Managed Care magazine May 2015

Purpose: Reducing hospital readmissions for critically ill patients is of concern to payers and providers alike. Patients in cardiogenic shock are often treated with devices to help support the functions of the heart while the patient undergoes treatment. This study compares the readmission experience of Medicare bene ciaries treated for cardiogenic shock (CS) using percutaneous ventricular assist devices (pVADs) vs. extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), two types of advanced cardiac support devices. Hospital readmission is a surrogate for quality and cost. Design and methodology: A retrospective comparison of readmission patterns of patients treated for CS using two advanced cardiac support devices during calendar years 2011 and 2012 was captured via the Medicare Inpatient Standard Analytic File (100% census le). A total of 649 eligible cases (pVAD, 517; ECMO, 132) with 90 days of follow-up documentation were included in this analysis. Baseline characteristics were compared, including demographics, admission type, and severity of illness, with the 2 groups generating clinically similar baseline pro les. Primary outcomes include 30and 90-day readmissions, associated length of stay (LOS), and costs. Results: At 90 days after initial hospitalization, the readmission rates in the pVAD and ECMO cohorts were 38.7% (200/517) and 53.0% (70/132), respectively. Overall, pVAD was associated with a 27.1% reduction in readmission (P=.004). With the use of pVAD, 90-day readmission costs were lower by $12,294 ($32,736 vs $20,442, a reduction of 37.6%, P=.02) and readmission LOS was shorter by approximately 8 days, (20.5 vs. 12.7 days, a 37.9% reduction, P=.002). Similar trends were observed at 30 days; however, only LOS was signi cantly reduced, by 7.0 days (P<.001). Conclusion: In clinically comparable cohorts, pVADs were associated with reduced risk of rehospitalization, lower cost, and shorter LOS, resulting in cost savings for payers and providers. Increased adoption of pVAD, as a technology to support patients in cardiogenic shock, may help hospitals deliver greater value to both government and commercial payers. (Key Terms) Hospital readmissions, costs, length of stay, cardiogenic shock, hemodynamic support, pVAD, ECMO, Medicare alent forms of cardiovascular disease, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and heart failure (HF). Reducing readmissions and their associated costs are not the concern only of Medicare policymakers. Most