Testing the Feasibility of a Cross-Setting Measure to Address the Rising Trend in Hospital Outpatient TJA Procedures.

Background: Elective primary total hip and total knee arthroplasty (collectively, total joint arthroplasties [TJAs]) are commonly performed procedures that can reduce pain and improve function. TJAs are generally safe, but complications can occur. Although historically performed as inpatient procedures, TJAs are increasingly being performed in the outpatient setting.

Inclusion of Veterans Health Administration hospitals in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings.

Background/objective: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating, established in 2016, is a summary of publicly available quality information for acute care hospitals. In July 2023, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals became eligible to receive a CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating for the first time. Our objective was to compare performance in quality ratings among VHA and non-VHA hospitals.

Processing and validation of inpatient Medicare Advantage data for use in hospital outcome measures.

Objective: To determine the feasibility of integrating Medicare Advantage (MA) admissions into the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hospital outcome measures through combining Medicare Advantage Organization (MAO) encounter- and hospital-submitted inpatient claims.

Data Sources And Study Setting: Beneficiary enrollment data and inpatient claims from the Integrated Data Repository for 2018 Medicare discharges.

Study Design: We examined timeliness of MA claims, compared diagnosis and procedure codes for admissions with claims submitted both by the hospital and the MAO (overlapping claims), and compared demographic characteristics and principal diagnosis codes for admissions with overlapping claims versus admissions with a single claim.

Incorporating Medicare Advantage Admissions Into the CMS Hospital-Wide Readmission Measure.

Importance: Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment is rapidly expanding, yet Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) claims-based hospital outcome measures, including readmission rates, have historically included only fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries.

Objective: To assess the outcomes of incorporating MA data into the CMS claims-based FFS Hospital-Wide All-Cause Unplanned Readmission (HWR) measure.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study assessed differences in 30-day unadjusted readmission rates and demographic and risk adjustment variables for MA vs FFS admissions.

Calculation of Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings With and Without Inclusion of the Peer Grouping Step.

Importance: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Overall Star Rating is widely used by patients and consumers, and there is continued stakeholder curiosity surrounding the inclusion of a peer grouping step, implemented to the 2021 Overall Star Rating methods.

Objective: To calculate hospital star rating scores with and without the peer grouping step, with the former approach stratifying hospitals into 3-, 4-, and 5-measure group peer groups based on the number of measure groups with at least 3 reported measures.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study used Care Compare website data from January 2023 for 3076 hospitals that received a star rating in 2023.

Assessing the accuracy of race-and-ethnicity data in the Outcome and Assessment Information Set.

Background: Limitations in the quality of race-and-ethnicity information in Medicare's data systems constrain efforts to assess disparities in care among older Americans. Using demographic information from standardized patient assessments may be an efficient way to enhance the accuracy and completeness of race-and-ethnicity information in Medicare's data systems, but it is critical to first establish the accuracy of these data as they may be prone to inaccurate observer-reported or third-party-based information. This study evaluates the accuracy of patient-level race-and-ethnicity information included in the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) submitted by home health agencies.

Care coordination between specialty care and primary care: a focus group study of provider perspectives on strong practices and improvement opportunities.

Care coordination between the specialty care provider (SCP) and the primary care provider (PCP) is a critical component of safe, efficient, and patient-centered care. Veterans Health Administration conducted a series of focus groups of providers, from specialty care and primary care clinics at VA Medical Centers nationally, to assess 1) what SCPs and PCPs perceive to be current practices that enable or hinder effective care coordination with one another and 2) how these perceptions differ between the two groups of providers. A qualitative thematic analysis of the gathered data validates previous studies that identify communication as being an important enabler of coordination, and uncovers relationship building between specialty care and primary care (particularly through both formal and informal relationship-building opportunities such as collaborative seminars and shared lunch space, respectively) to be the most notable facilitator of effective communication between the two sides.

Acculturation and substance use: social influence as a mediator among Hispanic alternative high school youth.

Research suggests that acculturation increases the risk of substance use among Hispanic youth. However, this process is not well understood. This study examined associations between acculturation and several substance use indicators among a sample of 714 Hispanic youth attending alternative high schools in southern California.