title: Economic and clinical impact of routine weekend catheterization services.
abstract: To assess the impact of weekend cardiac catheterization (cath) services for nonemergent inpatients.
  
  
  
  Retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing cath before and after Saturday cath service availability (CSA).
  
  
  
  Cohorts included Friday and Saturday admissions with cath (with or without revascularization) on the subsequent Monday from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2008 (pre-CSA events), and Friday or Saturday admissions undergoing cath the subsequent or same Saturday from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2010 (post-CSA events). Administrative and registry data provided demographics, comorbidities, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) details, adverse events, hospital length of stay (LOS), and inpatient expenditures. We used generalized linear modeling to predict LOS and costs, and logistic regression to estimate the likelihood of adverse events during follow-up.
  
  
  
  We identified 331 pre-CSA cases (327 patients) and 244 post-CSA cases (243 patients). Cohorts were similar in age (66 years), sex (59% male), and level of comorbidity. PCI use was higher following CSA (42% vs 26%; P <.001), with procedural success accomplished in 95% and 94% of pre- and post-CSA patients, respectively. Adjusted clinical outcomes were similar (odds ratio [OR] for in-hospital mortality, 0.67 post-CSA vs pre-CSA; P = .55; OR for 30-day revascularization, 1.14; P = .68). Models predict an average LOS reduction of 1.7 days following CSA (5.7 vs 4.0 days; P <.001) yet inpatient costs were similar ($24,817 vs $24,753; 95% CI of difference, -$3611 to $3576).
  
  
  
  Weekend CSA for routine inpatients was clinically safe and effective, and reduced hospital LOS. Similar inpatient costs likely reflect a shift in case mix in this nonrandomized study.
authors.affiliation: Long Health Economics Consulting LLC, 855 Village Center Dr #111, St. Paul, MN 55127. E-mail: Kirsten@klongconsulting.net.
authors.forename: Kristen Hall
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Moriarty
authors.forename: Jeanine E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ransom
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lennon
authors.forename: Verghese
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mathew
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gulati
authors.forename: Gurpreet S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Sandhu
authors.forename: Charanjit S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Rihal
mesh_terms: D039602:After-Hours Care / Q000191:economics*; D000368:Aged; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000191:economics*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies