Timothy Wen

Incidence of "never events" among weekend admissions versus weekday admissions to US hospitals: national analysis.

Objective To evaluate the association between weekend admission to hospital and 11 hospital acquired conditions recently considered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid as “never events” for which resulting healthcare costs are not reimbursed. Design National analysis. Setting US Nationwide Inpatient Sample discharge database. Participants 351 million patients discharged from US hospitals, 2002-10. Main outcome measures Univariate rates and multivariable likelihood of hospital acquired conditions among patients admitted on weekdays versus weekends, as well as the impacts of these events on prolonged length of stay and total inpatient charges. Results From 2002 to 2010, 351 170 803 patients were admitted to hospital, with 19% admitted on a weekend. Hospital acquired conditions occurred at an overall frequency of 4.1% (5.7% among weekend admissions versus 3.7% among weekday admissions). Adjusting for patient and hospital cofactors the probability of having one or more hospital acquired conditions was more than 20% higher in weekend admissions compared with weekday admissions (odds ratio 1.25, 95% confidence interval 1.24 to 1.26, P<0.01). Hospital acquired conditions have a negative impact on both hospital charges and length of stay. At least one hospital acquired condition was associated with an 83% (1.83, 1.77 to 1.90, P<0.01) likelihood of increased charges and 38% likelihood of prolonged length of stay (1.38, 1.36 to 1.41, P<0.01). Conclusion Weekend admission to hospital is associated with an increased likelihood of hospital acquired condition, cost, and length of stay. Future protocols and staffing regulations must be tailored to the requirements of this high risk subgroup.

Health Disparities in Time to Aneurysm Clipping/Coiling Among Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients: A National Study

OBJECTIVE Previous studies have suggested disparities in quality of health care and time to treatment across socioeconomic groups. Such differences can be of greatest consequence in the setting of emergent medical conditions. Surgical or endovascular treatment of ruptured cerebral aneurysms within the first 3 days of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is associated with improved outcome. We hypothesize that race and payer status disparities effect the time to treatment for ruptured aneurysms. METHODS Discharge data were collected from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample during the years 2002-2010. International Classification of Diseases, 9th Edition; Clinical Modification codes were used to identify patients with aSAH who were treated by either surgical clipping or endovascular coil embolization. Time to procedure was dichotomized into 1) treatment in 3 days or less or 2) treatment in greater than 3 days. Time to treatment was evaluated according to demographic factors, including race, payer status, and median zip code income via multivariable analysis. RESULTS A total of 78,070 aSAH admissions were treated by either aneurysm clip ligation or coil embolization. Hispanic race and Medicaid payer status were associated with increased time to treatment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Racial and socioeconomic factors are associated with delayed time to treatment in aSAH. Identification of factors underlying these delays and standardization of care may allow for more uniform treatment protocols and improved patient care.

Evaluation of time to aneurysm treatment following subarachnoid hemorrhage: comparison of patients treated with clipping versus coiling

Introduction Prior studies of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have shown that treatment at teaching institutions and decreased time to surgery are factors that correlate with improved patient outcome. We aimed to individually evaluate the effect of teaching institution treatment on rates of surgical clipping or endovascular coiling. Methods Patients with SAH treated by either aneurysm clipping or coiling between 2002 and 2010 in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample were analyzed. Time to aneurysm treatment was dichotomized to >3 days or ≤3 days and evaluated by multivariable logistic regression modeling, controlling for patient and hospital covariates. Identified predictors for prolonged time to procedure were compared between the clipping and coiling populations. Results Between 2002 and 2010 there were 90 684 SAH admissions with subsequent clipping and coiling procedures. Treatment at teaching hospitals was associated with faster time to clipping (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.80, p=0.001) but not coiling procedures (p=0.66). Likewise, older age (≥80 years) was associated with delays to clipping (p<0.05) but not coiling procedures (p>0.05). Patients with delayed time to treatment were associated with increased rates of moderate to severe neurological disability. Conclusions Older patients with SAH and those treated at non-teaching hospitals were more likely to have delays to aneurysm clipping procedures. These associations were unique to open surgery as age and hospital teaching status did not affect time to coiling procedures.

Evaluation of Effect of Weekend Admission on the Prevalence of Hospital-Acquired Conditions in Patients Receiving Cervical Fusions

BACKGROUND Hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) are defined by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) as preventable adverse events that do not qualify for reimbursement of resulting hospital costs. HACs have been employed as a metric for quality of patient care. Patients undergoing cervical spine fusions are at risk for occurrence of HACs because of limited mobility and potential extended hospital length of stay (LOS). Previous studies have not evaluated the contribution of weekend admission on the rate of HACs in this patient population. We abstracted data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to evaluate rate of HACs as a function of weekend admission among patients admitted for cervical fusions. METHODS Patients undergoing anterior and posterior cervical fusions were identified from the 2002-2010 Nationwide Inpatient Sample database. HACs as defined by the CMS were collected via International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Multivariate analysis, including adjustment for demographics, disease severity, admission acuity, and admission source, was used to evaluate the effect of weekend admission on HAC occurrence, prolonged LOS, and higher inpatient costs. RESULTS During the period 2002-2010, 1,404,181 admissions for cervical fusion were identified. HACs occurred at a frequency of 4.6%. After multivariate adjustment for demographics, disease severity, and urgency of admission, weekend admissions were associated with a 56% increased risk of HAC occurrence compared with weekday admissions (relative risk = 1.56, 95% confidence interval = 1.51, 1.62, P < 0.01). HAC occurrence was independently associated with prolonged LOS and higher inpatient costs (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Patients undergoing cervical fusions who are admitted on weekends have an increased rate of HACs. HACs were associated with increases in LOS and hospital costs. Further study is warranted to evaluate disparities and potential improvement among weekend admissions.

Demographic factors, outcomes, and patient access to transsphenoidal surgery for Cushing's disease: analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2002 to 2010

OBJECT Cushings disease (CD) is a potentially lethal neuroendocrinopathy that often requires specialized multidisciplinary treatment to achieve optimized outcomes. The authors analyzed data pertaining to patient, hospital, and admission characteristics as they relate to outcomes following transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) in more than 5500 patients treated for CD. METHODS The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was used to identify all patients admitted with CD between 2002 and 2010. A variety of patient demographic data (e.g., age, sex, race, payer status), hospital variables (e.g., bed size, TSS volume, teaching status), and admission subtypes (e.g., elective, emergency) were tested for association with postoperative endocrine and nonendocrine complications, mortality, nonroutine discharge, length of stay, and total hospital charges. All tests were performed using univariate analysis followed by multivariate analysis, with 4 models tested via an additive methodology. Statistical significance was defined as a p value < 0.05 for all analyses. RESULTS From 2002 to 2010, 5527 individuals who were admitted for TSS (54 biopsies, 4254 partial resections, and 1271 total resections; 5579 total TSS procedures) were identified as patients with CD. There were 25 deaths following TSS, resulting in a mortality incidence rate of 0.45%. Nonendocrine and endocrine complications were reported in 22.4% and 11.1% of patients, respectively. The most common nonendocrine complications were postoperative neurological complications (6.98%) and mechanical ventilation (1.71%). Diabetes insipidus was reported in 14.79% of patients. In a multivariate analysis, patients with Medicare were at increased risk of nonendocrine complications (relative risk [RR] 2.24, 95% CI 1.15-4.38; p = 0.02). Patients with Medicare had increased risk of higher charges (RR 1.89, 95% CI 1.04-3.45; p = 0.04), as did those with Medicaid (RR 1.93, 95% CI 1.10-3.41; p = 0.02). Additionally, as compared with white patients, Hispanic patients had an increased rate of higher charges (RR 1.86, 95% CI 1.12-3.10; p = 0.02). Patients whose age was less than 40 years had a higher risk of developing diabetes insipidus (RR 1.39, 95% CI 1.0-1.93; p = 0.05). When compared with those in northeast hospitals, patients in western hospitals were more likely to experience nonendocrine complications (RR 1.85, 95% CI 0.99-3.46; p = 0.05) and endocrine complications (RR 1.98, 95% CI 1.28-3.07; p < 0.01). Patients treated in teaching hospitals were at significantly lower risk of incurring higher hospital charges (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.28-0.85; p = 0.01). Patients with emergency admissions had a risk of higher hospital charges (RR 3.06, 95% CI 1.26-7.46; p = 0.01) and nonendocrine complications (RR 3.18, 95% CI 1.22-8.28; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS This review of NIS data in more than 5500 patients treated surgically for CD pointed to major outcome disparities predicted primarily by payer status, admission type, and hospital region. Identification and targeting of such barriers to quality health care in patients with CD may help optimize patient outcomes on a national level and present an opportunity to improve access of high-risk patient subgroups to specialty centers of excellence.

Predictors of 30- and 90-day readmission following craniotomy for malignant brain tumors: analysis of nationwide data

Hospital readmissions are a major contributor to increased health care costs and are associated with worse patient outcomes after neurosurgery. We used the newly released Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) to describe the association between patient, hospital and payer factors with 30- and 90-day readmission following craniotomy for malignant brain tumor. All adult inpatients undergoing craniotomy for primary and secondary malignant brain tumors in the NRD from 2013 to 2014 were included. We identified all cause readmissions within 30- and 90-days following craniotomy for tumor, excluding scheduled chemotherapeutic procedures. We used univariate and multivariate models to identify patient, hospital and administrative factors associated with readmission. We identified 27,717 admissions for brain tumor craniotomy in 2013–2014, with 3343 (13.2%) 30-day and 5271 (25.7%) 90-day readmissions. In multivariate analysis, patients with Medicaid and Medicare were more likely to be readmitted at 30- and 90-days compared to privately insured patients. Patients with two or more comorbidities were more likely to be readmitted at 30- and 90-days, and patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities or home health care were associated with increased 90-day readmission rates. Finally, hospital procedural volume above the 75th percentile was associated with decreased 90-day readmission rates. Patients treated at high volume hospitals are less likely to be readmitted at 90-days. Insurance type, non-routine discharge and patient comorbidities are predictors of postoperative non-scheduled readmission. Further studies may elucidate potentially modifiable risk factors when attempting to improve outcomes and reduce cost associated with brain tumor surgery.

Evaluation of weekend admission on the prevalence of hospital acquired conditions in patients receiving thoracolumbar fusions

We evaluated the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database for increased hospital acquired condition (HAC) rate as a function of weekend admission in patients receiving thoracolumbar fusions. In 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) compiled a list of HAC for a new payment policy for preventable adverse events without reimbursement of resulting hospital costs. In this, the thoracolumbar patients represented a population with significant increased rates of HAC and, to our knowledge, no prior studies have evaluated the effect of weekend admission on HAC rate. We collated data for patients who underwent thoracolumbar fusions from the 2002-2010 NIS database. Using CMS definitions, HAC were abstracted using the Ninth Edition of International Classification of Diseases Clinical Modification (ICD-9CM). Multivariate analysis assessed the impact of a weekend admission on HAC occurrence and prolonged length of stay (LOS) adjusting for patient, admission severity, and hospital covariates. There were 1,842,231 total admissions between 2002 and 2010 associated with thoracolumbar procedures. HAC occurred at a frequency of 5.2% overall. Surgical site infections (n=10,656) and falls/trauma (n=83,999) were the most common. After adjusting for disease severity and urgency of admission, patients admitted on the weekend were more than two times more likely to incur a HAC compared to those admitted on weekdays (odds ratio 2.41; 95% confidence interval 2.19-2.65; p<0.05). HAC occurrence and weekend admission were also associated with prolonged LOS (p<0.05). We found that weekend admission is associated with increased HAC rate. Though our conclusions must be tempered by limitations of the coded national database, further study is warranted to confirm this disparity and evaluate potential for improvement.

Utilization and perioperative complications of laparoscopic cryoablation vs. robotic partial nephrectomy for localized renal tumors

ABSTRACT Objective: To compare the utilization, perioperative complications and predictors of LCA versus RPN in the treatment of localized renal tumors. Methods: From the Nationwide Inpatient Sample we identified patients undergoing RPN or LCA for the treatment of localized renal tumors from October 2008 through 2010. Patient and hospital-specific factors which predict postoperative complications and use of LCA were investigated. Results: 14,275 patients with localized renal tumors were identified: 70.3% had RPN and 29.7% had LCA. LCA was more common in older patient and at hospitals without robotic consoles. No difference was identified in perioperative complications (0.2% vs. 0.2%), transfusion (5.1% vs. 6.2%), length of stay (2.9 vs. 3.0 days) or median cost (

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41,753 vs.

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44,618) between the groups, LCA vs. RPN. On multivariate analysis sicker patients were more likely to have LCA (OR 1.34, p=0.048) and sicker patients had greater postoperative complications (OR 3.30, p<0.001); LCA did not predict more complications (OR 1.63, p=0.138) and LCA was performed at hospitals without RCs (OR 0.02, p<0.001). Limitations include observational study design, inability to assess disease severity, operative time, or body mass index, which may affect patient selection and outcomes. Conclusions: More patients had RPN vs. LCA; surgical technique was not predictive of postoperative complications. As technology develops to treat localized renal tumors, it will be important to continue to track outcomes and costs for procedures including RPN and LCA.