Price increases are the biggest driver of rising emergency room visit costs across the U.S., according to research led by the Center for Health and Biosciences' Vivian Ho and Sasathorn Tapaneeyakul.
Observations that peritoneal dialysis (PD) may be an effective, lower-cost alternative to hemodialysis for the treatment of ESKD have led to policies encouraging PD and subsequent increases in its use in the United States.
A study of U.S. hospitals acquired by private equity firms found improved financial performance — and that patient throughput (or the process of admitting, treating and discharging patients) increased while staffing decreased.
Analyzing insurance claims for BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, the authors found that level I and II trauma center expansion was not associated with increased prices or use of trauma activation fees in the state of Texas. Read the article in JAMA.
"In the U.S., Latinos are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. A critical step to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is diagnostic testing," write scholar Luz Garcini and co-authors. This research article identifies the barriers and facilitators that must be addressed in order to implement accessible, effective testing.
Luz Maria Garcini, Tommy Tam Pham, Arlynn Ambriz, Sarah Lill, Joel TsevatOctober 31, 2021
Private equity investment in hospitals has grown substantially in the 21st century, and it accelerated in the years leading up the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study of short-term acute care hospitals acquired by private equity firms, the authors find they not only have higher markups and profit margins, they’re also slower to expand their staffs.