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Agniel D, Cabreros I, Damberg CL, Elliott MN, Rogers R. A Formal Framework For Incorporating Equity Into Health Care Quality Measurement. Health Aff (Millwood) 2023; 42:1383-1391. [PMID: 37782880 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.01483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Quality measurement is an important tool for incentivizing improvement in the quality of health care. Most quality measurement efforts do not explicitly target health equity. Although some measurement approaches may intend to realign incentives to focus quality improvement efforts on underserved groups, the extent to which they accomplish this goal is understudied. We posit that tying incentives to approaches on the basis of stratification or disparities may have unintended consequences or limited effects. Such approaches might not reduce existing disparities because addressing one aspect of equity may be in competition with addressing others. We propose equity weighting, a new measurement framework to advance equity on multiple fronts that addresses the shortcomings of existing approaches and explicitly calibrates incentives to align with equity goals. We use colorectal cancer screening data derived from 2017 Medicare claims to illustrate how equity weighting fixes unintended consequences in other methods and how it can be adapted to policy goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Agniel
- Denis Agniel , RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California
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2
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The role of pay-for-performance in reducing healthcare disparities: A narrative literature review. Prev Med 2022; 164:107274. [PMID: 36156282 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
As American healthcare shifts to value-based payment, Pay-for-Performance (P4P) has become an important and controversial topic. One of the main controversies pertains to its potential to narrow or widen existing healthcare disparities depending on how the program is designed and implemented. It is thus imperative to understand which design features are most likely to reduce disparities. We conducted a systematic literature review from 2004 to 2021 of P4P's impact on disparities. Given the interdisciplinary nature of P4P research, multiple search strategies were combined, and many study designs were eligible for analysis. The literature was then qualitatively analyzed, with themes and major findings developed using Grounded Theory. Six major design features emerged as most promising in leveraging P4P to reduce disparities: 1) Risk/Case-Mix Adjustment; 2) Stratified Performance Measures/Stratification; 3) Disparity Reduction Metrics; 4) Exception Reporting; 5) Pay-for-Improvement; and 6) Population-Specific Metrics. Each design feature has its own mechanism, strengths, and weaknesses. We identify and define these features' direct and indirect effects on healthcare disparities. The interaction of each design feature with one another, with P4P as a whole, and within the larger reimbursement system can have considerable effects on disparities. Promising strategies exist to leverage P4P to narrow disparities for clinically and socially complex patients. The six design features discussed in this review help P4P programs address structural disadvantages faced by such patients and their providers. In regard to health equity, these design features can transform P4P from being part of the problem to being part of the solution.
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Socioeconomic Characteristics of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Patients. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2022; 221:107404. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2022.107404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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4
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Li X, Evans JM. Incentivizing performance in health care: a rapid review, typology and qualitative study of unintended consequences. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:690. [PMID: 35606747 PMCID: PMC9128153 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08032-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health systems are increasingly implementing policy-driven programs to incentivize performance using contracts, scorecards, rankings, rewards, and penalties. Studies of these "Performance Management" (PM) programs have identified unintended negative consequences. However, no single comprehensive typology of the negative and positive unintended consequences of PM in healthcare exists and most studies of unintended consequences were conducted in England or the United States. The aims of this study were: (1) To develop a comprehensive typology of unintended consequences of PM in healthcare, and (2) To describe multiple stakeholder perspectives of the unintended consequences of PM in cancer and renal care in Ontario, Canada. METHODS We conducted a rapid review of unintended consequences of PM in healthcare (n = 41 papers) to develop a typology of unintended consequences. We then conducted a secondary analysis of data from a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with 147 participants involved with or impacted by a PM system used to oversee 40 care delivery networks in Ontario, Canada. Participants included administrators and clinical leads from the networks and the government agency managing the PM system. We undertook a hybrid inductive and deductive coding approach using the typology we developed from the rapid review. RESULTS We present a comprehensive typology of 48 negative and positive unintended consequences of PM in healthcare, including five novel unintended consequences not previously identified or well-described in the literature. The typology is organized into two broad categories: unintended consequences on (1) organizations and providers and on (2) patients and patient care. The most common unintended consequences of PM identified in the literature were measure fixation, tunnel vision, and misrepresentation or gaming, while those most prominent in the qualitative data were administrative burden, insensitivity, reduced morale, and systemic dysfunction. We also found that unintended consequences of PM are often mutually reinforcing. CONCLUSIONS Our comprehensive typology provides a common language for discourse on unintended consequences and supports systematic, comparable analyses of unintended consequences across PM regimes and healthcare systems. Healthcare policymakers and managers can use the results of this study to inform the (re-)design and implementation of evidence-informed PM programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Li
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Jenna M Evans
- DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S4M4, Canada.
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Javed Z, Haisum Maqsood M, Yahya T, Amin Z, Acquah I, Valero-Elizondo J, Andrieni J, Dubey P, Jackson RK, Daffin MA, Cainzos-Achirica M, Hyder AA, Nasir K. Race, Racism, and Cardiovascular Health: Applying a Social Determinants of Health Framework to Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2022; 15:e007917. [PMID: 35041484 DOI: 10.1161/circoutcomes.121.007917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Health care in the United States has seen many great innovations and successes in the past decades. However, to this day, the color of a person's skin determines-to a considerable degree-his/her prospects of wellness; risk of disease, and death; and the quality of care received. Disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD)-the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally-are one of the starkest reminders of social injustices, and racial inequities, which continue to plague our society. People of color-including Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian, and others-experience varying degrees of social disadvantage that puts these groups at increased risk of CVD and poor disease outcomes, including mortality. Racial/ethnic disparities in CVD, while documented extensively, have not been examined from a broad, upstream, social determinants of health lens. In this review, we apply a comprehensive social determinants of health framework to better understand how structural racism increases individual and cumulative social determinants of health burden for historically underserved racial and ethnic groups, and increases their risk of CVD. We analyze the link between race, racism, and CVD, including major pathways and structural barriers to cardiovascular health, using 5 distinct social determinants of health domains: economic stability; neighborhood and physical environment; education; community and social context; and healthcare system. We conclude with a set of research and policy recommendations to inform future work in the field, and move a step closer to health equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zulqarnain Javed
- Division of Health Equity & Disparities Research, Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, TX (Z.J., M.C.-A., K.N.)
| | | | - Tamer Yahya
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, TX (T.Y., I.A., J.V.-E., M.C.-A., K.N.)
| | | | - Isaac Acquah
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, TX (T.Y., I.A., J.V.-E., M.C.-A., K.N.)
| | - Javier Valero-Elizondo
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, TX (T.Y., I.A., J.V.-E., M.C.-A., K.N.).,Division of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness, Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, TX (J.V.-E., M.C.-A., K.N.).,Center for Cardiovascular Computational Health & Precision Medicine (C3-PH), Houston Methodist, TX (J.V.-E., M.C.-A., K.N.)
| | - Julia Andrieni
- Population Health and Primary Care (J.A.), Houston Methodist Hospital, TX
| | - Prachi Dubey
- Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston Methodist Research Institute, TX (P.D.)
| | - Ryane K Jackson
- Office of Community Benefits (R.K.J.), Houston Methodist Hospital, TX
| | - Mary A Daffin
- Barrett Daffin Frappier Turner & Engel, L.L.P., Houston, TX (M.A.D.)
| | - Miguel Cainzos-Achirica
- Division of Health Equity & Disparities Research, Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, TX (Z.J., M.C.-A., K.N.).,Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, TX (T.Y., I.A., J.V.-E., M.C.-A., K.N.).,Division of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness, Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, TX (J.V.-E., M.C.-A., K.N.).,Center for Cardiovascular Computational Health & Precision Medicine (C3-PH), Houston Methodist, TX (J.V.-E., M.C.-A., K.N.)
| | - Adnan A Hyder
- Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, DC (A.A.H.)
| | - Khurram Nasir
- Division of Health Equity & Disparities Research, Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, TX (Z.J., M.C.-A., K.N.).,Division of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness, Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, TX (J.V.-E., M.C.-A., K.N.).,Center for Cardiovascular Computational Health & Precision Medicine (C3-PH), Houston Methodist, TX (J.V.-E., M.C.-A., K.N.)
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Lewis VA, Spivack S, Murray GF, Rodriguez HP. FQHC Designation and Safety Net Patient Revenue Associated with Primary Care Practice Capabilities for Access and Quality. J Gen Intern Med 2021; 36:2922-2928. [PMID: 34346005 PMCID: PMC8481458 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-06746-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Concerns exist about the ability of safety net health care organizations to participate in US health care reform. Primary care practices are key to several efforts, but little is known about how capabilities of primary care practices serving a high share of disadvantaged patients compare to other practices. OBJECTIVE To assess capabilities around access to and quality of care among primary care practices serving a high share of Medicaid and uninsured patients compared to practices serving a low share of these patients. DESIGN We analyzed data from the National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems (response rate 46.8%), conducted 2017-2018. PARTICIPANTS A total of 2190 medical practices with at least three adult primary care physicians. MAIN MEASURES Our key exposures are payer mix and federally qualified health center (FQHC) designation. We classified practices as safety net if they reported a combined total of at least 25% of annual revenue from uninsured or Medicaid patients; we then further classified safety net practices into those that identified as an FQHC and those that did not. KEY RESULTS FQHCs were more likely than other safety net practices and non-safety net practices to offer early or late appointments (79%, 55%, 62%; p=0.001) and weekend appointments (56%, 39%, 42%; p=0.03). FQHCs more often provided medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders (43%, 27%, 25%; p=0.004) and behavioral health services (82%, 50%, 36%; p<0.001). FQHCs were more likely to screen patients for social and financial needs. However, FQHCs and other safety net providers had more limited electronic health record (EHR) capabilities (61%, 71%, 80%; p<0.001). CONCLUSION FQHCs were more likely than other types of primary care practices (both safety net practices and other practices) to possess capabilities related to access and quality. However, safety net practices were less likely than non-safety net practices to possess health information technology capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie A Lewis
- Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
| | - Steven Spivack
- Center for Outcomes and Evaluation, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Genevra F Murray
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, USA
| | - Hector P Rodriguez
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkley, USA
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Incentivizing Excellent Care to At-Risk Groups with a Health Equity Summary Score. J Gen Intern Med 2021; 36:1847-1857. [PMID: 31713030 PMCID: PMC8298664 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-019-05473-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social risk factors (SRFs) such as minority race-and-ethnicity or low income are associated with quality-of-care, health, and healthcare outcomes. Organizations might prioritize improving care for easier-to-treat groups over those with SRFs, but measuring, reporting, and further incentivizing quality-of-care for SRF groups may improve their care. OBJECTIVE To develop, as a proof-of-concept, a Health Equity Summary Score (HESS): a succinct, easy-to-understand score that could be used to promote high-quality care to those with SRFs in Medicare Advantage (MA) health plans, which provide care for almost twenty million older and disabled Americans and collect extensive quality measure and SRF data. DESIGN We estimated, standardized, and combined performance scores for two sets of quality measures for enrollees in 2013-2016 MA health plans, considering both current levels of care, within-plan improvement, and nationally benchmarked improvement for those with SRFs (specifically, racial-and-ethnic minority status and dual-eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid). PARTICIPANTS All MA plans with publicly reported quality scores and 500 or more 2016 enrollees. MAIN MEASURES Publicly reported clinical quality and patient experience measures. KEY RESULTS Almost 90% of plans measured for MA Star Ratings received a HESS; plans serving few patients with SRFs were excluded. The summary score was moderately positively correlated with publicly reported overall Star Ratings (r = 0.66-0.67). High-scoring plans typically had sizable enrollment of both racial-and-ethnic minorities (38-42%) and dually eligible beneficiaries (29-38%). CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated the feasibility of developing and estimating a HESS that is intended to promote and incentivize excellent care for racial-and-ethnic minorities and dually eligible MA enrollees. The HESS measures SRF-specific performance and does not simply duplicate overall plan Star Ratings. It also identifies plans that provide excellent care to large numbers of those with SRFs. Our methodology could be extended to other SRFs, quality measures, and settings.
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Chien AT. Did the Rising Tide Float All Boats? J Pediatr 2020; 226:9-10. [PMID: 32615195 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.04.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alyna T Chien
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Guttmann A, Saunders NR, Kumar M, Gandhi S, Diong C, MacCon K, Cairney J. Implementation of a Physician Incentive Program for 18-Month Developmental Screening in Ontario, Canada. J Pediatr 2020; 226:213-220.e1. [PMID: 32451126 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate factors associated with uptake of a financial incentive for developmental screening at an enhanced 18-month well-child visit (EWCV) in Ontario, Canada. STUDY DESIGN Population-based cohort study using linked administrative data of children (17-24 months of age) eligible for EWCV between 2009 and 2017. Logistic regression modeled associations of EWCV receipt by provider and patient characteristics. RESULTS Of 910 976 eligible children, 54.2% received EWCV (annually, 39.2%-61.2%). The odds of assessment were lower for socially vulnerable children, namely, those from the lowest vs highest neighborhood income quintile (aOR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.83-0.85), those born to refugee vs nonimmigrant mothers (aOR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.88-0.93), and to teenaged mothers (aOR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.69-0.71)). Children were more likely to have had developmental screening if cared for by a pediatrician vs family physician (aOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.13-1.44), recently trained physician (aOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.29-1.48 for ≤5 years in practice vs ≥21 years) and less likely if the physician was male (aOR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.61-0.66). For physicians eligible for a pay-for-performance immunization bonus, there was a positive association with screening. CONCLUSIONS In the context of a universal healthcare system and a specific financial incentive, uptake of the developmental assessment increased over time but remains moderate. The implementation of similar interventions or incentives needs to account for physician factors and focus on socially vulnerable children to be effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Guttmann
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; The Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Leong Centre for Healthy Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Natasha Ruth Saunders
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; The Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Karen MacCon
- Center for Addictions and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John Cairney
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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Gharibi F, Dadgar E. Pay-for-performance challenges in family physician program. MALAYSIAN FAMILY PHYSICIAN : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS OF MALAYSIA 2020; 15:19-29. [PMID: 32843941 PMCID: PMC7430307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to investigate the challenges faced in the implementation of the pay-for-performance system in Iran's family physician program. STUDY DESIGN Qualitative. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY The study was conducted with 32 key informants at the family physician program at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences between May 2018 and June 2018. Method: This is a qualitative study. A purposeful sampling method was used with only one inclusion criterion for participants: five years of experience in the family physician program. The researchers conducted 17 individual and group non-structured interviews and examined participants' perspectives on the challenges faced in the implementation of the pay-for-performance system in the family physician program. Content analysis was conducted on the obtained data. RESULTS This study identified 7 themes, 14 sub-themes, and 46 items related to the challenges in the implementation of pay-for-performance systems in Iran's family physician program. The main themes are: workload, training, program cultivation, payment, assessment and monitoring, information management, and level of authority. Other sub-challenges were also identified. CONCLUSION The study results demonstrate some notable challenges faced in the implementation of the pay-for-performance system. This information can be helpful to managers and policymakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Gharibi
- (Corresponding author) PhD of Health Services Management, Food Safety Research Center (salt), Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - E Dadgar
- PhD candidate in Health Care Services Management Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Andreae MH, Maman SR, Behnam AJ. An Electronic Medical Record-Derived Individualized Performance Metric to Measure Risk-Adjusted Adherence with Perioperative Prophylactic Bundles for Health Care Disparity Research and Implementation Science. Appl Clin Inform 2020; 11:497-514. [PMID: 32726836 PMCID: PMC7390620 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1714692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health care disparity persists despite vigorous countermeasures. Clinician performance is paramount for equitable care processes and outcomes. However, precise and valid individual performance measures remain elusive. OBJECTIVES We sought to develop a generalizable, rigorous, risk-adjusted metric for individual clinician performance (MIP) derived directly from the electronic medical record (EMR) to provide visual, personalized feedback. METHODS We conceptualized MIP as risk responsiveness, i.e., administering an increasing number of interventions contingent on patient risk. We embedded MIP in a hierarchical statistical model, reflecting contemporary nested health care delivery. We tested MIP by investigating the adherence with prophylactic bundles to reduce the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), retrieving PONV risk factors and prophylactic antiemetic interventions from the EMR. We explored the impact of social determinants of health on MIP. RESULTS We extracted data from the EMR on 25,980 elective anesthesia cases performed at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center between June 3, 2018 and March 31, 2019. Limiting the data by anesthesia Current Procedural Terminology code and to complete cases with PONV risk and antiemetic interventions, we evaluated the performance of 83 anesthesia clinicians on 2,211 anesthesia cases. Our metric demonstrated considerable variance between clinicians in the adherence to risk-adjusted utilization of antiemetic interventions. Risk seemed to drive utilization only in few clinicians. We demonstrated the impact of social determinants of health on MIP, illustrating its utility for health science and disparity research. CONCLUSION The strength of our novel measure of individual clinician performance is its generalizability, as well as its intuitive graphical representation of risk-adjusted individual performance. However, accuracy, precision and validity, stability over time, sensitivity to system perturbations, and acceptance among clinicians remain to be evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H. Andreae
- Department of Anesthesiology, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Stephan R. Maman
- Department of Anesthesiology, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
- Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Abrahm J. Behnam
- Department of Anesthesiology, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
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Puyat JH, Kazanjian A. Physician Incentives and Sex/Gender Differences in Depression Care: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis. Health Equity 2020; 4:23-30. [PMID: 32219194 PMCID: PMC7097697 DOI: 10.1089/heq.2019.0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Physician incentives have been shown to reduce socioeconomic disparities in health care. The impact on sex/gender inequalities, however, has rarely been investigated. Using population-based data, this study investigated sex/gender differences in depression care and the impact of physician incentives. Methods: Deidentified health data from physician claims, hospitals, vital statistics, prescription database, and insurance plan registries in British Columbia, Canada, were examined, retrospectively. Individuals with depression were identified and their use of mental health services was tracked for 12 months following initial diagnosis. The following indicators were assessed: (1) counseling/psychotherapy (CP), (2) minimally adequate counseling/psychotherapy (MACP), (3) antidepressant therapy (AT), and (4) minimally adequate antidepressant therapy (MAAT). Sex/gender differences in these indicators before (January 2005–December 2007) and after (January 2008–December 2012) the introduction of physician incentives were estimated using interrupted time series analysis. Results: Preintervention, the percentage of individuals with depression who received CP was higher among males (CP: 58.4%, MACP: 13.6%) than females (CP: 57.1%, MACP: 10.9%). In contrast, the percentage who received AT was higher among females (AT: 57.7%, MAAT: 47.4%) than males (AT: 53.6%, MAAT: 41.9%). These statistically significant sex/gender differences remain unchanged postintervention. Conclusions: Sex/gender differences in depression care persist despite the introduction of physician incentives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph H Puyat
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, Vancouver, Canada.,School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Arminee Kazanjian
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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13
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Roots Community Birth Center: A culturally-centered care model for improving value and equity in childbirth. Healthcare (Basel) 2020; 8:100367. [DOI: 10.1016/j.hjdsi.2019.100367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Akinleye DD, McNutt LA, Lazariu V, McLaughlin CC. Correlation between hospital finances and quality and safety of patient care. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219124. [PMID: 31419227 PMCID: PMC6697357 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hospitals under financial pressure may struggle to maintain quality and patient safety and have worse patient outcomes relative to well-resourced hospitals. Poor predictive validity may explain why previous studies on the association between finances and quality/safety have been equivocal. This manuscript employs principal component analysis to produce robust measures of both financial status and quality/safety of care, to assess our a priori hypothesis: hospital financial performance is associated with the provision of quality care, as measured by quality and safety processes, patient outcomes, and patient centered care. Methods This 2014 cross-sectional study investigated hospital financial condition and hospital quality and safety at acute care hospitals. The hospital financial data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) cost report were used to develop a composite financial performance score using principal component analysis. Hospital quality and patient safety were measured with a composite quality/safety performance score derived from principal component analysis, utilizing a range of established quality and safety indicators including: risk-standardized inpatient mortality, 30-day mortality, 30-day readmissions for select conditions, patient safety indicators from inpatient admissions, process of care chart reviews, CMS value-based purchasing total performance score and patient experience of care surveys. The correlation between the composite financial performance score and the composite quality/safety performance score was calculated using linear regression adjusting for hospital characteristics. Results Among the 108 New York State acute care facilities for which data were available, there is a clear relationship between hospital financial performance and hospital quality/safety performance score (standardized correlation coefficient 0.34, p<0.001). The composite financial performance score is also positively associated with the CMS Value Based Purchasing Total Performance Score (standardized correlation coefficient 0.277, p = 0.002); while it is negatively associated with 30 day readmission for all outcomes (standardized correlation coefficient -0.236, p = 0.013), 30-day readmission for congestive heart failure (standardized correlation coefficient -0.23, p = 0.018), 30 day readmission for pneumonia (standardized correlation coefficient -0.209, p = 0.033), and a decrease in 30-day mortality for acute myocardial infarction (standardized correlation coefficient -0.211, p = 0.027). Used alone, operating margin and total margin are poor predictors of quality and safety outcomes. Conclusions Strong financial performance is associated with improved patient reported experience of care, the strongest component distinguishing quality and safety. These findings suggest that financially stable hospitals are better able to maintain highly reliable systems and provide ongoing resources for quality improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean D Akinleye
- School of Public Health, State University of New York, University at Albany, Albany, NY, United States of America
| | - Louise-Anne McNutt
- Institute for Health and the Environment, State University of New York, University at Albany, Albany, NY, United States of America
| | - Victoria Lazariu
- School of Public Health, State University of New York, University at Albany, Albany, NY, United States of America
| | - Colleen C McLaughlin
- Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Albany, NY, United States of America
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Hefele JG, Wang X“J, Lim E. Fewer Bonuses, More Penalties At Skilled Nursing Facilities Serving Vulnerable Populations. Health Aff (Millwood) 2019; 38:1127-1131. [DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Gaudet Hefele
- Jennifer Gaudet Hefele is an assistant professor in the Gerontology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston
| | - Xiao “Joyce” Wang
- Xiao “Joyce” Wang is a research assistant in the Gerontology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston
| | - Emily Lim
- Emily Lim is a research assistant in the Gerontology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston
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Hamad R, Nguyen TT, Bhattacharya J, Glymour MM, Rehkopf DH. Educational attainment and cardiovascular disease in the United States: A quasi-experimental instrumental variables analysis. PLoS Med 2019; 16:e1002834. [PMID: 31237869 PMCID: PMC6592509 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is ongoing debate about whether education or socioeconomic status (SES) should be inputs into cardiovascular disease (CVD) prediction algorithms and clinical risk adjustment models. It is also unclear whether intervening on education will affect CVD, in part because there is controversy regarding whether education is a determinant of CVD or merely correlated due to confounding or reverse causation. We took advantage of a natural experiment to estimate the population-level effects of educational attainment on CVD and related risk factors. METHODS AND FINDINGS We took advantage of variation in United States state-level compulsory schooling laws (CSLs), a natural experiment that was associated with geographic and temporal differences in the minimum number of years that children were required to attend school. We linked census data on educational attainment (N = approximately 5.4 million) during childhood with outcomes in adulthood, using cohort data from the 1992-2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N = 30,853) and serial cross-sectional data from 1971-2012 waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; N = 44,732). We examined self-reported CVD outcomes and related risk factors, as well as relevant serum biomarkers. Using instrumental variables (IV) analysis, we found that increased educational attainment was associated with reduced smoking (HRS β -0.036, 95%CI: -0.06, -0.02, p < 0.01; NHANES β -0.032, 95%CI: -0.05, -0.02, p < 0.01), depression (HRS β -0.049, 95%CI: -0.07, -0.03, p < 0.01), triglycerides (NHANES β -0.039, 95%CI: -0.06, -0.01, p < 0.01), and heart disease (HRS β -0.025, 95%CI: -0.04, -0.002, p = 0.01), and improvements in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (HRS β 1.50, 95%CI: 0.34, 2.49, p < 0.01; NHANES β 0.86, 95%CI: 0.32, 1.48, p < 0.01), but increased BMI (HRS β 0.20, 95%CI: 0.002, 0.40, p = 0.05; NHANES β 0.13, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.32, p = 0.05) and total cholesterol (HRS β 2.73, 95%CI: 0.09, 4.97, p = 0.03). While most findings were cross-validated across both data sets, they were not robust to the inclusion of state fixed effects. Limitations included residual confounding, use of self-reported outcomes for some analyses, and possibly limited generalizability to more recent cohorts. CONCLUSIONS This study provides rigorous population-level estimates of the association of educational attainment with CVD. These findings may guide future implementation of interventions to address the social determinants of CVD and strengthen the argument for including educational attainment in prediction algorithms and primary prevention guidelines for CVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Hamad
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Thu T. Nguyen
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jay Bhattacharya
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - M. Maria Glymour
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - David H. Rehkopf
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
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Engelgau MM, Zhang P, Jan S, Mahal A. Economic Dimensions of Health Inequities: The Role of Implementation Research. Ethn Dis 2019; 29:103-112. [PMID: 30906157 DOI: 10.18865/ed.29.s1.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Health inequities are well-documented, but their economic dimensions have received less attention. In this report, we describe four economic dimensions of health inequities in the United States. First, we describe an economic conceptual framework that connects poverty and health inequities at both individual and population levels and conveys the concept of reverse causality, where poverty worsens health inequities and health inequities worsen poverty. This framework can help us understand the key elements of health inequity and its drivers. Second, we describe economic measurements used for quantifying the economic burden of health inequalities and summarize the empirical findings from studies. Third, we review the evidence on the return-on-investment of economic interventions that are aimed at reducing health inequities. Finally, we highlight the importance of cross disciplinary perspectives from economics and implementation research in effectively delivering interventions that can mitigate health inequities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael M Engelgau
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Ping Zhang
- National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Stephen Jan
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ajay Mahal
- Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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18
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Hamadi H, Apatu E, Loh CPA, Farah H, Walker K, Spaulding A. Does level of minority presence and hospital reimbursement policy influence hospital referral region health rankings in the United States. Int J Health Plann Manage 2018; 34:e354-e368. [PMID: 30207406 DOI: 10.1002/hpm.2654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 08/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The shift from a fee-for-service payment to a value-based payment scheme, sparked by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, introduced pay-for-performance programs such Hospital Value Based Purchasing. Previous inquiry has not considered how local community factors may affect hospital system performance. This study investigated the association between local health performance and minority population in a hospital referral region (HRR). The primary objective was to ascertain whether community diversity levels are significantly associated to local health performance guided by the ecological model. Secondary data analysis collected from the 2016 American Hospital Association, Area Health Resource File, Commonwealth Fund Scorecard on Local Health System Performance, and the Dartmouth Atlas HRR dataset was used. Our primary findings show that the more diverse a HRR is, the more likely it is to be associated with lower ranking for access and affordability prevention and treatment avoidable hospital use and cost as well as healthy lives. Total performance score was significantly related to a better health ranking on prevention and treatment, hospital use, and cost, as well as healthy lives. This research supports the assertion that communities, particularly minorities in those communities, affect local health care performance in a variety of ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanadi Hamadi
- Department of Health Administration, Brooks College of Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Emma Apatu
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chung-Ping Albert Loh
- Department of Economics and Geography, Coggin College of Business, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Hyett Farah
- Department of Health Administration, Brooks College of Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Kirk Walker
- Department of Health Administration, Brooks College of Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Aaron Spaulding
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Jacksonville, FL, USA
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19
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Garnick DW, Horgan CM, Acevedo A, Lee MT, Panas L, Ritter GA, Campbell K, Bean-Mortinson J. Influencing quality of outpatient SUD care: Implementation of alerts and incentives in Washington State. J Subst Abuse Treat 2017; 82:93-101. [PMID: 29021122 PMCID: PMC5653287 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2017.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Financial incentives for quality improvement and feedback on specific clients are two approaches to improving the quality of treatment for individuals with substance use disorders. We examined the impacts of these interventions in Washington State by randomizing outpatient substance use treatment agencies into intervention and control groups. From October 2013 through December 2015, agencies could earn financial incentives for meeting performance goals incorporating both achievement relative to a benchmark and improvement from agencies' own baselines. Weekly feedback was e-mailed to agencies in the alert or alert plus incentives arms. Difference-in difference regressions controlling for client and agency characteristics showed that none of the interventions significantly affected client engagement after outpatient admissions, overall or for sub-groups based on race/ethnicity, age, rural residence, or agency baseline performance. Treatment agencies offered insights related to several themes: delivery system context (e.g., agency time and resources needed during transition to a managed behavioral healthcare system), implementation (e.g., data lag), agency issues (e.g., staff turnover), and client factors (e.g., motivation). Interventions took place during a time of Medicaid expansion and planning for statewide integration of mental health and substance use disorder treatment into a managed care model, which may have resulted in agencies not responding to the interventions. Moreover, incentives and alerts at the agency-level may not be effective when factors are at play beyond the agency's control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah W Garnick
- Institute for Behavioral Health, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, United States.
| | - Constance M Horgan
- Institute for Behavioral Health, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, United States
| | - Andrea Acevedo
- Institute for Behavioral Health, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, United States; Department of Community Health, Tufts University, United States
| | - Margaret T Lee
- Institute for Behavioral Health, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, United States
| | - Lee Panas
- Institute for Behavioral Health, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, United States
| | - Grant A Ritter
- Institute for Behavioral Health, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, United States
| | - Kevin Campbell
- The Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, Washington State Behavioral Health Administration, United States
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20
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Chien AT, Newhouse JP, Iezzoni LI, Petty CR, Normand SLT, Schuster MA. Socioeconomic Background and Commercial Health Plan Spending. Pediatrics 2017; 140:peds.2017-1640. [PMID: 28974535 PMCID: PMC5654394 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2017-1640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Risk-adjustment algorithms typically incorporate demographic and clinical variables to equalize compensation to insurers for enrollees who vary in expected cost, but including information about enrollees' socioeconomic background is controversial. METHODS We studied 1 182 847 continuously insured 0 to 19-year-olds using 2008-2012 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and American Community Survey data. We characterized enrollees' socioeconomic background using the validated area-based socioeconomic measure and calculated annual plan payments using paid claims. We evaluated the relationship between annual plan payments and geocoded socioeconomic background using generalized estimating equations (γ distribution and log link). We expressed outcomes as the percentage difference in spending and utilization between enrollees with high and low socioeconomic backgrounds. RESULTS Geocoded socioeconomic background had a significant, positive association with annual plan payments after applying standard adjusters. Every 1 SD increase in socioeconomic background was associated with a 7.8% (95% confidence interval, 7.2% to 8.3%; P < .001) increase in spending. High socioeconomic background enrollees used higher-priced outpatient and pharmacy services more frequently than their counterparts from low socioeconomic backgrounds (eg, 25% more outpatient encounters annually; 8% higher price per encounter; P < .001), which outweighed greater emergency department spending among low socioeconomic background enrollees. CONCLUSIONS Higher socioeconomic background is associated with greater levels of pediatric health care spending in commercially insured children. Including socioeconomic information in risk-adjustment algorithms may address concerns about adverse selection from an economic perspective, but it would direct funds away from those caring for children and adolescents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who are at greater risk of poor health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyna T. Chien
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Medicine and,Departments of Pediatrics
| | - Joseph P. Newhouse
- Health Care Policy, and,Departments of Health Policy and Management and,John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts;,National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and
| | - Lisa I. Iezzoni
- Medicine, Harvard Medical School,,Mongan Institute Health Policy Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Carter R. Petty
- Clinical Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Mark A. Schuster
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Medicine and,Departments of Pediatrics
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Petersen LA, Ramos KS, Pietz K, Woodard LD. Impact of a Pay-for-Performance Program on Care for Black Patients with Hypertension: Important Answers in the Era of the Affordable Care Act. Health Serv Res 2017; 52:1138-1155. [PMID: 27329344 PMCID: PMC5441487 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.12517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evaluate the effect of a pay-for-performance intervention on the quality of hypertension care provided to black patients and determine whether it produced risk selection. DATA SOURCE/STUDY SETTING Primary data collected between 2007 and 2009 from Veterans Affairs physicians and their primary care panels. STUDY DESIGN Nested study within a cluster randomized controlled trial of three types of financial incentives and no incentives (control). We compared the proportion of physicians' black patients meeting hypertension performance measures for baseline and final performance periods. We measured risk selection by comparing the proportion of patients who switched providers, patient visit frequency, and panel turnover. Due to limited power, we prespecified in the analysis plan combining the three incentive groups and oversampling black patients. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHOD Data collected electronically and by chart review. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The proportion of black patients who achieved blood pressure control or received an appropriate response to uncontrolled blood pressure in the final period was 6.3 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 0.8-11.7 percent) greater for physicians who received an incentive than for controls. There was no difference between intervention and controls in the proportion of patients who switched providers, visit frequency, or panel turnover. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE A pay-for-performance intervention improved blood pressure control or appropriate response to uncontrolled blood pressure in black patients and did not produce risk selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A. Petersen
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and SafetyMichael E. DeBakey VA Medical CenterHoustonTX
| | | | - Kenneth Pietz
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and SafetyMichael E. DeBakey VA Medical CenterHoustonTX
| | - LeChauncy D. Woodard
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and SafetyMichael E. DeBakey VA Medical CenterHoustonTX
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22
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Miller BF, Ross KM, Davis MM, Melek SP, Kathol R, Gordon P. Payment reform in the patient-centered medical home: Enabling and sustaining integrated behavioral health care. AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2017; 72:55-68. [PMID: 28068138 PMCID: PMC7324070 DOI: 10.1037/a0040448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a promising framework for the redesign of primary care and more recently specialty care. As defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the PCMH framework has 5 attributes: comprehensive care, patient-centered care, coordinated care, accessible services, and quality and safety. Evidence increasingly demonstrates that for the PCMH to best achieve the Triple Aim (improved outcomes, decreased cost, and enhanced patient experience), treatment for behavioral health (including mental health, substance use, and life stressors) must be integrated as a central tenet. However, challenges to implementing the PCMH framework are compounded for real-world practitioners because payment reform rarely happens concurrently. Nowhere is this more evident than in attempts to integrate behavioral health clinicians into primary care. As behavioral health clinicians find opportunities to work in integrated settings, a comprehensive understanding of payment models is integral to the dialogue. This article describes alternatives to the traditional fee for service (FFS) model, including modified FFS, pay for performance, bundled payments, and global payments (i.e., capitation). We suggest that global payment structures provide the best fit to enable and sustain integrated behavioral health clinicians in ways that align with the Triple Aim. Finally, we present recommendations that offer specific, actionable steps to achieve payment reform, complement PCMH, and support integration efforts through policy. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin F Miller
- Eugene S. Farley, Jr. Health Policy Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine
| | - Kaile M Ross
- Eugene S. Farley, Jr. Health Policy Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine
| | - Melinda M Davis
- Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health and Sciences University
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Konetzka RT, Grabowski DC, Perraillon MC, Werner RM. Nursing home 5-star rating system exacerbates disparities in quality, by payer source. Health Aff (Millwood) 2016; 34:819-27. [PMID: 25941284 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.1084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Market-based reforms in health care, such as public reporting of quality, may inadvertently exacerbate disparities. We examined how the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services' five-star rating system for nursing homes has affected residents who are dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid ("dual eligibles"), a particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged population. Specifically, we assessed the extent to which dual eligibles and non-dual eligibles avoided the lowest-rated nursing homes and chose the highest-rated homes once the five-star rating system began, in late 2008. We found that both populations resided in better-quality homes over time but that by 2010 the increased likelihood of choosing the highest-rated homes was substantially smaller for dual eligibles than for non-dual eligibles. Thus, the gap in quality, as measured by a nursing home's star rating, grew over time. Furthermore, we found that the benefit of the five-star system to dual eligibles was largely due to providers' improving their ratings, not to consumers' choosing different providers. We present evidence suggesting that supply constraints play a role in limiting dual eligibles' responses to quality ratings, since high-quality providers tend to be located close to relatively affluent areas. Increases in Medicaid payment rates for nursing home services may be the only long-term solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Tamara Konetzka
- R. Tamara Konetzka is an associate professor of health services research in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Chicago, in Illinois
| | - David C Grabowski
- David C. Grabowski is a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, in Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Marcelo Coca Perraillon
- Marcelo Coca Perraillon is a PhD candidate in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Chicago
| | - Rachel M Werner
- Rachel M. Werner is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia
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Durstenfeld MS, Ogedegbe O, Katz SD, Park H, Blecker S. Racial and Ethnic Differences in Heart Failure Readmissions and Mortality in a Large Municipal Healthcare System. JACC. HEART FAILURE 2016; 4:885-893. [PMID: 27395346 PMCID: PMC5097004 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2016.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study sought to determine whether racial and ethnic differences exist among patients with similar access to care. We examined outcomes after heart failure hospitalization within a large municipal health system. BACKGROUND Racial and ethnic disparities in heart failure outcomes are present in administrative data, and one explanation is differential access to care. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study of 8,532 hospitalizations of adults with heart failure at 11 hospitals in New York City from 2007 to 2010. Primary exposure was ethnicity and race, and outcomes were 30- and 90-day readmission and 30-day and 1-year mortality rates. Generalized estimating equations were used to test for associations between ethnicity and race and outcomes with covariate adjustment. RESULTS Of the number of hospitalizations included, 4,305 (51%) were for blacks, 2,449 (29%) were for Hispanics, 1,494 (18%) were for whites, and 284 (3%) were for Asians. Compared to whites, blacks and Asians had lower 1-year mortality, with adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59 to 0.94) and 0.57 (95% CI: 0.38 to 0.85), respectively, and rates for Hispanics were not significantly different (aOR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.64 to 1.03). Hispanics had higher odds of readmission than whites (aOR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.57) at 30 (aOR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.70) and 90 days. Blacks had higher odds of readmission than whites at 90 days (aOR:1.21; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.47). CONCLUSIONS Racial and ethnic differences in outcomes after heart failure hospitalization were present within a large municipal health system. Access to a municipal health system may not be sufficient to eliminate disparities in heart failure outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olugbenga Ogedegbe
- Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York; Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York; Global Institute of Public Health, New York University, New York, New York
| | - Stuart D Katz
- Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Hannah Park
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Saul Blecker
- Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York; Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
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Cook AD, Ward JG, Chapple KM, Akinbiyi H, Garrett M, Moore FO. Race and rehabilitation following spinal cord injury: equality of access for American Indians/Alaska Natives compared to other racial groups. Inj Epidemiol 2016; 2:17. [PMID: 27747749 PMCID: PMC5005801 DOI: 10.1186/s40621-015-0049-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Representing 2 % of the general population, American Indians/Alaska Natives (AIs/ANs) were associated with 0.5 % (63) of the estimated 12,500 new cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) reported to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistic Center in 2013. To date, the trend in health care disparities among AIs/ANs in the SCI community has not been examined. We sought to compare the rate of discharge to rehabilitation facilities (DRF) following traumatic SCI among adult AIs/ANs to other racial/ethnic groups for patients 15 to 64 years old. Methods Utilizing data from the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB), we performed a retrospective analysis of SCI cases occurring between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2012. SCI injuries were identified by International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision-Clinical Modification (ICD-9) codes or Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) scores. Injury severity was determined using the Trauma Mortality Prediction Model (TMPM) which empirically estimates each patient’s probability of death given their individual complement of injuries. A series of seven logistic regression models were used to predict DRF between racial groups. Results Among the 29,443 patients in our cohort, 52.4 % were discharged to rehabilitation facilities. AIs/ANs comprised 1.1 % of the population, with 63.8 % dismissed to rehabilitation. AIs/ANs were significantly younger, had a higher probability of death, had longer hospital length of stay (HLOS), and were proportionately more likely to be discharged to rehabilitation compared to non-AIs. Regression models demonstrated increased odds of DRF for AIs/ANs compared to Hispanic and Asian racial/ethnic groups. Conclusions American Indians/Alaska Natives who sustain SCI access rehabilitative care at a rate equitable to or greater than other races when multiple factors are taken into account. Further research is needed to assess the effect of those patient, physician, and health care system determinants as they relate to a patient’s ability to access post-trauma rehabilitative care. Recommendations include advancing the level of racial, insurance, and geographic data necessary to adequately explore disparities related to such ubiquitously life-altering conditions as SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan D Cook
- Chandler Regional Medical Center, Chandler, AZ, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Mark Garrett
- Chandler Regional Medical Center, Chandler, AZ, USA
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Gershon R, Morris L, Ferguson W. Including Language Access into Medicaid ACO Design. THE JOURNAL OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS : A JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS 2016; 44:492-502. [PMID: 27587453 DOI: 10.1177/1073110516667945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Quality health care relies upon communication in a patient's preferred language. Language access in health care occurs when individuals are: (1) Welcomed by providers regardless of language ability; and (2) Offered quality language services as part of their care. Federal law generally requires access to health care and quality language services for deaf and Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients in health care settings, but these patients still find it hard to access health care and quality language services.Meanwhile, several states are implementing Medicaid Accountable Care Organization (ACO) initiatives to reduce health care costs and improve health care quality. Alternative payment methods used in these initiatives can give Accountable Care Organizations more flexibility to design linguistically accessible care, but they can also put ACOs at increased financial risk for the cost of care. If these new payment methods do not account for differences in patient language needs, ACO initiatives could have the unintended consequence of rewarding ACOs who do not reach out to deaf and LEP communities or offer quality language services.We reviewed public documents related to Medicaid ACO initiatives in six states. Some of these documents address language access. More could be done, however, to pay for language access efforts. This article describes Medicaid ACO initiatives and explores how different payment tools could be leveraged to reward ACOs for increased access to care and quality language services. We find that a combination of payment tools might be helpful to encourage both access and quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Gershon
- Rachel Gershon, J.D., M.P.H., is a health policy attorney and associate at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Health Law and Economics. Lisa Morris, M.S.T.D., is the Director of Cross Cultural Initiatives at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's MassAHEC Network. Warren Ferguson, M.D., is the Vice Chair and Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Department of Family Medicine & Community Health
| | - Lisa Morris
- Rachel Gershon, J.D., M.P.H., is a health policy attorney and associate at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Health Law and Economics. Lisa Morris, M.S.T.D., is the Director of Cross Cultural Initiatives at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's MassAHEC Network. Warren Ferguson, M.D., is the Vice Chair and Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Department of Family Medicine & Community Health
| | - Warren Ferguson
- Rachel Gershon, J.D., M.P.H., is a health policy attorney and associate at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Health Law and Economics. Lisa Morris, M.S.T.D., is the Director of Cross Cultural Initiatives at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's MassAHEC Network. Warren Ferguson, M.D., is the Vice Chair and Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Department of Family Medicine & Community Health
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Zonfrillo MR, Zaniletti I, Hall M, Fieldston ES, Colvin JD, Bettenhausen JL, Macy ML, Alpern ER, Cutler GJ, Raphael JL, Morse RB, Sills MR, Shah SS. Socioeconomic Status and Hospitalization Costs for Children with Brain and Spinal Cord Injury. J Pediatr 2016; 169:250-5. [PMID: 26563534 PMCID: PMC6180292 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2015.10.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine if household income is associated with hospitalization costs for severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI). STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study of inpatient, nonrehabilitation hospitalizations at 43 freestanding children's hospitals for patients <19 years old with unintentional severe TBI and SCI from 2009-2012. Standardized cost of care for hospitalizations was modeled using mixed-effects methods, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, primary payer, presence of chronic medical condition, mechanism of injury, injury severity, distance from residence to hospital, and trauma center level. Main exposure was zip code level median annual household income. RESULTS There were 1061 patients that met inclusion criteria, 833 with TBI only, 227 with SCI only, and 1 with TBI and SCI. Compared with those with the lowest-income zip codes, patients from the highest-income zip codes were more likely to be older, white (76.7% vs 50.4%), have private insurance (68.9% vs 27.9%), and live closer to the hospital (median distance 26.7 miles vs 81.2 miles). In adjusted models, there was no significant association between zip code level household income and hospitalization costs. CONCLUSIONS Children hospitalized with unintentional, severe TBI and SCI showed no difference in standardized hospital costs relative to a patient's home zip code level median annual household income. The association between household income and hospitalization costs may vary by primary diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Zonfrillo
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Injury Prevention Center, Hasbro Children's Hospital, Providence, RI; Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI.
| | | | - Matthew Hall
- Children's Hospital Association, Overland Park, KS
| | - Evan S Fieldston
- Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI; Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Jeffrey D Colvin
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO
| | - Jessica L Bettenhausen
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO
| | - Michelle L Macy
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit, Division of General Pediatrics, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Elizabeth R Alpern
- Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Gretchen J Cutler
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Jean L Raphael
- Department of Pediatrics, Section on Academic General Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | | | | | - Samir S Shah
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
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Cary MP, Merwin EI, Oliver MN, Williams IC. Inpatient Rehabilitation Outcomes in a National Sample of Medicare Beneficiaries With Hip Fracture. J Appl Gerontol 2016; 35:62-83. [PMID: 25037153 PMCID: PMC4537688 DOI: 10.1177/0733464814541325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Effects of patient characteristics on rehabilitation outcomes (functional status at discharge, discharged home) were assessed in a retrospective study of Medicare beneficiaries admitted to Medicare-certified inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) following hospitalization for hip fracture in 2009 (N = 34,984). Hierarchical regression analysis showed significantly higher functional status at discharge (p < .0001) for patients with these characteristics: White or Asian, younger, female, lived alone, higher functional status at admission, fewer comorbidities, no tier comorbidities, and longer IRF length of stay (LOS). Likelihood of discharged home was higher for patients with these characteristics: Hispanic (1.49 [1.32, 1.68]), Asian (1.35 [1.04, 1.74]), or Black (1.28 [1.12, 1.47]); younger (0.96 [0.96, 0.96]); female (1.14 [1.08, 1.20]); lived with others (2.12 [2.01, 2.23]); higher functional status at admission (1.06 [1.06, 1.06]); fewer comorbidities, no tier comorbidities; and longer LOS (1.61 [1.56, 1.67]). Functional status at admission, tier comorbidities, and race/ethnicity contributed the most to variance in functional status at discharge. Living with others contributed the most to variance in discharged home.
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Sealy-Jefferson S, Vickers J, Elam A, Wilson MR. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and the Affordable Care Act: a Status Update. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2015; 2:583-8. [PMID: 26668787 PMCID: PMC4676760 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-015-0113-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Persistent racial and ethnic health disparities exist in the USA, despite decades of research and public health initiatives. Several factors contribute to health disparities, including (but not limited to) implicit provider bias, access to health care, social determinants, and biological factors. Disparities in health by race/ethnicity are unacceptable and correctable. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a comprehensive legislation that is focused on improving health care access, quality, and cost control. This health care reform includes specific provisions which focus on preventive care, the standardized collection of data on race, ethnicity, primary language and disability status, and health information technology. Although some provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act have not been implemented, such as funding for the U.S. Public Health Sciences track, which would have addressed the shortage of medical professionals in the USA who are trained to use patient-centered, interdisciplinary, and care coordination approaches, this legislation is still poised to make great strides toward eliminating health disparities. The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight the unprecedented opportunities that exist for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3939 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Jasmine Vickers
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3939 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Angela Elam
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, W. K. Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, 1000 Wall Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - M. Roy Wilson
- Office of the President, Wayne State University, 656 W. Kirby, 4200 Faculty/Administration Building, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
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HE DAIFENG, KONETZKA RTAMARA. Public Reporting and Demand Rationing: Evidence from the Nursing Home Industry. HEALTH ECONOMICS 2015; 24:1437-51. [PMID: 25236842 PMCID: PMC7480085 DOI: 10.1002/hec.3097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2013] [Revised: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines an under-explored unintended consequence of public reporting: the potential for demand rationing. Public reporting, although intended to increase consumer access to high-quality products, may have provided the perverse incentive for high-quality providers facing fixed capacity and administrative pricing to avoid less profitable types of residents. Using data from the nursing home industry before and after the implementation of the public reporting system in 2002, we find that high-quality nursing homes facing capacity constraints reduced admissions of less profitable Medicaid residents while increasing the more profitable Medicare and private-pay admissions, relative to low-quality nursing homes facing no capacity constraints. These effects, although small in magnitude, are consistent with provider rationing of demand on the basis of profitability and underscore the important role of institutional details in designing effective public reporting systems for regulated industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- DAIFENG HE
- Department of Economics, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA
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Hamilton FL, Laverty AA, Huckvale K, Car J, Majeed A, Millett C. Financial Incentives and Inequalities in Smoking Cessation Interventions in Primary Care: Before-and-After Study. Nicotine Tob Res 2015; 18:341-50. [PMID: 25995158 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntv107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) is a financial incentive scheme that rewards UK general practices for providing evidence-based care, including smoking cessation advice mainly as a secondary prevention intervention. We examined the effects on smoking outcomes and inequalities of a local version of QOF (QOF+), which ran from 2008 to 2011 and extended financial incentives to the provision of cessation advice as a primary prevention intervention. METHODS Before-and-after study using data from 28 general practices in Hammersmith & Fulham, London, United Kingdom. We used logistic regression to examine changes in smoking outcomes associated with QOF+ within and between sociodemographic groups. RESULTS Recording of smoking status increased from 55.5% to 64.3% for men (P < .001) and from 67.9% to 75.8% for women (P < .001). All groups benefitted from the increase, but younger patients remained less likely to be asked about smoking than older patients. White patients were less likely to be asked than those from other ethnic groups. Smoking cessation advice increased from 32.7% to 54.0% for men (P < .001) and from 35.4% to 54.1% for women (P < .01) and there was little variation between groups for this outcome. Recorded smoking prevalence reduced from 25.0% to 20.8% for men (P < .001) and from 16.1% to 12.5% for women (P < .001). White patients and those from more deprived areas remained more likely to be smokers than other groups. CONCLUSION The introduction of QOF+ was associated with general improvements in recording of smoking outcomes, but inequalities in ascertainment and smoking prevalence with respect to age, ethnicity, and deprivation persisted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona L Hamilton
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony A Laverty
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kit Huckvale
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Josip Car
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Azeem Majeed
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Millett
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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The current state of ethnic and racial disparities in cardiovascular care: lessons from the past and opportunities for the future. Curr Cardiol Rep 2015; 16:530. [PMID: 25135343 DOI: 10.1007/s11886-014-0530-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Significant racial/ethnic disparities have been documented in cardiovascular care. Although health care quality is improving for many Americans, differences in clinical outcomes have persisted between racial/ethnic minority patients and non-minorities, even when income, education level, and site of care are taken into consideration. Potential causes of disparities are complex and are related to differences in risk factor prevalence and control, use of evidence-based procedures and medications, and social and environmental factors. Minority patients are more likely to receive care from lower-quality health care providers and institutions and experience more barriers to accessing care. Factors such as stereotyping and bias in medicine are hard to quantify, but likely contribute to differences in treatment. Recent trends suggest that some disparities are decreasing. Opportunities for change and improvement exist for patients, providers, and health care systems. Promising interventions, such as health policy changes, quality improvement programs, and culturally targeted community and clinic-based interventions offer hope that high-quality health care in the USA can be provided to all patients.
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Markovitz AR, Alexander JA, Lantz PM, Paustian ML. Patient-centered medical home implementation and use of preventive services: the role of practice socioeconomic context. JAMA Intern Med 2015; 175:598-606. [PMID: 25686468 PMCID: PMC4860609 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of primary care is being implemented in a wide variety of socioeconomic contexts, yet there has been little research on whether its effects differ by context. Clinical preventive service use, including cancer screening, is an important outcome to assess the effectiveness of the PCMH within and across socioeconomic contexts. OBJECTIVE To determine whether the relationship between the PCMH and cancer screening is conditional on the socioeconomic context in which a primary care physician practice operates. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A longitudinal study spanning July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2012, using data from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Physician Group Incentive Program was conducted. Michigan nonpediatric primary care physician practices that participated in the Physician Group Incentive Program (5452 practice-years) were included. Sample size and outlier exclusion criteria were applied to each outcome. We examined the interaction between practices' PCMH implementation scores and their socioeconomic context. The implementation of a PCMH was self-reported by the practice's affiliated physician organizations and was measured as a continuous score ranging from 0 to 1. Socioeconomic context was calculated using a market-based approach based on zip code characteristics of the practice's patients and by combining multiple measures using principal components analysis. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates for practices' Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan patients. RESULTS The implementation of a PCMH was associated with higher breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates across most market socioeconomic contexts. In multivariable models, the PCMH was associated with a higher rate of screening for breast cancer (5.4%; 95% CI, 1.5% to 9.3%), cervical cancer (4.2%; 95% CI, 1.4% to 6.9%), and colorectal cancer (7.0%; 95% CI, 3.6% to 10.5%) in the lowest socioeconomic group but nonsignificant differences in screening for breast cancer (2.6%; 95% CI, -0.1% to 5.3%) and cervical cancer (-0.5%; 95% CI, -2.7% to 1.7%) and a higher rate of colorectal cancer (4.5%; 95% CI, 1.8% to 7.3%) screening in the highest socioeconomic group. Because PCMH implementation was associated with larger increases in screening in lower socioeconomic practice settings, models suggest reduced disparities in screening rates across these contexts. For example, the model-predicted disparity in breast cancer screening rates between the highest and lowest socioeconomic contexts was 6% (77.9% vs 72.2%) among practices with no PCMH implementation and 3% (80.3% vs. 77.0%) among practices with full PCMH implementation. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In our study, the PCMH model was associated with improved cancer screening rates across contexts but may be especially relevant for practices in lower socioeconomic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda R Markovitz
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Ann Arbor2Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jeffrey A Alexander
- Department of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Paula M Lantz
- Department of Health Policy, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Michael L Paustian
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Epstein AM, Joynt KE, Jha AK, Orav EJ. Access to coronary artery bypass graft surgery under pay for performance: evidence from the premier hospital quality incentive demonstration. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2014; 7:727-34. [PMID: 25160840 DOI: 10.1161/circoutcomes.114.001024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although pay for performance (P4P) has become common, many worry that P4P will lead providers to avoid offering surgical procedures to the sickest patients out of concern that poor outcomes will lead to financial penalties. METHODS AND RESULTS We used Medicare data to compare change in rates of coronary artery bypass graft surgery between 2002 to 2003 and 2008 to 2009 among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) admitted to 126 hospitals participating in Medicare's Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration P4P program with patients in 848 control hospitals participating in public reporting through the Health Quality Alliance. We examined rates for all patients with AMI and those in the top decile of predicted mortality based on demographics, medical comorbidities, and AMI characteristics. We identified 91 393 patients admitted for AMI in Premier hospitals and 502 536 Medicare patients admitted for AMI in control hospitals. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery rates for patients with AMI in Premier decreased from 13.6% in 2002 to 2003 to 10.4% in 2008 to 2009; there was a comparable decrease in non-Premier hospitals (13.6%-10.6%; P value for comparison of changes between Premier and non-Premier, 0.67). Coronary artery bypass graft surgery rates for high-risk patients in Premier decreased from 8.4% in FY 2002 to 203 to 8.2% in 2008 to 2009. Patterns were similar in non-Premier hospitals (8.4%-8.3%; P value for comparison of changes between Premier and non-Premier, 0.82). CONCLUSIONS Our results show no evidence of a deleterious effect of P4P on access to coronary artery bypass graft surgery for high-risk patients with AMI. These results should be reassuring to those concerned about the potential negative effect of P4P on high-risk patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnold M Epstein
- From the Department of Health Policy and Management (A.M.E., K.E.J., A.K.J.) and Department of Biostatistics (E.J.O.), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Department of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, (A.M.E., A.K.J., E.J.O.) and Division of Cardiovascular Medicine (K.E.J.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; and Department of Medicine, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA (K.E.J., A.K.J.).
| | - Karen E Joynt
- From the Department of Health Policy and Management (A.M.E., K.E.J., A.K.J.) and Department of Biostatistics (E.J.O.), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Department of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, (A.M.E., A.K.J., E.J.O.) and Division of Cardiovascular Medicine (K.E.J.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; and Department of Medicine, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA (K.E.J., A.K.J.)
| | - Ashish K Jha
- From the Department of Health Policy and Management (A.M.E., K.E.J., A.K.J.) and Department of Biostatistics (E.J.O.), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Department of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, (A.M.E., A.K.J., E.J.O.) and Division of Cardiovascular Medicine (K.E.J.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; and Department of Medicine, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA (K.E.J., A.K.J.)
| | - E John Orav
- From the Department of Health Policy and Management (A.M.E., K.E.J., A.K.J.) and Department of Biostatistics (E.J.O.), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Department of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, (A.M.E., A.K.J., E.J.O.) and Division of Cardiovascular Medicine (K.E.J.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; and Department of Medicine, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA (K.E.J., A.K.J.)
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Luo H, Zhang X, Cook B, Wu B, Wilson MR. Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Preventive Care Practice Among U.S. Nursing Home Residents. J Aging Health 2014; 26:519-539. [DOI: 10.1177/0898264314524436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To assess racial/ethnic disparities in preventive care practices among U.S. nursing home residents. Method: To implement the Institute of Medicine definition of health care disparity, we used the rank-and-replace adjustment method to assess the disparity in receipt of eight preventive care services among residents and evaluate trends in disparities. The sampling design (stratification and clustering) was accounted for using Stata 11. Results: The 2004 National Nursing Home Surveys data show White residents were more likely to have pain management, scheduled toilet plan/bladder retraining, influenza vaccination, and pneumococcal vaccination than Black residents. White residents were also more likely to have scheduled toilet plan/bladder retraining than residents of Other race/ethnicity. Significant Black–White disparities in receipt of influenza vaccination and pneumococcal vaccination were found. Time trend analysis showed that disparities were neither exacerbated nor reduced. Conclusion: Persistent racial/ethnic disparities in preventive care among nursing home residents exist. We urge the development and implementation of targeted interventions to improve the quality of preventive care in nursing homes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huabin Luo
- East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Xinzhi Zhang
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Bei Wu
- Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Thirty years of disparities intervention research: what are we doing to close racial and ethnic gaps in health care? Med Care 2013; 51:1020-6. [PMID: 24128746 DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0b013e3182a97ba3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A systematic scan of the disparities intervention literature will allow researchers, providers, and policymakers to understand which interventions are being evaluated to improve minority health and which areas require further research. METHODS We systematically categorized 391 disparities intervention articles published between 1979 and 2011, covering 11 diseases. We developed a taxonomy of disparities interventions using qualitative theme analysis. We identified the tactic, or what was done to intervene; the strategy, or a group of tactics with common characteristics; and the level, or who was targeted by the effort. RESULTS The taxonomy included 44 tactics, 9 strategies, and 6 levels. Delivering education and training was the most common strategy (37%). Within education and training, the most common tactics were education about disease (14%) and self-management (11%), whereas communication skills training (3%) and decision-making aids (1%) were less frequent. The strategy of actively engaging the community through tactics such as community health workers and outreach efforts accounted for 6.5% of tactics. Interventions most commonly targeted patients (50%) and community members who were not established patients of the intervening organization (32%). Interventions targeting providers (7%), the microsystem (immediate care team) (9%), organizations (3%), and policies (0.1%) were less common. CONCLUSIONS Disparities researchers have predominantly focused on the patient as the target for change; future research should also investigate how to improve the system that serves minority patients. Areas for further study include interventions that engage the community, educational interventions that address communication barriers, and the impact of policy reform on disparities in care.
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Berger ZD, Joy SM, Hutfless S, Bridges JFP. Can public reporting impact patient outcomes and disparities? A systematic review. PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING 2013; 93:480-487. [PMID: 23579038 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2013.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2012] [Revised: 01/24/2013] [Accepted: 03/06/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recent US healthcare reforms aim to improve quality and access. We synthesized evidence assessing the impact that public reporting (PR), which will be extended to the outpatient setting, has on patient outcomes and disparities. METHODS A systematic review using PRISMA guidelines identified studies addressing the impact of PR on patient outcomes and disparities. RESULTS Of the 1970 publications identified, 25 were relevant, spanning hospitals (16), nursing homes (5), emergency rooms (1), health plans (2), and home health agencies (1). Evidence of effect on patient outcomes was mixed, with 6 studies reporting a favorable effect, 9 a mixed effect, 9 a null effect, and 1 a negative effect. One study found a mixed effect of PR on disparities. CONCLUSION The evidence of the impact of PR on patient outcomes is lacking, with limited evidence that PR has a favorable effect on outcomes in nursing homes. There is little evidence supporting claims that PR will have an impact on disparities or in the outpatient setting. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Health systems should collect information on patient-relevant outcomes. The lack of evidence does not necessarily imply a lack of effect, and a research gap exists regarding patient-relevant outcomes and PR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zackary D Berger
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of General Internal Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
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Effects of pay for performance in health care: A systematic review of systematic reviews. Health Policy 2013; 110:115-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2013.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 250] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2012] [Revised: 01/09/2013] [Accepted: 01/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Impact of a pay for performance program to improve diabetes care in the safety net. Prev Med 2012; 55 Suppl:S80-5. [PMID: 23046985 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2012.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Revised: 03/06/2012] [Accepted: 05/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of a "piece-rate" pay for performance (P4P) program aimed at improving diabetes care processes, outcomes and related healthcare utilization for patients enrolled in a not-for-profit Medicaid-focused managed care plan. METHODS To evaluate Hudson Health Plan's P4P program in New York (2003-2007), we conducted: (1) a case-comparison difference-in-difference study using plan-level administrative data; (2) a patient-level claims data analysis; and (3) a cross-sectional survey. RESULTS The case-comparison study found that diabetes care processes (e.g., HbA1c, lipid, and dilated eye exam rates) and outcomes (e.g., LDL-C<100mg/dL) did not improve significantly over the study period. Claims analysis showed that younger adults had significantly increased odds (OR 3.50-3.56, p<0.001) of using emergency and hospital-based services and similarly decreased odds of receiving recommended care process (OR 0.22-0.36, p<0.01-0.001). Survey study indicated that practices lack fundamental quality improvement infrastructures and training. CONCLUSIONS Recent health legislation mandates the use of P4P incentives in government programs that disproportionately care for patients with lower socioeconomic or minority backgrounds (e.g., Medicaid, Veterans Health Administration, and Tricare). More research is needed in order to understand how to tailor P4P programs for vulnerable care settings.
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Golden SH, Brown A, Cauley JA, Chin MH, Gary-Webb TL, Kim C, Sosa JA, Sumner AE, Anton B. Health disparities in endocrine disorders: biological, clinical, and nonclinical factors--an Endocrine Society scientific statement. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2012; 97:E1579-639. [PMID: 22730516 PMCID: PMC3431576 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2012-2043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 271] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim was to provide a scholarly review of the published literature on biological, clinical, and nonclinical contributors to race/ethnic and sex disparities in endocrine disorders and to identify current gaps in knowledge as a focus for future research needs. PARTICIPANTS IN DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC STATEMENT: The Endocrine Society's Scientific Statement Task Force (SSTF) selected the leader of the statement development group (S.H.G.). She selected an eight-member writing group with expertise in endocrinology and health disparities, which was approved by the Society. All discussions regarding the scientific statement content occurred via teleconference or written correspondence. No funding was provided to any expert or peer reviewer, and all participants volunteered their time to prepare this Scientific Statement. EVIDENCE The primary sources of data on global disease prevalence are from the World Health Organization. A comprehensive literature search of PubMed identified U.S. population-based studies. Search strategies combining Medical Subject Headings terms and keyword terms and phrases defined two concepts: 1) racial, ethnic, and sex differences including specific populations; and 2) the specific endocrine disorder or condition. The search identified systematic reviews, meta-analyses, large cohort and population-based studies, and original studies focusing on the prevalence and determinants of disparities in endocrine disorders. consensus process: The writing group focused on population differences in the highly prevalent endocrine diseases of type 2 diabetes mellitus and related conditions (prediabetes and diabetic complications), gestational diabetes, metabolic syndrome with a focus on obesity and dyslipidemia, thyroid disorders, osteoporosis, and vitamin D deficiency. Authors reviewed and synthesized evidence in their areas of expertise. The final statement incorporated responses to several levels of review: 1) comments of the SSTF and the Advocacy and Public Outreach Core Committee; and 2) suggestions offered by the Council and members of The Endocrine Society. CONCLUSIONS Several themes emerged in the statement, including a need for basic science, population-based, translational and health services studies to explore underlying mechanisms contributing to endocrine health disparities. Compared to non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks have worse outcomes and higher mortality from certain disorders despite having a lower (e.g. macrovascular complications of diabetes mellitus and osteoporotic fractures) or similar (e.g. thyroid cancer) incidence of these disorders. Obesity is an important contributor to diabetes risk in minority populations and to sex disparities in thyroid cancer, suggesting that population interventions targeting weight loss may favorably impact a number of endocrine disorders. There are important implications regarding the definition of obesity in different race/ethnic groups, including potential underestimation of disease risk in Asian-Americans and overestimation in non-Hispanic black women. Ethnic-specific cut-points for central obesity should be determined so that clinicians can adequately assess metabolic risk. There is little evidence that genetic differences contribute significantly to race/ethnic disparities in the endocrine disorders examined. Multilevel interventions have reduced disparities in diabetes care, and these successes can be modeled to design similar interventions for other endocrine diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherita Hill Golden
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
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Abstract
Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States despite advances in prevention methodologies. The goal of this study was to systematically review the past 30 years of HIV prevention interventions addressing racial disparities. We conducted electronic searches of Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane Review of Clinical Trials databases, supplemented by manual searches and expert review. Studies published before June 5, 2011 were eligible. Prevention interventions that included over 50% racial/ethnic minority participants or sub-analysis by race/ethnicity, measured condom use only or condom use plus incident sexually transmitted infections or HIV as outcomes, and were affiliated with a health clinic were included in the review. We stratified the included articles by target population and intervention modality. Reviewers independently and systematically extracted all studies using the Downs and Black checklist for quality assessment; authors cross-checked 20% of extractions. Seventy-six studies were included in the final analysis. The mean DB score was 22.44--high compared to previously published means. Most of the studies were randomized controlled trials (87%) and included a majority of African-American participants (83%). No interventions were designed specifically to reduce disparities in HIV acquisition between populations. Additionally, few interventions targeted men who have sex with men or utilized HIV as a primary outcome. Interventions that combined skills training and cultural or interactive engagement of participants were superior to those depending on didactic messaging. The scope of this review was limited by the exclusion of non-clinic based interventions and intermediate risk endpoints. Interactive, skills-based sessions may be effective in preventing HIV acquisition in racial and ethnic minorities, but further research into interventions tailored to specific sub-populations, such as men who have sex with men, is warranted.
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Chin MH, Clarke AR, Nocon RS, Casey AA, Goddu AP, Keesecker NM, Cook SC. A roadmap and best practices for organizations to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care. J Gen Intern Med 2012; 27:992-1000. [PMID: 22798211 PMCID: PMC3403142 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-012-2082-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, researchers have shifted their focus from documenting health care disparities to identifying solutions to close the gap in care. Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is charged with identifying promising interventions to reduce disparities. Based on our work conducting systematic reviews of the literature, evaluating promising practices, and providing technical assistance to health care organizations, we present a roadmap for reducing racial and ethnic disparities in care. The roadmap outlines a dynamic process in which individual interventions are just one part. It highlights that organizations and providers need to take responsibility for reducing disparities, establish a general infrastructure and culture to improve quality, and integrate targeted disparities interventions into quality improvement efforts. Additionally, we summarize the major lessons learned through the Finding Answers program. We share best practices for implementing disparities interventions and synthesize cross-cutting themes from 12 systematic reviews of the literature. Our research shows that promising interventions frequently are culturally tailored to meet patients' needs, employ multidisciplinary teams of care providers, and target multiple leverage points along a patient's pathway of care. Health education that uses interactive techniques to deliver skills training appears to be more effective than traditional didactic approaches. Furthermore, patient navigation and engaging family and community members in the health care process may improve outcomes for minority patients. We anticipate that the roadmap and best practices will be useful for organizations, policymakers, and researchers striving to provide high-quality equitable care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marshall H Chin
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change National Program Office, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Bogdan-Lovis E, Fleck L, Barry HC. It's NOT FAIR! Or is it? The promise and the tyranny of evidence-based performance assessment. THEORETICAL MEDICINE AND BIOETHICS 2012; 33:293-311. [PMID: 22825592 DOI: 10.1007/s11017-012-9228-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Evidence-based medicine (EBM), by its ability to decrease irrational variations in health care, was expected to improve healthcare quality and outcomes. The utility of EBM principles evolved from individual clinical decision-making to wider foundational clinical practice guideline applications, cost containment measures, and clinical quality performance measures. At this evolutionary juncture one can ask the following questions. Given the time-limited exigencies of daily clinical practice, is it tenable for clinicians to follow guidelines? Whose or what interests are served by applying performance assessments? Does such application improve medical care quality? What happens when the best interests of vested parties conflict? Mindful of the constellation of socially and clinically relevant variables influencing health outcomes, is it fair to apply evidence-based performance assessment tools to judge the merits of clinical decision-making? Finally, is it fair and just to incentivize clinicians in ways that might sway clinical judgment? To address these questions, we consider various clinical applications of performance assessment strategies, examining what performance measures purport to measure, how they are measured and whether such applications demonstrably improve quality. With attention to the merits and frailties associated with such applications, we devise and defend criteria that distinguish between justice-sustaining and justice-threatening performance-based clinical protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Bogdan-Lovis
- Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences, Michigan State University, East Fee Hall, 965 Fee Road, Room C222, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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Jung K, Feldman R. Public reporting and market area exit decisions by home health agencies. MEDICARE & MEDICAID RESEARCH REVIEW 2012; 2:mmrr2012-002-04-a06. [PMID: 24800158 DOI: 10.5600/mmrr.002.04.a06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine whether home health agencies selectively discontinue services to areas with socio-economically disadvantaged people after the introduction of Home Health Compare (HHC), a public reporting program initiated by Medicare in 2003. STUDY DESIGN /METHODS We focused on agencies' initial responses to HHC and examined selective market-area exits by agencies between 2002 and 2004. We measured HHC effects by the percentage of quality indicators reported in public HHC data in 2003. Socio-economic status was measured by per capita income and percent college-educated at the market-area level. DATA SOURCES 2002 and 2004 Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS); 2000 US Census file; 2004 Area Resource File; and 2002 Provider of Service File. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS WE FOUND A SMALL AND WEAK EFFECT OF PUBLIC REPORTING ON SELECTIVE EXITS: a 10-percent increase in reporting (reporting one more indicator) increased the probability of leaving an area with less-educated people by 0.3 percentage points, compared with leaving an area with high education. CONCLUSION The small level of market-area exits under public reporting is unlikely to be practically meaningful, suggesting that HHC did not lead to a disruption in access to home health care through selective exits during the initial year of the program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoungrae Jung
- The Pennsylvania State University-College of Health and Human Development
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Chien AT, Wroblewski K, Damberg C, Williams TR, Yanagihara D, Yakunina Y, Casalino LP. Do physician organizations located in lower socioeconomic status areas score lower on pay-for-performance measures? J Gen Intern Med 2012; 27:548-54. [PMID: 22160817 PMCID: PMC3326117 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-011-1946-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2011] [Revised: 10/18/2011] [Accepted: 10/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physician organizations (POs)--independent practice associations and medical groups--located in lower socioeconomic status (SES) areas may score poorly in pay-for-performance (P4P) programs. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between PO location and P4P performance. DESIGN Cross-sectional study; Integrated Healthcare Association's (IHA's) P4P Program, the largest non-governmental, multi-payer program for POs in the U.S. PARTICIPANTS 160 POs participating in 2009. MAIN MEASURES We measured PO SES using established methods that involved geo-coding 11,718 practice sites within 160 POs to their respective census tracts and weighting tract-specific SES according to the number of primary care physicians at each site. P4P performance was defined by IHA's program and was a composite mainly representing clinical quality, but also including measures of patient experience, information technology and registry use. KEY RESULTS The area-based PO SES measure ranged from -11 to +11 (mean 0, SD 5), and the IHA P4P performance score ranged from 23 to 86 (mean 69, SD 15). In bivariate analysis, there was a significant positive relationship between PO SES and P4P performance (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, a one standard deviation increase in PO SES was associated with a 44% increase (relative risk 1.44, 95%CI, 1.22-1.71) in the likelihood of a PO being ranked in the top two quintiles of performance (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Physician organizations' performance scores in a major P4P program vary by the SES of the areas in which their practice sites are located. P4P programs that do not account for this are likely to pay higher bonuses to POs in higher SES areas, thus increasing the resource gap between these POs and POs in lower SES areas, which may increase disparities in the care they provide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyna T Chien
- Division of General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Boston, and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, 21 Autumn Street-Room 223, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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Alshamsan R, Lee JT, Majeed A, Netuveli G, Millett C. Effect of a UK pay-for-performance program on ethnic disparities in diabetes outcomes: interrupted time series analysis. Ann Fam Med 2012; 10:228-34. [PMID: 22585887 PMCID: PMC3354972 DOI: 10.1370/afm.1335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE We wanted to examine the long-term effects of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), a major pay-for-performance program in the United Kingdom, on ethnic disparities in diabetes outcomes. METHODS We undertook an interrupted time series analysis of electronic medical record data of diabetes patients registered with 29 family practices in South West London, United Kingdom. Main outcome measures were mean hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)), total cholesterol, and blood pressure. RESULTS The introduction of QOF was associated with initial accelerated improvements in systolic blood pressure in white and black patients, but these improvements were sustained only in black patients (annual decrease: -1.68 mm Hg; 95% CI, -2.41 to -0.95 mm Hg). Initial improvements in diastolic blood pressure in white patients (-1.01 mm Hg; 95% CI, -1.79 to -0.24 mm Hg) and in cholesterol in white (-0.13 mmol/L; 95% CI, -0.21 to -0.05 mmol/L) and black (-0.10 mmol/L; 95% CI, -0.20 to -0.01 mmol/L) patients were not sustained in the post-QOF period. There was no beneficial impact of QOF on HbA(1c) in any ethnic group. Existing disparities in risk factor control remained largely intact (for example; mean HbA(1c): white 7.5%, black 7.8%, south Asian 7.8%; P <.05) at the end of the study period. CONCLUSION A universal pay-for-performance scheme did not appear to address important disparities in chronic disease management over time. Targeted quality improvement strategies may be required to improve health care in vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riyadh Alshamsan
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College, St. Dunstan's Road, London, United Kingdom.
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Ryan AM, Blustein J, Doran T, Michelow MD, Casalino LP. The effect of Phase 2 of the Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration on incentive payments to hospitals caring for disadvantaged patients. Health Serv Res 2012; 47:1418-36. [PMID: 22417137 DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2012.01393.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Medicare and Premier Inc. Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration (HQID), a hospital-based pay-for-performance program, changed its incentive design from one rewarding only high performance (Phase 1) to another rewarding high performance, moderate performance, and improvement (Phase 2). We tested whether this design change reduced the gap in incentive payments among hospitals treating patients across the gradient of socioeconomic disadvantage. DATA To estimate incentive payments in both phases, we used data from the Premier Inc. website and from Medicare Provider Analysis and Review files. We used data from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Impact File to identify hospital characteristics. STUDY DESIGN Hospitals were divided into quartiles based on their Disproportionate Share Index (DSH), from lowest disadvantage (Quartile 1) to highest disadvantage (Quartile 4). In both phases of the HQID, we tested for differences across the DSH quartiles for three outcomes: (1) receipt of any incentive payments; (2) total incentive payments; and (3) incentive payments per discharge. For each of the study outcomes, we performed a hospital-level difference-in-differences analysis to test whether the gap between Quartile 1 and the other quartiles decreased from Phase 1 to Phase 2. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In Phase 1, there were significant gaps across the DSH quartiles for the receipt of any payment and for payment per discharge. In Phase 2, the gap was not significant for the receipt of any payment, but it remained significant for payment per discharge. For the receipt of any incentive payment, difference-in-difference estimates showed significant reductions in the gap between Quartile 1 and the other quartiles (Quartile 2, 17.5 percentage points [p < .05]; Quartile 3, 18.1 percentage points [p < .01]; Quartile 4, 28.3 percentage points [p < .01]). For payments per discharge, the gap was also significantly reduced between Quartile 1 and the other quartiles (Quartile 2, $14.92 per discharge [p < .10]; Quartile 3, $17.34 per discharge [p < .05]; Quartile 4, $21.31 per discharge [p < .01]). There were no significant reductions in the gap for total payments. CONCLUSIONS The design change in the HQID reduced the disparity in the receipt of any incentive payment and for incentive payments per discharge between hospitals caring for the most and least socioeconomically disadvantaged patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Ryan
- Robert F. Wagner Graduate School and Division of General Medicine, NYU Medical School, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Lee JT, Netuveli G, Majeed A, Millett C. The effects of pay for performance on disparities in stroke, hypertension, and coronary heart disease management: interrupted time series study. PLoS One 2011; 6:e27236. [PMID: 22194781 PMCID: PMC3240616 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2010] [Accepted: 10/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), a major pay-for-performance programme, was introduced into United Kingdom primary care in April 2004. The impact of this programme on disparities in health care remains unclear. This study examines the following questions: has this pay for performance programme improved the quality of care for coronary heart disease, stroke and hypertension in white, black and south Asian patients? Has this programme reduced disparities in the quality of care between these ethnic groups? Did general practices with different baseline performance respond differently to this programme? METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Retrospective cohort study of patients registered with family practices in Wandsworth, London during 2007. Segmented regression analysis of interrupted time series was used to take into account the previous time trend. Primary outcome measures were mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Our findings suggest that the implementation of QOF resulted in significant short term improvements in blood pressure control. The magnitude of benefit varied between ethnic groups with a statistically significant short term reduction in systolic BP in white and black but not in south Asian patients with hypertension. Disparities in risk factor control were attenuated only on few measures and largely remained intact at the end of the study period. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Pay for performance programmes such as the QOF in the UK should set challenging but achievable targets. Specific targets aimed at reducing ethnic disparities in health care may also be needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Tayu Lee
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, United Kingdom.
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Feudtner C, Berry JG, Parry G, Hain P, Morse RB, Slonim AD, Shah SS, Hall M. Statistical uncertainty of mortality rates and rankings for children's hospitals. Pediatrics 2011; 128:e966-72. [PMID: 21890830 PMCID: PMC3182848 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2010-3074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Hospitals are being required to report publically their adjusted mortality rates, which are then being used to rank hospitals. Our objectives were to assess the statistical reliability of the determination of a hospital's adjusted mortality rate, of comparisons of that rate with the rates of other hospitals, and of the use of those rates to rank the hospitals. METHODS A cross-sectional study of 473 383 patients discharged from 42 US children's hospitals in 2008 was performed. Hospital-specific observed/expected (O/E) mortality rate ratios and corresponding hospital rankings, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were examined. RESULTS Hospitals' O/E mortality rate ratios exhibited wide 95% CIs, and no hospital was clearly distinguishable from the other hospitals' aggregated mean mortality performance. Only 2 hospitals' mortality performance fell outside the comparator hospitals' 95% CI. Those hospitals' 95% CIs overlapped with the overall comparator set's 95% CI, which suggests that there were no statistically significant hospital outliers. Fourteen (33.3%) of the 42 hospitals had O/E ratios that were not statistically different from being in the 95% CI of the top 10% of hospitals. Hospital-specific mortality rate rankings displayed even broader 95% CIs; the typical hospital had a 95% CI range that spanned 22 rank-order positions. CONCLUSION Children's hospital-specific measures of adjusted mortality rate ratios and rankings have substantial amounts of statistical imprecision, which limits the usefulness of such measures for comparisons of quality of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Feudtner
- PolicyLab and Department of Medical Ethics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
| | - Jay G. Berry
- Program for Patient Safety and Quality, Division of General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Boston and School of Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gareth Parry
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Paul Hain
- Department of Pediatrics, Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Rustin B. Morse
- Emergency Department, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona
| | | | - Samir S. Shah
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Matt Hall
- Department of Informatics, Child Health Corporation of America, Kansas City, Kansas
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Weinick RM, Hasnain-Wynia R. Quality Improvement Efforts Under Health Reform: How To Ensure That They Help Reduce Disparities—Not Increase Them. Health Aff (Millwood) 2011; 30:1837-43. [DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin M. Weinick
- Robin M. Weinick ( ) is an associate director of RAND Health in Washington, D.C
| | - Romana Hasnain-Wynia
- Romana Hasnain-Wynia is director of the Center for Healthcare Equity in the Institute for Healthcare Studies at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, in Chicago, Illinois
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