The American journal of managed care
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Patients with chest pain and concern for potential coronary ischemia are frequently referred to the emergency department (ED), resulting in substantial resource utilization and cost. The objective of this study was to implement a protocol for urgent care center (UCC) evaluation of potential acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and describe its performance. ⋯ Our initial pilot data demonstrate the feasibility of an outpatient UCC evaluation for ACS without refuting the underlying premise of safety.
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We adopted e-consults within an active referral management (ARM) process for our Veterans Health Administration (VHA) outpatient cardiology clinic to reduce clinic wait times. ⋯ E-consults and ARM of clinical referrals were effective at reducing wait times for our outpatient VHA cardiology clinic. The majority of clinical referrals could be handled through an e-consult and did not require an in-person clinic visit.
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To evaluate the impact of value-based insurance design (VBID), which removed patient cost sharing for primary care visits, on healthcare spending in a large, geographically diverse employer. ⋯ The attempt to increase primary care access by reducing cost sharing did not produce a negative outcome in terms of total spending for healthcare.
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To describe how all-payer claims databases (APCDs) can be used for multistate analysis, evaluating the feasibility of overcoming the common barrier of a lack of standardization across data sets to produce comparable cost and quality results for 4 states. This study is part of a larger project to better understand the cost and quality of healthcare services across delivery organizations. ⋯ This study demonstrates the feasibility of using state-based claims data sets and standardized processes to develop comparable healthcare performance measures that inform state, regional, and organizational healthcare policy.
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Expansion of episode of care measurement models to include presurgical care is an added opportunity to improve quality, value, and efficiency in healthcare delivery.