Haas, Lindsey R.

Background: While implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) improves survival and quality of life in patients with advanced heart failure, very little is known about healthcare resource utilization, including hospital readmissions, post-LVAD. Methods: Administrative claims data from a large, national US health plan were used to identify privately insured and Medicare Advantage patients that received an LVAD (ICD-9-CM code 37.66) and survived to hospital discharge from January 1, 2006 through 31 August 31, 2013, and had at least six months coverage pre-LVAD. The individuals covered by this health plan, about 88 million in years 2003 to 2013, are geographically dispersed across the United States, with greatest representation in the South and Midwest census regions. Reasons for subsequent readmissions were categorized according to the AHRQ Clinical Classifications Software and risk factors for readmission analyzed using multiple failure Cox regression analysis. Patients were censored at the time of heart transplantation or end of coverage through November 30, 2013. Results: In total, 857 patients received an LVAD, of whom 693 (81%) survived to hospital discharge without undergoing heart transplantation (mean age 56 years, 77% male). After a median follow-up of 0.69 (interquartile range [IQR]: 0.31, 1.50) years, 1,659 readmissions occurred among 509 patients. Over this period, patients spent a median of 10.5 days (IQR: 0 -40 days) per followup year hospitalized. The number of readmissions per patient varied widely (0 to 20 per person), with 184 (26.6%) patients experiencing no readmissions, while 112 (16.2%) had 5 or more readmissions during follow-up. The most common reasons for readmission were device complications (291 readmissions in 155 patients), heart failure (246 readmissions in 135 patients), gastrointestinal bleeding (90 readmissions in 52 patients), and arrhythmia (88 readmissions in 55 patients). Readmission risk was higher in patients who had longer initial length of stay and more comorbid conditions. Discussion: There is tremendous variability in the readmission burden experienced post-LVAD, with some patients experiencing no readmissions while others are repeatedly hospitalized. LVAD therapy introduces a unique set of problems that often prompt readmission including device complications and gastrointestinal bleeding.

5004 Background: Since 1999, patients with low-risk endometrial cancer (EC) as defined by the Mayo criteria have preferably not undergone lymphadenectomy (LND) at our institution. We assess survival, sites of recurrence, morbidity, and cost per up-staged case in this low-risk cohort. Methods: Consecutive patients with Mayo-defined low-risk EC managed without (non-LND) and with LND were compared. Cause-specific survival (CSS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. 30-day cost analyses were equated to 2010 Medicare dollars. Results: Among 1,393 consecutive surgically managed EC cases, 385 (27.6%) met the Mayo low-risk criteria, accounting for 34.1% of type I EC. The 5-year CSS of the low-risk cases was 98.6 %. There were 80 LND cases (median # nodes, 29) and 305 non-LND cases. Complications within 30 days occurred in 37.5% and 19.3% of LND and non-LND cases, respectively (P<0.001). Nodal metastasis was identified in a single LND case (1.3%). There were 11 recurrences, 6 of which were vaginal. Not a single recurrence was detected in the pelvic or paraaortic nodal areas in these 385 patients, with a median follow-up of 5.4 years. The estimated prevalence (combining surgery and surveillance) of lymph node metastasis was 0.3%. The 5-year CSS in LND and non-LND cases was 97.3% and 99.0%, respectively (P=0.32). Patients were more than seven times as likely to die of co-morbidities than from EC. The 30-day median cost of care was $15,678 for LND cases compared to $11,028 for non-LND cases (P<0.001). The estimated cost per up-staged low-risk case was $439,990 if performed via endoscopy and $327,866 via laparotomy. If the 305 non-LND cases had been subjected to LND, an estimated additional $1,418,189 would have been expended. Conclusions: For patients with low-risk EC as defined by the Mayo criteria, lymphadenectomy dramatically increases morbidity and 30-day cost of care without discernible short- or long-term benefits: CSS was 99% with a 0.3% rate of nodal metastasis. In these low-risk patients, hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy alone is appropriate surgical management and should be standard of care.

ObjectiveTo assess nonresponse bias in a mixed‐mode general population health survey.Data SourcesSecondary analysis of linked survey sample frame and administrative data, including demographic and health‐related information.Study DesignThe survey was administered by mail with telephone follow‐up to nonrespondents after two mailings. To determine whether an additional mail contact or mode switch reduced nonresponse bias, we compared all respondents (N = 3,437) to respondents from each mailing and telephone respondents to the sample frame (N = 6,716).Principal FindingsSwitching modes did not minimize the under‐representation of younger people, nonwhites, those with congestive heart failure, high users of office‐based services, and low‐utilizers of the emergency room but did reduce the over‐representation of older adults.ConclusionsMultiple contact and mixed‐mode surveys may increase response rates, but they do not necessarily reduce nonresponse bias.