Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36964425›Full record

ArticleJournal of general internal medicine2023

Variation in Low-Value Service Use Across Veterans Affairs Facilities.

Aaron L Schwartz, Xinhua Zhao, Florentina E Sileanu, Elijah Z Lovelace, Liam Rose, Thomas R Radomski, Carolyn T Thorpe

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of general internal medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 25% 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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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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

7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Aaron L SchwartzDepartment of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Aaron.Schwartz@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8583-1369
Xinhua ZhaoCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Florentina E SileanuCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Elijah Z LovelaceCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Liam RoseHealth Economics Resource Center, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
Thomas R RadomskiCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Carolyn T ThorpeCenter for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System · USPhiladelphia VA Medical Center · USUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte · USUniversity of Pittsburgh · USVA Palo Alto Health Care System · US

Funding

Use and costs of low-value health services by Veterans in VA and non-VA settingsI01HX003039 · VA · VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION · PI THORPE, CAROLYN TIMBERLAKE · 2020 to 2024
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HSRD VA I01 HX003039
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIt is unclear whether extensive variation in the use of low-value services exists even within a national integrated delivery system like the Veterans Health Administration (VA).

objectiveTo quantify variation in the use of low-value services across VA facilities and examine associations between facility characteristics and low-value service use.

designIn this retrospective cross-sectional study of VA administrative data, we constructed facility-level rates of low-value service use as the mean count of 29 low-value services per 100 Veterans per year. Adjusted rates were calculated via ordinary least squares regression including covariates for Veteran sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. We quantified the association between adjusted facility-level rates and facility geographic/operational characteristics.

participants5,242,301 patients across 139 VA facilities. MAIN MEASURES: Use of 29 low-value services within six domains: cancer screening, diagnostic/preventive testing, preoperative testing, imaging, cardiovascular testing and procedures, and surgery. KEY

resultsThe mean rate of low-value service use was 20.0 services per 100 patients per year (S.D. 6.1). Rates ranged from 13.9 at the 10

conclusionsDespite extensive variation in the use of low-value services across VA facilities, we observed substantial use of these services across facility operational characteristics and at facilities with lower rates of low-value service use. Thus, system-wide interventions to address low-value services may be more effective than interventions targeted to specific facilities or facility types.

Indexed as

Delivery of Health Care, IntegratedVeteransCross-Sectional StudiesHumansRetrospective StudiesUnited StatesUnited States Department of Veterans Affairslow-value careprovider organizationsquality of care.veteran health care

Identifiers

PMID36964425
PMCPMC10406760
OpenAlexW4360827662

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.