Healthcare costs of dementia diseases before, during and after diagnosis: Longitudinal analysis of 17 years of Swedish register data.

Abstract

This study examines health-care costs attributed to dementia diseases in the 10 years prior to, during, and 6years after diagnosis. Using administrative register data for people diagnosed with dementia (2010-2016) in southern Sweden (n=21,184), and a comparison group without dementia, health-care costs over 17 years were examined using longitudinal regression analysis. Average annual health-care costs per person were consistently higher before diagnosis in the dementia group (10 years before: Swedish krona (SEK) 2063, P<.005 and 1 year before: SEK8166, P<.005). At diagnosis, health-care costs were more than twice as high (SEK44,410, P<.005). Four to 6years after diagnosis, there was no significant different in costs compared to comparators. Excess health-care cost arise as early as 10 years before a formal diagnosis of dementia, and while there is a spike in cost after diagnosis, health-care costs are no different 4 years after. These findings question currently accepted assumptions on costs of dementia.