scholarly journals A systematic review of intensive outpatient care programs for high-need, high-cost patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1187-1199
Author(s):  
Rebecca K Delaney ◽  
Brittany Sisco-Taylor ◽  
Angela Fagerlin ◽  
Peter Weir ◽  
Elissa M Ozanne

Abstract Five percent of the patient population accounts for 50% of U.S. healthcare expenditures. High-need, high-cost patients are medically complex for numerous reasons, often including behavioral health needs. Intensive outpatient care programs (IOCPs) are emerging, innovative clinics which provide patient-centered care leveraging multidisciplinary teams. The overarching goals of IOCPs are to reduce emergency department visits and hospitalizations (and related costs), and improve care continuity and patient outcomes. The purpose of this review was to examine the effectiveness of IOCPs on multiple outcomes to inform clinical care. A systematic search of the literature was conducted to identify articles. Six studies were included that varied in rigor of research design, analysis, and measurement of outcomes. Most studies reported results on healthcare utilization (n = 4) and costs (n = 3), with fewer reporting results on patient-reported and health-related outcomes (n = 2). Overall, there were decreasing trends in emergency department visits and hospitalizations. However, results on healthcare utilization varied based on time of follow-up, with shorter follow-up times yielding more significant results. Two of the three studies that evaluated costs found significant reductions associated with IOCPs, and the third was cost-neutral. Two studies reported improvements in patient-reported outcomes (e.g., satisfaction, depression, and anxiety). Overall, these programs reported positive impacts on healthcare utilization and costs; however, few studies evaluated patient characteristics and behaviors (e.g., engagement in care) which may serve as key mechanisms of program effectiveness. Future research should examine patient characteristics, behaviors, and clinic engagement metrics to inform clinical practice.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1527
Author(s):  
Jamie Duckers ◽  
Beth Lesher ◽  
Teja Thorat ◽  
Eleanor Lucas ◽  
Lisa J. McGarry ◽  
...  

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare, progressive, multi-organ genetic disease. Ivacaftor, a small-molecule CF transmembrane conductance regulator modulator, was the first medication to treat the underlying cause of CF. Since its approval, real-world clinical experience on the use of ivacaftor has been documented in large registries and smaller studies. Here, we systematically review data from real-world observational studies of ivacaftor treatment in people with CF (pwCF). Searches of MEDLINE and Embase identified 368 publications reporting real-world studies that enrolled six or more pwCF treated with ivacaftor published between January 2012 and September 2019. Overall, 75 publications providing data from 57 unique studies met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Studies reporting within-group change for pwCF treated with ivacaftor consistently showed improvements in lung function, nutritional parameters, and patient-reported respiratory and sino-nasal symptoms. Benefits were evident as early as 1 month following ivacaftor initiation and were sustained over long-term follow-up. Decreases in pulmonary exacerbations, Pseudomonas aeruginosa prevalence, and healthcare resource utilization also were reported for up to 66 months following ivacaftor initiation. In studies comparing ivacaftor treatment to modulator untreated comparator groups, clinical benefits similarly were reported as were decreases in mortality, organ-transplantation, and CF-related complications. The safety profile of ivacaftor observed in these real-world studies was consistent with the well-established safety profile based on clinical trial data. Our systematic review of real-world studies shows ivacaftor treatment in pwCF results in highly consistent and sustained clinical benefit in both pulmonary and non-pulmonary outcomes across various geographies, study designs, patient characteristics, and follow-up durations, confirming and expanding upon evidence from clinical trials.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Julie Chandler ◽  
Radhika Nair ◽  
Kevin Biglan ◽  
Erin A. Ferries ◽  
Leanne Munsie ◽  
...  

Background: Characterizing patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and cognitive impairment is important toward understanding their natural history. Objective: Understand clinical, treatment, and cost characteristics of patients with PD pre- and post-cognitive impairment (memory loss/mild cognitive impairment/dementia or dementia treatment) recognition. Methods: 2,711 patients with PD newly diagnosed with cognitive impairment (index) were identified using administrative claims data. They were matched (1:1) on age and gender to patients with PD and no cognitive impairment (controls). These two cohorts were compared on patient characteristics, healthcare resource utilization, and total median costs for 3 years pre- and post-index using Chi-square tests, t-tests, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Logistic regression was used to identify factors predicting cognitive impairment. Results: Comorbidity indices for patients with cognitive impairment increased during the 6-year study period, especially after the index. Enrollment in Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans vs. commercial (OR = 1.60), dual Medicare/Medicaid eligibility (OR = 1.36), cerebrovascular disease (OR = 1.24), and PD medication use (OR = 1.46) were associated with a new cognitive impairment diagnosis (all p <  0.05). A greater proportion of patients with cognitive impairment had hospitalizations and emergency department visits and higher median total healthcare costs than controls for each year pre- and post-index. Conclusion: In patients with PD newly diagnosed with cognitive impairment, comorbidity burden, hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and total costs peaked 1-year pre- and post-identification. These data coupled with recommendations for annual screening for cognitive impairment in PD support the early diagnosis and management of cognitive impairment in order to optimize care for patients and their caregivers.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob F Walker ◽  
Richard F Maclehose ◽  
J'Neka Claxton ◽  
Terrence Adam ◽  
Alvaro Alonso ◽  
...  

Introduction: Little is known about the impact of oral anticoagulation (OAC) choice on healthcare encounters during the primary treatment of VTE. Hypothesis: Among anticoagulant-naïve VTE patients we tested the hypotheses that the number of hospitalizations, days hospitalized, emergency department visits, and outpatient office visits would be lower among users of rivaroxaban or apixaban than among users of warfarin. Methods: MarketScan databases for years 2016 and 2017 were used to identify VTE cases and comorbidities using international classification of disease codes, and prescriptions for OACs via outpatient pharmaceutical claims data. Healthcare utilization was identified in the first 6 months after initial VTE diagnoses. Results: The 23,864 individuals with VTE cases were on average (± standard deviation) 55.7 ± 16.1 years old and 50.6% female. Participants had on average 0.2 ± 0.5 hospitalizations, spent 1.3 ± 5.2 days in the hospital, had 5.7 ± 5.1 outpatient encounters, and visited an emergency department 0.4 ± 1.1 times. As compared to warfarin, rivaroxaban and apixaban were associated with fewer hospitalizations, days hospitalized, office visits and emergency department visits, after accounting for age, sex, comorbidities and medications (Table 1). For example, hospitalization rates were 24% lower [IRR: 0.76 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.83)] for patients prescribed rivaroxaban and 22% lower [IRR: 0.78 (95% CI: 0.71, 0.87)] for patients prescribed apixaban, as compared to those prescribed warfarin. When comparing apixaban to rivaroxaban, there were no differences in healthcare utilization. Conclusions: VTE patients prescribed rivaroxaban and apixaban had lower healthcare utilization than did those prescribed warfarin, while there was no difference when comparing apixaban to rivaroxaban. These findings complement existing literature supporting the use of direct OACs over warfarin given their similar effectiveness, slightly better safety profile, and perceived lower patient burden.


2020 ◽  
Vol 129 (10) ◽  
pp. 988-995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean M Parsel ◽  
Alaa E Mohammed ◽  
Daniel Fort ◽  
Blair M Barton ◽  
Edward D McCoul

Objective: To examine the use of intramuscular corticosteroid (IMCS) injections for treatment of acute upper respiratory infections (URI) and the influence on healthcare utilization. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used patient encounter data from a large multicenter regional health care system between 2013 and 2017. Adult patients diagnosed with acute URI (acute pharyngitis, acute sinusitis, acute otitis media, and URI not otherwise specified) during ambulatory encounters were included. Follow-up encounters for a diagnosis of acute URI within 60 days were identified and patient characteristics, encounter details, and procedure codes were retrieved. Frequency data was used to calculate IMCS injection administration prevalence, utilization trends, and associations with covariates. Follow-up data for return encounters within 60 days for the same diagnosis was examined. Results: Of the 153 848 initial encounters, 34 600 (22.5%) patients received IMCS injection for acute URI. Injection rates varied from 0.85% to 49.1% depending on specialty and practitioner type. Internal medicine, family medicine, urgent care, and otorhinolaryngology clinics most commonly administered IMCS. 3788 patients returned for a second encounter of which 751 (19.8%) received an injection. IMCS injection during the first encounter was associated with increased odds of repeat visit within 60 days (OR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.61–1.88). Conclusion: IMCS use in the treatment of acute URI is highly prevalent despite lack of evidence for impact and safety. Prevalence is variable across multiple medical and surgical specialties including otorhinolaryngology. Administration of IMCS injection may contribute to the likelihood of a subsequent healthcare visit for the same indication.


Cartilage ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 194760352095814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten P. F. Janssen ◽  
Esther G. M. van der Linden ◽  
Tim A. E. J. Boymans ◽  
Tim J. M. Welting ◽  
Lodewijk W. van Rhijn ◽  
...  

Objective The main purpose of the present study was to assess the risk for major revision surgery after perichondrium transplantation (PT) at a minimum of 22 years postoperatively and to evaluate the influence of patient characteristics. Design Primary outcome was treatment success or failure. Failure of PT was defined as revision surgery in which the transplant was removed, such as (unicondylar) knee arthroplasty or patellectomy. The functioning of nonfailed patients was evaluated using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score. In addition, the influence of patient characteristics was evaluated. Results Ninety knees in 88 patients, aged 16 to 55 years with symptomatic cartilage defects, were treated by PT. Eighty knees in 78 patients were eligible for analysis and 10 patients were lost to follow-up. Twenty-eight knees in 26 patients had undergone major revision surgery. Previous surgery and a longer time of symptoms prior to PT were significantly associated with an increased risk for failure of cartilage repair. Functioning of the remaining 52 patients and influence of patient characteristics was analyzed using their IKDC score. Their median IKDC score was 39.08, but a relatively young age at transplantation was associated with a higher IKDC score. Conclusions This 22-year follow-up study of PT, with objective outcome parameters next to patient-reported outcome measurements in a unique group of patients, shows that overall 66% was without major revision surgery and patient characteristics also influence long-term outcome of cartilage repair surgery.


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