May 2022

This study found extensive variation in general internal medicine physician prices and that high-priced physicians provided fewer low-value services but had higher spending on these services.

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) deliver a diverse array of home-based services, but many of the services are not reimbursed. ACOs may not expand these programs without strong evidence of cost savings.

Trends in surveillance testing after treatment for colorectal cancer remained relatively stable recently, and patients who overutilized surveillance measures had quicker recurrence detection but higher costs.

Lower-salary employees in high-deductible health plans underutilize outpatient care and overutilize emergency departments.

To inform intervention development, we assessed for medication changes and patient care needs following treat-and-release Veterans Affairs emergency department visits for chronic ambulatory care–sensitive conditions.

A navigation program demonstrated decreased odds of repeat emergency department (ED) visits in patients with low baseline ED utilization and increased odds of follow-up primary care appointments.

Holding other factors constant, the authors find that older providers prescribe significantly more opioids, with the gap between older and younger providers increasing from 2010 to 2015.

Nurse practitioners are increasingly meeting primary care demands in underserved areas and are more likely to deliver structural capabilities related to chronic disease management.

Limited evidence from a literature review suggests that co-pay assistance was associated with improved treatment persistence/adherence across various diseases, with indirect evidence suggesting improvements in clinical outcomes.

Medication dose captures modification of hypertension treatment intensity more precisely than medication count, and this measure should be preferred in studies that aim to improve hypertension management.

The proportion of colonoscopies performed for postpolypectomy surveillance has increased significantly, particularly among older patients with limited life expectancy, raising concern for possible overuse.

Among the fewer than half of patients with cancer who received opioid fills, a relatively small proportion (2.5%) had potentially problematic opioid use.