Appendix Table 2.
Sensitivity of Relative Cost Rankings to Changes in Model Specification
| Change in ranking, number of Physicians (Percent) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialty | No change |
1 Percentile |
2 Percentiles |
3-5 Percentiles |
>5 Percentiles |
| Random effects analysis* | |||||
| Cardiology | 523 (74) | 178 (25) | 4 (<1) | - | - |
| Emergency Medicine | 320 (45) | 246 (35) | 99 (14) | 45 (6) | - |
| Family/General Practice | 678 (64) | 323 (30) | 29 (3) | 29 (3) | 1 (<1) |
| General Surgery | 381 (66) | 174 (30) | 22 (4) | 2 (<1) | - |
| Internal Medicine | 2003 (67) | 861 (29) | 101 (3) | 8 (<1) | - |
| Neurology | 312 (72) | 112 (26) | 7 (2) | 2 (<1) | - |
| OBGYN | 523 (57) | 331 (36) | 60 (7) | 5 (<1) | - |
| Ophthalmology | 389 (71) | 141 (26) | 17(3) | 1 (<1) | - |
| Orthopedic Surgery | 289 (50) | 215 (37) | 54 (9) | 21 (4) | 1 (<1) |
| Psychiatry | 263 (36) | 290 (40) | 98 (14) | 71 (10) | 2 (<1) |
| Overall | 5681 (62) | 2871 (31) | 491 (5) | 184 (2) | 4 (<1) |
| Fixed effects analysis with SES, episode type interactions** | |||||
| Cardiology | 502 (71) | 194 (28) | 9 (1) | - | - |
| Emergency Medicine | 321 (45) | 268 (38) | 76 (11) | 43 (6) | 2 (<1) |
| Family/General Practice | 626 (59) | 340 (32) | 49 (5) | 29 (3) | 16 (2) |
| General Surgery | 350 (60) | 177 (31) | 33 (6) | 9 (2) | 10 (2) |
| Internal Medicine | 1829 (62) | 880 (30) | 185 (6) | 64 (2) | 15 (<1) |
| Neurology | 297 (69) | 128 (30) | 8 (2) | - | - |
| OBGYN | 502 (55) | 318 (35) | 73 (8) | 23 (3) | 3 (<1) |
| Ophthalmology | 324 (59) | 177 (32) | 36 (7) | 9 (2) | 2 (<1) |
| Orthopedic Surgery | 288 (50) | 219 (38) | 52 (9) | 19 (3) | 2 (<1) |
| Psychiatry | 300 (41) | 301 (42) | 85 (12) | 36 (5) | 2 (<1) |
| Overall | 5339 (58) | 3002 (33) | 606 (7) | 232 (3) | 52 (<1) |
| Visit-based attribution rule*** | |||||
| Cardiology | 571 (83) | 118 (17) | - | - | - |
| Emergency Medicine | 253 (36) | 236 (34) | 107 (15) | 103 (15) | 4 (<1) |
| Family/General Practice | 742 (71) | 266 (26) | 23 (2) | 11 (1) | - |
| General Surgery | 362 (66) | 162 (30) | 20 (4) | 4 (<1) | - |
| Internal Medicine | 1992 (69) | 829 (29) | 72 (2) | 1 (<1) | - |
| Neurology | 231 (54) | 139 (33) | 39 (9) | 16 (4) | - |
| OBGYN | 430 (48) | 355 (40) | 92 (10) | 20 (2) | - |
| Ophthalmology | 342 (63) | 184 (34) | 17(3) | 2 (<1) | - |
| Orthopedic Surgery | 421 (76) | 132 (24) | 3 (<1) | - | - |
| Psychiatry | 182 (27) | 237 (35) | 124 (18) | 111 (17) | 18 (3) |
| Overall | 5526 (61) | 2658 (29) | 497 (5) | 268 (3) | 129 (1) |
*
Physician effects were included as random effects rather than fixed effects. The base case attribution rule was used (plurality of costs).
**
The base case attribution rule was used (plurality of costs).
***
Episodes were attributed to physicians based on a plurality of visits rather than a plurality of costs.