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Research Studies is a monthly compilation of research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers and recently published in journals or newsletters.
Results
1 to 25 of 78 Research Studies Displayed
Wilcock AD, Joshi S, Escarce J
Luck of the draw: role of chance in the assignment of Medicare readmissions penalties.
Pay-for-performance programs are one strategy used by health plans to improve the efficiency and quality of care delivered to beneficiaries. Under such programs, providers are often compared against their peers in order to win bonuses or face penalties in payment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact luck can have on the assessment of performance, the researchers investigated its role in assigning penalties under Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Policy (HRRP), a program that penalizes hospitals with excess readmissions.
AHRQ-funded; HS024284.
Citation:
Wilcock AD, Joshi S, Escarce J .
Luck of the draw: role of chance in the assignment of Medicare readmissions penalties.
PLoS One 2021 Dec 21;16(12):e0261363. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261363..
Keywords:
Medicare, Payment, Hospital Readmissions, Provider Performance, Quality of Care
Liao JM, Chatterjee P, Wang E
The effect of hospital safety net status on the association between bundled payment participation and changes in medical episode outcomes.
This study evaluated whether hospital safety net status affected the association between bundled payment participation and medical outcomes. The hospitals included were participants in Medicare’s Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BCPI) program from 2011-2016. Data from Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction, pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were used. Among BCPI hospitals, safety net status was not associated with differential postdischarge spending or quality. However, BPCI safety net hospitals had differentially greater discharge due to institutional post-acute care and lower discharge home with home health than BPCI non-safety net hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS027595.
Citation:
Liao JM, Chatterjee P, Wang E .
The effect of hospital safety net status on the association between bundled payment participation and changes in medical episode outcomes.
J Hosp Med 2021 Dec;16(12):716-23. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3722..
Keywords:
Medicare, Payment, Safety Net, Hospitals
Arntson E, Dimick JB, Nuliyalu U
Changes in hospital-acquired conditions and mortality associated with the hospital-acquired condition reduction program.
This study evaluated changes in Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HACs) and 30-day mortality after the announcement of the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services’ Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP) in August 2013. The authors evaluated models to test for changes in HACs and 30-day mortality before and after the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and after the HACRP. Fee-for-service Medicare claims from 2009 to 2015 were used. The HAC rate declined after the ACA was passed and declined further after the HACRP announcement. However, 30-day mortality rates were unchanged.
AHRQ-funded; HS026244.
Citation:
Arntson E, Dimick JB, Nuliyalu U .
Changes in hospital-acquired conditions and mortality associated with the hospital-acquired condition reduction program.
Ann Surg 2021 Oct 1;274(4):e301-e07. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000003641..
Keywords:
Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Mortality, Medicare, Payment, Prevention, Patient Safety
Roberts ET, Song Z, Ding L
Changes in patient experiences and assessment of gaming among large clinician practices in precursors of the merit-based incentive payment system.
Medicare's Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), a public reporting and pay-for-performance program, adjusts clinician payments based on publicly reported measures that are chosen primarily by clinicians or their practices. Within precursor programs of the MIPS, this study examined 1) practices' selection of Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) patient experience measures for quality scoring under pay-for-performance and 2) the association between mandated public reporting on CAHPS measures and performance on those measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation:
Roberts ET, Song Z, Ding L .
Changes in patient experiences and assessment of gaming among large clinician practices in precursors of the merit-based incentive payment system.
JAMA Health Forum 2021 Oct;2(10). doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.3105..
Keywords:
Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Patient Experience, Medicare, Provider Performance, Payment, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Markovitz AA, Ayanian JZ, Warrier A
Medicare Advantage plan double bonuses drive racial disparity in payments, yield no quality or enrollment improvements.
Using national data for 2008-18, investigators found that double bonuses were not associated with either improvements in plan quality or increased Medicare Advantage enrollment. Additionally, double bonuses increased payments to plans to care for Black beneficiaries by $60 per year, compared with $91 for White beneficiaries. These findings suggest that double bonuses not only fail to improve quality and enrollment but also foster a racially inequitable distribution of Medicare funds that disfavors Black beneficiaries. This study supports eliminating double bonuses, thereby saving Medicare an estimated $1.8 billion per year.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053.
Citation:
Markovitz AA, Ayanian JZ, Warrier A .
Medicare Advantage plan double bonuses drive racial disparity in payments, yield no quality or enrollment improvements.
Health Aff 2021 Sep;40(9):1411-19. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00349..
Keywords:
Medicare, Health Insurance, Payment, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Disparities, Racial / Ethnic Minorities
Hoffman GJ, U U, Bynum J
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and episode spending under Medicare's Bundled Payment for Care Improvements Advanced (BPCI-A).
Investigators evaluated the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) across the episodes included in Medicare's Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI-A) program and the association between ADRD and 90-day spending among hospitals participating in the BPCI-A program. They found that ADRD is associated with higher episode spending, highlighting the importance of closely monitoring the experience of these patients under BPCI-A to ensure that they are receiving appropriate care. This is particularly important for episodes like sepsis and pneumonia that are common among patients with ADRD and also highly prevalent under BPCI-A.
AHRQ-funded; HS025838.
Citation:
Hoffman GJ, U U, Bynum J .
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and episode spending under Medicare's Bundled Payment for Care Improvements Advanced (BPCI-A).
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Aug;36(8):2499-502. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06348-2..
Keywords:
Elderly, Dementia, Medicare, Payment
Fung V, McCarthy S, Price M
Payment discrepancies and access to primary care physicians for dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries.
This study examined whether the Affordable Care Act (ACA) primary care fee bump for dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries impacted primary care physicians (PCP) acceptance of duals. The authors assessed differences in the likelihood that PCPs had dual caseloads of ≥10% or 20% in states with lower versus full dual reimbursement using linear probability models adjusted for physician and area-level traits. The proportion of PCPs with dual caseloads of ≥10% or 20% decreased significantly between 2012 and 2017. The fee bump was not consistently associated with increases in dual caseloads.
AHRQ-funded; HS024725.
Citation:
Fung V, McCarthy S, Price M .
Payment discrepancies and access to primary care physicians for dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries.
Med Care 2021 Jun;59(6):487-94. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001525..
Keywords:
Primary Care, Medicaid, Medicare, Health Insurance, Payment, Access to Care
Sanghavi P, Jena AB, Newhouse JP
Identifying outlier patterns of inconsistent ambulance billing in Medicare.
The objective of this study was to illustrate a method that accounts for sampling variation in identifying suppliers and counties with outlying rates of a particular pattern of inconsistent billing for ambulance services to Medicare. The investigators concluded that health care fraud and abuse were frequently asserted but could be difficult to detect. They suggested that their data-driven approach may be a useful starting point for further investigation.
AHRQ-funded; 6HS022798; HS025720.
Citation:
Sanghavi P, Jena AB, Newhouse JP .
Identifying outlier patterns of inconsistent ambulance billing in Medicare.
Health Serv Res 2021 Apr;56(2):188-92. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13622..
Keywords:
Medicare, Payment, Health Services Research (HSR)
Post B, Norton EC, Hollenbeck B
Hospital-physician integration and Medicare's site-based outpatient payments.
AHRQ-funded; HS027044.
Citation:
Post B, Norton EC, Hollenbeck B .
Hospital-physician integration and Medicare's site-based outpatient payments.
Health Serv Res 2021 Feb;56(1):7-15. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13613..
Keywords:
Hospitals, Payment, Medicare, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Healthcare Delivery
Hambley BC, Anderson KE, Shanbhag SP
Payment incentives and the use of higher-cost drugs: a retrospective cohort analysis of intravenous iron in the Medicare population.
Researchers examined prescribing patterns in the context of intravenous (IV) iron, for which multiple similarly safe and efficacious formulations exist, with wide variations in price. Using Medicare data, they found an increase in the dispensing of a higher-priced IV iron formulation associated with a shortage of a less expensive drug that persisted once the shortage ended. They concluded that their findings in IV iron have broader implications for Part B drug payment policy because the price of the drug determines the physician and health system payment.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation:
Hambley BC, Anderson KE, Shanbhag SP .
Payment incentives and the use of higher-cost drugs: a retrospective cohort analysis of intravenous iron in the Medicare population.
Am J Manag Care 2020 Dec;26(12):516-22. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2020.88539..
Keywords:
Elderly, Medication, Medicare, Payment, Healthcare Costs, Practice Patterns
Ganguli I, Lupo C, Mainor AJ
Association between specialist compensation and Accountable Care Organization performance.
This study’s objective was to determine whether Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) using cost reduction measures in specialist compensation demonstrated better performance. National cross-sectional survey data on ACOs from 2013-2015 was linked to public-use data on ACO performance from 2014-2016. Out of 160 ACOs surveys, 26% reported using cost reduction measures to help determine specialist compensation. However, these ACOs did not have savings in the short term.
AHRQ-funded; HS023812.
Citation:
Ganguli I, Lupo C, Mainor AJ .
Association between specialist compensation and Accountable Care Organization performance.
Health Serv Res 2020 Oct;55(5):722-28. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13323..
Keywords:
Provider Performance, Healthcare Costs, Value, Payment, Medicare
Roberts ET, Nimgaonkar A, Aarons J
New evidence of state variation in Medicaid payment policies for dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollees.
The authors developed the first longitudinal database of state Medicaid policies for paying the cost sharing in Medicare Part B for services provided to dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollees (duals), and an index summarizing the impact of these policies on payments for physician office services. Information from 2004-2018 was consolidated from online Medicaid policy documents, state laws, and policy data reported to them by state Medicaid programs. The database showed that in 2018 42 states had policies to limit Medicaid payments of Medicare cost sharing when Medicaid’s fee schedule was lower than Medicare’s. This was an increase from 36 such states in 2004. In most states, combined Medicare and Medicare payments for evaluation and management services provided to duals averaged 78% of the Medicare allowed amount for these services.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation:
Roberts ET, Nimgaonkar A, Aarons J .
New evidence of state variation in Medicaid payment policies for dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollees.
Health Serv Res 2020 Oct;55(5):701-09. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13545..
Keywords:
Medicaid, Medicare, Payment, Policy, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance
Apathy NC, Everson J
High rates of partial participation in the first year of the merit-based incentive payment system.
This article discusses concerns over the implementation of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for clinicians, which was authorized with the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. Data was analyzed from 2017, the first implementation year of MIPS. The authors found that although 90% of participating clinicians reported performance equal to or better than the lower performance threshold of 3 out of 100, almost half of clinicians did not participate in at least one of the three program categories. Even with the low participation rate, 74% of clinicians who only partially participated in the program received positive payment adjustments. The findings underline concerns that the design may have been too flexible to effectively incentivize clinicians to make incremental progress across all targeted aspects of the program (quality, advancing care information, and improvement activities).
AHRQ-funded; K12 HS026395.
Citation:
Apathy NC, Everson J .
High rates of partial participation in the first year of the merit-based incentive payment system.
Health Aff 2020 Sep;39(9):1513-21. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01648..
Keywords:
Payment, Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Health Insurance
Reynolds EL, Kerber KA, Hill C
The effects of the Medicare NCS reimbursement policy: utilization, payments, and patient access.
The purpose of this research was to determine whether the 2013 nerve conduction study (NCS) reimbursement reduction changed Medicare use, payments, and patient access to Medicare physicians by performing a retrospective analysis of Medicare data. The investigators found that the Medicare NCS reimbursement policy resulted in a larger decrease in NCS providers than in EMG providers. Despite fewer neurologists and physiatrists performing NCS, Medicare access to these physicians for E/M services was not affected.
AHRQ-funded; HS017690; HS022258.
Citation:
Reynolds EL, Kerber KA, Hill C .
The effects of the Medicare NCS reimbursement policy: utilization, payments, and patient access.
Neurology 2020 Aug 18;95(7):e930-e35. doi: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000010090..
Keywords:
Payment, Medicare, Policy, Practice Patterns
He D, McHenry P, Mellor JM
Do financial incentives matter? Effects of Medicare price shocks on skilled nursing facility care.
The authors provided new evidence on how Medicare payment changes affect the amount of skilled nursing facility (SNF) care provided to Medicare patients. They found that increases in Medicare payment rates to SNFs increased the total number of Medicare resident days at SNFs. Further, the effects were asymmetric; although Medicare payment increases affected Medicare days, payment decreases did not. They conclude that their results have important implications for policies that alter the Medicare base payment rates to SNFs and other health care providers.
AHRQ-funded; HS025529.
Citation:
He D, McHenry P, Mellor JM .
Do financial incentives matter? Effects of Medicare price shocks on skilled nursing facility care.
Health Econ 2020 Jun;29(6):655-70. doi: 10.1002/hec.4009..
Keywords:
Medicare, Nursing Homes, Elderly, Payment, Healthcare Costs
Mroz TM, Patterson DG, Frogner BK
The impact of Medicare's rural add-on payments on supply of home health agencies serving rural counties.
This analysis looked at the impact of Medicare’s rural add-on payments on supply of home health agencies serving rural counties. The authors used data from Home Health Compare. The results suggest that while supply changes are similar in rural counties adjacent to urban areas and urban counties regardless of add-on payments, only higher add-payments of 5 to 10 percent to rural counties keep them on pace with those in urban counties.
AHRQ-funded; HS024777.
Citation:
Mroz TM, Patterson DG, Frogner BK .
The impact of Medicare's rural add-on payments on supply of home health agencies serving rural counties.
Health Aff 2020 Jun;39(6):949-57. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00952..
Keywords:
Elderly, Medicare, Home Healthcare, Rural Health, Payment, Access to Care
Hoffman GJ, Yakusheva O
Association between financial incentives in Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program and hospital readmission performance.
This study compared the outcome of penalties versus rewards to prevent hospital readmission in Medicare’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). This retrospective cohort study used Medicare readmissions data from 2823 US short-term acute care hospitals participating in HRRP. Data from pre-HRRP in 2016 was compared with 2016-2019 3-year follow-up readmission performance classified by tertile of hospitals using baseline marginal incentives for 5 HRRP-targeted conditions: acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, and hip and/or knee surgery. Of the 2823 hospitals participating in HRRP from baseline to follow-up, 81% had more than 1 excess readmission for 1 or more applicable condition and 19% did not. Financial incentives ranged from a mean range of $8762 to $58,158 per 1 avoided readmission. Hospitals with greater incentives for readmission avoidance had greater decreases than hospitals with smaller incentives. An additional $5000 in the incentive amount was associated with up to a 26% decrease in readmissions. The findings suggest that incentives work better than penalties to reduce hospital readmissions for those 5 conditions.
AHRQ-funded; HS025838.
Citation:
Hoffman GJ, Yakusheva O .
Association between financial incentives in Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program and hospital readmission performance.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Apr;3(4):e202044. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2044..
Keywords:
Medicare, Hospital Readmissions, Provider Performance, Payment, Health Insurance, Hospitals
Selden TM
Differences between public and private hospital payment rates narrowed, 2012-16.
In 2000-12 payments for inpatient hospital stays, emergency department visits, and outpatient hospital care for privately insured patients grew much faster than payments for Medicare and Medicaid patients. This widening of private-public payment gaps slowed or even reversed itself in 2012-16. In this paper, the author discusses the differences between public and private hospital payment rates, 2012-2016.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation:
Selden TM .
Differences between public and private hospital payment rates narrowed, 2012-16.
Health Aff 2020 Jan;39(1):94-99. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00415..
Keywords:
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Hospitals, Payment, Healthcare Costs, Medicaid, Medicare
Werner RM, Konetzka RT, Qi M
The impact of Medicare copayments for skilled nursing facilities on length of stay, outcomes, and costs.
The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of Medicare's skilled nursing facility (SNF) copayment policy, with a large increase in the daily copayment rate on the 20th day of a benefit period, on length of stay, patient outcomes, and costs. The investigators concluded that Medicare's SNF copayment policy was associated with shorter lengths of stay and worse patient outcomes, suggesting the copayment policy had unintended and negative effects on patient outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024266.
Citation:
Werner RM, Konetzka RT, Qi M .
The impact of Medicare copayments for skilled nursing facilities on length of stay, outcomes, and costs.
Health Serv Res 2019 Dec;54(6):1184-92. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13227..
Keywords:
Medicare, Nursing Homes, Payment, Long-Term Care, Healthcare Costs, Elderly, Hospitalization, Hospital Discharge
Chatterjee P, Qi M, Coe NB
Association between high discharge rates of vulnerable patients and skilled nursing facility copayments.
The authors sought to determine whether patterns of skilled nursing facility (SNF) discharge are associated with the change in Medicare payment responsibility on day 20. They found that Medicare beneficiaries were more often discharged from SNFs on benefit day 20 than on benefit days 19 or 21. Those discharged on day 20 were more likely to be racial/ethnic minorities and to live in areas of lower socioeconomic status compared with those discharged before or after day 20. Their findings suggested an association between disproportionately high SNF discharge rates of vulnerable patients and existing Medicare payment policies. The authors recommended that payment policies be designed with consideration of the potential for such unintended consequences, and that any potential consequences be mitigated by balancing existing payment structures with incentives to provide optimal patient care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024266.
Citation:
Chatterjee P, Qi M, Coe NB .
Association between high discharge rates of vulnerable patients and skilled nursing facility copayments.
JAMA Intern Med 2019 Sep;179(9):1296-98. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.1209.
.
.
Keywords:
Vulnerable Populations, Nursing Homes, Medicare, Payment, Policy, Social Determinants of Health
Childrers CP, Dworsky JQ, Kominski G
A comparison of payments to a for-profit dialysis firm from government and commercial insurers.
The authors assessed differences in payments from government and commercial insurers to dialysis clinics through analysis of DaVita’s financial records. They found that, in 2017, commercial insurers paid one of the largest dialysis suppliers 4 times the rate of their government peers. They recommended that reducing payments from commercial insurers, perhaps through increased competition or fixing charges at a percent of Medicare reimbursement, may help alleviate excess spending on dialysis.
AHRQ-funded; HS025079.
Citation:
Childrers CP, Dworsky JQ, Kominski G .
A comparison of payments to a for-profit dialysis firm from government and commercial insurers.
JAMA Intern Med 2019 Aug;179(8):1136-38. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0431..
Keywords:
Dialysis, Payment, Health Insurance, Medicare, Medicaid
Song LD, Newhouse JP, Garcia-De-Albeniz X
Changes in screening colonoscopy following Medicare reimbursement and cost-sharing changes.
This study examined changes in screening colonoscopy rates after Medicare reimbursement and cost-sharing changed when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented. A 20% random sample of fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare claims from 2002-2012 was used in this study. Screening colonoscopy rates did increase after 2001 when cost-sharing was eliminated but the amount varied depending on the algorithm used to classify the indication.
AHRQ-funded; HS023128.
Citation:
Song LD, Newhouse JP, Garcia-De-Albeniz X .
Changes in screening colonoscopy following Medicare reimbursement and cost-sharing changes.
Health Serv Res 2019 Aug;54(4):839-50. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13150..
Keywords:
Colonoscopy, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Medicare, Payment, Prevention, Screening
Sankaran R, Sukul D, Nuliyalu U
Changes in hospital safety following penalties in the US Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program: retrospective cohort study.
This study evaluated the association between hospital penalization in the US Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP) and changes in clinical outcomes. Out of the total of 724 hospitals were penalized in fiscal year 2015, 708 were included in the study. The majority of the penalized hospitals were large teaching institutions and have a greater share of low-income patients than non-penalized hospitals. After penalization, there was a non-significant change in hospital acquired conditions, 30-day readmission rates, and 30-day mortality. This might mean that disparities in care could be exacerbated.
AHRQ-funded; HS026244.
Citation:
Sankaran R, Sukul D, Nuliyalu U .
Changes in hospital safety following penalties in the US Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program: retrospective cohort study.
BMJ 2019 Jul 3;366:l4109. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l4109..
Keywords:
Health Insurance, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Medicare, Patient Safety, Provider Performance, Payment, Quality of Care, Quality Indicators (QIs)
Markovitz AA, Mullangi S, Hollingsworth JM
ACOs and the 1%: changes in spending among high-cost patients following the Medicare shared savings program.
This paper analyzed changes in spending among high-cost patients following the creation of accountable care organizations (ACOs), specifically for the Medicare Shared Savings Program – which is Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) flagship program. Changes in spending for Medicare fee-for-services were analyzed for different spending percentiles (50th, 90th, and 99th) as well as regionally. While there was a reduction in spending, it was not considered statistically significant and has not affected spending within or across regions. However, the authors note that the study is limited by the program’s voluntary nature and may be not a full reflection of the changes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024525; HS024728; HS025615.
Citation:
Markovitz AA, Mullangi S, Hollingsworth JM .
ACOs and the 1%: changes in spending among high-cost patients following the Medicare shared savings program.
J Gen Intern Med 2019 Jul;34(7):1116-18. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-04963-2..
Keywords:
Medicare, Healthcare Costs, Value, Payment
Zhu JM, Navathe A, Yuan Y
Medicare's bundled payment model did not change skilled nursing facility discharge patterns.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether participation in Medicare's voluntary Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) model was associated with changes in discharge referral patterns to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), specifically number of SNF partners and discharge concentration. The investigators concluded that hospital participation in BPCI was not associated with changes in the number of SNF partners or in discharge concentration relative to non-BPCI hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS024266.
Citation:
Zhu JM, Navathe A, Yuan Y .
Medicare's bundled payment model did not change skilled nursing facility discharge patterns.
Am J Manag Care 2019 Jul;25(7):329-34..
Keywords:
Medicare, Payment, Practice Patterns, Hospital Discharge, Nursing Homes
