Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39256893›Full record

Observational studyHealth services research2025

A proposed method for identifying Interfacility transfers in Medicare claims data.

Sayeh Nikpay, Michelle Leeberg, Katy Kozhimannil, Michael Ward, Julian Wolfson, John Graves, Beth A Virnig

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Health services research, 2025. 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
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Observational
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.

Sayeh NikpayDivision of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0334-0743
Michelle LeebergDivision of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7058-0141
Katy KozhimannilDivision of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5734-9049
Michael WardDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4561-2946
Julian WolfsonDivision of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
John GravesDepartment of Health Policy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8954-8202
Beth A VirnigCollege of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.

Funding

Disruptions in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Transfer Networks and Cardiovascular Health of Rural AmericansR01HL153179 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI NIKPAY, SAYEH SANDER · 2021 to 2025
$2.5M
NHLBI NIH HHS 1R01HL153179-01A1NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL153179
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo develop a method of consistently identifying interfacility transfers (IFTs) in Medicare Claims using patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) as an example. DATA SOURCES/STUDY

setting100% Medicare inpatient and outpatient Standard Analytic Files and 5% Carrier Files, 2011-2020. STUDY

designObservational, cross-sectional comparison of patient characteristics between proposed and existing methods. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION

methodsWe limited to patients aged 65+ with STEMI diagnosis using both proposed and existing methods. PRINCIPAL

findingsWe identified 62,668 more IFTs using the proposed method (86,128 versus 23,460). A separately billable interfacility ambulance trip was found for more IFTs using the proposed than existing method (86% vs. 79%). Compared with the existing method, transferred patients under the proposed method were more likely to live in rural (p < 0.001) and lower income (p < 0.001) counties and were located farther away from emergency departments, trauma centers, and intensive care units (p < 0.001).

conclusionsIdentifying transferred patients based on two consecutive inpatient claims results in an undercount of IFTs and under-represents rural and low-income patients.

Indexed as

Insurance Claim ReviewMedicarePatient TransferAgedAged, 80 and overCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMyocardial InfarctionUnited Statesaccess/demand/utilization of servicesacute inpatient careadministrative data useshospitalsMedicarerural health

Identifiers

PMID39256893
PMCPMC11782054

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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.