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Haag A, Hosein S, Lyon S, Labban M, Wun J, Herzog P, Cone EB, Schoenfeld AJ, Trinh QD. Outcomes for Arthroplasties in Military Health: A Retrospective Analysis of Direct Versus Purchased Care. Mil Med 2023; 188:45-51. [PMID: 37948209 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usac441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Department of Defense is reforming the military health system where surgeries are increasingly referred from military treatment facilities (MTFs) with direct care to higher-volume civilian hospitals under purchased care. This shift may have implications on the quality and cost of care for TRICARE beneficiaries. This study examined the impact of care source and surgical volume on perioperative outcomes and cost of total hip arthroplasties (THAs) and total knee arthroplasties (TKAs). MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined TRICARE claims for patients who underwent THA or TKA between 2006 and 2019. The 30-day readmissions, complications, and costs between direct and purchased care were evaluated using the logistic regression model for surgical outcomes and generalized linear models for cost. RESULTS We included 71,785 TKA and THA procedures. 11,013 (15.3%) were performed in direct care. They had higher odds of readmissions (odds ratio, OR 1.29 [95% CI, 1.12-1.50]; P < 0.001) but fewer complications (OR 0.83 [95% CI, 0.75-0.93]; P = 0.002). Within direct care, lower-volume facilities had more complications (OR 1.27 [95% CI, 1.01-1.61]; P = 0.05). Costs for index surgeries were significantly higher at MTFs $26,022 (95% CI, $23,393-$28,948) vs. $20,207 ($19,339-$21,113). Simulating transfer of care to very high-volume MTFs, estimated cost savings were $4,370/patient and $20,229,819 (95% CI, $17,406,971-$25,713,571) in total. CONCLUSIONS This study found that MTFs are associated with lower odds of complications, higher odds of readmission, and higher costs for THA and TKA compared to purchased care facilities. These findings mean that care in the direct setting is adequate and consolidating care at higher-volume MTFs may reduce health care costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Haag
- Hankamer School of Business, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA
| | - Sharif Hosein
- SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA
| | - Samuel Lyon
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Muhieddine Labban
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Urological Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jolene Wun
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Peter Herzog
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Urological Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eugene B Cone
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Urological Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Andrew J Schoenfeld
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Quoc-Dien Trinh
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Urological Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Eaglehouse YL, Seabury SA, Aljehani M, Koehlmoos T, Lee JSH, Shriver CD, Zhu K. Chemotherapy Treatment Costs and Clinical Outcomes of Colon Cancer in the U.S. Military Health System's Direct and Private Sector Care Settings. Mil Med 2023; 188:e3439-e3446. [PMID: 37167011 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usad132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Identifying low-value cancer care may be an important step in containing costs associated with treatment. Low-value care occurs when the medical services, tests, or treatments rendered do not result in clinical benefit. These may be impacted by care setting and patients' access to care and health insurance. We aimed to study chemotherapy treatment and the cost paid by the Department of Defense (DoD) for treatment in relation to clinical outcomes among patients with colon cancer treated within the U.S. Military Health System's direct and private sector care settings to better understand the value of cancer care. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cohort of patients aged 18 to 64 years with primary colon cancer diagnosed between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2014, were identified in the Military Cancer Epidemiology database. Multivariable time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the relationship between chemotherapy treatment and the cost paid by the DoD (in quartiles, Q) and the outcomes of cancer progression, cancer recurrence, and all-cause death modeled as adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). The Military Cancer Epidemiology data were approved for research by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences' Institutional Review Board. RESULTS The study included 673 patients using direct care and 431 patients using private sector care. The median per patient chemotherapy costs in direct care ($111,202) were lower than in private sector care ($350,283). In direct care, higher chemotherapy costs were associated with an increased risk of any outcome but not with all-cause death. In private sector care, higher chemotherapy costs were associated with a higher risk of any outcome and with all-cause death (aHR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.20-5.92 for Q4 vs. Q1). CONCLUSIONS The findings in the private sector may indicate low-value care in terms of the cost paid by the DoD for chemotherapy treatment and achieving desirable survival outcomes for patients with colon cancer in civilian health care. Comprehensive evaluations of value-based care among patients treated for other tumor types may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne L Eaglehouse
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Seth A Seabury
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Mayada Aljehani
- Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90064, USA
| | - Tracey Koehlmoos
- Center for Health Services Research, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Jerry S H Lee
- Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90064, USA
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Sciences, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Craig D Shriver
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Kangmin Zhu
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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Eaglehouse YL, Shriver CD, Lin J, Bytnar JA, Darmon S, McGlynn KA, Zhu K. MilCanEpi: Increased Capability for Cancer Care Research in the Department of Defense. JCO Clin Cancer Inform 2023; 7:e2300035. [PMID: 37582239 PMCID: PMC10569781 DOI: 10.1200/cci.23.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The Military Health System (MHS) of the US Department of Defense (DoD) provides comprehensive medical care to over nine million beneficiaries, including active-duty members, reservists, activated National Guard, military retirees, and their family members. The MHS generates an extensive database containing administrative claims and medical encounter data, while the DoD also maintains a cancer registry that collects information about the occurrence of cancer among its beneficiaries who receive care at military treatment facilities. Collating data from the two sources diminishes the limitations of using registry or medical claims data alone for cancer research and extends their usage. To facilitate cancer research using the unique military health resources, a computer interface linking the two databases has been developed, called Military Cancer Epidemiology, or MilCanEpi. The intent of this article is to provide an overview of the MilCanEpi data system, describing its components, structure, potential uses, and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne L. Eaglehouse
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
| | - Craig D. Shriver
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
- Department of Surgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
| | - Jie Lin
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
| | - Julie A. Bytnar
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
| | - Sarah Darmon
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
| | - Katherine A. McGlynn
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
| | - Kangmin Zhu
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
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Haag A, Nabi J, Herzog P, Kwon NK, Marchese M, Fields A, Wun J, Friedlander DF, Cone EB, Trinh QD. Is the current referral trend a threat to the Military Health System? Perioperative outcomes and costs after colorectal surgery in the Military Health System versus civilian facilities. Surgery 2021; 170:67-74. [PMID: 33494947 DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2020.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND TRICARE military beneficiaries are increasingly referred for major surgeries to civilian hospitals under "purchased care." This loss of volume may have a negative impact on the readiness of surgeons working in the "direct-care" setting at military treatment facilities and has important implications under the volume-quality paradigm. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of care source (direct versus purchased) and surgical volume on perioperative outcomes and costs of colorectal surgeries. METHODS We examined TRICARE claims and medical records for 18- to 64-year-old patients undergoing major colorectal surgery from 2006 to 2015. We used a retrospective, weighted estimating equations analysis to assess differences in 30-day outcomes (mortality, readmissions, and major or minor complications) and costs (index and total including 30-day postsurgery) for colorectal surgery patients between purchased and direct care. RESULTS We included 20,317 patients, with 24.8% undergoing direct-care surgery. Mean length of stay was 7.6 vs 7.7 days for direct and purchased care, respectively (P = .24). Adjusted 30-day odds between care settings revealed that although hospital readmissions (odds ratio 1.40) were significantly higher in direct care, overall complications (odds ratio 1.05) were similar between the 2 settings. However, mean total costs between direct and purchased care differed ($55,833 vs $30,513, respectively). Within direct care, mean total costs ($50,341; 95% confidence interval $41,509-$59,173) were lower at very high-volume facilities compared to other facilities ($54,869; 95% confidence interval $47,822-$61,916). CONCLUSION Direct care was associated with higher odds of readmissions, similar overall complications, and higher costs. Contrary to common assumptions regarding volume and quality, higher volume in the direct-care setting was not associated with fewer complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Haag
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
| | - Junaid Nabi
- Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Peter Herzog
- Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Nicollette K Kwon
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Maya Marchese
- Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Adam Fields
- Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Jolene Wun
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, MD
| | - David F Friedlander
- Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Eugene B Cone
- Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Quoc-Dien Trinh
- Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
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Liang J, Tian XF, Yang W. Effects of long non-coding RNA Opa-interacting protein 5 antisense RNA 1 on colon cancer cell resistance to oxaliplatin and its regulation of microRNA-137. World J Gastroenterol 2020; 26:1474-1489. [PMID: 32308348 PMCID: PMC7152514 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i13.1474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of colon cancer (CC) is currently high, and is mainly treated with chemotherapy. Oxaliplatin (L-OHP) is a commonly used drug in chemotherapy; however, long-term use can induce drug resistance and seriously affect the prognosis of patients. Therefore, this study investigated the mechanism of Opa-interacting protein 5 antisense RNA 1 (OIP5-AS1) on L-OHP resistance by determining the expression of OIP5-AS1 and microRNA-137 (miR-137) in CC cells and the effects on L-OHP resistance, with the goal of identifying new targets for the treatment of CC.
AIM To study the effects of long non-coding RNA OIP5-AS1 on L-OHP resistance in CC cell lines and its regulation of miR-137.
METHODS A total of 114 CC patients admitted to China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University were enrolled, and the expression of miR-137 and OIP5-AS1 in tumor tissues and corresponding normal tumor-adjacent tissues was determined. The influence of OIP5-AS1 and miR-137 on the biological behavior of CC cells was evaluated. Resistance to L-OHP was induced in CC cells, and their activity was determined and evaluated using cell counting kit-8. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the apoptosis rate, Western blot to determine the levels of apoptosis-related proteins, and dual luciferase reporter assay combined with RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation to analyze the relationship between OIP5-AS1 and miR-137.
RESULTS OIP5-AS1 was up-regulated in CC tissues and cells, while miR-137 was down-regulated in CC tissues and cells. OIP5-AS1 was inversely correlated with miR-137 (P < 0.001). Silencing OIP5-AS1 expression significantly hindered the proliferation, invasion and migration abilities of CC cells and markedly increased the apoptosis rate. Up-regulation of miR-137 expression also suppressed these abilities in CC cells and increased the apoptosis rate. Moreover, silencing OIP5-AS1 and up-regulating miR-137 expression significantly intensified growth inhibition of drug-resistant CC cells and improved the sensitivity of CC cells to L-OHP. OIP5-AS1 targetedly inhibited miR-137 expression, and silencing OIP5-AS1 reversed the resistance of CC cells to L-OHP by promoting the expression of miR-137.
CONCLUSION Highly expressed in CC, OIP5-AS1 can affect the biological behavior of CC cells, and can also regulate the resistance of CC cells to L-OHP by mediating miR-137 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130000, Jilin Province, China
| | - Xiao-Feng Tian
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130000, Jilin Province, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130000, Jilin Province, China
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Eaglehouse YL, Georg MW, Shriver CD, Zhu K. Racial Comparisons in Timeliness of Colon Cancer Treatment in an Equal-Access Health System. J Natl Cancer Inst 2020; 112:410-417. [PMID: 31271431 PMCID: PMC7156930 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djz135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-Hispanic black (NHB) adults with cancer may have longer time-to-treatment than non-Hispanic whites (NHW) in the United States. Unequal access to medical care may partially account for this racial disparity. This study aimed to investigate whether there were racial differences in time-to-treatment and in treatment delays for patients diagnosed with colon cancer in the equal-access Military Health System (MHS). METHODS Patients age 18-79 years diagnosed with colon adenocarcinoma between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2014, were identified in the Department of Defense Central Cancer Registry and the MHS Data Repository-linked databases. Median time-to-treatment (surgery and chemotherapy) and 95% confidence intervals were compared between NHBs and NHWs in multivariable quantile regression models. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of receiving delayed treatment defined by guidelines for NHBs relative to NHWs were estimated using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS Patients (n = 3067) had a mean age at diagnosis of 58.4 (12.2) years and the racial distribution was 76.7% NHW and 23.3% NHB. Median adjusted time-to-treatment was similar for NHB compared to NHW patients. The likelihood of receiving delayed treatment was similar between NHB and NHW patients. CONCLUSIONS In the MHS, there was no evidence of treatment delays for NHBs compared to NHWs, suggesting the role of equal access to medical care and insurance coverage in reducing racial disparities in colon cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne L Eaglehouse
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda
- Department of Surgery, Bethesda, MD
- F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda
| | - Matthew W Georg
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda
- F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda
| | - Craig D Shriver
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda
- Department of Surgery, Bethesda, MD
| | - Kangmin Zhu
- Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Bethesda
- F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda
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Nabi J, Haag AJ, Trinh QD. Accounting for Readiness—Integrating Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TDABC) into the Military Health System. Mil Med 2020; 185:e930-e933. [DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usaa051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Junaid Nabi
- Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis St., ASB II-3, Boston, MA 02115
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 1620 Tremont St., Suite 2-016, Boston, MA 02120
| | - Austin J Haag
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Quoc-Dien Trinh
- Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis St., ASB II-3, Boston, MA 02115
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 1620 Tremont St., Suite 2-016, Boston, MA 02120
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