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Background: Prior research has reported that integrative medicine (IM) therapies reduce pain in inpatients, but without controlling for important variables. Here, the authors extend prior research by assessing pain reduction while accounting for each patient's pain medication status and clinical population. Methods: The initial data set consisted of 7,106 inpatient admissions, aged ≥18 years, between July 16, 2012, and December 15, 2014. Patients' electronic health records were used to obtain data on demographic, clinical measures, and pain medication status during IM. Results: The final data set included first IM therapies delivered during 3,635 admissions. Unadjusted average pre-IM pain was 5.33 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.26 to 5.41) and post-IM pain was 3.31 (95% CI: 3.23 to 3.40) on a 0-10 scale. Pain change adjusted for severity of illness, clinical population, sex, treatment, and pain medication status during IM was significant and clinically meaningful with an average reduction of -1.97 points (95% CI: -2.06 to -1.86) following IM. Adjusted average pain was reduced in all clinical populations, with largest and smallest pain reductions in maternity care (-2.34 points [95% CI: -2.56 to -2.14]) and orthopedic (-1.71 points [95% CI: -1.98 to -1.44]) populations. Pain medication status did not have a statistically significant association on pain change. Decreases were observed regardless of whether patients were taking narcotic medications and/or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs versus no pain medications. Conclusions: For the first time, inpatients receiving IM reported significant and clinically meaningful pain reductions during a first IM session while accounting for pain medications and across clinical populations. Future implementation research should be conducted to optimize identification/referral/delivery of IM therapies within hospitals. Clinical Trials.gov #NCT02190240.

This report assesses functional mobility in children with neurological impairments and documented gross motor delays, before and after receiving either hippotherapy or standard outpatient physical therapy (PT).This is a case-series report using data previously collected for a discontinued randomized controlled trial, in which participants received hippotherapy or standard outpatient clinic PT for a 12-week treatment period. Results demonstrated both subjective and objective functional mobility improvements after treatment in participants receiving hippotherapy and standard outpatient PT, as determined by the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2, the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory, and the Goal Attainment Scaling. STATEMENT OF CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE:: When compared with standard outpatient PT, hippotherapy appears to be a viable treatment strategy for children aged 2 to 5 years with neurological impairments and gross motor delays, but additional research in this area is needed to validate findings.

Objectives: An important task facing hospitals is improving pain management without raising costs. Integrative medicine (IM), a promising nonpharmacologic pain management strategy, is yet to be examined for its cost implications in an inpatient setting. This institution has had an inpatient IM department for over a decade. The purpose was to examine the relationship between changes in patients' pain, as a result of receiving IM therapy, and total cost of care during an inpatient hospital admission. Design: In this retrospective analysis, data from an EPIC-based electronic health record (EHR) patient demographics, length of stay (LOS), and All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRG) severity of illness measures were utilized. IM practitioners collected and entered patient-reported pain scores into the EHR. The authors regressed the demographic, change in pain, LOS, and APR-DRG variables with changes in pain on total cost for the hospital admission. To estimate cost savings to the hospital, they computed the average reduction in cost associated with reduction in pain by multiplying the coefficient for change in pain by average total cost. Setting/Location: A large, tertiary care hospital in Minneapolis, MN. Subjects: Adult inpatient admissions, 2730, during the study period where patients received IM for pain and met eligibility criteria. Intervention: IM services provided to inpatients. Outcome measures: Change in pain on an 11-point numeric rating scale before and after initial IM sessions; total costs for hospital admissions. Results: Both LOS and age were found to increase cost, as did being white, male, married, and having APR-DRG severity coded as extreme. For patients receiving IM therapies, pain was reduced by an average of 2.05 points and this pain reduction was associated with a cost savings of $898 per hospital admission. Conclusions: For patients receiving IM therapies, pain was significantly reduced and costs were lowered by about 4%.

Objectives To conduct a cost analysis of ambient assisted living technology, which is promising for improving the ability of individuals and care providers to monitor daily activities and gain better awareness through proactive management of health and safety. Design Three-arm cohort study. Setting Homes of enrollees of a state-based healthcare plan for older adults. Participants Enrollees dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (N = 268). Intervention Health and safety passive remote patient monitoring (PRPM) systems were installed in enrollees’ homes (the intervention group) with monitoring and proactive intervention of a case manager when deviation from baseline subject behavior was detected. Measurements Claims data were collected over 12 months to assess healthcare use and costs in the intervention group and to compare use and costs with those of two control groups: a concurrent group of enrollees who declined the technology and a historical cohort matched on age to the participation group. Results Although the small sample size precluded cost differences that were statistically significant, the participant group used substantially less custodial care, emergency department (ED) services, inpatient stays, and ED costs than the two control groups. Conclusion In this pilot study, the PRPM system was associated with apparent healthcare cost savings. Although more cost analyses are warranted, ambient assisted living technologies are a potentially valuable investment for older adult care.

In the limited literature on cleaning tracheostomy stoma sites, there is no standard guideline for the cleaning solution. The objective of this study was to determine whether signs of stoma-site infection were different among a hospitalized pediatric population when using sterile water, sterile saline solution, or 0.25% acetic acid solution for tracheostomy stoma cleaning.A retrospective chart review was completed and included nursing and physician notes. The subjects were1 y of age, in the neonatal ICU, and received a tracheostomy within the previous 30 days. Clinical signs of infection were visually observed by the providers and documented in the medical record. The subjects were divided into 3 groups, those prescribed 0.25% acetic acid, those prescribed sterile water, and those prescribed sterile saline solution for twice daily tracheostomy stoma care. We compared the rate of signs of infection of the tracheostomy stoma site across the 3 treatments by using a chi-square test.In the 102 subjects included, there were significantly more signs of infection in the subjects for whom 0.25% acetic acid was not used for daily stoma cleaning (Analysis of our findings indicated that a 0.25% acetic acid solution used for stoma cleaning may be associated with fewer signs of infection than sterile water or sterile saline solution. More research is warranted toward establishing a standard practice.

Some large employers and healthcare analysts have advocated for retail competition that relies on providers competing on performance metrics to improve care quality. Using publicly available performance measures, we determined whether health systems increased the quality of diabetes care provided by their clinics based on performance relative to competitors.Our analysis examined publicly reported performance measures of diabetes care from 2006 to 2013 for clinics in Minnesota health systems.We obtained data for 654 clinics, of which 572 publicly reported diabetes care performance. Because some clinics did not report performance, we estimated a Heckman selection model. First, we predicted whether or not clinics reported performance. Second, we estimated the effect of relative performance (a clinic's performance minus the mean performance of clinics in competing health systems) on clinic performance using the results of the reporting model to control for selection into the sample of reporting clinics.Although diabetes care performance improved during our study, health systems did not differentially improve the diabetes care performance of their clinics performing worse than clinics in competing systems. This result indicates divergence between high-performing and low-performing clinics. This result does not appear to be due to risk selection.Publicly reporting quality information did not incentivize health systems to increase the performance of their clinics with lower performance than competitors, as would be expected under retail competition. Our results do not support strategies that rely on competition on publicly reported performance measures to improve quality in diabetes care management.

This chapter investigates whether there are differences in the determinants of job satisfaction depending on the age and sex of the worker. Age and gender are two of the most central bases of social structural differentiation. The prior experiences of men and women and persons of different age, as well as their situations, could foster distinctive outlooks, values, and needs, which could generate variant reactions to the very same work experiences. It also considers whether age and gender interact with work experiences in influencing job satisfaction. The data were obtained from the 1972-73 and 1977 Quality of Employment Surveys, through the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research. The 1972-73 survey included a national sample of 1455 persons, chosen according to a multistage area probability design so as to be representative of the US working population. Gender and age inequalities in the labor force were initially investigated by assessment of mean differences in the work variables and job satisfaction.

BACKGROUND Isolated pediatric femur fractures have historically been treated at local hospitals. Pediatric referral patterns have changed in recent years, diverting patients to high volume centers. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the treatment location of isolated pediatric femur fractures and concomitant trends in length of stay and cost of treatment. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis of surgical admissions for femoral shaft fracture was performed using the 2000 to 2012 Kids' Inpatient Database. The primary outcome was hospital location and teaching status. Secondary outcomes included the length of stay and mean hospital charges. Polytrauma patients were excluded. Data were weighted within each study year to produce national estimates. RESULTS A total of 35,205 pediatric femoral fracture cases met the inclusion criteria. There was a significant shift in the treatment location over time. In 2000, 60.1% of fractures were treated at urban, teaching hospitals increasing to 81.8% in 2012 (P

Objective We addressed two questions regarding health system consolidation through the acquisition of ambulatory clinics: (1) Was increasing health system size associated with improved diabetes care performance and (2) Did the diabetes care performance of acquired clinics improve postacquisition? Data Sources/Study Setting Six hundred sixty-one ambulatory clinics in Minnesota and bordering states that reported performance data from 2007 to 2013. Study Design We employed fixed effects regression to determine if increased health system size and being acquired improved clinics' performance. Using our regression results, we estimated the average effect of consolidation on the performance of clinics that were acquired during our study. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Publicly reported performance data obtained from Minnesota Community Measurement. Principal Findings Acquired clinics experienced performance improvements starting in their third year postacquisition. By their fifth year postacquisition, acquired clinics had 3.6 percentage points (95 percent confidence interval: 2.0, 5.1) higher performance than if they had never been acquired. Increasing health system size was associated with slight performance improvements at the end of the study. Conclusions Health systems modestly improved the diabetes care performance of their acquired clinics; however, we found little evidence that systems experienced large, system-wide performance gains by increasing their size.

The study objective was to estimate complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among active duty military and compare data with civilian use.A global survey on CAM use in the 12 previous months was conducted. Final participants (16,146) were stratified by gender, service, region, and pay grade. Analysis included prevalence of CAM use, demographic and lifestyle characteristics.Approximately 45% of respondents reported using at least one type of CAM therapy. Most commonly used therapies were as follows: prayer for one's own health (24.4%), massage therapy (14.1%), and relaxation techniques (10.8%). After exclusion of prayer for one's own health, adjusting to the 2000 U.S. census, overall CAM use in the military (44.5%) was higher than that in comparable civilian surveys (36.0% and 38.3%).Military personnel reported using three CAM stress-reduction therapies at 2.5-7 times the rate of civilians. Among the military, high utilization of CAM practices that reduce stress may serve as markers for practitioners assessing an individual's health and well-being.

This study addresses whether health systems have consistent diabetes care performance across their ambulatory clinics and whether increasing consistency is associated with improvements in clinic performance. Study data included 2007 to 2013 diabetes care intermediate outcome measures for 661 ambulatory clinics in Minnesota and bordering states. Health systems provided more consistent performance, as measured by the standard deviation of performance for clinics in a system, relative to propensity score-matched proxy systems created for comparison purposes. No evidence was found that improvements in consistency were associated with higher clinic performance. The combination of high performance and consistent care is likely to enhance a health system’s brand reputation, allowing it to better mitigate the financial risks of consumers seeking care outside the organization. These results suggest that larger health systems are most likely to deliver the combination of consistent and high-performance care. Future research should explore the mechanisms that drive consistent care within health systems.

Objective To examine how the relationship between patient characteristics, patient experience with the health care system, and overall satisfaction with care varies with illness complexity. Data Sources/Study Setting Telephone survey in 14 U.S. geographical areas. Study Design Structural equation modeling was used to examine how relationships among patient characteristics, three constructs representing patient experience with the health care system, and overall satisfaction with care vary across patients by number of chronic illnesses. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Random digital dial telephone survey of adults with one or more chronic illnesses. Principal Findings Patients with more chronic illnesses report higher overall satisfaction. The total effects of better patient–provider interaction and support for patient self-management are associated with higher satisfaction for all levels of chronic illness. The latter effect increases with illness burden. Older, female, or insured patients are more satisfied; highly educated patients are less satisfied. Conclusions Providers seeking to improve their patient satisfaction scores could do so by considering patient characteristics when accepting new patients or deciding who to refer to other providers for treatment. However, our findings suggest constructive actions that providers can take to improve their patient satisfaction scores without selection on patient characteristics.

To define the relationship between vitamin D status and employee presenteeism in a large sample of health care employees.Prospective observation study of 10,646 employees of a Midwestern-integrated health care system who completed an on-line health risk appraisal questionnaire and were measured for 25-hydroxyvitamin D.Measured differences in productivity due to presenteeism were 0.66, 0.91, and 0.75 when comparing employees above and below vitamin D levels of 20 ng/mL, 30 ng/mL, and 40 ng/mL, respectively. These productivity differences translate into potential productivity savings of 0.191%, 0.553%, and 0.625%, respectively, of total payroll costs.Low vitamin D status is associated with reduced employee work productivity. Employee vitamin D assessment and replenishment may represent a low-cost, high-return program to mitigate risk factors and health conditions that drive total employer health care costs.

Background: Optimal inpatient pain management remains a major institutional and therapeutic challenge. Nontoxic, nonpharmacological approaches to treating pain show promise but have not been widely implemented, nor has their effectiveness been evaluated. Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of an inpatient integrative medicine consult service for pain management in 6 settings across an entire tertiary care hospital. Design: Retrospective, observational study. Setting Abbott Northwestern Hospital, a 629-bed tertiary-care hospital in Minneapolis, Minn, that is part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics. Participants: Approximately 1837 patients hospitalized between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009. Measurements: Pretreatment and posttreatment pain scores on a verbal scale of 0 to 10. Results: Most patients (66%) had never previously received integrative services. Provision of integrative services had immediate and beneficial effects on pain scores. The average reduction in pain scores was 1.9 points (on a 10-point scale), and the average percentage in pain reduction was approximately 55%. Conclusions: The formal provision of inpatient integrative medicine had a significant impact on pain scores for hospitalized patients, reducing self-reported pain by more than 50%, without placing patients at increased risk of adverse effects. This was true in all 6 settings. Age, previous use of complementary therapies, and sex did not affect results. Future research must define the appropriate dose of the intervention, the duration of the relief, and the identification of patients most likely to respond to these nonpharmacological treatments. Additionally, future research using the electronic health record will allow quantification of any reduction in total costs, pain medication usage, and adverse events.

Background: Follow-up is critically important for stroke survivors with diabetes, yet there is limited research about the quality of diabetes care that these patients receive. We investigated performance on diabetes quality of care indicators for stroke survivors overall and by race. Methods: Claims data was extracted for 1,460 Medicare beneficiaries with preexisting diabetes who survived hospitalization for acute ischemic stroke in 2000. Adjusted probabilities of receiving HbA1c, LDL and dilated eye exams were estimated using logistic regression. Results: 53% had a dilated eye exam, 60% received an LDL check, 73% percent had their HbA1c checked at least once and only 51% received two or more HbA1c checks. In the unadjusted results, blacks were significantly less likely than whites to receive these tests. Conclusions:Care of stroke survivors, particularly blacks, shows gaps according to guidelines.

OBJECTIVES: To examine 1-year mortality and healthcare payments of stroke patients experiencing zero, one and two or more bounce-backs within 30 days of discharge. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of administrative data. SETTING: Four hundred twenty-two hospitals in the southern and eastern United States. PARTICIPANTS: Eleven thousand seven hundred twenty-nine Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older surviving at least 30 days with acute ischemic stroke in 2000. MEASUREMENTS: One-year mortality and predicted total healthcare payments were calculated using log-normal parametric survival analysis and quantile regression, respectively. Models included sociodemographics, prior medical history, stroke severity, length of stay, and discharge site. RESULTS: Crude survival at 1 year for the zero, one and two or more bounce-back groups was 83%, 67%, and 55%, respectively. The one bounce-back group had 49% shorter (time ratio (TR)=0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.46\u20130.56) and the two or more bounce-backs group had 68% shorter (TR=0.32, 95% CI=0.27\u20130.38) adjusted 1-year survival time than the zero bounce-back group. For high- and low-cost patients, adjusted predicted payments were greater with each additional bounce-back experienced. CONCLUSION: Acute stroke patients experiencing bounce-backs within 30 days have strikingly poorer survival and higher healthcare payments over the subsequent year than their counterparts with no bounce-backs. Bounce-backs may serve as a simple predictor for identifying stroke patients at extremely high risk for poor outcomes.

Objective . To evaluate acceptability and clinical outcomes of acupuncture on patient-reported pain and anxiety in an emergency department (ED). Design . Observational, retrospective pilot study. Setting . Abbott Northwestern Hospital ED, Minneapolis, MN. Methods. Retrospective data was used to identify patients receiving acupuncture in addition to standard medical care in the ED between 11/1/13 and 12/31/14. Feasibility was measured by quantifying the utilization of acupuncture in a novel setting and performing limited tests of its efficacy. Patient-reported pain and anxiety scores were collected by the acupuncturist using an 11-point (0–10) numeric rating scale before (pre) and immediately after (post) acupuncture. Efficacy outcomes were change in pain and anxiety scores. Results . During the study period, 436 patients were referred for acupuncture, 279 of whom were approached by the acupuncturist during their ED visit. Consent for acupuncture was obtained from 89% (248/279). A total of 182 patients, who had a pre-pain score >0 and non-missing anxiety scores, were included in analyses. Of the 52% (94/182) who did not have analgesics before or during the acupuncture session, the average decrease of 2.37 points (95% CI: 1.92, 2.83) was not different (p > 0.05) than the mean decrease of 2.68 points for those receiving analgesics (95% CI 2.21, 3.15). The average pre-anxiety score was 4.73 points (SD = 3.43) and the mean decrease was 2.27 points (95% CI: 1.89, 2.66). Conclusions . Results from this observational trial indicate that acupuncture was acceptable and effective for pain and anxiety reduction, in conjunction with standard medical care. These results will inform future randomized trials.

SUMMARY Background: “Bounce-backs” (movements from a less intensive to a more intensive care setting) soon after hospital discharge are common, but reasons for bouncing-back remain unknown. Objective: To examine how the primary diagnosis for first rehospitalization relates to thirty-day bounce-back number and initial discharge destination in acute stroke. Population: Administrative data from 5,250 Medicare beneficiaries > 65 years discharged with acute ischemic stroke in 1998–2000 to a rehabilitation center, skilled nursing facility or home with home health care and with at least one thirty day rehospitalization. Analysis: Probability of thirty-day bounce-back was calculated using multivariate models. Results: Infections and aspiration pneumonitis were the most common reasons for rehospitalization, regardless of initial discharge site. Conclusions: Efforts addressing aspirations and infections, the preventable complications of immobility, will be critical in decreasing acute stroke bounce-backs.

Diabetes care has become increasingly complex. We set out to quantify recent trends in the complexity of medication regimens and test ordering for diabetes patients continuously enrolled in health plans affiliated with a large, regional US health maintenance organization, with representation in the South and Midwest.We provide descriptive trends analysis of overall diabetes care complexity (number of components [i.e., glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol control], number of medications/tests) from 1995 to 2003 for adults with diabetes (N = 304,233).The main outcomes were (1) the proportion of patients receiving diabetes-related medications (blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol control agents), (2) the average number of medications, (3) the proportion of patients receiving diabetes-related tests (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c], urine microalbumin, and serum cholesterol), (4) and the average number of tests ordered within the first year that a patient had any indication of diabetes.The proportion of patients on cholesterol lowering drugs (18% --39%, p0.01) and blood pressure lowering drugs (51% --62%, p = 0.04) rose significantly, while the proportion on glucose lowering drugs fell (76% --47%, p0.01). Among patients prescribed medications, the average total number of diabetes-related medications rose from 2.96 to 3.70 medications (p0.01) with smaller increases seen for glucose lowering (1.45 --1.65, p0.01) and blood pressure lowering regimens (2.14 --2.51, p0.01), and no change for cholesterol lowering drugs (1.23 --1.19, p = 0.19). For laboratory tests, the proportion receiving cholesterol (40% --58%), and urine microalbumin (4% --18%) (all p's0.01) rose significantly, while the testing rates for HbA(1c) remained unchanged. The average total number of tests ordered per year increased significantly from 3.34 to 4.10 (p0.01) with more modest increases observed for individual tests.Trends analyses are unadjusted for many clinical characteristics that might influence the complexity of diabetes care.Diabetes care grew more complex with the largest change in the number of patients receiving multi-component diabetes care. While the use of blood pressure and cholesterol lowering drugs rose overall, the proportion of patients using glucose lowering drugs declined and the average number of prescribed glucose lowering drugs did not increase in a clinically significant manner.

BACKGROUND Multiple complicated transitions or “bounce-backs” soon after hospital discharge may herald health system failure. Acute stroke patients often undergo transitions after hospital discharge, but little is known about complicated transitions in these patients.

Background and Purpose: Stroke patients appear to have improved outcomes when cared for by neurologists, but the mechanism by which improved outcome is achieved is unclear. This study compares 30-day cause-specif ic rehospitalization, 30-day mortality, and specific processes of care for patients treated by a neurologist only, a generalist only, a neurologist and a generalist (i.e., collaborative care), or by another specialist during the index hospitalization.Methods: This study uses Cox regression to analyze claims and enrollment data from 44,099 Medicare beneficiaries 65 years of age and older and discharged with acute ischemic stroke from 1998 to 2000 in 11 US metropolitan regions. Results: Patients seen by neurologists had more severe strokes than patients seen by generalists, though patients seen by generalists had more comorbidities. Patients seen by neurologists (alone or collaboratively) had a 10 and 16% lower risk of 30-day mortality, respectively. Patients seen by a neurologist only had a 12% lower risk of rehospitalization for infections and aspiration pneumonitis. In contrast, patients seen by neurologists had a higher risk of rehospitalization for atherosclerotic (cardiovascular and non-acute cerebrovascular) disease. Patients seen by neurologists were more likely to be discharged to inpatient rehabilitation, had longer lengths of stay, and were more likely to receive warfarin after discharge. Conclusions: Results support the hypothesis that neurologists improve outcomes specifically by reducing the potential for aspiration (through increased swallowing evaluations) or by improving functioning (through use of rehabilitation therapy). Future studies should continue to examine the mechanisms by which neurologists may achieve better outcomes in stroke care.

Objectives: To identify determinants of whether nursing home (NH) residents enrolled in EverCare were admitted to in-home intensive service days (ISDs) rather than a hospital when they were thought to have pneumonia. Design: Retrospective cross-sectional. Setting: EverCare operations in five metropolitan areas. participants: EverCare enrollees admitted to ISDs or a hospital for suspected pneumonia in 2002. Measurements: Member, nurse practitioner, physician, and NH characteristics extracted from EverCare's administrative data and Online Survey Certification and Reporting NH data. Results: Multivariable logistic regression indicated that admission to ISDs (65% of cases) was positively associated with age (odds ratio (OR)=1.04. 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–1.04), advance directives not to hospitalize (OR=2.88, 95% CI=1.76–4.72), or perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 3.09 (2.44–3.91), and hours worked by the NH's registered nurses (OR=4.34, 95% CI=1.74–10.8). Admission to ISD was less likely on weekends (OR=0.30, 95% CI=0.21–0.43), when residents had renal insufficiency (OR=0.61, 95% CI=0.49–0.76), and when the resident was covered by Medicaid (OR 0.87, 95% CI=0.82–0.93). Conclusion: Exploration of ways to extend services to weekends, increased availability of registered nurse staff, attention to advance directives, and a better understanding of the role of Medicaid might increase the likelihood of caring for EverCare enrollees with suspected pneumonia in their NH.

Article-at-a-Glance Background As payers, purchasers, and providers, both the public and private sectors have a stake in developing sound methods of measuring health care quality and patient safety. However, the role of the private sector in a national quality monitoring system remains largely underdeveloped. Private sector role in health care quality monitoring There have been some attempts to pool private-sector data through health care industry efforts to measure and monitor the quality of health care services. Yet despite a number of public/private partnerships, no standard method exists for measuring and monitoring health care quality and safety across public and private payers. The AHRQ workshop on private-sector quality monitoring The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sponsored a workshop in fall 2000 to address the private sector's role in monitoring quality in the health care system. National experts developed a conceptual framework and recommendations on the design and scope of a private-sector data monitoring system. Ten key attributes of the monitoring system, such as timeliness of reports, flexibility, efficiency, and linkability, were identified. Barriers and gaps to the development of such a system include the cost of data collection, the diversity of the units of data collection, data privacy, and limitations of administrative data elements. Summary A comprehensive, public/private data collection system would address the multidimensional nature of quality and use data to effectively represent this complexity to the extent possible.

This study estimates the impact of the price of alcoholic beverages on latent dimensions of current alcohol dependence and abuse. A three-part econometric model is used to estimate the impact of price on three latent dimensions (factors). For heavier drinking, the estimated price elasticity is -1.325 (P = 0.027); for physical and other consequences of drinking, -1.895 (P = 0.003); for increased salience of drinking, -0.411 (P = 0.339). For a single latent factor characterized simply as dependence/abuse, estimated price elasticity is -1.487 (P = 0.012). These results suggest that higher prices for alcohol reduce important dimensions of current alcohol dependence and abuse.

Objective Given the risks of opioid medications, nonpharmacological strategies should be considered for total joint replacement patients. We investigated acupuncture as an adjunct therapy for postsurgical pain management in a total joint replacement program by examining which total hip and knee replacement patients elected to receive acupuncture and the effect of acupuncture on short-term pain. Design A total joint replacement program using fast-track physiotherapy offered elective postsurgical acupuncture to all patients, at no additional cost, as an adjunct therapy to opioids for pain management. Setting The Joint Replacement Center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, a 630-bed teaching and specialty hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 2010 to 2012. Subjects Our sample included 2,500 admissions of total hip (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) patients. Methods Self-reported pain was assessed before and after acupuncture using a 0–10 scale and categorized as none/mild (0–4) and moderate/severe pain (5–10). Results Seventy-five percent of admissions included acupuncture. Women (Odds Ratio: 1.48, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.22, 1.81) had higher odds of receiving acupuncture compared to men, and nonwhite patients (Odds Ratio: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.78) had lower odds of receiving acupuncture compared to white patients. Average short-term pain reduction was 1.91 points (95% CI: 1.83, 1.99), a 45% reduction from the mean prepain score. Forty-one percent of patients reported moderate/severe pain prior to receiving acupuncture, while only 15% indicated moderate/severe pain after acupuncture. Conclusions Acupuncture may be a viable adjunct to pharmacological approaches for pain management after THR or TKR.

Few studies have investigated the effectiveness of integrative medicine (IM) therapies on pain and anxiety among oncology inpatients.Retrospective data obtained from electronic medical records identified patients with an oncology International Classification of Diseases-9 code who were admitted to a large Midwestern hospital between July 1, 2009 and December 31, 2012. Outcomes were change in patient-reported pain and anxiety, rated before and after individual IM treatment sessions, using a numeric scale (0-10).Of 10948 hospital admissions over the study period, 1833 (17%) included IM therapy. Older patients had reduced odds of receiving any IM therapy (odds ratio [OR]: 0.97, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.96 to 0.98) and females had 63% (OR: 1.63, 95% CI = 1.38 to 1.92) higher odds of receiving any IM therapy compared with males. Moderate (OR: 1.97, 95% CI = 1.61 to 2.41), major (OR: 3.54, 95% CI = 2.88 to 4.35), and extreme (OR: 5.96, 95% CI = 4.71 to 7.56) illness severity were significantly associated with higher odds of receiving IM therapy compared with admissions of minor illness severity. After receiving IM therapy, patients averaged a 46.9% (95% CI = 45.1% to 48.6%, P.001) reduction in pain and a 56.1% (95% CI = 54.3% to 58.0%, P.001) reduction in anxiety. Bodywork and traditional Chinese Medicine therapies were most effective for reducing pain, while no significant differences among therapies for reducing anxiety were observed.IM services to oncology inpatients resulted in substantial decreases in pain and anxiety. Observational studies using electronic medical records provide unique information about real-world utilization of IM. Future studies are warranted and should explore potential synergy of opioid analgesics and IM therapy for pain control.

We address three questions related to public reports of diabetes quality. First, does clinic quality evolve over time? Second, does the quality of reporting clinics converge to a common standard? Third, how persistent are provider quality rankings across time? Since current methods of public reporting rely on historic data, measures of clinic quality are most informative if relative clinic performance is persistent across time. We use data from the Minnesota Community Measurement spanning 2007–2012. We employ seemingly-unrelated regression to measure quality improvement conditional upon cohort effects and changes in quality metrics. Basic autoregressive models are used to measure quality persistence. There were striking differences in initial quality across cohorts of clinics and early-reporting cohorts maintained higher quality in all years. This suggests that consumers can infer, on average, that non-reporting clinics have poorer quality than reporting clinics. Average quality, however, improves slowly in all cohorts and quality dispersion declines over time both within and across cohorts. Relative clinic quality is highly persistent year-to-year, suggesting that publicly-reported measures can inform consumers in choice of clinics, even though they represent measured quality for a previous time period. Finally, definition changes in measures can make it difficult to draw appropriate inferences from longitudinal public reports data.

Background Pain and anxiety occurring from cardiovascular disease are associated with long-term health risks. Integrative medicine (IM) therapies reduce pain and anxiety in small samples of hospitalized cardiovascular patients within randomized controlled trials; however, practice-based effectiveness research has been limited. The goal of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of IM interventions (i.e., bodywork, mind-body and energy therapies, and traditional Chinese medicine) on pain and anxiety measures across a cardiovascular population. Methods Retrospective data obtained from medical records identified patients with a cardiovascular ICD-9 code admitted to a large Midwestern hospital between 7/1/2009 and 12/31/2012. Outcomes were changes in patient-reported pain and anxiety, rated before and after IM treatments based on a numeric scale (0-10). Results Of 57,295 hospital cardiovascular admissions, 6,589 (11.5%) included IM. After receiving IM therapy, patients averaged a 46.5% (p-value

Hierarchical logistic regression was used with the results of a factorial vignette survey of a national sample of case managers for the disabled elderly in Medicaid home- and community-based services waiver programs. The effects of client, case manager, and agency factors on case managers’out-of-home placement decisions in response to hypothetical case studies were estimated. Results show that client preferences, workload, and division of labor affect the probability that a case manager will recommend an out-of-home placement, controlling for client’s physical and cognitive disability and the available resources. Significant variation among individuals was found. Implications of the findings are discussed.

BACKGROUND: Hip fracture is a common problem among older Americans. Two types of procedures are available for repairing hip fractures: hip replacement and open or closed reduction with or without internal fixation. The assumption has been that hip replacement produces better functional outcomes. Although that is the common wisdom, outcome studies evaluating hip replacement for treatment of hip fracture are few and have not clearly documented its superiority. OBJECTIVES: To compare outcomes of hip fracture patients who receive hip replacement versus another stabilizing procedure (open or closed reduction with or without internal fixation). DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: We studied 332 patients (age, > 65) who were hospitalized for a femoral neck fracture and discharged alive. MEASUREMENTS: We examined 2 treatment groups, hip replacement versus another procedure, on 6 outcomes [Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), walking, living situation (institutionalized or not), perceived health (excellent/good vs. fair/poor), rehospitalization, and mortality] at 3 postdischarge times (6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year). RESULTS: Mean age was 80, 80% were female, 96% White, 28% married, and 71% had a hip replacement. The treatment groups were similar at baseline (3 months before admission as reported at discharge) on ADLs, walking, living situation, and perceived health (all P > 0.24). After adjusting for demographics, clinical characteristics, fracture characteristics, and prior ADLs, walking ability, living situation, and perceived health, patients with a hip replacement did not do better at 6 weeks, 6 months, or 1 year post-discharge on any of the 6 outcome measures (all 18 P > 0.10). A global test of all 6 outcomes finds hip replacement patients doing less well at one year (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the commonly held belief that hip replacement is a superior treatment for hip fracture, we found no suggestion of better outcomes for hip replacement on any of 6 key outcomes. Language: en

The ratings of the importance of functional status items among geriatric experts and consumers in Europe and the United States differed in many cases between experts and consumers in both countries; the differences were more frequent among the U.S. samples. The overall correlation between consumer and expert rankings was .82 for both groups. In general consumers, rated instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) items more highly, whereas the experts rated the most dysfunctional activities of daily living (ADL) items higher than did consumers. This study suggests the gap in doctor–patient communication. As function is increasingly used as a clinical outcome, agreement is needed on how to weight the components. The differences uncovered in this study suggest a need for more dialogue about what ends are truly sought by various parties.

OBJECTIVES This study investigates the degree of substitutability of adult foster care for nursing home care in Oregon. METHODS Using three tests, the authors determined (1) the extent to which an additional adult foster care resident in a county reduces the number of nursing home residents in that county, (2) which characteristics of residents and facilities are important in sorting residents into either nursing homes or adult foster care facilities, and (3) the price elasticity of demand for adult foster care, using the county as the unit of observation. RESULTS It was found that for every additional foster care resident in a county, a nursing home loses 0.85 residents-almost a one-to-one substitution ratio. CONCLUSIONS Despite the high degree of substitutability, residents perceive important differences in the characteristics of the two forms of care. Indeed, private residents are, on average, willing to pay twice as much for nursing home care as for adult foster care, suggesting that these differences are important. Finally, private consumers are sensitive to price differences among adult foster care facilities. The implications for policy are discussed.

The informal care networks of 242 impaired older people were examined in terms of the primary caregiver and secondary helpers. Most primary caregivers had at least one secondary helper; 88% identified helpers who provided hands-on help, 19% reported that helpers contributed financially, and 44% had helpers involved in care decisions. The size of the network was larger for direct care compared to financial or decision-making assistance. Almost half of primary caregivers reported that their spouse helped. It was expected that after controlling for characteristics of the primary caregiver and of the older person, that characteristics of the secondary caregiver network would influence the amount and type of primary caregiver assistance and formal care used by the older person. However, both hours and type of care by the primary caregiver were independent of size, scope, and composition of the secondary helper network. This independence suggests that efforts to alter the secondary caregiver network may have limited effects on the primary caregiver.

purpose To measure the quality of care for hypertensive and diabetic elderly Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in managed care versus fee-for-service (FFS) plans. methods Individuals enrolled in the Medicaid Demonstration Project in Hennepin County, Minnesota, were randomly assigned to receive their care either in one of seven managed care health plans in which the Medicaid payment for their care was capitated or in an FFS plan. Two hundred ninety-one hypertensives and 96 diabetics who were aged 65 years or over at the beginning of the evaluation were interviewed at baseline and followed for 1 year. Drug and nondrug therapy, monitoring, monthly medication costs, and access to medications were assessed. results The prepaid and FFS did not differ in drug or nondrug therapy, with the exception that slightly more FFS enrollees were on human insulin after 1 year. Mean monthly medication costs and access to medications were similar for both groups. conclusions In this randomized trial, we were unable to detect differences in the process of care for hypertensive and diabetic Medicaid enrollees.

Results A total of 5,628 women (aged 15-49) met eligibility criteria. Of these, 1,710 (32.4%) did not meet 2010 ACOG or IOM vitamin D guidelines for vitamin D sufficiency (≥ 20 ng/ml); 3,684 (65.5%) did not meet 2010 international guidelines (≥ 30 ng/ml); and 4,874 (86.6%) did not meet 2011 Endocrine Society guidelines (40-60 ng/ml). Only 2,644 (46.97%) reported taking any vitamin D. For those participants who reported vitamin D3 intake equal to that found in prenatal and multivitamins (200-400 IUs) (n = 430), 17.7% had 25-OH-vitamin D levels 4,000 IUs were 34.09 ng/ml (12.79), 39.52 ng/ml (16.16), 38.57 ng/ml (17.06) and 37.98 ng/ml (16.40), respectively. For all of these reported intakes, women with a BMI ≥ 30 exhibited significantly lower 25-OH-vitamin D status compared to those women with BMI < 30 (p

The Penny George Institute for Health and Healing provides integrative medicine (IM) across the facilities of Allina Hospitals & Clinics. The George Institute maintains one of the largest inpatient IM services in the country and an outpatient clinic at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, which is a 629-bed tertiary-care hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is the largest hospital of the Allina Hospitals & Clinics.

Objective The primary aim of this study was to determine if there are differences in the cost of low back pain care when a patient is able to choose a course of treatment with a medical doctor (MD) versus a doctor of chiropractic (DC), given that his/her insurance provides equal access to both provider types. Methods A retrospective claims analysis was performed on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee’s intermediate and large group fully insured population between October 1, 2004 and September 30, 2006. The insured study population had open access to MDs and DCs through self-referral without any limit to the number of visits or differences in co-pays to these 2 provider types. Our analysis was based on episodes of care for low back pain. An episode was defined as all reimbursed care delivered between the first and the last encounter with a health care provider for low back pain. A 60 day window without an encounter was treated as a new episode. We compared paid claims and risk adjusted costs between episodes of care initiated with an MD with those initiated with a DC. Results Paid costs for episodes of care initiated with a DC were almost 40% less than episodes initiated with an MD. Even after risk adjusting each patient’s costs, we found that episodes of care initiated with a DC were 20% less expensive than episodes initiated with an MD. Conclusions Beneficiaries in our sampling frame had lower overall episode costs for treatment of low back pain if they initiated care with a DC, when compared to those who initiated care with an MD.

The importance of assessing functional status in the hospitalized patient is gaining recognition. However, the availability and accuracy of medical record functional status data are uncertain. We collected data on 2,504 patients greater than 65 years of age discharged alive. A personal interview conducted 2 days before discharge recorded the patient's self-reported ability to perform 5 activities of daily living scales. Medical record abstraction was used independently to determine ability to perform the same activities of daily living scales. Patients who required any human assistance to perform a function were considered dependent. Patients were also contacted after discharge to determine the site of posthospital care (28% discharged to a nursing home). The amount of missing medical record functional status data varied by function from 20% for bathing to 50% for dressing. Ten percent of patients had no medical record functional status documentation concerning any of the five functions. The prevalence of self-reported dependence at discharge varied by function from 24% for feeding to 93% for bathing. The total number of dependencies differed between the two methods (medical records, 2.3 +/- 1.9; self-report data, 3.2 +/- 1.5). There was exact agreement between the two methods on the total number of dependencies in 28% of cases and differences of greater than or equal to 3 in 20%. In a stepwise logistic model predicting discharge to a nursing home and adjusting for other relevant variables, the number of dependencies as determined by self-report and medical record data each remained significant (Odds Ratios = 1.6). Self-report and medical record functional status data differ substantially, and the medical record data remain independently associated with nursing home placement. Several possible explanations for this finding are explored.

This article examines the features of the child-adolescent work "career" in relation to key dimensions of mental health and behavioral adjustment. The data, including retrospective work histories, were obtained from a representative sample of urban ninth graders. Whereas the total duration of work, measured in months, had no adverse outcomes, the intensity of girls' formal work was found to be lied to school problem behavior, alcohol use, and smoking, even when relevant contemporaneous job attributes are controlled. There was evidence that the complexity of work with things is related to girls' school problem behavior. The work history variables affected boys' outcomes only among boys who were not currently employed. The intensity of past formal work was related to these boys' substance use; the intensity of informal work was associated with a decrease in boys' internal control. The findings indicate that the extent and character of the earliest work experiences should be considered in future longitudinal...

This study examines the relationship between early work experience and adolescent mental health and behavioral adjustment. Using data obtained from 1,001 ninth graders about current jobs, attributes of work are examined in relation to dimensions of mental health (self-esteem and self-derogation, depressive affect and well-being, and internal and external control orientations) and indicators of behavioral adjustment (smoking, alcohol use, and problem behavior in school). Boys and girls appear to experience psychological benefits when they perceive their jobs as providing skills that will be useful to them in the future. However, boys who report more stress at work also manifest more depressive affect, more self-derogation, less internality, and a more external control orientation. For girls, the level of integration of school and work had pervasive associations with the psychological outcomes. The findings indicate the fruitfulness of further investigation of the influence of work experience on adolescent ...

Kind AJH, Smith MA, Liou J-I, Pandhi N, Frytak JR, Finch MD. Discharge destination's effect on bounce-back risk in black, white, and Hispanic acute ischemic stroke patients. Objective To determine whether racial and ethnic effects on bounce-back risk (ie, movement to settings of higher care intensity within 30d of hospital discharge) in acute stroke patients vary depending on initial posthospital discharge destination. Design Retrospective analysis of administrative data. Setting Four hundred twenty-two hospitals, southern/eastern United States. Participants All Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or more with hospitalization for acute ischemic stroke within one of the 422 target hospitals during the years 1999 or 2000 (N=63,679). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Adjusted predicted probabilities for discharge to and for bouncing back from each initial discharge site (ie, home, home with home health care, skilled nursing facility [SNF], or rehabilitation center) by race (ie, black, white, and Hispanic). Models included sociodemographics, comorbidities, stroke severity, and length of stay. Results Blacks and Hispanics were significantly more likely to be discharged to home health care (blacks=21% [95% confidence interval (CI), 19.9–22.8], Hispanic=19% [17.1–21.7] vs whites=16% [15.5–16.8]) and less likely to be discharged to SNFs (blacks=26% [95% CI, 23.6–29.3], Hispanics=28% [25.4–31.6] vs whites=33% [31.8–35.1]) than whites. However, blacks and Hispanics were significantly more likely to bounce back when discharged to SNFs than whites (blacks=26% [95% CI, 24.2–28.6], Hispanics=28% [24–32.6] vs whites=21% [20.3–21.9]). Hispanics had a lower risk of bouncing back when discharged home than either blacks or whites (Hispanics=14% [95% CI, 11.3–17] vs blacks=20% [18.4–22.2], whites=18% [16.8–18.3]). Patients discharged to home health care or rehabilitation centers demonstrated no significant differences in bounce-back risk. Conclusions Racial/ethnic bounce-back risk differs depending on initial discharge destination. Additional research is needed to fully understand this variation in effect.

This paper examines the three-way relationships among patient characteristics, type of care (admission to a nursing home or community setting), and 6-month outcomes of 352 long-term care patients. The study found that patient characteristics influenced the type of care received and that substantial portions of the variance in the outcomes were attributable to initial differences among patients in the two types of care. Controlling for the effect of selective admission, type of care had no significant impact on patients' ADL scores, mobility scores, or disposition after 6 months in the long-term care setting.

Rural hospital consortia are relatively new organizations that have been developed to help improve the viability of participating hospitals. This paper describes the characteristics of rural hospital consortia in the United States and develops and tests a measurement model of their underlying structure. The measurement model, which characterized consortia structure in terms of degree of member commitment, degree of complexity, scale of operations, and degree of formalization, provided a good fit to the sample data. Most consortia appear to have followed a relatively conservative course that involved the development of programs that had limited sensitivity and financial risk for individual hospitals. This suggests that rural hospital consortia may not become a model for major structural change in the rural health care system. Future research should examine the evolution of rural hospital consortia from an organizational life cycle perspective.

BACKGROUND. In Oregon, adult foster care (AFC) homes, which are private residences where a live-in manager cares for one to five disabled residents, have been covered by Medicaid since 1981 and seem to offer a mainstream alternative to nursing homes. They house almost 6000 older people, two thirds of which pay privately. METHODS. In a cross-sectional study, we interviewed 400 AFC and 400 nursing home residents. Data analyses included descriptive cross-tabulations; hierarchial loglinear models for judging the effects of care setting and payment status on resident characteristics; and logit analyses for predicting care setting and payment status within care settings. RESULTS. On average, nursing home residents were more physically and cognitively impaired than AFC residents, but there was considerable overlap in patterns of frailty in the two settings. Medicaid AFC residents were less disabled than privately paying AFC residents. AFC residents reported more social activity, even when we controlled for disability status. AFC residents and their families were more likely to value privacy and homelike settings when choosing a care setting, whereas nursing home residents were more likely to value rehabilitation and organized activity programs. CONCLUSIONS. Both AFC and nursing homes are viable components of a long-term care repertoire. The greater disability levels of private-pay AFC residents refutes the criticisms that disabled Medicaid residents were being inappropriately channeled to AFC.

Hospice is considered to be underutilized, particularly among patients with noncancer diagnoses such as stroke. The highest mortality among stroke patients occurs within the first 30 days; however, we know little about the hospice enrollment decision for this population during this critical time frame.To determine hospice enrollment rates and to describe sociodemographic and clinical predictors of hospice utilization among patients who die within 30 days of their stroke.Retrospective analysis of administrative data.Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older discharged with ischemic stroke from 422 hospitals and 11 metropolitan regions during the year 2000 who died within 30 days of their stroke.Hospice utilization within 30 days.The overall hospice enrollment rate in our study was 23%. Using multivariable logistic regression, factors predicting increased hospice enrollment included older age, female gender, health management organization (HMO) membership, length of stay more than 3 days, and dementia. Factors predicting decreased enrollment included African American race, mechanical ventilation, gastrostomy tube placement, uncomplicated diabetes mellitus, and valvular disease. When in-hospital deaths were excluded, overall enrollment increased to 44%, and mechanical ventilation and dementia ceased to predict enrollment.Hospice enrollment rates among patients who die within the first 30 days of their stroke, particularly among those who survive to discharge, are much higher than prior estimates suggest. Although overall enrollment rates were higher than anticipated, there remain important sociodemographic and clinical characteristics unique to this population that predict low hospice utilization that should serve as targets for further research and intervention.

To examine 1-year mortality and healthcare payments of stroke patients experiencing zero, one and two or more bounce-backs within 30 days of discharge.Retrospective analysis of administrative data.Four hundred twenty-two hospitals in the southern and eastern United States.Eleven thousand seven hundred twenty-nine Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older surviving at least 30 days with acute ischemic stroke in 2000.One-year mortality and predicted total healthcare payments were calculated using log-normal parametric survival analysis and quantile regression, respectively. Models included sociodemographics, prior medical history, stroke severity, length of stay, and discharge site.Crude survival at 1 year for the zero, one and two or more bounce-back groups was 83%, 67%, and 55%, respectively. The one bounce-back group had 49% shorter (time ratio (TR)=0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.46-0.56) and the two or more bounce-backs group had 68% shorter (TR=0.32, 95% CI=0.27-0.38) adjusted 1-year survival time than the zero bounce-back group. For high- and low-cost patients, adjusted predicted payments were greater with each additional bounce-back experienced.Acute stroke patients experiencing bounce-backs within 30 days have strikingly poorer survival and higher healthcare payments over the subsequent year than their counterparts with no bounce-backs. Bounce-backs may serve as a simple predictor for identifying stroke patients at extremely high risk for poor outcomes.