Análisis de factores de riesgo cardiometabólicos y nutricionales en pacientes diabéticos tipo 2 e hipertensos esenciales usuarios de atención privada y pública / Analysis of cardiometabolic and nutritional risk factors in patients with diabetes type 2 and essential hypertension users of private and public care

La enfermedad cardiovascular es una de las principales causas de morbimortalidad en Chile, según resultados entregados por la Encuesta Nacional de Salud 2017 un 3,3% de la población ha presentado un infarto agudo al miocardio, un 2,6% reporta haber sufrido un ataque cerebrovascular, el 74% de los chilenos presenta obesidad y un 87% sedentarismo, siendo la diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2) con un 12% y la hipertensión arterial con un 28% resultados que preocupan por su importante incremento. La investigación tuvo un diseño observacional de corte transversal. Se realizó en 69 pacientes con DM2 e hipertensos esenciales, entre 40 y 80 años de edad, pertenecientes al Sistema salud municipal (SMS) y privado (SPS) en la ciudad de Iquique. Se realizó encuesta alimentaria, medición antropométrica y exámenes bioquímicos y presión arterial. Al analizar ambos grupos se destaca los siguientes resultados: actividad física 17,24% SPS y 42,5% en SSM, presión arterial controlada 55,2% SPS y 87,5% en SSM, control de hemoglobina glicosilada 26,9% SPS y 52,5% en SSM, colesterol total alterado 17,9% SPS y 45% en SSM, síntomas depresivos 96,5% SPS y 26,3% en SSM. Se evidenció una prevalencia de mal nutrición por exceso de un 89,7% SPS y 95% SSM, riesgo cardiovascular (RCV) según circunferencia de cintura (CC) 96,5% SPS y 92,3% SSM. En relación a la encuesta alimentaria se observó que un 44,8% en usuarios SPS y 52,5% de SSM presentaron consumo alimentario hipercalórico. Los usuarios de atención privada y pública presentaron factores de riesgo cardiovascular, donde destacan la obesidad, sedentarismo y RCV según CC. Al comparar ambos grupos los usuarios SPS presentan menor control metabólico de su enfermedad y factores de riesgo cardiovascular aumentados en relación a los usuarios SSM.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in Chile, according to the results provided by the 2017 National Health Survey, 3.3% of the population has presented acute myocardial infarction, 2.6% reported have suffered a cerebrovascular accident, 74% of Chileans are obese and 87% have sedentary behavior, belonging to type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) into 12% and arterial hypertension into 28%, alarming results due to their significant increase. The research had a cross-sectional observational study design. 69 patients with DM2 and essential hypertensive patients, between 40 and 80 years of age were studied, belonging to the municipal (SSM) and private (SPS) health systems in the city of Iquique. A food intake survey, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical and blood pressure tests were taken. When analyzing both groups, the following results stand out: physical activity 17.24% in SPS and 42.5% in SSM, controlled blood pressure 55.2% in SPS and 87.5% in SSM, controlled glycosylated hemoglobin 26.9% in SPS and 52.5% in SSM, altered values of total cholesterol 17.9% in SPS and 45% in SSM, depression symptoms 96.5% in SPS and 26.3% in SSM. Prevalence of malnutrition due to excess 89.7% in SPS and 95% in SSM, cardiovascular risk (RCV) according to waist circumference (CC) 96.5% in SPS and 92.3% in SSM were evidenced. In relation to the food intake survey, it was observed that 44.8% of SPS users and 52.5% of SSM users consume hypercaloric diet. The users of private and public care presented cardiovascular risk factors, where the obesity, sedentary lifestyle and RCV related to CC stand out. When comparing both groups, SPS users have less control of their disease in relation to SSM users.

Avaliação do nível de percepção de cirurgiões-dentistas das redes pública e privada de um município do norte do Rio Grande do Sul sobre atenção em saúde a pacientes com necessidades especiais / Assessment dentists level of perception in public and private service of a city in the north of Rio Grande do Sul about health care for patients with special needs

Objetivo: identificar a percepção de cirurgiões-dentistas das redes pública e privada do município de Erechim, RS, sobre atenção em saúde a pacientes com necessidades especiais, avaliando conhecimento, preparo e limitações para o atendimento odontológico. Métodos: este estudo de caráter transversal ocorreu no período de março a agosto de 2019, por meio da aplicação de questionário próprio semiestruturado para cirurgiões-dentistas. Resultados: participaram da pesquisa 82 cirurgiões-dentistas, sendo a maioria (58,54%) atuantes na rede privada; 56,10% não cursaram uma disciplina específica em sua graduação sobre cuidados a pacientes com necessidades especiais. Em contrapartida, dos que cursaram, para a maioria, a disciplina era obrigatória e teórico-prática. Conclusão: apesar de somente 42,68% se sentirem muito bem ou bem preparados, somente 10,98% nunca realizaram atendimentos. Mesmo não tendo cursado uma disciplina específica em sua graduação, os cirurgiões-dentistas de Erechim, RS, realizam o atendimento e, quando necessário, o encaminhamento desses pacientes. Por manifestarem o interesse em se manterem atualizados sobre o tema, ações de educação continuada serão de fundamental importância.(AU)

Objective: assess dentists perception, about oral health care for patients with special needs, of public and private service of Erechim, RS, evaluating their knowledge, preparation and limitations for dental care. Methods: this cross-sectional research was conducted from March to August 2019, using questionnaires for dentists. Results: eighty-two dentists participated in the research, the majority (58.54%) are from the private service, 56.10% did not attend a specific discipline, in their graduation, about dental care for patients with special needs. In contrast, for those who attended, the discipline was compulsory and theoretical- -practical. Conclusion: although only 42.68% feel very well, or well prepared, only 10.98% never attended dental care. Even though they did not attend a specific discipline in their graduation, the dentists of Erechim, RS, perform dental care and, when necessary, they referral these patients. As they express their interest in keeping up to date on the topic, continuing education actions will be of fundamental importance.(AU)

[Prevalence and management of condylomas in consulting population in Chile: "DIACON study"]. / Prevalencia y manejo de condilomas en población consultante en Chile: estudio "DIACON".

INTRODUCTION: Condylomas or genital warts (GW) are the most frequently diagnosed sexually transmitted infection (STI) in STI centers in Chile, but there are no population statistics available. OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of GW in patients from 18-60 years of age who attend outpatient dermatology, gynecology and urology practice; the demographic characteristics of the patients and the diagnostic and treatment tools. METHODS: A sample of Chilean specialists stratified by region, population and gender of patients was provided with a logbook and answered a questionnaire. RESULTS: The GW prevalence was 2.44% for the whole group; 3.76% for the 18-34 age group and 1.29% for the 35-60 years group (p = 0.0000). The average age of patients with GW was 29.4 years in women and 32.7 years in men (p = 0.019). The distribution by age was different according to gender and health system. Visual inspection was the most frequent diagnostic method used and imiquimod cream the most common treatment, however, there were differences in the use of diagnostic and therapeutic tools according to the patient's gender, specialty of the doctor and health system. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of GW confirmed the need and importance of public health interventions to address this problem.

¿Qué revela sobre el sistema público sanitario la contratación de un seguro de salud privado? / What does the decision to opt for private health insurance reveal about public provision?

Objetivo: Este estudio examina la elección individual de seguro sanitario privado en España. La elección del seguro privado revela los atributos del sistema sanitario que son más valorados por la población, así como la capacidad de respuesta de este en relación a esas preferencias. Método: Los datos proceden de las oleadas de 2004, 2009 y 2014 del Barómetro Sanitario, examinando de forma separada la elección de la población general y de los funcionarios públicos. Resultados: El sistema sanitario público tenía una valoración muy buena en atributos como tecnología y capacitación de los médicos, incluso por aquellos que eligieron un seguro privado, pero no tanto en características como la comodidad o la rapidez de respuesta. Sin embargo, nuestro estudio muestra que los individuos se preocupan por otros atributos del sistema sanitario relacionados con la capacidad de respuesta, como el trato personal y la información, y estos influyen en su decisión de contratar un seguro privado. El cuerpo de funcionarios, incluso la minoría que ha optado por la sanidad pública, tiene una percepción más crítica sobre la sanidad pública que los no funcionarios, especialmente en trato personal, información, atención primaria y especialistas. Conclusiones: Las fortalezas y debilidades sobre el desempeño del sistema público de salud encontradas en este estudio serán de interés para los formuladores de políticas sanitarias y merecen una mayor investigación

Objective: This study examines individuals' choice of private health insurance in Spain. Private health insurance choices reveal the attributes of health care most highly valued by the population, and the perceived responsiveness of the public system in delivering those preferences. Method: The paper exploits the 2004, 2009 and 2014 waves of the national Health Barometer survey, examining the health insurance choice separately for the general population and a small but influential sector of elite public-sector employees who can opt out from the public health system (civil servants). Results: Public healthcare is a highly regarded provider in terms of technology and doctor training, even by those who chose private health insurance, but falls short in terms of amenities such as comfort and speed of attendance. These findings confirm well-known strengths and criticisms of the public system. However, the study also finds that citizens are concerned about the performance of the public sector in key domains of health system responsiveness, such as personal contact and information and these concerns also influence their decision to opt for private provision. Finally, civil servants, even the minority who opted for public provision, tend to have a lower opinion of the public health service than non-civil servants, especially in terms of personal contact, information, primary care and specialist care. Conclusions: These perceptions and concerns of the public about the performance of the public health service will be of interest for policy makers and should be investigated further

Do independent treatment centers offer more value than general hospitals? The case of cataract care.

OBJECTIVE: To identify differences between independent treatment centers (ITCs) and general hospitals (GHs) regarding costs, quality of care, and efficiency. DATA SOURCES: Anonymous claims data (2013-2015) were used. We also obtained quality indicators from a semipublic platform. STUDY DESIGN: This study uses a comparative multilevel analysis, controlling for case mix, to evaluate the performance of ITCs and GHs for patients diagnosed with cataract. DATA COLLECTION: Reimbursement claims were extracted from existing claims databases of the largest Dutch health insurer. Quality indicators were obtained by external agencies through a mixed-mode survey. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: There are no stark differences in complexity of cases for cataract care. ITCs seem to perform surgeries more frequently per care pathway, but conduct a lower number of health care activities per surgical claim. Total average costs are lower in ITCs compared with GHs, but when adjusted for case mix, the differences in costs are lower. The findings with the adjusted quality differences suggest that ITCs outperform GHs on patient satisfaction, but patients' outcomes are similar. CONCLUSION: This finding supports the postulation-based on the focus factory theory-that ITCs can provide more value for cataract care than GHs.

Prevalencia y manejo de condilomas en población consultante en Chile: estudio "DIACON" / Prevalence and management of condylomas in consulting population in Chile: "DIACON study"

Resumen Introducción: Los condilomas o verrugas genitales (VG) son la infección de transmisión sexual (ITS) más diagnosticada en los centros de ITS en Chile, pero no existen estadísticas poblacionales. Objetivos: Describir la prevalencia de VG en pacientes de 18-60 años que acuden a consulta ambulatoria de dermatología, ginecología y urología; características demográficas de los pacientes y prácticas de diagnóstico y tratamiento. Material y Métodos: A una muestra de especialistas chilenos estratificados por región, población y sexo de pacientes se les proporcionó un diario de registro y aplicó un cuestionario. Resultados: Prevalencia VG grupo total: 2,4%; en grupo etario 18-34 años: 3,7%; en grupo etario 35-60 años: 1,29% (p = 0,0000). La edad media de los pacientes con VG fue 29,4 años en mujeres y 32,7 años en hombres (p = 0,019); la distribución por edad fue diferente según sexo y sistema de salud. La inspección visual fue el método diagnóstico más frecuente y la crema de imiquimod el tratamiento más común. Hubo diferencias en el uso de herramientas diagnósticas y terapéuticas según sexo del paciente, especialidad del médico y sistema de salud. Conclusiones: Existe una alta prevalencia de VG, que debería ser tomada en cuenta para planificar las intervenciones de salud pública para abordar este problema.

Introduction: Condylomas or genital warts (GW) are the most frequently diagnosed sexually transmitted infection (STI) in STI centers in Chile, but there are no population statistics available. Objectives: To describe the prevalence of GW in patients from 18-60 years of age who attend outpatient dermatology, gynecology and urology practice; the demographic characteristics of the patients and the diagnostic and treatment tools. Methods: A sample of Chilean specialists stratified by region, population and gender of patients was provided with a logbook and answered a questionnaire. Results: The GW prevalence was 2.44% for the whole group; 3.76% for the 18-34 age group and 1.29% for the 35-60 years group (p = 0.0000). The average age of patients with GW was 29.4 years in women and 32.7 years in men (p = 0.019). The distribution by age was different according to gender and health system. Visual inspection was the most frequent diagnostic method used and imiquimod cream the most common treatment, however, there were differences in the use of diagnostic and therapeutic tools according to the patient's gender, specialty of the doctor and health system. Conclusions: The high prevalence of GW confirmed the need and importance of public health interventions to address this problem.

Facility ownership and mortality among older adults residing in care homes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nursing or care home characteristics may have a long-term impact on the residents' mortality risks that has not been studied previously. The study's main objective was to assess the association between facility ownership and long-term, all-cause mortality. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a mortality follow-up study on a cohort of 611 nursing-home residents in the city Madrid, Spain, from their 1998-1999 baseline interviews up to September 2013. Residents lived in three types of facilities: public, subsidized and private, which were also sub-classified according to size (number of beds). Residents' information was collected by interviewing the residents themselves, their caregivers and facility physicians. We used time-to-event multivariable models and inverse probability weighting to estimate standardized mortality risk differences. RESULTS: After a 3728 person-year follow-up (median/maximum of 4.8/15.2 years), 519 participants had died. In fully-adjusted models, the standardized mortality risk difference at 5 years of follow-up between medium-sized private facilities and large-sized public facilities was -18.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: -33.4 to -4.5%), with a median survival (95% CI) of 3.6 (0.5 to 6.8) additional years. The fully-standardized 5-year mortality difference (95% CIs) between for-profit private facilities and not-for-profit public institutions was -15.1% (-31.1% to 0.9%), and the fully-standardized median survival difference (95% CIs) was 3.0 (-1.7 to 7.7) years. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: These results are compatible with an association between factors related with the ownership of facilities and the long-term mortality risk of their residents. One of these factors, the facility size, could partly explain this association.

Why do paramedics choose to bring patients to a private emergency department?

OBJECTIVE: While prior experience, favourable location and anticipation of high quality care are known to influence patient choice to attend a private ED, it is likely that decision-making is also influenced by other persons. In particular, patients arriving by ambulance are under the care of paramedics, whose values towards healthcare and rationale for choosing one ED over another have not been studied. This study aimed to describe reasons why paramedics choose to bring patients to a private ED. METHODS: Exploratory, qualitative study using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with paramedics bringing patients to a private ED from the community. Two primary questions reinforced by structured prompts were asked: 'Why did you choose to come to this emergency department?' and 'What are your general expectations of this emergency department visit?' Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Fifty paramedics were interviewed with 48 interviews able to be transcribed and used in analysis. Four factors were identified to increase the likelihood of a private ED destination: specific direction, institutional allegiance, hospital logistics and systems and receiving hospital service ethos. CONCLUSIONS: Paramedics take into consideration when possible patient's wishes and are more likely to bring a patient to a private ED if they have specific direction from the patient or the patient's family or GP. The likelihood of presenting to a private ED is increased if the patient has an allegiance with the facility and the paramedics perceive favourably the hospital logistics and systems as well as service ethos.

Better together: Coexistence of for-profit and nonprofit firms with an application to the U.S. hospice industry.

Many markets maintain a nontrivial mix of both nonprofit and for-profit firms, particularly in health care industries such as hospice, nursing homes, and home health. What are the effects of coexistence vs. dominance of one ownership type? We show how the presence of both ownership types can lead to greater diversity in consumer types served, even if both firms merely profit-maximize. This is the case where firms serve consumers for multiple consumption durations, but where donations are part of a nonprofit firm objective function and happen after services have been provided. This finding is strengthened if the good or service has value beyond immediate consumption or the direct consumer. We show these predictions empirically in the hospice industry, using data containing over 90 percent of freestanding U.S. hospices, 2000-2008. Nonprofit and for-profit providers split the patient market according to length of stay, leading to a wider range of patients being served than in the absence of this coexistence.

[Public, private or third sector management? Differences in the results in Primary Care in Catalonia]. / ¿Gestión pública, privada o por el tercer sector? Diferencias en los resultados en atención primaria de Cataluña.

GOAL: Compare the performance of primary health centers managed by the public sector (ICS), the third sector (Hospitals) or by small private organizations known as EBAs. DESIGN: Multidimensional comparative analysis. We follow a quasi-experimental logic comparing primary health centers managed by EBAs with other centers managed by the public sector (ICS) o by the third sector (hospitals). LOCALIZATION: Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: We have 368 observations (primary health centers) and 18 indicators measured in 2015. INTERVENTION: Different management models (public, third sector, private). MAIN MEASURES: We compare activity measures, measures of effectiveness in the process of medical assistance, and efficiency. We compare before and after controlling for the socio-economic level corresponding to the basic health area and the characteristics of the population and health region. We conduct a test of significant differences between the indicators corresponding to centers managed differently, after a process of matching using key variables and Propensity Score Matching. RESULTS: Significant differences in the measure of work load for family doctors, in five measures of effectiveness in the process of assistance and in the cost per user. CONCLUSIONS: The diversity in the management model through EBAs shows results that can be interpreted in favor of the maintenance or the expansion of this model of management. The majority of EBAs have been implanted in areas of a medium or high level, but their results are still significantly positive once the socio economic level of the area is controlled.

A Positive Association Between Hospice Profit Margin And The Rate At Which Patients Are Discharged Before Death.

Hospice care is designed to support patients and families through the final phase of illness and death. Yet for more than a decade, hospices have steadily increased the rate at which they discharge patients before death-a practice known as "live discharge." Although certain live discharges are consistent with high-quality care, regulators have expressed concern that some hospices' desire to maximize profits drives them to inappropriately discharge patients. We used Medicare claims data for 2012-13 and cost reports for 2011-13 to explore relationships between hospice-level financial margins and live discharge rates among freestanding hospices. Adjusted analyses showed positive and significant associations between both operating and total margins and hospice-level rates of live discharge: One-unit increases in operating and total margin were associated with increases of 3 percent and 4 percent in expected hospice-level live discharge rates, respectively. These findings suggest that additional research is needed to explore links between profitability and patient-centeredness in the Medicare hospice program.

Decline In Public Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers Most Serious In Counties With High Shares Of Black Residents.

Previous research has associated declines in health care resources such as hospitals and trauma centers with communities' racial composition. However, little is known about changes in the substance use disorder treatment infrastructure in recent years and the implications for black communities. We used data for the period 2002-10 from the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services to describe changes in the supply of public and private outpatient facilities for substance use disorder treatment, and to determine whether these trends had implications for the geographical availability of these facilities in counties with high percentages of black residents. During the study period the number of publicly owned facilities declined 17.2 percent, whereas the number of private for-profit facilities grew 19.1 percent. At baseline, counties with very high percentages of black residents (that is, more than one standard deviation above the mean) were more likely than counties with less than the mean percentage of black residents to be served by public facilities and were thus disproportionately affected by the overall decline in public facilities. Future research should examine the effect of expanding eligibility for Medicaid on the supply of substance use disorder treatment facilities across diverse communities.

Staffing in Ontario's Long-Term Care Homes: Differences by Profit Status and Chain Ownership.

Ontario has the highest proportion of for-profit nursing homes in Canada. These facilities, which are known in Ontario as long-term care (LTC) homes, offer 24-hour custodial as well as nursing care to individuals who cannot live independently. Increasingly, they are also operating as members of multi-facility chains. Using longitudinal data (1996-2011) from the Residential Care Facilities Survey (n = 627), our analysis revealed discernible differences in staffing levels by profit status and chain affiliation. We found for-profit LTC homes - especially those owned by a chain organization - provided significantly fewer hours of care, after adjusting for variation in the residents' care needs. Findings from this study offer new information on the impact of organizational structure on staffing levels in Ontario's LTC homes and have implications for other jurisdictions where a growing presence of private, chain-affiliated operators has been observed.

Cobertura sanitaria en población española adulta: diferencias sociodemográficas y del estado de salud / Healthcare coverage in the adult spanish population: sociodemographical and health status differences

OBJETIVO: conocer las diferencias sociodemográficas y del estado de salud según la modalidad de seguro sanitario en población española adulta. MÉTODO: se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal, empleándolos datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud española 2011-2012.Entre los individuos que tenían alguna cobertura sanitaria, se han diferenciado los que tenían servicios sanitarios públicos, privados o doble cobertura. Se desarrolló un estudio bivariante para conocer las diferencias sociodemográficas y de salud según el tipo de cobertura. Se aplicó un modelo de análisis multivariable de regresión logística para determinar el perfil del usuario con cobertura pública. RESULTADOS: el estudio se desarrolló a partir de una muestra de21.007 individuos residentes en el territorio español mayores de 15años. Tras eliminar a los sujetos que no contaban con ningún tipo de cobertura sanitaria (62 personas) y los que no contestaron (132 personas), se incluyeron 20.813 individuos en el análisis. Un 83,5% de la población dispone exclusivamente de cobertura pública, caracterizada por ser joven, con nivel de estudios bajo, desempleada, con peor estado de salud percibido, y sin padecer enfermedades crónicas. Un 14% de población cuenta además con cobertura privada. CONCLUSIONES: la sanidad pública es la principal cobertura de la población española. Los individuos más mayores, con una renta familia relevada, en situación de empleo, con un nivel académico más elevado, un buen estado de salud percibido y con alguna enfermedad crónica, son el perfil del usuario que opta por un aseguramiento privado

OBJECTIVE: to understand the sociodemographic and health status differences according to the healthcare insurance model in the adult Spanish population. METHOD: a transversal descriptive study was conducted, using data from the 2011-2012 Spanish National Healthcare Survey. Those individuals with some type of healthcare coverage were divided into those who had public healthcare insurance, private healthcare insurance, or double coverage. A bivariate study was conducted in order to understand the sociodemographical and health differences according to type of coverage. A multivariable logistic regression analysis model was applied in order to determine the profile of the user with public coverage. RESULTS: the study was conducted in a sample of 21,007 persons over 15 years of age residing in the Spanish territory. After removing those subjects who had no type of healthcare coverage (62 persons)and those who did not answer (132 persons), the analysis included20,813 individuals. A 83.5% of the population has public coverage exclusively; this group is mostly young, with a low level of education, unemployed, with a worse perception of their health status, and without any chronic diseases. A 14% of this population has also private coverage. CONCLUSIONS: public health is the main coverage for the Spanish population. Older individuals, with a high family income, who are working and have a higher academic level, a good perception of their health status, and some chronic disease, represent the profile of the user who chooses private insurance

Do Nursing Home Chain Size and Proprietary Status Affect Experiences With Care?

BACKGROUND: In 2012, over half of nursing homes were operated by corporate chains. Facilities owned by the largest for-profit chains were reported to have lower quality of care. However, it is unknown how nursing home chain ownerships are related with experiences of care. OBJECTIVES: To study the relationship between nursing home chain characteristics (chain size and profit status) with patients' family member reported ratings on experiences with care. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY DESIGN: Maryland nursing home care experience reports, the Online Survey, Certification, And Reporting (OSCAR) files, and Area Resource Files are used. Our sample consists of all nongovernmental nursing homes in Maryland from 2007 to 2010. Consumer ratings were reported for: overall care; recommendation of the facility; staff performance; care provided; food and meals; physical environment; and autonomy and personal rights. We identified chain characteristics from OSCAR, and estimated multivariate random effect linear models to test the effects of chain ownership on care experience ratings. RESULTS: Independent nonprofit nursing homes have the highest overall rating score of 8.9, followed by 8.6 for facilities in small nonprofit chains, and 8.5 for independent for-profit facilities. Facilities in small, medium, and large for-profit chains have even lower overall ratings of 8.2, 7.9, and 8.0, respectively. We find similar patterns of differences in terms of recommendation rate, and important areas such as staff communication and quality of care. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence suggests that Maryland nursing homes affiliated with large-for-profit and medium-for-profit chains had lower ratings of family reported experience with care.

Ownership Status and Length of Stay in Skilled Nursing Facilities: Does Endogeneity Matter?

In 1998, Medicare implemented the Prospective Payment System for post-acute care provided by skilled nursing facilities. This system paid a fixed price per day above the cost of care, creating an incentive to provide longer length of stays to increase revenues. In this paper, we examine whether there are systematic differences in length of stay for post-acute care patients between for-profit and not-for-profit skilled nursing facilities. Based on the financial incentives inherent in the reimbursement system, we develop a conceptual framework that argues for-profits will provide a greater number of days of care to increase profits relative to not-for-profits. We find significant differences in length of stay by ownership, but once patient selection into a facility is accounted for using two-staged residual inclusion, there is no statistical differences in length of stay between for-profit and not-for-profit facilities.