PRS14 - Potential of Omega-3 Fatty Acid in Parenteral Nutrition in Germany: A Budget Impact Analysis

Abstract

The costs to the German hospitals of intensive care (ICU) patients and of surgical patients not admitted to the ICU were estimated in a previous cost-effectiveness analysis of omega-3 FA-supplemented compared to standard PN regimens. The supplementation with Omega-3 FA results in shorter LOS and reduced infection rate, with cost savings for 3,277 € per ICU patient and 1,515 € per not-ICU patients. We aimed to estimate the economic consequences of increasing the rate of omega-3 fatty acids (FA) supplemented parenteral nutrition (PN) regimens in German hospitals IMS-data recorded about 3 million lipid-containing PN days for Germany; the total number of patients in ICU or in ward receiving PN with lipids was estimated on average PN duration from the cost-effectiveness analysis The costs related to the current use of omega-3 FA (about 29% of total lipid PN days) were compared with those expected with increasing percentages of omega-3 FA-containing PN rates. The yearly cost of the patient population (104,022 ICU patients and 427,986 not-ICU patients) treated with current PN regimens mix amounts to about 6 billion Euro. The increase of omega-3 FA-containing PN proportion up to 50% results in a saving of about 210 million Euro (2.7%); the exclusive use of omega-3 FA-containing PN regimes results in savings of 704 million Euro (11.6%). Encouraging omega-3 FA supplemented PN regimens is expected to save costs, because the use is associated with a reduction in hospital LOS (~ 850,000 days saved in the best scenario) and the number of nosocomial infections (~ 40,000 infections avoided in the best scenario). The potential of PN including omega-3 FAs in contributing to an improved quality of care/patient recovery and significant cost savings is not fully exploited in German hospitals.