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Prevalent but moderate variation across small geographic regions in patient nonadherence to evidence-based preventive therapies in older adults after acute myocardial infarction
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Prevalent but moderate variation across small geographic regions in patient nonadherence to evidence-based preventive therapies in older adults after acute myocardial infarction

Gang Fang, Jennifer G Robinson, Julie Lauffenburger, Mary T Roth and Maurice Alan Brookhart
Medical care, Vol.52(3), pp.185-193
03/2014
DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000000050
PMCID: PMC4359969
PMID: 24374416

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Abstract

Patient long-term adherence to β-blockers, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is alarmingly low. It is unclear how prevalent patient adherence may be across small geographic areas and whether this geographic prevalence may vary. This is a retrospective cohort study using Medicare service claims files from 2007 to 2009 with Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and above who were alive 30 days after the index AMI hospitalization between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008 (N=85,017). The adjusted proportions of patients adherent to β-blockers, statins, and ACEIs/ARBs, respectively, in the 12 months after discharge across the 306 Hospital Referral Regions (HRRs) were measured and compared by control chart. The intracluster correlation coefficient (ICC) and the additional prediction power from this small-area variation on individual patient adherence were assessed. The adjusted proportion of patients adherent across HRRs ranged from 58% to 74% (median, 66%) for β-blockers, from 57% to 67% (median, 63%) for ACEIs/ARBs, and from 58% to 73% (median, 66%) for statins. The ICC was 0.053 (95% CI, 0.043-0.064) for β-blockers, 0.050 (95% CI, 0.039-0.061) for ACEIs/ARBs, and 0.041 (95% CI, 0.031-0.052) for statins. The adjusted proportion of patients adherent across HRRs increased the c-statistic by 0.01-0.02 (P < 0.0001). Nonadherence to evidence-based preventive therapies post-AMI among older adults was prevalent across small geographic regions. Moderate small-area variation in patient adherence exists.
Medication Adherence - statistics & numerical data Residence Characteristics Cardiovascular Agents - administration & dosage Insurance Claim Review - statistics & numerical data Age Factors Comorbidity United States Humans Medicare - statistics & numerical data Risk Factors Male Evidence-Based Medicine Socioeconomic Factors Cardiovascular Agents - therapeutic use Myocardial Infarction - drug therapy Sex Factors Aged, 80 and over Female Aged Retrospective Studies Small-Area Analysis

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