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Payer database and geospatial analysis to evaluate practice patterns in treating allergy in North Carolina
Matthew G Crowson1, Kristine Schulz1, Alex Ulvila2
1Division of Head & Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences, Duke Voice Care Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
American Journal of Otolaryngology
|October 17, 2017
Summary
This study analyzed North Carolina allergy care delivery using insurance claims data. Allergy-immunology specialists most frequently provided immunotherapy, with females more likely to receive allergy treatments.
Area of Science:
- Allergy and Immunology
- Health Services Research
- Medical Informatics
Background:
- Characterizing allergy care delivery is crucial for identifying disparities and improving patient outcomes.
- North Carolina's healthcare landscape presents unique challenges and opportunities for allergy service provision.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze allergy care delivery patterns in North Carolina.
- To utilize a large payer claims database and visualization techniques for comprehensive characterization.
- To identify key providers, diagnoses, and patient demographics involved in allergy testing and immunotherapy.
Main Methods:
- Geospatial database analysis of the 2013 North Carolina FAIR Health National Private Insurance Claims (FH NPIC) database.
- Mining CPT codes and charges for allergy testing and allergen immunotherapy.
- Analysis of provider and patient variables, including specialty, degree, and demographic data.
- Comparative analysis of allergy care delivery across different provider types and patient groups.
- Application of visualization strategies to complement analytical findings.
Main Results:
- Over 162,000 CPT charge entries were analyzed.
- Allergy-immunology specialists performed the majority of immunotherapy treatments (68.9%).
- Females were more likely than males to receive both allergy treatments (55.9% vs. 51.5%) and allergy testing (65.3% vs. 34.7%).
- Allergic rhinitis variants were the most common diagnoses treated.
- Internal medicine providers had higher charges for immunotherapy compared to other specialists.
Conclusions:
- A large payer database combined with visualization is an efficient method for characterizing state-wide allergy service provision.
- This approach provides valuable insights for understanding and describing population-level allergy care patterns.
- The findings highlight the predominant role of allergy-immunology specialists and demographic differences in accessing care.