KNG Health is conducting a study to compare patients treated in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and those treated in independent physician offices in terms of patient and visit characteristics. The findings of the study will be used to inform the policy debate on whether payments to HOPDs and independent physician offices should be site neutral. The study comprises of three sections. First, we examine how patient populations treated in HOPDs and independent physician offices differ in terms of demographics, socioeconomic status, illness severity, and medical complexity. Second, we examine differences in how the types of services and provider specialties differ between HOPDs and independent physician offices. Third, we examine how patient and visit characteristics have changed over time in the two settings. The data come from Medicare Inpatient, Outpatient, and Carrier Limited Data Sets for 5% of the Medicare beneficiaries. The study is funded by the American Hospital Association. KNG Health conducted an earlier version of this study limited to the cancer patient population in 2014.
Services : Health Economics & Outcomes Research Expertise: Comparative Effectiveness, Health Outcomes and Evaluation, Medicare
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