The American journal of managed care
-
Letter Review Multicenter Study
How to optimize cancer therapy when coronavirus hits the fan.
-
Comparative Study
Measures of ED utilization in a national cohort of children.
Emergency department (ED) utilization is often used as an indicator of poor chronic disease control and/or poor quality of care. We sought to determine if 2 ED utilization measures identify clinically or demographically different populations of children. ⋯ The ED utilization measures identify clinically and demographically different groups of patients. Future studies should consider the medical complexity of the population being studied before choosing the most appropriate measure to employ.
-
To determine the impact of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) on health care use among individuals with bipolar disorder. ⋯ After a mandated switch to HDHPs, members with bipolar disorder experienced an 11% decline in visits to nonpsychiatrist mental health providers but unchanged psychiatrist visits, ED visits, and hospitalizations. HDHPs do not appear to have a "blunt instrument" effect on health care use in bipolar disorder; rather, patients might make trade-offs to preserve important care.
-
The goal of this study was to establish a claims-based mechanism for identifying patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) and high levels of patient-reported cancer-related symptoms who could benefit from engagement with health care programs. ⋯ The claims-based factors associated with the severe symptom cluster can enable identification of patients with mNSCLC who could benefit from clinical outreach programs to enhance the care and support provided to these patients.
-
Effective communication among health care providers is critically important for patient safety. Handoff of patient care from the operating room (OR) to the intensive care unit (ICU) is particularly prone to errors. The process is more complicated in an academic environment in which junior clinicians are being trained. Standardization of, and training in, transitions of care can be a crucial means to improve patient safety. ⋯ Our workflow-oriented, standardized process for handoff of care from the OR to the ICU can improve perceived communication and psychological safety, especially for junior clinicians.