Early Childhood Care Coordination Through 211: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background And Objectives: Early intervention services can improve outcomes for children with developmental delays. Health care providers, however, often struggle to ensure timely referrals and services. We tested the effectiveness of telephone-based early childhood developmental care coordination through 211 LA, a health and human services call center serving Los Angeles County, in increasing referral and enrollment in services.

Quantifying the insurance value for rare diseases: Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Objectives: To quantify the magnitude of an ISPOR novel value element, insurance value, as applied to new treatments for a rare, severe disease with pediatric onset: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Study Design: Prospective survey of individuals planning to have children in the future.

Methods: A survey was administered to US adults (aged ≥ 21 years) planning to have a child in the future to elicit willingness to pay (WTP) for insurance coverage for a new hypothetical DMD treatment that improved mortality and morbidity relative to the current standard of care.

Reduced racial disparity in receipt of optimal locoregional treatment for women with early-stage breast cancer.

Introduction: Racial disparities in breast cancer treatment contribute to Black women having the worst breast cancer survival rates in the U.S. We investigated whether differences in receipt of optimal locoregional treatment (OLT), defined as receipt of mastectomy, breast-conserving surgery, or no surgery when contraindicated, existed between Black and White women with early-stage breast cancer from 2008-2018.

Association between use of ß2-adrenergic receptor agonists and incidence of Parkinson's disease: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Introduction: Previous observational studies assessing β2-agonist/-antagonist use on PD risk have yielded conflicting results. We evaluated the relationship between β2-agonist use and the incidence of Parkinson's disease in patients with chronic lung disease.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis on a 20% random sample abstracted from a traditional (fee-for-service) Medicare program in the United States.

What do nonprofit hospitals reward? An examination of CEO compensation in nonprofit hospitals.

Nonprofit hospital chief executive officer (CEO) compensation has received considerable attention in light of nonprofits' tax-favored status as well as the high costs of hospital care. Past studies have found that hospital financial performance is a significant determinant of CEO pay but nonprofit performance, including quality and charity care, are not. Using post-ACA data, we re-examine whether a variety of hospital performance measures are important determinants of nonprofit hospital CEO compensation.

Association of cash payment with intensity of opioid prescriptions.

Background: It is difficult to track use and outcomes in patients who pay cash for their prescriptions at the pharmacy. In Texas, 14% of all opioid prescriptions are paid with cash, often by uninsured patients and pharmacy shoppers.

Objective: To evaluate the association of cash payment with intensity of opioid prescriptions.

Trends in the quality and cost of inpatient surgical procedures in the United States, 2002-2015.

Objectives: This study documents trends in risk-adjusted quality and cost for a variety of inpatient surgical procedures among Medicare beneficiaries from 2002 through 2015, which can provide valuable insight on future strategies to improve public health and health care.

Methods: We focused on 11 classes of inpatient surgery, defined by the Agency for Health Research and Quality's (AHRQ's) Clinical Classification System. The surgical classes studied included a wide range of surgeries, including tracheostomy, heart valve procedures, colorectal resection, and wound debridement, among others.

Disparities In County COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Linked To Disadvantage And Hesitancy.

We analyzed trends in adult COVID-19 vaccine coverage over time based on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and social vulnerability. We found that each of these variables carries an independent association with disparities across counties in COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Counties that score high on both hesitancy and vulnerability are especially likely to have lower COVID-19 vaccination rates compared with the rest of the country.

Measuring the Value Healthy Individuals Place on Generous Insurance Coverage of Severe Diseases: A Stated Preference Survey of Adults Diagnosed With and Without Lung Cancer.

Objectives: To compare the ex ante willingness to pay (WTP) of healthy individuals for generous insurance coverage of novel lung cancer treatments to the WTP for coverage of such treatment among individuals with lung cancer.

Methods: A survey was administered to 2 cohorts of US adults: (1) healthy individuals without cancer and (2) individuals diagnosed with lung cancer. A multiple random staircase survey design was used to elicit respondent WTP for coverage of novel lung cancer therapy associated with survival gains.

Reporting of Infectious Diseases in the United States During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.

Reporting of infectious diseases other than COVID-19 has been greatly decreased throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We find this decrease varies by routes of transmission, reporting state, and COVID-19 incidence at the time of reporting. These results underscore the need for continual investment in routine surveillance efforts despite pandemic conditions.

Access to the 340B Drug Pricing Program: is there evidence of strategic hospital behavior?

Objective: The 340B Drug Pricing Program allows hospitals to purchase covered drugs at a discount and potentially generate profit if they are reimbursed at rates that exceed 340B acquisition prices. Disproportionate share hospitals (DSH) are eligible to participate in 340B if their DSH adjustment-a measure that identifies hospitals that treat a disproportionate share of low income Medicare or Medicaid patients-is above 11.75%.

Association between exenatide use and incidence of Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Recent developments suggest that insulin-sensitizing agents used to treat type II diabetes (T2DM) may also prove useful in reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The objective of this study is o analyze the association between exenatide use among Medicare beneficiaries with T2DM and the incidence of AD.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis on claims data from a 20% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries with T2DM from 2007 to 2013 (n = 342,608).

Comparison of Direct Oral Anticoagulants Versus Warfarin in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Bioprosthetic Heart Valves.

There are limited data regarding direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for stroke prevention in patients with bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs) and atrial fibrillation (AF). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the ambulatory utilization of DOACs and to compare the effectiveness and safety of DOACs versus warfarin in patients with AF and BHVs. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a large integrated health care delivery system in California.

Change in Reported Adherence to Nonpharmaceutical Interventions During the COVID-19 Pandemic, April-November 2020.

This study uses national survey data to describe overall and regional trends in adherence to protective behaviors (mask wearing, physical distancing, staying at home, others) among US adults during the COVID-19 pandemic from April to November 2020.

Higher Surgeon Procedure Volume Is Associated with Improved Hemodialysis Vascular Access Outcomes.

The objective of this study was to examine the association between surgeon characteristics, procedural volume, and short-term outcomes of hemodialysis vascular access. A retrospective cohort study was performed using Medicare Part A and B data from 2007 through 2014 merged with American Medical Association Physician Masterfile surgeon data. A total of 29,034 procedures met the inclusion criteria: 22,541 (78%) arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and 6,493 (22%) arteriovenous graft (AVG).