Initial treatment of uninsured patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction by facility percutaneous coronary intervention capabilities.

BACKGROUND: Timely reperfusion is necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Initial care by facilities with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) capabilities reduces time to reperfusion. We sought to examine whether insurance status was associated with initial care at emergency departments (EDs) with PCI capabilities among adult patients with STEMI. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study using Department of Healthcare Access and Information, a nonpublic statewide database reporting ED visits and hospitalizations in California. We included adults initially arriving at EDs with STEMI by diagnostic code (International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision or 10th Revision) from 2011 to 2019. Multivariable logistic regression modeling included initial care by PCI capable facility as the primary outcome and insurance status (none vs. any) as the primary exposure. Covariates included patient, facility, and temporal factors and we conducted multiple robustness checks. RESULTS: We analyzed 135,358 eligible visits with STEMI included. In our multivariable model, the odds of uninsured patients being initially treated at a PCI-capable facility were significantly lower than those of insured patients (adjusted odds ratio 0.62, 95% CI 0.54-0.72, p < 0.001) and was unchanged in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Uninsured patients with STEMI had significantly lower odds of first receiving care at facilities with PCI capabilities. Our results suggest potential disparities in accessing high-quality and time-sensitive treatment for uninsured patients with STEMI.

Interfacility Transfer of Uninsured vs Insured Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction in California.

Importance: Insurance status has been associated with whether patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) presenting to emergency departments are transferred to other facilities, but whether the facility's percutaneous coronary intervention capabilities mediate this association is unknown. Objective: To examine whether uninsured patients with STEMI were more likely than patients with insurance to experience interfacility transfer. Design, Setting, and Participants: This observational cohort study compared patients with STEMI with and without insurance who presented to California emergency departments between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019, using the Patient Discharge Database and Emergency Department Discharge Database from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information. Statistical analyses were completed in April 2023. Exposures: Primary exposures were lack of insurance and facility percutaneous coronary intervention capabilities. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was transfer status from the presenting emergency department of a percutaneous coronary intervention-capable hospital, defined as a facility performing 36 percutaneous coronary interventions per year. Multivariable logistic regression models with multiple robustness checks were performed to determine the association of insurance status with the odds of transfer. Results: This study included 135 358 patients with STEMI, of whom 32 841 patients (24.2%) were transferred (mean [SD] age, 64 [14] years; 10 100 women [30.8%]; 2542 Asian individuals [7.7%]; 2053 Black individuals [6.3%]; 8285 Hispanic individuals [25.2%]; 18 650 White individuals [56.8%]). After adjusting for time trends, patient factors, and transferring hospital characteristics (including percutaneous coronary intervention capabilities), patients who were uninsured had lower odds of experiencing interfacility transfer than those with insurance (adjusted odds ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.98; P = .01). Conclusions and Relevance: After accounting for a facility's percutaneous coronary intervention capabilities, lack of insurance was associated with lower odds of emergency department transfer for patients with STEMI. These findings warrant further investigation to understand the characteristics of facilities and outcomes for uninsured patients with STEMI.

Applying a Bookmarking Approach to Setting Clinically Relevant Interpretive Standards for the Spinal Cord Injury-Functional Index/Capacity Basic Mobility and Self-Care Item Bank Scores.

OBJECTIVES: To develop clinically relevant interpretive standards for the Spinal Cord Injury-Functional Index/Capacity (SCI-FI/C) Basic Mobility and Self-Care item bank scores. DESIGN: Modified "bookmarking" standard-setting methodology, including 2 stakeholder consensus meetings with individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and SCI clinicians, respectively, and a final, combined (consumers and clinicians) "convergence" meeting. SETTING: Two SCI Model System centers in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen adults who work with individuals with traumatic SCI and 14 clinicians who work with individuals with SCI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Placement of bookmarks between vignettes based on SCI-FI Basic Mobility and Self-Care T scores. Bookmarks were placed between vignettes representing "No Problems," "Mild Problems," "Moderate Problems," and "Severe Problems" for each item bank. RESULTS: Each consensus group resulted in a single set of scoring cut points for the SCI-FI/C Basic Mobility and Self-Care item banks. The cut points were similar but not identical between the consumer and clinician groups, necessitating a final convergence meeting. For SCI-FI/C Basic Mobility, the convergence group agreed on cut scores of 61.25 (no problems/mild problems), 51.25 (mild problems/moderate problems), and 41.25 (moderate problems/severe problems). For SCI-FI/C Self-Care, the convergence group agreed on cut scores of 56.25 (no/mild), 51.25 (mild/moderate), and 38.75 (moderate/severe). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide straightforward interpretive guidelines for SCI researchers and clinicians using the SCI-FI/C Basic Mobility and Self-Care instruments. These results are appropriate for the full bank, computer adaptive test, and short-form versions of the SCI-FI/C Basic Mobility and Self-Care item banks.