Effect of market competition on hospital performance for heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether market competition is a potential driver of hospital performance on the key evidence-based Joint Commission heart-failure (HF) quality indicators of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker prescribed, left ventricular function assessment, smoking-cessation counseling, and discharge instructions.


METHODS
Retrospective multivariate analysis.


METHODS
Hospital performance data for HF was obtained from The Joint Commission's ORYX program from 2003 to 2006. The performance data were linked with hospital characteristics from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey and area-level sociodemographic information from the Area Resource File. Healthcare markets were defined as hospital referral regions (HRRs) and market competition intensity was defined by the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index. Hospital-level and HRR-level ordinary least squares fixed effects regression models were used to estimate the relationship between market competition and performance.


RESULTS
A paired comparison indicated that there was a significant change in the mean hospital-level performance over time on all of the HF quality indicators. From the multivariate analyses, hospitals in the least competitive markets (Quintile 5) performed slightly better (2.9%) than the most competitive markets (Quintile 1) for left ventricular function assessment (P <.01). At the HRR level, however, the least competitive markets (Quintile 5) performed moderately worse (5.1%) on the discharge-instructions quality indicator compared with the most competitive markets (Quintile 1) (P = .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Market competition intensity was associated with only small differences in hospital performance. The level of market competitiveness may produce only marginal incremental benefits to inpatient HF care.
Thomson Reuters, Healthcare Business Section, Analytic Consulting and Research Services, Washington, DC, USA. jared.maeda@thomsonreuters.com
Jared Lane K
JL
Maeda
Anthony T
AT
LoSasso
D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004465:Economic Competition / Q000592:standards*; D004526:Efficiency; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000592:standards*; D019981:Health Care Sector / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D006761:Hospitals / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D014481:United States
D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors