scholarly journals Health Care Utilization and Expenditures Attributable to Cigar Smoking Among US Adults, 2000-2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingning Wang ◽  
Hai-Yen Sung ◽  
Tingting Yao ◽  
James Lightwood ◽  
Wendy Max

Objectives: Cigar use in the United States is a growing public health concern because of its increasing popularity. We estimated health care utilization and expenditures attributable to cigar smoking among US adults aged ≥35. Methods: We analyzed data on 84 178 adults using the 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 National Health Interview Surveys. We estimated zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression models on hospital nights, emergency department (ED) visits, physician visits, and home-care visits as a function of tobacco use status—current sole cigar smokers (ie, smoke cigars only), current poly cigar smokers (smoke cigars and smoke cigarettes or use smokeless tobacco), former sole cigar smokers (used to smoke cigars only), former poly cigar smokers (used to smoke cigars and smoke cigarettes or use smokeless tobacco), other tobacco users (ever smoked cigarettes and used smokeless tobacco but not cigars), and never tobacco users (never smoked cigars, smoked cigarettes, or used smokeless tobacco)—and other covariates. We calculated health care utilization attributable to current and former sole cigar smoking based on the estimated ZIP models, and then we calculated total health care expenditures attributable to cigar smoking. Results: Current and former sole cigar smoking was associated with excess annual utilization of 72 137 hospital nights, 32 748 ED visits, and 420 118 home-care visits. Annual health care expenditures attributable to sole cigar smoking were $284 million ($625 per sole cigar smoker), and total annual health care expenditures attributable to sole and poly cigar smoking were $1.75 billion. Conclusions: Comprehensive tobacco control policies and interventions are needed to reduce cigar smoking and the associated health care burden.

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e1543-e1552
Author(s):  
Ali Raza Khaki ◽  
Yuan Xu ◽  
Winson Y. Cheung ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Catherine Fedorenko ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: Aggressive care at the end of life (EOL) can lead to unnecessary suffering and health care costs for patients with cancer. Despite geographic proximity and cultural similarities, we hypothesize that EOL care is more intense in the United States multipayer system versus the Canadian single-payer system. We compared health care utilization at EOL among patients with cancer in Alberta, Canada, with those in Washington state in the United States. METHODS: Adult patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage II to IV solid tumors who died between 2014 and 2016 in Alberta and between 2015 and 2017 in Washington were identified from regional population-based cancer registries linked to treatment and hospitalization records (Alberta) and health claims from major regional insurance plans (Washington). The proportion of patients receiving chemotherapy and having multiple emergency department (ED) visits, or intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in the last 30, 60, and 90 days of life (DOL) in Alberta and Washington were determined and compared using two-sample z-test and multivariable logistic regression (α = .006 after Bonferroni correction). RESULTS: Of patients, 11,177 in Alberta and 12,807 in Washington were included. Patients were similar in age (median, 71 v 72 year), with more patients in Washington with no comorbidities. More patients in Washington were treated with chemotherapy (12.6% v 6.6%; adjusted OR [aOR], 2.74), had multiple ED visits (16.2% v 12.1%; aOR, 1.40), and ICU admissions (23.7% v 3.9%; aOR, 14.27) in the last 30 DOL. Utilization was also higher in Washington in the last 60 and 90 DOL and among those with stage IV disease and those age 65 years and older. CONCLUSION: Utilization of chemotherapy, ED visits, and ICU admissions near EOL was higher in Washington versus Alberta. Future studies to characterize drivers of aggressive EOL care may help improve cancer care for patients in the United States and Canada.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-16
Author(s):  
Jialing Jiang ◽  
Christopher M. Warren ◽  
Rebekah L. Browning ◽  
Christina E. Ciaccio ◽  
Ruchi S. Gupta

In recent decades, immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated food allergy has become a growing public health concern. Converging evidence from cross-sectional prevalence studies, health care utilization records, and cohort studies indicate that food allergies are increasingly prevalent and often severe. Although IgE-mediated food allergy has long been considered a predominantly pediatric concern, analysis of recent self-reported data suggests that food allergies may be more prevalent among adult populations than previously acknowledged, with many reported cases of adult-onset allergies as well as persistent childhood-onset allergies. Results of studies also suggest that food allergy‐related health care utilization is increasing as more individuals seek emergency treatment for food-induced anaphylaxis. Analysis of epidemiologic data also indicates that the burden of food allergies is unequally distributed. Published prevalence rates are highest in Western countries, e.g., the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Within these countries, there also is heterogeneity across racial and/or ethnic groups, with non-White and second-generation immigrant populations disproportionately affected. Importantly, such observations can shed light on the etiology of food allergy and inform improved clinical management, treatment, and prevention efforts. For example, there is a growing consensus that earlier introduction of allergenic foods, e.g., peanut, promotes oral tolerance and can dramatically reduce food allergy risk. In addition, much attention has been paid to the potentially deleterious effects of cutaneous allergen exposure, e.g., through eczematous skin, which can skew the immune response away from tolerance and toward allergic sensitization, thereby increasing food allergy risk. Furthermore, there is a growing appreciation for the potential protective effects of diverse microbial exposures, given mounting evidence for the immunomodulatory effects of the human microbiome. Also, when considering the geographic variability in the prevalence of certain food and environmental allergies as well as their structural similarities at the molecular level, it is believed that co-sensitization between food and environmental allergens may be a key driver of rising food allergy prevalence.


2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea L. Oliverio ◽  
Lindsay K. Admon ◽  
Laura H. Mariani ◽  
Tyler N.A. Winkelman ◽  
Vanessa K. Dalton

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-256
Author(s):  
Lacey B. Robinson ◽  
Anna Chen Arroyo ◽  
Rebecca E. Cash ◽  
Susan A. Rudders ◽  
Carlos A. Camargo

Background and Objective: Allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, are rising among children. Little is known about health care utilization among infants and toddlers. Our objective was to characterize health care utilization and charges for acute allergic reactions (AAR). Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of trends in emergency department (ED) visits and revisits, hospitalizations and rehospitalizations, and charges among infants and toddlers (ages < 3 years), with an index ED visit or hospitalization for AAR (including anaphylaxis). We used data from population-based multipayer data: State Emergency Department Databases and State Inpatient Databases from New York and Nebraska. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with ED revisits and rehospitalizations. Results: Between 2006 and 2015, infant and toddler ED visits for AAR increased from 27.8 per 10,000 population to 35.2 (Ptrend < 0.001), whereas hospitalizations for AAR remained stable (Ptrend = 0.11). In the one year after an index AAR visit, 5.1% of these patients had at least one AAR ED revisit and 5.9% had at least one AAR rehospitalization. Factors most strongly associated with AAR ED revisits included an index visit hospitalization and receipt of epinephrine. Total charges for AAR ED visits (2009‐2015) and hospitalizations (2011‐2015) were more than $29 million and $11 million, respectively. Total charges increased more than fourfold for both AAR ED revisits for AAR rehospitalizations during the study period. Conclusion: Infants and toddlers who presented with an AAR were at risk for ED revisits and rehospitalizations for AAR within the following year. The charges associated with these revisits were substantial and seemed to be increasing.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. e71-e71
Author(s):  
Louis-Philippe Thibault ◽  
Maria Marano ◽  
Lydia Saad ◽  
Nathalie Gaucher ◽  
Karine Couture ◽  
...  

Abstract Primary Subject area Complex Care Background Quantitative studies have found that integration into a complex care program (CCP) leads to decreased number of visits to the emergency department (ED) and hospitalization days for children with medical complexity (CMC). However, little is known about CMC families’ experiences regarding their healthcare resource utilization patterns following their child’s integration in the CCP. Objectives To analyze parental perspectives regarding changes in healthcare resources utilization following CCP admission. Design/Methods This study was conducted in our tertiary care pediatric university hospital, between December 2019 and January 2021 using individual semi-structured interviews. To assess the effect of CCP admission on healthcare resources utilization, only patients with at least 6 months of chronic disease before inclusion were eligible (32 families). The interview guide was co-constructed by our CCP team of nurses, doctors, social worker and parents of CMC. Participation rate was over one third (12/32) throughout, for which a satisfactory level of data saturation was obtained, as core themes specific to the research question were repeatedly identified. Verbatims were analyzed with NVivo. Descriptive thematic analysis was performed by coding themes emerging from the data. Results Sixteen parents from twelve families were interviewed (11 mothers, 5 fathers, including 4 couples). Most parents had experienced a decrease in ED visits with improvement in their perceived satisfaction regarding the provided healthcare services following CCP admission. Visits to the CCP pediatrician led to appreciated, continuous and tailored care. In comparison, the constant change of pediatricians in the ED and during hospitalization on the ward seemed to complicate their care experience. Also, the support from pivot nurses and social workers for daily health issues, drug prescription and paperwork was perceived as a relief. This directly favorably influenced care experience. Profound knowledge of patients’ health conditions and families’ personal challenges and strengths, led to personalized care and trust that greatly improved parents’ confidence in care and empowered families. Individualized advice by the CCP team leading to prompt treatment and preventive measures started early at home were identified by parents as the main driving forces leading to the observed decrease in ED visits. When hospitalized, confidence in the quality of care provided by parents at home with close follow-up by CCP were identified as the main driving forces leading to the quicker discharge. Conclusion Changes in health care utilization following admission to CCP was associated with an improved care experience. Parents identified individualized care and close follow-ups as key factors leading to decreased health care utilization.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayur Sharma ◽  
Beatrice Ugiliweneza ◽  
Maxwell Boakye ◽  
Norberto O Andaluz ◽  
Brian J Williams

Abstract INTRODUCTION Meningioma is the most common benign intracranial brain tumor accounting for approximately one-third of all primary brain tumors. The aim of our study was to compare the bundle payment, health care utilization, and outcomes following surgery for anterior (AFM), middle (MFM), and posterior cranial fossa meningioma (PFM) across the United States. METHODS We queried the Market Scan database using ICD-9 and CPT-4, from 2000 to 2016. We included adult patients who had at least 24 mo of enrollment following the surgical procedure. The outcome of interest was length of hospital stay, disposition, complications, and reoperation following the procedure. RESULTS A cohort of 1,188 patients was identified from the database. In all 43.86% of tumors were AFM, 32.32% were MFM, and only 23.8% were PFM. Patients who underwent surgery for PFM had significant longer hospital stay (P = .0013), higher complication rate (P = .0009), and less likely to be discharged home (P = .0013) during index hospitalization. Patients with MFM and PFM incurred higher outpatient services with no differences in corresponding payments compared to those with AFM at 12 mo (P < .0001) and 24 mo follow-up (P < .0001). There were no differences in overall payments at 12 mo (AFM: $19,702; MFM: $20,671; PFM: $20,922) and 24 mos (AFM: $37,142; MFM: $44,133; PFM: $36,601) among the cohorts. There was no significant difference in 90-d median bundle payments among the groups, $66,173 (AFM) vs $65,602 (MFM), and $71,837 (PFM), P = .1955. CONCLUSION Ninety-day bundle payment and overall payments (at 12 mo and 24 mo) were not significantly different among the cohorts. Patients with PFM had longer hospital stay, higher complication rate, and less likely to be discharged home with higher utilization of outpatient services at 12 mo and 24 mo.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (s1) ◽  
pp. 91-91
Author(s):  
Frances Loretta Gill

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Elucidate the unique challenges associated with hospital discharge planning for patients experiencing homelessness. Assess the impact of robust community partnerships and strong referral pathways on participating patients’ health care utilization patterns in an interdisciplinary, student-run hospital consult service for patients experiencing homelessness. Identify factors (both patient-level and intervention-level) that are associated with successful warm hand-offs to outside social agencies at discharge. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: To assess the impact of participation in HHL on patients’ health care utilization, we conducted a medical records review using the hospital’s electronic medical record system comparing patients’ health care utilization patterns during the nine months pre- and post- HHL intervention. Utilization metrics included number of ED visits and hospital admissions, number of hospital days, 30-day hospital readmissions, total hospital costs, and follow-up appointment attendance rates, as well as percentage of warm hand-offs to community-based organizations upon discharge. Additionally, we collected data regarding patient demographics, duration of homelessness, and characteristics of homelessness (primarily sheltered versus primarily unsheltered, street homeless versus couch surfing, etc) and intervention outcome data (i.e. percentage of warm hand-offs). This study was reviewed and approved by the Tulane University Institutional Review Board and the University Medical Center Research Review Committee. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: For the first 41 patients who have been enrolled in HHL, participation in HHL is associated with a statistically significant decrease in hospital admissions by 49.4% (p < 0.01) and hospital days by 47.7% (p < 0.01). However, the intervention is associated with a slight, although not statistically significant, increase in emergency department visits. Additionally, we have successfully accomplished warm hand-offs at discharge for 71% percent of these patients. Over the next year, many more patients will be enrolled in HHL, which will permit a more finely grained assessment to determine which aspects of the HHL intervention are most successful in facilitating warm hand-offs and decreased health care utilization amongst patients experiencing homelessness. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Providing care to patients experiencing homelessness involves working within complex social problems that cannot be adequately addressed in a hospital setting. This is best accomplished with an interdisciplinary team that extends the care continuum beyond hospital walls. The HHL program coordinators believe that ED visits amongst HHL patients and percentage of warm hand-offs are closely related outcomes. If we are able to facilitate a higher percentage of warm hand-offs to supportive social service agencies, we may be able to decrease patient reliance on the emergency department as a source of health care, meals, and warmth. Identifying the factors associated with successful warm hand-offs upon discharge from the hospital may assist us in building on the HHL program’s initial successes to further decrease health care utilization while offering increased interdisciplinary educational opportunities for medical students.


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