Continuity of care and 30-day readmission for patients evaluated in the emergency room after cerebral aneurysm treatment

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1203-1206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimon Bekelis ◽  
Symeon Missios ◽  
Todd A MacKenzie

BackgroundThe association between continuity of care and the rate of 30-day readmissions after surgical procedures continues to be debated.ObjectiveTo investigate the association of 30-day readmissions with evaluation in the hospital where the original procedure was performed for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) after cerebral aneurysm treatment.MethodsWe performed a cohort study of patients with cerebral aneurysms, who were evaluated in the ED within 30 days after discharge following surgical clipping or endovascular coiling between 2009 and 2013, and were registered in the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. A propensity score adjusted model was used to control for confounding, whereas mixed effects accounted for clustering at the hospital level.ResultsOf the 452 patients presenting to the ED, 218 (48.2%) were evaluated in a different hospital from that in which the original procedure was performed (7.7% readmitted), and 234 (51.8%) were evaluated at the original hospital (18.4% readmitted). In a multivariable analysis, we showed that evaluation in the ED of the original hospital was associated with decreased rate of 30-day readmission (OR=0.41; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.78). We found similar associations in a mixed-effects logistic regression model (OR=0.46; 95% CI 0.35 to 0.84) and a propensity score adjusted model (OR=0.41; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.77). This corresponds to10 patients needing to be evaluated in the hospital at which the original procedure was performed to prevent one readmission.ConclusionsUsing a comprehensive all-payer cohort of patients in New York State, who were evaluated in the ED after cerebral aneurysm treatment, we identified an association between assessment in the hospital at which the original procedure was performed and a lower rate of 30-day readmissions. This underlines the potential importance of continuity of care for surgical patients to prevent readmission.

2017 ◽  
Vol 127 (6) ◽  
pp. 1213-1218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Symeon Missios ◽  
Kimon Bekelis

OBJECTIVEFragmentation of care has been recognized as a major contributor to 30-day readmissions after surgical procedures. The authors investigated the association of evaluation in the hospital where the original procedure was performed with the rate of 30-day readmissions for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) after craniotomy for primary brain tumor resection.METHODSA cohort study was conducted, involving patients who were evaluated in the ED within 30 days after discharge following a craniotomy for primary brain tumor resection between 2009 and 2013, and who were registered in the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database of New York State. A propensity score–adjusted model was used to control for confounding, whereas a mixed-effects model accounted for clustering at the hospital level.RESULTSOf the 610 patients presenting to the ED, 422 (69.2%) were evaluated in a hospital different from the one where the original procedure was performed (28.9% were readmitted), and 188 (30.8%) were evaluated at the original hospital (20.3% were readmitted). In a multivariable analysis, the authors demonstrated that being evaluated in the ED of the original hospital was associated with a decreased rate of 30-day readmission (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.41–0.98). Similar associations were found in a mixed-effects logistic regression model (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.40–0.96) and a propensity score–adjusted model (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.41–0.98). This corresponds to one less readmission per 12 patients evaluated in the hospital where the original procedure was performed.CONCLUSIONSUsing a comprehensive all-payer cohort of patients in New York State who were evaluated in the ED after craniotomy for primary brain tumor resection, the authors identified an association of assessment in the hospital where the original procedure was performed with a lower rate of 30-day readmissions. This underscores the potential importance of continuity of care in readmission prevention for these patients.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimon Bekelis ◽  
Symeon Missios ◽  
Todd A MacKenzie

Abstract BACKGROUND The association between long work hours and outcomes among attending surgeons remains an issue of debate. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether operating emergently the night before an elective case was associated with inferior outcomes among attending neurosurgeons. METHODS We executed a cohort study with unruptured cerebral aneurysm patients, who underwent endovascular coiling or surgical clipping from 2009 to 2013 and were registered in the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. We investigated the association of treatment by surgeons performing emergency procedures the night before with outcomes of elective cerebral aneurysm treatment using an instrumental variable analysis. RESULTS Overall, 4700 patients underwent treatment for unruptured cerebral aneurysms. There was no difference in inpatient mortality (adjusted difference, –0.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], –1.4% to 0.02%), discharge to a facility (adjusted difference, –0.1%; 95% CI, –1.2% to 1.2%), or length of stay (adjusted difference, –0.58; 95% CI, –1.66 to 0.50) between patients undergoing elective cerebral aneurysm treatment by surgeons who performed emergency procedures the night before, and those who did not. CONCLUSION Using a comprehensive patient cohort in New York State for elective treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms, we did not identify an association of treatment by surgeons performing emergency procedures the night before, with mortality, discharge to a facility, or length of stay. Our study had 80% power to detect differences in mortality (our primary outcome), as small as 4.1%. The results of the present study do not support the argument for regulation of attending work hours.


Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 936-936
Author(s):  
Richard H. White ◽  
Ann Brunson ◽  
Gwendolyn Ho ◽  
Ted Wun

Abstract Background Evidence supporting use of an inferior vena cava filter (VCF) to prevent death or recurrent venous thromboembolism (rVTE) in cancer patients who are hospitalized for acute VTE is limited. Aims To determine the effectiveness of VCF placement on the 15-day and 30-day incidence of death and the 180-day incidence of rVTE manifested as pulmonary embolism (PE) or recurrent deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) alone among cancer patients hospitalized for acute-VTE. Methods Using a large retrospective observational study of discharge records in California, we analyzed outcomes after VCF placement in cancer patients hospitalized 2005-2009 for acute VTE using propensity-score methodology. We excluded all patients who had a history of a prior VCF placement (1991-2009). Outcomes were death <15-days and <30-days and rVTE (as PE or DVT alone) at 6 months. We used 3 analytic methods: 1) standard risk-adjusted multivariable analysis, 2) adjustment using propensity-score and inverse probability weighing (IPW) and 3) comparison based on matching (2:1) based on propensity score (caliper method). The multivariate model used to generate the propensity score included age, race/ethnicity, insurance coverage, expected bleeding risk, metastatic disease, bleeding present-on-admission, location of bleeding, recent or impending major surgery, use of thrombolytic agents, number of chronic co-morbidities, severity-of-illness (ascertained by 3M, APR-DRG grouper), index PE vs. DVT, and hospital characteristics. IPW of propensity score was applied to a risk-adjusted logistic model to predict death; IPW was applied to risk-adjusted Cox models predicting rVTE (as PE or DVT alone). In the model predicting death, risk-of-mortality on admission was used instead of severity-of-illness. Results Among 14,000 cancer-associated acute-VTE cases, the overall crude 15-day mortality rate was 1396 (10%) and the 30-day mortality was 2247 (16.1%). For 11,253 no-VCF patients, the crude 15-day mortality was 1089 (9.7%) and at 30 days it was 1727 (15.3%). A VCF was placed in 2747 patients (19.6%). The crude mortality in VCF patients was 307 (11.2%) at 15-days, and 520 (18.9%) at 30-days. After accounting for propensity to insert a VCF (using IPW) in a risk-adjusted model, there was no significant reduction in the risk of death associated with VCF use at 15-days (OR=0.90, CI:0.8-1.1, p=0.26) or 30 days (OR=1.04, 95%CI:0.9-1.2, p=0.57); findings were the same using standard multivariable analysis and matching based on propensity score. The crude 180-day incidence of recurrent PE was 3.3%: 2.6% in VCF patients and 3.4% in the no-VCF patients. In the adjusted model using IPW the risk of rVTE manifested as PE, the risk was lower in VCF patients (HR=0.81 95%CI:0.6-1.1, p=0.14) but this did not reach statistical significance. The crude 180-day incidence of rVTE manifested as DVT alone was 4.2% overall: 5.4% in VCF patients and 3.9% in no-VCF patients. In the IPW propensity score model, the risk of rVTE manifested as DVT at 180 days was significantly higher in VCF patients (HR=1.55, 95%CI:1.3-1.9, p<0.001). Models for recurrent VTE manifested by PE or DVT gave similar results whether based on propensity-score matching or multivariable analysis. Conclusions Use of a VCF in cancer patients hospitalized specifically for acute VTE was not associated with a significant reduction in the risk of death at 15 or 30 days, and the overall 30-day mortality was high. There was a 20% reduction in the risk of rVTE manifested as PE at 180-days but this did not reach the level of statistical significance (p>0.05). VCF use was associated with a 55% higher risk of rVTE manifested as DVT at 180 days. Further refinements in modeling incorporating competing outcomes (e.g., death) are underway. Disclosures: Ho: American Society of Hematology: ASH HONORS trainee research award Other.


2017 ◽  
Vol 126 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimon Bekelis ◽  
Dan Gottlieb ◽  
Nicos Labropoulos ◽  
Yin Su ◽  
Stavropoula Tjoumakaris ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE The impact of combined practices on the outcomes of unruptured cerebral aneurysm coiling remains an issue of debate. The authors investigated the association of combined open and endovascular expertise with the outcomes of unruptured cerebral aneurysm coiling. METHODS The authors performed a cohort study of 100% of Medicare fee-for-service claims data for elderly patients who underwent endovascular coiling for unruptured cerebral aneurysms between 2007 and 2012. To control for confounding, the authors used propensity score conditioning, with mixed effects to account for clustering at the hospital referral region level. RESULTS During the study period, there were 11,716 patients who underwent endovascular coiling for unruptured cerebral aneurysms and met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 1186 (10.1%) underwent treatment performed by hybrid neurosurgeons, and 10,530 (89.9%) by proceduralists who performed only endovascular coiling. Multivariable regression analysis with propensity score adjustment demonstrated a lack of association of combined practice with 1-year postoperative mortality (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.58–1.23), discharge to rehabilitation (OR 1.0; 95% CI 0.66–1.51), 30-day readmission rate (OR 1.07; 95% CI 0.83–1.38), and length of stay (adjusted difference, 0.41; 95% CI −0.26 to 1.09). Higher procedural volume was independently associated with improved outcomes. CONCLUSIONS In a cohort of Medicare patients, the authors did not demonstrate a difference in mortality, discharge to rehabilitation, readmission rate, and LOS between hybrid neurosurgeons and proceduralists performing only endovascular coiling.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1358863X2097026
Author(s):  
Mark Finkelstein ◽  
Mario A Cedillo ◽  
David C Kestenbaum ◽  
Obaib S Shoaib ◽  
Aaron M Fischman ◽  
...  

Positive relationships between volume and outcome have been seen in several surgical and medical conditions, resulting in more centralized and specialized care structures. Currently, there is a scarcity of literature involving the volume–outcome relationship in pulmonary embolism (PE). Using a state-wide dataset that encapsulates all non-federal admissions in New York State, we performed a retrospective cohort study on admitted patients with a diagnosis of PE. A total of 70,443 cases were separated into volume groups stratified by hospital quartile. Continuous and categorical variables were compared between cohorts. Multivariable regression analysis was conducted to assess predictors of 1-year mortality, 30-day all-cause readmission, 30-day PE-related readmission, length of stay, and total charges. Of the 205 facilities that were included, 128 (62%) were labeled low volume, 39 (19%) medium volume, 23 (11%) high volume, and 15 (7%) very high volume. Multivariable analysis showed that very high volume was associated with decreased 30-day PE-related readmission (OR 0.64; 95% CI, 0.55 to 0.73), decreased 30-day all-cause readmission (OR 0.84; 95% CI, 0.79 to 0.89), decreased 1-year mortality (OR 0.85; 95% CI, 0.80 to 0.91), decreased total charges (OR 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94 to 0.98), and decreased length of stay (OR 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92 to 0.96). In summary, facilities with higher volumes of acute PE were found to have less 30-day PE-related readmissions, less all-cause readmissions, shorter length of stay, decreased 1-year mortality, and decreased total charges.


2021 ◽  
pp. 019459982098435
Author(s):  
Evan J. Patel ◽  
Jamie R. Oliver ◽  
Alec Vaezi ◽  
Zujun Li ◽  
Michael Persky ◽  
...  

Objectives To describe patterns of primary surgical treatments in patients with T4b oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). Study Design Historical cohort study. Setting National Cancer Database. Methods Review of the National Cancer Database between 2004 and 2017 for all T4b OCSCCs. Only patients with curative treatment methods were included in the survival analysis. Surgical and nonsurgical outcomes were compared by multivariable and propensity score matching analysis. Results A total of 1515 cases of T4b OCSCC were identified. A minority of patients (n = 363, 24.0%) underwent curative treatment; among these, 206 (56.7%) underwent primary surgery. Median length of follow-up was 24 months. The 90-day mortality of patients who underwent surgical treatment was 1.0%. The 2-year survival was higher for patients who underwent surgery + chemoradiotherapy (CRT) as compared with CRT (64.6% vs 45.2%, P < .001). On multivariable analysis, surgery + CRT was associated with longer survival. In a propensity score–matched cohort of 312 patients, 2-year survival remained higher in the surgical group versus the nonsurgical group (59.4% vs 45.5%, P = .02). Among patients who underwent surgery + CRT, there was no difference in 2-year survival between clinical T4a and T4b (59% vs 64.6%, P = .20). Conclusions A minority of patients with T4b OCSCC undergo treatments with curative intent. A subset of patients underwent primary surgical treatment, which was associated with longer survival. The T4b classification might entail a heterogenous group, and further studies in revision of this classification might be justified.


2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
pp. 4800-4805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine A. Koss ◽  
Dana C. Baras ◽  
Sandra D. Lane ◽  
Richard Aubry ◽  
Michele Marcus ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTTo assess whether treatment with metronidazole during pregnancy is associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, or major congenital anomalies, we conducted chart reviews and an analysis of electronic data from a cohort of women delivering at an urban New York State hospital. Of 2,829 singleton/mother pairs, 922 (32.6%) mothers were treated with metronidazole for clinical indications, 348 (12.3%) during the first trimester of pregnancy and 553 (19.5%) in the second or third trimester. There were 333 (11.8%) preterm births, 262 (9.3%) infants of low birth weight, and 52 infants (1.8%) with congenital anomalies. In multivariable analysis, no association was found between metronidazole treatment and preterm birth (odds ratio [OR], 1.02 [95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.32]), low birth weight (OR, 1.05 [95% CI, 0.77 to 1.43]), or treatment in the first trimester and congenital anomalies (OR, 0.86 [0.30 to 2.45]). We found no association between metronidazole treatment during the first or later trimesters of pregnancy and preterm birth, low birth weight, or congenital anomalies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 103-B (10) ◽  
pp. 1571-1577
Author(s):  
Astrid Blicher Schelde ◽  
Janne Petersen ◽  
Thomas Bo Jensen ◽  
Kirill Gromov ◽  
Søren Overgaard ◽  
...  

Aims The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness and safety of thromboprophylactic treatments in patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods Using nationwide medical registries, we identified patients with a primary TKA performed in Denmark between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2018 who received thromboprophylactic treatment. We examined the 90-day risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), major bleeding, and all-cause mortality following surgery. We used a Cox regression model to compute hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each outcome, pairwise comparing treatment with dalteparin or dabigatran with rivaroxaban as the reference. The HRs were both computed using a multivariable and a propensity score matched analysis. Results We identified 27,736 primary TKA patients who received thromboprophylactic treatment (rivaroxaban (n = 18,846); dalteparin (n = 5,767); dabigatran (n = 1,443); tinzaparin (n = 1,372); and enoxaparin (n = 308)). In the adjusted multivariable analysis and compared with rivaroxaban, treatment with dalteparin (HR 0.68 (95% CI 0.49 to 0.92)) or dabigatran (HR 0.31 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.70)) was associated with a decreased risk of VTE. No statistically significant differences were observed for major bleeding or all-cause mortality. The propensity score matched analysis yielded similar results. Conclusion Treatment with dalteparin or dabigatran was associated with a decreased 90-day risk of VTE following primary TKA surgery compared with treatment with rivaroxaban. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(10):1571–1577.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 89 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S17-S17
Author(s):  
Mohamed M Salem ◽  
Krishnan Ravindran ◽  
Alejandro Enriquez-Marulanda ◽  
Luis C Ascanio ◽  
Noah Jordan ◽  
...  

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