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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
126 to 150 of 1115 Research Studies DisplayedDeKeyser GJ, Martin BI, Ko H
Increased complications and cost associated with hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fracture: evaluation of 576,119 Medicare patients treated with hip arthroplasty.
The authors compared perioperative complications and costs of total hip arthroplasty (THA) for treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) to hemiarthroplasty (HA) and THA for treatment of femoral neck fractures (FNFs). Data from CMS were used to identify all patients 65 or older undergoing primary hip arthroplasty. The results showed that CMS hip arthroplasty patients with an FNF had significantly higher rates of mortality, thromboembolic events, readmission, and greater direct cost. The authors concluded that reimbursement models for arthroplasty should account for different perioperative complication and resource utilization for FNF patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024714.
Citation: DeKeyser GJ, Martin BI, Ko H .
Increased complications and cost associated with hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fracture: evaluation of 576,119 Medicare patients treated with hip arthroplasty.
J Arthroplasty 2022 Apr; 37(4):742-47.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2021.12.027..
Keywords: Orthopedics, Surgery, Healthcare Costs, Medicare
Murphy PB, Oslock WM, Ingraham AM
Quality of care for gallstone pancreatitis-the impact of the acute care surgery model and hospital-level operative resources.
This study aimed to determine the influence of structure and process related to operating room access on achieving index cholecystectomy for gallstone pancreatitis. In 2015, 2811 US hospitals on acute care surgery practices were surveyed, including infrastructure for operative access, with 1690 hospitals (60%) responding. The authors identified patients ≥ 18 years who were admitted with gallstone pancreatitis. Over the study period, 5656 patients were admitted with gallstone pancreatitis, and 70% had an index cholecystectomy. High-performing hospitals had an index cholecystectomy rate of 84.1%, compared to 58.5% at low-performing hospitals. High-performing hospitals were associated with teaching, and access to dedicated daytime operative resources.
AHRQ-funded; HS022694.
Citation: Murphy PB, Oslock WM, Ingraham AM .
Quality of care for gallstone pancreatitis-the impact of the acute care surgery model and hospital-level operative resources.
J Gastrointest Surg 2022 Apr;26(4):849-60. doi: 10.1007/s11605-021-05145-4..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Surgery, Quality of Care
Eisenberg MT, Block AM, Vopat ML
Rates of infection after ACL reconstruction in pediatric and adolescent patients: a MarketScan database study of 44,501 patients.
This study’s objective was to describe and analyze the rates of surgical site infections after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery in pediatric patients. The Truven Health Analytics MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database was used to access data for privately insured individuals aged 5 to 30 years old. ACL reconstruction operation records were accessed for operations performed from 2006 to 2018. The database identified 44,501 individuals up to 18 years old, and 63,495 individuals aged 18 to 30 years old that underwent arthroscopic ACL reconstruction. No differences in infection rates were found between the two groups. However, among patients younger than 18 years, patients below 15 years old had a significantly lower infection rate at 0.37% compared with adolescents 15 to 17 years old at 0.55%. Among young adults, males had a higher infection rate than females, while no differences were observed in the pediatric and adolescent population.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Eisenberg MT, Block AM, Vopat ML .
Rates of infection after ACL reconstruction in pediatric and adolescent patients: a MarketScan database study of 44,501 patients.
J Pediatr Orthop 2022 Apr;42(4):e362-e66. doi: 10.1097/bpo.0000000000002080..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Surgery, Orthopedics, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Adverse Events, Injuries and Wounds
Yang P, Diaz A, Chhabra KR
Surgical quality assurance at expanding health networks: a qualitative study.
This study used qualitative methods to understand the nuances that affect the variation in network-level surgical quality assurance and provided strategies that surgical leaders can use to improve surgical quality at expanding health networks. Through semi-structured interviews, three themes emerged. Participants wanted standardized tools for quality measurement, an organizational structure that provides clear oversight over quality, and a culture shift toward quality improvement.
AHRQ-funded; HS024763.
Citation: Yang P, Diaz A, Chhabra KR .
Surgical quality assurance at expanding health networks: a qualitative study.
Surgery 2022 Apr;171(4):966-72. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2021.09.023..
Keywords: Surgery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Blakeslee-Carter J, Beck AW, Spangler EL
Type III endoleaks in complex endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair within the Vascular Quality Initiative.
The objective of this national multicenter cohort study was to evaluate the occurrence of Type III endoleaks (T3ELs) after complex endovascular aneurysm repair (c-EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysm, identify potential procedural characteristics, and determine their impact on c-EVAR clinical outcomes. Investigators reviewed elective c-EVAR for nonruptured aneurysms within the Vascular Quality Initiative. The findings indicated that T3ELs in c-EVAR remain relatively uncommon and are identified predominately at index hospitalization. T3EL development was associated with higher device modularity and modification. The presence of T3ELs did not appear to have a statistically significant relationship with aortic reinterventions or survival, but the authors note that these findings are not definitive.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Blakeslee-Carter J, Beck AW, Spangler EL .
Type III endoleaks in complex endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair within the Vascular Quality Initiative.
J Vasc Surg 2022 Apr; 75(4):1172-80. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2021.10.038..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Surgery, Adverse Events
Chhabra KR, Telem DA, Chao GF
Comparative safety of sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass: an instrumental variables approach.
This study compared the safety of sleeve gastrectomy versus gastric bypass surgery. Sleeve gastrectomy has become the most common bariatric surgery, rising from 52.6% in 2012 to 75% in 2016 among the cohort of 38,153 patients identified using commercially insured patients in the IBM MarketScan claims database. At 2 years from surgery, patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy had fewer re-interventions (sleeve 9.9%, bypass 15.6%) and complications (sleeve 6.6%, bypass 9.6%), and lower overall healthcare spending ($47,891 vs $55,213), than patients undergoing gastric bypass. However, at the 2-year mark, revisions were slightly more common in sleeve gastrectomy than in gastric bypass (sleeve 0.6%, bypass 0.4%).
AHRQ-funded; HS025778.
Citation: Chhabra KR, Telem DA, Chao GF .
Comparative safety of sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass: an instrumental variables approach.
Ann Surg 2022 Mar;275(3):539-45. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000004297..
Keywords: Obesity: Weight Management, Obesity, Surgery, Patient Safety
Patel PB, Marcaccio CL, de Guerre L
Complications after thoracic endovascular aortic repair for ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysms remain high compared with elective repair.
This study evaluated the outcomes associated with presentation of ruptured aneurysms and outcomes after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) registry was queried for ten years (2010-2020) to identify patients who had undergone TEVAR for ruptured and intact thoracic aortic aneurysms. Primary outcome was to identify the factors associated with ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysms and secondary outcomes including perioperative mortality and morbidity, 5-year survival, and the identification of factors associated with adverse outcomes after TEVAR. The majority of the 3039 patients identified with a thoracic aortic aneurysm (92%) had undergone repair for an intact aneurysm and 8% had undergone repair for a ruptured aneurysm. Chronic kidney disease was associated with greater odds of a presentation with ruptured aneurysm. Lower odds of rupture included prior aortic aneurysm repair, prior smoker, preoperative beta-blocker therapy, and preoperative statin therapy. TEVAR for ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysms was associated with higher perioperative mortality (rupture vs intact, 27% vs 4.6%) and the composite outcome of mortality, new dialysis, paralysis, and stroke (38% vs 9.5%). The 5-year survival was significantly lower after TEVAR for ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysms (50% vs 76%). Preoperative statin therapy was associated with higher 5-year survival.
AHRQ-funded; HS027285.
Citation: Patel PB, Marcaccio CL, de Guerre L .
Complications after thoracic endovascular aortic repair for ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysms remain high compared with elective repair.
J Vasc Surg 2022 Mar; 75(3):842-50. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2021.09.047..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Surgery, Adverse Events
Kanters AE, Evilsizer SK, Regenbogen SE
Correlation of colorectal surgical skill with patient outcomes: a cautionary tale.
Some have proposed that video-based skill assessments be used as a way to measure technical skills, quality improvement, and credentialing in colorectal surgeons and other practitioners. However, it must first be determined whether video-based assessments can accurately predict patient outcomes. The researchers assembled a panel of 10 peer surgeons to evaluate videos of minimally invasive colectomy procedures submitted by 21 surgeons. Each surgeon submitted one video, and the videos were edited to highlight key steps in the procedure. The panel and the surgeon participants were all associated with the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative. The panel used a validated American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons assessment instrument to rate the surgeon’s skills. The surgeon’s ratings were then linked to a validated registry of surgical outcomes, and the researchers assessed the relationship between skill level and risk-adjusted complication rates. The researchers found that after risk-adjustment there was no statistically significant difference in complication rates between the bottom (17.5%) and top (16.8%) quartile surgeons (p=0.41). The study concluded that there was no correlation between video-based peer rating of minimally invasive colectomy and postoperative complications among specialty surgeons, and that caution should be used when utilizing video review in credentialing.
AHRQ-funded; HS025365.
Citation: Kanters AE, Evilsizer SK, Regenbogen SE .
Correlation of colorectal surgical skill with patient outcomes: a cautionary tale.
Dis Colon Rectum 2022 Mar;65(3):444-51. doi: 10.1097/dcr.0000000000002124..
Keywords: Surgery, Provider: Physician, Provider Performance, Digestive Disease and Health, Outcomes
Fitzgerald DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA
Determinants of hospital variability in perioperative red blood cell transfusions during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
This observational cohort study’s objective was to identify to what extent distinguishing patient and procedural characteristics can explain center-level transfusion variation during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. The study used patients from the Perfusion Measures and Outcomes Registry from 43 adult cardiac surgical programs from July 2011 through June 2017. Of the 22,272 adult patients undergoing isolate CABG surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass, 7241 (32.5%) received at least 1 U allogeneic red blood cells. Patients who received transfusions were older (68 vs 64 years), were women (41.5% vs 15.9%), and had a lower body surface area, respectively. The majority of center-level transfusion variations could not be explained through models containing both patient and intraoperative factors.
AHRQ-funded; HS026003.
Citation: Fitzgerald DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA DC, Simpson AN, Baker RA .
Determinants of hospital variability in perioperative red blood cell transfusions during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2022 Mar;163(3):1015-24.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.04.141..
Keywords: Surgery, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospitals, Practice Patterns, Disparities
Shao CC, McLeod MC, Gleason L
Effect of COVID-19 pandemic restructuring on surgical volume and outcomes of non-COVID patients undergoing surgery.
The authors sought to assess changes in surgical case mix and outcomes due to restructuring during the pandemic. Institutional ACS-NSQIP data was used to identify patients undergoing surgery at a single tertiary care institution in the Deep South. They found that surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic were more often outpatient without differences in post-operative outcomes. They recommended additional analysis to determine the impact of duration of operative delay on surgical outcomes with restructuring focusing more on outpatient surgeries.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Shao CC, McLeod MC, Gleason L .
Effect of COVID-19 pandemic restructuring on surgical volume and outcomes of non-COVID patients undergoing surgery.
Am Surg 2022 Mar;88(3):489-97. doi: 10.1177/00031348211054528..
Keywords: COVID-19, Surgery, Public Health, Outcomes
Olsen MA, Greenberg JK, Peacock K
Lack of association of post-discharge prophylactic antibiotics with decreased risk of surgical site infection following spinal fusion.
This study’s objective was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with post-discharge prophylactic antibiotic use after spinal fusion and whether use was associated with decreased risk of surgical site infection (SSI). The study cohort included persons aged 10-64 years undergoing 156,446 spinal fusion procedures between January 2010 and July 2015. Excluded patients included complicated cases and those coded for infection from 30 days before to 2 days after surgical admission. Outpatient oral antibiotic prescriptions were identified within 2 days of surgical discharge. ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes were used to identify SSI within 90 days of surgery. Post-discharge prophylactic antibiotics were used in 9223 surgeries. SSIs occurred after 2557 procedures (1.6%). Factors significantly associated with post-discharge antibiotic use included history of lymphoma, diabetes, 3-7 versus 1-2 vertebral levels fused, and non-infectious postoperative complications. Analysis showed antibiotic use was not associated with decreased SSI risk after spinal fusion.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455; HS027075.
Citation: Olsen MA, Greenberg JK, Peacock K .
Lack of association of post-discharge prophylactic antibiotics with decreased risk of surgical site infection following spinal fusion.
J Antimicrob Chemother 2022 Mar 31;77(4):1178-84. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkab475..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Medication, Surgery, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Practice Patterns
Howard R, Chao GF, Yang J
Medication use for obesity-related comorbidities after sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass.
The purpose of this comparative effectiveness research study was to evaluate prior laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients and compare the incidence of medication discontinuation and restart of diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia medications. The researchers reviewed the records of adult Medicare beneficiaries who underwent sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass between January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2018, and had a claim for diabetes, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia medication in the 6 months before surgery with a corresponding diagnosis. The study found that when compared with sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass was associated with a slightly higher 5-year cumulative incidence of medication discontinuation among 30,588 patients with diabetes medication use and diagnosis at the time of surgery, 5,081 patients with antihypertensive medication use and diagnosis at the time of surgery and 35,055 patients with lipid-lowering medication use and diagnosis at the time of surgery. Among the patients who discontinued medication, gastric bypass was also associated with a slightly lower incidence of medication restart up to 5 years after discontinuation. The researchers concluded that gastric bypass was associated with a slightly higher incidence of medication discontinuation and a slightly lower incidence of medication restart among patients who discontinued medication than sleeve gastrectomy.
AHRQ-funded; HS025778; HS025365.
Citation: Howard R, Chao GF, Yang J .
Medication use for obesity-related comorbidities after sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass.
JAMA Surg 2022 Mar;157(3):248-56. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2021.6898..
Keywords: Obesity, Obesity: Weight Management, Surgery, Medication
Schreyer J, Koch A, Herlemann A
RAS-NOTECHS: validity and reliability of a tool for measuring non-technical skills in robotic-assisted surgery settings.
This study’s objective was to develop and consent-validate a tool to assess multidisciplinary non-technical skills (NTS) in robotic-assisted surgery (RAS). The authors conducted a scoping literature review first to compile a set of RAS-specific teamwork behaviors. They then merged these behaviors with a well-established assessment tool on operating room (OR) teamwork called NOTECHS II. Finally, the new tool RAS-NOTECHS was applied in standardized observations of real-world procedures to test its reliability. The scoping review found 5242 articles, of which 21 were included based on pre-established inclusion criteria. The authors elicited 16 RAS-specific behaviors from the literature base. They were synthesized further with 18 behavioral markers into a list of 26 behavioral markers. The list was reviewed by 7 RAS experts and condensed to 15 expert-validated RAS-specific behavioral markers. For five observations of urologic RAS procedures, inter-rater agreement for identification of behavioral markers was strong. Agreement of RAS-NOTECHS scores ranged from moderate to strong agreement.
AHRQ-funded; HS026491.
Citation: Schreyer J, Koch A, Herlemann A .
RAS-NOTECHS: validity and reliability of a tool for measuring non-technical skills in robotic-assisted surgery settings.
Surg Endosc 2022 Mar;36(3):1916-26. doi: 10.1007/s00464-021-08474-2..
Keywords: Surgery
Graber J, Lockhart S, Matlock DD
"This is not negotiable. You need to do this…": a directed content analysis of decision making in rehabilitation after knee arthroplasty.
In this qualitative study, researchers sought to understand patients' and physical therapists' perspectives related to decision making during outpatient rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and further to describe potential barriers and opportunities for shared decision making (SDM) in this setting. They found that physical therapists described using decision-making strategies with varying levels of patient involvement, while both patients and physical therapists described barriers to routine use of SDM in the outpatient setting. They also presented actionable strategies for overcoming these barriers for providers and organizations seeking consistently to use SDM in outpatient TKA rehabilitation.
AHRQ-funded; HS025692.
Citation: Graber J, Lockhart S, Matlock DD .
"This is not negotiable. You need to do this…": a directed content analysis of decision making in rehabilitation after knee arthroplasty.
J Eval Clin Pract 2022 Feb;28(1):99-107. doi: 10.1111/jep.13591..
Keywords: Shared Decision Making, Rehabilitation, Orthopedics, Surgery, Patient-Centered Healthcare
Greenberg JK, Brown DS, Olsen MA
Association of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act with access to elective spine surgical care.
This study's goal was to evaluate the impact of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act on the volume and payer mix of elective spine surgery in the United States. The authors evaluated elective spinal surgeries performed in the U.S. from 2011 to 2016 and included 10 states with expanded Medicaid access and 4 states that did not. They identified 218,648 surgical procedures performed in 10 Medicaid expansion states and 118,693 procedures performed in 4 nonexpansion states. Medicaid expansion was associated with a 17% increase in mean hospital spine surgical volume and a 23% increase in Medicaid volume. Privately insured surgical volumes did not change significantly. This increase indicated improved access to care.
AHRQ-funded; HS027075.
Citation: Greenberg JK, Brown DS, Olsen MA .
Association of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act with access to elective spine surgical care.
J Neurosurg Spine 2022 Feb;36(2):336–44. doi: 10.3171/2021.3.Spine2122..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Medicaid, Access to Care, Surgery
Ross SW, Reinke CE, Ingraham AM
Emergency general surgery quality improvement: a review of recommended structure and key issues.
In this article, the authors presented a collective narrative review of advances in quality improvement structure in emergency general surgery (EGS) in recent years and summarized plans for a national EGS registry and American College of Surgeons verification for this under-resourced area of surgery.
AHRQ-funded; HS025224.
Citation: Ross SW, Reinke CE, Ingraham AM .
Emergency general surgery quality improvement: a review of recommended structure and key issues.
J Am Coll Surg 2022 Feb;234(2):214-25. doi: 10.1097/xcs.0000000000000044..
Keywords: Surgery, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Joseph JM, Gori D, Curtin C
Gaps in standardized postoperative pain management quality measures: a systematic review.
Poor pain control in patients can lead to chronic pain, chronic opiate use or addiction, and patient suffering, making postoperative pain an important clinical issue. The researchers state that it is unclear whether measures for managing pain after surgery exist, warranting the study goal of assessment of the availability of postoperative pain management quality measures, including National Quality Forum-endorsed measures. In November 2019, the researchers conducted a systematic literature review using the National Quality Forum Quality Positioning System, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Indicators, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Measures Inventory Tool databases, to identify quality measures for the period between March 11, 2015, and March 11, 2020. The review identified 19 pain management quality measures, 5 of which were endorsed by the National Quality Forum. Three of the non-endorsed measures were specific to postoperative pain, with none of the endorsed measures specific to post-operative pain. The study concluded that there is a need for published, endorsed, rigorous postoperative pain quality measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS024096; HS027434.
Citation: Joseph JM, Gori D, Curtin C .
Gaps in standardized postoperative pain management quality measures: a systematic review.
Surgery 2022 Feb;171(2):453-58. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2021.08.004..
Keywords: Pain, Surgery, Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Practice Patterns
Lai LY, Kaufman SR, Modi PK
Impact of advanced practice provider integration into multispecialty group practices on outcomes following major surgery.
Researchers examined the impact of advanced practice provider (APP) integration into multispecialty group practices on outcomes after major surgery. Using Medicare data, they found that integration of APPs into multispecialty group practices was associated with improved postoperative outcomes after major surgery. They recommended that future research identify the mechanisms by which APPs improve outcomes to inform optimal utilization.
AHRQ-funded; HS025707.
Citation: Lai LY, Kaufman SR, Modi PK .
Impact of advanced practice provider integration into multispecialty group practices on outcomes following major surgery.
Surg Innov 2022 Feb;29(1):111-17. doi: 10.1177/15533506211013150..
Keywords: Surgery, Healthcare Delivery
Merkow RP, Massarweh NN
Looking beyond perioperative morbidity and mortality as measures of surgical quality.
The authors discussed the problems with a contemporaneous focus on morbidity and mortality as surgical quality measures and offered potential alternative options which could better refine and evolve surgical quality measurement, including process measures, value-based measures, patient-centered measures, and health equity.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Merkow RP, Massarweh NN .
Looking beyond perioperative morbidity and mortality as measures of surgical quality.
Ann Surg 2022 Feb;275(2):e281-e83. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000004966..
Keywords: Surgery, Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Mortality
Ko H, Martin BI, Nelson RE
Patient selection in the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model.
This study investigated whether the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) program induced participating hospitals to 1) preferentially select lower risk patients, 2) reduce 90-day episode-of-care costs, 3) improve quality of care, and 4) achieve greater cost reduction during its second year. The authors identified Medicare beneficiaries age 65 years or older undergoing hip or knee joint replacement from fee-for-service inpatient (Part A) claims from January 2013 through August 2017. Cases were linked to subsequent outpatient, Part B, home health agency, and skilled nursing facility claims. The effect of CJR was estimated for 785 participating hospitals in 67 metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and compared to those in 104 non-CJR MSAs (962 hospitals total). They excluded 172 hospitals from their analysis due to their preexisting BPCI participation. Reductions in 90-day episode-of-care costs were greater among CJR hospitals, which was largely driven by a 16.8% decline in 90-day spending in skilled nursing homes. CJR hospitals also significantly reduced the 90-day readmission rate and preferentially avoided patients 85 years or older and Black patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024714.
Citation: Ko H, Martin BI, Nelson RE .
Patient selection in the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model.
Health Serv Res 2022 Feb;57(1):72-90. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13880..
Keywords: Orthopedics, Surgery
Chhabra KR, Ghaferi AA, Yang J
Relationship between health care spending and clinical outcomes in bariatric surgery: implications for Medicare bundled payments.
This study’s objective was to evaluate sources of 90-day episode spending variation in Medicare patients undergoing bariatric surgery and whether spending variation was related to quality of care. A retrospective analysis of fee-for-service Medicare claims data from 761 acute care hospitals providing inpatient bariatric surgery was conducted between January 1, 2011 and September 30, 2016. Of 64,537 bariatric patients, 46% went sleeve gastrectomy, 22% revisited the emergency department (ED) within 90 days, and 12.5% were readmitted. Average 90-day payments were $14,124, ranging from $12,220 to $16,887. The largest components of spending variation were readmissions (44% of variation), post-acute care (19%), and index professional fees (15%). The lowest spending hospitals had the lowest complication, ED visit, post-acute utilization, and readmission rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS024403; HS023597.
Citation: Chhabra KR, Ghaferi AA, Yang J .
Relationship between health care spending and clinical outcomes in bariatric surgery: implications for Medicare bundled payments.
Ann Surg 2022 Feb;275(2):356-62. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000003979..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Surgery, Obesity, Outcomes
Patel PB, De Guerre L, Marcaccio CL
Sex-specific criteria for repair should be utilized in patients undergoing aortic aneurysm repair.
This study’s goal was determine if identifying inherent anatomic differences between sexes, aortic size index (ASI) and aortic height index (AHI) may provide an additional method for guiding treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery. Females are more likely to undergo repair at smaller aortic diameter compared with male patients. The authors identified all patients who underwent AAA repair between 2003 and 2019 in the Vascular Quality Initiative database. The Dubois and Dubois formula was used to calculate body surface area; aortic diameter was divided by body surface area to calculate ASI, and aortic diameter was divided by height to calculate AHI. They identified 55,647 patients, of whom 12,664 were female (20%). For both types of repairs (intact and rupture), female patients were older, less likely to undergo endovascular aneurysm repair, and more likely to have comorbid conditions. Female patients underwent repair at smaller median aortic diameter compared with male patients for intact (5.4 vs 5.5 cm) and rupture repair (6.7 vs 7.7 cm). When they analyzed the cumulative distribution of rupture repair in male patients, they found that 12% of rupture repairs were performed at an aortic diameter below 5.5 cm, but to achieve the same proportion of rupture repair in female patients, the repair diameter was only 4.9 cm. When both ASI and AHI were used, female and male patients both reached 12% of rupture repair at an ASI of 2.7 cm/m(2) and an AHI of 3.0 cm/m.
AHRQ-funded; HS027285.
Citation: Patel PB, De Guerre L, Marcaccio CL .
Sex-specific criteria for repair should be utilized in patients undergoing aortic aneurysm repair.
J Vasc Surg 2022 Feb; 75(2):515-25. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2021.08.060..
Keywords: Sex Factors, Cardiovascular Conditions, Surgery
Dos Santos Marques IC, Herbey II, Theiss LM
Understanding the surgical experience for Black and White patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): the importance of health literacy.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the surgical experience for Black and White inflammatory bowel disease patients. Same race, semi-structured qualitative interviews with patients with IBD who had undergone surgery were conducted to explore barriers and facilitators to a positive or negative surgical experience. The study reported that 6 focus groups were conducted with 10 Black and 17 White IBD participants with a mean age of 44.8 years, 52% of whom were male and 65% of whom had Crohn’s disease. Four themes were identified that most characterized the surgical experience: the impact of the IBD diagnosis, the quality of the information that was provided, disease management, and the surgery. Within these theme groupings, identified barriers to a positive surgical experience included inadequate personal knowledge of IBD, ineffective written and verbal communication, lack of a support system and complications after surgery. Both groups indicated that information was provided inconsistently which led to unclear expectations of surgical outcomes. The study concluded that surgical experiences vary between Black and White patients, but both groups emphasized the need for understandable, accurate, and trustworthy health information.
AHRQ-funded; HS023009; HS013852.
Citation: Dos Santos Marques IC, Herbey II, Theiss LM .
Understanding the surgical experience for Black and White patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): the importance of health literacy.
Am J Surg 2022 Feb;223(2):303-11. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2021.06.003..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Surgery, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Digestive Disease and Health, Patient Experience
Roberson ML, Nichols HB, Wheeler
Validity of breast cancer surgery treatment information in a state-based cancer registry.
Surgery is an important part of early stage breast cancer treatment that affects overall survival. Statewide cancer registries contain data on first course of cancer treatment for all patients diagnosed with cancer but the accuracy of these data are uncertain. In this study, the authors examined validity of breast cancer surgery treatment information in a state-based cancer registry.
AHRQ-funded; HS027299.
Citation: Roberson ML, Nichols HB, Wheeler .
Validity of breast cancer surgery treatment information in a state-based cancer registry.
Cancer Causes Control 2022 Feb;33(2):261-69. doi: 10.1007/s10552-021-01520-3..
Keywords: Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Surgery, Registries
Fatemi P, Zhang Y, Han SS
A, et al. External validation of a predictive model of adverse events following spine surgery.
The authors externally validated a previously developed predictive model for common 30-day adverse events after spine surgery, the Risk Assessment Tool for Adverse Events after Spine Surgery (RAT-Spine). Their results are presented as low-, moderate-, and high-risk designations.
AHRQ-funded; HS023800.
Citation: Fatemi P, Zhang Y, Han SS .
A, et al. External validation of a predictive model of adverse events following spine surgery.
Spine J 2022 Jan;22(1):104-12. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2021.06.006..
Keywords: Surgery, Adverse Events, Orthopedics, Risk