Does Payer Type Influence Pediatric Burn Outcomes? A National Study Using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database

Neighborhood child opportunity is associated with hospital length of stay following pediatric burn injury

INTRODUCTION

Pediatric burns are associated with socioeconomic disadvantage and lead to significant morbidity. The Child Opportunity Index (COI) is a well-validated measure of neighborhood characteristics associated with healthy child development. We sought to evaluate the relationship between COI and outcomes of burn injuries in children.

METHODS

We performed a single-institution retrospective review of pediatric (<16 years) burn admissions between 2015 and 2019. Based on United States residential zip codes, patients were stratified into national COI quintiles. We performed a multivariate Poisson regression analysis to determine the association between COI and increased length of stay.

RESULTS

2095 pediatric burn admissions occurred over the study period. Most children admitted were from very low (n = 644, 33.2 %) and low (n = 566, 29.2 %) COI neighborhoods. The proportion of non-Hispanic Black patients was significantly higher in neighborhoods with very low (44.5 %) compared to others (low:28.8 % vs. moderate:11.9 % vs. high:10.5 % vs. very high:4.3 %) (p < 0.01). Hospital length of stay was significantly longer in patients from very low COI neighborhoods (3.6 ± 4.1 vs. 3.2 ± 4.9 vs. 3.3 ± 4.8 vs. 2.8 ± 3.5 vs. 3.2 ± 8.1) (p = 0.02). On multivariate regression analysis, living in very high COI neighborhoods was associated with significantly decreased hospital length of stay (IRR: 0.51; 95 % CI: 0.45-0.56).

CONCLUSION

Children from neighborhoods with significant socioeconomic disadvantage, as measured by the Child Opportunity Index, had a significantly higher incidence of burn injuries resulting in hospital admissions and longer hospital length of stay. Public health interventions focused on neighborhood-level drivers of childhood development are needed to decrease the incidence and reduce hospital costs in pediatric burns.

TYPE OF STUDY

Retrospective study LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Impact of community-level socioeconomic disparities on quality of life after burn injury: A Burn Model Systems Database study

INTRODUCTION

Individual-level socioeconomic disparities impact burn-related incidence, severity and outcomes. However, the impact of community-level socioeconomic disparities on recovery after burn injury is poorly understood. As a result, we are not yet able to develop individual- and community-specific strategies to optimize recovery. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the association between community-level socioeconomic disparities and long-term, health-related quality of life after burn injury.

METHODS

We queried the Burn Model System National Longitudinal Database for participants who were> 14 years with a zip code and who had completed a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaire (VR-12) 6 months after injury. BMS data were deterministically linked by zip code to the Distressed Communities Index (DCI), which combines seven census-derived metrics into a single indicator of economic well-being, education, housing and opportunity at the zip code level. Hierarchical linear models were used to estimate the association between community deprivation and HRQOL 6 months after burn injury, as measured by mental (MCS) and physical (PCS) component summary scores of the SF12/VR12.

RESULTS

342 participants met inclusion criteria. Participants were mostly male (n = 239, 69 %) and had a median age of 48 years (IQR 33-57 years). Median %TBSA was 10 (IQR 3-28). More than one-third of participants (n = 117, 34 %) lived in a community within the highest two distress quintiles. After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, number of trips to the operating room (OR) and pre-injury PCS, neighbourhood distress was negatively associated with 6-month PCS (ß-0.05, 95 % CI [-0.09,-0.01]). Increasing age and lower pre-injury PCS were also negatively associated with 6-month PCS. There was no observed association between neighbourhood distress and 6-month MCS after adjustment for age, participant race/ethnicity, number of trips to the OR and pre-injury MCS. Higher pre-injury MCS was associated with 6-month MCS (ß0.54, 95 % CI [-0.41,0.67]).

CONCLUSIONS

Community distress is associated with lower PCS at 6 months after burn injury but no association with MCS was identified. Pre-injury HRQOL is associated with both PCS and MCS after injury. Further study of the factors underlying the relationship between community distress and physical functional recovery (e.g., access to rehabilitation services, availability of adaptations) is required to identify potential interventions.

Health Inequities in Pediatric Trauma

This review article highlights the disparities evident in pediatric trauma care in the United States. Social determinants of health play a significant role in key aspects of trauma care including access to care, gun violence, child abuse, head trauma, burn injuries, and orthopedic trauma. We review the recent literature as it relates to these topics. The findings from these recent studies emphasize the important principle that trauma care for children should be designed with a focus on equity for all children.

Social determinants of health in pediatric scald burns: Is food access an issue?

BACKGROUND

Burn injury risk, severity, and outcomes have been associated with socioeconomic status. Limited data exist to evaluate health access-related influences at a structural population level. This study evaluated factors at the Census-tract level, specifically evaluating food access and social vulnerability in pediatric scald burns.

METHODS

A single-institution retrospective review using the trauma registry and electronic medical record was conducted of pediatric burns between 2016 and 2020. Home address was coded to the Census-tract level and bulk analyzed. Socioeconomic metrics of the home environment were evaluated from publicly available databases, the United States Food and Drug Administration Food Access Research Atlas, and the Centers for Disease Control's Social Vulnerability Index.

RESULTS

There were 840 patients that met inclusion criteria (49.8% scald, N = 418). The mean total body surface area for scalds was 6.6% with an age of 10.2 years; 76% (n = 317) of scalds had Medicaid, and 15% (n = 63) were due to hot noodles. Scalds occurred more in females (45.7%, N = 191 vs 28.0%, N = 118; P < .0001), non-White race (62.7%, N = 262 vs 29.1%, N = 123; P < .0001), and low-income and low-food access populations (39.8%, N = 147 vs 30.4%, N = 116; P = .007). Low-food access Black populations showed increased scald injury (18% [interquartile range 6-35] vs 10% [interquartile range 4-25]), whereas all other populations showed no association. The patients with scalds had a higher overall social vulnerability index (0.67 vs 0.62, P = .008).

CONCLUSION

Often related to poverty, health access, and health equity, population-level social determinants of health like social vulnerability and food access have significant impact on health care and should influence health outreach and systems improvement.

Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in paediatric critical care in the USA

In an era of tremendous medical advancements, it is important to characterise and address inequities in the provision of health care and in outcomes. There is a large body of evidence describing such disparities by race or ethnicity and socioeconomic position in critically ill adults; however, this important issue has received less attention in children and adolescents (aged ≤21 years). This Review presents a summary of the available evidence on disparities in outcomes in paediatric critical illness in the USA as a result of racism and socioeconomic privilege. The majority of evidence of racial and socioeconomic disparities in paediatric critical care originates from the USA and is retrospective, with only one prospective intervention-based study. Although there is mixed evidence of disparities by race or ethnicity and socioeconomic position in general paediatric intensive care unit admissions and outcomes in the USA, there are striking trends within some disease processes. Notably, there is evidence of disparities in management and outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, asthma, severe trauma, sepsis, and oncology, and in families' perceptions of care. Furthermore, there is clear evidence that critical care research is limited by under-enrolment of participants from minority race or ethnicity groups. We advocate for rigorous research standards and increases in the recruitment and enrolment of a diverse range of participants in paediatric critical care research to better understand the disparities observed, including the effects of racism and poverty. A clearer understanding of when, where, and how such disparities affect patients will better enable the development of effective strategies to inform practice, interventions, and policy.

Nonmedical Factors Influencing Early Deaths in Burns: A Study of the National Burn Repository

It is well-established that survival in burn injury is primarily dependent on three factors: age, percent total-body surface area burned (%TBSA), and inhalation injury. However, it is clear that in other (nonburn) conditions, nonmedical factors may influence mortality. Even in severe burns, patients undergoing resuscitation may survive for a period of time before succumbing to infection or other complications. In some cases, though, families in conjunction with caregivers may choose to withdraw care and not resuscitate patients with large burns. We wanted to investigate whether any nonmedical socioeconomic factors influenced the rate of early deaths in burn patients. The National Burn Repository (NBR) was used to identify patients that died in the first 72 hours after injury and those that survived more than 72 hours. Both univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to examine factors including age, gender, race, comorbidities, burn size, inhalation injury, and insurance type, and determine their influence on deaths within 72 hours. A total of 133,889 burn patients were identified, 1362 of which died in the first 72 hours. As expected, the Baux score (age plus burn size), and inhalation injury predicted early deaths. Interestingly, on multivariate analysis, patients with Medicare (p = .002), self-pay patients (p < .001), and those covered by automobile policies (p = .045) were significantly more likely to die early than those with commercial insurance. Medicaid patients were more likely to die early, but not significantly (p = .188). Worker's compensation patients were more likely to survive the first 72 hours compared with patients with commercial insurance (p < .001). Men were more likely to survive the early period than women (p = .043). On analysis by race, only Hispanic patients significantly differed from white patients, and Hispanics were more likely to survive the first 72 hours (p = .028). Traditional medical factors are major factors in early burn deaths. However, these results show that nonmedical socioeconomic factors including race, gender, and especially insurance status influence early burn deaths as well.

Evaluation of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Burn Survivors Undergoing Reconstructive Surgery in the Rehabilitative Period

BACKGROUND

Health-related quality of life is decreased in burn survivors, with scars implicated as a cause. The authors aim to characterize the use of reconstructive surgery following hospitalization and determine whether patient-reported outcomes change over time. The authors hypothesized improvement in health-related quality of life following reconstructive surgery.

METHODS

Adult burn survivors undergoing reconstructive surgery within 24 months after injury were extracted from a prospective, longitudinal database from 5 U.S. burn centers (Burn Model System). Surgery was classified by problem as follows: scar, contracture, and open wound. The authors evaluated predictors of surgery using logistic regression. Short Form-12/Veterans RAND 12 health survey outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 months were compared at follow-up intervals and matched with nonoperated participants using propensity score matching.

RESULTS

Three hundred seventy-two of 1359 participants (27.4 percent) underwent one or more reconstructive operation within 24 months of injury. Factors that increased the likelihood of surgery included number of operations during index hospitalization (p < 0.001), hand (p = 0.001) and perineal involvement (p = 0.042), and range-of-motion limitation at discharge (p < 0.001). Compared to the physical component scores of peers who were not operated on, physical component scores increased for participants undergoing scar operations; however, these gains were only significant for those undergoing surgery more than 6 months after injury (p < 0.05). Matched physical component scores showed nonsignificant differences following contracture operations. Mental component scores were unchanged or lower following scar and contracture surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants requiring more operations during index admission were more likely to undergo reconstructive surgery. There were improvements in Short Form-12/Veterans RAND 12 scores for those undergoing scar operations more than 6 months after injury, although contracture operations were not associated with significant differences in Short Form-12/Veterans RAND 12 scores.

Association of Health Care Utilization With Rates of Perforated Appendicitis in Children 18 Years or Younger

Importance

The pediatric perforated appendix rate is a quality metric measured by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) that reflects access to care. The association of health care utilization prior to presentation with appendicitis is unknown.

Objective

To determine whether increased health care utilization prior to presentation with appendicitis is associated with lower perforated appendicitis rates in children.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Retrospective cohort study of privately insured children drawn from large employer and insurance company administrative data found in the Truven MarketScan national insurance claims database. Cases of appendicitis were identified among 38 348 children 18 years or younger from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2013, with corresponding primary health care encounters from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2012. In all, 19 109 eligible children were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) diagnosis codes for appendicitis after excluding those patients who did not have continuous insurance coverage during the study period. Statistical analysis was performed from September 1, 2016, to October 15, 2017.

Exposures

Health care utilization was determined by the number of outpatient clinic encounters for each patient in the 1 to 12 months before presentation with appendicitis.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Perforated appendicitis was defined according to the AHRQ by using ICD-9 codes for perforation and hospital length of stay of 3 or more days. Logistic regression models were used for perforated appendicitis after adjustment for age, sex, income, gastrointestinal comorbidities, geographic region, and insurance type.

Results

We identified 38 348 children 18 years or younger with ICD-9 diagnosis codes for appendicitis, and 19 109 children remained for analysis after applying exclusion criteria. Of these, 11 422 were boys (59.8%); the mean (SD) age was 12.4 (3.9) years. Of the 19 109 children identified who underwent appendectomy, 5509 (28.8%) presented with perforated appendicitis. Children with perforation had lower outpatient health care utilization in the year before presentation compared with those diagnosed with acute appendicitis (4554 of 5509 children [82.7%] vs 11 937 of 13 600 [87.8%]; P < .001). In the adjusted model, outpatient health care utilization before presentation was associated with lower odds of perforated appendicitis (odds ratio [OR], 0.63; 95% CI, 0.58-0.69; P < .001). This association increased with visit frequency in the year before presentation (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.77-0.95 for 1-2 visits, P = .003; OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.55-0.67 for 3-6 visits, P < .001; and OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.38-0.48 for ≥7 visits [5-18 years], P < .001). Covariates associated with perforation included younger age, geographic region, family income, and higher out-of-pocket insurance plans.

Conclusions and Relevance

Among insured children 18 years or younger, increased health care utilization was associated with lower rates of perforated appendicitis. Primary health care relationships may facilitate timely presentation or serve as a marker for health-related self-efficacy, thereby contributing to outcomes for acute surgical conditions.

Payer and race/ethnicity influence length and cost of childhood cancer hospitalizations

BACKGROUND

Health disparities related to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and insurance status impact quality, access, and health outcomes for children. Medicaid is a proxy for poverty and restricted access to health care. The goal of this study was to determine if there are discrepancies in the length and cost of hospitalizations between admissions covered by Medicaid or commercial insurance for pediatric patients with cancer.

METHODS

Childhood cancer-related admissions were identified from the 2012 Kids Inpatient Database (KID) using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth revision. Length of hospitalization and cost of hospitalization were compared among hospitalizations paid by Medicaid or commercial insurance. Total admission charges were converted to costs using cost-to-charge ratios, and survey weighting methods were used for all analyses. Linear multiple regression models for both length of hospitalization and cost were developed to include patient-level factors (race, sex, age, diagnosis, reason for admission).

RESULTS

In 2012, there were 104 597 childhood cancer-related admissions. Hospitalizations paid by Medicaid were significantly longer than those paid by commercial insurance. Hispanic ethnicity was associated with higher cost of hospitalization regardless of payer, and black race was associated with higher costs within the Medicaid population.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis identifies differences in healthcare utilization for pediatric cancer-related admissions paid for by Medicaid compared with commercial insurance. Prolonged hospitalizations and increased costs create burdens on children and their families, medical delivery systems, and third-party payers. Further exploration into the causes of these disparities is warranted.

Direct inpatient costs and influencing factors for patients with rectal cancer with low anterior resection: a retrospective observational study at a three-tertiary hospital in Beijing, China

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to investigate the direct inpatient cost and analyse influencing factors for patients with rectal cancer with low anterior resection in Beijing, China.

DESIGN

A retrospective observational study.

SETTING

The study was conducted at a three-tertiary oncology institution.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 448 patients who underwent low anterior resection and were diagnosed with rectal cancer from January 2015 to December 2016 at Peking University Cancer Hospital were retrospectively identified. Demographic, clinical and cost data were determined.

RESULTS

The median inpatient cost was￥89 064, with a wide range (￥46 711-￥191 329) due to considerable differences in consumables. The material cost accounted for 52.19% and was the highest among all the cost components. Colostomy (OR 4.17; 95% CI 1.79 to 9.71), complications of hypertension (OR 5.30; 95% CI 1.94 to 14.42) and combined with other tumours (OR 2.92; 95% CI 1.12 to 7.60) were risk factors for higher cost, while clinical pathway (OR 0.10; 95% CI 0.03 to 0.35), real-time settlement (OR 0.26; 95% CI 0.10 to 0.68) and combined with cardiovascular disease (OR 0.09; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.52) were protective determinants.

CONCLUSIONS

This approach is an effective way to relieve the economic burden of patients with cancer by promoting the clinical pathway, optimising the payment scheme and controlling the complication. Further research focused on the full-cost investigation in different stages of rectal cancer based on a longitudinal design is necessary.

Impact of primary payer status on outcomes among patients with burn injury: A nationwide analysis

OBJECTIVE

To study the relationship between insurance provider and important outcomes among patients with burn injury.

METHODS

Adults with burn injury were selected from the National Inpatient Sample. The primary outcome was inpatient mortality. Secondary outcomes were morbidity (septic shock and prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV)), treatment metrics (time to surgery and parenteral or enteral nutrition (P/E-nutrition)) and resource utilization (length of stay (LOS) and total hospitalization costs and charges). Confounders were adjusted for using multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS

Insurance did not affect in-hospital mortality rate. Compared with private insurance, Medicaid was associated with higher septic shock rate (aOR: 2.14 (1.04-4.39), longer LOS (adjusted mean difference (aMD): 2.79 (0.50-5.08) days) and higher costs (aMD: $16,161 ($4789-$27,534) while uninsured patients has shorter LOS (aMD: -2.57 (-4.59--0.55) days), lower charges (aMD: $-37,792 $(-65,550-$-10,034) and costs (aMD: $-8563 ($15,581-$-1544)). Insurance did not affect PMV rates or time to surgery or P/E-nutrition.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary payer does not affect in-hospital mortality or treatment metrics among patients admitted for burn injury. However, compared with private insurance, Medicaid was associated with both higher morbidity and resource utilization, whereas uninsured patients had lower resource utilization.

Costs of Care for Hospitalized Children Associated With Preferred Language and Insurance Type

OBJECTIVE

The study goal was to determine whether preferred language for care and insurance type are associated with cost among hospitalized children.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted of inpatients at a freestanding children's hospital from January 2011 to December 2012. Patient information and hospital costs were obtained from administrative data. Cost differences according to language and insurance were calculated using multivariate generalized linear model estimates, allowing for language/insurance interaction effects. Models were also stratified according to medical complexity and length of stay (LOS) ≥3 days.

RESULTS

Of 19 249 admissions, 8% of caregivers preferred Spanish and 6% preferred another language; 47% of admissions were covered by public insurance. Models controlled for LOS, medical complexity, home-to-hospital distance, age, asthma diagnosis, and race/ethnicity. Total hospital costs were significantly higher for publicly insured Spanish speakers ($20 211 [95% confidence interval (CI), 7781 to 32 641]) and lower for privately insured Spanish speakers (-$16 730 [95% CI, -28 265 to -5195]) and publicly insured English speakers (-$4841 [95% CI, -6781 to -2902]) compared with privately insured English speakers. Differences were most pronounced among children with medical complexity and LOS ≥3 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Hospital costs varied significantly according to preferred language and insurance type, even adjusting for LOS and medical complexity. These differences in the amount of billable care provided to medically similar patients may represent either underprovision or overprovision of care on the basis of sociodemographic factors and communication, suggesting problems with care efficiency and equity. Further investigation may inform development of effective interventions.