Exploring hot topics and evolutionary paths in the Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs) field: a comparative study using LDA modeling.

BACKGROUND: This study reviews the research status of Diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) payment system in China and globally by analyzing topical issues in this field and exploring the evolutionary trends of DRGs in different developmental stages. METHODS: Abstracts of relevant literature in the field of DRGs were extracted from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database and the Web of Science (WoS) core database and used as text data. A probabilistic distribution-based Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic model was applied to mine the text topics. Topical issues were determined by topic intensity, and the cosine similarity of the topics in adjacent stages was calculated to analyze the topic evolution trend. RESULTS: A total of 6,758 English articles and 3,321 Chinese articles were included. Foreign research on DRGs focuses on grouping optimization, implementation effects, and influencing factors, whereas research topics in China focus on grouping and payment mechanism establishment, medical cost change evaluation, medical quality control, and performance management reform exploration. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, the field of DRGs in China is developing rapidly and attracting deepening research. However, the implementation depth of research in China remains insufficient compared with the in-depth research conducted abroad.

Impact of Medical-Pharmaceutical Separation Reform on Hospitalization Expenditure in Tertiary Public Hospitals: Difference-in-Difference Analysis Based on Panel Data from Beijing.

Purpose: The medical-pharmaceutical separation (MPS) reform is a healthcare reform that focuses on reducing the proportion of drug expenditure. This study aims to analyze the impact of the MPS reform on hospitalization expenditure and its structure in tertiary public hospitals. Methods: Using propensity score matching and multi-period difference-in-difference methods to analyze the impact of the MPS reform on hospitalization expenditure and its structure, a difference-in-difference-in-difference model was established to analyze the heterogeneity of whether the tertiary public hospital was a diagnosis-related-group (DRG) payment hospital. Of 22 municipal public hospitals offering tertiary care in Beijing, monthly panel data of 18 hospitals from July 2011 to March 2017, totaling 1242 items, were included in this study. Results: After the MPS reform, the average drug expenditure, average Western drug expenditure, and average Chinese drug expenditures per hospitalization decreased by 24.5%, 24.6%, and 24.1%, respectively (P < 0.001). The proportions of drug expenditure decreased by 4.5% (P < 0.001), and the proportion of medical consumables expenditure increased significantly by 2.7% (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The MPS reform may significantly optimize the hospitalization expenditure structure and control irrational increases in expenditure. DRG payment can control the tendency to increase the proportions of medical consumables expenditure after the reform and optimize the effect of the reform. There is a need to strengthen the management of medical consumables in the future, promote the MPS reform and DRG payment linkage, and improve supporting measures to ensure the long-term effect of the reform.

Evaluation of the impact of prospective payment systems on cholecystectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of prospective payment systems (PPSs) on cholecystectomy. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, examining studies published until December 2023. The review process focused on identifying research across major databases that reported critical outcomes such as length of stay (LOS), mortality, complications, admissions, readmissions, and costs following PPS for cholecystectomy. The studies were specifically selected for their relevance to the impact of PPS or the transition from fee-for-service (FFS) to PPS. The study analyzed six papers, with three eligible for meta-analysis, to assess the impact of the shift from FFS to PPS in laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy procedures. Our findings indicated no significant changes in LOS and mortality rates following the transition from FFS to PPS. Complication rates varied and were influenced by the diagnosis-related group categorization and surgeon cost profiles under episode-based payment. There was a slight increase in admissions and readmissions, and mixed effects on hospital costs and financial margins, suggesting varied responses to PPS for cholecystectomy procedures. The impact of PPS on cholecystectomy is nuanced and varies across different aspects of healthcare delivery. Our findings indicate a need for adaptable, patient-centered PPS models that balance economic efficiency with high-quality patient care. The study emphasizes the importance of considering specific surgical procedures and patient demographics in healthcare payment reforms.

Current scenario and challenges of clinical pharmacists to implement pharmaceutical care in DRG/DIP payment hospitals in China: a qualitative interview study.

Purpose: The Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) or Diagnosis-Intervention Packet (DIP) payment system, now introduced in China, intends to streamline healthcare billing practices. However, its implications for clinical pharmacists, pivotal stakeholders in the healthcare system, remain inadequately explored. This study sought to assess the perceptions, challenges, and roles of clinical pharmacists in China following the introduction of the DRG or DIP payment system. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted among a sample of clinical pharmacists. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted, either online or face to face. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key insights and concerns related to their professional landscape under the DRG or DIP system. Results: Clinical pharmacists exhibited variable awareness levels about the DRG or DIP system. Their roles have undergone shifts, creating a balance between traditional responsibilities and new obligations dictated by the DRG or DIP system. Professional development, particularly concerning health economics and DRG-based or DIP-based patient care, was highlighted as a key need. There were calls for policy support at both healthcare and national levels and a revised, holistic performance assessment system. The demand for more resources, be it in training platforms or personnel, was a recurrent theme. Conclusion: The DRG or DIP system's introduction in China poses both opportunities and challenges for clinical pharmacists. Addressing awareness gaps, offering robust policy support, ensuring adequate resource allocation, and recognizing the evolving role of pharmacists are crucial for harmoniously integrating the DRG or DIP system into the Chinese healthcare paradigm.

The Impact of Inpatient Acupuncture on a Mixed Hospital Floor: A Pragmatic 3-Month Cost-Effectiveness Retrospective Evaluation.

Objective: Viability of inpatient acupuncture is limited by current hospital reimbursement structuring. Research has primarily focused on length of stay (LOS) instead of cost of stay (COS). This study evaluated acupuncture as an option for inpatient pain control, determined if acupuncture influenced patient satisfaction during hospitalization, and examined any effects on LOS and COS. Materials and Methods: In a quasiexperimental pilot research study, acupuncture was offered free of charge for 3 months on a single floor of an urban medical center. Pre- and postintervention scores, number of treatments, and diagnosis related groups (DRGs) of patients receiving acupuncture were tracked and then compared to a nonintervention, DRGs-matched group with overlapping hospital-floor and admission dates. LOS, COS, and patient satisfaction scores during the months of intervention were compared to the months before and after the intervention. Results: Patients' pain significantly decreased each time they were treated. Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems scores increased to 85, 99, and 97 during the months of intervention and then returned to the lower, preacupuncture levels after acupuncture was no longer available. LOS was higher in the intervention group (+7.8 days), but acupuncture saved the hospital an anticipated $125,770 in the projected COS during that 3-month time alone. Conclusions: Acupuncture was a potent pain-relief alternative for hospitalized patients, providing more satisfaction. Acupuncture resulted in longer LOS, but the aggregate COS was 86% less than expected. Acupuncture may be a financially viable, clinically impactful adjunct to hospital care.

Birth characteristics as predictors of respiratory syncytial virus hospitalisation in newborns to optimise immunisation schedule.

AIM: To examine birth characteristics that influence infant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalisation risk in order to identify risk factors for severe RSV infections. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of 460 771 Sicilian children under 6 months old from January 2007 to December 2017. Hospital discharge records were consulted to identify cases and hospitalisations with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes 466.11 (RSV bronchiolitis), 480.1 (RSV pneumonia) and 079.6 (RSV). RSV hospitalisation risk was estimated using adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: Overall, 2420 (5.25 per 1000 infants) RSV-related hospitalisations were identified during the study, with girls accounting for 52.8%. RSV hospitalisation risk increased for full-term, transferred, extreme immature, and preterm neonates with serious issues (aOR 3.25, 95% CI 2.90-3.64; aOR 1.86, 95% CI 1.47-2.32; aOR 1.54, 95% CI 1.11-2.07; and aOR 1.48, 95% CI 1.14-1.90). Compared to children born in June, the risk of RSV hospitalisation was significantly higher in children born in January (aOR 28.09, 95% CI 17.68-48.24) and December (aOR 27.36, 95% CI 17.21-46.99). CONCLUSION: This study identified birth month and diagnosis-related groups as key predictors of RSV hospitalisations. This could help manage monoclonal antibody appropriateness criteria.

Comprehensive evaluation of disease coding quality in gastroenterology and its impact on the diagnosis-related group system: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: According to the diagnosis-related group (DRG) requirement, issues of diagnosis and procedure coding in the gastroenterology department of our hospital were analyzed and improvement plans were proposed to lay the foundation for effective implementation of DRGs. METHODS: The title page of case-history of 1600 patients admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology of this hospital from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 was sampled as a data source, and the primary and other diagnostic codes, operation or procedure codes involved in the title page of case-history were categorized and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 531 cases treated with gastrointestinal endoscopy in our hospital in 2021, coding errors were identified in 66 cases and unsuccessful DRG enrollment in 35 cases, including 14 cases with incorrect coding of the primary diagnosis (8 cases with unsuccessful DRG enrollment), 37 cases with incorrect coding of the primary operation (23 cases with unsuccessful DRG enrollment), and 8 cases with incorrect coding of both the primary diagnosis and the primary operation (4 cases with unsuccessful DRG enrollment). Analysis of 66 inpatient cases with coding problems showed a total of 167 deficiencies, including 36 deficiencies in major diagnoses, 84 deficiencies in other diagnoses, and 47 deficiencies in surgery or operation coding. CONCLUSION: The accuracy of coding of disease diagnosis and surgical operation is the basis for the smooth implementation of DRGs. The medical staff of this hospital has poor cognition of DRGs coding and fails to recognize the important role of the title page of case-history quality to DRGs system, and their attention to DRGs and knowledge base of disease classification coding should be improved. In addition, the high incidence of coding errors, especially the omission of disease diagnosis, requires increased training of physicians and nurses on clinical knowledge and requirements for DRGs medical records, thereby improving the quality of medical cases and ensuring the accuracy of DRGs information.

Sepsis-coded hospitalisations and associated costs in Australia: a retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To report trends in Australian hospitalisations coded for sepsis and their associated costs. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of Australian national hospitalisation data from 2002 to 2021. METHODS: Sepsis-coded hospitalisations were identified using the Global Burden of Disease study sepsis-specific ICD-10 codes modified for Australia. Costs were calculated using Australian-Refined Diagnosis Related Group codes and National Hospital Cost Data Collection. RESULTS: Sepsis-coded hospitalisations increased from 36,628 in 2002-03 to 131,826 in 2020-21, an annual rate of 7.8%. Principal admission diagnosis codes contributed 13,843 (37.8%) in 2002-03 and 44,186 (33.5%) in 2020-21; secondary diagnosis codes contributed 22,785 (62.2%) in 2002-03 and 87,640 (66.5%) in 2020-21. Unspecified sepsis was the most common sepsis code, increasing from 15,178 hospitalisations in 2002-03 to 68,910 in 2020-21. The population-based incidence of sepsis-coded hospitalisations increased from 18.6 to 10,000 population (2002-03) to 51.3 per 10,000 (2021-21); representing an increase from 55.1 to 10,000 hospitalisations in 2002-03 to 111.4 in 2020-21. Sepsis-coded hospitalisations occurred more commonly in the elderly; those aged 65 years or above accounting for 20,573 (55.6%) sepsis-coded hospitalisations in 2002-03 and 86,135 (65.3%) in 2020-21. The cost of sepsis-coded hospitalisations increased at an annual rate of 20.6%, from AUD199M (€127 M) in financial year 2012 to AUD711M (€455 M) in 2019. CONCLUSION: Hospitalisations coded for sepsis and associated costs increased significantly from 2002 to 2021 and from 2012 to 2019, respectively.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute mental health admissions in Croatia.

Background: The pandemic of COVID-19 had a profound impact on our community and healthcare system. This study aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on psychiatric care in Croatia by comparing the number of acute psychiatric cases before coronavirus disease (2017-2019) and during the pandemic (2020-2022). Materials and methods: The paper is a retrospective, comparative analyzes of the hospital admission rate in Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) classes related to mental diseases, and organic mental disorders caused by alcohol and drug use. This study used DRG data from all acute hospitals in Croatia accredited to provide mental health care services and relevant publicly available data from the Croatian Institute of Public Health (CIPH) and the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (CHIF). All hospital admissions for acute psychiatric patients in Croatia were tracked during both periods under study. Results: During the pandemic, the average number of all such cases decreased by 28% in secondary and tertiary hospitals, and by 11% in specialist psychiatric hospitals. It was also found that during COVID-19, there was a decrease in case numbers in DRG classes related to major affective disorders and anxiety, alcohol, and drug intoxication (31, 48, 34 and 45%, respectively). However, the same period saw an increase in hospital activity for eating disorders and for involuntary admissions related to schizophrenia and paranoia (30, 34 and 39% respectively). There were no changes in the admission rate for cases related to opioid use. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in both a steep decrease in the overall number of psychiatric cases inpatient treatment at mental health facilities and their DRG casemix. Increasing our understanding of how pandemics and isolation affect demand for psychiatric care will help us better plan for future crises and provide more targeted care to this vulnerable group.

Predictive validity of the All Patients Refined Diagnosis Related Group modifiers for costs and outcomes from intracranial hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: The All Patients Refined Diagnosis Related Group (APR-DRG) modifiers-severity of illness (SOI) and risk of mortality (ROM)-inform hospital reimbursement nationally. The ubiquitous APR-DRG data bear the potential to inform public health research; however, the algorithms that generate these modifiers are proprietary and therefore should be independently verified. This study evaluated the predictive value of APR-DRG modifiers for the outcomes and costs of intracranial hemorrhage. METHODS: The New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System databases were accessed and searched for the intracranial hemorrhage Diagnosis Related Group in records from 2012 to 2020. Receiver operating characteristic and multiple logistic regressions characterized the predictive validity of the APR-DRG modifiers for patient outcomes. One-way ANOVA compared costs and charges between SOI and ROM designations. RESULTS: Among 46,019 patients, 12,627 (27.4%) died. The mean ± SEM costs per patient were $21,342 ± $145 and the mean ± SEM charges per patient were $68,117 ± $408. For prediction of mortality, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.74 for SOI and 0.83 for ROM. For prediction of discharge to a facility, AUC was 0.62 for SOI and 0.64 for ROM. Regression analysis showed that ROM was a strong predictor of mortality, while SOI was a weak predictor; both were modest predictors of discharge to a facility. SOI and ROM were significant predictors of costs and charges. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the prior studies, the authors identified several limitations of APR-DRG modifiers, including low specificity, modest AUC, and limited outcomes prediction. This report supports the limited use of APR-DRG modifiers in independent research on intracranial hemorrhage epidemiology and reimbursement and advocates for general caution in their use for evaluation of neurosurgical disease.

Impact of Diagnosis-Related-Group (DRG) payment on variation in hospitalization expenditure: evidence from China.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis-Related-Group (DRG) payment is considered a crucial means of addressing the rapid increases of medical cost and variation in cost. This paper analyzes the impact of DRG payment on variation in hospitalization expenditure in China. METHOD: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and cerebral infarction (CI) in a Chinese City Z were selected. Patients in the fee-for-service (FFS) payment group and the DRG payment group were used as the control group and intervention group, respectively, and propensity-score-matching (PSM) was conducted. Interquartile distance (IQR), standard deviation (SD) and concentration index were used to analyze variation and trends in terms of hospitalization expenditure across the different groups. RESULTS: After DRG payment reform, the SD of hospitalization expenditure in respect of the COPD, AMI and CI patients in City Z decreased by 11,094, 4,833 and 4,987 CNY, respectively. The concentration indices of hospitalization expenditures for three diseases are all below 0 (statistically significant), with the absolute value tending to increase year by year. CONCLUSION: DRG payment can be seen to guide medical service providers to provide effective treatment that can improve the consistency of medical care services, bringing the cost of medical care closer to its true clinical value.

Diagnosis Related Groups of Patients Admitted from an Urban Academic Medical Center to a Virtual Hybrid Hospital-at-Home Program.

Background: The diagnosis related group (DRG) is used as an economic patient classification system based on clinical characteristics, hospital stay, and treatment costs. Mayo Clinic's virtual hybrid hospital-at-home program, advanced care at home (ACH), offers high-acuity home inpatient care for a variety of diagnosis. This study aimed to determine the DRGs admitted to the ACH program at an urban academic center. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on all patients discharged from the ACH program at Mayo Clinic Florida from July 6, 2020, to February 1, 2022. DRG data were extracted from the Electronic Health Record (EHR). Categorization of DRG was done by systems. Results: The ACH program discharged 451 patients with DRGs. Categorization of the DRG demonstrated that the most frequent code assigned corresponded to respiratory infections (20.2%), followed by septicemia (12.9%), heart failure (8.9%), renal failure (4.9%), and cellulitis (4.0%). Conclusion: The ACH program covers a wide range of high-acuity diagnosis across multiple medical specialties at its urban academic medical campus, including respiratory infections, severe sepsis, congestive heart failure, and renal failure, all with major complications or comorbidities. The ACH model of care may be useful in taking care of patients with similar diagnosis at other urban academic medical institutions.

Evaluation, Description and Magnitude of Readmission Phenomenon in Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana (AOUP) for Chronic-Degenerative Diseases in the Period 2018-2021.

BACKGROUND: Readmissions are hospitalizations following a previous hospitalization (called index hospitalization) of the same patient that occurred in the same facility or nursing home. They may be a consequence of the progression of the natural history of a disease, but they may also reveal a previous suboptimal stay, or ineffective management of the underlying clinical condition. Preventing avoidable readmissions has the potential to improve both a patient's quality of life, by avoiding exposure to the risks of re-hospitalization, and the financial well-being of health care systems. METHODS: We investigated the magnitude of 30 day repeat hospitalizations for the same Major Diagnostic Category (MDC) in the Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana (AOUP) over the period from 2018 to 2021. Records were divided into only admissions, index admissions and repeated admission. The length of the stay of all groups was compared using analysis of variance and subsequent multi-comparison tests. RESULTS: Results showed a reduction in readmissions over the period examined (from 5.36% in 2018 to 4.46% in 2021), likely due to reduced access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also observed that readmissions predominantly affect the male sex, older age groups, and patients with medical Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs). The length of stay of readmissions was longer than that of index hospitalization (difference of 1.57 days, 95% CI 1.36-1.78 days, p < 0.001). The length of stay of index hospitalization is longer than that of single hospitalization (difference of 0.62 days, 95% CI 0.52-0.72 days, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A patient who goes for readmission thus has an overall hospitalization duration of almost two and a half times the length of the stay of a patient with single hospitalization, considering both index hospitalization and readmission. This represents a heavy use of hospital resources, about 10,200 more inpatient days than single hospitalizations, corresponding to a 30-bed ward working with an occupancy rate of 95%. Knowledge of readmissions is an important piece of information in health planning and a useful tool for monitoring the quality of models of patient care.

Publicly Disclosed Pricing for Common Upper-Extremity Procedures: An Analysis of Hospital Chargemasters.

BACKGROUND: American hospitals are required to provide price transparency data (known as a chargemaster) for medical services, which is intended to allow consumers to accurately estimate the cost of medical services. Our purpose was to identify hospital compliance in publishing chargemaster documents and to assess the price information published for common upper-extremity services and procedures. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of publicly available chargemaster data from 122 hospitals, which included the top-20-ranked Honor Roll hospitals from US News and World Report and 2 top-ranked hospitals from each state. Chargemaster files were accessed for each hospital, and price information was recorded for 10 common upper-extremity procedures including radiographs, injections, and surgeries. Mean procedural prices were compared between academic and nonacademic hospitals. RESULTS: Chargemaster files were able to be accessed for 107 (88%) of 122 institutions. Price estimates for imaging studies were more frequently reported (73%) than those of procedures (23%-41%). With 50 hospitals reporting a price estimate, carpal tunnel injection was the most frequently reported procedure, whereas trigger finger release was the least frequently reported (41% and 23%, respectively). Wide price ranges were noted, with mean charges for a total shoulder arthroplasty listed as US $51 723 (range, US $247-US $364 024). Mean prices between academic and nonacademic hospital systems were similar. CONCLUSIONS: While most (88%) of the included hospitals have been compliant with publishing their price transparency files, price estimates for common upper-extremity procedures and imaging studies are inconsistently reported and, when present, demonstrate high levels of price variability between and within hospital systems.

Impacto de la COVID-19 sobre los indicadores hospitalarios: análisis de los grupos relacionados por el diagnóstico en un servicio de cirugía vascular / Impact of COVID-19 on key performance indicators: analysis of diagnosis related groups in a vascular surgery department

Objetivos: evaluar el impacto de la pandemia por la COVID-19 sobre una serie de indicadores funcionaleshospitalarios mediante el uso de grupos relacionados por el diagnóstico (GRD). Comparar los resultados del Servicio de Angiología, Cirugía Vascular y Endovascular (ACV) del Hospital Universitario de Cabueñes (HUCAB) con la base de datos del Ministerio de Sanidad.Material y métodos: altas hospitalarias del servicio de ACV del HUCAB durante los años 2019, 2020 y 2021. Se utilizó el sistema all patients refined (APR)-GRD para la codificación de altas. Los indicadores clave estudiados fueron: número de altas, mortalidad, estancia media (EM) y peso medio (PM) del GRD. Se estudiaron los resultados globales por año y en función de los GRD más prevalentes. Los resultados obtenidos se cotejaron con los datos anuales de la codifi cación del conjunto mínimo básico de datos (CMBD) del Ministerio de Sanidad. Se analizó también la EM ajustada por el funcionamiento del estándar (EMAF) y por la casuística (EMAC), el índice de EM ajustada (IEMA), el índice funcional (IF) y casuístico (IC) y el número de estancias evitables.Resultados:el número de altas en 2020 disminuyó un 10 % respecto a 2019. Las altas ligadas a ingresos desde Urgencias aumentaron en el GRD 181 más de un 50 % durante el año 2020 y más del 100 % en el año 2021 con respecto a 2019. Respecto a la mortalidad, no se constató un aumento signifi cativo de forma global. La EM disminuyó un 20 % en 2020 y un 18 % en 2021 respecto a 2019. El PM aumentó de forma progresiva hasta alcanzar una media de 7,7 % en 2021. La EMAF fue superior a la EM estándar y el número de estancias ahorradas fue superior al esperado.Conclusiones: la pandemia por la COVID-19 ha infl uido sobre los indicadores hospitalarios estudiados: han disminuido el número de altas y la EM y ha aumentando el PM de los GRD. El número de estancias evitables ahorradas ha sido mayor que el estándar.(AU)

Objectives: to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 on the hospital key performance indicators using the diagnosis-related groups (DRG). To compare the results of the Angiology and Vascular Surgery Department of the University Hospital of Cabueñes (HUCAB) with the database of the Ministry of Health.Material and methods: hospital discharges from the Vascular Surgery Department of the HUCAB during theyears 2019, 2020 and 2021. All patients refined (APR)-DRG system was extracted for discharge coding. The hospital key indicators studied were: number of discharges, mortality, mean stay (EM) and mean weight (PM) of the DRG. The overall results per year and according to the most prevalent DRGs were studied. The results obtained were compared with the annual data from the coding of the Minimum Basic Data Set (CMBD) of the Ministry of Health. The configured EM by adjusting the performance of the standard (EMAF) and by the casuistry (EMAC), the index of the adjusted EM (IEMA), the functional index (FI), casuistic index (CI) and the number of avoidable hospital stays were also analyzed. Results: number of discharges: it was 10 % inferior in 2020 compared to 2019. Discharges of the GRD 181 linked to admissions from the Emergency increased more than 50 % during 2020 and more than 100 % in 2021 compared to 2019. Mortality: there was no significant increase. EM: it decreased 20 % in 2020 and 18 % in 2021, compared to 2019. PM: it increased progressively to 7.7% on average in 2021. EMAF: it was superior to standard EM. The number of stays saved was higher than expected. Conclusions: the pandemic of COVID-19 influenced the hospital key performance indicators studied, reducing the number of discharges and ME and increasing the PM of the DRGs. The number of avoidable stays saved was greater than the standard.(AU)

Conversion Total Hip Arthroplasty in the Era of Bundled Care Payments: Impacts on Costs of Care.

BACKGROUND: Conversion hip arthroplasty is defined as a patient who has had prior open or arthroscopic hip surgery with or without retained hardware that is removed and replaced with arthroplasty components. Currently, it is classified under the same diagnosis-related group as primary total hip arthroplasty (THA); however, it frequently requires a higher cost of care. METHODS: A retrospective study of 228 conversion THA procedures in an orthopaedic specialty hospital was performed. Propensity score matching was used to compare the study group to a cohort of 510 primary THA patients by age, body mass index, sex, and American Society of Anesthesiologists score. These matched groups were compared based on total costs, implants used, operative times, length of stay (LOS), readmissions, and complications. RESULTS: Conversion THA incurred 25% more mean total costs compared to primary THA (P < .05), longer lengths of surgery (154 versus 122 minutes), and hospital LOS (2.1 versus 1.56 days). A subgroup analysis showed a 57% increased cost for cephalomedullary nail conversion, 34% increased cost for sliding hip screw, 33% for acetabular open reduction and internal fixation conversion, and 10% increased costs in closed reduction and percutaneous pinning conversions (all P < .05). There were 5 intraoperative complications in the conversion group versus none in the primary THA group (P < .01), with no statistically significant difference in readmissions. CONCLUSION: Conversion THA is significantly more costly than primary THA and has longer surgical times and greater LOS. Specifically, conversion THA with retained implants had the greatest impact on cost.

Analysis of the grouping effect and hospitalization cost of patients with malignant proliferative disease in a hospital under DRG payment / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To analyze the grouping effect and composition of hospitalization costs for cases of patients with malignant proliferative disease under the diagnosis-related group （DRG） payment system， as well as any changes， in order to provide a basis for medical institutions to improve DRG payment-related measures， control drug costs， and for relevant departments to make decisions. METHODS The data of patients with malignant proliferative disease cases were collected from a “Third Grade Class A” hospital in 2021 and 2022， and the variation coefficient （CV） was used to evaluate the grouping of DRG. The structural variation degree and the new grey correlation analysis were used to study the structural variation of hospitalization cost and the correlation degree between the hospitalization cost and the cost of other items. RESULTS The overall reduction in variance （RIV） for the DRG group of patients with malignant proliferative disease was 79.36%； the CV of other groups were all lower than one except that the RW21 group was 1.09. Compared with 2021， the hospitalization cost for patients with malignant proliferative disease in 2022 decreased by 17.80%， and the decreases in management fees and drug costs were 32.15% and 21.30%， respectively， while the per capita medical expenses increased by 17.26%. The new grey correlation degree of drug cost decreased， but that of medical expenses increased. CONCLUSIONS Under the DRG payment system， hospitalization costs for patients with malignant proliferative disease in the sample hospital decrease， but the grouping efficiency of RW21 and other disease groups needs improvement， and the cost structure needs optimization.

Study on French medical insurance payment policy for innovative medical products paid under DRG / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To analyze the implementation experience of France’s additional list system for innovative medical products， and to provide reference for China to support medical institutions to use innovative medical products. METHODS Taking France as a case study， using policy analysis method， this paper systematically studied the practice of establishing additional list system to compensate for innovative medical products in France under diagnosis-related group （DRG） payment， including the establishment background， selection procedure and implementation effect. The suggestions were provided on the medical insurance payment methods for innovative medical products in China. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS The additional list system established a compensation and payment system for innovative medical products with significant clinical efficacy but high treatment cost， covering four stages： application， evaluation， payment and adjustment， which effectively reduced the drug burden on medical institutions， promoted the use of innovative pharmaceutical products by medical institutions， and stimulated the innovation drive of the pharmaceutical industry， but at the same time brought payment pressure to the medical insurance fund. With the rapid spread of our DRG/diagnosis-intervention packet payment reform of China， some regions have also explored the establishment of a compensation and payment mechanism for innovative medical products， but there are still imperfections. We can refer to the implementation experience of the French additional list system and establish an effective compensation and payment system for innovative medical products starting from the establishment of selection criteria， the selection of compensation mode and the implementation of dynamic adjustment.

Optimization of nursing services for percutaneous coronary interventional therapy based on clinical nursing pathway / 中华医院管理杂志

Objective:To optimize the clinical nursing pathway, service program and evaluation parameters of percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI), for references for the cost accounting and compensation mechanism of nursing program in public hospitals.Methods:After literature analysis and group discussion, the initial templates were constructed for the PCI clinical nursing pathway, nursing service projects, and their evaluation parameters. 15 experts were consulted by two rounds of Delphi method to optimize PCI nursing path, nursing service items and their evaluation parameters (basic labor consumption, basic time consumption, technical difficulty and risk degree).Results:Two rounds of Delphi method finally determined the PCI clinical nursing path and 27 nursing service items, and adjusted the evaluation parameters of 10 nursing service items. The new projects for PCI clinical nursing services included adjustment and review of dual antiplatelet therapy plans, postoperative rehabilitation nursing, and key project verification. The three nursing service projects with the highest level of technical difficulty and risk were intravenous blood transfusion, gastric catheterization, and gastrointestinal decompression. The two items with the highest importance assigned were high pump assisted arterial/venous infusion (blood) and invasive continuous arterial blood pressure monitoring.Conclusions:The PCI clinical nursing pathway and nursing service project constructed in this study could closely integrate with clinical practice, highlight the integrated nursing service model, and reflect the labor value of nurses.

Analysis of medical quality in psychiatric hospitals based on DRG evaluation / 中华医院管理杂志

Objective:To evaluate the medical service quality of psychiatric hospitals in Beijing based on diagnostic related group (DRG), analyze the evaluation effect, for refences to constructe a DRG performance evaluation system suitable for psychiatric hospitals.Methods:This study extracted data such as the number of DRG groups, etc. of hospitalized patients in 14 tertiary and secondary psychiatric hospitals in Beijing from 2018 to 2020 from the Beijing inpatient medical performance evaluation platform, and analyzed data on DRG performance evaluation indicators, as well as the average length of hospital stay and average cost of DRG enrolled cases. All data were analyzed using descriptive research methods, and inter group comparisons were conducted using the Mann Whitney U-test. Results:From 2018 to 2020, the average number of DRG groups in tertiary hospitals (28) was higher than that in secondary hospitals (10) ( P<0.05), and the average CMI values of both were the same(1.79); The average cost consumption index (1.15) of tertiary hospitals was higher than that of secondary hospitals (0.65) ( P<0.05), while the average time consumption index (1.11) was slightly lower than that of secondary hospitals (1.30); The mortality rate of the low-risk group in tertiary hospitals (0.01%) was generally lower than that in secondary hospitals (0.88%), and the average percentage of DRG admitted inpatients (82.8%) was significantly higher than that in secondary hospitals (27.3%) ( P>0.05). The average length of stay and cost per case for DRG enrolled inpatients in tertiary and secondary hospitals were lower than the overall hospital discharge cases ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The number of DRG groups, CMI value, and low-risk mortality rate could be used for evaluating the medical service capacity and safety of psychiatric hospitals, but the cost and time consumption index could not objectively reflect the efficiency of hospital medical services. DRG performance evaluation indicators are more suitable for evaluating short-term hospitalization of psychiatric patients. The proportion of DRG enrolled cases might be a potential indicator for evaluating the service quality of psychiatric hospitals.