Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32401340›Full record

ArticleCancer2020

Potentially avoidable hospitalizations after chemotherapy: Differences across medicare and the Veterans Health Administration.

Risha Gidwani-Marszowski, Katherine Faricy-Anderson, Steven M Asch, Samantha Illarmo, Lakshmi Ananth, Manali I Patel

Open access · greenAbstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 37% 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

10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Potentially preventable unplanned hospitalizations due to adverse events in patients receiving systemic anticancer therapy: a retrospective single-center study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
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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

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Risha Gidwani-MarszowskiHealth Economics Resource Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, California.ORCID 0000-0002-3548-2332
Katherine Faricy-AndersonProvidence VA Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island.
Steven M AschCenter for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, California.
Samantha IllarmoHealth Economics Resource Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, California.
Lakshmi AnanthHealth Economics Resource Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, California.
Manali I PatelVA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.ORCID 0000-0002-9943-5762
VA Palo Alto Health Care System · USBrown University · US

Funding

Reducing Disparities in End of Life Cancer CareK23MD013474 · NIMHD · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI PATEL, MANALI I · 2018 to 2020
$502k
HSRD VA I01 HX001627HSRD VA SDR 02-237NIMHD NIH HHS K23 MD013474U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research & Development Service of the VA Office of Research and Development Merit Review Award Number I01 HX001627
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released quality measures regarding potentially avoidable hospitalizations visits in the 30 days after receipt of outpatient chemotherapy. This study evaluated the proportions of patients treated by Medicare-reimbursed clinicians and Veterans Health Administration (VA) clinicians who experienced avoidable acute care in order to evaluate differences in health system performance.

methodsThis retrospective evaluation of Medicare and VA administrative data used a cohort of cancer decedents (fiscal years 2010-2014). Cohort members were veterans aged 66 years or older at death who were dually enrolled in Medicare and the VA. Chemotherapy was identified through International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Current Procedural Terminology (ICD-9) codes. CMS defines avoidable hospitalizations as those related to anemia, dehydration, diarrhea, emesis, fever, nausea, neutropenia, pain, pneumonia, or sepsis in the 30 days after chemotherapy. Following CMS guidance, this study compared the proportions of patients with potentially avoidable hospitalizations, using hierarchical generalized estimating equations.

resultsThere were 27,443 patients who received outpatient chemotherapy. Patients receiving Medicare chemotherapy were significantly more likely to have potentially avoidable hospitalizations than patients receiving VA chemotherapy (adjusted odds ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.41-1.78; P < .001). In predicted estimates, 7.1% of Medicare-treated veterans had potentially avoidable hospitalizations in the 30 days after chemotherapy, compared with 4.6% of VA-treated veterans.

conclusionsResults indicate veterans with cancer receiving chemotherapy in the VA have higher quality care with respect to avoidable hospitalizations than veterans receiving chemotherapy through Medicare. As more veterans seek care in the private sector under the Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act, concerted efforts may be warranted to ensure that veterans do not experience a decline in care quality.

Indexed as

MedicarePatient AdmissionQuality of Health CareVeteransVeterans Health ServicesAgedAged, 80 and overAmbulatory CareCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.Hospitals, VeteransHumansMaleNeoplasmsRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeUnited StatesMedicarequality of health careveterans

Identifiers

PMID32401340
PMCPMC8370719
OpenAlexW3024143524

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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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.