The American journal of managed care
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To test several patient-oriented asthma outcome measures and the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measure of appropriate medication for persistent asthma to determine the most useful quality indicator of asthma care. ⋯ Asthma control was the most useful patient outcome quality indicator in this study. Compliance with the HEDIS asthma measure in this population was not associated with a better patient-oriented outcome. This finding may be different with different levels of asthma control. The positive association between well-controlled asthma and patient satisfaction, minimal unscheduled healthcare utilization, and low workday loss suggests that asthma control as measured by ACT may be a better performance measure in asthma.
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To estimate the effect of independent practice association (IPA) model HMOs and the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan's group model on inpatient utilization of Medicare beneficiaries in the last 2 years of life, compared with traditional fee-for-service (FFS) coverage. ⋯ Medicare beneficiaries who died while enrolled in an HMO, particularly Kaiser, had many fewer hospital days during the 2 years before death than beneficiaries who died with FFS coverage.