Association between facility characteristics and the process of care delivered to patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

Kanwal F, Hoang T, Chrusciel T, Kramer JR, El-Serag HB, Durfee J, Dominitz JA, Yano EM, Asch SM. Association between facility characteristics and the process of care delivered to patients with hepatitis C virus infection. Digestive diseases and sciences. 2014 Feb 1; 59(2):273-81.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• IIR 09-082 – Implementation and Impact of VA Patient-Centered Medical Home

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Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Available data suggest problems in the process of care provided to patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV). However, the solutions to these problems are less obvious. Healthcare facility factors are potentially modifiable and may enhance process quality in HCV treatment. METHODS: We evaluated the relationship between the process of HCV care and facility factors including number of weekly half-day HCV clinics per 1,000 HCV patients, HCV-specific quality-improvement initiatives, and administrative service of the HCV clinic (gastroenterology, infectious disease, primary care) for a cohort of 34,258 patients who sought care in 126 Veterans Affairs facilities during 2003-2006. We measured HCV care on the basis of 23 HCV-specific process measures capturing pretreatment (seven measures), preventive and/or comorbid (seven measures), and treatment and treatment monitoring care (nine measures). RESULTS: Patients seen at a facility with > 8 half-day clinics were 52 % more likely to receive overall indicated care (OR 1.52, 95 % CI 1.13-2.05). Patients seen at a facility with > 3 HCV quality improvement initiatives were more likely to receive better preventive and/or comorbid care (OR 1.32, 95 % CI 1.00-1.74). Compared with patients in facilities with no dedicated HCV clinic, patients at facilities with gastroenterology-based clinics received better pretreatment care (OR 1.36, 95 % CI 1.01-1.85) and more antiviral treatment (OR 1.45, 95 % CI 1.06-1.97) whereas those at facilities with infectious disease-based or primary care-based clinics received better preventive and/or comorbid care (OR 1.59, 95 % CI 1.06-2.39 and 1.84, 95 % CI 1.21-2.79 respectively). CONCLUSION: Several facility factors affected the process of HCV care. These factors may serve as targets for quality-improvement efforts.