scholarly journals Exploring the Impact of Obesity on Health Care Resources and Coding in the Acute Hospital Setting: A Feasibility Study

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 459
Author(s):  
Winnie S. Y. Tan ◽  
Adrienne M. Young ◽  
Alexandra L. Di Bella ◽  
Tracy Comans ◽  
Merrilyn Banks

Obesity is costly, yet there have been few attempts to estimate the actual costs of providing hospital care to the obese inpatient. This study aimed to test the feasibility of measuring obesity-related health care costs and accuracy of coding data for acute inpatients. A prospective observational study was conducted over three weeks in June 2018 in a single orthopaedic ward of a metropolitan tertiary hospital in Queensland, Australia. Demographic data, anthropometric measurements, clinical characteristics, cost of hospital encounter and coding data were collected. Complete demographic, anthropometric and clinical data were collected for all 18 participants. Hospital costing reports and coding data were not available within the study timeframe. Participant recruitment and data collection were resource-intensive, with mobility assistance required to obtain anthropometric measurements in more than half of the participants. Greater staff time and costs were seen in participants with obesity compared to those without obesity (obesity: body mass index ≥ 30), though large standard deviations indicate wide variance. Data collected suggest that obesity-related cost and resource use amongst acute inpatients require further exploration. This study provides recommendations for protocol refinement to improve the accuracy of data collected for future studies measuring the actual cost of providing hospital care to obese inpatients.

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Gruber ◽  
Robin McKnight

We investigate the impact of limited network insurance plans in the context of the Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission (GIC), the insurance plan for state employees. Our quasi-experimental analysis examines the introduction of a major financial incentive to choose limited network plans that affected a subset of GIC enrollees. We find that enrollees are very price sensitive in their decision to enroll in limited network plans. Those who switched spent almost 40 percent less on medical care. This reflects reductions in the quantity of services and prices paid per service. The spending reductions came from specialist and hospital care, while spending on primary care rose. (JEL G22, H75, I11, I13, J45)


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruna Camilo Turi ◽  
Henrique Luiz Monteiro ◽  
Rômulo Araújo Fernandes ◽  
Jamile Sanches Codogno

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Demont ◽  
A Bourmaud ◽  
A Kechichian ◽  
F Desmeules

Abstract Background Although the benefits of physiotherapy is well supported in the literature, the impact of having direct access to physiotherapy is not well established. Update of the current available evidence is warranted. The aim of this systematic review was to update the current evidence regarding the impact of direct access physiotherapy compared to usual care for patients with musculoskeletal disorders. Methods Systematic searches were conducted in 5 bibliographic databases up until May 2018. Two independent raters reviewed studies and used the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies to conduct the methodological quality assessment and a data extraction regarding patient outcomes, adverse events, health care utilization and processes, patient satisfaction and health care costs. Results Sixteen studies of weak to moderate quality were included. Five studies found no significant differences in pain reduction between usual family physician led care and direct access physiotherapy. However, three studies reported better clinical outcomes in patients with direct access in terms of function and quality of life. Five studies did not observe any adverse events with direct access physiotherapy. Three studies showed shorter waiting time and four studies reported fewer number of physiotherapy visits with direct access. Three studies showed that patients with direct access were less likely to have medication and imaging tests prescribed compared to usual care. Five studies reported higher levels of satisfaction for direct access. In terms of health care costs, four studies demonstrated that costs were lower with direct access and one study reported similar costs between both types of care. Conclusions Emerging evidence, although of weak to moderate quality, suggest that direct access physiotherapy provides equal or better outcomes than family physician led care models for musculoskeletal disorders patients. More methodologically strong studies are needed. Key messages This review supports the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of direct access PT, while increasing access to care with a more efficient use of resources. There is a need for more methodologically strong studies to evaluate the efficiency of direct access models of care of physiotherapy for patients with MSKD.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Harst ◽  
S Oswald ◽  
P Timpel

Abstract Background Telemedicine solutions providing patient-centered care over distance need to be integrated into the regional setting. The acceptance by both providers and patients hat to be continuously evaluated using methods of participatory implementation research. In controlled trials, often taking place in laboratory settings, these methods cannot be applied. In the following, research in progress is presented. Methods Based on socio-demographic data, epidemiology prevalence of age-related chronic diseases and data on the value of health care provision in Saxony, Germany a model region was chosen. Then, a focus group (n = 6) was conducted to differentiate the results and analyze the health networks of patients. For this, network maps putting the individual in the middle and his/her sources of information and support in case of illness in concentric circles around it, were used. The focus group was audiotaped, transcribed and analyzed by two researchers using MaxQDA. Results With a mean age of 47.8 years (n = 17,431), high prevalence of diabetes (>15.85 %) and hypertension (>39.1%) and an expected shortage of primary physicians in 2030, the town of Kamenz is a mirror image of the current health care challenges in rural areas of Saxony. Participants of the focus groups also stated problems in finding a primary physician or a dentist. Compensatory behavior, such as traveling large distances, relying on self-researched online diagnoses and immediately going to the emergency room for medical support was described. According to the network maps, primary sources of support in case of illness are partners and relatives, yet there is little connection between those and health care providers, as well as between different medical specialists. Conclusions The results will lead to potential use cases of telemedicine to be included into a standardized questionnaire for the assessment of telemedicine readiness in the model region. Key messages Telemedicine implementation in a rural area can be studied using a participatory approach. Focus groups and network maps are useful qualitative methods for participatory research and can inform the design of quantitative measurements.


2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. A100-A101
Author(s):  
MS Duh ◽  
JF Fowler ◽  
L Rovba ◽  
S Buteau ◽  
L Pinheiro ◽  
...  

2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 939-947 ◽  
Author(s):  
John S. Sampalis ◽  
Moishe Liberman ◽  
Stephane Auger ◽  
Nicolas V. Christou

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3.5) ◽  
pp. HSR19-090
Author(s):  
Henry J. Henk ◽  
Lena E. Winestone ◽  
Jennifer J. Wilkes ◽  
Laura Becker ◽  
Pamela Morin ◽  
...  

Background: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treatment improved considerably after introduction of oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). As a result, the number of patients living with CML may reach 250,000 by 2040. We track changes in TKI treatment adherence since 2001 and provide an early assessment of treatment costs following the availability of second-generation TKIs and generic imatinib. Methods: A retrospective cohort from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse, which includes claims data for privately insured and Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees in a large private U.S. health plan with medical and pharmacy benefits, was used. Patients with CML initiated TKI treatment between May 2001 and October 2016 and were continuously enrolled in the health plan 6 months prior through 12 months following TKI start. Adherence was defined by medication possession ratio (MPR1=total days’ supply of imatinib in 1st year divided by 365, 1=perfect adherence). Total health care costs include medical and prescription medication benefits. MPR1 was modeled using ordinary least squares regression. The association between MPR1 and healthcare costs was estimated using a generalized linear model specified with a gamma error distribution and a log link. Results: We identified 1,793 eligible patients. First-line TKI has changed over time (dasatinib and nilotinib represent 45% of all 2016 starts; imatinib 55%). From 2001 to 2016, adherence increased (Table 1). MPR1 was higher in men and increased with age until age ∼62 after which it declined. MPR1 was lower for patients with more comorbid conditions prior to treatment. Overall, MPR1 was inversely associated with total health care costs (medical and pharmacy) among privately insured (P<.001) but not MA enrollees. The net impact of MPR1 on total healthcare costs diminished over time (P<.001) where a 10% point decrease in MPR1 was associated with 12% and 4% lower total costs, prior to and following availability of 2nd generation TKIs, respectively. When examining medical costs only, MPR1 was inversely associated with medical costs for both privately insured (P<.001) and MA enrollees (P=.016). Conclusions: We found that adherence to TKI treatment increased over time. While imatinib is still used more frequently than other TKIs as first-line therapy, second-generation TKIs are becoming increasingly used as first-line agents. Possible cost-offsets are decreasing over time but it may be too early to formally evaluate the impact of generic imatinib.


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