Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30098034›Full record

ArticleClinical cardiology2018

Association of Healthcare Plan with atrial fibrillation prescription patterns.

Andrew Young Chang, Mariam Askari, Jun Fan, Paul A Heidenreich, P Michael Ho, Kenneth W Mahaffey, Aditya Jathin Ullal, Alexander Carroll Perino, Mintu P Turakhia

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical cardiology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 43% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Andrew Young ChangDepartment of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
Mariam AskariVeterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.
Jun FanVeterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.
Paul A HeidenreichDepartment of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
P Michael HoVeterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Denver, Colorado.
Kenneth W MahaffeyDepartment of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
Aditya Jathin UllalDepartment of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
Alexander Carroll PerinoDepartment of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
Mintu P TurakhiaDepartment of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8025-0904
Stanford Medicine · USVA Palo Alto Health Care System · USVA Eastern Colorado Health Care System · US

Funding

VA Health Services and Development MERIT Award IIR 09-092
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is treated by many types of physician specialists, including primary care physicians (PCPs). Health plans have different policies for how patients encounter these providers, and these may affect selection of AF treatment strategy. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that healthcare plans with PCP-gatekeeping to specialist access may be associated with different pharmacologic treatments for AF.

methodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study using a commercial pharmaceutical claims database. We utilized logistic regression models to compare odds of prescription of oral anticoagulant (OAC), non-vitamin K-dependent oral anticoagulant (NOAC), rate control, and rhythm control medications used to treat AF between patients with PCP-gated healthcare plans (eg, HMO, EPO, POS) and patients with non-PCP-gated healthcare plans (eg, PPO, CHDP, HDHP, comprehensive) between 2007 and 2012. We also calculated median time to receipt of therapy within 90 days of index AF diagnosis.

resultsWe found similar odds of OAC prescription at 90 days following new AF diagnosis in patients with PCP-gated plans compared to those with non-PCP-gated plans (OR: OAC 1.01, P = 0.84; warfarin 1.05, P = 0.08). Relative odds were similar for rate control (1.17, P < 0.01) and rhythm control agents (0.93, P = 0.03). However, PCP-gated plan patients had slightly lower likelihood of being prescribed NOACs (0.82, P = 0.001) than non-gated plan patients. Elapsed time until receipt of medication was similar between PCP-gated and non-gated groups across drug classes.

conclusionsPharmaceutical claims data do not suggest that PCP-gatekeeping by healthcare plans is a structural barrier to AF therapy, although it was associated with lower use of NOACs.

Indexed as

Administration, OralAgedAnticoagulantsAtrial FibrillationCohort StudiesDatabases, FactualDrug PrescriptionsFemaleHumansInsurance, HealthMaleRetrospective StudiesThromboembolismUnited StatesAnticoagulantsarrhythmia/allatrial fibrillationsocio-economic aspectsthrombosis/hypercoagulable states

Identifiers

PMID30098034
PMCPMC6489790
OpenAlexW2887110874

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.