Browsing by Subject "Health care costs"
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Item Attitudes toward cost-conscious care among U.S. physicians and medical students: analysis of national cross-sectional survey data by age and stage of training(BMC, 2018-11-22) Leep Hunderfund, Andrea N.; Dyrbye, Liselotte N.; Starr, Stephanie R.; Mandrekar, Jay; Tilburt, Jon C.; George, Paul; Baxley, Elizabeth G.; Gonzalo, Jed D.; Moriates, Christopher; Goold, Susan D.; Carney, Patricia A.; Miller, Bonnie M.; Grethlein, Sara J.; Fancher, Tonya L.; Wynia, Matthew K.; Reed, Darcy A.; Medicine, School of MedicineBACKGROUND: The success of initiatives intended to increase the value of health care depends, in part, on the degree to which cost-conscious care is endorsed by current and future physicians. This study aimed to first analyze attitudes of U.S. physicians by age and then compare the attitudes of physicians and medical students. METHODS: A paper survey was mailed in mid-2012 to 3897 practicing physicians randomly selected from the American Medical Association Masterfile. An electronic survey was sent in early 2015 to all 5,992 students at 10 U.S. medical schools. Survey items measured attitudes toward cost-conscious care and perceived responsibility for reducing healthcare costs. Physician responses were first compared across age groups (30-40 years, 41-50 years, 51-60 years, and > 60 years) and then compared to student responses using Chi square tests and logistic regression analyses (controlling for sex). RESULTS: A total of 2,556 physicians (65%) and 3395 students (57%) responded. Physician attitudes generally did not differ by age, but differed significantly from those of students. Specifically, students were more likely than physicians to agree that cost to society should be important in treatment decisions (p < 0.001) and that physicians should sometimes deny beneficial but costly services (p < 0.001). Students were less likely to agree that it is unfair to ask physicians to be cost-conscious while prioritizing patient welfare (p < 0.001). Compared to physicians, students assigned more responsibility for reducing healthcare costs to hospitals and health systems (p < 0.001) and less responsibility to lawyers (p < 0.001) and patients (p < 0.001). Nearly all significant differences persisted after controlling for sex and when only the youngest physicians were compared to students. CONCLUSIONS: Physician attitudes toward cost-conscious care are similar across age groups. However, physician attitudes differ significantly from medical students, even among the youngest physicians most proximate to students in age. Medical student responses suggest they are more accepting of cost-conscious care than physicians and attribute more responsibility for reducing costs to organizations and systems rather than individuals. This may be due to the combined effects of generational differences, new medical school curricula, students' relative inexperience providing cost-conscious care within complex healthcare systems, and the rapidly evolving U.S. healthcare system.Item Estimated Cost-effectiveness of Solar-Powered Oxygen Delivery for Pneumonia in Young Children in Low-Resource Settings(American Medical Association, 2021-06) Huang, Yiming; Mian, Qaasim; Conradi, Nicholas; Opoka, Robert O.; Conroy, Andrea L.; Namasopo, Sophie; Hawkes, Michael T.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineImportance: Pneumonia is the leading cause of childhood mortality worldwide. Severe pneumonia associated with hypoxemia requires oxygen therapy; however, access remains unreliable in low- and middle-income countries. Solar-powered oxygen delivery (solar-powered O2) has been shown to be a safe and effective technology for delivering medical oxygen. Examining the cost-effectiveness of this innovation is critical for guiding implementation in low-resource settings. Objective: To determine the cost-effectiveness of solar-powered O2 for treating children in low-resource settings with severe pneumonia who require oxygen therapy. Design, setting, and participants: An economic evaluation study of solar-powered O2 was conducted from January 12, 2020, to February 27, 2021, in compliance with the World Health Organization Choosing Interventions That Are Cost-Effective (WHO-CHOICE) guidelines. Using existing literature, plausible ranges for component costs of solar-powered O2 were determined in order to calculate the expected total cost of implementation. The costs of implementing solar-powered O2 at a single health facility in low- and middle-income countries was analyzed for pediatric patients younger than 5 years who required supplemental oxygen. Exposures: Treatment with solar-powered O2. Main outcomes and measures: The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of solar-powered O2 was calculated as the additional cost per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) saved. Sensitivity of the ICER to uncertainties of input parameters was assessed through univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Results: The ICER of solar-powered O2 was estimated to be $20 (US dollars) per DALY saved (95% CI, $2.83-$206) relative to the null case (no oxygen). Costs of solar-powered O2 were alternatively quantified as $26 per patient treated and $542 per life saved. Univariate sensitivity analysis found that the ICER was most sensitive to the volume of pediatric pneumonia admissions and the case fatality rate. The ICER was insensitive to component costs of solar-powered O2 systems. In secondary analyses, solar-powered O2 was cost-effective relative to grid-powered concentrators (ICER $140 per DALY saved) and cost-saving relative to fuel generator-powered concentrators (cost saving of $7120). Conclusions and relevance: The results of this economic evaluation suggest that solar-powered O2 is a cost-effective solution for treating hypoxemia in young children in low- and middle-income countries, relative to no oxygen. Future implementation should prioritize sites with high rates of pediatric pneumonia admissions and mortality. This study provides economic support for expansion of solar-powered O2 and further assessment of its efficacy and mortality benefit.Item Experience, Prevalence, Need for Treatment and Cost of Care for Caries: A Multicenter Study in a Developing Country(FDI World Dental Press Ltd., 2022-05-27) Lucas-Rincón, Salvador E.; Lara-Carrillo, Edith; Robles-Bermeo, Norma Leticia; Rueda-Ibarra, Vicente; Alonso-Sánchez, Carmen C.; Vázquez-Rodríguez, Sandra B.; Ávila-Burgos, Leticia; Medina-Solis, Carlo E.; Maupomé, GerardoObjective: To assess the experience, prevalence, need for treatment and economic impact of caries among students 6-12 years old in four cities in Mexico. Basic research design: Cross-sectional clinical study. Setting: Elementary public schools. Participants: 500 schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years. Method: Oral clinical examinations using WHO criteria for caries in the primary (dmft) and permanent (DMFT) dentitions. Main outcome measures: Indicators of caries in the primary and permanent dentitions: experience, prevalence, severity and the Significant Caries Index. In addition, we calculated the treatment needs, dental care rate and cost of care. Results: dmft in the primary dentition was 2.59±2.83, and DMFT was 0.82±1.44 in the permanent dentition. Caries prevalence reached 67.7% in the primary and 34.1% in permanent dentition. The treatment needs index was 85.9% and 91.3% in the primary and permanent dentitions, respectively; the dental care index was 13.9% and 8.5%, respectively. The cost of care for caries in the primary dentition was estimated at $22.087 millions of international dollars (PPP US$) when amalgam was the restorative material used, and PPP US$19.107 millions for glass ionomer. For the permanent dentition, the cost was PPP US$7.431 millions when amalgam was used and PPP US$7.985 millions when resin/composite was used as restorative material. Conclusions: The prevalence and experience of caries in the primary dentition were 50% greater than those of other studies carried out in Mexico. In the permanent dentition they were less. There is considerable need for the treatment of caries and minimal experience with restorative care. The cost of care for caries may be assumed to be high for a health system such as Mexico's.Item Identification of barriers and beliefs influencing engagement by adult and teen Mexican-Americans in oral health behaviors(Dennis Barber, Ltd., 2016-03) Aguirre-Zero, Odette; Westerhold, C.; Goldsworthy, R.; Maupomé, G.; Biomedical and Applied Sciences, School of DentistryOBJECTIVE: To identify barriers and beliefs influencing oral health and dental care-seeking among Mexican-Americans. RESEARCH DESIGN: Interviews and Likert-scale survey questions were utilized to explore urgent and preventive dental care-seeking, oral hygiene habits and lifestyle practices. Thirty-three interviews were conducted with 16 adults (ages 33-52), and 17 adolescents (ages 14-19). RESULTS: Teens identified the same main barriers to accessing dental care as adults: high cost, financial limitations and lack of insurance. Most Mexican-Americans agreed with the belief that everyone will need urgent dental treatment and the majority believed that going to a dentist in private practice instead of the Emergency Room was important. Although adults recognized the importance of preventive dental care, half reported being unlikely to seek such care while half of teens reported that they were likely to do so. Adults reported relying equally on themselves and on peers to make dental care decisions, while teens mostly depended on others to make decisions about urgent and preventive care. Virtually all respondents believed regular brushing to be important and many flossing too. A major barrier to flossing was being unsure of the proper technique. Another barrier to better oral health was not having seen messages encouraging changes in lifestyle. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that Mexican-American teens and adults may experience oral health similarly. Teens do not have more positive oral health beliefs and encounter mostly the same barriers to care as adults.Item Insurance Denials of Care Amount to Unlicensed Medical Practice(Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, 2020) Bennett, William E.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineItem Quantifying Unmet Need in Statin-Treated Hyperlipidemia Patients and the Potential Benefit of Further LDL-C Reduction Through an EHR-Based Retrospective Cohort Study(Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, 2019) Schleyer, Titus; Hui, Siu; Wang, Jane; Zhang, Zuoyi; Knapp, Kristina; Baker, Jarod; Chase, Monica; Boggs, Robert; Simpson, Ross J., Jr.; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground: Statins are effective in helping prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, studies suggest that only 20%-64% of patients taking statins achieve reasonable low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) thresholds. On-treatment levels of LDL-C remain a key predictor of residual CVD event risk. Objectives: To (a) determine how many patients on statins achieved the therapeutic threshold of LDL-C < 100 mg per dL (general cohort) and < 70 mg per dL (secondary prevention cohort, or subcohort, with preexisting CVD); (b) estimate the number of potentially avoidable CVD events if the threshold were reached; and (c) forecast potential cost savings. Methods: A retrospective, longitudinal cohort study using electronic health record data from the Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC) was conducted. The INPC provides comprehensive information about patients in Indiana across health care organizations and care settings. Patients were aged > 45 years and seen between January 1, 2012, and October 31, 2016 (ensuring study of contemporary practice), were statin-naive for 12 months before the index date of initiating statin therapy, and had an LDL-C value recorded 6-18 months after the index date. Subsequent to descriptive cohort analysis, the theoretical CVD risk reduction achievable by reaching the threshold was calculated using Framingham Risk Score and Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' Collaboration formulas. Estimated potential cost savings used published first-year costs of CVD events, adjusted for inflation and discounted to the present day. Results: Of the 89,267 patients initiating statins, 30,083 (33.7%) did not achieve the LDL-C threshold (subcohort: 58.1%). In both groups, not achieving the threshold was associated with patients who were female, black, and those who had reduced medication adherence. Higher levels of preventive aspirin use and antihypertensive treatment were associated with threshold achievement. In both cohorts, approximately 64% of patients above the threshold were within 30 mg per dL of the respective threshold. Adherence to statin therapy regimen, judged by a medication possession ratio of ≥ 80%, was 57.4% in the general cohort and 56.7% in the subcohort. Of the patients who adhered to therapy, 23.7% of the general cohort and 50.5% of the subcohort had LDL-C levels that did not meet the threshold. 10-year CVD event risk in the at-or-above threshold group was 22.78% (SD = 17.24%) in the general cohort and 29.56% (SD = 18.19%) in the subcohort. By reducing LDL-C to the threshold, a potential relative risk reduction of 14.8% in the general cohort could avoid 1,173 CVD events over 10 years (subcohort: 15.7% and 454 events). Given first-year inpatient and follow-up costs of $37,300 per CVD event, this risk reduction could save about $1,455 per patient treated to reach the threshold (subcohort: $1,902; 2017 U.S. dollars) over a 10-year period. Conclusions: Across multiple health care systems in Indiana, between 34% (general cohort) and 58% (secondary prevention cohort) of patients treated with statins did not achieve therapeutic LDL-C thresholds. Based on current CVD event risk and cost projections, such patients seem to be at increased risk and may represent an important and potentially preventable burden on health care costs. Disclosures: Funding support for this study was provided by Merck (Kenilworth, NJ). Chase and Boggs are employed by Merck. Simpson is a consultant to Merck and Pfizer. The other authors have nothing to disclose.Item Short-term costs of alcohol-associated hepatitis care in different clinical settings(Wolters Kluwer, 2025-01-29) Nguyen, Chi Mai; Su, Jing; Li, Yang; Healey, Ryan; Jiang, Shihui; Li, Jiangqiong; Chalasani, Naga; Gawrieh, Samer; Liangpunsakul, Suthat; Tu, Wanzhu; Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public HealthBackground: Alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) leads to high rates of mortality and health care costs. Understanding the immediate costs after an AH diagnosis and identifying key cost factors is crucial for health care policies and clinical decisions. Objectives: This study quantifies medical costs within 30 days of an AH diagnosis across outpatient (OP), emergency department (ED), and inpatient (IP) settings. It also explores concurrent diagnoses and their effects on care costs. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using deidentified data from Optum's Clinformatics Data Mart. The cohort included individuals aged 21 years and older diagnosed with AH from January 1, 2016, to September 30, 2023. Patients were categorized by care setting (OP, ED, or IP). Costs were calculated for the 30 days before and after AH diagnosis and adjusted to 2023-dollar values. Comorbidities were identified using Elixhauser comorbidity software, and multivariable linear regression models were used to analyze medical costs. Results: The cohort included 34,974 individuals diagnosed with AH: 8048 in OP (23%), 2736 in ED (7.8%), and 24,190 in IP (69.2%). Average spending in the 30 days prior to AH diagnosis was $7334 for OP, $5740 for ED, and $14,458 for IP. Following AH diagnosis, average costs rose to $8345 for OP, $20,990 for ED, and $88,655 for IP, reflecting increases of 14%, 266%, and 413%, respectively. Significant cost drivers in IP included comorbidities associated with moderate-to-severe liver disease, metabolic syndrome, liver transplant, and mortality during the 30-day follow-up period. Conclusions: Immediate costs following an AH diagnosis are substantial, particularly for IP care. Costs increase significantly with high-cost comorbidity clusters and among patients who die, underscoring the need for effective management of comorbidities in AH care.Item The relationship between preventive dental care and overall medical expenditures(MJH Life Sciences, 2024-02-01) Taylor, Heather L.; Holmes, Ann M.; Menachemi, Nir; Schleyer, Titus; Sen, Bisakha; Blackburn, Justin; Health Policy and Management, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public HealthObjectives: To examine the relationship between preventive dental visits (PDVs) and medical expenditures while mitigating bias from unobserved confounding factors. Study design: Retrospective data analysis of Indiana Medicaid enrollment and claims data (2015-2018) and the Area Health Resources Files. Methods: An instrumental variable (IV) approach was used to estimate the relationship between PDVs and medical and pharmacy expenditures among Medicaid enrollees. The instrument was defined as the number of adult enrollees with at least 1 nonpreventive dental claim per total Medicaid enrollees within a Census tract per year. Results: In naive analyses, enrollees had on average greater medical expenditures if they had a prior-year PDV (β = $397.21; 95% CI, $184.23-$610.18) and a PDV in the same year as expenditures were measured (β = $344.81; 95% CI, $193.06-$496.56). No significant differences in pharmacy expenditures were observed in naive analyses. Using the IV approach, point estimates of overall medical expenditures for the marginal enrollee who had a prior-year PDV (β = $325.17; 95% CI, -$708.03 to $1358.37) or same-year PDV (β = $170.31; 95% CI, -$598.89 to $939.52) were similar to naive results, although not significant. Our IV approach indicated that PDV was not endogenous in some specifications. Conclusions: This is the first study to present estimates with causal inference from a quasi-experimental study of the effect of PDVs on overall medical expenditures. We observed that prior- or same-year PDVs were not related to overall medical or pharmacy expenditures.