Impact of weekend admission on in-hospital mortality in severe community-acquired pneumonia patients in Japan

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Little is known about the consequences of weekend admission on the quality of care in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia. We compared the outcomes of weekend versus weekdays' admission for these patients on risk-adjusted mortality.

METHODS

Using a large nationwide administrative database, we analysed patients with severe pneumonia who had been hospitalized in 1044 acute care hospitals between 2012 and 2013. We compared risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality of guideline-concordant care between patients admitted weekdays and patients admitted on weekends.

RESULTS

The study sample comprised 17 342 patients admitted on weekdays and 6190 patients admitted on weekends. The mortality rate of the weekend admission group was significantly higher than that of the weekday admission group (23.7% vs 20.5%; P < 0.001). Even after adjusting for baseline patient severity and need for urgent care, weekend admissions were associated with higher mortality (odds ratio: 1.10; 95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.19). The implementation rates of guideline-concordant microbiological tests (including sputum cultures and urine antigen tests) were significantly lower in the weekend admission group. These tests were found to be associated with lower in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSION

Our findings showed that weekend admission was associated with increased mortality in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia in Japan. This may have been influenced by lower implementation of microbiological testing.

Input-output analysis on the economic impact of medical care in Japan

OBJECTIVES

Since the Cabinet's decision concerning the Basic Policies 2005, the Japanese government has implemented specific measures to suppress increases in national medical care expenditure. However, we believe that the economic significance of medical care should be quantified in terms of its economic impact on national medical care expenditure. No one has examined the economic impact of all medical institutions in Japan using data from a statement of profits and losses. We used an input-output analysis to quantitatively estimate economic impact of medical care and examined its estimation range with a probabilistic sensitivity analysis.

METHODS

To estimate the economic impact and economic impact multipliers of all medical institutions in Japan, an input-output analysis model was developed using an input-output table, statement of profits and losses, margin rates, employee income rates, consumption propensity and an equilibrium output model. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted using a Monte Carlo simulation.

RESULTS

Economic impact of medical care in all medical institutions was ¥72,107.4 billion ($661.5 billion). This impact yielded a 2.78-fold return of medical care expenditure with a 95 % confidence interval ranging from 2.74 to 2.90.

CONCLUSION

Economic impact of medical care in Japan was two to three times the medical care expenditure (per unit). Production inducement of medical care is comparable to other industrial sectors that are highly influential toward the economy. The contribution to medical care should be evaluated more explicitly in national medical care expenditure policies.

The Impact of Patient Profiles and Procedures on Hospitalization Costs through Length of Stay in Community-Acquired Pneumonia Patients Based on a Japanese Administrative Database

Background

Community-acquired pneumonia is a common cause of patient hospitalization, and its burden on health care systems is increasing in aging societies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the factors that affect hospitalization costs in community-acquired pneumonia patients while considering the intermediate influence of patient length of stay.

Methods

Using a multi-institutional administrative claims database, we analyzed 30,041 patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia who had been discharged between April 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013 from 289 acute care hospitals in Japan. Possible factors associated with hospitalization costs were investigated using structural equation modeling with length of stay as an intermediate variable. We calculated the direct, indirect (through length of stay), and total effects of the candidate factors on hospitalization costs in the model. Lastly, we calculated the ratio of indirect effects to direct effects for each factor.

Results

The structural equation model showed that higher disease severities (using A-DROP, Barthel Index, and Charlson Comorbidity Index scores), use of mechanical ventilation, and tube feeding were associated with higher hospitalization costs, regardless of the intermediate influence of length of stay. The severity factors were also associated with longer length of stay durations. The ratio of indirect effects to direct effects on total hospitalization costs showed that the former was greater than the latter in the factors, except in the use of mechanical ventilation.

Conclusions

Our structural equation modeling analysis indicated that patient profiles and procedures impacted on hospitalization costs both directly and indirectly. Furthermore, the profiles were generally shown to have greater indirect effects (through length of stay) on hospitalization costs than direct effects. These findings may be useful in supporting the more appropriate distribution of health care resources.

The effects of dementia and long-term care services on the deterioration of care-needs levels of the elderly in Japan

To investigate the associations between dementia, the use of long-term care (LTC) services, and the deterioration of care-needs levels of elderly persons in Japan. Using a retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 50,268 insurance beneficiaries aged 65 years and older who had utilized LTC services between 2010 and 2011 in Kyoto prefecture, Japan. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of care-needs level deterioration. Dementia, facility care services, the male sex, older age, and lower baseline care-needs levels were associated with care-needs level deterioration. The disparity between odds ratios of home care services, dementia diagnoses, and facility care services on care-needs level deterioration diminished with increasing baseline care-needs levels. The other risk factors of care-needs level deterioration showed stronger associations as care-needs levels and age increased. The effects of baseline care-needs levels and dementia should be considered when developing LTC policies.

The relationship between the number of cardiologists and clinical practice patterns in acute heart failure: a cross-sectional observational study

OBJECTIVES

Despite the increasing burden of acute heart failure (AHF) on healthcare systems, the association between centralised cardiovascular specialist care and the quality of AHF care remains unknown. We examine the relationship between the number of cardiologists per hospital and hospital practice variations.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

In a retrospective observational study, we analysed 38,668 patients with AHF admitted to 546 Japanese acute care hospitals between 2010 and 2011 using the Diagnosis Procedure Combination administrative claims database. Sample hospitals were categorised into four groups according to the number of cardiologists per facility (none, 1-4, 5-9 and ≥10). To confirm the capability of administrative data to identify patients with AHF, the ≥10 cardiologists group was compared with two recent clinical registries in Japan.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Using multivariable logistic regression models, patient risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality rates and age-sex-adjusted ORs of various AHF therapies were calculated and compared among four hospital groups.

RESULTS

The ≥10 cardiologists group of hospitals from the administrative database had similar major underlying disease incidence and therapeutic practices to those of the clinical registry hospitals. Age-adjusted and sex-adjusted ORs of various AHF therapies in the four hospital groups revealed wide practice variations associated with the number of cardiologists. Adjusted in-hospital mortality demonstrated a negative association with the number of cardiologists. In addition, the different hospital-level distribution patterns of specific therapeutic practices illustrated the diffusion process of therapies across facilities.

CONCLUSIONS

Wide practice variations in AHF care were associated with the number of cardiologists per facility, indicating a possible relationship between the quality of AHF care and manpower resources. The provision of recommended therapies increased together with the number of cardiologists.

Development of a risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality prediction model for community-acquired pneumonia: a retrospective analysis using a Japanese administrative database

Background

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common cause of patient hospitalization and death, and its burden on the healthcare system is increasing in aging societies. Here, we develop and internally validate risk-adjustment models and scoring systems for predicting mortality in CAP patients to enable more precise measurements of hospital performance.

Methods

Using a multicenter administrative claims database, we analyzed 35,297 patients hospitalized for CAP who had been discharged between April 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013 from 303 acute care hospitals in Japan. We developed hierarchical logistic regression models to analyze predictors of in-hospital mortality, and validated the models using the bootstrap method. Discrimination of the models was assessed using c-statistics. Additionally, we developed scoring systems based on predictors identified in the regression models.

Results

The 30-day in-hospital mortality rate was 5.8%. Predictors of in-hospital mortality included advanced age, high blood urea nitrogen level or dehydration, orientation disturbance, respiratory failure, low blood pressure, high C-reactive protein levels or high degree of pneumonic infiltration, cancer, and use of mechanical ventilation or vasopressors. Our models showed high levels of discrimination for mortality prediction, with a c-statistic of 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.89-0.90) in the bootstrap-corrected model. The scoring system based on 8 selected variables also showed good discrimination, with a c-statistic of 0.87 (95% confidence interval: 0.86-0.88).

Conclusions

Our mortality prediction models using administrative data showed good discriminatory power in CAP patients. These risk-adjustment models may support improvements in quality of care through accurate hospital evaluations and inter-hospital comparisons.

The effect of centralization of health care services on travel time and its equality

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the regional variations in travel time between patient residences and medical facilities for the treatment of ischemic heart disease and breast cancer, and to simulate the effects of health care services centralization on travel time and equality of access.

METHODS

We used medical insurance claims data for inpatients and outpatients for the two target diseases that had been filed between September 2008 and May 2009 in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Using a geographical information system, patient travel times were calculated based on the driving distance between patient residences and hospitals via highways and toll roads. Locations of residences and hospital locations were identified using postal codes. We then conducted a simulation analysis of centralization of health care services to designated regional core hospitals. The simulated changes in potential spatial access to care were examined.

RESULTS

Inequalities in access to care were examined using Gini coefficients, which ranged from 0.4109 to 0.4574. Simulations of health care services centralization showed reduced travel time for most patients and overall improvements in equality of access, except in breast cancer outpatients.

CONCLUSION

Our findings may contribute to the decision-making process in policies aimed at improving the potential spatial access to health care services.

Can experience improve hospital management?

BACKGROUND

Experience curve effects were first observed in the industrial arena as demonstrations of the relationship between experience and efficiency. These relationships were largely determined by improvements in management efficiency and quality of care. In the health care industry, volume-outcome relationships have been established with respect to quality of care improvement, but little is known about the effects of experience on management efficiency. Here, we examine the relationship between experience and hospital management in Japanese hospitals.

METHODS

The study sample comprised individuals who had undergone surgery for unruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms and had been discharged from participant hospitals between April 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008. We analyzed the association between case volume (both at the hospital and surgeon level) and postoperative complications using multilevel logistic regression analysis. Multilevel log-linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the associations between case volume and length of stay (LOS) before and after surgery.

RESULTS

We analyzed 909 patients and 849 patients using the hospital-level and surgeon-level analytical models, respectively. The odds ratio of postoperative complication occurrence for an increase of one surgery annually was 0.981 (P < 0.001) at the hospital level and 0.982 (P < 0.001) at the surgeon level. The log-linear regression analyses showed that shorter postoperative LOS was significantly associated with high hospital-level case volume (coefficient for an increase of one surgery: -0.006, P = 0.009) and surgeon-level case volume (coefficient for an increase of one surgery: -0.011, P = 0.022). Although an increase of one surgery annually at the hospital level was statistically associated with a reduction of preoperative LOS by 1.1% (P = 0.006), there was no significant association detected between surgeon-level case volume and preoperative LOS (P = 0.504).

CONCLUSION

Experience at the hospital level may contribute to the improvement of hospital management efficiency.

Visualizing variations in organizational safety culture across an inter-hospital multifaceted workforce

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To develop a reliable and valid questionnaire that can distinguish features of organizational culture for patient safety across subgroups such as hospitals, professions, management/non-management positions and units/wards.

METHODS

We developed a Hospital Organizational Culture Questionnaire based on a conceptual framework incorporating items from a review of existing literature. The questionnaire was administered to hospital staff including doctors, nurses, allied health personnel, and administrative staff at six public hospitals in Japan. Reliability and validity were assessed through exploratory factor analysis, multitrait scaling analysis, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and multiple regression analysis using staff-perceived achievement of safety as the response variable. Discriminative power across subgroups was assessed with radar chart profiling.

RESULTS

Of the 3304 hospital staff surveyed, 2924 (88.5%) responded. After exploratory factor analysis and multitrait analysis, the finalized questionnaire was composed of 24 items in the following eight dimensions: improvement orientation, passion for mission, professional growth, resource allocation prioritization, inter-sectional collaboration, responsibility and authority, teamwork, and information sharing. Construct validity and internal consistency of dimensions were confirmed with multitrait analysis and Cronbach's alpha coefficients, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that improvement orientation, passion for mission, resource allocation prioritization and information sharing were significantly associated with higher achievement in safety practices. Our questionnaire tool was able to distinguish features of safety culture among different subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our questionnaire demonstrated excellent validity and reliability, and revealed distinct cultural patterns among different subgroups. Quantitative assessment of organizational safety culture with this tool may further the understanding of associated characteristics of each subgroup and provide insight into organizational readiness for patient safety improvement.

Survival analyses of postoperative lung cancer patients: an investigation using Japanese administrative data

Long-term survival rates of cancer patients represent important information for policymakers and providers, but analyses from voluntary cancer registries in Japan may not reflect the overall situation. In 2003, the Diagnosis Procedure Combination Per-Diem Payment System (DPC/PDPS) for hospital reimbursement was introduced in Japan; more than half of Japan's acute care beds are currently covered under this system. Administrative data produced under the DPC system include claims data and clinical summaries for each admission. Due to the large amount of data spanning multiple institutions, this database may have applications in providing a more general and inclusive overview of healthcare. Here, we investigate the use of administrative data for analyses of long-term survival in cancer patients. We analyzed postoperative survival in 7,064 patients with primary non-small cell lung cancer admitted to 102 hospitals between April 2008 and March 2013 using DPC data. Survival was defined at the last date of examination or discharge within the study period, and the event was mortality during the same period. Overall survival rates for different cancer stages were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Additionally, survival rates of cancer patients at clinical stage IA were compared between low- and high-volume hospitals using the Log-rank test. Postoperative 5-year survival for patients at stage IA was 85.8% (95% CI = 78.6%-93.0%). High-volume hospitals had higher survival rates than hospitals with lower volume. Our findings using large-scale administrative data were similar to previous clinical registry reports, showing potential applications as a new method in analyzing up-to-date healthcare information.

Widening disparity in the geographic distribution of pediatricians in Japan

BACKGROUND

The shortage of physicians in Japan is a serious concern, particularly in specialties like pediatrics. The purpose of this study was to investigate recent changes in the geographic distribution of pediatricians and the factors underlying this change.

METHODS

We investigated the numerical changes in the pediatrician workforce (2002 to 2007) per 100,000 of the population under the age of 15 years in 369 secondary medical areas throughout Japan, using attributive variables such as population size, social and economic status, and pediatric service delivery. We performed principal component analysis and multiple regression analysis.

RESULTS

We obtained two principal components: one that reflected the degree of urbanization and another that reflected the volume of pediatric service delivery. Only the first component score was positively correlated with an increased pediatrician workforce per 100,000 of the population under the age of 15 years. We classified the secondary medical areas into four groups using component scores. The increase in pediatrician workforce during this period was primarily absorbed into the two groups with higher levels of urbanization, whereas the two rural groups exhibited little increase. Pediatricians aged 50 to 59 years increased in all four groups, whereas pediatricians aged 30 to 39 years decreased in the two rural groups and increased in the two urban groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The trends of the pediatrician workforce increase generally kept pace with urbanization, but were not associated with the original pediatrician workforce supply. The geographic distribution of pediatricians showed rapid concentration in urban areas. This trend was particularly pronounced among female pediatricians and those aged 30 to 39 years. Given that aging pediatricians in rural areas are not being replaced by younger doctors, these areas will likely face new crises when senior physicians retire.

Association of healthcare expenditures with aggressive versus palliative care for cancer patients at the end of life: a cross-sectional study using claims data in Japan

BACKGROUND

End-of-life (EOL) care imposes heavy economic burdens on patients and health insurers. Little is known about the association between the types of EOL care and healthcare costs for cancer patients across various providers.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the association of healthcare expenditures with benchmarking indicators of aggressive versus palliative care among terminally ill cancer patients, from the perspective of health insurers.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional retrospective study using health insurance claims data.

SETTING

participants Cancer patients who had died in Kyoto prefecture, Japan, between April 2009 and May 2010. Main outcome measure Claims data were analyzed using multilevel generalized linear models to examine whether aggressive care and palliative care were associated with expenditures during the last 3 months of life, after adjusting for patient characteristics, hospital characteristics and other non-indicator procedures.

RESULTS

We analyzed 3143 decedents from 54 hospitals. Median expenditure per patient during the last 3 months was US$13 030. Higher expenditures were associated with the aggressive care indicators of higher mortality at acute-care hospitals and use of chemotherapy in the last month of life, as well as with the palliative care indicators of increased hospice care and opioid use in the last 3 months of life. However, increased physician home care in the last 3 months was associated with lower expenditure.

CONCLUSIONS

Indicators of both aggressive and palliative EOL care were associated with higher healthcare expenditures. These results may support the coherent development of measures to optimize aggressive care and reduce the financial burdens of terminal cancer care.

Association of geographical factors with administration of tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND

Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is an effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke if administered within a few hours of stroke onset. Because of this time restriction, tPA administration remains infrequent. Ambulance use is an effective strategy for increasing tPA administration but may be influenced by geographical factors. The objectives of this study are to investigate the relationship between tPA administration and ambulance use and to examine how patient travel distance and population density affect tPA utilization.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analyzed administrative claims data from 114,194 acute ischemic stroke cases admitted to 603 hospitals between July 2010 and March 2012. Mixed-effects logistic regression models of patients nested within hospitals with a random intercept were generated to analyze possible predictive factors (including patient characteristics, ambulance use, and driving time from home to hospital) of tPA administration for different population density categories to investigate differences in these factors in various regional backgrounds. Approximately 5.1% (5797/114,194) of patients received tPA. The composition of baseline characteristics varied among the population density categories, but adjustment for covariates resulted in all factors having similar associations with tPA administration in every category. The administration of tPA was associated with patient age and severity of stroke symptoms, but driving time showed no association. Ambulance use was significantly associated with tPA administration even after adjustment for covariates.

CONCLUSION

The association between ambulance use and tPA administration suggests the importance of calling an ambulance for suspected stroke. Promoting ambulance use for acute ischemic stroke patients may increase tPA use.

Factors associated with the administration of tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND

The use of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) can be an effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke if administered promptly. Despite its clinical effectiveness, overall use in Japan remains low, and regional variations have been reported. Factors such as ambulance utilization and geographical distance from patients' residences to hospitals may influence t-PA administration rates. The aim of this study is to identify factors associated with the administration of t-PA for acute ischemic stroke while adjusting for casemix using a large-scale administrative database in Japan.

METHODS

We analyzed acute ischemic stroke patients admitted to acute care hospitals between July 2010 and March 2011 using a nationwide database. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors influencing t-PA administration. Candidate factors included patient gender, age, stroke severity, direct distance between each patient's residence and admitting hospital, and ambulance utilization.

RESULTS

Of the 10,615 ischemic stroke patients from 89 hospitals analyzed, 557 (5.2%) received t-PA treatment. Patients aged 75 years and older were found to be associated with decreased t-PA administration. In contrast, severe stroke and ambulance utilization were associated with increased t-PA administration. Distance was not significantly associated with the use of t-PA.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that ambulance utilization is an important factor for improving the likelihood of t-PA administration in patients with stroke and may underline a need for educational programs to the general public that promote the use of ambulances for suspected stroke patients.

The impact of acute organ dysfunction on patients' mortality with severe sepsis

Background:

Severe sepsis leads to organ failure and results in high mortality. Organ dysfunction is an independent prognostic factor for intensive care unit (ICU) mortality. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of acute organ dysfunction for ICU mortality in patients with severe sepsis using administrative data.

Materials and Methods:

A multicenter cross-sectional study was performed in 2008. The study was conducted in 112 teaching hospitals in Japan. All cases with severe sepsis in ICU were identified from administrative data.

Results:

Administrative data acquired for 4196 severe septic cases of 75,069 cases entered in the ICU were used to assess patient outcomes. Cardiovascular dysfunction was identified as the most major organ dysfunction (73.0%), and the followings were respiratory dysfunction (69.4%) and renal dysfunction (39.0%), respectively. The ICU mortality and 28-day means 28-day from ICU entry. were 18.8% and 27.7%, respectively. After adjustment for age, gender, and severity of illness, the hazard ratio of 2, 3, and ≥4, the organ dysfunctions for one organ failure on ICU mortality was 1.6, 2.0, and 2.7, respectively.

Conclusions:

We showed that the number of organ dysfunction was a useful indicator for ICU mortality on administrative data. The hepatic dysfunction was the highest mortality among organ dysfunctions. The hazard ratio of ICU death in severe septic patients with multiple organ dysfunctions was average 2.2 times higher than severe septic patients with single organ dysfunction.

Improving the assessment of prescribing: use of a ‘substitution index’

Objectives

To analyse the current and potential utilization of generic drugs in Japan, to examine the maximum possible cost savings from generic drug use and to develop a fairer measure to assess the level of generic drug substitution.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective analysis of nine million dispensing records during January to March 2010 in Kyoto Prefecture. Maximum potential quantity-based shares were defined as the quantity of generic drugs used plus the quantity of branded drugs that could have been replaced by generic drugs divided by the quantity of all drugs dispensed. We developed a ‘substitution index’, defined as the proportion of generic drugs out of the total drugs substitutable with generic drugs (based on quantity rather than cost).

Results

Generic drugs had a quantity-based share of 17.9%, a cost-based share of 8.9% and a maximum potential quantity-based share of 50.1%, which is lower than the actual generic drug shares of some other countries. The maximum possible cost savings as a result of generic drug substitution was 16.5%. We also observed wide variations in maximum potential quantity-based shares between health care sectors and health care institutions.

Conclusions

Simple comparisons based on quantity-based shares may misrepresent the actual generic drug use. A substitution index that takes into account the maximum potential quantity-based share of generic drugs as a fairer measure may promote more realistic goals and encourage generic drug usage.

Physician adherence to asthma treatment guidelines in Japan: focus on inhaled corticosteroids

OBJECTIVES

Asthma treatment guidelines recommend inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) as the first-line therapy. However, ICS are prescribed to lower percentages of asthmatic patients in Japan than in other developed countries. The aim of this study was to reveal factors affecting the prescription of ICS for asthmatic adults.

METHODS

Using insurance claims data in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, we performed a cross-sectional study. We assessed whether outpatients aged 15 years or older who were diagnosed with asthma had received ICS or not, and conducted logistic regression analyses to identify patients' and facilities' factors associated with ICS use.

RESULTS

We analysed 13,428 asthmatic adults, of which 51% were prescribed ICS. Patients receiving asthma care at facilities with respiratory or allergy specialists were more likely to receive ICS than facilities without specialists (adjusted odds ratio 2.70; 95% confidence interval 2.46-2.97). Those aged 75 years or older were less likely to receive ICS than those aged 15 to 64 (adjusted odds ratio 0.71; 95% confidence interval 0.64-0.78). An examination of the interaction between the presence or absence of specialists and facility training status suggested that whether asthmatic adults received ICS depended on the former factor rather than the latter.

CONCLUSION

The presence of specialists in facilities and the age of patients were strong factors affecting ICS prescription. Increases in ICS therapy for the elderly and ICS prescription by non-specialists would lead to an overall increase in patients receiving ICS and consequently achieving the goal of asthma control.

Development of efficiency indicators of operating room management for multi-institutional comparisons

OBJECTIVES

The efficiency of a hospital's operating room (OR) management can affect its overall profitability. However, existing indicators that assess OR management efficiency do not take into account differences in hospital size, manpower and functional characteristics, thereby rendering them unsuitable for multi-institutional comparisons. The aim of this study was to develop indicators of OR management efficiency that would take into account differences in hospital size and manpower, which may then be applied to multi-institutional comparisons.

METHODS

Using administrative data from 224 hospitals in Japan from 2008 to 2010, we performed four multiple linear regression analyses at the hospital level, in which the dependent variables were the number of operations per OR per month, procedural fees per OR per month, total utilization times per OR per month and total fees per OR per month for each of the models.

RESULTS

The expected values of these four indicators were produced using multiple regression analysis results, adjusting for differences in hospital size and manpower, which are beyond the control of process owners' management. However, more than half of the variations in three of these four indicators were shown to be explained by differences in hospital size and manpower.

CONCLUSION

Using the ratio of observed to expected values (OE ratio), as well as the difference between the two values (OE difference) allows hospitals to identify weaknesses in efficiency with more validity when compared to unadjusted indicators. The new indicators may support the improvement and sustainment of a high-quality health care system.

The association between health care spending and quality of care for stroke patients in Japan

Objective

To elucidate the association between health care spending and the quality of care in ischaemic stroke patients in Kyoto prefecture, Japan.

Methods

Municipalities in Kyoto were categorized into quartiles based on age–sex adjusted spending for ischaemic stroke admissions. We used logistic regression models to analyse if patients from lower spending municipalities were less likely to obtain high-quality care. The sample consisted of patients admitted to hospitals in Kyoto prefecture due to ischaemic stroke between February 2009 and March 2010. Quality measures included process indicators such as diagnostic tests, recommended medications, and rehabilitation services; and outcome measures of in-hospital mortality and 30-day mortality rates.

Results

Mean health care spending per patient ranged from 9749 US dollars (USD) to USD 14,303 from the lowest to highest municipalities. Patients from municipalities in the lowest spending quartile were significantly associated with poorer performance in the majority of the process indicators but had similar mortality rates to patients from high-spending municipalities.

Conclusions

Spending was found to be unevenly associated with the quality of care provided and may be indicative of an insufficient provision of resources and specialist expertise in the lower spending municipalities. Further efforts must be made to improve the quality of care in lower spending regions in Japan.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Omalizumab for the Treatment of Severe Asthma in Japan and the Value of Responder Prediction Methods Based on a Multinational Trial

OBJECTIVES

Omalizumab improves health outcomes for patients with severe asthma. The purpose of this study was to conduct a cost-utility analysis of omalizumab from a societal perspective by using the results from a randomized controlled trial in Japan, and explore the efficient use of omalizumab.

METHODS

We developed a Markov model to compare omalizumab add-on therapy with standard therapy. Patients transitioned between symptom-free, day-to-day, and exacerbation states. Our model had a lifetime horizon in which 5-year omalizumab add-on therapy was followed by standard therapy. Preference-based utilities were extracted from another study. We estimated the expected value of perfect information for patients' response to omalizumab.

RESULTS

In the base case, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for omalizumab add-on therapy was US $755,200 (95% credible interval [CI] $614,200-$1,298,500) per quality-adjusted life-year gained, compared with standard therapy alone. One-way sensitivity analyses indicated that the results were sensitive to asthma-related mortality, exacerbation risk, and omalizumab cost. The ICER for a responder subgroup was 22% lower than that in the base case. Individual and population expected value of perfect informations for the response were $4100 (95% CI $2500-$6000) and $28 million (95% CI $17 million-$42 million) per year, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

With a willingness-to-pay of $45,000 per quality-adjusted life-year, omalizumab was not cost-effective in Japan. Confining omalizumab therapy to previously predicted responders, however, may be a reasonable strategy to reduce the ICER, as the cost-effectiveness was observed to improve for these patients. Further studies should be conducted to explore responder prediction methods. Decreasing the price of omalizumab would improve cost-effectiveness.

Effect of certified training facilities for intensive care specialists on mortality in Japan

OBJECTIVE

To compare patient outcomes in hospitals certified by the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine (JSICM) as training facilities for intensive care specialists with patient outcomes in hospitals not certified by the JSICM (non-CFs).

DESIGN

A retrospective case-control study using administrative data.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Inhospital mortality.

RESULTS

164 803 intensive care unit admissions were identified between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2010, of which 159 540 were for adults (≥18 years). A total of 50 875 patients in 125 hospitals were admitted to certified facilities (CFs) and 108 665 patients in 309 hospitals were admitted to non-CFs. Inhospital mortality rates were 9.9% and 10.6% in CFs and non-CFs, respectively (P < 0.001). After adjusting for age, emergency admission, admission route, use of vasopressors, mechanical ventilation, and renal replacement therapy, the odds ratio for hospital mortality in CF-treated patients was 0.81 (95% confidence interval, 0.78-0.85). The c statistic of the model was 0.881.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients admitted to the intensive care unit in CFs had better outcomes. To improve patient outcomes, more board-certified intensivists are required in Japan.

Development and validation of an acute heart failure-specific mortality predictive model based on administrative data

BACKGROUND

Acute heart failure (AHF) with its high in-hospital mortality is an increasing burden on healthcare systems worldwide, and comparing hospital performance is required for improving hospital management efficiency. However, it is difficult to distinguish patient severity from individual hospital care effects. The aim of this study was to develop a risk adjustment model to predict in-hospital mortality for AHF using routinely available administrative data.

METHODS

Administrative data were extracted from 86 acute care hospitals in Japan. We identified 8620 hospitalized patients with AHF from April 2010 to March 2011. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to analyze various patient factors that might affect mortality. Two predictive models (models 1 and 2; without and with New York Heart Association functional class, respectively) were developed and bootstrapping was used for internal validation. Expected mortality rates were then calculated for each hospital by applying model 2.

RESULTS

The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 7.1%. Factors independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality included advanced age, New York Heart Association class, and severe respiratory failure. In contrast, comorbid hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and atrial fibrillation/flutter were found to be associated with lower in-hospital mortality. Both model 1 and model 2 demonstrated good discrimination with c-statistics of 0.76 (95% confidence interval, 0.74-0.78) and 0.80 (95% confidence interval, 0.78-0.82), respectively, and good calibration after bootstrap correction, with better results in model 2.

CONCLUSIONS

Factors identifiable from administrative data were able to accurately predict in-hospital mortality. Application of our model might facilitate risk adjustment for AHF and can contribute to hospital evaluations.

Burden of household environmental tobacco smoke on medical expenditure for Japanese women: a population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

The economic consequences of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) have been simulated using models. We examined the individual-level association between ETS exposure and medical costs among Japanese nonsmoking women.

METHODS

This population-based cohort study enrolled women aged 40 to 79 years living in a rural community. ETS exposure in homes at baseline was assessed with a self-administered questionnaire. We then collected health insurance claims data on direct medical expenditures from 1995 through 2007. Using generalized linear models with interaction between ETS exposure level and age stratum, average total monthly expenditure (inpatient plus outpatient care) per capita for nonsmoking women highly exposed and moderately exposed to ETS were compared with expenditures for unexposed women. We performed separate analyses for survivors and nonsurvivors.

RESULTS

We analyzed data from 4870 women. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, survivors aged 70 to 79 who were highly exposed to ETS incurred higher expenditures than those who were not exposed. We found no significant difference in expenditures between moderately exposed and unexposed women. Total expenditures were not significantly associated with ETS exposure among survivors aged 40 to 69 or nonsurvivors of any age stratum.

CONCLUSIONS

We calculated individual-level excess medical expenditures attributable to household exposure to ETS among surviving older women. The findings provide direct evidence of the economic burden of ETS, which is helpful for policymakers who seek to achieve the economically attractive goal of eliminating ETS.

Impact of hospital case volume on quality of end-of-life care in terminal cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Quality of end-of-life (EOL) care is gaining increasing attention. However, the relationship between hospital case volume and performance of benchmark quality indicators is not well characterized. The aim of this study was to determine whether hospital case volume affects EOL care for terminal cancer patients.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study using claims data of patients who died of cancer at acute-care hospitals in Kyoto prefecture, Japan, between March 2009 and May 2010. Hospitals were grouped into tertiles based on the number of terminal cancer cases. We used multilevel logistic regression models to examine the association of the following quality indicators with the tertiles: opioid use during the last 2 months of life (indicating good quality of care), provision of intensive care unit (ICU) service or life-sustaining treatments during the last month of life (poor quality), and chemotherapy during the last month of life (poor quality).

RESULTS

The final sample for analysis consisted of 3294 decedents from 88 hospitals. Significant associations between hospital case volume and quality of EOL care were identified after adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics. Small- and medium-volume hospitals were found to be less likely to administer opioids, and medium-volume hospitals were more likely to provide ICU service or life-sustaining treatments when compared with large-volume hospitals. No significant association between chemotherapy use and case volume was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed that the case volume of terminally ill cancer patients was associated with several aspects of quality of EOL care.

Impact of postgraduate education on physician practice for community-acquired pneumonia

BACKGROUND

Clinical practice guidelines on community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are widely recognized by hospitals in Japan; however, little is known about the effect of postgraduate education on physicians' adherence to the guidelines or on patient outcomes.

METHOD

We conducted a chart review of inpatient CAP cases at a single teaching hospital in Japan from 2003 to 2005, during which the educational programme for residents was gradually reinforced by the introduction of multifaceted education and training in the management of infectious diseases. To assess the effects of this educational programme, we measured process indicators such as usage of diagnostic tests, choice of antibiotics, and clinical outcomes, including length of antibiotic treatment, length of stay, and mortality.

RESULTS

Several improvements were observed after educational intervention: (1) more frequent blood, sputum cultures, and Gram stain tests; (2) less frequent use of broad-spectrum antibiotics as the initial empiric therapy (from 50% to 12%) and on hospital day 5 (from 66.7% to 10%); and (3) median length of stay was shorter after intervention (16.5 days to 13 days).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that multifaceted educational intervention for residents focused on diagnostic efforts, including Gram stain and cultures, choice of antibiotics with the appropriate spectrum, and de-escalation of antibiotics, can increase adherence to CAP guidelines as well as improve clinical outcomes.

Effects of the per diem prospective payment system with DRG-like grouping system (DPC/PDPS) on resource usage and healthcare quality in Japan

OBJECTIVES

In 2003, Japan introduced the prospective payment system (PPS) with diagnosis-related groups (DRG) rearranged grouping system called the diagnostic procedure combination/per-diem payment system (DPC/PDPS). Even after eight years, little is known about the effects of DPC/PDPS. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of DPC/PDPS on resource usage and healthcare quality.

METHODS

Using 2001-2009 (fiscal year) administrative data of acute myocardial infarction patients, four indices, including inpatient total accumulated medical charges, length of stay (LOS), mortality rate, and readmission rate, were compared between patients reimbursed by DPC/PDPS or by fee-for-service.

RESULTS

DPC/PDPS significantly reduced total accumulated medical charges by $1061 (95% confidence interval [CI], -2007, -116) and LOS by 2.29 days (95% CI, -3.71, -0.88) after risk adjustment. However, mortality rate (Odds ratio [OR], 0.94; 95% CI, 0.73, 1.21) was unchanged. Furthermore, DPC/PDPS increased the readmission rate (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.03, 1.82).

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that DPC/PDPS was associated with reduced resource usage, but not improved healthcare quality, as with DRG/PPSs in other countries. To achieve successful healthcare reform, further discussion on additional motives will be required.

[Lifetime medical expenditures of smokers and nonsmokers]

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to examine which of the two groups have higher lifetime medical expenditures; male smokers or male nonsmokers. We conducted this investigation using a Japanese single cohort database to calculate long-term medical expenditures and 95% confidence intervals.

METHODS

We first constructed life tables for male smokers and male nonsmokers from the age of 40 years after analyzing their mortality rates. Next, we calculated the average annual medical expenditures of each of the two groups, categorized into survivors and deceased. Finally, we calculated long-term medical expenditures and performed sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS

The results showed that although smokers had generally higher annual medical expenditures than nonsmokers, the former's lifetime medical expenditure was slightly lower than the latter's because of a shorter life expectancy that resulted from a higher mortality rate. Sensitivity analyses did not reverse the order of the two lifetime medical expenditures.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, although smoking may not result in an increase in lifetime medical expenditures, it is associated with diseases, decreased life expectancy, lower quality of life (QOL), and generally higher annual medical expenditures. It is crucial to promote further tobacco control strategically by maximizing the use of available data.

[Readmission rate for health care delivery system assessment]

OBJECTIVES

The health care system in Japan has undergone major changes, with increasing focus on specialization and continuity of care in its organization and delivery. Reducing the average length of stay is central to this plan. Readmission is often seen as an avoidable consequence of early discharges. And therefore, the readmission rate is used to assess the quality and efficiency of care. In this study, the main subjects in the implementation of readmission rate as an indicator are laid out and the framework for readmission in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients is applied.

METHODS

Literature review concerning readmission in AMI patients was conducted to understand the key points of the framework of the readmission. We then used insurance claims data to implement readmission as an indicator. The study sample consisted of 2,332 patients hospitalized due to AMI in Kyoto Prefecture from April 2009 to March 2010.

RESULTS

The 30-day readmission rate after AMI discharge was 3.7% (87/2,332), with the majority of these admissions due to coronary disease (38%). This rate was extremely low compared to the results reported in other countries, with readmission rates as high as 20% observed in the US. However, we observed that countries with high readmission rates had correspondingly short lengths of stay (LOS), and countries such as Germany and Japan with low readmission rates had long LOS.

CONCLUSIONS

The readmission rate in Japan is low compared with those in other countries although mean LOS is long. The use of readmission rate may have applications in understanding trends in healthcare quality as Japan attempts to reduce LOS durations.

Evaluation of resource allocation and supply-demand balance in clinical practice with high-cost technologies

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Japan has one of the highest numbers of high-cost medical devices installed relative to its population. While evaluations of the distribution of these devices traditionally involve simple population-based assessments, an indicator that includes the demand of these devices would more accurately reflect the situation. The purpose of this study was to develop an indicator of the supply-demand balance of such devices, using examples of magnetic resonance imaging scanners (MRI) and extracorporeal shockwave lithotripters (ESWL), and to investigate the relationship between this indicator, personnel distribution statuses and operating statuses at the prefectural level.

METHODS

Using data from nation-wide surveys and claims data from 16 hospitals, we developed an indicator based on the ratio of the supplied number of device units to the number of device units in demand for MRI and ESWL. The latter value was based on patient volume and utilization proportion. Correlation analyses were conducted between the supply-demand balances of these devices, personal distribution and operating statuses.

RESULTS

Comparisons between our indicator and conventional population-based indicators revealed that 15% and 30% of prefectures were at risk of underestimating the availability of MRI and ESWL, respectively. The numbers of specialist personnel/device units showed significant, negative correlations with our indicators in both devices.

CONCLUSIONS

Utilization-based analyses of health care resource placement and utilization status provide a more accurate indication than simple population-based assessments, and can assist decision makers in reviewing gaps between health policy and management. Such an indicator therefore has the potential to be a tool in helping to improve the efficiency of the allocation and placement of such devices.

Impact of system-level activities and reporting design on the number of incident reports for patient safety

BACKGROUND

Incident reporting is a promising tool to enhance patient safety, but few empirical studies have been conducted to identify factors that increase the number of incident reports. Objective To evaluate how the number of incident reports are related to system-level activities and reporting design.

METHODS

A questionnaire survey was administered to all 1039 teaching hospitals in Japan. Items on the survey included number of reported incidents; reporting design of incidents; and status for system-level activities, including assignment of safety managers, conferences, ward rounds by peers, and staff education. Staff education encompasses many aspects of patient safety and is not limited to incident reporting. Poisson regression models were used to determine whether these activities and design of reporting method increase incident reports filed by physicians and nurses.

RESULTS

Educational activities were significantly associated with reporting by physicians (53% increase, p<0.001) but had no significant effect on nurse-generated reports. More reports were submitted by physicians and nurses in hospitals where time involved with filing a report was short (p<0.05). The impact of online reporting was limited to a 26% increase in physicians' reports (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

In accordance with the suggestions by previous studies that examined staff perceptions and attitudes, this study empirically demonstrated that to decrease burden to reporting and to implement staff educations may improve incident reporting.

Validation of a novel method to identify healthcare-associated infections

Despite its potential for use in large-scale analyses, previous attempts to utilise administrative data to identify healthcare-associated infections (HAI) have been shown to be unsuccessful. In this study, we validate the accuracy of a novel method of HAI identification based on antibiotic utilisation patterns derived from administrative data. We contemporaneously and independently identified HAIs using both chart review analysis and our method from four Japanese hospitals (N=584). The accuracy of our method was quantified using sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) relative to chart review analysis. We also analysed the inter-rater agreement between both identification methods using Cohen's kappa coefficient. Our method showed a sensitivity of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.87-0.96), specificity of 0.91 (0.89-0.94), PPV of 0.75 (0.68-0.81) and NPV of 0.98 (0.96-0.99). A kappa coefficient of 0.78 indicated a relatively high level of agreement between the two methods. Our results show that our method has sufficient validity for identification of HAIs in large groups of patients, though the relatively lower PPV may imply limited utilisation in the pinpointing of individual infections. Our method may have applications in large-scale HAI identification, risk-adjusted multicentre studies involving cost of illness, or even as the starting point of future cost-effectiveness analyses of HAI control measures.

Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Ischaemic Stroke Patients from 36 Japanese Hospitals: Risk-Adjusted Economic and Clinical Outcomes

Background

Healthcare-associated infections are a major cause for worsening in ischaemic stroke patients. In addition to increased morbidity and mortality, healthcare-associated infections also result in a potentially preventable increase in economic costs.

Aims

The aim of this study was to identify healthcare-associated infection incidence in ischaemic stroke patients in Japanese hospitals, and to conduct a risk-adjusted analysis of the associated economic and clinical outcomes.

Methods

Healthcare-associated infections were identified in 36 Japanese hospitals using an administrative database. Identification was carried out using a combination of International Classification of Diseases-10 codes and antibiotic utilisation patterns that indicated the presence of an infection. Risk-adjusted hospital charges and length of stay were calculated using multiple linear regression analyses correcting for patient and hospital factors. A logistic regression model was used to analyse the association between healthcare-associated infection infection and mortality.

Results

There was an overall healthcare-associated infection incidence of 16·4 %, with an interhospital range of 4·7–28·3%. After risk-adjustment, infected cases paid an additional US$3 067 per admission (interhospital range US$434–US$7 151) and were hospitalised for an additional 16·3-days (interhospital range: 5·1–25·1-days) when compared with uninfected patients. Healthcare-associated infections also had a strongly significant association with increased mortality (odds ratio=23·2, 95% confidence intervals: 12·5–43·2).

Conclusions

We observed a wide range of healthcare-associated infection incidence between the hospitals. Healthcare-associated infections were found to be significantly associated with increased hospital charges, length of stay, and mortality. Furthermore, the use of risk-adjusted multi-institutional comparisons allowed us to analyse individual performance levels in both infection and cost control.

Variations in analytical methodology for estimating costs of hospital-acquired infections: a systematic review

Quantifying the additional costs of hospital-acquired infections (COHAI) is essential for developing cost-effective infection control measures. The methodological approaches to estimate these costs include case reviews, matched comparisons and regression analyses. The choice of cost estimation methodologies can affect the accuracy of the resulting estimates, however, with regression analyses generally able to avoid the bias pitfalls of the other methods. The objective of this study was to elucidate the distributions and trends in cost estimation methodologies in published studies that have produced COHAI estimates. We conducted systematic searches of peer-reviewed publications that produced cost estimates attributable to hospital-acquired infection in MEDLINE from 1980 to 2006. Shifts in methodologies at 10-year intervals were analysed using Fisher's exact test. The most frequent method of COHAI estimation methodology was multiple matched comparisons (59.6%), followed by regression models (25.8%), and case reviews (7.9%). There were significant increases in studies that used regression models and decreases in matched comparisons through the 1980s, 1990s and post-2000 (P = 0.033). Whereas regression analyses have become more frequently used for COHAI estimations in recent years, matched comparisons are still used in more than half of COHAI estimation studies. Researchers need to be more discerning in the selection of methodologies for their analyses, and comparative analyses are needed to identify more accurate estimation methods. This review provides a resource for analysts to overview the distribution, trends, advantages and pitfalls of the various existing COHAI estimation methodologies.