Sickle Cell Disease in an Older Adult Population: A Retrospective Review of Health Care Resource Utilization.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) has a history of health inequity, as patients with SCD are primarily Black and often marginalized from the health care system. Although recent health care and treatment advancements have prolonged life expectancy, it may be insufficient to support the complex needs of the growing population of older adults with SCD. This retrospective study used a cohort ( = 812) of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries 45 years and older (ages: 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75-89) with SCD to identify associations of SCD-related complications and comorbidities with emergency department (ED) visits, potentially avoidable ED visits, all-cause hospitalization, and potentially avoidable hospitalizations, 2018-2020.

Aquacel Ag Advantage/Ag+ Extra and Cutimed Sorbact in the management of hard-to-heal wounds: a cohort study.

Objective: To compare Aquacel Ag Advantage/Ag+ Extra (Aquacel Ag+) (Convatec, UK) and Cutimed Sorbact (Sorbact) (Essity, US) dressings indicated for the treatment of patients with venous leg ulcers (VLUs), diabetes foot ulcers (DFUs) and pressure injuries (PIs) for clinical performance and outcomes using real-world evidence in Germany and the US.

Method: This study was a chart audit review of patients who used either Aquacel Ag+ or Sorbact dressings in the 24 months prior to October 2022. Healthcare providers with access to electronic medical records and charts were asked to capture data via patient record forms.

Assessing Area-Level Deprivation as a Proxy for Individual-Level Social Risks.

Introduction: Concerns about the opportunity costs of social screening initiatives have led some healthcare organizations to consider using social deprivation indices (area-level social risks) as proxies for self-reported needs (individual-level social risks). Yet, little is known about the effectiveness of such substitutions across different populations.

Methods: This analysis explores how well the highest quartile (cold spot) of three different area-level social risk measures-the Social Deprivation Index, Area Deprivation Index, and Neighborhood Stress Score-corresponds with six individual-level social risks and three risk combinations among a national sample of Medicare Advantage members (N=77,503).

Association of Health-Related Social Needs With Quality and Utilization Outcomes in a Medicare Advantage Population With Diabetes.

Importance: Recent research highlights the association of social determinants of health with health outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Objective: To examine associations between health-related social needs (HRSNs) and health care quality and utilization outcomes in a Medicare Advantage population with T2D.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study used medical and pharmacy claims data from 2019.

Healthcare cost associations of patients who use illicit drugs in Florida: a retrospective analysis.

Background: Illicit drug use increases visits to the hospital. Research is limited on the costs of these healthcare visits by illicit drug.

Methods: Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration's emergency department and inpatient datasets from 2016 to 2018 were analyzed.

Association of mechanism of injury with overtriage of injured youth patients as trauma alerts.

Background: Trauma alert criteria include physiologic and anatomic criteria, although field triage based on injury mechanism is common. This analysis evaluates injury mechanisms associated with pediatric trauma alert overtriage and estimates the effect of overtriage on patient care costs.

Methods: Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration inpatient and financial data for 2012-2014 were used.

Inpatient and emergency department costs from sports injuries among youth aged 5-18 years.

Objective: To analyse the financial costs from sports injuries among inpatients and emergency department (ED) patients aged 5-18 with a focus on Medicaid patients.

Methods: Fixed-effects linear regression was used to assess the association of patient factors with cost of injury from sports. Florida Agency for Health Care Administration data from 2010 to 2014 were used, which included all inpatient and ED patients aged 5-18 years who had a sports injury.

Association of Trauma Alert Response Charges With Volume and Hospital Ownership Type in Florida.

Objective: The purpose was to analyze the association of trauma volume and hospital trauma center (TC) ownership type with trauma alert (TA) response charges, which are billed for activation of the trauma team to the emergency department (ED).

Methods: All Florida ED and inpatients who were billed a TA charge from 2012 to 2014 were included (62 974 observations). Multiple linear regression, controlling for patient and hospital factors, was used to identify associations between TA charges and trauma volume and hospital ownership type.

The Probability of Hospitalizations for Mild-to-Moderate Injuries by Trauma Center Ownership Type.

Objective: To corroborate anecdotal evidence with systematic evidence of a lower threshold for admission among for-profit hospitals.

Data Sources: The study used Florida emergency department and hospital discharge datasets for 2012 to 2014. The treatment variable of interest was for-profit-designated trauma center status.