title: Cholecystectomy. The impact of socioeconomic change.
abstract: The impact of our evolving health care system on a commonly performed surgical procedure, cholecystectomy, was assessed in a county-subsidized and private university hospital setting. Although condition on admission, use of resources, and outcome were unchanged in the private setting between 1980 and 1988, significant differences were noted among the largely uninsured patients at the county facility during this same time interval. There was a significant increase in the acuity of illness among patients undergoing cholecystectomy at the county hospital in 1988 as compared with 1980. These data suggest that alterations in reimbursement strategies and allocation of resources are significantly impacting on patient care, particularly in nonprivate health care facilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine 90024.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Saunders-Kirkwood
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aizen
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zinner
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cates
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bennion
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boudi
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Roslyn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D003085:Colic / Q000175:diagnosis; D015897:Comorbidity; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006766:Hospitals, County / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016304:Hospitals, Private / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome