Validity of different algorithmic methods to identify hospital readmissions from routinely coded medical data.

Background: Hospital readmission rates are used for quality and pay-for-performance initiatives. To identify readmissions from administrative data, two commonly employed methods are focusing either on unplanned readmissions (used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS) or potentially avoidable readmissions (used by commercial vendors such as SQLape or 3 M). However, it is not known which of these methods has higher criterion validity and can more accurately identify actually avoidable readmissions.

Validity of 16 AHRQ Patient Safety Indicators to identify in-hospital complications: a medical record review across nine Swiss hospitals.

The validity of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) has been established in the USA and Canada. However, these indicators are also used for hospital benchmarking and cross-country comparisons in other nations with different health-care settings and coding systems as well as missing present on admission (POA) flags in the administrative data. This study sought to comprehensively assess and compare the validity of 16 PSIs in Switzerland, where they have not been previously applied.

ASA score and procedure type predict complications and costs in maxillofacial reconstructive surgery: a retrospective study using a hospital administrative database.

Background: Reconstruction of osseous and soft tissue defects after surgical resection of oral cavity cancers can be achieved by a single-stage procedure with a microvascular bone flap or by a two-step approach with a soft tissue flap and subsequent bone augmentation. The therapeutic approach should be selected based on the patient’s needs. Economic pressure requires preoperative risk assessment and estimation of the postoperative course.

Are the rib fracture score and different computed tomography measures of obesity predictors for mortality in patients with rib fractures? A retrospective cohort study.

Background: There is missing knowledge about the association of obesity and mortality in patients with rib fractures. Since the global measure of obesity (body mass index [BMI]) is often unknown in trauma patients, it would be convenient to use local computed tomography (CT)-based measures (e.g.

Higher age is a major driver of in-hospital adverse events independent of comorbid diseases among patients with isolated mild traumatic brain injury.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to investigate if and to what extent age, independent of comorbid diseases, is a risk factor for negative in-hospital outcome with mTBI.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, we identified 1589 adult patients treated for isolated mTBI in our level-1 trauma center between 2008 and 2015. We used logistic regression analyses to assess the odds of any adverse event by age group (< 65, 65-75, 76-85, and 85+), adjusting for gender and chronic diseases.

Predictors for shorter and longer length of hospital stay outliers: a retrospective case-control study of 8247 patients at a university hospital trauma department.

Background: Providing efficient healthcare is important for hospitals. Shorter and longer length of hospital stay (LOS) outliers influence financial results and reimbursement. The objective of this study was to identify independent diagnosis related group (DRG)-related risk factors for shorter and longer LOS outlier status.

Is rivaroxaban associated with higher morbidity and mortality in patients with traumatic head injuries? A retrospective cohort study comparing rivaroxaban, no anticoagulation, and phenprocoumon.

Objectives: The use of new anticoagulants potentially carries the risk of increased intracranial bleeding, but there is a lack of evidence. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the morbidity and mortality differs in head trauma patients depending on the type of anticoagulation.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 2009-2014.

Impact of structural and economic factors on hospitalization costs, inpatient mortality, and treatment type of traumatic hip fractures in Switzerland.

Unlabelled: The assessment of structural and potentially economic factors determining cost, treatment type, and inpatient mortality of traumatic hip fractures are important health policy issues. We showed that insurance status and treatment in university hospitals were significantly associated with treatment type (i.e.

The impact of mild induced hypothermia on the rate of transfusion and the mortality in severely injured patients: a retrospective multi-centre study.

Background: Although under discussion, induced hypothermia (IH) is an established therapy for patients with cardiac arrest or traumatic brain injuries. The influences on coagulopathy and bleeding tendency in severely injured patients (SIP) with concomitant traumatic brain injury are most widely unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to quantify the effect of mild IH in SIP with concomitant severe traumatic brain injuries on transfusion rate and mortality.

Reimbursement of care for severe trauma under SwissDRG.

Questions: Treatment of patients with severe injuries is costly, with best results achieved in specialised care centres. However, diagnosis-related group (DRG)-based prospective payment systems have difficulties in depicting treatment costs for specialised care. We analysed reimbursement of care for severe trauma in the first 3 years after the introduction of the Swiss DRG reimbursement system (2012-2014).

Total inpatient treatment costs in patients with severe burns: towards a more accurate reimbursement model.

Principles: Reimbursement systems have difficulties depicting the actual cost of burn treatment, leaving care providers with a significant financial burden. Our aim was to establish a simple and accurate reimbursement model compatible with prospective payment systems.

Methods: A total of 370 966 electronic medical records of patients discharged in 2012 to 2013 from Swiss university hospitals were reviewed.

Implementation of a patient blood management monitoring and feedback program significantly reduces transfusions and costs.

Background: Patient blood management (PBM) measures have been shown to be effective in reducing transfusions while maintaining patient outcome. The issuance of transfusion guidelines is seen as being key to the success of PBM programs. As the introduction of guidelines alone did not visibly reduce transfusions in our center, a monitoring and feedback program was established.

Brentuximab as a treatment for CD30+ mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.

Importance: The prognosis of advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), including Sézary syndrome and mycosis fungoides (MF), is poor. So far, no curative option apart from allogeneic stem cell transplantation is available. Large cell transformation often hallmarks cases with a more aggressive clinical course, and large tumor cells may express CD30.