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BACKGROUND: Joint replacement surgery is in increasing demand and is the most common inpatient surgery for Medicare beneficiaries. The venue for post-operative rehabilitation, including early outpatient therapy after surgery, influences recovery and quality of life. As part of a comprehensive total joint program at Kaiser Permanente Colorado, we developed and validated a predictive model to anticipate and plan the disposition for rehabilitation of our patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: We analyzed data for TKA patients who completed a pre-operative Total Knee Risk Assessment in 2017 (the model development cohort) or during the first 6 months of 2018 (the model validation cohort). The Total Knee Risk Assessment, which is used to guide disposition for rehabilitation, included questions in mobility, social, and environment domains. Multivariable logistic regression was used to predict discharge to post-acute care facilities (PACFs) (ie, skilled nursing facilities or acute rehabilitation centers). RESULTS: Data for a total of 1481 and 631 patients who underwent TKA were analyzed in the development and validation cohorts, respectively. Ninety-three patients (6.3%) in the development cohort and 22 patients (3.5%) in the validation cohort were discharged to PACFs. Eight risk factors for discharge to PACFs were included in the final multivariable model. Patients with a diagnosis of neurological disorder and with a mobility/balance issue had the greatest chance of discharge to PACFs. CONCLUSION: This validated predictive model for discharge disposition following TKA may be used as a tool in shared decision-making and discharge planning for patients undergoing TKA.

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BACKGROUND: It remains unknown if a patient's prior episode-of-care (EOC) costs for total hip (THA) or knee (TKA) arthroplasty procedure can be used to predict subsequent costs for future procedures. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether there is a correlation between the EOC costs for a patient's index and subsequent THA or TKA. METHODS: We reviewed a consecutive series of 11,599 THA and TKA Medicare patients from 2015 to 2019 and identified all patients who underwent a subsequent THA and TKA during the study period. We collected demographics, comorbidities, short-term outcomes, and 90-day EOC claims costs. A multivariate analysis was performed to identify whether prior high-EOC costs were predictive of high costs for the subsequent procedure. RESULTS: Of the 774 patients (6.7%) who underwent a subsequent THA or TKA, there was no difference in readmissions (4% vs 5%, P = .70), rate of discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) (15% vs 15%, P = .89), and mean costs ($18,534 vs $18,532, P = .99) between EOCs. High-cost patients for the initial TKA or THA were more likely to be high cost for subsequent procedure (odds ratio 14.33, P < .01). Repeat high-cost patients were more likely to discharge to an SNF for their first and second EOC compared to normative-cost patients (P < .01). CONCLUSION: High-cost patients for their initial THA or TKA are likely to be high cost for a subsequent procedure, secondary to a high rate of SNF utilization. Efforts to reduce costs in repeat high-cost patients should focus on addressing post-operative needs pre-operatively to facilitate safe discharge home.

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OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study is to contribute to the literature regarding post-acute nursing home utilization and quality indicators among Medicare beneficiaries in Puerto Rico compared with the US mainland. DESIGN: Medicare data from 2015 to 2017 was used to identify new discharges to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) using the Minimum Data Set and the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Post-acute care patients admitted to SNFs in Puerto Rico and the United States. METHODS: Our final cohort included 4,732,222 beneficiaries from Puerto Rico and the United States enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service or Medicare Advantage programs admitted to an SNF (N = 15,197) following an acute hospital stay. We compared demographic, clinical, and facility-level characteristics among patients in Puerto Rico and the United States. We also described 2 quality indicators among these groups: (1) 30-day rehospitalization rates and (2) successful discharge from the facility to the community. RESULTS: Medicare patients in Puerto Rico were physically and cognitively healthier than patients in the United States. Puerto Ricans were also more likely to be admitted to lower quality nursing homes than US patients (2.5 vs 3.4). Finally, Puerto Ricans had higher rates of successful discharge to the community [17.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 13.0-22.3], but higher 30-day rehospitalization rates compared with US patients (11.2, 95% CI 6.2-16.3). These differences were consistent even when comparing these quality outcomes among Puerto Ricans to US Hispanics only. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: SNFs in the United States and Puerto Rico are now receiving financial penalties for high readmission rates. Currently, Medicare does not measure readmission rates for Medicare Advantage patients-even though some states, including Puerto Rico, have a high proportion of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. As Medicare Advantage enrollment continues to increase, our results highlight the importance of measuring performance among Medicare Advantage patients and assessing disparities in quality of post-acute care among patients in Puerto Rico and the United States.

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BACKGROUND: With the increasing popularity of alternative payment models following total hip (THA) and knee arthroplasty (TKA), efforts have focused on reducing post-acute care (PAC) costs, particularly patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The purpose of this study is to determine if preferentially discharging patients to high-quality SNFs can reduce bundled payment costs for primary THA and TKA. METHODS: At our institution, a quality improvement initiative for SNFs was implemented at the start of 2017, preferentially discharging patients to internally credentialed facilities, designated by several quality measures. Claims data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were queried to identify patients discharged to SNF following primary total joint arthroplasty. We compared costs and outcomes between patients discharged to credentialed SNF sites and those discharged to other sites. RESULTS: Between 2015 and 2018, of a consecutive series of 8778 primary THA and TKA patients, 1284 (14.6%) were discharged to an SNF. Following initiation of the program, 498 patients were discharged to an SNF, 301 (60.4%) of which were sent to a credentialed facility. Patients at credentialed facilities had significantly lower SNF costs ($11,184 vs $8198, P < .0001), PAC costs ($18,952 vs $15,148, P < .0001), and episode-of-care costs ($34,557 vs $30,831, P < .0001), with no difference in readmissions (10% vs 12%, P = .33) or complications (8% vs 6%, P = .15). Controlling for confounding variables, being discharged to a credentialed facility decreased SNF costs by $1961 (P = .0020) and PAC costs by $3126 (P = .0031) per patient. CONCLUSION: Quality improvement efforts through partnership with selective SNFs can significantly decrease PAC costs for patients undergoing primary THA and TKA.

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Despite multiple initiatives in post-acute and long-term nursing home care settings (NHs) to improve the quality of care while reducing health care costs, research in NHs can prove challenging. Extensive regulation for both research and NHs is designed to protect a highly vulnerable population but can be a deterrent to conducting research. This article outlines regulatory challenges faced by NHs and researchers, such as protecting resident privacy as well as health information and obtaining informed consent. The article provides lessons learned to help form mutually beneficial partnerships between researchers and NHs to conduct studies that grow and advance NH research initiatives and clinical care.

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OBJECTIVE: To test for differences in patient outcomes when hospital and post-acute care (PAC) providers participate in accountable care organizations (ACOs). DATA/SETTING: Using Medicare claims, we examined changes in readmission, Medicare spending, and length of stay among patients admitted to ACO-participating hospitals and PAC providers. DESIGN: We compared changes in outcomes among patients discharged from ACO-participating hospitals/PACs before and after participation to changes among patients discharged from non-participating hospitals/PACs over the same time period. RESULTS: Patients discharged from an ACO-participating hospitals and skilled nursing facilities (SNF) had lower readmission rates (-1.7 percentage points, p-value = .03) than before ACO participation and non-participants; and lower per-discharge Medicare spending (-$940, p-value = .001), and length of stay (-3.1 days, p-value <.001) in SNF. Effects among ACO-participating hospitals without a co-participating SNF were smaller. Patients discharged from an ACO-participating hospital and home health agency had lower Medicare per-discharge spending (-$209; p-value = .06) and length of stay (-1.6 days, p-value <.001) for home health compared to before ACO participation and non-participants. Discharge from an ACO-participating hospital and inpatient rehabilitation facility did not impact patient outcomes or spending. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital and SNF participation in an ACO was associated with lower readmission rates, Medicare spending on SNF, and SNF length of stay. These results lend support to the ACO payment model.

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Patients with complex palliative care needs can experience delayed discharge, which causes an inappropriate occupancy of hospital beds. Post-acute care facilities (PACFs) have emerged as an alternative discharge destination for some of these patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of admissions and characteristics of palliative care patients discharged from hospitals to a PACF. We conducted a retrospective analysis of PACF admissions between 2014 and 2016 that were linked to hospital discharge reports and electronic health records, to gather information about hospital-to-PACF transitions. In total, 205 consecutive patients were discharged from 6 different hospitals to our PACF. Palliative care patients were involved in 32% (n = 67) of these discharges. The most common conditions were terminal cancer (n = 42, 63%), advanced dementia (n = 17, 25%), and stroke (n = 5, 8%). During acute hospital stays, patients with cancer had significant shorter lengths of stay (13 vs 99 days, P = .004), a lower use of intensive care services (2% vs 64%, P < .001) and mechanical ventilation (2% vs 40%, P < .001), when compared to noncancer patients. Approximately one-third of discharges from hospitals to a PACF involved a heterogeneous group of patients in need of palliative care. Further studies are necessary to understand the trajectory of posthospitalized patients with life-limiting illnesses and what factors influence their decision to choose a PACF as a discharge destination and place of death. We advocate that palliative care should be integrated into the portfolio of post-acute services.

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OBJECTIVES: Geographic variation in the use of post-acute care (PAC - skilled nursing facility and home health care) after hospital discharge is substantial, but reasons for this remain largely unexplored. PAC use in urban hospitals compared to rural hospitals may be one key contributor. We aimed to describe PAC use, explore substitution of one type of PAC for another, and identify how PAC use varies by diagnosis in urban and rural settings. STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis of the 2012 National Inpatient Sample including adult discharges to PAC after a hospitalization. METHODS: We adjusted for differences in patient demographics, comorbidities, hospital care provided, and hospital information, comparing use of PAC in urban and rural settings in multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Rural patients discharged from rural hospitals constituted 188,137 (12.1%) of the 1.56 million discharges in the sample. Rural discharges received less home health care (0.85; 0.80-0.90) than urban discharges, resulting in less rural PAC use overall (0.95; 0.91-0.99). Rural discharges received more overall PAC for stroke (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.03-1.19) and less PAC for sepsis (0.92; 0.86-0.98), hip fracture (0.82; 0.70-0.96), and elective joint arthroplasty, where rural discharges had 41% lower odds of receiving PAC (0.59; 0.49-0.71). CONCLUSIONS: The striking differences in receipt of post-acute care in urban and rural patients may constitute a disparity. Evaluation of costs and outcomes of PAC use in these settings is urgently needed as Medicare expands bundled payments for this care.