Findings on Medicare and Medicaid Reported by Investigators at Colorado Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Group (Outcomes Among Older Patients…

Findings on Medicare and Medicaid Reported by Investigators at Colorado Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Group (Outcomes Among Older Patients Receiving Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators for Secondary Prevention From the NCDR ICD Registry)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Fresh data on Medicare and Medicaid are presented in a new report. According to news reporting originating in Denver, Colorado, by VerticalNews journalists, research stated, "Clinical trials of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) for secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death were conducted nearly 2 decades ago and enrolled few older patients. This study assessed morbidity and mortality of older patients receiving ICDs for secondary prevention in contemporary clinical practice."

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Colorado Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Group, "We identified 12,420 Medicare beneficiaries from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry ICD Registry undergoing first-time secondary prevention ICD implantation between 2006 and 2009 in 956 U.S. hospitals. Risks of death, hospitalization, and admission to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) were assessed over 2 years in age strata (65 to 69, 70 to 74, 75 to 79, and >= 80 years of age) using Medicare claims. The adjusted association between age and outcomes was evaluated using multivariable models. The mean age was 75 years at the time of implantation; 25.3% were <70 years of age and 25.7% were >= 80 years of age. Overall, the risk of death at 2 years was 21.8%, ranging from 14.7% among those <70 years of age to 28.9% among those >= 80 years of age (adjusted risk ratio [aRR]: 2.01; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.85 to 2.33; p for trend <0.001). The cumulative incidence of hospitalizations was 65.4%, ranging from 60.5% in those <70 years of age to 71.5% in those >= 80 years of age (aRR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.19 to 1.36; p for trend <0.001). The cumulative incidence of admission to a SNF ranged from 13.1% among those <70 years of age to 31.9% among those >= 80 years of age (aRR: 2.67; 95% CI: 2.37 to 3.01; p for trend <0.001); SNF admission risk was highest in the first 30 days. Almost 4 in 5 older patients receiving a secondary prevention ICD survives at least 2 years."

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: "High hospitalization and SNF admission rates, particularly among the oldest patients, identify substantial care needs after device implantation."

For more information on this research see: Outcomes Among Older Patients Receiving Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators for Secondary Prevention From the NCDR ICD Registry. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2017;69(3):265-274. Journal of the American College of Cardiology can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc, 360 Park Ave South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA.

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting F.A. Masoudi, Colorado Cardiovasc Outcomes Res Grp, Denver, CO, United States. Additional authors for this research include D.F. Katz, P.N. Peterson, R.T. Borne, S.M. Al-Khatib, Y.F. Wang, C.M. Hansen, D.D. McManus, J.S. Mathew and F.A. Masoudi.

Keywords for this news article include: Denver, Colorado, United States, North and Central America, Medicare and Medicaid, Medicare, Risk and Prevention, Health Policy, Colorado Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Group.

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