Revisions of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program should consider including community characteristics in risk adjustment models and adding mechanisms that recognize improvement given the uniqueness of the Mississippi Delta region.
E-consult implementation grew from 12 to 122 VHA sites with multiple specialties. The adjusted e-consult rate of 1.93/100 consults saved significant patient travel miles and costs.
This feasibility study of expanded emergency department screening identified a high prevalence of behavioral health conditions. Screening was successfully integrated into emergency visit idle times.
Significant changes were found in patients' utilization of healthcare related to early implementation of medical home components in VA primary care clinics.
Through literature review and collaborative design, we propose the Focus, Activity, Statistic, Scale type, and Reference (FASStR) framework to provide a systematic approach to health care operation metric definition and use.
Only slightly more than half of patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis initiated therapy within 1 year.
Proactive identification of cognitive impairment and compensatory destigmatized patient/familial psychoeducation regarding “forgetfulness” in hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure may reduce readmission rates substantially.
Unlike ACOs or P4P, implementation of bundled payment for inpatient and post acute care in Medicare would modestly reduce geographic variation in spending.
Between 2009 and 2013, for individuals with employer-sponsored insurance, prices for services performed at hospital outpatient departments were higher than in physician offices, and the magnitude of price differential increased over time.
The heterogeneous nature of care processes and patients should be taken into account in both the design and evaluation of disease management programs for diabetes.
A community-based care management program for high-risk patients reduced hospital readmissions and also likely reduced admissions and Medicare parts A and B spending.
The authors evaluate methods for implementing clinical research and guidelines, in order to change physician practice patterns, in surgical and general practice.
Physicians at an emergency department and in primary care evaluated the appropriateness of complaints among nonurgent patients. Low regular previous healthcare use correlated with inappropriateness.
Constraining access to HIV regimens can have significant implications for patients. This study examined the economic and health impacts of restrictive HIV formulary designs.
A longitudinal case-control design was used to evaluate the effects of the patient-centered medical home model on medical costs and utilization among chronically ill patients.
Medical utilization profiles of commercially insured members with opioid-related disorders differ depending on the code used to document the initial diagnosis in administrative claims.