Diane Cowper Ripley

Cost, utilization, and policy of provision of assistive technology devices to veterans poststroke by Medicare and VA.

Background:The increase in provision of assistive technology devices (ATDs) has spurred controversy over Medicare policy aimed at reducing cost-policy that forces social isolation and conflicts with legislation, facilitating participation for individuals with disabilities. In contrast, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) policy does not limit provision of AT to “in home” use only but rather, states “all enrolled and some non-enrolled veterans are eligible for all needed prosthetics.” Objectives:Examine ATD provision policy by comparing 2 systems, Medicare and VA. Empirically analyze differences in ATDs provided, cost, and duplication in provision. Research Design:Retrospective study of VA databases, including VA Medicare data. Subjects:A population based study of 12,0461 veterans post-stroke. Measures:Frequency of provision of ATDs by Health Care Common Procedural Code, purchase price, and capped rental payments. Results:Of the poststroke veteran cohort, 39% received no AT, 56% received AT from the VA only, 1% received AT from Medicare only, and 3% received AT from both the VA and Medicare. Most ATDs were for activities of daily living, followed by walkers/canes/crutches. In specific ATD comparisons, VA costs were substantially lower than Medicare for purchased items and slightly lower than Medicare for capped rental payments. Conclusion:VA provides a broader variety of ATDs at a lesser cost than Medicare. Analyses of policy differences between VA and Medicare suggest VA policy is driven by veteran need whereas Medicare policy is driven at least in part, by containing costs that have skyrocketed as a result of fraudulent claims.

Prognostic Differences for Functional Recovery After Major Lower Limb Amputation: Effects of the Timing and Type of Inpatient Rehabilitation Services in the Veterans Health Administration

To compare the recovery of mobility and self‐care functions among veteran amputees according to the timing and type of rehabilitation services received.

Increased use of intramedullary nails for intertrochanteric proximal femoral fractures in veterans affairs hospitals: a comparative effectiveness study.

BACKGROUND Intramedullary nails for stabilizing intertrochanteric proximal femoral fractures have been available since the early 1990s. The nails are inserted percutaneously and have theoretical mechanical advantages over plates and screws, but they have not been demonstrated to improve patient outcomes. Still, use of intramedullary nails is becoming more common. The goal of this study was to examine trends in the use and associated outcomes of intramedullary nailing compared with sliding hip screws in Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals. METHODS Review of the VA Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP) data identified 5244 male patients in whom an intertrochanteric proximal femoral fracture had been treated in a VA hospital between 1998 and 2005. The overall sample was used to assess trends in device use, thirty-day mortality, thirty-day surgical complications, and one-year mortality. Next, propensity score matching methods were used to compare 1013 patients identified as having been treated with an intramedullary nail with 1013 patients who had a sliding-screw procedure. Multiple logistic regression models for the matched sample were used to calculate odds ratios for mortality and complications according to the choice of internal fracture fixation. RESULTS Use of intramedullary nails in VA facilities increased from 1998 through 2005 and varied by geographic region. Unadjusted mortality and complication percentages were similar for the two procedures, with approximately 8% of patients dying within thirty days after surgery, 28% dying within one year, and 19% having at least one perioperative complication. While the choice of an intramedullary nail or sliding-screw procedure was related to the geographic region, year of surgery, surgeon characteristics, and several patient characteristics, it was not associated with thirty-day outcomes in either the descriptive or the multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS Intramedullary nail use increased from 1998 through 2005 but did not decrease perioperative mortality or comorbidity compared with standard plate-and-screw devices for patients treated for intertrochanteric proximal femoral fractures in VA facilities.

Improving Hip Fractures Outcomes for COPD Patients

Abstract Hip fractures in the elderly have high rates of mortality and perioperative complications. Both men and COPD patients have worse mortality and complications but this may be due to more co-morbid disease. We assessed mortality and complications in a large cohort (n = 12,646) of men undergoing hip fracture surgery within the Veterans Health Affairs (VHA) to define the association of COPD to these outcomes after adjusting for other key factors. We looked for opportunities to improve outcomes for COPD patients. Methods: Using the VA Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP), and administrative databases, we determined COPD status, types of co-morbid conditions and surgical factors, and compared these to outcomes of surgical complications, 30-day and one-year mortality for patients who underwent hip fracture repair during 1998 to 2005. Results: COPD was noted in 47% of the hip fracture patients studied. In 3,261 (26%) cases, the COPD was “severe: (indicated by functional disability, previous hospitalization for exacerbation, chronic drug treatment or record of FEV1 <75% predicted), and in 2,736 (21%) cases it was considered “mild” (any previous outpatient visit or hospitalization with a coded diagnosis of COPD). Severe COPD patients had one year mortality of 40.2% compared to 31.0% in mild COPD and 28.8% in non-COPD subjects. Current smoking, use of general anesthesia and delays to surgery were significant modifiable risk factors identified in adjusted models. Osteoporosis was known pre-fracture in only 3% of subjects. Conclusions: COPD was very common in male veterans with hip fractures and was associated with increased risk of death and complications. Increased use of regional anesthesia and urgent scheduling of hip fracture surgery may improve outcomes for patients with COPD. Osteoporosis was rarely identified preoperatively. Improving diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in COPD patients could reduce the incidence of hip fractures.

One-Year All-Cause Mortality After Stroke: A Prediction Model

By using data from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national databases, this article presents and internally validates a 1‐year all‐cause mortality prediction index after hospitalization for acute stroke.

Development and validation of a discharge planning index for achieving home discharge after hospitalization for acute stroke among those who received rehabilitation services.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to develop an index for establishing the probability of being discharged home after hospitalization for acute stroke using information about previous living circumstances, comorbidities, hospital course, and the physical grades and cognitive stages of independence achieved. DesignThis is a longitudinal observational population-based study. All 6515 persons treated for acute stroke who received rehabilitation services in 110 Veterans Affairs facilities within a 2-yr period were included. ResultsThere were eight independent predictors of home discharge identified, and points were assigned through logistic regression: married (2 points); location before hospitalization (extended care = 0 points, other hospital = 9 points, home = 11 points); discharge physical grade (grade I, II, or III = 0 points; grade IV or V = 3 points; grade VI or VII = 5 points); discharge cognitive stage (stage I = 0 points; stage II, III, IV, or V = 3 points; stage VI or VII = 5 points); and absence of liver disease (2 points), mechanical ventilation (3 points), nonoral feeding (2 points), and intensive care unit admission (1 point). The points were added for all present factors to calculate scores. The probabilities of home discharge ranged from 65.03% in the least likely (⩽21 points) to 98.24% in the most likely group (≥27 points). ConclusionsThe treatment team might apply prognostic estimates from this index in discharge planning and functional goal setting after initial physical medicine and rehabilitation assessment.

Demographic and Clinical Variation in Veterans Health Administration Provision of Assistive Technology Devices to Veterans Poststroke

OBJECTIVES To examine variation in provision of assistive technology (AT) devices and the extent to which such variation may be explained by patient characteristics or Veterans Health Administration (VHA) administrative region. DESIGN Retrospective population-based study. SETTING VHA. PARTICIPANTS Veterans poststroke in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (N=12,046). INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Provision of 8 categories of AT devices. RESULTS There was considerable regional variation in provision of AT. For example, differences across administrative regions in the VHA ranged from 5.1 to 28.1 standard manual wheelchairs per 100 veterans poststroke. Using logistic regression, with only demographic variables as predictors of standard manual wheelchair provision, the c statistic was .62, and the pseudo R(2) was 2.5%. Adding disease severity increased the c statistic to .67 and the pseudo R(2) to 6.2%, and adding Veteran Integrated Network System further increased the c statistic to .72 and pseudo R(2) to 9.8%. CONCLUSIONS Our research showed significant variation in the provision of AT devices to veterans poststroke, and it showed that patient characteristics accounted for only 6.2% of the variation. VHA administrative region and disability severity accounted for equivalent amounts of the variation. Our findings suggest the need for improvements in the process for providing AT and/or provider education concerning device provision.

Factors Associated With Home Discharge Among Veterans With Stroke

OBJECTIVE To determine which patient-, treatment-, and facility-level characteristics were associated with home discharge among patients hospitalized for stroke within the Department of Veterans Affairs. DESIGN Retrospective observational study. SETTING Veterans Affairs facilities nationwide. PARTICIPANTS Veterans hospitalized for stroke during fiscal year 2007 to fiscal year 2008 (N=12,565). INTERVENTION Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Discharge location after hospitalization. RESULTS There were 10,130 (80.6%) veterans discharged home after hospitalization for acute stroke. Married veterans were more likely than nonmarried veterans to be discharged home (odds ratio [OR]=1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.11-1.35). Compared with veterans admitted to the hospital from home, patients admitted from extended care were less likely to be discharged home (OR=.04; 95% CI=.03-.07). Compared with those with occlusion of cerebral arteries, patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (OR=.61; 95% CI=.50-.74) or other central nervous system hemorrhage (OR=.78; 95% CI=.63-.96) were less likely to be discharged home, whereas patients with occlusion of precerebral arteries (OR=1.36; 95% CI=1.07-1.73) were more likely to return home. Evidence of congestive heart failure (OR=.85; 95% CI=.76-.95), fluid and electrolyte disorders (OR=.86; 95% CI=.77-.96), internal organ procedures and diagnostics (OR=.87; 95% CI=.78-.97), and serious nutritional compromise (OR=.49; 95% CI=.40-.62) during hospitalization remained independently associated with lower odds of home discharge. Longer hospitalizations and receipt of rehabilitation services while hospitalized acutely were negatively associated, whereas treatment on more bed sections and rehabilitation accreditation of the facility were positively associated with home discharge. Region exerted a statistically significant effect on home discharge. CONCLUSIONS We found sociological, clinical, and facility-level factors associated with home discharge after hospitalization for acute stroke. Findings document the importance of considering a broad range of characteristics rather than focusing only on a few specific traits during discharge planning.

Determinants of postsurgical discharge setting for male hip fracture patients.

Veterans hospitalized for hip fracture repair may be discharged to one of several rehabilitation settings, but it is not known what factors influence postsurgical discharge setting. The purpose of the study was to examine the patient, facility, and market factors that influence the choice of postsurgical discharge setting. Using a retrospective cohort design, we linked 11,083 veterans who had hip fracture surgeries in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital from 1998 to 2005 as assessed by the VA National Surgical Quality Improvement Program dataset with administrative data. The factors associated with five postdischarge settings were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression. We found that few veterans (0.8%) hospitalized for hip fracture were discharged with home health. Higher proportions of veterans were discharged to a nursing home (15.4%), to outpatient rehabilitation (18.8%), to inpatient rehabilitation (16.9%), or to home (48.2%). Patients were more likely to be discharged to nonhome settings for VA-provided rehabilitation if they had total function dependence, had American Society of Anesthesiologists class 4 or 5, had surgical complications prior to discharge, or lived in counties with lower nursing home bed occupancy rates. Future research should compare postsurgical and longer-term morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization across these rehabilitation settings.

Revisiting risks associated with mortality following initial transtibial or transfemoral amputation

This studys objective was to determine how treatment-, environmental-, and facility-level characteristics contribute to postdischarge mortality prediction. The study included 4,153 Veterans who underwent lower-limb amputation in Department of Veterans Affairs facilities during fiscal years 2003 and 2004. Veterans were followed 1 yr postamputation. A Cox regression identified characteristics associated with mortality risk after hospital discharge following amputation. Older age, higher amputation level, and more comorbidities increased mortality likelihood. Patients who had inpatient procedures for pulmonary and renal problems had higher hazards of postdischarge death than those who did not (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16-3.77, and HR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.80-2.74, respectively). Patients who had central nervous system procedures had higher hazards of death early postdischarge (HR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.60-3.11) at 0 d, but this association became insignificant by 180 d. Patients in a surgical intensive care unit (ICU), medical ICU, or medical bed section at the time of discharge were more likely to die than patients on a surgical bed section. Patients hospitalized in the Midwest were less likely to die early after discharge than patients in the Mountain Pacific region, but this regional effect became insignificant by 90 d. Adding treatment-, environmental-, and facility-level characteristics contributed additional information to a mortality risk model.