Do resource utilization and clinical measures still vary across dialysis chains after controlling for the local practices of facilities and physicians?
BACKGROUND
Because of adverse survival effects, anemia management and financial incentives to increase doses of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have been controversial. Prior studies showed more aggressive anemia management in dialysis facilities owned by for-profit chains, but have been criticized for not accounting for practices of individual physicians and facilities.


OBJECTIVE
To improve understanding of how dialysis practices and resource utilization are influenced by physicians, facilities, and chains.


METHODS
Mixed models with chain fixed effects and facility and physician random effects.


METHODS
Medicare hemodialysis patients in 2004.


METHODS
A total of 234,158 patients, 3995 facilities, 4838 physicians, and 7 chain classifications were included.


METHODS
Spending per session for dialysis-related services billed separately from the dialysis treatment and for ESAs. Achievement of hematocrit (HCT) and urea reduction ratio (URR) targets.


RESULTS
Of the 4 largest for-profit chains, 3 had higher resource use than independents, with differences up to $17.92 higher ESA/session. Utilization was positively associated with achieving target HCT. Despite incurring lower costs, patients treated by a large nonprofit chain were as likely as patients of independents to achieve the HCT target. The largest chains were more likely than independents to achieve the URR target. Substantial variation occurred across physicians and facilities, and adjustment for chain only modestly decreased this variation.


CONCLUSIONS
Chains' methods of influencing practices were not directly observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Chains appear to have the ability to implement protocols that shift practices, but not the ability to substantially reduce local variation. Assertions that chain effects found by earlier studies were spurious are not supported.
Hirth
Richard A
RA
Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. rhirth@umich.edu
Turenne
Marc N
MN
Wheeler
John R C
JR
Ma
Yu
Y
Messana
Joseph M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000191:economics*; D000740:Anemia / Q000517:prevention & control; D004363:Drug Utilization; D000068817:Epoetin Alfa; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000191:economics; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006397:Hematinics / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D008875:Middle Aged; D017059:Models, Econometric; D009096:Multi-Institutional Systems / Q000191:economics*; D017149:Private Sector; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States
D006397:Hematinics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D000068817:Epoetin Alfa