The effects of shared decision making on health outcomes, health care quality, cost, and consultation time: An umbrella review.

Objective: To review the effects of shared decision making (SDM) on health outcomes, health care quality, cost, and consultation time METHODS: We conducted an umbrella review and searched systematic reviews on SDM from PubMed, CINHAL, and Web of Science. We included reviews on SDM interventions used in a health care setting with patients. We assessed the eligibility of retrieved articles and evaluated whether the review addressed Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) characteristics.

Associations of U.S. hospital closure (2007-2018) with area socioeconomic disadvantage and racial/ethnic composition.

Purpose: To examine whether hospital closure is associated with high levels of area socioeconomic disadvantage and racial/ethnic minority composition.

Methods: Pooled cross-sectional analysis (2007-2018) of 6467 U.S.

Changes in Hospital Adverse Events and Patient Outcomes Associated With Private Equity Acquisition.

Importance: The effects of private equity acquisitions of US hospitals on the clinical quality of inpatient care and patient outcomes remain largely unknown.

Objective: To examine changes in hospital-acquired adverse events and hospitalization outcomes associated with private equity acquisitions of US hospitals.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Data from 100% Medicare Part A claims for 662 095 hospitalizations at 51 private equity-acquired hospitals were compared with data for 4 160 720 hospitalizations at 259 matched control hospitals (not acquired by private equity) for hospital stays between 2009 and 2019.

Evaluating trends in private equity ownership and impacts on health outcomes, costs, and quality: systematic review.

Objective: To review the evidence on trends and impacts of private equity (PE) ownership of healthcare operators.

Design: Systematic review.

Data Sources: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and SSRN.

Workforce Composition In Private Equity-Acquired Versus Non-Private Equity-Acquired Physician Practices.

Despite growth in private equity (PE) acquisitions of physician practices in the US, little is known about how changes in ownership influence workforce composition. Using clinician-level data linked to practice acquisition information, we estimated changes in clinician workforce composition in PE-acquired practice sites relative to non-PE-acquired independent practice sites for dermatology, ophthalmology, and gastroenterology specialties. We calculated a clinician replacement ratio (cumulative number of entering clinicians during 2014-19 divided by the cumulative number of exiting clinicians) across 213 PE-acquired practices and 995 matched non-PE-acquired practices.

Association of Private Equity Acquisition of Physician Practices With Changes in Health Care Spending and Utilization.

Importance: Private equity acquisitions of physician practices in the US have been increasing rapidly; however, the implications for health care delivery and spending are unclear.

Objective: To examine changes in prices and utilization associated with private equity acquisitions of physician practices across multiple specialties.

Design, Settings, And Participants: This was a difference-in-differences event study of US physician practices specialized in dermatology, gastroenterology, and ophthalmology that were acquired by private equity firms from 2016 to 2020.

Private Equity Acquisitions Of Ambulatory Surgical Centers Were Not Associated With Quality, Cost, Or Volume Changes.

Ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) are increasingly being acquired by private equity firms, yet the implications for patients remain understudied. In this study we employed a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design within an event study framework to assess changes in outcomes associated with the acquisition of ASCs by private equity entities. Using a two-way fixed effects model, we assessed the baseline probability of an unplanned hospital visit, total costs, and total encounters three years preacquisition compared with three years postacquisition in ASCs acquired by private equity versus those acquired by non-private equity entities.

Trends in Real Estate Investment Trust Ownership of US Health Care Properties.

This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence and characteristics of real estate investment trust-owned health care properties in the US health care sector.

Prevalence and performance of private equity-affiliated fertility practices in the United States.

Objective: To quantify the proportion of annual assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles performed at private equity-affiliated fertility practices and to test for differences in services and success rates between private equity-affiliated and nonaffiliated practices.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of national data set.

Setting: Not applicable.

Mortality Before and After Border Wall Construction Along the US-Mexico Border, 1990-2017.

To evaluate changes in mortality in US counties along the US-Mexico border in which there was substantial new border wall construction after the Secure Fence Act of 2006 relative to border counties in which there was no such border wall construction. Using complete 1990 to 2017 mortality microdata and a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design, we evaluated changes in overall (all-cause) mortality, mortality from drug overdose, and mortality from homicide in the 10 counties with substantial new border wall construction and 11 counties with no such construction. We fit a linear model, adjusting for population characteristics and county and year fixed effects, with Bonferroni adjustments for multiple comparisons.

Changes in Hospital Income, Use, and Quality Associated With Private Equity Acquisition.

Importance: Rigorous evidence describing the relationship between private equity acquisition and changes in hospital spending and quality is currently lacking.

Objective: To examine changes in hospital income, use, and quality measures that may be associated with private equity acquisition.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study identified 204 hospitals acquired by private equity firms from 2005 to 2017 and 532 matched hospitals not acquired by private equity.

Expansion of Private Equity Involvement in Women's Health Care.

This cross-sectional study examines the clinical and societal implications of the exansion of private equity in women’s health care.

Intestinal infection associated with future onset of an anxiety disorder: Results of a nationally representative study.

Recent research involving mice suggests a possible relationship between intestinal infection and future anxiety-like behavior. However, there has been little epidemiological research showing such a connection in humans. This study uses the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to assess longitudinally the association between intestinal infection and later onset of an anxiety disorder, through a nationally representative sample.