Drug-related emergency department visits in an elderly veteran population

BACKGROUND: Given that adverse drug events result in extensive costs and healthcare resource utilization, the goal is to better understand drug-related emergency department (ED) visits so that programs can be implemented to improve the quality of health care. OBJECTIVE: To (1) determine the incidence of drug-related ED visits at a large, tertiary care, Veterans Affairs hospital; (2) identify causes of these drug-related ED visits; (3) determine patient outcomes, healthcare resource utilization, and costs associated with these visits; and (4) determine the proportion of adverse drug reaction (ADR)-related ED visits that were spontaneously reported to the hospital's ADR reporting program. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective electronic chart review of all patients who visited the ED during the second week of each month in 2003. Causes for drug-related visits were identified. ADRs in this study included side effects, drug allergies, and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) and were assessed using the Naranjo probability scale. RESULTS: A total of 2169 patients were included in the study. Drug-related visits accounted for 12.6% of all ED visits. The main causes of drug-related visits were ADRs and nonadherence, which accounted for 33% and 19% of drug-related visits, respectively. Only 11% of these ADRs were spontaneously reported to the hospital's ADR reporting program. Thirty-five percent of drug-related visits led to hospitalizations, which resulted in an average length of stay of 9.3 days. The institution's total cost of drug-related visits was approximately 1.5 million US dollars over 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Many ED visits are drug related and often result in hospitalization and increased healthcare resource utilization. Only a minimal number of the ADRs resulting in ED visits are spontaneously reported to hospital ADR reporting programs.     

Inhaled corticosteroids for asthma: are ED visits a missed opportunity for prevention?

Inhaled corticosteroids are effective but underused. This study evaluated the outpatient management of emergency department (ED) patients presenting with acute asthma and the relation of inhaled corticosteroid use to the patient's primary care provider (PCP) status. ED patients were interviewed by the hospital's asthma education program staff about their asthma. Overall, 85% (101 of 119) of asthmatics reported having a PCP. Although patients with a PCP and patients without a PCP both were using inhaled beta-agonists (93% v 89%, respectively; P = .54), patients without a PCP were less likely to be using inhaled corticosteroids (49% v 11%, P = .003). Controlling for age, acute asthma severity, and asthma hospitalizations during the past year, PCP status remained a significant predictor of inhaled corticosteroid use (odds ratio = 5.6; 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 27). Even among ED patients with a PCP, inhaled corticosteroids appear to be underused. ED asthma visits present an opportunity to initiate preventive measures such as inhaled corticosteroid use.     

Patient Navigation to Reduce Emergency Department (ED) Utilization Among Medicaid Insured,Frequent ED Users: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundSome Medicaid enrollees frequently utilize the emergency department (ED) due to barriers accessing health care services in other settings.ObjectivesTo determine whether an ED-initiated Patient Navigation program (ED-PN) designed to improve health care access for Medicaid-insured frequent ED users could decrease ED visits, hospitalizations, and costs.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, randomized controlled trial comparing ED-PN with usual care (UC) among 100 Medicaid-enrolled frequent ED users (defined as 4–18 ED visits in the prior year), assessing ED utilization during the 12 months pre- and post-enrollment. Secondary outcomes included hospitalizations, outpatient utilization, hospital costs, and Medicaid costs. We also compared characteristics between ED-PN patients with and without reduced ED utilization.ResultsOf 214 eligible patients approached, 100 (47%) consented to participate. Forty-nine were randomized to ED-PN and 51 to UC. Sociodemographic characteristics and prior utilization were similar between groups. ED-PN participants had a significant reduction in ED visits and hospitalizations during the 12-month evaluation period compared with UC, averaging 1.4 fewer ED visits per patient (p = 0.01) and 1.0 fewer hospitalizations per patient (p = 0.001). Both groups increased outpatient utilization. ED-PN patients showed a trend toward reduced per-patient hospital costs (−$10,201, p = 0.10); Medicaid costs were unchanged (−$5,765, p = 0.26). Patients who demonstrated a reduction in ED usage were older (mean age 42 vs. 33 years, p = 0.03) and had lower health literacy (78% low health literacy vs. 40%, p = 0.02).ConclusionAn ED-PN program targeting Medicaid-insured high ED utilizers demonstrated significant reductions in ED visits and hospitalizations in the 12 months after enrollment.     

Distances to Emergency Department and to Primary Care Provider's Office Affect Emergency Department Use in Children

Objectives:  Patients of all ages use emergency departments (EDs) for primary care. Several studies have evaluated patient and system characteristics that influence pediatric ED use. However, the issue of proximity as a predictor of ED use has not been well studied. The authors sought to determine whether ED use by pediatric Medicaid enrollees was associated with the distance to their primary care providers (PCPs), distance to the nearest ED, and distance to the nearest children's hospital.
Methods:  This historical cohort study included 26,038 children age 18 and under, assigned to 332 primary care practices affiliated with a Medicaid health maintenance organization (HMO). Predictor variables were distance from the child's home to his or her PCP site, distance from home to the nearest ED, and distance from home to the nearest children's hospital. The outcome variable was each child's ED use. A negative binomial model was used to determine the association between distance variables and ED use, adjusted for age, sex, and race, plus medical and primary care site characteristics previously found to influence ED use. Distance variables were divided into quartiles to test for nonlinear associations.
Results:  On average, children made 0.31 ED visits/person/year. In the multivariable model, children living greater than 1.19 miles from the nearest ED had 11% lower ED use than those living within 0.5 miles of the nearest ED (risk ratio [RR] = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.81 to 0.99). Children living between 1.54 and 3.13 miles from their PCPs had 13% greater ED use (RR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.24) than those who lived within 0.7 miles of their PCP.
Conclusions:  Geographical variables play a significant role in ED utilization in children, confirming the importance of system-level determinants of ED use and creating the opportunity for interventions to reduce geographical barriers to primary care.     

Analysis of Costs, Length of Stay, and Utilization of Emergency Department Services by Frequent Users: Implications for Health Policy

In efforts to decrease emergency department (ED) crowding and health care costs, frequent users of ED services have been targeted for interventions to decrease their utilization. Previous studies have had different definitions for "frequent users" and have considered all frequent users as a homogeneous group. To the authors' knowledge, no study has examined visit characteristics and resource utilization of different levels of frequent use. OBJECTIVES: 1) to determine the rates of ED utilization by five user groups defined by number of annual visits, 2) to examine variations in visit characteristics by frequency of ED use, and 3) to compare levels of resource utilization among frequent user groups. METHODS: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study of clinical and financial records for all ED visits to an urban, academic hospital in 2001. Multinomial logistic and linear regression models were used for analyses. Estimates were corrected for multiple comparisons (with Bonferroni corrections), where applicable, and adjusted for clustering within individuals (with Huber-White estimators). Outcome measures were triage acuity, diagnosis-related group (DRG) severity, disposition status, primary complaint, medical diagnosis, hospital inpatient length of stay, payment method, costs, and demographics. RESULTS: Patients with three to 20 visits were more likely to be admitted to the hospital than patients visiting once or twice. Patients visiting more than 20 times were less likely to require hospital admission and more likely to present with "nonurgent" conditions, have lower severity scores, and elope or leave the ED without medical attention than patients visiting the ED once. The group had fewer inpatient days and lower average costs than patients visiting once. Patients with six to 20 visits had traditional Medicaid coverage more often than those with one or two visits. Virtually no patients visiting more than 20 times had Medicare or Medicaid managed care, a health maintenance organization, or a preferred provider organization. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent ED users are a heterogeneous group. Many patients previously thought to overutilize the ED for socioeconomic or insignificant medical problems are as sick as less-frequent ED users. There is a small subgroup with more than 20 visits who are less ill or injured but also incurred lower-than-average costs per visit.     

Exploring Patterns of Health Service Use in Older Emergency Department Patients

Objectives: Study objectives were to identify groups of older patients with similar patterns of health care use in the 12 months preceding an index outpatient emergency department (ED) visit and to identify patient‐level predictors of group membership. Methods: Subjects were adults ≥ 65 years of age treated and released from an academic medical center ED. Latent cluster analysis (LCA) models were estimated to identify groups with similar numbers of primary care (PC), specialist, and outpatient ED visits and hospital days within 12 months preceding the index ED visit. Results: In this sample (n = 308), five groups with distinct patterns of health service use emerged. Low Users (35%) had fewer visits of all types and fewer hospital days compared to sample means. Low Users were more likely to be female and had fewer chronic health conditions relative to the overall sample (p < 0.05). The ED to Supplement Primary Care Provider (PCP) (23%) group had more PCP visits, but also significantly more ED visits. Specialist Heavy (22%) group members had twice as many specialist visits, but no difference in PCP visits. Members of this class were more likely to be white and male (p < 0.05). High Users (15%) received more care in all categories and had more chronic baseline health conditions (p < 0.05) but no differences in demographic characteristics relative to the whole sample. The ED and Hospital as Substitution Care (6%) group had fewer PC and specialist visits, but more ED visits and hospital days. Conclusions: In this sample of older ED patients, five groups with distinct patterns of health service use were identified. Further study is needed to determine whether identification of these patient groups can add important information to existing risk‐assessment methods. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:1086–1092 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine     

Predicting Asthma Morbidity in Harlem Emergency Department Patients

OBJECTIVES: To determine predictors of asthma morbidity in African American patients with asthma. Proxies for asthma morbidity were emergency department (ED) visits for asthma and hospitalizations for asthma. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study that evaluated baseline predictors of asthma morbidity in adults in an urban, predominantly African American community in New York City. Potential predictors of asthma morbidity evaluated were education, gender, employment status, current smoking status, asthma severity, duration of asthma, daily use of a peak flow meter, presence or absence of pets at home, presence or absence of a significant other, presence or absence of medical insurance, and previous hospitalization for asthma in the past year. Follow-up consisted of a repeat questionnaire obtained between nine and 15 months after the baseline questionnaire. Follow-up data collection was limited to the last three-month history of ED visits or hospitalizations before the follow-up visit. At follow-up, the baseline predictors were related to the presence or absence of ED visits for asthma or hospitalizations for asthma. All predictors were evaluated individually (crude odds ratio [OR]) and simultaneously (adjusted OR) in a logistic regression model with the dichotomous outcome variable ED visits or hospitalization. RESULTS: Return ED visits on follow-up were more likely to occur in asthma patients hospitalized in the previous year (adjusted OR, 3.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.7 to 9.0) and were less likely to occur in asthma patients with pets (OR, 0.4; 95% CI = 0.2 to 0.9). Patients with moderate/severe asthma, relative to patients with mild asthma, were more likely to be seen in the ED on follow-up on initial analysis (crude OR, 2.4; 95% CI = 1.1 to 1.5), but the adjusted OR was not significant. Follow-up hospitalizations were significantly more likely to occur only in subjects reporting daily use of a peak flow meter (OR, 6.8; 95% CI = 1.3 to 34.5). Subjects hospitalized for asthma in the previous year were more likely to be hospitalized subsequently on initial analysis (crude OR, 2.9; 95% CI = 1.0 to 8.1), but the adjusted OR was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that African American patients with asthma who had previous hospitalizations for asthma within the past year or use a peak flow meter daily (a marker for more severe asthma) are more likely to visit the ED in the future or to be hospitalized for asthma, respectively. These patients need to be targeted and treated more aggressively to improve asthma care and decrease morbidity. The apparent protective effect of the presence of pets on reducing ED visits is unclear at this time, and the findings need to be replicated and evaluated further.     

Family physician continuity of care and emergency department use in end-of-life cancer care

BACKGROUND: Despite cancer patients preferring to spend their last days out-of-hospital, many make difficult visits to the emergency department (ED). Family physician continuity of care has been shown in some clinical situations to reduce ED utilization. OBJECTIVE: To determine if greater family physician continuity of care for cancer patients during the end-of-life is associated with less ED utilization. METHOD: This retrospective, population-based study involved secondary analysis of linked administrative data files for 1992 to 1997. Sources included the Nova Scotia Cancer Registry, Vital Statistics, the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Center Oncology Patient Information System and Palliative Care Program (PCP), Hospital Admissions/Separation data, and Physician Services information. Subjects included adults with a recorded date of cancer diagnosis who died of cancer and who had made at least three visits to a family physician during their last 6 months of life. The relationship between total ED visits and family physician continuity of care, developed using the Modified Modified Continuity Index (MMCI), was examined using negative binomial regression with adjustments for survival, year of death, sex, age, cancer type, region, PCP admission, specialty visits, hospital days, death location, income quintile, and total ambulatory visits. RESULTS: In total, 8702 subjects made 11,551 ED visits (median = 1.0); median MMCI was 0.83. Adjusted results indicate those experiencing low continuity (MMCI < 0.5) made 3.9 times more ED visits (rate ratio [RR] = 3.93; 95% CI [CI] = 3.57-4.34) than those experiencing high continuity (MMCI > or = 0.8) and patients experiencing moderate continuity (MMCI = 0.5-0.8) made twice as many ED visits (RR = 2.28; CI = 2.15-2.42). CONCLUSION: Given this significant association between family physician continuity of care and ED visits during the end-of-life, and given international trends to reform primary care, active planning of strategies to facilitate such continuity should be encouraged.     

Asthma Coaching in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Objectives: Coaching and monetary incentives have been used to modify medical behavior of individuals with several chronic diseases, including asthma. The authors performed a randomized, controlled trial of an intervention combining asthma coaching during an emergency department (ED) visit for asthma, and monetary incentive to improve follow-up with primary care providers (PCP).
Methods: Subjects were parents of children 2–12 years of age, with Medicaid or no medical insurance, receiving treatment for asthma in the ED. The primary outcome was a verified PCP visit for asthma within two weeks of the index ED visit. All parents received 15 for their time in the ED. Parents in the intervention group were told that they would receive an additional 15 monetary incentive if a PCP visit was completed. The coach engaged in a dialogue with the parent during the ED visit, and discussed the importance and advantages of seeking follow-up care with the child's PCP. All parents received the usual discharge instructions, including advice to see the PCP within three days.
Results: The authors enrolled 92 parents; outcome data were available for 86 (42 controls, 50 intervention). Demographic characteristics were similar in both groups. There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients who had follow-up PCP visits between the intervention (22.0%; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 11.5% to 36.0%) and control (23.8%; 95% CI = 12.0% to 39.4%) groups (p = 0.99).
Conclusions: An intervention combining asthma coaching during acute ED visits and a monetary incentive to return for a PCP visit does not appear to increase follow-up with the PCP.     

Characteristics of spacer device use by patients with asthma and COPD

Objective: Spacer devices (SD) in conjunction with metered dose inhalers (MDI) have been shown to be as effective as saline nebulizers for the delivery of beta-agonists. A preliminary study suggests that SDs are not consistently used. The purpose of this study was to investigate patterns of SD ownership and use to identify potential targets for future educational efforts to increase ownership and use of SD. Methods: Cross-sectional convenience sample survey of patients presenting to an academic Emergency Department (ED) with a history of asthma/COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Informed consent was obtained. Survey data included demographics, association with a primary care physician (PCP), SD ownership, patterns of use, opinions of efficacy about SD and disease severity assessed by duration of asthma/COPD, prior ED visits, hospitalizations, and history of prior intubation. Patterns of use are described and univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors associated with SD ownership. Results: Of the 313 patients, 55.9% were female, the mean age was 46.0 years (standard deviation 14.7), 54.3% were white, and 143 patients (45.7%) reported owning a SD. A total of 36.4% reported a prior hospitalization for their condition and 24% reported a history of being intubated. Less than half of patients presenting with asthma or COPD exacerbation that reported owning a SD used it the day of presentation to the ED. Logistic regression identified having a PCP and a history of prior hospitalization for asthma/COPD as factors independently associated with SD ownership (odds ratio [OR] 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–2.7 and OR 2.2, CI 1.3–3.5, respectively). Conclusion: A majority of patients with asthma/COPD do not own a SD. These data suggest that there is significant opportunity for educational efforts directed at a broad range of asthma/COPD patients in hopes of increasing ownership and use of SD.     

Characterization and prediction of emergency department use in chronic daily headache patients

OBJECTIVE: To examine the characteristics of chronic daily headache sufferers who use emergency departments (EDs) and identify factors predictive of ED visits. BACKGROUND: Several large clinical trials have found that a sizable subset of headache patients uses EDs frequently, although such visits should be preventable. METHODS: Participants in two large clinical trials provided baseline data on ED use, hospitalizations, disability, daily activities, and quality of life. RESULTS: Of the 785 patients included, 182 (23.2%) reported at least 1 ED visit over the past year. Most of these patients (82.9%) reported one to six visits; however, 4.4% reported>/=21 visits (mean 5.0; SD 8.5). The percentage of patients with overnight hospitalizations during the previous year was significantly greater in the ED user group than non-ED user group (17.6% vs 1.7%; P<.001), as was the number of visits to healthcare practitioners (median 24.3 vs 11.8; P<.001). Compared with non-ED users, a higher percentage of ED users reported severe disability on the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) (85.7% vs 69.3%, P<.001) and indicated that their headache more negatively impacted mood and daily activities (all P<.05). ED users also had significantly higher depression scores and lower scores on all domains of the Short Form--36 (SF--36) (all P<.05). In a logistic regression model, patient age, neurologist visit, severe (vs not severe) rating on the MIDAS, Role Physical (SF--36), and prior overnight hospitalization were significant predictors of ED use (max--rescaled R(2)=21.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients seeking ED treatment for chronic daily headache are more severely affected and have more unmet medical needs than those who do not use the ED. Management strategies that help prevent frequent ED use might be possible.     

Predictors and Outcomes of Frequent Emergency Department Users

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors and outcomes associated with frequent emergency department (ED) users. METHODS: Cross-sectional intake surveys, medical chart reviews, and telephone follow-up interviews of patients presenting with selected chief complaints were performed at five urban EDs during a one-month study period in 1995. Frequent use was defined by four or more self-reported, prior ED visits. Multivariate logistic regression identified predictors of frequent ED visitors from five domains (demographics, health status, health access, health care preference, and severity of acute illness). Associations between high use and selected outcomes were assessed with logistic regression models. RESULTS: All study components were completed by 2,333 of 3,455 eligible patients (67.5%). Demographics predicting frequent use included being a single parent, single or divorced marital status, high school education or less, and income of less than $10,000 (1995). Health status predictors included hospitalization in the preceding three months, high ratings of psychological distress, and asthma. Health access predictors included identifying an ED or a hospital clinic as the primary care site, having a primary care physician (PCP), and visiting a PCP in the past month. Choosing the ED for free care was the only health preference predictive of heavy use. Illness severity measures were higher in frequent visitors, although these were not independently predictive in the multivariate model. Outcomes correlated with heavy use include increased hospital admissions, higher rates of ED return visits, and lower patient satisfaction, but not willingness to return to the ED or follow-up with a doctor. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent ED visits are associated with socioeconomic distress, chronic illness, and high use of other health resources. Efforts to reduce ED visits require addressing the unique needs of these patients in the emergency and primary care settings.     

Frequent Users of the Emergency Department: Can We Intervene?

Objective: To determine whether the use of individualized patient care plans and multidisciplinary case management would decrease ED utilization by frequent ED users.
Methods: The authors performed a prospective, randomized clinical trial of the impact of a care plan on ED use by adults with frequent ED visits. Patients with >10 ED visits to a university hospital in 1993 were identified. Patients were matched for age, sex, and number of visits and then randomized into 2 groups. The control group received standard emergency care. The treatment group was managed by a multidisciplinary team and treated in the ED according to individualized care plans. ED use was tracked at the university hospital and at the other 5 community hospitals in the city.
Results: Of the 70 enrolled patients, 25 of 37 control patients and 27 of 33 treatment patients made visits to the university hospital during the 1-year study period. Only those patients with follow-up visits were included in the data analysis. Patients remaining in the control group made 247 total visits (range 1–65) to the university hospital and 179 total visits (range 0–38) to the community hospitals during the study period. Patients in the treatment group made 320 total visits (range 1–72) to the university hospital and 254 total visits (range 0–135) to the community hospitals during the study period. There was no significant difference in the median number of visits made to either the university hospital or the community hospitals by the patients in the control group and those in the treatment group.
Conclusions: The use of individualized care plans and case management did not significantly decrease ED utilization by frequent ED users. However, the impact of individualized care plans and case management on other quality-of-care measures (e.g., patient satisfaction, ED length of stay, hospitalizations, primary care visits, and health care costs) remains to be determined.     

Gaps in enrollment from a Medicaid managed care program: effects on emergency department visits and hospitalizations for children with asthma

BACKGROUND: For high-risk children with asthma enrolled in Medicaid, loss of Medicaid coverage is a potential threat to access to quality asthma care. OBJECTIVE: We sought to quantify the effect of gaps in enrollment on emergency department visits and hospitalizations for children with asthma in TennCare, Tennessee's managed care program for Medicaid-eligible and uninsured children. METHODS: Children with asthma were identified from a research database of files maintained by the state. Gaps in enrollment in the state insurance program were measured between 1998 and 2002. Children with gaps were compared with children without gaps with respect to emergency department visits and hospitalizations for asthma, respiratory illnesses, croup, and other diagnoses. RESULTS: Among children who met study definitions of asthma, 2373 experienced a gap in enrollment during the study period (10.4%). The rate of hospitalizations and emergency department visits for children with gaps (7402/10,000 person years) was significantly lower than the rate of study events for children with no gaps (9230/10,000 person years) (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.88; 95% confidence interval 0.81-0.96). The rate of hospitalizations for asthma and other respiratory conditions was not different between the 2 groups; however, there was a significantly lower rate of hospitalizations for other reasons for children with gaps (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.59; 95% confidence interval 0.41-0.86). CONCLUSIONS: Children with asthma who had gaps in a Medicaid managed care insurance program had no increase in asthma related emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Children who had gaps did have fewer nonrespiratory emergency department visits and hospitalizations than their non-gap counterparts. Further study is needed to explore the reasons for this unexpected finding.     

Effects of seasonality and daylight savings time on emergency department visits for mental health disorders

ObjectivesEmergency Department (ED) utilization accounts for a large portion of healthcare services in the US. Disturbance of circadian rhythms may affect mental and behavioral health (MBH) conditions, which could result in increased ED visits and subsequent hospitalizations, thus potentially inducing staffing shortages and increasing ED wait time. Predicting the burden of ED admissions helps to better plan care at the EDs and provides significant benefits. This study investigates if increased ED visits for MBH conditions are associated with seasonality and changes in daylight savings time.MethodsUsing ED encounter data from a large academic medical center, we have examined univariate and multivariate associations between ED visits for MBH conditions and the annual time periods during which MBH conditions are more elevated due to changes in the seasons. We hypothesize that ED visits for MBH conditions increase within the 2-week period following the daylight savings time changes.ResultsIncreased MBH ED visits were observed in certain seasons. This was especially true for non-bipolar depressive illness. We saw no significant changes in MBH visits as associated with changes in the daylight savings time.ConclusionsData do not provide conclusive evidence of a uniform seasonal increase in ED visits for MBH conditions. Variation in ED MBH visits may be due to secular trends, such as socioeconomic factors. Future research should explore contemporaneous associations between time-driven events and MBH ED visits. It will allow for greater understanding of challenges regarding psychiatric patients and opportunities for improvement.     

A staged management diabetes foot program versus standard care: a 1-year cost and utilization comparison in a state public hospital system

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether staged management of foot ulcers reduces health care costs and utilization. DESIGN: Nonrandomized retrospective study using data from 1998-1999 in the Louisiana public hospital system. SETTING: Louisiana public hospital system. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-five patients with diabetes foot ulcer who received staged management foot care and 169 patients with diabetes foot ulcer who received standard foot care. INTERVENTIONS: Staged management of foot ulcers consisting of devices to offload pressure; self-care education; and, after healing, custom-fabricated orthoses and footwear, and monitored progressive ambulation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: One-year levels of the number of foot-related inpatient hospitalizations, number of amputation-related hospitalizations, total number of foot-related inpatient days, total charges for foot-related inpatient hospitalizations, all-cause outpatient visits, total charges for all-cause outpatient visits, and combined outpatient and foot-related inpatient charges. RESULTS: Over the 12-month study period, the staged management group had a lower foot-related hospitalization rate than did the comparison group (.09 admissions per person vs.50 admissions per person, P=.0002); lower foot-related inpatient days (.91d per person vs 3.97d per person, P=.0289); lower foot-related inpatient charges ($1321 per person vs $5411 per person, P=.0151); fewer amputation-related hospitalizations (.04 per person vs.19 per person, P=.0351); fewer emergency department visits (.60 visits per person vs 1.22 visits per person, P=.0043); lower emergency department charges ($104 per person vs $208 per person, P=.0057); and lower total charges ($4776 per person vs $9402 per person, P=.0141). The staged management group had a higher number of outpatient visits (24.91 per person vs 8.04 per person, P<.0001) and higher outpatient charges ($2169 per person vs $1471 per person, P<.0001). CONCLUSIONS: A staged management diabetes foot program significantly reduced emergency department and hospital utilization and charges in a statewide public hospital system.     

Dedicated Asthma Center Improves the Quality of Care and Resource Utilization for Pediatric Asthma: A Multicenter Study

OBJECTIVES: To determine the relative effectiveness of pediatric asthma care among patients treated by a dedicated asthma center (AC) vs children who use the emergency department (ED) as a site of primary asthma care. METHODS: A retrospective case-control design was used. A random sample of AC cases was selected from a designated comprehensive AC over a 12-month period. Concurrent ED control patients were identified from all cases of pediatric asthma from five urban hospitals based on two or more ED visits. Cases and controls were matched (1:2) based on age and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) asthma severity of illness classification. A telephone survey was administered to the caregivers of all enrolled patients in the study sample. RESULTS: Four elements of pediatric asthma care were examined: quality, access, hospital utilization, and functional impact of disease. Demographic data were similar between the ED cases and the AC controls. In terms of quality of care, the AC patients were more likely to use maintenance antiinflammatory medications, 60.2% vs 22.5% (OR = 5.3; 95% CI = 2.9 to 9.7) and more likely to be taking medications at school, 71.4% vs 48.1% (OR = 2.7; 95% CI = 1.5 to 4.7). In terms of access to care, the AC families were more likely to have a physician to call to assist with outpatient management, 98.2% vs 65.0% (OR = 25.3; 95% CI = 9.0 to 76.9). Frequent ED utilization (> or = 1 visit/month) was less likely in the AC patients, 9.2% vs 22.0% (OR = 0.35; 95% CI = 0.16 to 0.79) and school absenteeism was lower as well (9.5 +/- 6.7 days vs 16.6 +/- 10.3, p < 0.001). Additionally, the caregivers of the AC patients missed fewer workdays (4.7 +/- 2.8 vs 7.4 +/- 4.1; p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Significant disparities in quality, access, resource utilization, and functional impact exist between AC and ED patients. Emergency physicians have a unique opportunity to improve the public health by directing ED patients toward pediatric AC treatment.     

Clinical and economic consequences of reference pricing for dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers

OBJECTIVE: Reference pricing is a medication cost-sharing policy that fully covers medications which are less expensive than a standard reference price and requires patients to pay the extra cost of higher-priced drugs in a class of therapeutically substitutable drugs. Little information exists on the clinical and economic consequences. We analyzed changes in drug utilization, physician visits, hospitalizations, long-term care admissions, and expenditures after the introduction of reference pricing for dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCBs) among patients aged 65 years or older in British Columbia, Canada. METHODS: This quasiexperimental longitudinal study was performed in the setting of Pharmacare, the state-funded drug benefits plan of all elderly persons in British Columbia. Study patients comprised all elderly residents of British Columbia who were enrolled in the provincial health insurance program and received dihydropyridine CCBs at the time of the policy change (35,886) and a subgroup of high-priced dihydropyridine CCB users (23,116). We studied the implementation of reference drug pricing on Jan 1, 1997, affecting all elderly Pharmacare beneficiaries. The main outcome measures were drug utilization, drug expenditures, physician visits, hospitalizations, long-term care, and net savings. RESULTS: The start of reference pricing was followed by a significant reduction in high-priced dihydropyridine CCBs (-150 monthly doses per 10,000 elderly persons), with a corresponding increase in fully covered dihydropyridine CCBs (+116). Overall, antihypertensive use did not decline (P =.46). Low-income status was a risk factor for discontinuing treatment (odds ratio, 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36 to 1.99); however, this was already observed to a similar magnitude 12 months before reference pricing (odds ratio, 1.46). In the overall study cohort, there was no increase in rates of physician visits, hospitalizations, and long-term care admissions. However, the 9% of patients who actually switched medications showed an 18% increase (95% CI, 8% to 28%) in physician visits and an increase of Canadian $13 (95% CI, Canadian $3 to Canadian $24) in costs of physician visits per patient as compared with nonswitchers during the transition but not afterward. This temporary increase may have been a result of additional prescribing and monitoring in switchers. Changes in drug expenditures and physician services resulted in net savings of Canadian $1.6 million in the first 12 months of policy implementation. CONCLUSIONS: Reference pricing as implemented in British Columbia may be a model for successful pharmaceutical cost-containment without adversely affecting patients or cost-shifting.