Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31031120›Full record

ArticleHealthcare (Amsterdam, Netherlands)2019

Use of a medication-based risk adjustment index to predict mortality among veterans dually-enrolled in VA and medicare.

Thomas R Radomski, Xinhua Zhao, Joseph T Hanlon, Joshua M Thorpe, Carolyn T Thorpe, Jennifer G Naples, Florentina E Sileanu, John P Cashy, Jennifer A Hale, Maria K Mor and 7 more

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Healthcare (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 14% 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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Observational
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
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

17 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Thomas R RadomskiCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 230 McKee Place Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA. Electronic address: radomskitr@upmc.edu.
Xinhua ZhaoCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA.
Joseph T HanlonCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA; Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3471 5th Ave, Kaufmann Building Suite 500, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
Joshua M ThorpeCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA; Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Carolyn T ThorpeCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA; Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Jennifer G NaplesDivision of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3471 5th Ave, Kaufmann Building Suite 500, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
Florentina E SileanuCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA.
John P CashyCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA.
Jennifer A HaleCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA.
Maria K MorCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA.
Leslie R M HausmannCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 230 McKee Place Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
Julie M DonohueDepartment of Health Policy and Management, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
Katie J SudaCenter of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, PO Box 1033, 5000 S. 5th Ave, Hines, IL, USA; Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes, and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, 833 S. Wood Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
Kevin T StroupeDepartment of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes, and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, 833 S. Wood Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
Chester B GoodCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 230 McKee Place Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA; Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Michael J FineCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 230 McKee Place Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
Walid F GelladCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 230 McKee Place Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA; Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System · USUniversity of Pittsburgh · USUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · USEdward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital · USUniversity of Illinois Chicago · US

Funding

Institutional Career Development CoreKL2TR001856 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI RAY, KRISTIN N, RUBIO, DORIS M · 2016 to 2025
$13.8M
Safety of Opioid use Among Veterans Receiving Care in Multiple Health SystemsI01HX001765 · VA · VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION · PI GELLAD, WALID F. · 2015 to 2021
–
Improving Analysis of Endogenous Multimodal Treatments for Use in Geriatrics Health Outcomes StudiesI01HX002237 · VA · VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · PI GARRIDO, MELISSA M · 2018 to 2021
–
HSRD VA I01 HX001765HSRD VA SDR 02-237NCATS NIH HHS KL2 TR001856
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is systemic undercoding of medical comorbidities within administrative claims in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This leads to bias when applying claims-based risk adjustment indices to compare outcomes between VA and non-VA settings. Our objective was to compare the accuracy of a medication-based risk adjustment index (RxRisk-VM) to diagnostic claims-based indices for predicting mortality.

methodsWe modified the RxRisk-V index (RxRisk-VM) by incorporating VA and Medicare pharmacy and durable medical equipment claims in Veterans dually-enrolled in VA and Medicare in 2012. Using the concordance (C) statistic, we compared its accuracy in predicting 1 and 3-year all-cause mortality to the following models: demographics only, demographics plus prescription count, or demographics plus a diagnostic claims-based risk index (e.g., Charlson, Elixhauser, or Gagne). We also compared models containing demographics, RxRisk-VM, and a claims-based index.

resultsIn our cohort of 271,184 dually-enrolled Veterans (mean age = 70.5 years, 96.1% male, 81.7% non-Hispanic white), RxRisk-VM (C = 0.773) exhibited greater accuracy in predicting 1-year mortality than demographics only (C = 0.716) or prescription counts (C = 0.744), but was less accurate than the Charlson (C = 0.794), Elixhauser (C = 0.80), or Gagne (C = 0.810) indices (all P < 0.001). Combining RxRisk-VM with claims-based indices enhanced its accuracy over each index alone (all models C ≥ 0.81). Relative model performance was similar for 3-year mortality.

conclusionsThe RxRisk-VM index exhibited a high level of, but slightly less, accuracy in predicting mortality in comparison to claims-based risk indices. IMPLICATIONS: Its application may enhance the accuracy of studies examining VA and non-VA care and enable risk adjustment when diagnostic claims are not available or biased. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.

Indexed as

Drug utilizationMedicareRisk adjustmentveterans

Identifiers

PMID31031120
PMCPMC6814520
OpenAlexW2941791739

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
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.