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Differences in medical specialist utilization among older people in need of long-term care - results from German health claims data.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Elderly in need of long-term care tend to have worse health and have higher need of medical care than elderly without need for long-term care. Yet, characteristics associated with long-term care need can impede health care access: Higher levels of long-term care need come with physical and cognitive decline such as frailty and memory loss. Yet, it has not been investigated whether level of long-term care need is related to medical care utilization. METHODS:We investigated the association between the level of long-term care and medical specialist utilization among nursing home residents and home care recipients. We applied zero-inflated Poisson regression with robust standard errors based on a sample of statutory health insurance members. The sample consisted of 100.000 elderly over age 60. We controlled for age, gender, morbidity and mortality, residential density, and general practitioner utilization. RESULTS:We found a strong gradient effect of the level of long-term care for 9 out of 12 medical specialties: A higher level of long-term care need was associated with a lower probability of having a medical specialist visit. Yet, we did not find clear effects of the level of long-term care need on the intensity of medical specialist care. These findings were similar for both the nursing home and home care setting. CONCLUSION:The findings indicate that inequalities in medical specialist utilization exist between elderly with differing levels of long-term care need because differences in morbidity were controlled for. Elderly with higher need of long-term care might face more access barriers to specialist medical care.

SUBMITTER: Schulz M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7006141 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Differences in medical specialist utilization among older people in need of long-term care - results from German health claims data.

Schulz Maike M Czwikla Jonas J Tsiasioti Chrysanthi C Schwinger Antje A Gand Daniel D Schmiemann Guido G Schmidt Annika A Wolf-Ostermann Karin K Kloep Stephan S Heinze Franziska F Rothgang Heinz H

International journal for equity in health 20200207 1

<h4>Background</h4>Elderly in need of long-term care tend to have worse health and have higher need of medical care than elderly without need for long-term care. Yet, characteristics associated with long-term care need can impede health care access: Higher levels of long-term care need come with physical and cognitive decline such as frailty and memory loss. Yet, it has not been investigated whether level of long-term care need is related to medical care utilization.<h4>Methods</h4>We investigat ...[more]

PMID: 32033606

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Project description:BackgroundThe reimbursement of new technologies in inpatient care is not always linked to a requirement for evidence-based evaluation of patient benefit. In Germany, every new technology approved for market was until recently eligible for reimbursement in inpatient care unless explicitly excluded. The aim of this work was (1) to investigate the type of evidence that was available at the time of introduction of 25 innovative technologies and how this evidence evolved over time, and (2) to explore the relationship between clinical evidence and utilization for these technologies in German inpatient care.MethodsThis study combined different methods. A systematic search for evidence published between 2003 and 2017 was conducted in four bibliographic databases, clinical trial registries, resources for clinical guidelines, and health technology assessment-databases. Information was also collected on funding mechanisms and safety notices. Utilization was measured by hospital procedures captured in claims data. The body of evidence, funding and safety notices per technology were analyzed descriptively. The relationship between utilization and evidence was explored empirically using a multilevel regression analysis.ResultsThe number of included publications per technology ranges from two to 498. For all technologies, non-comparative studies form the bulk of the evidence. The number of randomized controlled clinical trials per technology ranges from zero to 19. Some technologies were utilized for several years without an adequate evidence base. A relationship between evidence and utilization could be shown for several but not all technologies.ConclusionsThis study reveals a mixed picture regarding the evidence available for new technologies, and the relationship between the development of evidence and the use of technologies over time. Although the influence of funding and safety notices requires further investigation, these results re-emphasize the need for strengthening market approval standards and HTA pathways as well as approaches such as coverage with evidence development.

Project description:BackgroundPoor outcomes and high resource-use are observed for frail older people discharged from acute medical units. A specialist geriatric medical intervention, to facilitate Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, was developed to reduce the incidence of adverse outcomes and associated high resource-use in this group in the post-discharge period.ObjectiveTo examine the costs and cost-effectiveness of a specialist geriatric medical intervention for frail older people in the 90 days following discharge from an acute medical unit, compared with standard care.MethodsEconomic evaluation was conducted alongside a two-centre randomised controlled trial (AMIGOS). 433 patients (aged 70 or over) at risk of future health problems, discharged from acute medical units within 72 hours of attending hospital, were recruited in two general hospitals in Nottingham and Leicester, UK. Participants were randomised to the intervention, comprising geriatrician assessment in acute units and further specialist management, or to control where patients received no additional intervention over and above standard care. Primary outcome was incremental cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained.ResultsWe undertook cost-effectiveness analysis for 417 patients (intervention: 205). The difference in mean adjusted QALYs gained between groups at 3 months was -0.001 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.009, 0.007). Total adjusted secondary and social care costs, including direct costs of the intervention, at 3 months were £4412 (€5624, $6878) and £4110 (€5239, $6408) for the intervention and standard care groups, the incremental cost was £302 (95% CI: 193, 410) [€385, $471]. The intervention was dominated by standard care with probability of 62%, and with 0% probability of cost-effectiveness (at £20,000/QALY threshold).ConclusionsThe specialist geriatric medical intervention for frail older people discharged from acute medical unit was not cost-effective. Further research on designing effective and cost-effective specialist service for frail older people discharged from acute medical units is needed.Trial registrationISRCTN registry ISRCTN21800480 http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN21800480.

Project description:BackgroundBecause pregnancy complications, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, are risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, post-delivery follow-up is recommended.ObjectiveTo determine predictors of post-delivery primary and obstetric care utilization in women with and without medical complications.Research designFive-year retrospective cohort study using commercial and Medicaid insurance claims in Maryland.Subjects7,741 women with a complicated pregnancy (GDM, hypertensive disorders and pregestational diabetes mellitus [DM]) and 23,599 women with a comparison pregnancy.MeasuresWe compared primary and postpartum obstetric care utilization rates in the 12 months after delivery between the complicated and comparison pregnancy groups. We conducted multivariate logistic regression to assess the association between pregnancy complications, sociodemographic predictor variables and utilization of care, stratified by insurance type.ResultsWomen with a complicated pregnancy were older at delivery (p < 0.001), with higher rates of cesarean delivery (p < 0.0001) and preterm labor or delivery (p < 0.0001). Among women with Medicaid, 56.6% in the complicated group and 51.7% in the comparison group attended a primary care visit. Statistically significant predictors of receiving a primary care visit included non-Black race, older age, preeclampsia or DM, and depression. Among women with commercial health insurance, 60.0% in the complicated group and 49.5% in the comparison group attended a primary care visit. Pregnancy complication did not predict a primary care visit among women with commercial insurance.ConclusionsWomen with pregnancy complications were more likely to attend primary care visits post-delivery compared to the comparison group, but overall visit rates were low. Although Medicaid expansion has potential to increase coverage, innovative models for preventive health services after delivery are needed to target women at higher risk for chronic disease development.

Dataset Information

Differences in medical specialist utilization among older people in need of long-term care - results from German health claims data.

Publications

Differences in medical specialist utilization among older people in need of long-term care - results from German health claims data.

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