Trends and patterns of initial percutaneous nephrolithotomy and subsequent procedures among commercially-insured US adults with urinary system stone disease: a 10-year population-based study.

PURPOSE: To describe trends and patterns of initial percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and subsequent procedures from 2010 to 2019 among commercially-insured US adults with urinary system stone disease (USSD). METHODS: Retrospective study of administrative data from the IBM® MarketScan® Database. Eligible patients were aged 18-64 years and underwent PCNL between 1/1/2010 and 12/31/2019. Measures of interest for analysis of trends and patterns included the setting of initial PCNL (inpatient vs. outpatient), percutaneous access (1 vs. 2-step), and the incidence, time course, and type of subsequent procedures (extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy [SWL], ureteroscopy [URS], and/or PCNL) performed up-to 3 years after initial PCNL. RESULTS: A total of 8,348 patients met the study eligibility criteria. During the study period, there was a substantial shift in the setting of initial PCNL, from 59.9% being inpatient in 2010 to 85.3% being outpatient by 2019 (P < 0.001). The proportion of 1 vs. 2-step initial PCNL fluctuated over time, with a low of 15.1% in 2016 and a high of 22.0% in 2019 but showed no consistent yearly trend (P = 0.137). The Kaplan-Meier estimated probability of subsequent procedures following initial PCNL was 20% at 30 days, 28% at 90 days, and 50% at 3 years, with slight fluctuations by initial PCNL year. From 2010 to 2019, the proportion of subsequent procedures accounted for by URS increased substantially (from 30.8 to 51.8%), whereas SWL decreased substantially (from 39.5 to 14.7%) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: From 2010 to 2019, PCNL procedures largely shifted to the outpatient setting. Subsequent procedures after initial PCNL were common, with most occurring within 90 days. URS has become the most commonly-used subsequent procedure type.

Outcomes associated with the use of a new powered circular stapler for left-sided colorectal reconstructions: a propensity score matching-adjusted indirect comparison with manual circular staplers.

BACKGROUND: This was a retrospective, matching-adjusted indirect comparison of clinical outcomes between patients from a single-arm trial of the ECHELON CIRCULAR™ Powered Stapler (ECP) and those from a historical cohort of patients who underwent left-sided colorectal resection using conventional manual circular staplers, extracted from the Premier Healthcare Database. METHODS: Patients in the ECP trial cohort were propensity score matched to those in the historical cohort through nearest neighbor matching. Outcomes included 30-day readmission rates; length of stay (LOS) for the index admission; rates of anastomotic leak, pelvic abscess, ileus/small bowel obstruction, infection, bleeding, and stoma creation. RESULTS: The study included 168 patients in the ECP trial cohort and 4544 patients in the historical cohort; 165 ECP trial patients were matched to 1348 historical cohort patients. After matching, conversions were more prevalent in the historical cohort than the ECP trial cohort (4.2% ECP vs. 10.2% historical, p = 0.001). Relative to the historical cohort, the ECP trial cohort had statistically significant lower rates of 30-day inpatient readmission (6.1% vs. 10.8%, p = 0.019), anastomotic leak (1.8% vs. 6.9%, p < 0.001), ileus/small bowel obstruction (4.8% vs. 14.7%, p < 0.001), infection (1.8% vs. 5.7%, p = 0.001), and bleeding (1.8% vs. 9.2%, p < 0.001) during the index admission or within 30 days thereafter. No statistically significant differences in rates of pelvic abscess, stoma creation, or LOS were found between the two cohorts. Three sensitivity analyses to address the difference in conversion rates yielded largely consistent results, with loss of statistical significance for inpatient admission in some cases. This study is limited by its potential for differences in unmeasurable factors between the ECP trial and historical cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the ECP trial cohort had lower incidence proportions of several surgical complications as compared with the historical cohort. Further controlled prospective clinical studies are needed to confirm the validity of this finding.

Applied comparison of large-scale propensity score matching and cardinality matching for causal inference in observational research.

BACKGROUND: Cardinality matching (CM), a novel matching technique, finds the largest matched sample meeting prespecified balance criteria thereby overcoming limitations of propensity score matching (PSM) associated with limited covariate overlap, which are especially pronounced in studies with small sample sizes. The current study proposes a framework for large-scale CM (LS-CM); and compares large-scale PSM (LS-PSM) and LS-CM in terms of post-match sample size, covariate balance and residual confounding at progressively smaller sample sizes. METHODS: Evaluation of LS-PSM and LS-CM within a comparative cohort study of new users of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and thiazide or thiazide-like diuretic monotherapy identified from a U.S. insurance claims database. Candidate covariates included patient demographics, and all observed prior conditions, drug exposures and procedures. Propensity scores were calculated using LASSO regression, and candidate covariates with non-zero beta coefficients in the propensity model were defined as matching covariates for use in LS-CM. One-to-one matching was performed using progressively tighter parameter settings. Covariate balance was assessed using standardized mean differences. Hazard ratios for negative control outcomes perceived as unassociated with treatment (i.e., true hazard ratio of 1) were estimated using unconditional Cox models. Residual confounding was assessed using the expected systematic error of the empirical null distribution of negative control effect estimates compared to the ground truth. To simulate diverse research conditions, analyses were repeated within 10 %, 1 and 0.5 % subsample groups with increasingly limited covariate overlap. RESULTS: A total of 172,117 patients (ACEI: 129,078; thiazide: 43,039) met the study criteria. As compared to LS-PSM, LS-CM was associated with increased sample retention. Although LS-PSM achieved balance across all matching covariates within the full study population, substantial matching covariate imbalance was observed within the 1 and 0.5 % subsample groups. Meanwhile, LS-CM achieved matching covariate balance across all analyses. LS-PSM was associated with better candidate covariate balance within the full study population. Otherwise, both matching techniques achieved comparable candidate covariate balance and expected systematic error. CONCLUSIONS: LS-CM found the largest matched sample meeting prespecified balance criteria while achieving comparable candidate covariate balance and residual confounding. We recommend LS-CM as an alternative to LS-PSM in studies with small sample sizes or limited covariate overlap.

Adverse outcomes and short-term cost implications of bile duct injury during cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Bile duct injury (BDI) is an uncommon but major complication of cholecystectomy that has a poorly defined magnitude of effect on hospital costs. This study sought to calculate the healthcare costs, length of stay, and discharge status associated with bile duct injury in patients undergoing cholecystectomy in the United States. METHODS: The Premier Healthcare Database, which comprises hospital-billing records from over 700 hospitals in the United States, was queried for all patients undergoing cholecystectomy between January 2010 and March 2018. BDI was defined by ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM codes. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and operative information were extracted. Hospital costs, length of stay, and discharge status were compared between BDI and non-BDI patients. Propensity score matching was used to minimize confounding factors. Multivariable regression models were used to estimate the association between BDI and the outcomes variables. RESULTS: A total of 1,168,288 cholecystectomies were identified. BDI occurred in 878 patients (0.08%). Laparoscopy was the most common approach (> 95%). The majority of BDI occurred during inpatient admissions (71.0%). BDI patients had higher index admission hospital costs ($18,771 vs. $12,345, p < 0.0001), increased rate of discharge to an institutional post-acute care facility (odds ratio 3.89, 95% CI 2.92-5.19, p < 0.0001), and increased risk of readmission within 30 days after discharge (odds ratio 1.86, 95% CI 1.52-2.28, p < 0.0001), compared to patients without BDI. Among inpatient cholecystectomies, BDI was associated with increased length of stay (8.6 days vs. 4.8 days, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: BDI is associated with significantly increased hospital costs, length of stay, 30-day readmission, and discharge to an institutional post-acute care facility.

Barbed and conventional sutures in spinal surgery patients: an economic and clinical outcomes comparison.

OBJECTIVE: To compare economic and clinical outcomes of barbed sutures versus conventional sutures alone in wound closure for patients undergoing spinal surgery. METHOD: A retrospective study using the Premier Healthcare Database. The database was searched for patients who underwent elective inpatient spinal surgery (fusion or laminectomy) for a spinal disorder between 1 January 2014 and 30 June 2018 (first=index admission). Using billing records for medical supplies used during the index admission, patients were classified into mutually-exclusive groups: patients with any use of STRATAFIX (Ethicon, US) knotless tissue control devices (barbed sutures group); or patients with use of conventional sutures alone (conventional sutures group). Outcomes included the index admission's length of stay, total and subcategories of hospital costs, non-home discharge, operating room time (ORT, minutes), wound complications and readmissions within ≤90 days. Propensity score matching and generalised estimating equations were used to compare outcomes between the study groups. RESULTS: After matching, 3705 patients were allocated to each group (mean age=61.5 years [standard deviation, SD±12.9]; 54% were females). Compared with the conventional suture group, the barbed suture group had significantly lower mean ORT (239±117 minutes, versus 263±79 minutes conventional sutures, p=0.015). Operating room costs were also siginificantly lower in the barbed suture group ($6673±$3976 versus $7100±$2700 conventional sutures, p=0.020). Differences were statistically insignificant for other outcomes (all p>0.05). Subanalysis of patients undergoing fusions of ≥2 vertebral joints yielded consistent results. CONCLUSION: In this study, wound closure incorporating barbed sutures was associated with lower ORT and operating room costs, with no significant difference in wound complications or readmissions, when compared with conventional sutures alone.

Body mass index and insulin use as identifiers of high-cost patients with type 2 diabetes: A retrospective analysis of electronic health records linked to insurance claims data.

AIMS: To study the association of body mass index (BMI) and insulin use with type 2 diabetes-related healthcare expenditures (T2D-HE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study using de-identified electronic health records linked to insurance claims data. Study included a prevalence-based sample of overweight or obese patients with antihyperglycaemic-treated T2D. Patients had ≥1 A1c measurement in 2014 (last observed = index A1c), ≥1 BMI measurement within ±90 days of index (average BMI = baseline BMI), and continuous enrolment for 180 days before (baseline) through 395 days after index (day 30-395 = follow-up). BMI was categorized as: 25 to 29.9 kg/m2 = overweight; 30 to 34.9 kg/m2 = obese class I (OCI); 35 to 39.9 kg/m2 = OCII; ≥40 kg/m2 = OCIII. Multivariable regressions were used to examine one-year follow-up T2D-HE as a function of BMI, insulin use, an interaction term between BMI and insulin use, and patient demographics. RESULTS: Study included 13 026 patients (mean age = 63.6 years; 48.1% female; 29.5% overweight, 31.6% OCI, 20.3% OCII, 18.6% OCIII; 25.3% insulin users). Baseline insulin use rates monotonically ranged from 19.7% in overweight patients to 33.0% in OCIII patients (P < 0.001). Together, BMI and insulin use were jointly associated with one-year follow-up T2D-HE, which monotonically ranged from $5842 in overweight patients with no insulin to $17 700 OCIII insulin users, P < 0.001. Within each BMI category, insulin users' one-year T2D-HE was at least double that of non-users. Additional analyses of all-cause healthcare expenditures yielded consistent results. CONCLUSIONS: BMI and insulin use represent simple stratifiers for identifying high-cost patients. OCIII insulin users incurred the greatest annual healthcare expenditures; these patients may be an ideal group for targeted interventions.

Using Machine Learning Applied to Real-World Healthcare Data for Predictive Analytics: An Applied Example in Bariatric Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Laparoscopic metabolic surgery (MxS) can lead to remission of type 2 diabetes (T2D); however, treatment response to MxS can be heterogeneous. Here, we demonstrate an open-source predictive analytics platform that applies machine-learning techniques to a common data model; we develop and validate a predictive model of antihyperglycemic medication cessation (validated proxy for A1c control) in patients with treated T2D who underwent MxS. METHODS: We selected patients meeting the following criteria in 2 large US healthcare claims databases (Truven Health MarketScan Commercial [CCAE]; Optum Clinformatics [Optum]): underwent MxS between January 1, 2007, to October 1, 2013 (first = index); aged ≥18 years; continuous enrollment 180 days pre-index (baseline) to 730 days postindex; baseline T2D diagnosis and treatment. The outcome was no antihyperglycemic medication treatment from 365 to 730 days after MxS. A regularized logistic regression model was trained using the following candidate predictor categories measured at baseline: demographics, conditions, medications, measurements, and procedures. A 75% to 25% split of the CCAE group was used for model training and testing; the Optum group was used for external validation. RESULTS: 13 050 (CCAE) and 3477 (Optum) patients met the study inclusion criteria. Antihyperglycemic medication cessation rates were 72.9% (CCAE) and 70.8% (Optum). The model possessed good internal discriminative accuracy (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.778 [95% CI = 0.761-0.795] in CCAE test set N = 3527) and transportability (external AUC = 0.759 [95% CI = 0.741-0.777] in Optum N = 3477). CONCLUSION: The application of machine learning techniques to real-world healthcare data can yield useful predictive models to assist patient selection. In future practice, establishment of prerequisite technological infrastructure will be needed to implement such models for real-world decision support.

Validation of body mass index (BMI)-related ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM administrative diagnosis codes recorded in US claims data.

PURPOSE: To quantify the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of body mass index (BMI)-related ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes in claims data. METHODS: De-identified electronic health record (EHR) and claims data were obtained from the Optum Integrated Claims-Clinical Database for cross-sections of commercial and Medicare Advantage health plan members age ≥ 20 years in 2013, 2014, and 2016. In each calendar year, health plan members' BMI as coded in the insurance claims data (error-prone measure) was compared with their BMI as recorded in the EHR (gold standard) to estimate the sensitivity and PPV of BMI-related ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes. The unit of analysis was the person-year. RESULTS: The study sample included 746 763 distinct health plan members who contributed 1 116 283 eligible person-years (median age 56 years; 57% female; 65% commercially insured and 35% with Medicare Advantage). BMI-related diagnoses were coded for 14.6%. The sensitivity of BMI-related diagnoses codes for the detection of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity was 10.1%, 3.7%, 6.0%, and 25.2%, and the PPV was 49.0% for underweight, 89.6% for normal weight, 73.4% for overweight, and 92.4% for obesity, respectively. The sensitivity of BMI-related diagnosis codes was higher in the ICD-10-CM era relative to the ICD-9-CM era. CONCLUSIONS: The PPV of BMI-related diagnosis codes for normal weight, overweight, and obesity was high (>70%) but the sensitivity was low (<30%). BMI-related diagnoses were more likely to be coded in patients with class II or III obesity (BMI ≥35 kg/m2 ), and in 2016 relative to 2013 or 2014.

Economic and clinical comparison of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate/polymer mesh tape with skin staples in total knee replacement.

OBJECTIVE: To compare economic and clinical outcomes between skin staples and 2-octyl cyanoacrylate plus polymer mesh tape, Dermabond Prineo skin closure system, (SCS) among patients undergoing total knee replacement (TKR). METHOD: Retrospective, observational study using the Premier Healthcare Database, which comprises hospital administrative and billing data for over 700 hospitals in the US. Patients selected for study had an elective hospital admission, with discharge occurring between January 2012 and September 2015, carrying primary ICD-9-CM procedure and diagnosis codes for TKR and osteoarthritis. Patients were classified into two mutually-exclusive groups based on billing records during the index admission: those with billing record(s) for the skin closure system (SCS group); and those with billing record(s) for skin staples (staple group). Primary outcomes were index admission's length of stay (LOS), total hospital costs, and discharge status (skilled nursing facility (SNF)/other versus home/home health-care); exploratory outcomes included operating room time (ORT) during index admission and 30, 60, and 90-day readmissions. The SCS and staple groups were propensity score matched (1:1/nearest neighbour/caliper=0.10) on patient, hospital, and provider characteristics. Multivariable regressions accounting for hospital-level clustering after matching were used to compare outcomes between study groups. RESULTS: Each group comprised 971 patients (1942 total patients; mean age: 65.3 years; female: 63.5%). The groups were generally well-balanced on matching covariates: mean standardised difference calculated across 49 covariates=0.049. Compared with the staple group, the SCS group had statistically significant shorter LOS (2.8 days versus 3.2 days, p=0.002), lower rate of discharge to SNF/other versus home/home health-care (26.4% versus 38.5%, p=0.011), and lower rate of 30, 60, and 90-day readmissions (30-day, 1.8% versus 4.4%, p=0.006; 60-day, 3.0% versus 5.4%, p<0.001; 90-day, 5.4% versus 7.4%, p=0.016). Differences between the groups for other outcomes were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Among patients undergoing TKR, use of the SCS was associated with shorter LOS, less resource intensive discharge status, and lower rates of all-cause readmission as compared with skin staples.

Estimating the Economic Value of Information for Screening in Disseminating and Targeting Effective School-based Preventive Interventions: An Illustrative Example.

When candidates for school-based preventive interventions are heterogeneous in their risk of poor outcomes, an intervention's expected economic net benefits may be maximized by targeting candidates for whom the intervention is most likely to yield benefits, such as those at high risk of poor outcomes. Although increasing amounts of information about candidates may facilitate more accurate targeting, collecting information can be costly. We present an illustrative example to show how cost-benefit analysis results from effective intervention demonstrations can help us to assess whether improved targeting accuracy justifies the cost of collecting additional information needed to make this improvement.

Risk of cardiovascular events among patients with HIV treated with atazanavir-containing regimens: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: A previous cohort study indicated that atazanavir (ATV), a protease inhibitor used for HIV treatment, is not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events. The objective of this study was to compare the risk of CV events among antiretroviral-naïve patients initiating ATV-containing versus ATV-free ARV regimens. METHODS: Patients with HIV who newly initiated antiretroviral therapy were selected from MarketScan Commercial and Multi-State Medicaid databases. The first claim for an antiretroviral medication between 1/1/2007 and 12/31/2013 was known as the index date. Patients were categorized as initiating an ATV-containing or an ATV-free regimen. Patients who did not have 6 months of continuous enrollment prior to the index date or who had evidence of a CV event during this time period were excluded. Myocardial infarction, stroke, percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass graft were identified through diagnosis and procedure codes. Patients were followed from index date until a CV event, continuous gap of >30 days without initiated ARV, a claim for ATV in the ATV-free cohort, disenrollment, or study end, whichever occurred first. Unadjusted incidence rates (IR) were calculated and propensity-score-weighted Cox proportional hazards models were fit to compare hazards of CV events between the two cohorts. RESULTS: A total of 22,211 patients (2437 ATV-containing and 19,774 ATV-free) were identified in the Commercial Database and 7136 patients were identified (1505 ATV-containing and 5631 ATV-free) in the Medicaid Database. CV events were uncommon (Commercial IR per 1000 person-years for a CV event: ATV-containing = 3.01, ATV-free = 3.26; Medicaid IR: ATV-containing = 10.9, ATV-free = 9.9). In propensity-score-weighted models combining the two populations, there was no significant difference in the hazards of a CV event for patients initiating an ATV-containing regimen compared with those initiating an ATV-free regimen (hazard ratio = 1.16, 95 % confidence interval 0.67-1.99). CONCLUSIONS: In this real-world analysis, there was no significant increase in the risk of CV events associated with exposure to ATV-containing regimens.

Spectrum of carpal dislocations and fracture-dislocations: imaging and management.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this article are to discuss the imaging of carpal dislocations and fracture-dislocations and to review the ligamentous anatomy of the wrist, mechanisms of injury, and routine management of these injuries. CONCLUSION: Perilunate dislocations, perilunate fracture-dislocations (PLFDs), and lunate dislocations are high-energy wrist injuries that can and should be recognized on radio-graphs. These injuries are a result of important sequential osseous and ligamentous injuries or failures. Prompt and accurate radiographic diagnosis aids in the management of patients with perilunate dislocations, PLFDs, and lunate dislocations while assisting orthopedic surgeons with subsequent surgical planning. CT may better show the extent of the injury and help in treatment planning particularly in cases of delayed treatment or chronic perilunate dislocation. A CT examination with coronal, sagittal, and 3D reformatted images is ordered at our institution in cases in which the extent of the carpal injuries is poorly shown on radiographic examination.

Characteristics, treatment, and health care expenditures of Medicare supplemental-insured patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia, or fibromyalgia.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics, treatment, and health care expenditures of Medicare Supplemental-insured patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN), post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), or fibromyalgia. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: United States clinical practice, as reflected within a database comprising administrative claims from 2.3 million older adults participating in Medicare supplemental insurance programs. SUBJECTS: Selected patients were aged ≥65 years, continuously enrolled in medical and prescription benefits throughout years 2008 and 2009, and had ≥1 medical claim with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis code for DPN, PHN, or fibromyalgia, followed within 60 days by a medication or pain intervention procedure used in treating pDPN, PHN, or fibromyalgia during 2008-2009. OUTCOME MEASURES: Utilization of, and expenditures on, pain-related and all-cause pharmacotherapy and medical interventions in 2009. RESULTS: The study included 25,716 patients with pDPN (mean age 75.2 years, 51.2% female), 4,712 patients with PHN (mean age 77.7 years, 63.9% female), and 25,246 patients with fibromyalgia (mean age 74.4 years, 73.0% female). Patients typically had numerous comorbidities, and many were treated with polypharmacy. Mean annual expenditures on total pain-related health care and total all-cause health care, respectively, (in 2010 USD) were: $1,632, $24,740 for pDPN; $1,403, $16,579 for PHN; and $1,635, $18,320 for fibromyalgia. In age-stratified analyses, pain-related health care expenditures decreased as age increased. CONCLUSIONS: The numerous comorbidities, polypharmacy, and magnitude of expenditures in this sample of Medicare supplemental-insured patients with pDPN, PHN, or fibromyalgia underscore the complexity and importance of appropriate management of these chronic pain patients.

Potential drug-drug and drug-condition interactions among fibromyalgia patients initiating pregabalin or duloxetine: prevalence and health care expenditure impact.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the prevalence of potential drug-drug/drug-condition interactions (DDI/DCI) among fibromyalgia patients initiating pregabalin or duloxetine, and to determine the impact of potential DDI/DCI on health care expenditures. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: U.S. clinical practice, as reflected within a large administrative claims database. SUBJECTS: Fibromyalgia patients newly initiating pregabalin or duloxetine between July 1, 2008 and October 1, 2010 (initiation date = index). OUTCOME MEASURES: Potential DDI measured using clinical software that identifies co-prescription of medications that potentially interact with pregabalin or duloxetine. Potential DCI, drawn from the contraindications and warnings and precautions sections of pregabalin and duloxetine prescribing information, measured using administrative claims-based algorithms. All-cause health care expenditures measured throughout a 6-month postindex period. Analyses included univariate, bivariate, and multivariable statistical approaches. RESULTS: Seven thousand seven hundred fifty-one pregabalin and 7,785 duloxetine initiators were selected for study: mean age 49 years, 88% female. Only 1.4% of pregabalin initiators had ≥1 potential pregabalin DCI; none had potential pregabalin DDI. In contrast, 67% of duloxetine initiators had potential duloxetine DDI/DCI, driven mostly by potential duloxetine DDI (62% of duloxetine initiators). Compared between pregabalin and duloxetine initiators, differences in the prevalence of potential DDI/DCI were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Multivariable analyses indicated that, among duloxetine initiators, those with potential duloxetine DDI/DCI had postinitiation health care expenditures that were $670 higher (P < 0.001) than those without potential duloxetine DDI/DCI. Among pregabalin initiators, potential pregabalin DDI/DCI were not associated with health care expenditures. CONCLUSIONS: Among fibromyalgia patients initiating pregabalin or duloxetine, potential duloxetine DDI could be highly prevalent. Among duloxetine initiators, potential duloxetine DDI/DCI were significantly associated with increased health care expenditures.

Patterns and correlates of linkage to appropriate HIV care after HIV diagnosis in the US Medicaid population.

BACKGROUND: Timely linkage to appropriate care after human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis is critical to optimizing patient outcomes. Medicaid is the largest source of health care coverage for patients with HIV in the United States, yet no studies of linkage to appropriate HIV care have focused solely on the Medicaid population. METHODS: This is a retrospective study using Medicaid claims data from 15 states. Study sample comprised patients aged 18 to 64 years with 1 or more HIV tests between January 1, 2003, to May 1, 2010, followed or accompanied by HIV diagnosis. The "Test Index" corresponded to the HIV test that was temporally proximate to first HIV diagnosis. Study end point was linkage to appropriate HIV care, defined as receipt of CD4 and viral load tests as per US treatment guidelines. Time-to-event analyses characterized patterns and correlates of linkage to appropriate care. RESULTS: This study included 6684 patients, with a mean age of 35 years, 70% female, and 47% black race. Overall, 21.0% of patients linked to appropriate care within 1 year of the Test Index and 26.4% within 5 years. Compared with whites, blacks had a significantly shorter time to linkage to HIV appropriate care (hazard ratio, 2.034; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings in Medicaid patients newly diagnosed with HIV contrast with prior research show disparities in access to HIV care favoring whites. Overall, the proportion of patients who linked to appropriate HIV care was very low given the availability of effective treatment, suggesting a need for more effective interventions promoting timely linkage to appropriate care after diagnosis.

Comparative incidence and health care costs of medically attended adverse effects among U.S. Medicaid HIV patients on atazanavir- or darunavir-based antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVES: This is the first study to compare the incidence and health care costs of medically attended adverse effects in atazanavir- and darunavir-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) among U.S. Medicaid patients receiving routine HIV care. METHODS: This was a retrospective study using Medicaid administrative health care claims from 15 states. Subjects were HIV patients aged 18 to 64 years initiating atazanavir- or darunavir-based ART from January 1, 2003, to July 1, 2010, with continuous enrollment for 6 months before (baseline) and 6 months after (evaluation period) ART initiation and 1 or more evaluation period medical claim. Outcomes were incidence and health care costs of the following medically attended (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification-coded or treated) adverse effects during the evaluation period: gastrointestinal, lipid abnormalities, diabetes/hyperglycemia, rash, and jaundice. All-cause health care costs were also determined. Patients treated with atazanavir and darunavir were propensity score matched (ratio = 3:1) by using demographic and clinical covariates. Multivariable models adjusted for covariates lacking postmatch statistical balance. RESULTS: Propensity-matched study sample included 1848 atazanavir- and 616 darunavir-treated patients (mean age 41 years, 50% women, 69% black). Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) (for darunavir, reference = atazanavir) and per-patient-per-month health care cost differences (darunavir minus atazanavir) were as follows: gastrointestinal, HR = 1.25 (P = 0.04), $43 (P = 0.13); lipid abnormalities, HR = 1.38 (P = 0.07), $3 (P = 0.88); diabetes/hyperglycemia, HR = 0.84 (P = 0.55), $13 (P = 0.69); and rash, HR = 1.11 (P = 0.23), $0 (P = 0.76); all-cause health care costs were $1086 (P<0.001). Too few instances of jaundice (11 in atazanavir and 1 in darunavir) occurred to support multivariable modeling. CONCLUSIONS: Medication tolerability can be critical to the success or failure of ART. Compared with darunavir-treated patients, atazanavir-treated patients had significantly fewer instances of medically attended gastrointestinal issues and more instances of jaundice and incurred significantly lower health care costs.

Clinical and Economic Burden Associated with Disruptive Surgical Bleeding: A Retrospective Database Analysis.

Background: Hemostatic agents are used to control surgical bleeding; however, some patients experience disruptive bleeding despite the use of hemostats. In patients receiving hemostats, we compared clinical and economic outcomes between patients with vs without disruptive bleeding during a variety of surgical procedures. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of the Premier Healthcare Database. Study patients were age ≥18 with a hospital encounter for one of 9 procedures with evidence of hemostatic agent use between 1-Jan-2019 and 31-Dec-2019: cholecystectomy, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), cystectomy, hepatectomy, hysterectomy, pancreatectomy, peripheral vascular, thoracic, and valve procedures (first procedure = index). Patients were grouped by presence vs absence of disruptive bleeding. Outcomes evaluated during index included intensive care unit (ICU) admission/duration, ventilator use, operating room time, length of stay (LOS), in-hospital mortality, and total hospital costs; 90-day all-cause inpatient readmission was also evaluated. Multivariable analyses were used to examine the association of disruptive bleeding with outcomes, adjusting for patient, procedure, and hospital/provider characteristics. Results: The study included 51,448 patients; 16% had disruptive bleeding (range 1.5% for cholecystectomy to 44.4% for valve). In procedures for which ICU and ventilator use is not routine, disruptive bleeding was associated with significant increases in the risks of admission to ICU and requirement for ventilator (all p≤0.05). Across all procedures, disruptive bleeding was also associated with significant incremental increases in days spent in ICU (all p≤0.05, except CABG), LOS (all p≤0.05, except thoracic), and total hospital costs (all p≤0.05); 90-day all-cause inpatient readmission, in-hospital mortality, and operating room time were higher in the presence of disruptive bleeding and varied in statistical significance across procedures. Conclusion: Disruptive bleeding was associated with substantial clinical and economic burden across a wide variety of surgical procedures. Findings emphasize the need for more effective and timely intervention for surgical bleeding events.

Increasing Incremental Burden of Surgical Bleeding Associated with Multiple Comorbidities as Measured by the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index: A Retrospective Database Analysis.

Purpose: Disruptive bleeding can complicate surgical procedures, increasing resource use, and impacting patients' well-being. This study aims to elucidate the impact of comorbidity on the risk of disruptive surgical-related bleeding and selected transfusion-associated complications, as well as the incremental cost of such bleeding. Patients and Methods: This retrospective analysis of the Premier Healthcare Database included patients who were age ≥18 years and who had a procedure of interest between 1-Jan-2019-31-Dec-2019: cholecystectomy, coronary artery bypass grafting, cystectomy, hepatectomy, hysterectomy, pancreatectomy, peripheral vascular, thoracic, and valve procedures (first=index). The Elixhauser comorbidity index was assessed on index date and patients were grouped by cumulative comorbidity score (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ≥6). Outcomes, all measured as in-hospital during index, included bleeding (diagnosis and/or intervention for bleeding), transfusion-associated complications (diagnosis of infection, acute renal failure, or vascular events), and incremental total hospital costs associated with bleeding. Multivariable generalized linear models were used to examine the association of comorbidity/bleeding with outcomes. Results: Of the 304,074 patients included, 7% experienced bleeding. The Elixhauser scores were distributed as follows: 0=29%, 1=23%, 2=18%, 3=12%, 4=8%, 5=5%, ≥6=5%. Odds of bleeding significantly increased with Elixhauser score: 1 comorbidity vs 0 (odds ratio [OR] =1.30, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] =1.19-1.43), and this trend continued to surge (≥6 comorbidities [OR=3.22, 95% CI=2.94-3.53]). Similarly, the odds of transfusion-associated complications significantly increased with comorbidities score: 1 comorbidity vs 0 (OR=2.14, 95% CI=1.88-2.34), ≥6 comorbidities vs 0 (OR=12.37, 95% CI=10.80-14.16). The incremental cost of bleeding also increased with comorbidities score; per-patient costs with and without bleeding were $18,132 vs $13,190, p < 0.001 among patients with 0 comorbidities and $28,952 vs $19,623, p < 0.001 among patients with ≥6 comorbidities. Conclusion: Higher comorbidity burden was associated with significant increases in the risk of surgical bleeding, subsequent transfusion-related complications, and incremental cost burden of bleeding.

Bariatric surgery and weight loss in the short- and long-term: Evidence from NHANES 2015-2018.

The present study aimed to examine short- and long-term weight change in a nationally representative sample of US adults who reportedly underwent bariatric surgery. Individuals aged 20-64 at survey from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-2018 were included in the analyses (n = 6776). The primary comparison groups include 62 participants who underwent bariatric surgery, 1531 eligible but did not receive surgery, and 5183 not eligible for bariatric surgery. After adjusting for demographic characteristics and comorbidity, adults who reported receiving bariatric surgery were 5.0 times (4.0-6.0) more likely to achieve at least 20% weight loss from maximum weight relative to those who were eligible but reported no surgery. The likelihood appeared to be higher when surgery was performed within 10 years (short-term, PR 5.5, 95% CI: 4.0, 7.0) relative to surgeries that were performed for 10 or more years (long-term, PR 3.6, 95% CI: 2.0, 5.3). In this nationally representative sample of US adults, respondents who received bariatric surgery achieved substantial and significant weight loss compared with those who were eligible and did not receive bariatric surgery. Weight loss appeared to be most apparent in the short term and persisted over the long term.