Burn Patient Insurance Status Influences Hospital Discharge Disposition and Utilization of Post-Discharge Outpatient Care

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian F Hulsebos ◽  
Zachary J Collier ◽  
Leigh J Spera ◽  
Maxwell B Johnson ◽  
Elise M Hulsebos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Wound Care ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Uninsured Patients ◽  
Discharge Location ◽  
Publicly Insured ◽  
Insured Patients ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Privately Insured

Abstract Post-discharge services, such as outpatient wound care, may affect long term health outcomes and post-recovery quality of life. Access to these services may vary according to insurance status and ability to withstand out-of-pocket expenses. Our objective was to compare discharge location between burn patients who were uninsured, publicly insured, or privately insured at the time of their burn unit admissions. A retrospective review from July 1, 2015 to November 1, 2019 was performed at an ABA-verified burn center. All inpatient burn admission patients were identified and categorized according to insurance payer type. The primary outcome was discharge location, and secondary outcomes included readmission and outpatient burn care attendance. In total, 284 uninsured, 565 publicly insured and 293 privately insured patients were identified. There were no significant differences in TBSA (P=0.3), inhalation injury (P=0.3), ICU days (P=0.09), or need for grafting (P=0.1). For primary outcome, uninsured patients were more likely to be discharged without ancillary services(P<0.0001). Publicly insured patients were more likely to receive skilled nursing care (P=0.0007). Privately insured patients were more likely to receive homecare (P=0.0005) or transfer for ongoing inpatient care (P<0.0001). There was no difference in burn unit readmission (P=0.5); uninsured were more likely to follow up with outpatient burn clinic after discharge (P=0.004). Uninsured patients were less likely to receive post-discharge resources. Uninsured patients receive fewer post-discharge wound care resources which could result in suboptimal long-term results, and diminished return to pre-injury functional status. Increased access to post-discharge resources will provide comprehensive care to more patients.

6 Burn Patient Insurance Status Influences Hospital Discharge Disposition Locations

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S10-S10
Author(s):  
Ian F Hulsebos ◽  
Maxwell B Johnson ◽  
Leigh J Spera ◽  
Elise M Hulsebos ◽  
Haig A Yenikomshian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wound Care ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Uninsured Patients ◽  
Discharge Location ◽  
Publicly Insured ◽  
Insured Patients ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Privately Insured

Abstract Introduction Post-discharge services, such as outpatient wound care, may affect long term health outcomes and post-recovery quality of life. Access to these services may vary according to insurance status and ability to withstand out-of-pocket expenses. Our objective was to compare discharge location between burn patients who were uninsured, publicly insured, or privately insured at the time of their burn unit admissions. We hypothesized that uninsured patients were more likely to be discharged to locations with fewer wound care resources. Methods A retrospective review from July 1, 2015 to November 1, 2019 was performed at an ABA-verified burn center. All inpatient burn admission patients were identified and categorized according to insurance payer type. Patient and burn characteristics were recorded. The primary outcome was discharge location, and secondary outcomes included readmission and outpatient burn care attendance. Results In total, 284 uninsured, 565 publicly insured and 293 privately insured patients were identified. There were no significant differences in TBSA (P=0.3), presence of full thickness burn (P=0.3), inhalation injury (P=0.3), ICU days (P=0.09), ventilator days (P=0.2), or need for grafting (P=0.1). Uninsured patients were found to be younger (P< 0.0001) and more likely to be male (P=0.03). For primary outcome, uninsured patients were more likely to be discharged without ancillary services (self-care) (80.3% vs. 66.7% vs. 66.9%, P< 0.0001). Publicly insured patients were more likely to receive skilled nursing care (1.1% vs. 6.6% vs. 2.4%, P=0.0007). Privately insured patients were more likely to receive homecare (3.2% vs. 5.8% vs. 10.9%, P=0.0005) or transfer to other institutions for ongoing inpatient care (2.5% vs. 5.1% vs. 11.6%, P< 0.0001). For secondary outcomes, there was no difference in burn unit readmission (P=0.5) while uninsured were more likely to follow up in the same institution’s outpatient burn clinic after discharge (82.4% vs. 72.0% vs. 75.4%, P=0.004). Conclusions Despite no differences in burn injury severity, uninsured patients were less likely to receive post-discharge resources. However, these patients were younger, which may partially explain their disproportionate discharge to self-care. Nevertheless, insured patients have greater access to non-emergent medical resources and a broader range of treatment options. Although there were no significant differences in hospital readmission, the long-term implication to differential post-discharge care is unknown. Additional studies are needed to better elucidate if discrepancies in long-term wound healing or perceived quality of life amongst these populations exist.

scholarly journals Constructing Matched Groups in Dental Observational Health Disparity Studies for Causal Effects

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Cheng ◽  
S.E. Gregorich ◽  
S.A. Gansky ◽  
S.A. Fisher-Owens ◽  
A.M. Kottek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Average Ratio ◽  
Tooth Surfaces ◽  
Publicly Insured ◽  
Insured Patients ◽  
Privately Insured

Introduction: Electronic health record (EHR) systems provide investigators with rich data from which to examine actual impacts of care delivery in real-world settings. However, confounding is a major concern when comparison groups are not randomized. Objectives: This article introduced a step-by-step strategy to construct comparable matched groups in a dental study based on the EHR of the Willamette Dental Group. This strategy was employed in preparation for a longitudinal study evaluating the impact of a standardized risk-based caries prevention and management program across patients with public versus private dental insurance in Oregon. Methods: This study constructed comparable dental patient groups through a process of 1) evaluating the need for and feasibility of matching, 2) considering different matching methods, and 3) evaluating matching quality. The matched groups were then compared for their average ratio in the number of decayed, missing, and filled tooth surfaces (DMFS + dmfs) at baseline. Results: This systematic process resulted in comparably matched groups in baseline covariates but with a clear baseline disparity in caries experience between them. The weighted average ratio in our study showed that, at baseline, publicly insured patients had 1.21-times (95% CI: 1.08 to 1.32) and 1.21-times (95% CI: 1.08 to 1.37) greater number of DMFS + dmfs and number of decayed tooth surfaces (DS + ds) than privately insured patients, respectively. Conclusion: Matching is a useful tool to create comparable groups with EHR data to resemble randomized studies, as demonstrated by our study where even with similar demographics, neighborhood and clinic characteristics, publicly insured pediatric patients had greater numbers of DMFS + dmfs and DS + ds than privately insured pediatric patients. Knowledge Transfer Statement: This article provides a systematic, step-by-step strategy for investigators to follow when matching groups in a study—in this case, a study based on electronic health record data. The results from this study will provide patients, clinicians, and policy makers with information to better understand the disparities in oral health between comparable publicly and privately insured pediatric patients who have similar values in individual, clinic, and community covariates. Such understanding will help clinicians and policy makers modify oral health care and relevant policies to improve oral health and reduce disparities between publicly and privately insured patients.

scholarly journals Effect of telephone calls from a centralized coordinating center on participant retention in a randomized clinical trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-201
Author(s):  
Adam R Glassman ◽  
Wesley T Beaulieu ◽  
Cynthia R Stockdale ◽  
Roy W Beck ◽  
Neil M Bressler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Risk Ratio ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Completion Rates ◽  
Contact Group ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Participant Retention ◽  
To Receive

Background/Aims: In clinical trials, participant retention is critical to reduce bias and maintain statistical power for hypothesis testing. Within a multi-center clinical trial of diabetic retinopathy, we investigated whether regular phone calls to participants from the coordinating center improved long-term participant retention. Methods: Among 305 adults in the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Retina Network Protocol S randomized trial, 152 participants were randomly assigned to receive phone calls at baseline, 6 months, and annually through 3 years (annual contact group) while 153 participants were assigned to receive a phone call at baseline only (baseline contact group). All participants could be contacted if visits were missed. The main outcomes were visit completion, excluding deaths, at 2 years (the primary outcome time point) and at 5 years (the final time point). Results: At baseline, 77% (117 of 152) of participants in the annual contact group and 76% (116 of 153) in the baseline contact group were successfully contacted. Among participants in the annual contact group active at each annual visit (i.e. not dropped from the study or deceased), 85% (125 of 147), 79% (108 of 136), and 88% (110 of 125) were contacted successfully by telephone around the time of the 1-, 2-, and 3-year visits, respectively. In the annual and baseline contact groups, completion rates for the 2-year primary outcome visit were 88% (129 of 147) versus 87% (125 of 144), respectively, with a risk ratio of 1.01 (95% confidence interval: 0.93–1.10, p = .81). At 5 years, the final study visit, participant completion rates were 67% (96 of 144) versus 66% (88 of 133) with a risk ratio of 1.01 (95% confidence interval = 0.85–1.19, p = .93). At 2 years, the completion rate of participants successfully contacted at baseline was 89% (202 of 226) versus 80% (52 of 65) among those not contacted successfully (risk ratio = 1.12, 95% confidence interval = 0.98–1.27, p = .09); at 5 years, the completion percentages by baseline contact success were 69% (148 of 213) versus 56% (36 of 64; risk ratio = 1.24, 95% confidence interval = 0.98–1.56, p = .08). Conclusion: Regular phone calls from the coordinating center to participants during follow-up in this randomized clinical trial did not improve long-term participant retention.

scholarly journals Methotrexate effect on immunogenicity and long-term maintenance of adalimumab in axial spondyloarthritis: a multicentric randomised trial

RMD Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e001047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilie Ducourau ◽  
Theo Rispens ◽  
Marine Samain ◽  
Emmanuelle Dernis ◽  
Fabienne Le Guilchard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Duration ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Axial Spondyloarthritis ◽  
Randomised Trial ◽  
Follow Up Study ◽  
Study Completion ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Term Maintenance

ObjectivesAnti-drug antibodies (ADA) are responsible for decreased adalimumab efficacy in axial spondyloarthritis (SpA). We aimed to evaluate the ability of methotrexate (MTX) to decrease adalimumab immunisation.MethodsA total of 110 patients eligible to receive adalimumab 40 mg subcutaneously (s.c.) every other week were randomised (1:1 ratio) to receive, 2 weeks before adalimumab (W-2) and weekly, MTX 10 mg s.c. (MTX+) or not (MTX−). ADA detection and adalimumab serum concentration were assessed at weeks 4 (W4), 8 (W8), 12 (W12) and 26 (W26) after starting adalimumab (W0). The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with ADA at W26. Four years after the study completion, we retrospectively analysed adalimumab maintenance in relation with MTX co-treatment duration.ResultsWe analysed data for 107 patients (MTX+; n=52; MTX-; n=55). ADA were detected at W26 in 39/107 (36.4%) patients: 13/52 (25%) in the MTX+ group and 26/55 (47.3%) in the MTX− group (p=0.03). Adalimumab concentration was significantly higher in the MTX+ than MTX− group at W4, W8, W12 and W26. The two groups did not differ in adverse events or efficacy. In the follow-up study, MTX co-treatment >W26 versus no MTX or ≤W26 was significantly associated with adalimumab long-term maintenance (p=0.04).ConclusionMTX reduces the immunogenicity and ameliorate the pharmacokinetics of adalimumab in axial SpA. A prolonged co-treatment of MTX>W26 seems to increase adalimumab long-term maintenance.

Abstract WMP93: Uninsured Patients have Longer Hospital Stays and are Less Likely to Receive Rehab than Insured Patients

Stroke ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Korya ◽  
Kendra Drake ◽  
Bruce Coull
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Insurance Status ◽  
Uninsured Patients ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Insured Patients

Background: In 2010 the estimated direct and indirect cost of stroke was $53.9 billion. The long-term burden to society is thought to be much more costly. Whether or not this sum can be reduced has been a subject of great debate. Recently, healthcare reform has been a priority for policy makers with health insurance as a prevailing issue. We examined the healthcare records of patients in the US who presented with stroke symptoms in a 10-year period from 2001-2011, and compared them to patients in the state of Arizona as well as our University Hospital in the same time period. We then looked for differences in the cost of stroke with regard to variations in insurance status. Methods: The records of 978,813 patients with stroke symptoms in the US from January 2001 through December 2011 were compared with 18,875 Arizona (AZ) patients. This data was evaluated and compared with data obtained from the records of 1,123 patients admitted to the University Medical Center (UMC), and separated by insurance status, discharge location and length of stay (LOS) for different stroke subtypes. The information was gathered from the get with the guidelines stroke database and only included hospitals that reported their information. Results: The mean LOS for stroke patients in the US, AZ and UMC were: 5.25 days, 4.69 and 4.75 days, respectively. When separated by insurance status, the mean LOS for patients at UMC with Medicare was 4.27 days (n=470), for Medicaid it was 6.17 days (n=150) and 5.13 days (n=464) for private insurance. Compared with insured patients, uninsured patients had a LOS of 8.18 days (n=39; p=.001). Uninsured patients were discharged home without rehab 24.4% of the time compared with only 8.8% of insured patients (p=.001), even though 93.5% of uninsured patients were considered for rehab. Conclusion: Uninsured patients had a LOS that was 3.3 days longer than insured patients and had an estimated 72% higher cost of hospitalization. Uninsured patients were almost 3 times less likely than insured patients to be discharged with rehab, and consequently were less likely to achieve long-term functional independence. Ultimately, the price of stroke in the uninsured is paid for by taxpayers, since these patients will require social services granted by the government for disability.

A Brief Intervention of Physical Activity Education and Counseling in Community Rehabilitation: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Emily T. Green ◽  
Narelle S. Cox ◽  
Anne E. Holland
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Stage Of Change ◽  
Or Education ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Education Material ◽  
Community Rehabilitation ◽  
To Receive

This study aimed to assess the feasibility of delivering a brief physical activity (PA) intervention to community rehabilitation clients. Participants were randomized to receive one session of stage-of-change-based PA education and counseling in addition to written educational material, or education material alone. Outcomes were measured at baseline and 3 months; the primary outcome was feasibility, measured by the percentage of those who were eligible, consented, randomized, and followed-up. A total of 123 individuals were both eligible and interested in participating, 32% of those screened on admission to the program. Forty participants consented, and 35 were randomized, with mean age 72 years (SD = 12.2). At baseline, 66% had recently commenced or intended to begin regular PA in the next 6 months. A total of 30 participants were followed-up. It is feasible to deliver education and counseling designed to support the long-term adoption of regular PA to community rehabilitation clients. Further refinement of the protocol is warranted (ACTRN12617000519358).

scholarly journals Public Insurance Status Negatively Affects Access to Care in Pediatric Patients With Meniscal Injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 232596712097998
Author(s):  
Mara Olson ◽  
Nirav Pandya
Keyword(s):  
Access To Care ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Pediatric Population ◽  
Meniscal Tear ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Insurance Status ◽  
Meniscal Injury ◽  
Publicly Insured ◽  
Insured Patients ◽  
Privately Insured

Background: Non- and underinsured individuals experience poor access to care and treatment delays. Meniscal injury is a common reason for surgical intervention in the pediatric population, and delays in care can lead to progression of the tear and other associated problems. Purpose: To investigate the impact of insurance status on access to care and severity of meniscal injury in the pediatric population. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Enrolled in this study were 49 patients receiving care for a meniscal injury between 2016 and 2018 from a safety-net medical system that does not prioritize patients based on insurance status. The patients were stratified into those publicly insured and those privately insured. Access to care was measured as wait time to various points of care: initial injury to clinic, injury to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), injury to surgery, clinic to MRI, clinic to surgery, and MRI to surgery. The severity of the meniscal tear was measured by findings at the time of arthroscopy, including the type of tear identified, surgery performed, and cartilage injury. Results: Publicly insured patients waited a mean 230 days longer (347 vs 117 days; P < .01) to undergo surgery after injury compared with privately insured patients. The mean wait times in all categories except time from MRI to surgery were significantly longer for publicly insured patients, including injury to clinic (212 vs 73 days; P < .01), injury to MRI (260 vs 28 days; P < .001), injury to surgery (347 vs 117 days; P < .01), clinic to MRI (36 vs 3.9 days; P < .001), and clinic to surgery (136 vs 44 days; P < .01). Neither increased wait times nor insurance status were associated with greater surgical repair rate, severe tear type, or cartilage injury. Conclusion: Publicly insured pediatric patients waited significantly longer for a diagnosis of meniscal tear compared with privately insured patients, even in a safety-net setting. These delays were not associated with greater tear severity or cartilage changes. Providers in all models of care should recognize that insurance status and the socioeconomic factors it represents prevent publicly insured patients from timely diagnostic points of care and strive to minimize the resulting delayed return to normal activity as well as the potential long-term clinical effects thereof.

Comparison of the Yield of Colonoscopy among Uninsured Patients Who Benefitted from the Free DC Screen for Life Program and Privately Insured Patients

2012 ◽  
Vol 107 ◽  
pp. S792
Author(s):  
Adeyinka Laiyemo ◽  
Chukwuma Umunakwe ◽  
Andrew Sanderson ◽  
Rehana Begum ◽  
Tia Montgomery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Uninsured Patients ◽  
Insured Patients ◽  
Privately Insured

Treatment trends for stage III non-small cell lung cancer for noninsured patients compared with other types of insurances: A National Cancer Database analysis.

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (34_suppl) ◽  
pp. 262-262
Author(s):  
Khaled Abou El Ezz ◽  
David Charles Olson ◽  
Peter T. Silberstein
Keyword(s):  
Stage Iii ◽  
Insurance Status ◽  
National Cancer Database ◽  
Database Analysis ◽  
Medicare Patients ◽  
Stage Iii Nsclc ◽  
Insured Patients ◽  
Treatment Trends ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Privately Insured

262 Background: This study investigated trends in management of stage III NSCLC in patients with no insurance versus other insurance types using the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Methods: 281,277 patients with Stage III NSCLC were identified from 2000 to 2009 using the NCDB. Reported use of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or no treatment were analyzed by insurance status. Results: Radiation/chemotherapy was most often used to treat stage III NSCLC among non-insured (41.7%), Medicare (31.3%), Medicaid (42.3%), and private insured patients (43.9%). Non-insured were just as likely to receive radiation/chemotherapy as Medicaid (41.7% vs. 42.3%, p=0.36) but less likely than privately insured (41.7% vs. 43.9%, p<0.001). Non-insured were more likely to receive no treatment than privately insured (20.8% vs. 11.7%, p<0.001) and Medicaid (20.8% vs. 16.8%, p <0.001) but less likely than Medicare (20. 8% vs. 24.6%, p<0.001). Tri-modality treatment was given less often to non-insured patients than privately insured (4.6% vs. 10.2%, p<0.001) and Medicaid (4.6% vs. 6.2%, p<0.001) but more often than Medicare patients (4.6% vs. 3.7%, p<0.001). Conclusions: Stage III NSCLC was most often given chemotherapy/radiation regardless of insurance status. Non-insured patients received this treatment as often as Medicaid but less often than privately insured. Non-insured patients also received no treatment more often than Medicaid and privately insured and less often than Medicare. Future studies could examine if average age among the populations impacted these findings. [Table: see text]

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