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The Volume-Outcome Relationship Revisited: Practice Indeed Makes Perfect.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:To examine the causal effect of a hospital's experience with treating hip fractures (volume) on patient treatment outcomes. DATA SOURCES:We use a full sample of administrative data from German hospitals for 2007. The data provide detailed information on patients and hospitals. We also reference the hospitals' addresses and the zip codes of patients' place of residence. STUDY DESIGN:We apply an instrumental variable approach to address endogeneity concerns due to reverse causality and unobserved patient heterogeneity. As instruments for case volume, we use the number of potential patients and number of other hospitals in the region surrounding each hospital. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Our results indicate that after applying an instrumental variables (IV) regression of volume on outcome, volume significantly increases quality. CONCLUSIONS:We provide evidence for the practice-makes-perfect hypothesis by showing that volume is a driving factor for quality.

SUBMITTER: Hentschker C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5785314 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Volume-Outcome Relationship Revisited: Practice Indeed Makes Perfect.

Hentschker Corinna C Mennicken Roman R

Health services research 20170904 1

<h4>Objective</h4>To examine the causal effect of a hospital's experience with treating hip fractures (volume) on patient treatment outcomes.<h4>Data sources</h4>We use a full sample of administrative data from German hospitals for 2007. The data provide detailed information on patients and hospitals. We also reference the hospitals' addresses and the zip codes of patients' place of residence.<h4>Study design</h4>We apply an instrumental variable approach to address endogeneity concerns due to r ...[more]

PMID: 28868612

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Project description:Poor inhaler technique and non-adherence to treatment are major problems in the management of asthma. Patients can be taught how to achieve good inhaler technique, however maintenance remains problematic, with 50% of patients unable to demonstrate correct technique. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical, patient-related and/or device-related factors that predict inhaler technique maintenance. Data from a quality-controlled longitudinal community care dataset was utilized. 238 patients using preventer medications where included. Data consisted of patient demographics, clinical data, medication-related factors and patient-reported outcomes. Mixed effects logistic regression was used to identify predictors of inhaler technique maintenance at 1 month. The variables found to be independently associated with inhaler technique maintenance using logistic regression (? 2 (3,n?=?238)?=?33.24, p?<?0.000) were inhaler technique at Visit 1 (OR 7.1), device type (metered dose inhaler and dry powder inhalers) (OR 2.2) and self-reported adherent behavior in the prior 7 days (OR 1.3). This research is the first to unequivocally establish a predictive relationship between inhaler technique maintenance and actual patient adherence, reinforcing the notion that inhaler technique maintenance is more than just a physical skill. Inhaler technique maintenance has an underlying behavioral component, which future studies need to investigate.BEHAVIORAL ELEMENT TO CORRECT LONG-TERM INHALER TECHNIQUES: Patients who consciously make an effort to perfect asthma inhaler technique will maintain their skills long-term. Elizabeth Azzi at the University of Sydney, Australia, and co-workers further add evidence that there is a strong behavioral component to patients retaining correct inhaler technique over time. Poor inhaler technique can limit asthma control, affecting quality of life and increasing the chances of severe exacerbations. Azzi's team followed 238 patients to determine the key predictors of inhaler technique maintenance from factors including age, asthma knowledge and perceived future risks. Correct inhaler technique at initial assessment was the strongest predictor of long-term success, but this was strengthened further when patients reported good adherence to their own medication regimen. This suggests that maintaining correct inhaler technique is more than just a physical skill. Careful guidance towards this 'practice makes perfect' approach may improve patients' long-term technique maintenance.

Project description:BackgroundMost studies showing a volume outcome effect in resection surgery for oesophago-gastric cancer were conducted before the centralisation of clinical services. This study evaluated the relation between hospital- and surgeon volume and different risk-adjusted outcomes after oesophago-gastric (OG) cancer surgery in England between 2011 and 2013.MethodsIn data from the National Oesophago-Gastric Cancer Audit from the UK, multivariable random-effects logistic regression models were used to quantify the effect of surgeon and hospital volume on three outcomes: 30-day and 90-day mortality and anastomotic leakage. The models included patient risk factors to adjust for differences in case-mix among hospitals and surgeons. The between-cluster heterogeneity was estimated with the median odds ratio (MOR).ResultsThe study included patients treated at 42 hospitals and 329 surgeons. The median (interquartile range) of the annual hospital and surgeon volumes were 110 patients (82 to 137) and 13 patients (8 to 19), respectively. The overall rates for 30-day and 90-day mortality were 2.3% and 4.4% respectively, and the anastomotic leakage was 6.3%. Higher hospital volume was associated with lower 30-day mortality (OR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.91-0.98) and lower anastomotic leakage rates (OR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.93-0.98) but not 90-day mortality. Higher surgeon volume was only associated with lower anastomotic leakage rates (OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.72-0.92). Hospital volume explained a part of the between-hospital variation in 30-day mortality whereas surgeon volume explained part of the between-hospital variation in anastomotic leakage.ConclusionsIn the setting of centralized O-G cancer surgery in England, we could still observe an effect of volume on short-term outcomes. However, the effect is inconsistent, depending on the type of outcome measure under consideration, and much smaller than in previous studies. Efforts to centralise O-G cancer services further should carefully address the effects of both hospital and surgeon volume on the range of outcome measures that are relevant to patients.

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The Volume-Outcome Relationship Revisited: Practice Indeed Makes Perfect.

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The Volume-Outcome Relationship Revisited: Practice Indeed Makes Perfect.

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