Article
Clinical Neurology
Aakash Bipin Gandhi, Eberechukwu Onukwugha, Husam Albarmawi, Abree Johnson, Daniela E. Myers, David Gray, Jose Alvir, Lauren Hynicka, Lisa M. Shulman
Summary: This study compared health care resource utilization between Medicare beneficiaries with and without Parkinson's disease over a 10-year period, finding that beneficiaries with PD had higher rates of inpatient admissions, emergency department visits, skilled nursing facility admissions, healthcare provider encounters, neurologist visits, rehabilitation service visits, and non-PD medication fills compared to those without PD. The results provide evidence for the allocation of healthcare resources for PD management.
Article
Neurosciences
Caroline Pearson, Alex Hartzman, Dianne Munevar, Megan Feeney, Rachel Dolhun, Veronica Todaro, Sheera Rosenfeld, Allison Willis, James C. Beck
Summary: It is important to understand how people with Parkinson's disease (PD) in the US utilize the healthcare system. A study analyzed the healthcare utilization patterns of PD patients enrolled in Medicare in 2019 and found significant disparities in care. Many patients did not see a neurologist or receive recommended therapy services, indicating the need for further research on barriers to accessing PD-related health care.
NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Alessandro Paro, Djhenne Dalmacy, J. Madison Hyer, Timothy M. Pawlik
Summary: More than 1 in 4 patients undergoing hepatopancreatic surgery presented to the emergency department within 30 days of discharge, with most patients returning within the first week post-discharge, and a subset of patients having multiple ED visits. Efforts should target those most likely to be high ED utilizers to prevent early post-discharge ED visits.
JOURNAL OF GASTROINTESTINAL SURGERY
(2021)
Article
Ophthalmology
Omar A. Halawa, Ajay Kolli, Gahee Oh, William G. Mitchell, Robert J. Glynn, Dae Hyun Kim, David S. Friedman, Nazlee Zebardast
Summary: The study found disparities in eye care utilization among Black and Hispanic patients with glaucoma, with different levels of differences shown between the two racial groups.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maricruz Rivera-Hernandez, Amit Kumar, Lin-Na Chou, Tamra Keeney, Nasim Ferdows, Amol Karmarkar, Kyriakos S. Markides, Kenneth Ottenbacher
Summary: This study examines Medicare health care spending and health services utilization among high-need population segments in older Mexican Americans, and explores the impact of frailty on health care spending and utilization. The findings highlight that participants with major complex chronic illnesses who are also pre-frail or frail have higher total costs and utilization compared to the healthy segment.
Article
Otorhinolaryngology
Lillian W. W. Dattilo, Vinay K. K. Rathi, Rodney J. J. Schlosser, Zachary M. M. Soler, George A. A. Scangas, Alan D. D. Workman, Stacey T. T. Gray
Summary: Between January 2005 and January 2023, the average selling price of omalizumab increased by nearly 60%. Between 2016 and 2021, Medicare Part B and D spending on omalizumab totaled over $3.7 billion. Between 2016 and 2021, Medicare Part B and D utilization of omalizumab increased by approximately 30%.
INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF ALLERGY & RHINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ophthalmology
Nicolas J. Heckenlaible, Chen Dun, Christina Prescott, Allen O. Eghrari, Fasika Woreta, Martin A. Makary, Divya Srikumaran
Summary: The study aimed to identify factors associated with the receipt of EK and PK in patients with FECD. The findings revealed that gender and racial background are important factors influencing the likelihood of receiving EK and PK.
Article
Oncology
Parsa Erfani, Ayotomiwa Ojo, E. John Orav, Fumiko Chino, Miranda B. Lam
Summary: This study found that Medicaid-eligible, American Indian/Alaska Native, and older patients are less likely to use National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers (NCICCs), while black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander patients are more likely to use them.
ANNALS OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Rittal Mehta, Diamantis I. Tsilimigras, Anghela Z. Paredes, Madison Hyer, Mary Dillhoff, Jordan M. Cloyd, Aslam Ejaz, Allan Tsung, Timothy M. Pawlik
Summary: Geographic variations in access to surgery exist among patients with early-stage hepatopancreatic cancer in the USA. Counties with higher poverty rates tend to have lower rates of surgical treatment utilization, while areas with higher surgeon-to-population and hospital bed-to-population ratios are more likely to undergo surgery for early-stage hepatopancreatic malignancy.
JOURNAL OF GASTROINTESTINAL SURGERY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Shahariar Mohammed Fahim, Nan Huo, Chao Li, Jingjing Qian
Summary: The study found that the overall trend of mammography use among female Medicare beneficiaries and breast cancer survivors significantly decreased from 2002 to 2016. Variations in mammography use were observed among different subgroups. Factors such as demographic, socioeconomic factors, comorbidity, smoking, and health status were associated with mammography utilization among female beneficiaries but not among breast cancer survivors.
JOURNAL OF WOMENS HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Anghela Z. Paredes, J. Madison Hyer, Elizabeth Palmer, Maryam B. Lustberg, Timothy M. Pawlik
Summary: This study found that racial/ethnic minority patients who underwent pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer were less likely to utilize hospice services compared to white patients. Despite this, they had comparable odds of late hospice utilization compared to white patients.
JOURNAL OF GASTROINTESTINAL SURGERY
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Christine Buttorff, Federico Girosi, Julie Lai, Erin A. Taylor, Sarah E. Lewis, Sai Ma, Christine Eibner
Summary: The study examines the price sensitivity of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries for provider visits. It finds that copay reductions lead to small increases in utilization, but reductions in primary care copays result in reduced use of some specialists.
Article
Ophthalmology
Omar A. Halawa, Joyce Kang, Ayush A. Parikh, Gahee Oh, Robert J. Glynn, David S. Friedman, Dae Hyun Kim, Nazlee Zebardast
Summary: This study aimed to determine differences in eye care utilization based on frailty levels among Medicare beneficiaries with glaucoma. The findings showed that patients with moderate-to-severe frailty had lower rates of eye care utilization in outpatient settings and higher rates in acute care settings. This suggests that frail patients may receive less disease monitoring and fewer interventions for their glaucoma management.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Min Lu, Xinyi Liao
Summary: This study investigates telehealth services offered to Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The findings show that 81.06% of primary care providers offered telehealth services and 84.62% of Medicare beneficiaries had internet access. Telehealth services have provided important access to care for older individuals during the pandemic.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Andrew Sumarsono, Hussain S. Lalani, Muthiah Vaduganathan, Ann Marie Navar, Gregg C. Fonarow, Sandeep R. Das, Ambarish Pandey
Summary: This study analyzed the trends in utilization and spending on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)-lowering therapies among Medicare beneficiaries from 2014 to 2018. It found that while expenditures decreased due to greater use of generic statins, there was an increase in utilization and spending on PCSK9 inhibitors.
Article
Immunology
George N. Ioannou, Ann M. O'Hare, Kristin Berry, Vincent S. Fan, Kristina Crothers, McKenna C. Eastment, Emily Locke, Pamela Green, Javeed A. Shah, Jason A. Dominitz
Summary: This study examined trends in adverse outcomes among SARS-CoV-2 positive patients within the US Veterans Affairs healthcare system from February to September 2020. The results showed a marked decrease in adverse outcomes risk from February to July, followed by stabilization from July to September.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Swati G. Patel, Folasade P. May, Joseph C. Anderson, Carol A. Burke, Jason A. Dominitz, Seth A. Gross, Brian C. Jacobson, Aasma Shaukat, Douglas J. Robertson
Summary: This document is an update to the screening recommendations for colorectal cancer (CRC) by the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer. The update suggests that average-risk individuals should start CRC screening at age 45 and should not continue screening after age 85.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Swati G. Patel, Folasade P. May, Joseph C. Anderson, Carol A. Burke, Jason A. Dominitz, Seth A. Gross, Brian C. Jacobson, Aasma Shaukat, Douglas J. Robertson
Summary: This updated recommendation suggests starting colorectal cancer screening at age 45 based on increasing disease burden and modeling studies showing benefits outweigh potential harms and costs, while recommending individualized decisions for screening in individuals aged 76 to 85.
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Andrew J. Gawron, Jason A. Dominitz
Summary: To meet the high demand for colonoscopy, the Veterans Health Administration often refers veterans to community practices. However, a study found that although community providers performed colonoscopies more timely compared to the Veterans Affairs medical center, the quality of colonoscopy in terms of important metrics such as adenoma detection and appropriate surveillance recommendations was significantly lower. This study highlights the ongoing need for ensuring high-quality colonoscopy in all settings.
CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Shirley Cohen-Mekelburg, Tony Van, Beth Wallace, Jeff Berinstein, Xianshi Yu, James Lewis, Jason Hou, Jason A. Dominitz, Akbar K. Waljee
Summary: Although traditional methods show an association between NSAID and IBD exacerbations, further analysis suggests that this may be secondary to residual bias. These findings may reassure patients and clinicians considering NSAID as a nonopioid pain management option.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Letter
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Swati G. Patel, Folasade P. May, Joseph C. Anderson, Carol A. Burke, Jason A. Dominitz, Seth A. Gross, Brian C. Jacobson, Aasma Shaukat, Douglas J. Robertson
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Srinadh Komanduri, Jason A. Dominitz, Linda Rabeneck, Charles Kahi, Uri Ladabaum, Thomas F. Imperiale, Michael F. Byrne, Jeffrey K. Lee, David Lieberman, Andrew Y. Wang, Shahnaz Sultan, Aasma Shaukat, Heiko Pohl, V. Raman Muthusamy
Summary: This paper summarizes the gaps and challenges in colonoscopy from both patient and physician perspectives, as well as the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges that affect colonoscopy uptake. It proposes the potential use of emerging technologies and quality metrics to improve patient outcomes.
CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Aasma Shaukat, Anne Tuskey, Vijaya L. Rao, Jason A. Dominitz, M. Hassan Murad, Rajesh N. Keswani, Fateh Bazerbachi, Lukejohn W. Day
GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY
(2022)
Review
Education & Educational Research
Theresa Thai, Diana K. N. Louden, Rosemary Adamson, Jason A. Dominitz, Jacob A. Doll
Summary: This study aims to explore the application of peer evaluation in invasive medical procedures. Through a review of existing studies, it is found that peer evaluation has good consistency in the assessment of clinicians and provides some best practices, such as standardized scoring systems and prospective case selection criteria. However, current research has not yet proven the correlation between peer evaluation and other quality measures, or the improvement of patient care and outcomes through feedback to clinicians. Therefore, further research is needed to refine the application of peer evaluation and feedback interventions.
BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Joshua Demb, Lin Liu, Ranier Bustamante, Jason A. Dominitz, Ashley Earles, Shailja C. Shah, Andrew J. Gawron, Maria Elena Martinez, Samir Gupta
Summary: The delays in colonoscopy work-up for red flag signs or symptoms of colorectal cancer (CRC) during the COVID-19 pandemic were examined in a cohort study. The study found that colonoscopy completion rates were similar before and during the pandemic, indicating that there was no delay in colonoscopy work-up for CRC during this time. The study suggests that VHA policies supporting prioritization and completion may have contributed to these findings.
DIGESTIVE DISEASES AND SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Megan A. Adams, Eve A. Kerr, Jason A. Dominitz, Yuqing Gao, Nicholas Yankey, Folasade P. May, John Mafi, Sameer D. Saini
Summary: An electronic measure of screening colonoscopy overuse using ICD-10 codes was developed and applied to a national observational study of US Veterans. The study found that a quarter of screening colonoscopies in 2017 within the Veterans Health Administration were identified as potential low-value procedures, with substantial variability across facilities.
BMJ QUALITY & SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Adeyinka C. Adejumo, Vera Yakovchenko, Timothy R. Morgan, Patrick Spoutz, Linda Chia, Jasmohan S. Bajaj, Michael F. Chang, Jason A. Dominitz, Shari S. Rogal
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of Veterans with cirrhosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that screening rates for hepatocellular carcinoma declined, and there were significant decreases in new hepatocellular carcinoma diagnoses, surveillance and treatment of esophageal varices, variceal bleeding, and all-cause hospitalization. Rurality was newly associated with a lack of screening.
Meeting Abstract
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Sachin B. Wani, Jeffrey L. Williams, Jennifer L. Holub, Audrey H. Calderwood, Jason A. Dominitz, Prasad G. Iyer, Nicholas J. Shaheen
GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Andrew J. Gawron, Grace McKee, Jason A. Dominitz, Yiwen Yao, Mary A. Whooley, Tonya R. Kaltenbach
GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Tonya R. Kaltenbach, Jason A. Dominitz, Samir Gupta, Yiwen Yao, Grace McKee, Travis Bailey, Christian Helfrich, Ashley Mog, Morgan Millar, Angela P. Presson, Olga Patterson, Mary A. Whooley, Andrew Gawron
GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY
(2022)