Effect of newborn screening for critical CHD on healthcare utilisation.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of state-mandated policies for pulse oximetry screening on healthcare utilisation, with a focus on use of echocardiograms.

Data Sources/study Setting: Healthcare Cost and Utilisation Project, Statewide Inpatient Databases from 2008 to 2014 from six states.

Methods: We defined pre- and post-mandate cohorts based on dates when pulse oximetry became mandated in each state. Linear segmented regression models for interrupted time series assessed associations between implementation of the screening and changes in rate of newborns with Critical CHD-negative echocardiogram results. We also evaluated the changes in rate of newborns who underwent echocardiogram but were not diagnosed with any health issues that could cause hypoxemia.

Results: We identified 5967 critical CHD-negative echocardiograms (2847 and 3120 in the pre- and post-mandate periods, respectively). Our models detected a statistically significant increasing trend in rate of critical CHD-negative echocardiograms in the pre-mandate period (Incidence Rate Ratio: 1.08, p = 0.02), but did not detect any statistical differences in changes between pre- and post-mandate periods (Incidence Rate Ratio: 0.93, p = 0.14). Among non-Whites, an increasing trend of Critical CHD-negative echocardiogram during the pre-mandate period was detected (Incidence Rate Ratio 1.12, p < 0.01) and was attenuated during the post-mandate period (Incidence Rate Ratio 0.89, p = 0.02). Similar results were observed in the sensitivity analyses among both Whites and non-Whites.

Conclusions: Results suggest that mandatory state screening policies are associated with reductions in false-positive screening rates for hypoxemic conditions, with reductions primarily attributed to trends among non-Whites.