scholarly journals Patterns of Healthcare Expenditures among Older United States Adults with Pain and Different Perceived Health Status

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1327
Author(s):  
David Rhys Axon ◽  
Anisa Kamel
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Medical Expenditure ◽  
Perceived Health Status ◽  
Healthcare Expenditures ◽  
Fair Poor

The objective of this study was to assess the pattern of healthcare expenditures among United States (U.S.) adults aged ≥ 50 years with pain and annual total positive healthcare expenditures with different levels of perceived health. The study used the 2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. Unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models were used to compare logarithmically transformed total healthcare expenditures between those with excellent, very good, good, and fair/poor health. The a priori alpha value was 0.05. The study included 5123 U.S. adults aged ≥50 with self-reported pain (excellent = 8.9%, very good = 28.3%, good = 36.2%, fair/poor = 26.6%). In adjusted analyses, compared to fair/poor health, those with excellent health had the greatest adjusted reduction in expenditures (55% lower), followed by very good health (36.5% lower) and good health (24.9% lower). In conclusion, total positive healthcare expenditures were comparatively lower among those with better perceived health status for older (≥ 50 years) U.S. adults with pain that interfered with normal work in the past four weeks.

scholarly journals Predictors of Mental Health Status among Older United States Adults with Pain

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
David R. Axon ◽  
Jonathan Chien
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Status ◽  
Medical Expenditure ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Good Mental Health

Poor mental health is common among older adults with pain, resulting in high economic burden and impaired quality of life. This retrospective, cross-sectional database study aimed to identify characteristics associated with good mental health status among United States (US) adults aged ≥50 years with self-reported pain in the last four weeks using a weighted sample of 2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. Hierarchical multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify statistically significant predictors of good (versus poor) perceived mental health status. From a weighted population of 57,074,842 individuals, 85.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 84.4%, 86.7%) had good perceived mental health. Good mental health was associated most strongly with physical health status (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 9.216, 95% CI = 7.044, 12.058). Employed individuals were 1.7 times more likely to report good mental health versus unemployed (AOR = 1.715, 95% CI = 1.199, 2.452). Individuals who had completed less than high school education (AOR = 0.750, 95% CI = 0.569, 0.987) or who reported having a limitation (AOR = 0.513, 95% CI = 0.384, 0.684) were less likely to report good mental health. These key characteristics can be utilized to predict mental health status, which may be investigated to better manage concurrent pain and poor mental health.

scholarly journals Racial disparities in neurologic health care access and utilization in the United States

Neurology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 88 (24) ◽  
pp. 2268-2275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Altaf Saadi ◽  
David U. Himmelstein ◽  
Steffie Woolhandler ◽  
Nicte I. Mejia
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
Medical Expenditure ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Patient Reported

Objective:To evaluate racial and ethnic differences in the utilization of neurologic care across a wide range of neurologic conditions in the United States.Methods:We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2006–2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), including information on demographics, patient-reported health conditions, neurology visit rates, and costs. Using diagnostic codes, we identified persons with any self-identified neurologic disorder except back pain, as well as 5 subgroups (Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, headache, cerebrovascular disease, and epilepsy). To assess disparities in neurologic care utilization, we performed logistic regression analyses of outpatient department neurologic care visit rates and expenditures for each racial ethnic group controlling for age, sex, health status, socioeconomic characteristics, and geographic region of care.Results:Of the 279,103 MEPS respondents, 16,936 (6%) self-reported a neurologic condition; 5,890 (2%) received a total of 13,685 outpatient neurology visits. Black participants were nearly 30% less likely to see an outpatient neurologist (odds ratio [OR] 0.72, confidence interval [CI] 0.64–0.81) relative to their white counterparts, even after adjustment for demographic, insurance, and health status differences. Hispanic participants were 40% less likely to see an outpatient neurologist (OR 0.61, CI 0.54–0.69). Among participants with known neurologic conditions, blacks were more likely to be cared for in the emergency department, to have more hospital stays, and to have higher per capita inpatient expenditures than their white counterparts.Conclusions:Our findings highlight racial and ethnic inequalities in the utilization of neurologic care in the United States.

scholarly journals Incremental Healthcare Expenditures Associated with Thyroid Disorders among Individuals with Diabetes

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit D. Raval ◽  
Usha Sambamoorthi
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Medical Expenditure ◽  
Thyroid Disorders ◽  
Healthcare Expenditures ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Outpatient Prescription ◽  
Lifestyle Risk Factors

Objective. To estimate incremental healthcare expenditures associated with thyroid disorders among individuals with diabetes.Research Design and Methods. Cross-sectional study design with data on adults over 20 years of age with diabetes (N=4,490) from two years (2007 and 2009) of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) was used. Ordinary least square regressions on log-transformed total expenditures and type of healthcare expenditures (inpatient, emergency room, outpatient, prescription drug, and other) were performed to estimate the incremental expenditures associated with thyroid disorders after controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, health status, lifestyle risk factors, macrovascular comorbid conditions (MCCs), and chronic conditions (CCs).Results. Among individuals with diabetes, those with thyroid disorders had significantly greater average annual total healthcare expenditures ($15,182) than those without thyroid disorders ($11,093). Individuals with thyroid disorders had 34.3% greater total healthcare expenditures compared to those without thyroid disorders, after controlling for demographic, socio-economic, and perceived health status. Furthermore, controlling for CCs and MCCs, this increase in expenditures was reduced to 21.4%.Conclusions. Among individuals with diabetes, thyroid disorders were associated with greater healthcare expenditures; such excess expenditures may be due to CCs and MCCs. Comanagement of CCs and reducing MCCs may be a pathway to reduce high healthcare expenditures.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document