Andrew R. Zullo

Association of β-Blockers With Functional Outcomes, Death, and Rehospitalization in Older Nursing Home Residents After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Importance Although &bgr;-blockers are a mainstay of treatment after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), these medications are commonly not prescribed for older nursing home residents after AMI, in part owing to concerns about potential functional harms and uncertainty of benefit. Objective To study the association of &bgr;-blockers after AMI with functional decline, mortality, and rehospitalization among long-stay nursing home residents 65 years or older. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study of nursing home residents with AMI from May 1, 2007, to March 31, 2010, used national data from the Minimum Data Set, version 2.0, and Medicare Parts A and D. Individuals with &bgr;-blocker use before AMI were excluded. Propensity score–based methods were used to compare outcomes in people who did vs did not initiate &bgr;-blocker therapy after AMI hospitalization. Main Outcomes and Measures Functional decline, death, and rehospitalization in the first 90 days after AMI. Functional status was measured using the Morris scale of independence in activities of daily living. Results The initial cohort of 15 720 patients (11 140 women [70.9%] and 4580 men [29.1%]; mean [SD] age, 83 [8] years) included 8953 new &bgr;-blocker users and 6767 nonusers. The propensity-matched cohort included 5496 new users of &bgr;-blockers and an equal number of nonusers for a total cohort of 10 992 participants (7788 women [70.9%]; 3204 men [29.1%]; mean [SD] age, 84 [8] years). Users of &bgr;-blockers were more likely than nonusers to experience functional decline (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% CI, 1.02-1.28), with a number needed to harm of 52 (95% CI, 32-141). Conversely, &bgr;-blocker users were less likely than nonusers to die (hazard ratio [HR], 0.74; 95% CI, 0.67-0.83) and had similar rates of rehospitalization (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.98-1.14). Nursing home residents with moderate or severe cognitive impairment or severe functional dependency were particularly likely to experience functional decline from &bgr;-blockers (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.11-1.61 and OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.10-1.59, respectively). In contrast, little evidence of functional decline due to &bgr;-blockers was found in participants with intact cognition or mild dementia (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.89-1.20; P = .03 for effect modification) or in those in the best (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.77-1.26) and intermediate (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.86-1.27) tertiles of functional independence (P = .06 for effect modification). Mortality benefits of &bgr;-blockers were similar across all subgroups. Conclusions and Relevance Use of &bgr;-blockers after AMI is associated with functional decline in older nursing home residents with substantial cognitive or functional impairment, but not in those with relatively preserved mental and functional abilities. Use of &bgr;-blockers yielded a considerable mortality benefit in all groups.

Incidence of Hip Fracture in U.S. Nursing Homes

BACKGROUND Hip fractures are associated with significant morbidity and mortality in the nursing home. Our objective was to describe the incidence rate (IR) of hip fracture according to age, sex, and race in a nationwide sample of long-stay nursing home residents. METHODS Using 2007-2010 Medicare claims data linked with the Minimum Data Set, we identified 892,837 long-stay residents (≥100 days in the same nursing facility) between May 1, 2007 and April 30, 2008. Hip fractures were defined using Part A diagnostic codes (ICD-9). Residents were followed from the date they became a long-stay resident until the first event of death, discharge, hip fracture, or 2 years of follow-up. RESULTS Mean age was 84 years (range 65-113 years), and 74.5% were women. 83.9% were white and 12.0% were black. The overall IR of hip fracture was 2.3/100 person years. The IR was similar in men and women across age groups. The IR of hip fracture was highest in Native Americans aged 85 years or older (3.7/100 person years), in whites (2.6/100 person years), and during the first 100 days of institutionalization (2.7/100 person years). IRs of hip fracture were lowest in blacks (1.3/100 person years). CONCLUSIONS In nursing home residents surviving 100 days or more in a facility, the incidence of hip fracture is high, particularly among older white, Native American, and newly admitted residents. This is the first nationwide study to provide sex- and age-specific estimates among U.S. nursing home residents, and it underscores the magnitude of the problem.

Frequency and Predictors of Analgesic Prescribing in U.S. Nursing Home Residents with Persistent Pain

To quantify prescription analgesic use of elderly nursing home (NH) residents with persistent noncancer pain and to identify individual and facility traits associated with no treatment.

Fracture Risk Assessment in Long-term Care (FRAiL): Development and Validation of a Prediction Model

Background Strategies used to predict fracture in community-dwellers may not be useful in the nursing home (NH). Our objective was to develop and validate a model (Fracture Risk Assessment in Long-term Care [FRAiL]) to predict the 2-year risk of hip fracture in NH residents using readily available clinical characteristics. Methods The derivation cohort consisted of 419,668 residents between May 1, 2007 and April 30, 2008 in fee-for service Medicare. Hip fractures were identified using Part A diagnostic codes. Resident characteristics were obtained using the Minimum Data Set and Part D claims. Multivariable competing risk regression was used to model 2-year risk of hip fracture. We validated the model in a remaining 1/3 sample (n = 209,834) and in a separate cohort in 2011 (n = 858,636). Results Mean age was 84 years (range 65-113 years) and 74.5% were female. During 1.8 years mean follow-up, 14,553 residents (3.5%) experienced a hip fracture. Fifteen characteristics in the final model were associated with an increased risk of hip fracture including dementia severity, ability to transfer and walk independently, prior falls, wandering, and diabetes. In the derivation sample, the concordance index was 0.69 in men and 0.71 in women. Calibration was excellent. Results were similar in the internal and external validation samples. Conclusions The FRAiL model was developed specifically to identify NH residents at greatest risk for hip fracture, and it identifies a different pattern of risk factors compared with community models. This practical model could be used to screen NH residents for fracture risk and to target intervention strategies.

Defining hip fracture with claims data: outpatient and provider claims matter

SummaryMedicare claims are commonly used to identify hip fractures, but there is no universally accepted definition. We found that a definition using inpatient claims identified fewer fractures than a definition including outpatient and provider claims. Few additional fractures were identified by including inconsistent diagnostic and procedural codes at contiguous sites.IntroductionMedicare claims data is commonly used in research studies to identify hip fractures, but there is no universally accepted definition of fracture. Our purpose was to describe potential misclassification when hip fractures are defined using Medicare Part A (inpatient) claims without considering Part B (outpatient and provider) claims and when inconsistent diagnostic and procedural codes occur at contiguous fracture sites (e.g., femoral shaft or pelvic).MethodsParticipants included all long-stay nursing home residents enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B fee-for-service between 1/1/2008 and 12/31/2009 with follow-up through 12/31/2011. We compared the number of hip fractures identified using only Part A claims to (1) Part A plus Part B claims and (2) Part A and Part B claims plus discordant codes at contiguous fracture sites.ResultsAmong 1,257,279 long-stay residents, 40,932 (3.2%) met the definition of hip fracture using Part A claims, and 41,687 residents (3.3%) met the definition using Part B claims. 4566 hip fractures identified using Part B claims would not have been captured using Part A claims. An additional 227 hip fractures were identified after considering contiguous fracture sites.ConclusionsWhen ascertaining hip fractures, a definition using outpatient and provider claims identified 11% more fractures than a definition with only inpatient claims. Future studies should publish their definition of fracture and specify if diagnostic codes from contiguous fracture sites were used.

Beta-Blocker Use in U.S. Nursing Home Residents After Myocardial Infarction: A National Study

To evaluate how often beta‐blockers were started after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in nursing home (NH) residents who previously did not use these drugs and to evaluate which factors were associated with post‐AMI use of beta‐blockers.

Development and Validation of an Index to Predict Personal Prescription Drug Importation by Adults in the United States.

Personal prescription drug importation (PPDI) is prevalent in the USA because of the high cost of US medicines and lower cost of foreign equivalents. The practice carries the risk of exposure to counterfeit, adulterated and substandard medicines. No known tools are available for predicting person‐level PPDI risk. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a predictive PPDI index for policymakers, researchers and clinicians.

Achieving blood pressure control among renal transplant recipients by integrating electronic health technology and clinical pharmacy services

PURPOSE The implementation and outcomes of a program combining electronic home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) and pharmacist-provided medication therapy management (MTM) services in a renal transplantation clinic are described. SUMMARY Patients enrolled in the program were provided with a computer-enabled blood pressure monitor. A dedicated renal transplantation pharmacist was integrated into the renal transplantation team under a collaborative care practice agreement. The collaborative care agreement allowed the pharmacist to authorize medication additions, deletions, and dosage changes. Comprehensive disease and blood pressure education was provided by a clinical pharmacist. In the pretransplantation setting, the pharmacist interviewed the renal transplant candidate and documents allergies, verified the patients medication profile, and identified and assessed barriers to medication adherence. A total of 50 renal transplant recipients with at least one recorded home blood pressure reading and at least one year of follow-up were included in our analysis. A significant reduction in mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were observed at 30, 90, 180, and 360 days after enrollment in the program (p < 0.05). Pharmacist interventions were documented for 37 patients. Medication-related problems accounted for 46% of these interventions and included dosage modifications, regimen changes, and mitigation of barriers to medication access and adherence. CONCLUSION Implementation of electronic HBPM and pharmacist-provided MTM services implemented in a renal transplant clinic was associated with sustained improvements in blood pressure control. Incorporation of a pharmacist in the renal transplant clinic resulted in the detection and resolution of medication-related problems.

Facility and State Variation in Hip Fracture in U.S. Nursing Home Residents

To quantify the variation in hip fracture incidence across U.S. nursing home (NH) facilities and states and examine how hip fracture incidence varies according to facility‐ and state‐level characteristics.

Secondary Prevention Medication Use After Myocardial Infarction in U.S. Nursing Home Residents

Secondary prevention medications are recommended for older adults after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but little is known about whether nursing home (NH) residents receive these medications. The objective was to evaluate new use of secondary prevention medications after AMI in NH residents who were previously nonusers and to evaluate what factors were associated with use.