Substantial variation in prescription spending and use of brand-name drugs exists across the VA healthcare system, with no apparent relationship to quality of care.
Postvisit phone education from an emergency physician and/or mailed information about alternative venues of care reduced subsequent emergency department (ED) utilization for low-acuity treat-and-release adult ED patients.
Across the US, adults with major medical conditions were less likely to die in hospitals with higher spending levels, even after adjusting for patient risk.
Increased expenditures in US asthma are driven by increased medication spending that are not offset by decreases in emergency department and hospital spending.
Racial/ethnic minorities are disproportionately at risk for adverse health and financial consequences due to lower health insurance literacy compared with white enrollees.
Most patients receiving multimodality cancer care receive care from different practices. Therefore, episode-based payments in oncology must hold multiple providers accountable for costs and quality.
Experience with risk-based contracting best predicts active engagement of accountable care organizations in reducing low-value medical services, mainly through physician education and encouraging shared decision making.
This article evaluates and compares the effectiveness of shared medical appointments versus regular office visits among Hispanic patients with diabetes.
Rapid progression of diabetes complications was associated with higher risk of severe hypoglycemia.
Switching medications for nonmedical (formulary) reasons in long-term care settings may increase Medicare Part D resident adverse effects and raise facility downstream costs.
This retrospective study measures primary nonadherence rates for 10 drug groups and identifies important factors of primary nonadherence for chronic and acute medications.