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Variations in Preoperative Use of Bone Scan Among Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Radical Cystectomy.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:To examine factors associated with bone scan use in patients undergoing radical cystectomy and to assess trends in use over time. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data, we identified 5573 patients who underwent radical cystectomy from 2004 to 2011. The primary outcome was completion of a bone scan within 6 months prior to surgery. Demographic, regional, and clinicopathologic predictors of bone scan use were examined using a mixed logit model with health service area as a random effect. RESULTS:Among radical cystectomy patients, 1754 (31%) completed a preoperative bone scan. Urologists ordered most of these studies (69%). The adjusted probability of a patient undergoing a bone scan decreased from 0.40 in 2004 to 0.29 in 2011 (P?=?.01). Compared with patients in the northeast region, those in the south, central, and west regions were less likely to have a bone scan (P?<.001). Compared with those with stage ?T1, patients with higher stage disease were more likely to have a bone scan (P?<.001). Among the highest volume surgeons, there was significant variation in the proportion of patients who completed preoperative bone scans (P?

SUBMITTER: Turner RM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5710731 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Variations in Preoperative Use of Bone Scan Among Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Radical Cystectomy.

Turner Robert M RM Yabes Jonathan G JG Davies Benjamin J BJ Heron Dwight E DE Jacobs Bruce L BL

Urology 20170224

<h4>Objective</h4>To examine factors associated with bone scan use in patients undergoing radical cystectomy and to assess trends in use over time.<h4>Materials and methods</h4>Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data, we identified 5573 patients who underwent radical cystectomy from 2004 to 2011. The primary outcome was completion of a bone scan within 6 months prior to surgery. Demographic, regional, and clinicopathologic predictors of bone scan use were examined using a ...[more]

PMID: 28238757

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Project description:PurposeDelaying cataract surgery is associated with an increased risk of falls, but whether routine preoperative testing delays cataract surgery long enough to cause clinical harm is unknown. We sought to determine whether the use of routine preoperative testing leads to harm in the form of delayed surgery and falls in Medicare beneficiaries awaiting cataract surgery.DesignRetrospective, observational cohort study using 2006-2014 Medicare claims.ParticipantsMedicare beneficiaries 66+ years of age with a Current Procedural Terminology claim for ocular biometry.MethodsWe measured the mean and median number of days between biometry and cataract surgery, calculated the proportion of patients waiting ≥ 30 days or ≥ 90 days for surgery, and determined the odds of sustaining a fall within 90 days of biometry among patients of high-testing physicians (testing performed in ≥ 75% of their patients) compared with patients of low-testing physicians. We also estimated the number of days of delay attributable to high-testing physicians.Main outcome measuresIncidence of falls occurring between biometry and surgery, odds of falling within 90 days of biometry, and estimated delay associated with physician testing behavior.ResultsOf 248 345 beneficiaries, 16.4% were patients of high-testing physicians. More patients of high-testing physicians waited ≥ 30 days and ≥ 90 days to undergo surgery (31.4% and 8.2% vs. 25.0% and 5.5%, respectively; P < 0.0001 for both). Falls before surgery in patients of high-testing physicians increased by 43% within the 90 days after ocular biometry (1.0% vs. 0.7%; P < 0.0001). The adjusted odds ratio of falling within 90 days of biometry in patients of high-testing physicians versus low-testing physicians was 1.10 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.19; P = 0.008). After adjusting for surgical wait time, the odds ratio decreased to 1.07 (95% CI, 1.00-1.15; P = 0.06). The delay associated with having a high-testing physician was approximately 8 days (estimate, 7.97 days; 95% CI, 6.40-9.55 days; P < 0.0001). Other factors associated with delayed surgery included patient race (non-White), Northeast region, ophthalmologist ≤ 40 years of age, and low surgical volume.ConclusionsOveruse of routine preoperative medical testing by high-testing physicians is associated with delayed surgery and increased falls in cataract patients awaiting surgery.

Project description:ImportanceAdvance care planning (ACP), in which patients or their surrogates discuss goals and preferences for care with physicians, attorneys, friends, and family, is an important approach to help align goals with actual treatment. ACP may be particularly valuable in patients with advanced serious illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs) for whom surgery carries significant risks.ObjectiveTo determine the frequency, timing, and factors associated with ACP billing in Medicare beneficiaries with ADRD undergoing nontrauma inpatient surgery.DesignThis national cohort study analyzes Medicare fee-for-service claims data from 2016 to 2017. All patients had a 6-month lookback and follow-up period.SettingNational Medicare fee-for-service data.ParticipantsAll patients with ADRD, defined according to the Chronic Conditions Warehouse, undergoing inpatient surgery from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017.ExposuresPatient demographics, medical history, and procedural outcomes.Main outcomeACP billing codes from 6 months before to 6 months after admission for inpatient surgery.ResultsThis study included 289,428 patients with ADRD undergoing surgery, of whom 21,754 (7.5%) had billed ACP within the 6 months before and after surgical admission. In a multivariable analysis, patients of white race, male sex, and residence in the Southern and Midwestern United States were at the highest risk of not receiving ACP. Of all patients who received ACP, 5960 (27.4%) did so before surgery while 12,658 (52.8%) received ACP after surgery. Timing of ACP after surgery was associated with an Elixhauser comorbidity index of 3 or higher (1.23, p = 0.045) and major postoperative complication or death (odds ratio 1.52, p < 0.0001).Conclusions and relevanceOverall ACP billing code use is low among Medicare patients with ADRD undergoing surgery. Billed ACP appears to have a reactive pattern, occurring most commonly after surgery and in association with postoperative mortality and complications. Additional study is warranted to understand barriers to use.

Project description:Low-risk elective surgical procedures are common, but there are no clear guidelines for when preoperative consultations are required. Such consultations may therefore represent a substantial discretionary service.To assess temporal trends, explanatory factors, and geographic variation for preoperative consultation in Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cataract surgery, a common low-risk elective procedure.Cohort study using a 5% national random sample of Medicare part B claims data including a cohort of 556,637 patients 66 years or older who underwent cataract surgery from 1995 to 2006. Temporal trends in consultations were evaluated within this entire cohort, whereas explanatory factors and geographic variation were evaluated within the 89,817 individuals who underwent surgery from 2005 to 2006.Separately billed preoperative consultations (performed by family practitioners, general internists, pulmonologists, endocrinologists, cardiologists, nurse practitioners, or anesthesiologists) within 42 days before index surgery.The frequency of preoperative consultations increased from 11.3% in 1998 to 18.4% in 2006. Among individuals who underwent surgery in 2005 to 2006, hierarchical logistic regression modeling found several factors to be associated with preoperative consultation, including increased age (75-84 years vs 66-74 years: adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.09 [95% CI, 1.04-1.13]), race (African American race vs other: AOR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.65-0.78]), urban residence (urban residence vs isolated rural town: AOR, 1.64 [95% CI, 1.49-1.81]), facility type (outpatient hospital vs ambulatory surgical facility: AOR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.05-1.15]), anesthesia provider (anesthesiologist vs non-medically directed nurse anesthetist: AOR, 1.16 [95% CI, 1.10-1.24), and geographic region (Northeast vs South: AOR, 3.09 [95% CI, 2.33-4.10]). The burden of comorbidity was associated with consultation, but the effect size was small (<10%). Variation in frequency of consultation across hospital referral regions was substantial (median [range], 12% [0-69%]), even after accounting for differences in patient-level, anesthesia provider-level, and facility-level characteristics.Between 1995 and 2006, the frequency of preoperative consultation for cataract surgery increased substantially. Referrals for consultation seem to be primarily driven by nonmedical factors, with substantial geographic variation.

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Variations in Preoperative Use of Bone Scan Among Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Radical Cystectomy.

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Variations in Preoperative Use of Bone Scan Among Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Radical Cystectomy.

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