Fewer Heart Attacks and Related Hospital Admissions Offset Rising Medicare Costs
The incidence and hospital admissions for a heart attack in the Medicare population have dramatically declined since 2000, more than offsetting rising costs for hospital care. As a result, total annual Medicare spending on related hospitalizations has declined annually since 2002, according to a study funded and conducted by Cardiac Data Solutions, Inc., The study further concluded that the Medicare program saved more than $1 billion in fiscal year 2006 due to the lower heart attack rate and fewer admissions. Cardiac Data Solutions will continue to monitor data related to the volume of cases and survival rates to determine if these findings represent a long-term trend and the impact on the cost of care,
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) April 10, 2008
The incidence and hospital admissions for a heart attack in the Medicare population have dramatically declined since 2000, more than offsetting rising costs for hospital care. As a result, total annual Medicare spending on related hospitalizations has declined annually since 2002, according to a study funded and conducted by Cardiac Data Solutions, Inc., in conjunction with leading physician researchers The study further concluded that the Medicare program saved more than $1 billion in fiscal year 2006 due to the lower heart attack rate and fewer admissions.
"While we didn't examine the factors for drops in heart attack incidence and admissions, we can theorize that things like healthier nutrition, lipid lowering drugs, lower smoking rates and increased physical activity, combined with advancements in technology and improved chronic disease management, may explain these positive results," says Aaron Kugelmass, M. D., director of cardiac catheterization at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and lead author of the findings, which were presented at the 57th annual American College of Cardiology conference in Chicago.
Cardiac Data Solutions, Inc. analyzed data from any U. S. hospital participating in the Medicare program to identify trends in the incidence, outcomes and costs for a ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI heart attack, from 2000-2006. A STEMI heart attack is caused by a prolonged period of blocked arterial blood supply and causes changes on the ECG and in blood levels of key chemical markers.
Key findings are:
Admissions dropped to 105,915 in 2006 from 170,154 in 2000. Incidence dropped to 2.5 percent in 2006 from 4.3 percent in 2000. Survival rates increased to 88.5 percent in 2006 from 85.8 percent in 2000. The average hospital reimbursement for a STEMI hospitalization increased 5.5 percent annually during the study period (FY2000-FY2006), reaching $16,000 per discharge during FY 2006. Medicare cost savings rose to $1.2 billion in 2006 from $136 million in 2001.
"Cardiac Data Solutions will continue to monitor data related to the volume of cases and survival rates to determine if these findings represent a long-term trend and the impact on the cost of care," says April Simon, RN, MSN, president and founder of Cardiac Data Solutions. "Analysis of this data can provide insights to clinicians who strive to provide the highest quality of care and optimize clinical outcomes. Hospitals and the federal government can also use this data to budget appropriately for the anticipated volume of patients."
In addition to Dr. Kugelmass and Ms. Simon, researchers involved in the study included: Philip Brown, MD, cardiovascular surgeon (retired) and past chairman, Department of Surgery, Centennial Medical Center; David J. Cohen, MD,, interventional cardiologist and director, Cardiovascular Research, Mid America Heart Institute, St. Luke's Hospital; Matthew R. Reynolds, MD, electrophysiologist and director, Economics and Quality of Life Core Lab, Harvard Clinical Research Institute, and Steven D. Culler, PhD, associate professor, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University.
About Cardiac Data Solutions, Inc. (CDS)
Founded in 1999, Cardiac Data Solutions, Inc. (CDS) provides consultation services, data analysis, clinical benchmarks, management tools, research support services and leadership training to hospitals, physicians, payors, manufacturers and the financial community. CDS is focused solely on the cardiovascular market with the primary mission of supporting and improving clinical and business decisions to improve the quality of patient care. Using a proprietary data analysis tool with comprehensive and current data on clinical outcomes, CDS helps identify opportunities for improvement and develop evidence-based strategies to achieve them. For more information, visit www. cardiacdatasolutions. com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: April Simon, RN, MSN, is available for interviews regarding this and other related research.
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