The American journal of managed care
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To determine population-based estimates of medical costs attributable to venous thromboembolism (VTE) among patients currently or recently hospitalized for acute medical illness. ⋯ VTE during or after recent hospitalization for medical illness contributes a substantial economic burden.
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Polypharmacy and adverse drug events lead to considerable healthcare costs and morbidity, yet there is little to guide clinical providers in the area of discontinuing medications that may not be necessary. We sought to understand providers' beliefs and attitudes about polypharmacy and medication discontinuation. ⋯ Provider decisions to discontinue medications are affected by factors at all levels of the clinical encounter. Our findings have implications for development and implementation of interventions to improve appropriate medication discontinuation via enhanced medication reviews, enriched patient-provider communication, and better system-level structures. This, in turn, may reduce the continued prescribing of potentially inappropriate medications that can lead to adverse outcomes or increased healthcare costs.
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To test whether functional status is a robust predictor of acute care readmission risk in patients who have been discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) following a unilateral hip fracture. ⋯ Functional status is a robust and potentially modifiable risk factor for patients admitted to IRFs following a unilateral hip fracture.
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To examine the effect of pre- and postoperative care management on weight loss following bariatric surgery. ⋯ Prospective investigations that incorporate quantifiable measures of CMI and measure individual adherence to components of care management programs are needed to more accurately determine the effect of care management on weight loss. Additional investigations should examine the effect of CMI on other relevant outcomes, such as nutritional status and quality of life, that may be more directly affected by care management.