Community-Level Procedure Volume and Patient Health Profiles Following PCI-Capable Facility Openings

Does the opening of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)–capable facilities increase overall procedure volume and change the health profiles of patients receiving PCI?In this cohort study of 651 585 patients from 2348 California communities (2011 to 2022), community PCI volume increased by 7.5% after a new PCI-capable facility opened, and by nearly 20% in communities that previously lacked access. Increases in stable angina cases and divergent shifts in treatment complexity suggest the potential of both supply-induced demand where PCI was already available and release of pent-up demand where it was not.These findings suggest that expanding PCI capacity may improve access in underserved areas and risk increasing low-value or discretionary use in communities where PCI services are already available.

Corresponding Author: Renee Y. Hsia, MD, MSc, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Box 1377, 1001 Potrero Ave, Bldg 5, Ste 6A, San Francisco, CA 94110 (renee.hsia@ucsf.edu).

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