Article
Economics
Timothy J. van Dover, David D. Kim
Summary: This study aimed to analyze cost-effectiveness evidence associated with the quality measures used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, finding that while there was consistent cost-effectiveness evidence for measures where it was available, the majority of measures were based on subjective ratings or outcome measures, presenting a challenge in identifying supporting economic evidence. Refining and aligning quality measures with cost-effectiveness evidence can help further improve healthcare efficiency by demonstrating that they are good indicators of both quality and cost-effectiveness of care.
Article
Immunology
Amy L. Pakyz, Christine M. Orndahl, Alicia Johns, David W. Harless, Daniel J. Morgan, Gonzalo Bearman, Samuel F. Hohmann, Michael P. Stevens
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of the implementation of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) core measure sepsis (SEP-1) bundle in 2015 on broad-spectrum antibiotic use and Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) occurrence rates. The results showed an increase in broad-spectrum antibiotic use and a decrease in CDI rates post-SEP-1 implementation.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Laurent G. Glance, David R. Nerenz, Karen E. Joynt Maddox, Bruce L. Hall, Andrew W. Dick
Summary: This study examined the association between test-retest reliability and the reproducibility of hospital rankings. The results indicated that more reliable measures did not lead to lower rates of reclassifying hospitals using test-retest reliability testing.
Letter
Oncology
Angelin Tresa Mathew, Bhav Jain, Edward Christopher Dee, Jordan Johnson, Fumiko Chino
Summary: This cross-sectional study assesses the disclosure of commercial payer-negotiated rates in compliance with the latest regulations.
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Richard M. Hoffman, Daniel S. Reuland, Robert J. Volk
Summary: The updated lung cancer screening recommendation broadens the eligibility criteria for screening, and the article suggests that CMS should reimburse visits delivered by nonphysician staff and/or telehealth to make shared decision-making a reality.
JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Steven B. Spivack, Li Qin, Jeph Herrin, Demetri B. Goutos, Michelle Schreiber, Lee A. Fleisher, Arjun B. Venkatesh, Susannah Bernheim
Summary: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been reporting hospital star ratings since 2016, but stakeholders have criticized the methodology for not considering social risk factors. Our study found that hospitals with a higher proportion of dually eligible patients tended to have lower star ratings. However, there was a significant overlap in performance among hospitals when stratified by the proportion of dually eligible patients. The decision to adjust public reporting tools like star ratings for social risk factors is a policy decision, and opinions on the appropriateness vary among organizations and stakeholders.
Article
Immunology
Deverick J. Anderson, Rebekah W. Moehring, Alice Parish, Michael Z. David, Kevin Hsueh, Leigh Cressman, Pam Tolomeo, Tracey Habrock-Bach, Cherie L. Hill, Matthew Ryan, Cara O'Brien, Yuliya Lokhnygina, Elizabeth Dodds Ashley
Summary: The implementation of the CMS SEP-1 process measure is associated with increased diagnosis of sepsis and antibacterial utilization, as well as decreased mortality rate among hospitalized patients.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Michelle Schreiber, Deborah Krauss, Bridget Blake, Edna Boone, Rose Almonte
Summary: This article discusses CMS's eCQM Strategy Project and stakeholder feedback on burdens and recommendations, as well as CMS's efforts to address them through implementation strategies. Six themes emerged from stakeholder feedback, with over 100 recommendations being addressed by CMS to improve the eCQM development, implementation, and reporting experience.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL INFORMATICS ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Editorial Material
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Rodolfo J. Galindo, Christopher G. Parkin, Grazia Aleppo, Anders L. Carlson, Davida F. Kruger, Carol J. Levy, Guillermo E. Umpierrez, Janet B. McGill
Summary: The article discusses the limitations and inconsistencies of CMS eligibility criteria for CGM in relation to current scientific evidence, and proposes workable solutions to improve the safety and care of all individuals with diabetes.
DIABETES TECHNOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Edward D. Percy, Morgan T. Harloff, Sameer Hirji, Siobhan McGurk, Farhang Yazdchi, Paige Newell, Alexandra Malarczyk, Ashraf Sabe, Uri Landes, John Webb, Michael J. Reardon, Vinod H. Thourani, Gilbert H. L. Tang, Vinayak Bapat, Deepak Bhatt, Patrick O'Gara, Thomas Gleason, Pinak Shah, Tsuyoshi Kaneko
Summary: Repeat transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) showed acceptable 30-day mortality in a high-risk population, with short-term outcomes superior to surgical explantation, but similar 1-year outcomes.
JACC-CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Primary Health Care
Eli Y. Adashi, Philip A. Gruppuso
Summary: The CMS released an important brief on the impact of COVID-19 on its beneficiaries, providing racial and ethnic health disparity data on a national scale. This brief exposes distressing inequalities and expands previous reports limited to states, cities, or health systems.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN BOARD OF FAMILY MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Orthopedics
Thomas B. Cwalina, Tarun K. Jella, Alexander J. Acuna, Linsen T. Samuel, Atul F. Kamath
Summary: Orthopaedic surgeons performed well in the MIPS program, with 87% earning bonuses, but had a lower mean score compared to other specialties, resulting in more penalties and fewer bonuses. Factors associated with increased odds of penalties included small group size and higher Hierarchical Condition Category scores, while reporting through an alternative payment model was associated with increased odds of earning a perfect score.
CLINICAL ORTHOPAEDICS AND RELATED RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Orthopedics
Christopher D. Skeehan, Dionisio Ortiz, Chelsea Sue Sicat, Richard Iorio, James Slover, Joseph A. Bosco
Summary: The study analyzed the impact of a rule finalized by CMS on Medicare reimbursement for total joint arthroplasty using a mathematical model. Results showed an increase in annual wRVUs, but any growth lower than 3.35% led to a decrease in reimbursement. Factors affecting the impact included the proportion of surgeries, revision vs primary arthroplasty cases, and office-based productivity.
JOURNAL OF ARTHROPLASTY
(2021)
Article
Emergency Medicine
Cameron J. Gettel, Christopher R. Han, Michael A. Granovsky, Carl T. Berdahl, Keith E. Kocher, Abhishek Mehrotra, Jeremiah D. Schuur, Amer Z. Aldeen, Richard T. Griffey, Arjun K. Venkatesh
Summary: Emergency clinicians commonly participate in the national value-based program MIPS, with one in four choosing MIPS APMs for participation. Reporting strategy and affiliation significantly impact the quality of care delivered.
ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Orthopedics
Richard Iorio, Afshin A. Anoushiravani, Benjamin M. Stronach, C. Lowry Barnes, Xiaoran Zhang, Derek A. Haas
Summary: Changes in demand, capacity, and site of service have affected the volume and revenues of total hip arthroplasty (THA) over the 2019-2021 period. The removal of THA from the inpatient-only (IPO) list and the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a decrease in demand and a shift in delivery away from inpatient services. Medicare claims data were analyzed to compare the metrics of THA before and after these changes. The results showed a decrease in THA volume, length of stay, and Medicare spending, as well as an increase in outpatient and same-day discharge cases.
JOURNAL OF ARTHROPLASTY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jose E. Exaire, Timothy A. Mixon
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Giuseppe Di Gioia, Federica Coletti, Lorenzo Buzzelli, Viviana Maestrini, Sara Monosilio, Andrea Segreti, Maria Rosaria Squeo, Erika Lemme, Antonio Nenna, Antonio Pelliccia
Summary: Dyslipidemia is common in Paralympic athletes, with lipid levels influenced by the type of disability and sporting discipline.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Esra Donmez, Sevgi Ozcan, Irfan Sahin, Murat Ziyrek, Ertugrul Okuyan
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the GRACE risk score in acute pulmonary embolism (PE) patients for 30-day mortality and the need for thrombolytic treatment. The study found that the GRACE risk score, along with the PESI score, were independent risk factors associated with 30-day mortality and the need for thrombolytic treatment. The GRACE risk score showed high sensitivity and specificity in predicting mortality, and its combination with the PESI score helped define high-risk PE patients and predict poor prognosis.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Tom Kai Ming Wang, Reza Reyaldeen, Kevser Akyuz, Zoran B. Popovic, A. Marc Gillinov, Bo Xu, Brian P. Griffin, Milind Y. Desai
Summary: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is commonly used to evaluate isolated tricuspid regurgitation (TR), but there is limited research comparing its quantification with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, a novel TTE algorithm was developed to identify severe TR based on TTE parameters. The algorithm had a higher accuracy than the current guidelines' criteria in detecting severe TR by MRI.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Editorial Material
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Enkhtsogt Sainbayar, Ramzi Ibrahim, Hoang Nhat Pham, Wisam Beauti, Mahek Shahid, Natalie Hickerson, Mohammed Salih, Joao Paulo Ferreira, Mamas A. Mamas
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Richard E. Casazza, Hymie Chera, Carlos Adolfo Rodriguez, Sergey Ayzenberg
Summary: This article presents a case of a patient with known situs inversus who underwent cardiac catheterization and was found to have chronic total occlusion in the right coronary artery. Situs inversus is a rare congenital abnormality characterized by the inverted position of chest and abdominal organs. Cardiac catheterization is uncommon in patients with this particular abnormality, highlighting the importance of customizing techniques to engage coronary arteries and optimize guide support for percutaneous coronary intervention if needed.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Editorial Material
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Georgiana Pintea Bentea, Brahim Berdaoui, Sophie Samyn, Marielle Morissens, Philippe van de Borne, Jose Castro Rodriguez
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Bulbul Ahmed, Melissa G. Farb, Shakun Karki, Sophia D'Alessandro, Niloo M. Edwards, Noyan Gokce
Summary: This study evaluated the angiogenic capacity of adipose tissue in patients undergoing cardiac surgeries and found that patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) had reduced angiogenic capacity in their pericardial adipose tissue. Gene expression analysis revealed upregulated expression of the anti-angiogenic gene TSP-1 in CAD patients, with no significant differences in other angiogenic factors. Additionally, inhibiting TSP-1 expression significantly improved angiogenic deficiency in CAD patients.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Moshe Rav-Acha, Orli Wube, Oholi Tovia Brodie, Yoav Michowitz, Michael Ilan, Tal Ovdat, Robert Klempfner, Mahmud Suleiman, Ilan Goldenberg, Michael Glikson
Summary: The current guidelines recommend prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) for patients with symptomatic heart failure (HF) and low left ventricular ejection fraction. However, not all patients will benefit from ICD treatment. This study evaluated the feasibility of using the MADIT-II-based Risk Stratification Score (MRSS) to predict the survival benefit of prophylactic ICDs in patients with HF. The results showed that different risk subgroups had varying levels of ICD survival benefit.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Ariel Banai, Rachel Retsky, Lior Lupu, Erez Levi, David Zahler, Omri Feder, Roei Merin, Yan Topilsky, Raphael Rosso, Shmuel Banai, Sami Viskin, Ehud Chorin
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the association between electromechanical window (EMW) and ventricular tachyarrhythmias in patients with Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). The study found that TTS patients had a lower EMW value, which was associated with an increased risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Harun Kundi, Kobina Hagan, Tamer Yahya, Garima Sharma, Sadeer Al-Kindi, Zulqarnain Javed, Khurram Nasir
Summary: Using latent class analysis (LCA), the study identified clinical, demographic, and social subphenotypes in ASCVD population and assessed the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality across different socioclinical classes. The results showed that the younger, female, non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic individuals with a high burden of co-morbidities and unfavorable social determinants of health had the highest risk of mortality in the identified latent classes.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Moises A. Vasquez, Mina Iskander, Mohammed Mustafa, Juan A. Quintero-Martinez, Antonio Luna, Joel Mintz, Jose Noy, Juan Uribe, Ivan Mijares, Eduardo de Marchena, Yiannis S. Chatzizisis
Summary: The benefits of pericardiocentesis (PC) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and pericardial effusions are unclear. The study found that PC in PH patients is associated with higher in-hospital mortality and rates of cardiovascular complications.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Ken Kuwajima, Mana Ogawa, Irving Ruiz, Hiroko Hasegawa, Nobuichiro Yagi, Florian Rader, Robert J. Siegel, Takahiro Shiota
Summary: After cardiac surgery, the longitudinal function of the right ventricle and left ventricle is reduced, despite preserved global functions. In particular, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) remains decreased after surgery.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Min -Jung Kim, Robert H. Aseltine Jr, Sara R. Tabtabai
Summary: This study evaluated the rates and causes of 30-day readmissions after discharge for heart failure (HF) as a primary and secondary diagnosis. The findings indicate that efforts to reduce readmission rates should include patients with secondary HF diagnosis, and surveillance should extend to 2 weeks postdischarge to identify at-risk patients.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Ya He, Jianzhong Zhou
Summary: This study aimed to examine the relation between reverse septal curvature (RSC) and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The study found that patients with RSC were younger and had a higher incidence of NSVT, and RSC was identified as a strong independent risk factor for NSVT.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2024)