20 Mar 2007
Hospitalization Rates for Coronary Artery Disease Decline in the U.S.
Evanston, IL. Treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) appears to be shifting away from the
inpatient setting, according to a study published today in The American
Journal of Cardiology.
U.S. hospitalization rates for heart attacks (acute myocardial infarctions)
declined 10.6 percent from 2002 to 2005, possibly due to broader use of
preventive treatments such as statin drugs and aspirin, as well as declines in
risk factors like smoking.
The study is a collaboration between researchers from the University of
Michigan Medical School and Solucient, part of Thomson Healthcare, a leading
provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of
healthcare.
“Although there was an expectation that the aging U.S. population would cause
an increased need for inpatient care of patients with cardiovascular disease,
the reality is that changes in treatment may be causing a shift to the
outpatient setting,” said Janet Young, M.D., a senior scientist at Solucient.
“This trend has important implications for hospitals and health systems and
their allocation of resources.”
Researchers found that:
• Hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) decreased steadily
from 661,000 in 2002 to 591,000 in 2005 — a decline from 309 to 266 per 100,000
persons. This was driven by a decrease in the more severe transmural form of
AMI from 118 to 87 per 100,000.
• Hospitalization rates for coronary revascularization declined from 382 to 358
per 100,000 persons from 2002 to 2005 — largely due to a decrease in coronary
artery bypass surgeries from 258,000 to 209,000 per year.
• During this period, inpatient use of less-invasive revascularization
treatments known as percutaneous coronary interventions — including the use of
balloon angioplasty and stents administered via cardiac catheterization —
increased from 564,000 to 592,000.
“Our study shows a decline in utilization for inpatient services related to
coronary artery disease, possibly reflecting a distinct shift in the nature of
treatment,” said Brahmajee Nallamothu, M.D., assistant professor of internal
medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and health services
researcher at the Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Medical Center. “There is
reason to believe this landscape will continue to change. Recent research, for
example, raises questions about the use of drugs, stents, and surgery under
various scenarios. Clearly, healthcare providers need to evaluate the needs of
their specific patient populations in light of the most current research as
they plan and prepare for the future.”
The researchers used Solucient’s ACTracker® database, a proprietary repository
containing data on approximately 6 million annual discharges from more than 450
hospitals.
About The Thomson Corporation and Solucient
Solucient®, a part of Thomson Healthcare, is the market leader in providing
tools and vital insights that healthcare managers use to improve the
performance of their organizations. By integrating, standardizing and enhancing
healthcare information, Solucient provides comparative measurements of cost,
quality and market performance. Solucient's expertise and proven solutions
enable providers and pharmaceutical companies to drive business growth, manage
costs and deliver high quality care. For more information, visit www.thomsonhealthcare.com.
The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com) is a global leader in providing essential
electronic workflow solutions to business and professional customers. With
operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson provides value-added
information, software tools and applications to professionals in the fields of
law, tax, accounting, financial services, scientific research and healthcare.
The Corporation’s common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock
exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC).
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David Wilkins
Healthcare
Thomson Reuters
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