Rapid analysis of hyperbaric oxygen therapy registry data for reimbursement purposes: Technical communication

To explain how Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Registry (HBOTR) data of the US Wound Registry (USWR) helped establish a fair analysis of the physician work of hyperbaric chamber supervision for reimbursement purposes.

We queried HBOTR data from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2013, on patient comorbidities and medications as well as the number of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO₂) therapy treatments supervised per physician per day from all hyperbaric facilities participating in the USWR that had been using the electronic medical record (EHR) for more than six months and had passed data completeness checks.

Among 11,240 patients at the 87 facilities included, the mean number of comorbidities and medications was 10 and 12, respectively. The mean number of HBO₂ treatments supervised per physician per day was 3.7 at monoplace facilities and 5.4 at multiplace facilities. Following analysis of these data by the RUC, the reimbursement rate of chamber supervision was decreased to $112.06.

Patients undergoing HBO₂ therapy generally suffer from multiple, serious comorbidities and require multiple medications, which increase the risk of HBO₂ and necessitate the presence of a properly trained hyperbaric physician. The lack of engagement by hyperbaric physicians in registry reporting may result in lack of adequate data being available to counter future challenges to reimbursement.