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A tiered pediatric Asthma Population Health Management Program (APHMP), based on evidence-based practices, that differentially targets populations for intervention based on rising risk for high utilization and disease complications was implemented at 6 urban and suburban practices affiliated with an academic medical center. In addition to standard pediatric asthma care, APHMP adds regular administration of the asthma control test (ACT), provider education on performance variation, and monitoring through the electronic health record-based asthma registry. As patients' use of acute health care services and complications increases, APHMP integrates multidisciplinary interventions, including an asthma coach who conducts environmental assessments in addition to addressing social needs, into their primary care. A retrospective cohort study method was used to assess population-level effects on asthma event rates and practice- and provider-level variation from 2017 to 2019. Consistent with well-documented health disparities in pediatric asthma, the analysis demonstrated that patients who were male (odds ratio [OR] = 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02-1.43), 4-8 years old (OR = 4.91, 95% CI = 3.27-7.37), Spanish speaking (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.54-1.81), from low-income neighborhoods (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.53-2.46), and with ACT20 (OR = 2.88, 95% CI = 1.97-4.21) had higher odds of having asthma events. Six percent of patients studied were found to be at risk for high health care utilization and disease complications. Study limitations include the absence of a control group, the mixed model data collection approach, and the effects of seasonal variation on asthma events. Future directions include analyzing disease management program outcomes of incorporating an asthma coach into a patient's primary care team and addressing provider-level variation in asthma event rates.

Background The Affordable Care Act of 2010 extended health insurance through expansion of Medicaid and subsidies for commercial insurance. Prior work has produced differing results in associating expanded insurance with improvements in health care processes and outcomes. Evaluating specific mechanisms of care processes and their association with insurance expansion may help reconcile those results. Methods and results We used inpatient hospitalization data in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality from 1/1/2008 to 9/30/2015. We included all hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). As a primary outcome, we defined percent rate of AMI hospitalizations receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) per month. In the non-Medicare (intervention) group, there was a relative decrease of 0.2% of the monthly trend before and after expansion (95% CI [-0.3%, -0.1%]). In the Medicare group, there was a relative decrease of 0.1% of the monthly trend before and after expansion (95% CI [-0.2%, 0%]). Conclusions We did not detect a relative difference in PCI for AMI associated with insurance expansion under health reform.

Background Cardiovascular procedural volumes can serve as metrics of hospital infrastructure and quality, and are the basis for thresholds for initiating transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) programs. Whether hospital volumes of TMVr, surgical mitral valve replacement or repair (SMVRr), and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are indicators of TMVr quality of care is not known. Methods We used the 2017 Nationwide Readmissions Database to identify hospitals that performed at least 5 TMVr procedures. Hospitals were divided into quartiles of TMVr volume. Associations of hospital TMVr, SMVRr, and PCI volumes, as well as SMVRr and PCI outcomes with TMVr outcomes were examined. Outcomes studied were risk-standardized in-hospital mortality rate (RSMR) and 30-day readmission rate (RSRR). Results The study included 3404 TMVr procedures performed across 150 hospitals in the US. The median hospital TMVr volume was 17 (IQR 10, 28). The mean hospital-level RSMR and RSRR for TMVr were 3.0% (95% CI 2.5%, 3.4%) and 14.8% (95% CI 14.5%, 15.0%), respectively. There was no significant association between hospital TMVr volume (as quartiles or as a continuous variable) and TMVr RSMR or RSRR (P > 0.05). Similarly, there was weak or no correlation between hospital SMVRr and PCI volumes and outcomes with TMVr RSMR or RSRR (Pearson correlation coefficients, r = −0.199 to 0.269). Conclusion In this study, we found no relationship between hospital TMVr, SMVRr, and PCI volume and TMVr outcomes. Further studies are needed to determine more appropriate structure and process measures to assess the performance of established and new TMVr centers.

BACKGROUND: Short-term fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) exposure is positively associated with acute cardiovascular and respiratory events. Understanding whether this association varies across specific cardiovascular and respiratory conditions has important biologic, clinical, and public health implications. METHODS: We conducted a time-stratified case–crossover study of hospitalizations from 2000 through 2014 among United States Medicare beneficiaries aged 65+. The outcomes were hospitalizations with any of 57 cardiovascular and 32 respiratory discharge diagnoses. We estimated associations with two-day moving average PM(2.5) as a piecewise linear term with a knot at PM(2.5) =25 μg/m(3). We used Multi-Outcome Regression with Tree-structured Shrinkage (MOReTreeS) to identify de novo groups of related diseases such that PM(2.5) associations are: 1) similar within outcome groups; but 2) different between outcome groups. We adjusted for temperature, humidity, and individual-level characteristics. We introduce an R package, moretrees. RESULTS: Our dataset included 16,007,293 cardiovascular and 8,690,837 respiratory hospitalizations. 51 of 57 cardiovascular diseases were grouped and positively associated with PM(2.5). We observed a stronger positive association for heart failure, which formed a separate group. We observed negative associations for groups containing the outcomes other aneurysm and intracranial hemorrhage. 31 of 32 respiratory outcomes were grouped and were positively associated with PM(2.5). Influenza formed a separate group with a negative association. CONCLUSIONS: We used a new statistical approach, MOReTreeS, to uncover variation in the association between short-term PM(2.5) exposure and hospitalizations for cardiovascular and respiratory causes controlling for patient characteristics, time trends, and environmental confounders.

Background Understanding association between factors related to clinical work environment and well-being can inform strategies to improve physicians’ work experience. Objective To model and quantify what drivers of work composition, team structure, and dynamics are associated with well-being. Design Utilizing social network modeling, this cohort study of physicians in an academic health center examined inbasket messaging data from 2018 to 2019 to identify work composition, team structure, and dynamics features. Indicators from a survey in 2019 were used as dependent variables to identify factors predictive of well-being. Participants EHR data available for 188 physicians and their care teams from 18 primary care practices; survey data available for 163/188 physicians. Main Measures Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of logistic regression models to predict well-being dependent variables was assessed out-of-sample. Key Results The mean AUC of the model for the dependent variables of emotional exhaustion, vigor, and professional fulfillment was, respectively, 0.665 (SD 0.085), 0.700 (SD 0.082), and 0.669 (SD 0.082). Predictors associated with decreased well-being included physician centrality within support team (OR 3.90, 95% CI 1.28–11.97, P=0.01) and share of messages related to scheduling (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.03–1.17, P=0.003). Predictors associated with increased well-being included higher number of medical assistants within close support team (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83–0.99, P=0.05), nurse-centered message writing practices (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.83–0.95, P=0.001), and share of messages related to ambiguous diagnosis (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.87–0.98, P=0.01). Conclusions Through integration of EHR data with social network modeling, the analysis highlights new characteristics of care team structure and dynamics that are associated with physician well-being. This quantitative methodology can be utilized to assess in a refined data-driven way the impact of organizational changes to improve well-being through optimizing team dynamics and work composition.

Background Transcatheter mitral edge-to-edge repair (TEER) is an increasingly common procedure performed on patients with severe mitral regurgitation. This study assessed the impact of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on in-hospital complications after TEER. Methods Cohort-based observational study using the National Inpatient Sample between October 2013 and December 2018. The population was stratified into 4 groups based on race/ethnicity and quartiles of neighborhood income levels. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications, defined as the composite of death, bleeding, cardiac and vascular complications, acute kidney injury, and ischemic stroke. Results 3795 hospitalizations for TEER were identified. Patients of Black and Hispanic race/ethnicity comprised 7.4% and 6.4%, respectively. We estimated that White patients received TEER with a frequency of 38.0/100,000, compared to 29.7/100,000 for Blacks and 30.5/100,000 for Hispanics. In-hospital complications occurred in 20.2% of patients and no differences were found between racial/ethnic groups (P = 0.06). After multilevel modelling, Black and Hispanic patients had similar rate of overall in-hospital complications (OR: 0.84, CI:0.67–1.05 and OR: 0.84, CI:0.66–1.07, respectively) as compared to White patients, however, higher rates of death were observed in Black patients. Individuals living in income quartile-1 had worse in-hospital outcomes as compared to quartile-4 (OR: 1.19, CI:0.99–1.42). Conclusion In this study assessing racial/ethnic disparities in TEER outcomes, aged-adjusted race/ethnicity minorities were less underrepresented as compared to other structural heart interventions. Black patients experienced a higher rate of in-hospital death, but similar overall rate of post-procedural adverse events as compared to White patients. Lower income levels appear to negatively impact on in-hospital outcomes. Brief summary This study appraises race/ethnic and socioeconomical disparities in access and outcomes following transcatheter mitral edge-to-edge repair. Racial minority groups were less underrepresented as compared to other structural heart interventions. While Black patients experienced a higher rate of in-hospital death, they experienced similar overall rate of post-procedural complications compared to White patients. Lower income levels also appeared to negatively impact on outcomes.

Aims Prediction of mitral (MR) and tricuspid (TR) regurgitation progression on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is needed to personalize valvular surveillance intervals and prognostication. Methods and results Structured TTE report data at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 26 January 2000–31 December 2017, were used to determine time to progression (≥1+ increase in severity). TTE predictors of progression were used to create a progression score, externally validated at Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 January 2002–31 December 2019. In the derivation sample (MR, N = 34 933; TR, N = 27 526), only 5379 (15.4%) individuals with MR and 3630 (13.2%) with TR had progression during a median interquartile range) 9.0 (4.1–13.4) years of follow-up. Despite wide inter-individual variability in progression rates, a score based solely on demographics and TTE variables identified individuals with a five- to six-fold higher rate of MR/TR progression over 10 years (high- vs. low-score tertile, rate of progression; MR 20.1% vs. 3.3%; TR 21.2% vs. 4.4%). Compared to those in the lowest score tertile, those in the highest tertile of progression had a four-fold increased risk of mortality. On external validation, the score demonstrated similar performance to other algorithms commonly in use. Conclusion Four-fifths of individuals had no progression of MR or TR over two decades. Despite wide interindividual variability in progression rates, a score, based solely on TTE parameters, identified individuals with a five- to six-fold higher rate of MR/TR progression. Compared to the lowest tertile, individuals in the highest score tertile had a four-fold increased risk of mortality. Prediction of long-term MR/TR progression is not only feasible but prognostically important.

Clinical outcomes for the overall severe aortic stenosis (AS) patient population are not well described because those medically managed are not included in procedural registries, and AS severity is not identifiable from administrative data. We aim to assess whether transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) availability has been associated with overall changes in survival for the whole AS patient population. This is important because patients with AS in real-world practice may differ from those included in randomized controlled trials, potentially attenuating the purported treatment efficacy estimated in trials. Classic severe AS patients (mean gradient ≥40 mmHg) were identified from an echocardiography database. Survival was defined as time since severe AS diagnosis until death. We first compared survival among all patients before and after TAVI availability in 2008. To further understand mechanism, we then assessed whether any survival changes were attributable to TAVI with extended Cox regression models comparing survival among TAVI, surgical aortic valve replacement, and medically managed patients. 3663 classic severe AS patients were included in the study. Median survival years for all patients were greater during the TAVI-era than Pre-TAVI-era (11.5 vs 6.8, 5-year-HR = 0.8, time-varying effect p0.0001), and increased median survival was greatest for patients age 65 to74 (11.5 vs 9.5, 5-year-HR = 0.7, time-varying effect p = 0.045). TAVI patients age 65 to 74 had the lowest risk of death compared to medically managed patients (HR = 0.2, 95% CI = [0.1, 0.3], p0.0001). In conclusion, in the TAVI-era, overall survival for patients with severe AS has doubled. This improvement is most marked for patients 65 to 74 years of age.

Overactive bladder affects 17% of women, and adherence to treatment is notoriously low. The objective of this pilot study is to investigate the efficacy and feasibility of the use of asynchronous telehealth visits for the treatment of women with overactive bladder.This is a pilot study of women who participated in the asynchronous telehealth program with a new diagnosis of overactive bladder presenting to the Massachusetts General Hospital from January of 2020 to March of 2021. Pre-post differences in Urogenital Distress Inventory score-6, and Incontinence Severity Index Scores were compared with paired t tests as coprimary endpoints. To assess potential mechanisms of association between asynchronous visits and patient-reported outcomes, total fluid intake, caffeinated beverage consumption, urinary frequency, episodes of urinary leakage were also compared as secondary endpoints.A total of 23 women participated, with 50 e-visits completed. The first asynchronous visit was completed after a median of 42days (IQR 36, 51.5) from the initial visit. There was a decrease in the Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 score between the first asynchronous visit and the last (29 points, IQR 16, 37 vs 12 points, IQR 12, 25), respectively (P = 0.014). Similar findings were seen with the Incontinence Severity Index questionnaire, from three (IQR 2, 4) to three (IQR 1, 3) after the asynchronous visit (P = 0.002).We demonstrate the feasibility of asynchronous visits for the treatment of overactive bladder. Although our results suggest efficacy, given the prepost change in overactive bladder-related questionnaire scores following asynchronous visits, the comparative effectiveness of asynchronous visits versus regular care needs to be confirmed in a randomized trial.Video Summary:http://links.lww.com/MENO/A917.

Understanding trends in cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and CV disease according to age, sex, race, and ethnicity is important for policy planning and public health interventions.The goal of this study was to project the number of people with CV risk factors and disease and further explore sex, race, and ethnical disparities.The prevalence of CV risk factors (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity) and CV disease (ischemic heart disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke) according to age, sex, race, and ethnicity was estimated by using logistic regression models based on 2013-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data and further combining them with 2020 U.S. Census projection counts for years 2025-2060.By the year 2060, compared with the year 2025, the number of people with diabetes mellitus will increase by 39.3% (39.2 million [M] to 54.6M), hypertension by 27.2% (127.8M to 162.5M), dyslipidemia by 27.5% (98.6M to 125.7M), and obesity by 18.3% (106.3M to 125.7M). Concurrently, projected prevalence will similarly increase compared with 2025 for ischemic heart disease by 31.1% (21.9M to 28.7M), heart failure by 33.0% (9.7M to 12.9M), myocardial infarction by 30.1% (12.3M to 16.0M), and stroke by 34.3% (10.8M to 14.5M). Among White individuals, the prevalence of CV risk factors and disease is projected to decrease, whereas significant increases are projected in racial and ethnic minorities.Large future increases in CV risk factors and CV disease prevalence are projected, disproportionately affecting racial and ethnic minorities. Future health policies and public health efforts should take these results into account to provide quality, affordable, and accessible health care.

Background: The Million Hearts Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model provides financial incentives for practices to lower 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk for high-risk (ASCVD ≥30%) Medicare patients. To estimate average practice-level ASCVD risk reduction, we applied optimal trial outcomes to a real-world population with high ASCVD risk. Methods: This study uses observational registry data from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry Practice Innovation and Clinical Excellence Registry from January 2013 to June 2016. We modeled ASCVD risk reductions using historical clinical trial data (reducing cholesterol by 26.5%, reducing systolic blood pressure by 10.9%, reducing smoking rates by 21.8%) the average reduction in ASCVD risk associated with individual and combined risk factor modifications, and then percentage of practices achieving the various incentive thresholds for the Million Hearts Model. Results: The final study population included 135 166 patients, with 16 248 (12.0%) with 10-year ASCVD risk of ≥30%, but without existing ASCVD. The mean 10-year ASCVD risk was 41.9% (±1 SD of 11.6). Using risk factor reductions from clinical trials, lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking rates reduced 10-year ASCVD risk by 3.3% (±3.1), 6.3% (±1.1) and 0.5% (±1.3), respectively. Combining all 3 reductions resulted in a 9.7% (±3.6) reduction, with 67 (27.0%) of practices achieving a patient-level average 10-year ASCVD risk reduction of ≥10%, 181 (73.0%) achieving a 2 to 10% reduction, and no practice achieving Conclusions: In cardiology practices, about 1 out of 8 patients have a 10-year ASCVD risk ≥30% and qualify as high risk in the Million Hearts Model. If practices target the three main modifiable risk factors and achieve reductions similar to clinical trial results, ASCVD risk could be substantially lowered and all practices could receive incentive payments. These findings support the potential benefit of the Million Hearts Model and provide guidance to participating practices.

Purpose For health care organizations engaged in risk-shared insurance contracts, leakage of advanced diagnostic imaging to imaging sites not affiliated with the risk-sharing organization may undermine performance on financial and quality metrics. The goal of this study was to identify factors that are predictive of leakage of MRI examinations among patients attributed to an academic health care organization’s risk-shared commercial insurance contract. Methods Administrative claims data from 2015 through 2016 for patients attributed to a single risk-shared commercial insurance contract at a large academic medical center (AMC) were analyzed. Primary outcome was MRI leakage: an outpatient MRI study performed at a site not affiliated with the AMC’s integrated health care system. Ordering provider alignment with the AMC’s risk-shared insurance contract was categorized as strong, weak, or none. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between provider alignment and MRI leakage, while adjusting for selected covariates. Results Among 8,215 patients meeting inclusion criteria, there were 13,272 MRI encounters. The overall proportion of leaked MRI studies was 12.7%. MRI studies ordered by providers with weak AMC alignment (odds ratio, 3.16; 95% confidence interval, 2.49-4.02) or no AMC alignment (odds ratio, 3.68; 95% confidence interval, 3.12-4.33) were more likely to leak than MRI studies ordered by providers with strong AMC alignment. Conclusions An ordering provider with no alignment with an AMC’s commercial risk-shared insurance contract was the strongest predictor of MRI leakage. Population health management initiatives aimed at reducing leakage should consider the impact of provider networks and clinical referral patterns that drive imaging utilization.

Inappropriate variations in clinical practice are a known cause of poor quality and safety, with variations often associated with nonclinical factors, such as individual differences in cognitive processing. The differential response of physicians to uncertainty may explain some of the variations in resource use and patient experience.To examine the association of physician tolerance for uncertainty with variations in resource use and patient experience.This survey study linked physician survey data (May to June 2019), patient experience survey data (January 2016 to December 2019), and billing data (January 2019 to December 2019) among primary care physicians (PCPs) at Massachusetts General Hospital with at least 10 visits in 2019. The statistical analysis was performed in 2021.The analysis examined associations of PCP tolerance for uncertainty with the tendency to order diagnostic tests, the frequency of outpatient visits, hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and patient experience data (focused on physician communication and overall rating). A 2-stage hierarchical framework was used to account for clustering of patients under PCPs. Binary outcomes were modeled using a hierarchical logistic model, and count outcomes were modeled using hierarchical Poisson or negative binomial models. The analysis was adjusted for patient demographic variables (age, sex, and race and ethnicity), socioeconomic factors (payer and neighborhood income), and clinical comorbidities.Of 217 included physicians, 137 (63.1%) were women, and 174 (80.2%) were adult PCPs. A total of 62 physicians (28.6%) reported low tolerance, 59 (27.2%) reported medium tolerance, and 96 (44.2%) reported high tolerance for uncertainty. Physicians with a low tolerance for uncertainty were less likely to order complete blood cell counts (odds ratio [OR], 0.66; 95% CI, 0.50-0.88), thyroid tests (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.52-0.88), a basic metabolic profile (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.60-1.00), and liver function tests (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.53-0.99) than physicians with a high tolerance for uncertainty. Physicians who reported higher tolerance for uncertainty were more likely to receive higher patient experience scores for listening to patients carefully (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.50-0.83) and higher overall ratings (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.66-0.98) than physicians with medium tolerance. Conversely, no association was found between physician tolerance for uncertainty and patient outpatient visits, hospital admissions, or emergency department visits.In clinical practice, identifying and effectively managing inappropriate variations and improving patient experience have proven to be difficult, despite increased attention to these issues. This study supports the hypothesis that physicians' tolerance for uncertainty is associated with differences in resource use and patient experience. Whether enhancing physicians' tolerance for uncertainty could help reduce unwarranted practice variations, improve quality and patient safety, and improve patient's experience remains to be established.

Background: Little is known about patterns of PCSK9i (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor) use among patients with established clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This study’s objective was to describe PCSK9i prescribing patterns among patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Methods: We used a national outpatient clinic registry linked to zip-code level on household income from the US Census to assess characteristics of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) Results: Of 2 148 100 patients meeting study inclusion criteria, 27 249 (1.3%) received PCSK9i prescriptions. Receiving a PCSK9i prescription was associated with White race (versus non-White: OR, 1.78 [95% CI, 1.55–1.83]); high estimated household income (versus low income: OR, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.08–1.29]), and urban or suburban (versus rural) practice location (urban: OR, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.32–1.64]; suburban: OR, 1.25 [95% CI, 1.13–1.39]). Hispanics had lower odds of receiving PCSK9i prescriptions (OR, 0.66 [95% CI, 0.57–0.76]). The adjusted median odds ratio was 2.68 (95% CI, 2.46–2.94), consistent with clinically significant practice-level variation in PCSK9i prescriptions. No differences in quarterly PCSK9i prescription rates were observed before and after price reductions for evolocumab and alirocumab initiated during the fourth quarter of 2018 and first quarter of 2019, respectively. Conclusions: This study highlights racial, socioeconomic, geographic, and practice-level variations in early PCSK9i prescriptions which persist despite adjustment for clinical and demographic factors. After adjustment, 2 randomly selected practices would differ in likelihood of PCSK9i prescription by a factor of >2.

Background Type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI) is common and associated with high cardiovascular event rates. However, the relationship between T2MI and heart failure (HF) is uncertain. Methods and Results We identified patients with T2MI at a large tertiary hospital between October 2017 and May 2018. Patient characteristics, causes of T2MI, and subsequent HF hospitalizations were determined by physician chart review. We identified 359 patients with T2MI over the study period; 184 patients had a history of HF. Among patients with ejection fraction (EF) assessment (N=180), the majority had preserved EF (N=107; 59.4%), followed by reduced EF (N=54; 30.0%), and mid‐range EF (N=19; 10.6%). Acute HF was the most common cause of T2MI (20.9%). Of those whose T2MI was precipitated by HF (N=75), the mean EF was 53.0±16.8% and 16 (21.3%) were de novo diagnoses of HF. Among patients with T2MI who were discharged alive with available follow‐up (N=289), 5.5% were hospitalized with acute HF within 30 days, 17.3% within 180 days, and 22.1% within 1 year. In subgroup analyses, among patients with T2MI with prevalent or new HF (N=161), the rate of HF hospitalization at 1 year was 34.2%, considerably higher than those with T2MI and no HF diagnosis at discharge (7.0%; N=9/128). Conclusions Index presentations of HF or worsening chronic HF represent the most common causes of T2MI. ≈1 in 5 patients with T2MI will be readmitted for HF within 1 year of their event. Strategies to prevent HF events after a T2MI are needed.

Given the growing incidence of infective endocarditis (IE), understanding the risks and benefits of valvular surgery is critical. This decision is particularly complex for the 1 in 10 cases complicated by intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). While guideline recommendations currently favor early surgery in general, delayed intervention of at least 4 weeks is still recommended for patients with ICH. To date, there are no randomized controlled trials that inform management of patients with an indication for surgery but concomitant ICH, and even reported observational data are rare. This paper reviews the current literature on timing of surgery with a specific focus on cases of ICH. It emphasizes a growing body of literature challenging the current paradigm that surgery within 4 weeks is associated with neurologic deterioration and high mortality rates by demonstrating favorable outcomes for patients with pre-operative ICH who undergo early valvular surgery. Based on these data, we propose a practical management algorithm to facilitate decisions on surgical timing in these complicated cases. Since more rigorous evidence may never be available, clinicians should make patient-specific surgical timing decisions that attempt to balance the competing risks of neurologic versus cardiac complications.

IMPORTANCE: Hospitals that serve poorer populations have higher readmission rates. It is unknown whether these hospitals effectively lowered readmission rates in response to the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). OBJECTIVE: To compare pre-post differences in readmission rates among hospitals with different proportion of dual-eligible patients both generally and among the most highly penalized (i.e. low performing) hospitals. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using piecewise linear model with estimated hospital-level RSRRs as the dependent variable and a change point at HRRP passage (2010). Economic burden was assessed by proportion of dual-eligibles served. SETTING: Acute care hospitals within the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years or older discharged alive from January 1, 2003 to November 30, 2014 with a principal discharge diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), and pneumonia. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE: Decrease in hospital-level RSRRs in the post-law period, after controlling for the pre-law trend. RESULTS: For AMI, the pre-post difference between hospitals that service high and low proportion of dual-eligibles was not significant (−65 vs. −64 risk-standardized readmissions per 10000 discharges per year, p = 0.0678). For CHF, RSRRs declined more at high than low dual-eligible hospitals (−79 vs. −75 risk-standardized readmissions per 10000 discharges per year, p = 0.0006). For pneumonia, RSRRs declined less at high than low dual-eligible hospitals (−44 vs. −47 risk-standardized readmissions per 10000 discharges per year, p = 0.0003). Among the 742 highest penalized hospitals and all conditions, the pre-post decline in rate of change of RSRRs was less for high dual-eligible hospitals than low dual-eligible hospitals (−68 vs. −74 risk-standardized readmissions per 10000 discharges per year for AMI, −88 vs. −97 for CHF, and −47 vs. −56 for pneumonia, p < 0.0001 for all). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: For all hospitals, differences in pre-post trends in RSRRs varied with disease conditions. However, for the highest-penalized hospitals, the pre-post decline in RSRRs was greater for low than high dual-eligible hospitals for all penalized conditions. These results suggest that high penalty, high dual-eligible hospitals may be less able to improve performance on readmission metrics.

Background Many health systems have begun implementing electronic consultation programs. The clinical and financial impact of these programs in cardiology and the potential for more widespread adoption remains unknown. Objectives To systematically review the current literature related to electronic consultation in cardiology. Methods Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review in August 2018 of English literature. We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases for studies related to electronic consultation in cardiology. Results A total of 21 studies were included. Two of the studies were randomized controlled trials, 16 were quantitative studies with defined endpoints, and 3 were qualitative descriptions. Most studies were conducted in the United States and Canada. The available literature suggests cardiology e-consult programs can be implemented in different practice settings, have good patient and provider satisfaction, deliver greater and timelier access to outpatient cardiac care, and do so in a cost saving fashion. While studies suggest cardiology e-consultation is safe, there are no studies evaluating hard clinical outcomes. Conclusions Cardiology e-consults appear to be a promising tool for increasing access to outpatient cardiac care. Further investigation is required to evaluate the effects of cardiology electronic consultation on the quality of care. Condensed abstract Here we present the first systematic review of electronic consultation in cardiology. The available literature suggests cardiology e-consult programs can be implemented in different practice settings, have good patient and provider satisfaction, deliver greater and timelier access to outpatient cardiac care, and do so in a cost saving fashion. While studies suggest cardiology e-consultation is safe, there are no studies evaluating hard clinical outcomes. Overall, cardiology e-consults appear to be a promising tool for increasing access to outpatient cardiac care. Further investigation is required to evaluate the effects of cardiology electronic consultation on the quality of care.

Clinical consultations, both inpatient and outpatient, contribute significantly to cardiologists’ workload [(1)][1]. With an aging population, increasing prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities, and the introduction of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays, cardiology consultation services

Since the implementation of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), readmissions have declined for Medicare patients with conditions targeted by the policy (acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia). To understand whether HRRP implementation was associated with a readmission decline for patients across all insurance types (Medicare, Medicaid, and private), we conducted a difference-in-differences analysis using information from the Nationwide Readmissions Database. We compared how quarterly readmissions for target conditions changed before (2010–12) and after (2012–14) HRRP implementation, using nontarget conditions as the control. Our results demonstrate that readmissions declined at a significantly faster rate after HRRP implementation not just for Medicare patients but also for those with Medicaid, both in the aggregate and for individual target conditions. However, composite Medicaid readmission rates remained higher than those for Medicare. Throughout the study period privately insured patients had the lowest aggregate readmission rates, which declined at a similar rate compared to nontarget conditions. The HRRP was associated with nationwide readmission reductions beyond the Medicare patients originally targeted by the policy. Further research is needed to understand the specific mechanisms by which hospitals have achieved reductions in readmissions.

International Classification of Disease (ICD)-10 coding of type 1 myocardial infarction (MI) is used for reimbursement, value-based programs, and clinical research.This study sought to determine whether the introduction of ICD-10 codes for type 2 and types 3-5 MI was associated with changes in hospitalizations for ICD-10 codes now attributed to type 1 MI.Using the Nationwide Readmissions Database, we identified patients with ICD-10 codes now attributed to type 1 MI between January 2016 and December 2018. Patients were stratified according to the timing of their event in relation to the introduction of the type 2 and types 3-5 MI codes on October 1, 2017.There were 2,680,323 hospitalizations for ICD-10 codes now attributed to type 1 MI; after adjustment for seasonality, there was a 13.7% decline in hospitalizations after the introduction of the new subtype codes. Patients with ICD-10 codes now attributed to type 1 MI after the coding change were less likely to be female, had lower prevalence of several cardiovascular and noncardiovascular comorbidities, and had higher rates of coronary angiography and revascularization. After introduction of the new codes, there was a positive deflection in the slope of risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality (0.007%; P 0.001) and a negative deflection in risk-adjusted 30-day readmission (-0.002%; P = 0.05) for patients with ICD-10 codes now attributed to type 1 MI.The introduction of ICD-10 codes for type 2 and types 3-5 MI was associated with a decrease in hospitalizations for ICD-10 codes now attributed to type 1 MI and changes in the observed characteristics and treatment patterns of these patients.

For hospital-affiliated accountable care organizations (ACOs), emergency care represents a unique challenge for coordination of care and a major source of ACO leakage. The authors analyzed emergency department (ED) visits among ACO members to assess the potential impact of ambulance transport on the use of in-network versus out-of-network EDs. To better understand factors influencing the use of in-network versus out-of-network EDs, 2018 claims data from members of a regional subset of a large ACO in the greater Boston area were analyzed. Within this population, multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between ambulance transport as well as demographic factors, insurance type, and hospital distance on the use of in-network versus out-of-network EDs. Arrival to an ED via ambulance was found to be significantly associated with reduced odds of presenting to an in-network ED compared to arriving by private transportation (odds ratio 0.70, 95% confidence interval: 0.58-0.85). Age older than 65 years, commercial insurance (relative to Medicare), proximity to an in-network ED, and distance from an out-of-network ED also were significantly associated with use of in-network EDs relative to out-of-network EDs. Given the central role of the ED as a primary source of hospital admissions in the United States, emergency care represents a key potential target for interventions aimed at reducing patient leakage. Future efforts should aim to identify and evaluate new ways that emergency medical services can be leveraged to promote effective care coordination.

Importance Hospitals are reimbursed based on Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs), which are defined, in part, by patients having 1 or more complications or comorbidities within a given DRG family. Hospitals have made substantial investment in efforts to document these complications and comorbidities. Objective To examine temporal trends in DRGs with a major complication or comorbidity, compare these findings with 2 alternative measures of disease severity, and estimate associated changes in payment. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study used data from the all-payer National Inpatient Sample for admissions assigned to 1 of the top 20 reimbursed DRG families at US acute care hospitals from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2016. Data were analyzed from July 10, 2018, to May 29, 2019. Exposures Quarter year of hospitalization. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the proportion of DRGs with a major complication or comorbidity. Secondary outcomes were comorbidity scores, risk-adjusted mortality rates, and estimated payment. Changes in assigned DRGs, comorbidity scores, and risk-adjusted mortality rates were analyzed by linear regression. Payment changes were estimated for each DRG by calculating the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services weighted payment using 2012 and 2016 case mix and hospitalization counts. Results Between 2012 and 2016, there were 62 167 976 hospitalizations for the 20 highest-reimbursed DRG families; the sample was 32.9% male and 66.8% White, with a median age of 57 years (interquartile range, 31-73 years). Within 15 of these DRG families (75%), the proportion of DRGs with a major complication or comorbidity increased significantly over time. Over the same period, comorbidity scores were largely stable, with a decrease in 6 DRG families (30%), no change in 10 (50%), and an increase in 4 (20%). Among 19 DRG families with a calculable mortality rate, the risk-adjusted mortality rate significantly decreased in 8 (42%), did not change in 9 (47%), and increased in 2 (11%). The observed DRG shifts were associated with at least $1.2 billion in increased payment. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study, between 2012 and 2016, the proportion of admissions assigned to a DRG with major complication or comorbidity increased for 15 of the top 20 reimbursed DRG families. This change was not accompanied by commensurate increases in disease severity but was associated with increased payment.

Long-term disability after stroke is associated with socioeconomic status (SES). However, the reasons for such disparities in outcomes remain unclear.To assess whether lower SES is associated with larger admission infarct volume and whether initial infarct volume accounts for the association between SES and long-term disability.This cohort study was conducted in a prospective, consecutive population (n = 1256) presenting with acute ischemic stroke who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within 24 hours of admission. Patients were recruited in Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, from May 31, 2009, to December 31, 2011. Data were analyzed from May 1, 2019, until June 30, 2020.Initial stroke severity (within 24 hours of presentation) was determined using clinical (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS]) and imaging (infarct volume by diffusion-weighted MRI) measures. Stroke etiologic subtypes were determined using the Causative Classification of Ischemic Stroke algorithm. Long-term stroke disability was measured using the modified Rankin Scale. Socioeconomic status was estimated using zip code-derived median household income and census block group-derived area deprivation index (ADI). Regression and mediation analyses were performed.A total of 1098 patients had imaging and SES data available (mean [SD] age, 68.1 [15.7] years; 607 men [55.3%]). Income was inversely associated with initial infarct volume (standardized β, -0.074 [95% CI, -0.127 to -0.020]; P = .007), initial NIHSS (standardized β, -0.113 [95% CI, -0.171 to -0.054]; P .001), and long-term disability (standardized β, -0.092 [95% CI, -0.149 to -0.035]; P = .001), which remained significant after multivariable adjustments. Initial stroke severity accounted for 64% of the association between SES and long-term disability (standardized β, -0.063 [95% CI, -0.095 to -0.029]; P .05). Findings were similar when SES was alternatively assessed using ADI.The findings of this cohort study suggest that lower SES is associated with larger infarct volumes on presentation. These SES-associated differences in initial stroke severity accounted for most of the subsequent disparities in long-term disability in this study. These findings shift the culpability for SES-associated disparities in poststroke disability from poststroke factors to those that precede presentation.

Background The passage of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) has been associated with been associated with decreased risk-standardized readmission rates for heart failure (HF) patients. However, some quantitative analyses have shown association between HRRP and increased mortality for hospitalized HF patients. Qualitative information on what hospital programs were actually implemented can help us understand if this trend is a causal effect of the law or an unrelated trend. Purpose To perform a systematic literature review to synthesize evidence on what clinical programs American hospitals implemented in response to HRRP. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review in April 2020 that included a search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Literature (CINAHL) for studies related to hospital strategies to reduce HF readmissions. Results Of 20 included articles, 8 were qualitative (survey and interviews), 3 were systematic reviews, 5 were single site quality improvement (QI) initiatives, 2 were plans for ongoing randomized control trials (RCTs), one was a plan for a future RCT and one was an observational analysis. We found that interventions hospitals undertook in response to HRRP to reduce HF readmissions fell into four categories: inpatient care, discharge, transitional care and data collection/administration. The majority of interventions were related to transitional care, most commonly scheduling follow up appointments within 7–14 days of discharge, performing post-discharge phone calls and partnering with community physicians. Conclusions We did not find any published evidence of practices that could mechanistically be linked to harm to HF patients enacted by hospitals in response to HRRP. For example, no programs encouraged emergency department providers to discharge patients from emergency departments. We found QI initiatives, improved discharge planning and increased post-discharge follow up.

Type 2 myocardial infarction (MI) patients may have different characteristics and outcomes when compared with type 1 MI.The purpose of this study was to compare patients with type 1 MI to those with type 2 MI in the United States.Using the Nationwide Readmissions Database, MI patients were categorized over the 3 months following the introduction of an International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision code specific for type 2 MI. Baseline characteristics and inpatient and post-discharge outcomes among both cohorts were compared.There were 216,657 patients with type 1 MI, 37,765 patients with type 2 MI, and 1,525 patients with both type 1 and 2 MI. Patients with type 2 MI were older (71 years vs. 69 years; p 0.001), were more likely to be women (47.3% vs. 40%; p 0.001), and had higher prevalence of heart failure (27.9% vs. 10.9%; p 0.001), kidney disease (35.7% vs. 25.7%; p 0.001), and atrial fibrillation (31% vs. 21%; p 0.001). Rates of coronary angiography (10.9% vs. 57.3%; p 0.001), percutaneous coronary intervention (1.7% vs. 38.5%; p 0.001), and coronary artery bypass grafting (0.4% vs. 7.8%; p 0.001) were lower among type 2 MI patients. Patients with type 2 MI had lower risk of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio: 0.57 [95% confidence interval: 0.54 to 0.60]) and 30-day MI readmission (adjusted odds ratio: 0.46 [95% confidence interval: 0.35 to 0.59]). There was no difference in risk of 30-day all-cause or heart failure readmission.Patients with type 2 MI have a unique cardiovascular phenotype when compared with type 1 MI, and are managed in a heterogenous manner. Validated management strategies for type 2 MI are needed.

Objectives To determine whether patients are deferring necessary care for urgent conditions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and, if so, to what extent. Study design Cross-sectional study. Methods Using billing data from 8 acute care hospitals, we identified 9 principal medical diagnoses from International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes across 4 medical specialties (cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, and urology). In addition, we defined a combined obstetrical falsification end point. We compared daily admission rates during the pandemic period (3/1/2020-4/30/2020) with the same dates in 2019 (3/1/2019-4/30/2019). As a reference, we also compared a prepandemic period in the same years (1/1/2019-2/28/2019 and 1/1/2020-2/29/2020). We compared admission rates between years using t tests. Results There were 3219 admissions for the conditions of interest during the study period in 2019 and 2661 in 2020. There was no difference in prepandemic daily admission rates in 2020 compared with 2019 (29.04 vs 27.63 admissions per day; -4.9%; P = .50). During the pandemic period, there was a 33.7% decrease in admission rates for all conditions combined in 2020 compared with 2019 (24.68 vs 16.37; -33.7%; P = .03). By specialty, the combined gastroenterology (10.22 vs 7.20; -29.6%; P = .02) and cardiovascular (2.34 vs 1.29; -44.7%; P = .05) end points demonstrated reduction in daily admission rates. Conclusions Daily admission rates during the COVID-19 pandemic were lower for these acute medical conditions. Public awareness campaigns are urgently needed to reassure the public about the safety of presenting for care.

Background High‐sensitivity troponin assays (hs‐Tn) detect lower serum concentrations than prior‐generation assays and help guide acute coronary syndrome (ACS) evaluation in emergency departments. Outpatient hs‐Tn utilization is not well described. Hypothesis Outpatient providers use hs‐TnT to triage patients with suspected ACS. Methods We compared the volume of outpatient prior‐generation troponin tests in the pre‐hsTn implementation period (January 2015‐March 2018) with outpatient hs‐TnT volume in the post‐implementation period (April 2018‐January 2020). Triage patterns were compared between patients with hs‐TnT≥99th vs 99th percentile were more likely to be sent to the ED (RR, 3.36; 95% CI, 1.22‐9.25; P = .002). Among patients sent home (n = 66), those with hs‐TnT > 99th percentile had more adverse events by 6 months (3.3% vs 22.2% RR, 6.67; 95% CI, 1.04‐42.9; P = .026). Conclusions In this healthcare system, outpatient troponin utilization significantly declined since hs‐TnT implementation. Some providers use hs‐TnT to triage patients with suspected ACS to the ED; others test asymptomatic patients and some send patients home despite high hs‐TnT values.

Background: Reducing hospital readmission after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has the potential to both improve quality and reduce costs. As such, readmission after AMI has been a target of financial penalties through Medicare. However, substantial concern exists about potential adverse effects and efficacious readmission-reduction strategies are not well validated. Methods and Results: We started an AMI readmissions reduction program in November 2017. Between July 2016 and February 2019, hospital billing data were queried to detect all inpatient hospitalizations at the Massachusetts General Hospital for AMI. Thirty-day readmission was identified through hospital billing data, and mortality was extracted from our electronic health record. The data set was merged with claims data for patients in accountable care organizations to detect readmission at other hospitals. We performed segmented linear regression, adjusting for secular trend and case mix, to assess the independent association of our program on both outcome variables. After inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, the study population included 2020 patients. The overall 30-day readmission rate was higher before the intervention than after the intervention (15.5% versus 10.7%, P =0.002). The overall 30-day mortality rate was similar in both time periods (1.8% versus 1.4%, P =0.457). The program was associated with initial reduction in 30-day readmission (−9.8%, P =0.0002) and 30-day mortality (−2.6%, P =0.041). The program did not change trend in 30-day readmission (+0.19% readmissions/mo, P =0.554) and trend in 30-day mortality (−0.21% deaths/mo, P =0.119). Conclusions: An AMI readmissions reduction program that increases outpatient and emergency department (ED) access to cardiology care is associated with reduced 30-day readmission and 30-day mortality. Similar statistical techniques can be used to conduct a rigorous, mechanistic program evaluation of other quality improvement initiatives.

Over the past decade, the field of valvular heart disease ( VHD ) has rapidly transformed, largely as a result of the development and improvement of less invasive transcatheter approaches to valve repair or replacement. This transformation has been supported by numerous well‐designed randomized trials, but they have centered almost entirely on devices and procedures. Outside this scope of focus, however, myriad aspects of therapy and management for patients with VHD have either no guidelines or recommendations based only on expert opinion and observational studies. Further, research in VHD has often failed to engage patients to inform study design and identify research questions of greatest importance and relevance from a patient perspective. Accordingly, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened a Working Group on Patient‐Centered Research in Valvular Heart Disease, composed of clinician and research experts and patient advocacy experts to identify gaps and barriers to research in VHD and identify research priorities. While recognizing that important research remains to be done to test the safety and efficacy of devices and procedures to treat VHD , we intentionally focused less attention on these areas of research as they are more commonly pursued and supported by industry. Herein, we present the patient‐centered research gaps, barriers, and priorities in VHD and organized our report according to the “patient journey,” including access to care, screening and diagnosis, preprocedure therapy and management, decision making when a procedure is contemplated (clinician and patient perspectives), and postprocedure therapy and management. It is hoped that this report will foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders and highlight for funding bodies the pressing patient‐centered research gaps, opportunities, and priorities in VHD in order to produce impactful patient‐centered research that will inform and improve patient‐centered policy and care.

Electronic consultations (e-consults) can facilitate patient access to specialists, minimize travel, and reduce unnecessary in-person visits. However, metrics to enable study of e-consults and their effect on processes and patient care are lacking.To assess novel metrics of e-consult appropriateness and utility.Retrospective cohort study.Primary and specialty care practices at 2 large academic and 2 community hospitals of an integrated health system.Patients with e-consult requests to 5 specialties-hematology, infectious disease, dermatology, rheumatology, and psychiatry-between October 2017 and November 2018.The appropriateness of e-consult inquiries was assessed by review of medical records and defined as meeting the following 4 criteria: not answerable by reviewing evidence-based summary sources ("point-of-care resource test"), not merely requesting logistic information, having appropriate clinical urgency, and having appropriate patient complexity. Interrater agreement in assessments of e-consult appropriateness was assessed by the κ statistic. Utility of e-consults was assessed by the rate of avoided visits (AVs), defined by the absence of an in-person visit to the same specialty within 120 days.Overall, 6512 eligible e-consults were made by 1096 referring providers to 121 specialist consultants. Inquiries were characterized as diagnostic, therapeutic, for provider education, or at the request of the patient. Most consultations were answered within 1 day, with variation across specialties (73.1% for psychiatry to 87.8% for infectious disease). Overall, 70.2% of e-consults met all 4 criteria for appropriateness; the frequency of unmet criteria varied among specialties. Raters agreed on the appropriateness of 94% of e-consults (κ = 0.57 [95% CI, 0.36 to 0.79]), indicating moderate agreement. The overall rate of AVs across the 5 specialties was 81.2%; the highest rate was in psychiatry (92.6%) and the lowest in dermatology (61.9%).Generalizability is unknown outside a single integrated health system, where requesting and consulting providers share a common electronic health record.Novel metrics to assess the appropriateness and utility of e-consults provide meaningful insight into practice, provide a rubric for comparison in future studies in additional settings, and suggest areas to improve resource use and patient care.None.

BACKGROUND Unnecessary hospitalizations may pose the risk of iatrogenic complications, suboptimal patient experience, and increased cost. Administrative data lack granularity to understand the proportion and causes of hospitalizations preventable through optimizing care continuum (HPOCC). We aim to identify the incidence and causes of HPOCC through clinician-adjudicated chart review. METHODS A retrospective review was performed for inpatient admissions from the emergency department (ED) over 1 week. Each admission was reviewed by a clinician to determine whether it is an HPOCC defined as not requiring inpatient care with the assumption of idealized outpatient care and social support. RESULTS Of the 515 patients admitted from the ED, 31 (6.0%) patients were judged to have had an HPOCC. Causes of HPOCC include urgent diagnostics (9, 29.0%), unnecessary transfer from a long-term facility (7, 23.0%), needing IV therapy (5, 16.0%), benign incidental finding (5, 16.0%), diagnostic uncertainty in complex chronic illness (3, 10.0%), and lack of access to care for disposition (2, 6.0%). CONCLUSION Hospitalizations preventable through optimizing care continuum account for about 1 in every 15 hospitalizations in an urban academic medical center. The need for urgent diagnostics accounts for a plurality of HPOCC and could be an important target for quality improvement.

Central Illustration: The Potential Implications of Including Type 2 Myocardial Infarction in the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program. Abbreviations: CABG= Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, COPD= Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, HF= Heart Failure, HRRP= Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, ICD: International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, T1MI= Type 1 Myocardial Infarction, T2MI= Type 2 Myocardial Infarction. [Image: see text]

Decision aids (DAs) have been shown to increase decision quality in randomized controlled trials. This study compared the effectiveness of two different decision aids with different modes of delivery.Patients with angiogram-proven coronary artery disease (CAD) were eligible to participate and randomly assigned to either a booklet/DVD DA or an online DA. Participants completed a survey after viewing the material that assessed patients' knowledge, treatment preferences, use of and satisfaction with the tool, and open-ended reflections on the treatment decision-making process.Of the 62 patients screened, 34 agreed to participate and were randomly assigned to a group. Of those, 28 (15/17 booklet/DVD and 13/17 online) participants completed the survey. Patients were more likely to report reviewing all of the booklet/DVD DA compared with the online DA (60 vs. 31%, P=0.15). Knowledge scores were significantly higher in the booklet/DVD DA group than the online DA group (67 vs. 47%, P=0.018). Participants in both arms felt it was very or extremely important that doctors give patients materials like these before a catheterization (93% for booklet/DVD DA and 85% for online, P=0.54). Patients' qualitative feedback highlighted significant gaps in knowledge about treatment options, as well as a strong desire to have educational materials in advance of diagnostic catheterizations.The pilot study suggests that both decision aids are highly valued by patients with CAD. The booklet/DVD DA was associated with higher rates of complete review and improved knowledge about the management of stable coronary disease.

The management of patients presenting to an emergency department with chest discomfort at low-risk for acute coronary syndrome represents a common clinical challenge. Such patients are often triaged to chest pain units for monitoring and cardiac stress testing for further risk stratification. We conducted a retrospective study of 292 low-risk patients who presented to an emergency department with chest discomfort. We performed physician-adjudicated chart reviews of all patients with positive stress tests to assess downstream testing, subsequent coronary revascularization, and outcomes. Of the 292 patients, 33 (11.3%) had stress tests positive for ischemia, and 12 (4.1%) underwent diagnostic cardiac catheterization. Of the 292 patients, 4 (1.4%) underwent coronary revascularization that may have resulted in a mortality benefit. These data suggest a very low yield of detecting clinically significant coronary disease with stress testing low-risk patients with chest discomfort in emergency department chest pain units.

Key Points Question What is the prevalence of angina among stable US outpatients with coronary artery disease (CAD)? Findings In a survey study of 1612 outpatient primary care patients with CAD in a large US integrated primary care network, 21.2% of surveyed patients reported experiencing angina at least once per month (daily or weekly, 12.5%; monthly, 8.7%). After multivariable adjustment, speaking a language other than Spanish or English, Black race, smoking, atrial fibrillation, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were associated with increased angina frequency. Meaning These findings suggest that angina is prevalent among US outpatients with CAD; proactive angina assessment in outpatient settings may identify patients with suboptimally controlled angina and may be associated with improved treatment and outcomes., This survey study examines the prevalence and frequency of angina among stable US outpatients with coronary artery disease., Importance Angina pectoris is associated with morbidity and mortality. Angina prevalence and frequency among contemporary US populations with coronary artery disease (CAD) remain incompletely defined. Objective To ascertain the angina prevalence and frequency among stable outpatients with CAD. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional survey study involved telephone-based administration of the Seattle Angina Questionnaire–7 (SAQ-7) between February 1, 2017, and July 31, 2017, to a nonconvenience sample of adults with established CAD who receive primary care through a large US integrated primary care network. Data analysis was performed from August 2017 to August 2019. Exposure SAQ-7 administration. Main Outcomes and Measures Angina prevalence and frequency were assessed using SAQ-7 question 2. Covariates associated with angina were assessed in univariable and multivariable regression. Results Of 4139 eligible patients, 1612 responded to the survey (response rate, 38.9%). The mean (SD) age of the respondents was 71.8 (11.0) years, 577 (35.8%) were women, 1447 (89.8%) spoke English, 147 (9.1%) spoke Spanish, 1336 (82.8%) were White, 76 (4.7%) were Black, 92 (5.7%) were Hispanic, 974 (60.4%) had Medicare, and 83 (5.2%) had Medicaid. Among respondents, 342 (21.2%) reported experiencing angina at least once monthly; among those, 201 (12.5%) reported daily or weekly angina, and 141 respondents (8.7%) reported monthly angina. The mean (SD) SAQ-7 score was 93.7 (13.7). After multivariable adjustment, speaking a language other than Spanish or English (odds ratio [OR], 5.07; 95% CI, 1.39-18.50), Black race (OR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.08-3.75), current smoking (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.27-2.78), former smoking (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.13-2.51), atrial fibrillation (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.02-2.26), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.18-2.18) were associated with more frequent angina. Male sex (OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.47-0.86), peripheral artery disease (OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.44-0.90), and novel oral anticoagulant use (OR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.08-0.48) were associated with less frequent angina. Conclusions and Relevance Among stable outpatients with CAD receiving primary care through an integrated primary care network, 21.2% of surveyed patients reported experiencing angina at least once monthly. Several objective demographic and clinical characteristics were associated with angina frequency. Proactive assessment of angina symptoms using validated assessment tools and estimation of patients at higher risk of suboptimally controlled angina may be associated with reduced morbidity.

The purpose of this study was to compare health care costs associated with repeat ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) with health care costs associated with a successful first procedure.Catheter ablation has become established as a rhythm control strategy for symptomatic paroxysmal and persistent AF. The economic impact of ablation is not completely understood, and it may be affected by repeat procedures performed for recurrent AF.The source of data was the MarketScan (Truven Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan) administrative claims dataset from April 2008 to March 2013, including U.S. patients with private and Medicare supplemental insurance. Patients who underwent an outpatient atrial ablation procedure and a diagnosis of AF were identified. Total health care cost was calculated for 1 year before and after the ablation. Patients were categorized as having undergone a repeat ablation if an additional ablation was performed in the following year.Of 12,027 patients included in the study, repeat ablation was performed in 2,066 (17.2%) within 1 year. Patients with repeat ablation had higher rates of emergency department visits (43.4% vs. 32.2%; 0.001) and subsequent hospitalization (35.6% vs. 21.5%; p 0.001), after excluding hospitalizations for the repeat procedure. Total medical cost was higher for patients with repeat ablation ($52,821 vs. $13,412; p 0.001), and it remained 46% higher even after excluding the cost associated with additional ablations ($19,621 vs. $13,412; p 0.001).Health care costs are significantly higher for patients with a repeat ablation for AF than for patients with only a single ablation procedure, even though both groups have similar baseline characteristics. The increased costs persist even after excluding the cost of the repeat ablation itself. These results emphasize the economic benefit of procedural success in AF ablation.

BACKGROUND: The safety of same day discharge (SDD) after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) has been demonstrated in several studies. However, SDD was only allowed in patients meeting strict criteria. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of SDD following elective-PCI in all comers. METHODS: In 2012, we implemented a strategy of SDD for all elective PCI (no exclusion) but admissions were allowed at the discretion of the treating physician. We assessed the feasibility and safety of this approach in consecutive patients who underwent elective PCI at WVU. RESULTS: Out of 3355 patients who underwent PCI between 2012 and 2016, 691 (21%) presented electively. Radial access was utilized in 480 (69.5%). Same day discharge was achieved in 539/691 (78%), and there was no difference between patients who had SDD and those who were admitted with regards to the 30-day major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (3.2% vs. 3.5% respectively, P = 0.195). Predictors of SDD failure were procedural complications (OR 12.08, 95%CI 2.20–57.8. P = 0.002), use of Glycoprotein IIB-IIIA inhibitors (OR 3.45, 95%CI 1.067–11.41, P = 0.039), femoral access (OR 2.067, 95%CI 1.25–3.419, p = 0.005), anemia (OR 1.80, 95%CI 1.06–3.04, P = 0.029), home distance ≥60 miles (OR 1.68, 95%CI 1.03–2.72, P=0.037). CONCLUSION: SDD is feasible in the majority of all-comers after elective PCI, and is not associated with increase in adverse events at 30-days. Certain procedural and patient’s characteristics predict SDD failure. If validated in prospective studies, these factors can possibly be integrated in a predictive tool to aid in triaging patients, post-elective PCI.