Health care costs among adolescent young adults with cancer at a community-based hospital.

e18857 Background: Adolescent Young Adults (AYAs) are likely to live for decades after a cancer diagnosis and thus have the potential to accumulate high healthcare costs. Prior research has shown high costs can be associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. However, there is limited understanding of how costs impact AYAs, especially in a community hospital. The purpose of this study is to 1) understand total community hospital healthcare costs for AYA patients with cancer, 2) identify risk factors for high costs, and 3) assess the impact of costs on survival. Methods: AYA patients (ages 15-29) treated at a community hospital were identified. Data collected included patient demographics, cancer characteristics, treatments (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, immunotherapy, hormone therapy), support services (financial counseling, social work, survivorship), hospital admissions, miles from the hospital (great-circle distance), and all healthcare charges from one year prior to cancer diagnosis until last follow-up between 2000-2020. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify patients with costs greater than the median ($125K). Cox Proportional Hazard (CPH) regression models were used to identify factors associated with the risk of all-cause mortality. Results: A total of 388 AYA patients were identified with a median follow-up of 9 years and 97% survival. Most patients were age 30-39 years (62%), female (61%), white (95%), married (63%), non-smoker (59%), had insurance (78%), had early-stage cancer (85%), and were treated with surgery (83%). The most common cancers were melanoma (17%), breast cancer (14%), and thyroid cancer (14%). Median distance from treatment site was 23 miles. Median number of admissions was one. About a third of patients received chemotherapy (37%), radiation (28%), or hormone therapy (30%). Two-hundred thirty-three patients (60%) had complete healthcare cost data with a median total costs per patient of $123K (range, $73K-$215K). In adjusted analysis, patients with higher than median healthcare cost ( > $125K) had greater odds of hospital admission (odds ratio [OR] = 1.5, p < .001) and chemotherapy treatment (OR = 3.4, p = .005) as well as lower odds of living further from the hospital per one mile (OR = 0.3, p = .049) and being uninsured/unknown insurance (OR = 0.1, p = .047). In adjusted analysis, increased risk of death was associated with receiving radiation therapy (HR = 7.8, p = .02) and higher healthcare costs per $125K (HR = 3.8, p = .001). Conclusions: High costs of healthcare among AYA patients with cancer are related to chemotherapy, hospital admissions, and hospital proximity. High healthcare costs and radiation therapy may be associated with increased risk of death in the AYA population. This data may guide physician decision making for AYA patients ensuring mindfulness of high costs of care and how it relates to poor survival outcomes in community hospitals.

Download Full-text

Non-fatal self-injury after a diagnosis of cancer: A population-based study.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.e18577 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e18577-e18577

Author(s):

Christopher Noel ◽

Antoine Eskander ◽

Rinku Sutradhar ◽

Alyson Mahar ◽

Simone Vigod ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Cumulative Incidence ◽

Psychiatric Illness ◽

Population Based ◽

Administrative Databases ◽

Presentation Of Self ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Self Injury ◽

Increased Risk

e18577 Background: Psychological distress is a key construct of patient-centred cancer care. While an increased risk of suicide for cancer patients has been reported, more frequent consequences of distress after a cancer diagnosis, such as non-fatal self-injury (NFSI), remain largely unknown. We examined the risk for NFSI after a cancer diagnosis. Methods: Using linked administrative databases we identified adults diagnosed with cancer between 2007-2019. Cumulative incidence of NFSI, defined as emergency department presentation of self-injury, was computed accounting for the competing-risk of death from all causes. Factors associated with NFSI were assessed using multivariable Fine and Gray models. Results: Of 806,910 included patients, 2,482 had NFSI and 182 died by suicide. 5-year cumulative incidence of NFSI was 0.27% [95%CI 0.25-0.28%]. After adjusting for key confounders, prior severe psychiatric illness whether requiring inpatient care (sub-distribution hazard ratio (sHR) 12.6, [95% CI 10.5-15.2]) or outpatient care (sHR 7.5, 95% CI 6.48-8.84), and prior self-injury (sHR 6.6 [95% CI 5.5-8.0]) were associated with increased risk of NFSI. Young adults (age 18-39) had the highest NFSI rates, relative to individuals >70 (sHR 5.4, [95% CI 4.5-6.5]). The magnitude of association between prior severe psychiatric illness and NFSI was greatest for young adults (interaction term p < 0.01). Certain cancer subsites were also at increased risk, including head and neck (sHR1.52, [95%CI 1.19-1.93]). Conclusions: Patients with cancer have higher incidence of NFSI than suicide after diagnosis. Younger age, prior severe psychiatric illness, and prior self-injury were independently associated with NFSI. These exposures act synergistically, placing young adults with a prior mental health history at greatest risk for NFSI events. Those factors should be used to identify at-risk patients for psycho-social assessment and intervention.

Download Full-text

Should I stay or should I go? A retrospective propensity score-matched analysis using administrative data of hospital-at-home for older people in Scotland

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023350 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. e023350 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Apostolos Tsiachristas ◽

Graham Ellis ◽

Scott Buchanan ◽

Peter Langhorne ◽

David J Stott ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Propensity Score ◽

Administrative Data ◽

Healthcare Costs ◽

Data Set ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Level Data ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Hospital At Home ◽

At Home

ObjectivesTo compare the characteristics of populations admitted to hospital-at-home services with the population admitted to hospital and assess the association of these services with healthcare costs and mortality.DesignIn a retrospective observational cohort study of linked patient level data, we used propensity score matching in combination with regression analysis.ParticipantsPatients aged 65 years and older admitted to hospital-at-home or hospital.InterventionsThree geriatrician-led admission avoidance hospital-at-home services in Scotland.Outcome measuresHealthcare costs and mortality.ResultsPatients in hospital-at-home were older and more socioeconomically disadvantaged, had higher rates of previous hospitalisation and there was a greater proportion of women and people with several chronic conditions compared with the population admitted to hospital. The cost of providing hospital-at-home varied between the three sites from £628 to £2928 per admission. Hospital-at-home was associated with 18% lower costs during the follow-up period in site 1 (ratio of means 0.82; 95% CI: 0.76 to 0.89). Limiting the analysis to costs during the 6 months following index discharge, patients in the hospital-at-home cohorts had 27% higher costs (ratio of means 1.27; 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.41) in site 1, 9% (ratio of means 1.09; 95% CI: 0.95 to 1.24) in site 2 and 70% in site 3 (ratio of means 1.70; 95% CI: 1.40 to 2.07) compared with patients in the control cohorts. Admission to hospital-at-home was associated with an increased risk of death during the follow-up period in all three sites (1.09, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.19 site 1; 1.29, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.44 site 2; 1.27, 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.54 site 3).ConclusionsOur findings indicate that in these three cohorts, the populations admitted to hospital-at-home and hospital differ. We cannot rule out the risk of residual confounding, as our analysis relied on an administrative data set and we lacked data on disease severity and type of hospitalised care received in the control cohorts.

Download Full-text

Incident cardiovascular events among healthy subjects are associated with increased risk of subsequent cancer diagnosis

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/eurheartj/ehab724.2856 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

A Fardman ◽

S Tiosano ◽

A Kaplan ◽

M Kalstein ◽

Y Moshkovits ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Time Dependent ◽

Study Endpoint ◽

Mortality Data ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Risk Of Cancer ◽

Subsequent Cancer

Abstract Introduction While Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer share common risk factors, data on the temporal association between the occurrence of CVD and cancer is limited. Purpose This study investigated the association between incident CVD events future cancer among apparently healthy subjects. Methods We evaluated asymptomatic self-referred adults who participated in a screening program. All subjects were free of CVD and cancer at baseline. CVD was defined as the composite of acute coronary syndrome, percutaneous coronary intervention, or stroke. Study endpoint was the development of cancer during follow up. Cancer and mortality data were available for all subjects from national registries. Cox regression models were applied with CVD as a time-dependent covariate and death as a competing risk event. Results Final study population included 26,574 subjects. Median age was 46 years (Interquartile range [IQR] 40–53) and 69% were men. During median follow up time of 10 years (IQR 3–16) 2,463 (9%) subjects developed CVD, 2,040 (8%) developed cancer and 869 (3%) died. Most common cancer types were prostate among men (N=406, 2.2%) and breast among women (N=283, 3.4%). Compared with patients who were free of CVD and cancer during follow up, risk of death was 5, 34 and 54 times higher for patients who developed CVD event, cancer, or both during follow up, respectively (p <.001 for all). Time dependent survival analysis showed that subjects who developed CVD during follow up were 50% more likely to develop cancer in a univariate model (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.3–1.7, p<.001). Interaction analysis demonstrated that the association of incident CVD with the risk of future cancer diagnosis was age dependent such that in younger subjects (≤52 years; N=19,052) incident CVD was associated with a significant 30% increased risk of subsequent cancer diagnosis (95% CI 1.03–1.67, p=.027) while in older subjects incident CVD was not associated with increased risk of cancer in the multivariable model (p for interaction =.018). Conclusion Incident CVD is independently associated with increased risk of subsequent cancer diagnosis among young adults. Active cancer surveillance should be considered among young patients recovering from a CVD event. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Download Full-text

Fragmented QRS, a predictor of clinical events in patients on cardiac resynchronization therapy

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/ehjci/ehaa946.0798 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

J Martinez Milla ◽

C Garcia-Talavera ◽

B Arroyo ◽

A Camblor ◽

A Garcia-Ropero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy ◽

Cardiovascular Events ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Cardiac Resynchronization ◽

Resynchronization Therapy ◽

Coronary Syndrome ◽

Clinical Events ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Introduction Cardiac resynchronization therapy with defrilator (CRT-D) has been shown to reduce mortality in HFrEF. The width and morphology of the QRS are essential when deciding on the implantation of these devices. QRS fragmentation (fQRS) has been shown to be a good predictor of cardiovascular events in certain patients, but its role in patients with CRT-D has not been studied. The aim of this study is to determine whether the presence of a fQRS at the time of CRT-D implantation can predict clinical events. Methods All patients who underwent CRT-D implantation from 2010 to 2017 were included. Patients' ECG were evaluated at the time of implantation, and the incidence of clinical events during follow-up was also assessed. fQRS was defined as the presence of an RSR' pattern with a notch in the R wave or in the ascending or descending branch of the S wave in two continuous leads on the ECG. Results We studied 131 patients (mean age 73 years, 76.5% male). The mean follow-up period was 37±26 months. No difference in baseline characteristics was found (Table 1); the proportion of fQRS was 48.9%. 25 patients (19.1%) had hospital admissions secondary to cardiovascular causes (heart failure, arrhythmic events, acute coronary syndrome, and death from other causes). We performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis aiming at an association between the presence of fQRS and the increased risk of hospital admissions due to cardiovascular causes OR 2.92 (95% CI: 1.04–8.21, P=0.04). Conclusion The presence of a fQRS at the time of implantation of a CRT-D is an independent predictor of hospital admissions due to cardiovascular causes. Therefore this could be a useful marker to identify the population at high risk of cardiovascular events, for this we consider necessary to conduct future studies and thus assess the value of the fQRS for the selection of patients requiring closer monitoring thus avoiding further hospital admissions. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Download Full-text

Prognostic role of neoplastic markers in Takotsubo syndrome

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-95990-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Francesco Santoro ◽

Tecla Zimotti ◽

Adriana Mallardi ◽

Alessandra Leopizzi ◽

Enrica Vitale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Serum Levels ◽

Takotsubo Syndrome ◽

Ca 15.3 ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Ca 19.9 ◽

Long Term Follow Up

AbstractTakotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute heart failure syndrome with significant rates of in and out-of-hospital mayor cardiac adverse events (MACE). To evaluate the possible role of neoplastic biomarkers [CA-15.3, CA-19.9 and Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)] as prognostic marker at short- and long-term follow-up in subjects with TTS. Ninety consecutive subjects with TTS were enrolled and followed for a median of 3 years. Circulating levels of CA-15.3, CA-19.9 and CEA were evaluated at admission, after 72 h and at discharge. Incidence of MACE during hospitalization and follow-up were recorded. Forty-three (46%) patients experienced MACE during hospitalization. These patients had increased admission levels of CEA (4.3 ± 6.2 vs. 2.2 ± 1.5 ng/mL, p = 0.03). CEA levels were higher in subjects with in-hospital MACE. At long term follow-up, CEA and CA-19.9 levels were associated with increased risk of death (log rank p < 0.01, HR = 5.3, 95% CI 1.9–14.8, HR = 7.8 95% CI 2.4–25.1, respectively, p < 0.01). At multivariable analysis levels higher than median of CEA, CA-19.9 or both were independent predictors of death at long term (Log-Rank p < 0.01). Having both CEA and CA-19.9 levels above median (> 2 ng/mL, > 8 UI/mL respectively) was associated with an increased risk of mortality of 11.8 (95% CI 2.6–52.5, p = 0.001) at follow up. Increased CEA and CA-19.9 serum levels are associated with higher risk of death at long-term follow up in patients with TTS. CEA serum levels are correlated with in-hospital MACE.

Download Full-text

Why do frail patients with chronic heart failure die and become hospitalised?

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/ehjci/ehaa946.1149 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

S Sze ◽

P Pellicori ◽

J Zhang ◽

J Weston ◽

A.L Clark

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Cause Of Death ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Average Length ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Length Of Hospital Stay ◽

Clinical Frailty Scale ◽

Frail Patients ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Background Frailty is common in patients with heart failure (HF) and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. A better understanding of the causes of hospitalisations and death in frail patients might help to tailor interventional strategies for these at-risk patients. Purpose We studied the cause of death and hospitalisations in ambulatory patients with HF and frailty. Methods We assessed frailty using the clinical frailty scale (CFS) in consecutive HF patients attending a routine follow-up visit. Those with CFS ≥5 were classified as frail. Mortality and hospitalisations were ascertained from medical records (updated systematically using an NHS electronic database), discharge letters, autopsy reports and death certificates. We studied the primary cause of death and hospitalisations within one year of enrolment. Results 467 patients (67% male, median (IQR) age 76 (69–82) years, median (IQR) NT-proBNP 1156 (469–2463) ng/L) were enrolled. 206 (44%) patients were frail. Frail patients were more likely to not receive or receive suboptimal doses of ACEi/ARB and Beta-blockers; while non-frail patients were more likely to be treated with optimal doses. At 1-year follow up, there were 56 deaths and 322 hospitalisations, of which 46 (82%) and 215 (67%) occurred in frail patients. Frailty was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR (95% CI): 4.27 (2.60–7.01)) and combined mortality/ hospitalisation (HR (95% CI): 2.85 (2.14–3.80)), all p<0.001. 57% (n=26) of frail patients died of cardiovascular causes (of which 58% were due to HF progression); although deaths due to non-cardiovascular causes (43%, n=20), especially severe infections, were also common (26%, n=12). (Figure 1) The proportion of frail patients who had non-elective hospital admissions within 1 year was more than double that of non-frail patients (46% (n=96) vs 21% (n=54); p<0.001). Compared to non-frail patients, frail patients had more recurrent (≥2) hospitalisations (28% (n=59) vs 9% (n=24); p<0.001) but median (IQR) average length of hospital stay was not significantly different (frail: 6 (4–11) vs non-frail: 6 (2–12) days, p=0.50). A large proportion of hospitalisations (64%, n=137) in frail patients were due to non-cardiovascular causes (of which 34%, 30% and 20% were due to infections, falls and comorbidities respectively). Of cardiovascular hospitalisations (36%, n=78), the majority were due to decompensated HF (67%, n=46). (Figure 1) Conclusion Frailty is common in patients with HF and is associated with an increased risk of mortality and recurrent hospitalisations. A significant proportion suffered non-cardiovascular deaths and hospitalisations. This implies that interventions targeted at HF alone can only have limited impact on outcomes in frail patients. Figure 1 Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Download Full-text

Obesity, Abdominal Obesity and Chronic Kidney Disease in Young Adults: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10051065 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 1065

Author(s):

Eun Hui Bae ◽

Sang Yeob Lim ◽

Jin-Hyung Jung ◽

Tae Ryom Oh ◽

Hong Sang Choi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Kidney Disease ◽

Young Adults ◽

Kidney Disease ◽

Abdominal Obesity ◽

Population Based ◽

Baseline Body Mass Index ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Baseline Examination ◽

New Onset

Obesity has become a pandemic. It is one of the strongest risk-factors of new-onset chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the effects of obesity and abdominal obesity on the risk of developing CKD in young adults has not been elucidated. From a nationwide health screening database, we included 3,030,884 young adults aged 20–39 years without CKD during a baseline examination in 2009–2010, who could follow up during 2013–2016. Patients were stratified into five levels based on their baseline body mass index (BMI) and six levels based on their waist circumference (WC; 5-cm increments). The primary outcome was the development of CKD. During the follow up, until 2016, 5853 (0.19%) participants developed CKD. Both BMI and WC showed a U-shaped relationship with CKD risk, identifying the cut-off values as a BMI of 21 and WC of 72 cm in young adults. The obesity group (odd ratio [OR] = 1.320, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.247–1.397) and abdominal obesity group (male WC ≥ 90, female WC ≥ 85) (OR = 1.208, 95%CI: 1.332–1.290) showed a higher CKD risk than the non-obesity or non-abdominal obesity groups after adjusting for covariates. In the CKD risk by obesity composite, the obesity displayed by the abdominal obesity group showed the highest CKD risk (OR = 1.502, 95%CI: 1.190–1.895), especially in those under 30 years old. During subgroup analysis, the diabetes mellitus (DM) group with obesity or abdominal obesity paradoxically showed a lower CKD risk compared with the non-obesity or non-abdominal obesity group. Obesity and abdominal obesity are associated with increased risk of developing CKD in young adults but a decreased risk in young adults with diabetes.

Download Full-text

Impact of cancer on the risk of unplanned 30-day readmissions.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.6581 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. 6581-6581

Author(s):

Alexander Qian ◽

Edmund Qiao ◽

Vinit Nalawade ◽

Nikhil V. Kotha ◽

Rohith S. Voora ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Reference Group ◽

Cancer Site ◽

Cancer Type ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Initial Hospitalization ◽

The Impact

6581 Background: Hospital readmission are associated with unfavorable patient outcomes and increased costs to the healthcare system. Devising interventions to reduce risks of readmission requires understanding patients at highest risk. Cancer patients represent a unique population with distinct risk factors. The purpose of this study was to define the impact of a cancer diagnosis on the risks of unplanned 30-day readmissions. Methods: We identified non-procedural hospital admissions between January through November 2017 from the National Readmission Database (NRD). We included patients with and without a cancer diagnosis who were admitted for non-procedural causes. We evaluated the impact of cancer on the risk of 30-day unplanned readmissions using multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression models. Results: Out of 18,996,625 weighted admissions, 1,685,099 (8.9%) had record of a cancer diagnosis. A cancer diagnosis was associated with an increased risk of readmission compared to non-cancer patients (23.5% vs. 13.6%, p < 0.001). However, among readmissions, cancer patients were less likely to have a preventable readmission (6.5% vs. 12.1%, p < 0.001). When considering the 10 most common causes of initial hospitalization, cancer was associated with an increased risk of readmission for each of these 10 causes (OR range 1.1-2.7, all p < 0.05) compared to non-cancer patients admitted for the same causes. Compared to patients aged 45-64, a younger age was associated with increased risk for cancer patients (OR 1.29, 95%CI [1.24-1.34]) but decreased risk for non-cancer patients (OR 0.65, 95%CI [0.64-0.66]). Among cancer patients, cancer site was the most robust individual predictor for readmission with liver (OR 1.47, 95%CI [1.39-1.55]), pancreas (OR 1.36, 95%CI [1.29-1.44]), and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (OR 1.35, 95%CI [1.29-1.42]) having the highest risk compared to the reference group of prostate cancer patients. Conclusions: Cancer patients have a higher risk of 30-day readmission, with increased risks among younger cancer patients, and with individual risks varying by cancer type. Future risk stratification approaches should consider cancer patients as an independent group with unique risks of readmission.

Download Full-text

Long-term Effects of Telemonitoring on Healthcare Usage in Patients with Heart Failure or COPD (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.10981 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Jorien Maria Margaretha van der Burg ◽

Nasir Ahmad Aziz ◽

Maurits C. Kaptein ◽

Martine J.M. Breteler ◽

Joris H. Jansen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Healthcare Costs ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Disease Stage ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Home Telemonitoring ◽

Copd Patients ◽

Patients With Heart Failure

UNSTRUCTURED Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of home telemonitoring in reducing healthcare usage and costs in patients with heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Design The study was a retrospective observational study with a pre-post research design and a follow-up duration of up to 3 years, based on hospital data collected in the period 2012-2016. Setting Data was collected at the Slingeland Hospital in Doetinchem, The Netherlands. Participants In 2012 the Slingeland Hospital in The Netherlands started a telemonitoring program for patients with COPD or heart failure as part of their usual care. Patients were eligible for the telemonitoring program if they were in an advanced disease stage (New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class 3 or 4; COPD gold stage 3 or 4), received treatment for their condition by a cardiologist or pulmonary specialist at the Slingeland Hospital, were proficient in Dutch and capable of providing informed consent. Exclusion criteria were absence of the cognitive, physical or logistical ability required to fully participate in the program. Hundred seventy-seven patients with heart failure and 83 patients with COPD enrolled the program between 2012 and 2016. Intervention Using a touchscreen, participants with heart failure recorded their weight (daily), blood pressure and heart rate (once a week) through connected instruments, and completed a questionnaire about their symptoms (once a week). Symptoms in patients with COPD were monitored via the Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ), which participants were asked to complete twice per week. All home registrations were sent via a telemonitoring application (cVitals, FocusCura, Driebergen-Rijssenburg) on the iPad to a medical service center were a trained nurse monitored the data and contacted the patient by video chat or a specialised nurse in the hospital in case of abnormal results, such as deviations from a preset threshold or alterations in symptom score. Outcome measures The primary outcome was the number of hospitalisations; the secondary outcomes were total number of hospitalisation days and healthcare costs during the follow-up period. Generalised Estimating Equations were applied to account for repeated measurements, adjusting for sex, age and length of follow-up. Results In heart failure patients (N=177), after initiation of home telemonitoring both the number of hospitalisations and the total number of hospitalisation days significantly decreased (incidence rate ratio of 0.35 (95% CI: 0.26-0.48) and 0.35 (95% CI: 0.24-0.51), respectively), as did the total healthcare costs (exp(B) = 0.11 (95% CI: 0.08-0.17)), all p < 0.001. In COPD patients (N=83) neither the number of hospitalisations nor the number of hospitalisation days changed compared to the pre-intervention period. However, the average healthcare costs were about 54% lower in COPD patients after the start of the home telemonitoring intervention (exp(B) = 0.46, 95% CI 0.25-0.84, p = 0.011). Conclusion Integrated telemonitoring significantly reduced the number of hospital admissions and days spent in hospital in patients with heart failure, but not in patients with COPD. Importantly, in both patients with heart failure and COPD the intervention substantially reduced the total healthcare costs.

Download Full-text

Venous Thromboembolism and the Risk of Death and Graft Loss in Kidney Transplant Recipients

American Journal of Nephrology ◽

10.1159/000480304 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 343-354 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ngan N. Lam ◽

Amit X. Garg ◽

Greg A. Knoll ◽

S. Joseph Kim ◽

Krista L. Lentine ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Retrospective Study ◽

Venous Thromboembolism ◽

General Population ◽

Kidney Transplant ◽

Graft Loss ◽

Transplant Recipients ◽

Kidney Transplant Recipients ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Increased Risk

Background: The implications of venous thromboembolism (VTE) for morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant recipients are not well described. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study using linked healthcare databases in Ontario, Canada to determine the risk and complications of VTE in kidney transplant recipients from 2003 to 2013. We compared the incidence rate of VTE in recipients (n = 4,343) and a matched (1:4) sample of the general population (n = 17,372). For recipients with evidence of a VTE posttransplant, we compared adverse clinical outcomes (death, graft loss) to matched (1:2) recipients without evidence of a VTE posttransplant. Results: During a median follow-up of 5.2 years, 388 (8.9%) recipients developed a VTE compared to 254 (1.5%) in the matched general population (16.3 vs. 2.4 events per 1,000 person-years; hazard ratio [HR] 7.1, 95% CI 6.0-8.4; p < 0.0001). Recipients who experienced a posttransplant VTE had a higher risk of death (28.5 vs. 11.2%; HR 4.1, 95% CI 2.9-5.8; p < 0.0001) and death-censored graft loss (13.1 vs. 7.5%; HR 2.3, 95% CI 1.4-3.6; p = 0.0006) compared to matched recipients who did not experience a posttransplant VTE. Conclusions: Kidney transplant recipients have a sevenfold higher risk of VTE compared to the general population with VTE conferring an increased risk of death and graft loss.

Download Full-text