric therapy. Routine MEP testing for high-yield indications enables antimicrobial optimization with unchanged overall costs.

Capitalizing on Central Registries for Expanded Cancer Surveillance and Research.

BACKGROUND: State central cancer registries are an essential component of cancer surveillance and research that can be enriched through linkages to other databases. This study identified and described state central registry linkages to external data sources and assessed the potential for a more comprehensive data infrastructure with registries at its core. METHODS: We identified peer-reviewed papers describing linkages to state central cancer registries in all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, published between 2010 and 2020. To complement the literature review, we surveyed registrars to learn about unpublished linkages. Linkages were grouped by medical claims (public and private insurers), medical records, other registries (eg, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome registries, birth certificates, screening programs), and data from specific cohorts (eg, firefighters, teachers). RESULTS: We identified 464 data linkages with state central cancer registries. Linkages to cohorts and other registries were most common. Registries in predominately rural states reported the fewest linkages. Most linkages are not ongoing, maintained, or available to researchers. A third of linkages reported by registrars did not result in published papers. CONCLUSIONS: Central cancer registries, often in collaboration with researchers, have enriched their data through linkages. These linkages demonstrate registries' ability to contribute to a data infrastructure, but a coordinated and maintained approach is needed to leverage these data for research. Sparsely populated states reported the fewest linkages, suggesting possible gaps in our knowledge about cancer in these states. Many more linkages exist than have been reported in the literature, highlighting potential opportunities to further use the data for research purposes.

The Impact of Medicare Health Insurance Coverage on Lung Cancer Screening.

BACKGROUND: Annual lung cancer screening via low-dose computed tomography can reduce lung cancer mortality among high-risk adults by 20%; however, screening take-up remains low. Inadequate insurance coverage or access to care may be a barrier to screening. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of nearly universal access to Medicare coverage on annual lung cancer screening. RESEARCH DESIGN: A regression discontinuity design was used to estimate the causal effect of nearly universal access to Medicare at age 65. Data come from the 2017 to 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 28 states that adopted the optional module on lung cancer screening and lung cancer risk. SUBJECTS: A total of 11,163 individuals at high risk for lung cancer just above and below age 65. MEASURE: Self-reported use of low-dose computed tomography to screen for lung cancer in the past 12 months. RESULTS: A total of 10,951 people at high lung cancer risk (45.7% women, response rate=98.1%) reported lung cancer screening information. Nearly universal access to Medicare increased lung cancer screening by 16.2 percentage points among men (95% confidence interval: 2.4%-30.0%, P=0.02), compared with a baseline screening rate of 11.1% just younger than age 65. Women had a baseline screening rate of 18.2% and experienced no statistically significant change in screening (1.6 percentage point increase, 95% confidence interval: -19.8% to 23.0%, P=0.88). CONCLUSIONS: Gaining Medicare coverage at age 65 increased lung cancer screening take-up among men at high lung cancer risk. Lack of insurance or inadequate access to care hinders screening.

The Effect of the Affordable Care Act on Women's Postpartum Insurance and Depression in 5 States That Did Not Expand Medicaid, 2012-2015.

BACKGROUND: Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA), most women who gained pregnancy-related Medicaid were not eligible for Medicaid as parents postpartum. The ACA aimed to expand health insurance coverage, in part, by expanding Medicaid; introducing mandates; reforming regulations; and establishing exchanges with federal subsidies. Federal subsidies offer a means to coverage for individuals with income at 100%-400% of the federal poverty level who do not qualify for Medicaid. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify the effects of the ACA's non-Medicaid provisions on women's postpartum insurance coverage and depressive symptoms in nonexpansion states with low parental Medicaid thresholds. PARTICIPANTS: Women with incomes at 100%-400% of the federal poverty level who had prenatal insurance and completed the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (2012-2015). SETTING: Five non-Medicaid expansion states with Medicaid parental eligibility thresholds below the federal poverty level. DESIGN: Interrupted time-series analyses were conducted to examine changes between pre-ACA (January 2012-November 2013) and post-ACA (December 2013-December 2015) trends for self-reported loss of postpartum insurance and symptoms of postpartum depression. RESULTS: The sample included 9,472 women. Results showed significant post-ACA improvements where the: (1) trend for loss of postpartum insurance reversed (change of -0.26 percentage points per month, P=0.047) and (2) level of postpartum depressive symptoms decreased (change of -3.5 percentage points, P=0.042). CONCLUSIONS: In these 5 states, the ACA's non-Medicaid provisions were associated with large increases in retention of postpartum insurance and reductions in postpartum depressive symptoms, although depressive symptoms findings are sensitive to model specification.

The role of all-payer claims databases to expand central cancer registries: Experience from Colorado.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of a multiyear linkage between the Colorado all-payer claims database (APCD) and the Colorado Central Cancer Registry. DATA SOURCES: Secondary 2012-2017 data from the APCD and the Colorado Cancer Registry. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive analysis of the proportion of cases captured by the linkage in relation to the cases reported by the registry. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: We used probabilistic linkage to combine records from both data sources for all patients diagnosed with cancer. RESULTS: We successfully linked 93% of the 146,884 patients in the registry. Approximately 63% of linked patients were perfect matches on five identifiers. Of partial matches, 81.6% were matched on four identifiers with missing or partial Social Security Numbers. The linkage rate was lower for uninsured patients at diagnosis (74.7%) or patients with private plans (89.4%) but close to 100% for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. Most of the 29% of patients who did not have claims at the time of diagnosis were covered by private plans that may not submit claims. CONCLUSIONS: APCD-registry linkages are a promising source of data to conduct population-based research from multiple payers. However, not all payers submit claims, and the quality of the data may vary by state.

Patient Outcomes Associated With Utilization of Education, Case Management, and Advanced Practice Pharmacy Services by American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples With Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The burden of diabetes is exceptionally high among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) peoples. The Indian Health Service (IHS) and Tribal health programs provide education, case management, and advanced practice pharmacy (ECP) services for AI/ANs with diabetes to improve their health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate patient outcomes associated with ECP use by AI/AN adults with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN: This observational study included the analysis of IHS data for fiscal years (FY) 2011-2013. Using propensity score models, we assessed FY2013 patient outcomes associated with FY2012 ECP use, controlling for FY2011 baseline characteristics. SUBJECTS: AI/AN adults with diabetes who used IHS and Tribal health services (n=28,578). MEASURES: We compared health status and hospital utilization outcomes for ECP users and nonusers. RESULTS: Among adults with diabetes, ECP users, compared with nonusers, had lower odds of high systolic blood pressure [odds ratio (OR)=0.85, P<0.001] and high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR=0.89, P<0.01). Among adults with diabetes absent cardiovascular disease (CVD) at baseline, 3 or more ECP visits, compared with no visits, was associated with lower odds of CVD onset (OR=0.79, P<0.05). Among adults with diabetes and CVD, any ECP use was associated with lower odds of end-stage renal disease onset (OR=0.60, P<0.05). ECP users had lower odds of 1 or more hospitalizations (OR=0.80, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Findings on positive patient outcomes associated with ECP use by adults with diabetes may inform IHS and Tribal policies, funding, and enhancements to ECP services to reduce disparities between AI/ANs and other populations in diabetes-related morbidity and mortality.

The effect of direct cognitive assessment in the Medicare annual wellness visit on dementia diagnosis rates.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between direct cognitive assessment introduced with the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) and new diagnoses of dementia, and to determine if effects vary by race. DATA SOURCES: Medicare Limited Data Set 5% sample claims 2003-2014 and the HRSA Area Health Resources Files. STUDY DESIGN: Instrumental Variable approach estimating the relationship between AWV utilization and new diagnoses of dementia using county-level Welcome to Medicare Visit rates as an instrument. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Three hundred twenty-four thousand three hundred and eighty-five fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries without dementia when the AWV was introduced in 2011. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Annual Wellness Visit utilization was associated with an increased probability of new dementia diagnosis with effects varying by racial group (categorized as white, black, Hispanic/Latino, or Asian based on Social Security Administration data). Hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for new dementia diagnosis within 6 months of AWV utilization were as follows: 2.34 (2.13, 2.58) white, 2.22 (1.71, 2.89) black, 4.82 (2.94, 7.89) Asian, and 6.14 (3.70, 10.19) Hispanic (P < .001 for each). Our findings show that estimates that do not control for selection underestimate the effect of AWV on new diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Dementia diagnosis rates increased with AWV implementation with heterogenous effects by race and ethnicity. Current recommendations by the United States Preventive Services Task Force state that the evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against screening for cognitive impairment in older adults.

Systematic review of cost-effectiveness analysis of behavior change communication apps: Assessment of key methods.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence backing the effectiveness of mobile health technology is growing, and behavior change communication applications (apps) are fast becoming a useful platform for behavioral health programs. However, data to support the cost-effectiveness of these interventions are limited. Suggestions for overcoming the low output of economic data include addressing the methodological challenges for conducting cost-effectiveness analysis of behavior change app programs. This study is a systematic review of cost-effectiveness analyses of behavior change communication apps and a documentation of the reported challenges for investigating their cost-effectiveness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four academic databases: Medline (Ovid), CINAHL, EMBASE and Google Scholar, were searched. Eligibility criteria included original articles that use a cost-effectiveness evaluation method, published between 2008 and 2018, and in the English language. RESULTS: Out of the 60 potentially eligible studies, 6 used cost-effectiveness analysis method and met the inclusion criteria. CONCLUSION: The evidence to support the cost-effectiveness of behavior change communication apps is insufficient, with all studies reporting significant study challenges for estimating program costs and outcomes. The main challenges included limited or lack of cost data, inappropriate cost measures, difficulty with identifying and quantifying app effectiveness, representing app effects as Quality-adjusted Life Years, and aggregating cost and effects into a single quantitative measure like Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio. These challenges highlight the need for comprehensive economic evaluation methods that balance app data quality issues with practical concerns. This would likely improve the usefulness of cost-effectiveness data for decisions on adoption, implementation, scalability, sustainability, and the benefits of broader healthcare investments.

Patient Characteristics Are Not Associated With Documentation of Weight and Heart Failure Related Sign and Symptom Assessment in Skilled Nursing Facilities.

OBJECTIVE: Monitoring body weight and signs and symptoms related to heart failure (HF) can alert clinicians to a patient's worsening condition but the degree to which these practices are performed in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) is unknown. This study analyzed the frequency of these monitoring practices in SNFs and explored associated factors at both the patient and SNF level. DESIGN: An observational study of data from the usual care arm of the SNF Connect Trial, a randomized cluster trial of a HF disease management intervention. The data extracted from charts were combined with publicly available facility data. A linear regression model was estimated to evaluate the frequency of HF disease management conditional on patient and facility covariates. SETTING: Data from 28 SNFs in Colorado. PARTICIPANTS: Patients discharged from hospital to SNFs with a primary or secondary diagnosis of HF. MEASUREMENTS: Patient-level covariates included demographics, New York Heart Association class, type of HF, and Charlson comorbidity index. Facility-level covariates were from Nursing Home Compare. RESULTS: The sample (n = 320) was majority female (66%), white (93%), with mean age 80 ± 10 years and a Charlson comorbidity index of 3.2 ± 1.5. Seventy percent had HF with preserved ejection fraction, mean ejection fraction of 50 ± 16% and 40% with a New York Heart Association class III-IV. On average, patients were weighed 40% of their days in the SNF and had documentation of at least 1 HF-related sign or symptom 70% of their days in the SNF. Patient-level factors were not associated with frequency of documenting weight and assessments of HF-related signs/symptoms. Health Inspection Star Rating was positively associated with weight monitoring (P < .05) but not associated with symptom assessment. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Patient-level factors are not meaningfully associated with the documentation of weight tracking or sign/symptom assessment. Monitoring weight was instead associated with the Health Inspection Star Rating.

Factors Associated With Use of High-Cost Agents for the Treatment of Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Antineoplastic agents approved in recent decades are a marked advancement in cancer treatment, but they come at considerable cost. These drugs may widen survival disparities between patients who receive these agents and those who do not. We examine factors associated with the use of high-cost antineoplastic agents for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study using 2007-2015 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results-Medicare data supplemented with the Area Health Resource File. Patients were aged 66 years and older, were enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare Part D, were diagnosed with a first primary diagnosis of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, and had received an antineoplastic agent. "High-cost agents" were defined as agents costing $5000 or more per month. Independent variables include race/ethnicity, urban or rural residency, census tract poverty, and treatment facility type (eg, National Cancer Institute designation). RESULTS: Patients who lived in areas of high poverty were 4 percentage points less likely to receive high-cost agents (two-sided P < .001). Patients who were not treated at a National Cancer Institute-designated center were 10 percentage points less likely to receive these agents (two-sided P < .001). A 27 percentage-point increase in the likelihood of receiving a high-cost agent was observed in 2015, as compared to 2007, highlighting the rapid change in practice patterns (two-sided P < .001). CONCLUSION: Potential policy and care delivery solutions involve outreach and support to community physicians who treat patients in remote areas. We estimate that widespread use of these agents conservatively cost approximately $3 billion per year for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer alone.