Healthcare Dive writes: A new JAMA Network report on quality of care found no significant difference in 30-day mortality rates when patients are treated by locum tenens physicians compared to non-locum tenens physicians. In addition to no significant difference in terms of mortality, patients treated by locum tenens physicians had higher Part B spending ($1,836 compared to $1,712), longer lengths of stay (a mean of 5.64 days compared to 5.21 days) and lower 30-day readmissions (22.8% compared to 23.83%). The report analyzed data from more than 1.8 million Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized between 2009 and 2014.
Read more:
- Association Between Treatment by Locum Tenens Internal Medicine Physicians and 30-Day Mortality Among Hospitalized Medicare Beneficiaries. JAMA. December 5, 2017.
- Healthcare Dive: Temporary physicians do not increase mortality risk, study says: https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/temporary-physicians-do-not-increase-mortality-risk-study-says/512423/