National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
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1 to 1 of 1 Research Studies DisplayedZhou M, Oakes AH, Bridges JFP
Regional supply of medical resources and systemic overuse of health care among Medicare beneficiaries.
The goal of this study was to explore health care system factors associated with regional variation in overuse of resources, as measured by the Johns Hopkins Overuse Index (JHOI). Medicare fee-for-service claims data from beneficiaries age 65 was used to calculate the JHOI for 306 hospital referral regions in the U.S. Regions with a higher density of primary care physicians had a lower JHOI, which indicates less systemic overuse. Regional characteristics associated with higher JHOI included the number of acute care hospital beds per 1000 residents and number of hospital-based anesthesiologists, pathologists, and radiologists. The authors conclude that regional variations in health care resources are associated with the level of systemic overuse of health care, and that the role of primary care doctors in reducing overuse deserves further attention.
AHRQ-funded; T32 HS000029.
Citation: Zhou M, Oakes AH, Bridges JFP .
Regional supply of medical resources and systemic overuse of health care among Medicare beneficiaries.
J Gen Intern Med 2018 Dec;33(12):2127-31. doi: 10.1007/s11606-018-4638-9..
Keywords: Access to Care, Elderly, Healthcare Delivery, Healthcare Utilization, Medicare, Practice Patterns