Direct Inpatient Costs Research Articles

Economic burden of respiratory syncytial virus in adults in Germany – a health claims analysis between 2015 and 2018

Aims Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes severe lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in infants and adults. While the clinical burden was recently estimated in adults in Germany, little is known about the economic burden. To fill this gap, this study aimed to assess hospital and outpatient healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs of RSV infections in adults in Germany. Methods In this retrospective, observational study on nationwide, representative, anonymized claims data (2015–2018), we identified patients ≥18 years with ICD-10-GM-codes specific to RSV (“RSV-specific”). To increase sensitivity, patients with unspecified LRTIs (including unspecified bronchitis, bronchiolitis, bronchopneumonia, and pneumonia) during RSV seasons were also included as cases potentially caused by RSV (“RSV-possible”). RSV-related HRU (hospital days, ICU and ventilation treatment, drug dispensation) and direct costs were estimated per episode. Excess costs per episode and for follow-up periods were compared to a matched control cohort. All outcomes were reported per healthcare sector and stratified by age and risk groups as well as disease severity (ICU admission/ventilation). Results Direct inpatient and outpatient mean episode costs were 3,473€ and 82€, respectively, with substantially higher costs for severe cases requiring intensive care and/or ventilation (10,801€). Direct costs for RSV-specific cases were higher than for RSV-possible cases (inpatients: 6,247€ vs. 3,450€; outpatients: 127€ vs. 82€). Moreover, costs were significantly higher for RSV patients than for controls and increased over time (inpatients: 5,140€ per episode vs 10,093€ per year; outpatients: 46€ per quarter vs 114€ per year). Limitations While the number of RSV-specific cases was low, inclusion of seasonal LRTI cases likely increased the sensitivity to detect RSV cases and allowed a better estimation of the total costs of RSV. Conclusions The economic burden of RSV-LRTI in adults in Germany is substantial, persists long-term, and is particularly high in the elderly. This highlights the need for cost-effective prevention measures.

Risk estimation for recurrent cardiovascular events using the SMART-REACH model and direct inpatient cost profiling in Indonesian ASCVD patients: a large-scale multicenter study.

With atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) cases increasing in Indonesia, there is a growing need to identify high-risk patients for recurrent cardiovascular events. Risk stratification could guide optimal secondary preventive therapy. Understanding the ASCVD direct inpatient costs could further provide insight in reducing the economic burden that comes with Indonesia's high number ASCVD cases. However, there is a significant gap in Indonesian large-scale research on both of these valuable data. Employing the SMART-REACH model, we can profile the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in Indonesian ASCVD patients. Utilize the SMART-REACH model to estimate 10-year and lifetime risk of cardiovascular events in Indonesian ASCVD patients and describe the direct inpatient cost of ASCVD. This descriptive cross-sectional study gathered data from 3,209 ASCVD patients aged 45-80 from two major cardiovascular centers using purposive sampling. Participants were patients admitted between January 2020 and March 2023 with ST-elevated myocardial infarct (STEMI), non-ST-elevated myocardial infarct (NSTEMI), and chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) requiring elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The SMART-REACH risk estimation model required clinical data upon admission, laboratory results within the first 24 h of admission, and cardiovascular medication prescribed upon discharge. The SMART-REACH model is a Fine and Gray competing risk model incorporating cardiovascular risk factors that estimates individual 10-year and lifetime risk for recurrent cardiovascular events which includes myocardial infarction, stroke, or vascular death. Direct inpatient cost profiling totaled all medical expenses incurred from ASCVD diagnosis admission to discharge. Results were reported descriptively with subgroup analyses. The cohorts (mean age 60.15 ± 8.6 years) were predominantly male [n = 2,537 (79.1%)], hypertensive [n = 2,267 (70.6%)], and diagnosed with STEMI [n = 1,732 (54%)]. The SMART-REACH model calculated a mean 10-year risk of 30.2% (95% CI 29.7-30.6) and a lifetime risk of 62.5% (95% CI 62.1-62.9). The direct inpatient cost of ASCVD patients includes a median 3,033 USD, with highest median costs in the STEMI subgroup (3,270 USD). A significant number of Indonesian ASCVD patients exhibited notably high 10-year and lifetime risks of experiencing a major cardiovascular event. Combined with the direct inpatient cost, therapy optimization is crucially needed to mitigate these risks and further cost burden.

Comparative Analysis of Costs of Caring for Inpatient COVID-19 Patients and Non-COVID-19 Patients at One Academic Center.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created a significant financial burden on the US healthcare system. The purpose of this study was to compare the costs of caring for patients admitted with COVID-related illness versus non-COVID patients. We hypothesized that the average daily costs of hospitalization would be higher among COVID patients compared with non-COVID patients. This was a retrospective cohort study. Data were downloaded for patients who were admitted at Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Hospital from January 1, 2020 through February 28, 2021. The study population was dichotomized by COVID and non-COVID patients, and the average daily hospital cost was calculated. Multivariate adjusted linear regression models were used to calculate additional "average daily cost" comparisons. The COVID group was slightly older (mean age 61.0 vs 58.0 years), with longer mean length of stay (6.12 vs 4.95 days) and higher mean average daily direct cost ($1504.01 vs $1341.30) when compared with the non-COVID group, respectively (P < 0.001). After adjusting for various patient characteristics, the direct inpatient cost was $123.00 (95% confidence interval 74.4-171.5) higher per day in patients with COVID-19 (P < 0.0001). When indirect costs are considered, the combined indirect and direct cost may be four times greater. The average daily direct hospital cost is higher among patients with COVID compared with non-COVID-related illness. Many reasons contributed to this cost difference, including decreased nurse staffing ratios, lower physician censuses, and needed infrastructure changes. Studies with a larger sample size and more precise comparable study groups are warranted to validate our findings.

Therapeutic leave and direct inpatient healthcare costs in inpatients with mental illness

AimsBalancing the economic costs related to mental illness is a pressing matter globally. Scarce monetary and staff resources impose an ongoing challenge. Therapeutic leaves (TL) are an established clinical tool in psychiatry possibly improving therapy outcome and potentially lowering direct mental healthcare costs in the long term. We thus examined the association between TL and direct inpatient healthcare costs. MethodsWe analyzed the association between the number of TL and direct inpatient healthcare costs in a sample of 3151 inpatients, using a tweedie multiple regression model, including eleven confounders. Using multiple linear (bootstrap) and logistic regression models we assessed the robustness of our results. ResultsThe tweedie model showed that the number of TL was associated with lower costs following the initial inpatient stay (B = –.141, CI 95% = [–0.225, –.057], p < 0.001). Results of the multiple linear and the logistic regression models matched those of the tweedie model. ConclusionOur findings suggest a link between TL and direct inpatient healthcare costs. TL might lower direct inpatient healthcare costs. In the future RCTs might examine whether an increased utilization of TL leads to a reduction of outpatient treatment costs and evaluate the association of TL with outpatient treatment costs and indirect costs. The systematic use of TL during inpatient treatment could reduce healthcare costs following the initial inpatient stay which is highly relevant due to global rise of mental illness and the associated financial pressure on healthcare systems.

Burden of Hospitalization before and after a Disease Progression Following Triple-Class Exposure in Patients with Relapsed and Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Introduction: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy with various clinical complications. Patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) often suffer from disease progression and cycle through multiple treatments, including those from the same drug classes that they have failed before. Disease progression is usually associated with significant burden, including high health care resource utilization (HCRU) and costs. However, no current known literature quantifies HCRU and costs before and after disease progression in RRMM patients who have been exposed to multiple classes of therapies. This study aims to describe and compare hospitalization use and associated costs before and after disease progression in patients with RRMM who are triple-class exposed (TCE; defined as exposure to a proteosome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and an anti-CD38 antibody). Methods: This retrospective cohort study used the Optum Clinformatics® Data Mart database from 1/1/2012 to 12/31/2021. Adults with ≥2 diagnosis codes for MM (ICD-10-CM: C90.0x) ≥30 days apart and who received a subsequent line of therapy (LOT) after becoming TCE were included. The start of a subsequent LOT after TCE was used as a surrogate to define disease progression, and the initiation date of the latest of such LOTs was defined as the index date if multiple eligible LOTs were observed for the same patient. Patients were also required to have ≥6-month continuous enrollment (CE) in medical and pharmacy plans before and after index. Patient characteristics were described at index and during the 6-month baseline period. A 2-month pre-post analysis was performed to compare all-cause inpatient admissions, intensive care unit (ICU) stays, hospitalization length of stay, and direct inpatient costs. Categorical variables were compared using McNemar's test, and counts and costs were compared using paired generalized linear models. Subgroup analyses were performed in patients with commercial insurance or Medicare Advantage. Results: A total of 523 patients met the study criteria. The mean age was 70.2 years, 63.1% were White, 51.2% were female, 72.5% had Medicare Advantage, the mean Quan-Charlson comorbidity index was 4.2, and 34.8% had ≥4 prior LOTs within the CE period containing the index date. The proportion of patients who had an all-cause inpatient admission (20.1% vs 12.8%, P = 0.0008) and an ICU stay (6.5% vs 1.9%, P = 0.0004) were significantly higher during the 2-month post- versus pre-index period. During the 2-month post-index period, patients on average had significantly more all-cause inpatient admissions (0.29 vs 0.16, P <0.0001). The mean inpatient length of stay for the cohort was numerically higher during the 2-month post- versus pre-index period (1.67 vs 1.07 days, P = 0.0751). The mean per-month cost of all-cause hospitalization was significantly higher during the 2-month post- versus pre-index period ($3,590.81 vs $1,267.18, P = 0.0008). The majority of the all-cause hospitalization use and costs (>90%) were MM-related. Similar trends were observed among commercial and Medicare Advantage patients. Conclusions: This study found a pronounced increase in hospitalization and costs in the 2 months immediately following disease progression in RRMM patients who are TCE. The data may support economic assessment and value framework for innovative treatments with significant prolonged progression-free survival. In addition, there is a need to focus on multifaceted efforts to improve overall well-being and the total cost of care for patients with RRMM.

Direct Costs Attributable to Hearing Loss in China: Based on an Econometric Model.

To our knowledge, hearing loss has been proved by a few studies from developed countries to bring a high economic burden of disease, but there is no relevant cost estimate in China. The purpose of our study was to measure the direct costs attributable to hearing loss among middle-aged and older people aged 45 and above in China in 2011, 2013, and 2015. On the basis of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study and the China Statistical Yearbook, an econometric model was used to obtain the hearing-attributable fraction, and then the direct costs attributable to hearing loss of middle-aged and older people aged 45 and above in China in 2011, 2013, and 2015 were calculated. In 2011, 2013, and 2015, the direct costs attributable to hearing loss of middle-aged and older people aged 45 and above in China were $50.699 billion, $81.783 billion, and $106.777 billion, accounting for 3.43, 4.54, and 5.54% of the overall healthcare costs in the same year, respectively. Among the direct costs attributable to hearing loss, direct outpatient costs accounted for 75.75 to 81.13%, and direct inpatient costs accounted for 18.87 to 24.25%. The direct costs attributable to hearing loss for Chinese adults aged 45 and above have placed a heavy burden on Chinese society. The government should give priority and take effective measures to the prevention and treatment of hearing loss.

P11.41.B The Cost of Inpatient Care For Adult Primary Brain Tumour Patients in England

Abstract Background Primary brain tumours are rare, but are the cause of the most life-years lost of any cancer. Given their poor prognosis, questions about their treatment and care costs are important especially in publicly-funded healthcare systems. There is currently very little robust data on the cost of care for brain tumour patients. Here we present up-to-date estimations of the direct inpatient care costs of all adult primary brain tumour patients in England, with a specific breakdown of costs attributed to cranial glioblastomas and cranial meningiomas, the commonest primary brain tumours. Material and Methods GlioCova uses a linked English national cancer data on over 50,000 adult primary brain tumour patients diagnosed between 2013-2018, with data on secondary healthcare activities three months before diagnosis - the last three months of 2012, and follow-up data after diagnosis - up to the last admission of 2019. We examined inpatient care with a breakdown of costs attributed to different treatment types: neurosurgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We used the NHS HRG4+ Reference Costs Grouper 2017/2018 to assign costs matched from the National Schedule of Reference Costs 2017/2018. We converted all values to 2021 using the Health CPI Index. Results There were a total of 51,775 adult primary brain tumour patients diagnosed in England in the 6 year period between 2013 and 2018. 48,608 of these were admitted to hospital between the last three months of 2012 and the end of 2019, of which we were able to assign costs to 47,521 patients (98%). Total inpatient costs for the whole brain tumour cohort were over £973 million during the time period (34% attributed to inpatient care for neurosurgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy). 14,691 (31%) of patients were diagnosed with a cranial glioblastoma, and 9,501 (20%) of patients were diagnosed with a cranial meningioma. Total inpatient costs were £349 million and £163 million for glioblastoma and meningioma respectively, with 34% again devoted to direct treatment costs. Conclusion The estimated direct inpatient care costs for all 51,775 primary brain tumour patients diagnosed in England between 2013 and 2018 were nearly £1 billion (£166 million/year cohort), 2/3 of which was not for direct treatment. This does not include outpatient chemotherapy and radiotherapy costs, other outpatient appointments, patient out-of-pocket costs, primary care, social care, or end-of-life care costs. Future work will examine variation in care and costs and extend the analysis to include outpatients. We hope these data will help make an economic argument for improving care for brain tumour patients. More information on GlioCova: https://blogs.imperial.ac.uk/gliocova/about-gliocova/.

Household costs associated with seeking malaria treatment during pregnancy: evidence from Burkina Faso and The Gambia

BackgroundMalaria in pregnancy remains a major health threat in sub-Saharan Africa to both expectant mothers and their unborn children. To date, there have been very few studies focused on the out of pocket costs associated with seeking treatment for malaria during pregnancy.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was undertaken in Burkina Faso and The Gambia to estimate the direct and indirect costs associated with outpatient consultations (OP) and inpatient admissions (IP). Direct costs were broken down into medical (admission fees, drug charges, and laboratory fees), and non-medical (transportation and food). Indirect costs reflected time lost due to illness. In total, 220 pregnant women in Burkina Faso and 263 in The Gambia were interviewed about their treatment seeking decisions, expenditure, time use and financial support associated with each malaria episode.ResultsIn Burkina Faso 6.7% sought treatment elsewhere before their OP visits, and 27.1% before their IP visits. This compares to 1.3% for OP and 25.92% for IP in The Gambia. Once at the facility, the average direct costs (out of pocket) were 3.91US$ for an OP visit and 15.38US$ of an IP visit in Burkina Faso, and 0.80US$ for an OP visit and 9.19US$ for an IP visit in The Gambia. Inpatient direct costs were driven by drug costs (9.27US$) and transportation costs (2.72US$) in Burkina Faso and drug costs (3.44 US$) and food costs (3.44 US$) in The Gambia. Indirect costs of IP visits, valued as the opportunity cost of time lost due to the illness, were estimated at 11.85US$ in Burkina Faso and 4.07US$ in The Gambia. The difference across the two countries was mainly due to the longer time of hospitalization in Burkina Faso compared to The Gambia. In The Gambia, the vast majority of pregnant women reported receiving financial support from family members living abroad, most commonly siblings (65%).ConclusionsHigh malaria treatment costs are incurred by pregnant women in Burkina Faso and The Gambia. Beyond the medical costs of fees and drugs, costs in terms of transport, food and time are significant drivers. The role of remittances, particularly their effect on accessing health care, needs further investigation.

The Economic Impact of Lower Extremity Periprosthetic Fractures in a Large Hospital System

Periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) place a burden on hospital systems. They occur in older patients with medical comorbidities, as unplanned events requiring technically complex surgeries with expensive implants. The purpose of this study was to describe this patient population and evaluate the economic impact of PPFs on a hospital system. We conducted a retrospective study of PPFs of the hip and knee between 2018 and 2019. Demographics, length of stay (LOS), and discharge disposition were collected. We performed chart and radiographic reviews to determine the fracture classification and type of treatment performed. An analysis of direct inpatient costs was performed and categorized by a fracture type. We identified 213 periprosthetic hip and 151 periprosthetic knee fractures. The mean age of hip patients was 77 years, and 71% were female. The average surgery time was 194minutes, LOS was 5.01 days, and 71% were discharged to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). The mean age of knee patients was 76 years, and 79% were female. The average surgery time was 174minutes, LOS was 5.12 days, and 70% were discharged to a SNF. The median direct cost of hip fractures was $17,108, with Vancouver B2 and B3 costing significantly more at $19,987 and $23,935, respectively (P value <.0001). The median direct cost of knee fractures was $13,713. Type 3 distal femur fractures cost significantly more at $37,445 (P value <.0001). PPFs create a significant economic impact on hospital systems. We stratified the costs of treatment based on the fracture type. Significantly higher costs are associated with injuries requiring revision implants.

Direct Inpatient Cost and Payments of COVID-19 in Iran: Quantile Regression Analysis.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic imposes a substantial medical and socioeconomic burden on health systems. The study aimed to estimate the direct inpatient costs of COVID-19 in Iran. Methods: This is a Cost of Illness (COI) study with the bottom-up method. Provider perspective and prevalence approach were applied for cost identification. Data included inpatient charges and clinical characteristics of all COVID-19 cases (2015 patients) admitted to a teaching hospital during a financial year (March 2020 to February 2021). We extracted data from Hospital Information System (HIS) and applied the quantile regression to estimate determinant factors of COVID-19 inpatient cost using STATA software. Results: 1026 (50.92%) of admitted COVID-19 patients were female, and 42.3% were older than 65 years. More than 82% of discharged COVID-19 patients in this study recovered. 189 (9.38%) patients admitted to ICUs. Length of Stay (LOS) for about 70% of admitted COVID-19 cases was 7 days or less. The Total Inpatient Charges (TIC) was 155,372,056,826 Rials (5,041,836 PPP USD). The median charge was 42,410,477 Rials, and Average Inpatient Charges (AIC) was 77,107,720±110,051,702 (2,461 PPP USD) per person. Drugs and supplies accounted for 37% of total inpatient charges. Basic insurance companies would pay more than 79% of total claims and the share of Out-of-Pocket Payments (OOP) was 7%. ICUs admission and LOS of more than 3 days are associated with higher costs across all percentiles of the cost distribution (p<0.001). Conclusion: This study call attention to the substantial economic burden based on real-world data. According to the broad socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 and also multiple components of COI study designs, conducting meta-analysis approaches is needed to combine results from independent studies.

PO-627-04 THREE YEAR COST SAVINGS OF AN ACUTE ATRIAL FIBRILLATION PATHWAY

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and the treatment places a gross burden on the US healthcare system, estimated at $6.65 billion annually with 44% driven by direct inpatient cost and 29% indirect inpatient cost. Outpatient pathways offering timely access to quality care can have a substantial impact on reducing cost of AF care and reduce dependence upon emergency department (ED) care.

Anticonvulsant Drug Regimen and Cost of Acute Treatment for Status Epilepticus in a Philippine Tertiary Hospital: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Status epilepticus (SE) is a neurological emergency requiring prompt evaluation and management to prevent disease refractoriness associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Thus, estimating costs attributable to the treatment of SE is important because of the severity of this disease. In the Philippines, healthcare provisions are mostly out-of-pocket expenses; hence the cost of treatment is a critical determinant for disease management. Unfortunately, the availability of data regarding the cost of illness of SE in developing countries is limited. To determine the frequently used anticonvulsant drug regimen and direct inpatient costs of acute treatment for status epilepticus within five years in a private tertiary hospital in the Philippines. Records from patients diagnosed with SE who were admitted under or referred to the Adult Neurology Service in a private tertiary hospital from January 2015 to December 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. The SE type was classified as non-refractory (NRSE), refractory (RSE), and super refractory (SRSE). Demographic data, clinical features, SE type, etiology, antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and anesthetic drugs used, total cost of AEDs and anesthetic drugs, total cost of 5-day hospitalization, and total cost of entire length of stay were recorded. We retrieved the records of 61 patients admitted for SE. Of these patients, 23 were classified as nonrefractory, 20 as refractory, and 18 as super refractory. Diazepam was given to all SE patients as first-line treatment. Valproic acid and levetiracetam were used as second-line treatments. The most frequently given anesthetic drug was midazolam. The mean hospitalization cost per patient was ₱52,0982.3 for SE, ₱659,638.7 for RSE, and ₱134,1451 for SRSE. The mean cost of 5-day hospitalization was ₱193,572.3 for NRSE, ₱358,808.5 for RSE, and ₱652,781 for SRSE. The mean cost of medications was ₱18,546 for NRSE, ₱30,780 for RSE, and ₱128,263 for SRSE. The direct cost of SE varied depending on subtype and response to treatment. Costs increased with disease refractoriness. Direct inpatient treatment costs for SRSE were twice as high as that of NRSE and RSE.

105 Cost Analysis for the Risk-Stratification of Febrile Infants ≤ 60 Days Old

Abstract Primary Subject area Emergency Medicine - Paediatric Background Fever in the first months of life is among the most common clinical problems in pediatric healthcare. Nearly 2% of all infants will be evaluated for fever in an Emergency Department (ED) and approximately 10% harbor life-threatening serious bacterial infections (SBIs). The Rochester criteria are most widely used criteria for risk-stratification and predate modern biomarkers including procalcitonin (PCT). Recently, a high-performing prediction rule incorporating PCT was derived by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN). At present, PCT is not available in all clinical settings, limited largely by test cost. Objectives Compare the medical costs associated with PECARN and Rochester risk-stratification strategies using contemporary price, epidemiologic and test characteristic data. Design/Methods We assessed hospital-level costs associated with the door-to-discharge care of all well-appearing febrile infants aged ≤ 60 days evaluated at an urban tertiary pediatric hospital between April 2016 and March 2019. Direct and indirect ED and inpatient costs were obtained from provincial Ministry of Health data. Real-world costs were then incorporated into a probabilistic model for a cohort of equal size using either Rochester or PECARN risk-stratification, accounting for the added incremental cost of PCT ($24.86CAD). Models used an 8.4% pooled SBI risk, and Sn/Sp for Rochester and PECARN of 94%/49% and 98%/63%, respectively. Modeling was calculated under 4 scenarios; true positive with hospitalization, false negative with return visit and hospitalization, false positive with hospitalization, true negative with ED discharge. All costs were calculated in Canadian dollars. Results During the 3-year study period, 1168 index infant encounters met inclusion and were analyzed for hospital trajectory costs. Median costs per infant were $323 (IQR $286-$393) for infants discharged from the ED with no SBI, $2356 (IQR $1858-$3120) for infants hospitalized with no SBI, $3150 (IQR $2352-$4201) for hospitalized infants treated for a SBI, and $3763 (IQR $2146-$5180) for infants discharged from the ED ultimately requiring hospitalization with a missed SBI. For a cohort of 1168 infants, cost-per-infant using PECARN risk-stratification was $1332 (IQR $1062-$1739), compared to $1515 (IQR $1198-$1992) using Rochester. PECARN criteria would be expected to produce an overall savings of 12.1% for the modeled cohort ($1,556,432 vs $1,769,339). Under pessimistic and optimistic model assumptions, total savings were 4.9% and 18.3%, respectively. Costs borne by families were not considered, nor were the indirect benefits of reduced unnecessary invasive testing, hospitalizations and broad-spectrum antibiotic use. Conclusion Risk-stratification of febrile infants using PECARN prediction rules would produce important cost-savings due to superior test characteristics offsetting upfront PCT-associated costs. Such a strategy would also likely result in unmodeled non-monetary family-centered and healthcare system benefits. Real-world cost-effectiveness studies are needed.

The Value of an Embedded Outpatient Palliative Care Program in Malignant Hematology: Concurrent Care and the Impact on Health Care Utilization

Background: Patients with hematologic malignancies are less likely to be referred to palliative care (PC) compared to those with solid malignancies. There is little that is known about the healthcare utilization of patients with hematologic malignancies who receive outpatient PC concurrently with cancer-directed therapy. The aim of this study was to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics and health care utilization of patients with hematologic malignancies who received longitudinal, concurrent outpatient PC. Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study of all patients with hematologic malignancies who received embedded outpatient PC at the malignant hematology clinic between April 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018. Patients were referred to PC by their primary oncologist or hematology nurse practitioner (NP). Patients referred to PC were seen by a PC NP with expertise in hematologic malignancies. Follow-up visits with the outpatient PC NP were scheduled as needed. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and reasons for referral were extracted from the electronic health record. For patients who were followed by PC for at least 6 months, the number of hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits, as well as inpatient costs were compared from the 6 months prior to enrollment in PC to the 6 months after enrollment in PC. Approval for this study was obtained from the UCSF IRB. Results: Overall, 80 patients who were seen in the malignant hematology clinic were referred for embedded PC during our study period. Of these patients, 45% (n= 36) were female. Median age was 57 years (range: 27-89). Common primary diagnoses were myeloma (47.3%, n= 38), lymphoma (18.8%, n= 15), and acute myeloid leukemia (15%, n= 12). The most frequent reasons for referral to PC were pain (32.7%, n= 34), fatigue (16.3%, n= 17), and mood disorders (11.5%, n= 12). There were 9 referrals (8.7%) for advance care planning prior to bone marrow transplant (BMT). One quarter of the patients (n= 20) were referred to PC for two or more reasons. Patients were followed in the PC clinic for a median of 3.18 months (mean 8.03 months, range 0 - 36 months, SD 9.6 months) and patients had a median of 3 PC visits (mean 5, range 1-27, SD 6). The median overall survival of the patient population was 36.5 months (SD 35.8 months). There were 31 patients who were followed in the PC clinic for at least 6 months and were included in our healthcare utilization analyses. The total number of hospital encounters decreased from 1.48 inpatient admissions/ED visits in the 6-months before enrollment in PC to 0.71 per patient in the 6-months after enrollment in PC (p=0.04). Total inpatient direct costs per patient were $52,250.65 in the 6 months before PC enrollment and $30,360.90 in the 6 months after enrollment (p=0.18). The cost of inpatient medical hospitalizations went from $23,457.68 to $4,621.26 per patient (p=0.05), the cost of procedure-based hospitalizations, which included hospitalization for BMT, went from $27,667.84 to $25,434.48 (p=0.90), and the cost of ED visits went from $1,125.13 to $305.16 (p=0.25). Conclusion: Our study suggests that outpatient PC has an important role for patients with hematologic malignancies far upstream of the end-of-life period. Patients were referred for a wide variety of reasons, including management of various symptoms and advance care planning prior to BMT. There was a statistically significant and substantial decrease in the number of hospital and ED encounters per patient after enrollment in PC. There was also a trend towards overall cost savings, although this did not reach statistical significance. Further research is warranted to explore the effects of outpatient PC co-management on symptoms, rates of advance care planning, and patient/family experience for patients with hematologic malignancies. Disclosures Schoenbeck: American Society of Hematology: Research Funding. Mannis:Glycomimetics, Forty Seven, Inc, Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; AbbVie, Agios, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech: Consultancy.

Discharge status and post-discharge healthcare costs after skeletal-related event hospitalizations among medicare patients with bone metastatic solid tumors or multiple myeloma

BackgroundPrevious studies have quantified direct inpatient costs of skeletal-related events (SREs); however, costs associated with subsequent post-SRE care have not been examined. MethodsWe identified two study cohorts using 2011–2015 Medicare 20% sample data: patients diagnosed with 1) bone metastases from solid tumors or 2) multiple myeloma (MM), both with SRE-related hospitalization discharge dates January 1, 2011-September 30, 2015. We assessed discharge status and costs from discharge to the earliest of death, end of Medicare enrollment, or December 31, 2015. Discharge status was defined as: skilled nursing facility (SNF), rehabilitation facility, hospice, home health agency (HHA), long-term care (LTC) nursing home, LTC hospital, or rehospitalization within or after 30 days. Percentage, stay duration, and Medicare costs were calculated for each setting. All analyses were descriptive. ResultsWe identified 7988 bone metastases patients and 4277 MM patients discharged from index SRE-related hospitalizations; corresponding mean ages were 76.9 and 76.6 years. The largest proportion of bone metastases patients were discharged to SNF (32.9%), then HHA (13.7%), hospice (13.5%), and LTC (11.3%); the pattern was similar for MM patients (SNF, 35.9%; HHA, 18.2%; hospice, 7.2%; LTC, 1.5%). Almost 10% of patients in both cohorts were re-hospitalized within 30 days. Mean Medicare cost per patient per facility stay was < $10,000 for hospice, and from $15,517 for LTC nursing home to $49,729 for LTC hospital for MM patients. ConclusionMost elderly cancer patients (>75%) require healthcare facility support after SRE-related hospitalization, with substantial associated costs. Post-discharge management is clinically and economically important.

Postoperative outcomes following pediatric intracranial electrode monitoring: A case for stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG)

BackgroundFor patients with medically refractory epilepsy, intracranial electrode monitoring can help identify epileptogenic foci. Despite the increasing utilization of stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG), the relative risks or benefits associated with the technique when compared with the traditional subdural electrode monitoring (SDE) remain unclear, especially in the pediatric population. Our aim was to compare the outcomes of pediatric patients who received intracranial monitoring with SEEG or SDE (grids and strips). MethodsWe retrospectively studied 38 consecutive pediatric intracranial electrode monitoring cases performed at our institution from 2014 to 2017. Medical/surgical history and operative/postoperative records were reviewed. We also compared direct inpatient hospital costs associated with the two procedures. ResultsStereoelectroencephalography and SDE cohorts both showed high likelihood of identifying epileptogenic zones (SEEG: 90.9%, SDE: 87.5%). Compared with SDE, SEEG patients had a significantly shorter operative time (118.7 versus 233.4 min, P < .001) and length of stay (6.2 versus 12.3 days, P < .001), including days spent in the intensive care unit (ICU; 1.4 versus 5.4 days, P < .001). Stereoelectroencephalography patients tended to report lower pain scores and used significantly less narcotic pain medications (54.2 versus 197.3 mg morphine equivalents, P = .005). No complications were observed. Stereoelectroencephalography and SDE cohorts had comparable inpatient hospital costs (P = .47). ConclusionIn comparison with subdural electrode placement, SEEG results in a similarly favorable clinical outcome, but with reduced operative time, decreased narcotic usage, and superior pain control without requiring significantly higher costs. The potential for an improved postoperative intracranial electrode monitoring experience makes SEEG especially suitable for pediatric patients.

Robot-assisted versus manual navigated stereoelectroencephalography in adult medically-refractory epilepsy patients

ObjectiveStereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) has experienced a recent growth in adoption for epileptogenic zone (EZ) localization. Advances in robotics have the potential to improve the efficiency and safety of this intracranial seizure monitoring method. We present our institutional experience employing robot-assisted SEEG and compare its operative efficiency, seizure reduction outcomes, and direct hospital costs with SEEG performed without robotic assistance using navigated stereotaxy. MethodsWe retrospectively identified 50 consecutive adult SEEG cases at our institution in this IRB-approved study, of which 25 were navigated with image guidance (hereafter referred to as “navigated”) (02/2014-10/2016) and 25 were robot-assisted (09/2016-12/2017). A thorough review of medical/surgical history and operative records with imaging and trajectory plans was done for each patient. Direct inpatient costs related to each technique were compared. ResultsMost common seizure etiologies for patients undergoing navigated and robot-assisted SEEG included non-lesional and benign temporal lesions. Despite having a higher mean number of leads-per-patient (10.2 ± 3.5 versus 7.2 ± 2.6, P = 0.002), robot-assisted cases had a significantly shorter mean operative time than navigated cases (125.5±48.5 versus 173.4±84.3 min, P = 0.02). Comparison of robot-assisted cases over the study interval revealed no significant difference in mean operative time (136.4±51.4 min for the first ten cases versus 109.9±75.8 min for the last ten cases, P = 0.25) and estimated operative time-per-lead (13.4±6.0 min for the first ten cases versus 12.9±7.7 min for the last ten cases, P = 0.86). The mean depth, radial, target, and entry point errors for robot-assisted cases were 2.12±1.89, 1.66±1.58, 3.05±2.02 mm, and 1.39 ± 0.75 mm, respectively. The two techniques resulted in equivalent EZ localization rate (navigated 88 %, robot-assisted 96 %, P = 0.30). Common types of epilepsy surgery performed consisted of implantation of responsive neurostimulation (RNS) device (56 %), resection (19.1 %), and laser ablation (23.8 %) for navigated SEEG. For robot-assisted SEEG, either RNS implantation (68.2 %) or laser ablation (22.7 %) were performed or offered. A majority of navigated and robot-assisted patients who underwent epilepsy surgery achieved either Engel Class I (navigated 36.8 %, robot-assisted 31.6 %) or II (navigated 36.8 %, robot-assisted 15.8 %) outcome with no significant difference between the groups (P = 0.14). Direct hospital cost for robot-assisted SEEG was 10 % higher than non-robotic cases. ConclusionThis single-institutional study suggests that robotic assistance can enhance efficiency of SEEG without compromising safety or precision when compared to image guidance only. Adoption of this technique with uniform safety and efficacy over a short period of time is feasible with favorable epilepsy outcomes.

Direct inpatient costs and influencing factors for patients with rectal cancer with low anterior resection: a retrospective observational study at a three-tertiary hospital in Beijing, China

目的 调查分析在北京地区接受低位前切除术的直肠癌患者直接住院费用及其关联影响因素。 研究设计 一项回顾性观察研究。 研究地点 北京一所三级甲等肿瘤专科医疗机构。 研究对象 回顾性检索北京大学肿瘤医院2015年1月至2016年12月期间主诊断为直肠癌且接受低位前切除术患者的出院记录，共448例。搜集其人口统计学、临床和费用等数据。 结果 次均住院费用中位数为89 064元，由于耗材使用费用差异较大，费用范围介于46 711~191 329元。材料费用占52.19%，在费用构成里占比最高。造口[比值比（OR）4.17；95%可信区间（CI）1.79~9.71]、合并高血压(OR 5.30；95% CI 1.94~14.42)和合并其他部位肿瘤(OR 2.92；95% CI 1.12~7.60)是高额费用的影响因素，而遵循临床路径(OR 0.10；95% CI 0.03~0.35）、医疗保险实时结算(OR 0.26；95% CI 0.10~0.68)与合并心血管疾病(OR 0.09；95% CI 0.02~0.52)则是住院费用的保护性因素。 结论 进一步规范临床路径、优化医疗保险支付方式和控制并发症是减轻癌症患者经济负担的有效手段。今后，应设立纵向序列研究以调查直肠癌患者不同治疗阶段的全成本费用。

Direct inpatient costs and influencing factors for patients with rectal cancer with low anterior resection: a retrospective observational study at a three-tertiary hospital in Beijing, China

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to investigate the direct inpatient cost and analyse influencing factors for patients with rectal cancer with low anterior resection in Beijing, China.DesignA retrospective observational...

Impact of Reducing Pre-Hospital Delay in Response to Heart Attack Symptoms in Australia

This research estimates the broader socioeconomic impacts of reducing pre-hospital delay times across Australia in patients with heart attack symptoms. A cost benefit analysis (CBA) was undertaken to demonstrate the costs and benefits of a public awareness/education campaign to reduce pre-hospital delay time from 5.2hours (Base Case) to 4.1hours (Scenario 1) and 2.0hours (Scenario 2). All assumptions underlying the CBA are supported by academic literature. Financial impacts considered include campaign/public education costs, direct inpatient costs and long-term health care costs. Socioeconomic impacts considered include burden of disease, productivity losses, informal care costs and net deadweight loss. The campaign is expected to generate an additional net benefit of $41.2-139.1 million in comparison to the Base Case, resulting in a benefit cost ratio (BCR) of 3.23-5.06. Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) reduced by 6,046-7,575 years. This research illustrates that an investment in public awareness/education campaign can generate considerable benefits, more than offsetting the costs associated with the campaign and keeping people living longer such as ongoing health care costs. However, significant effort, supplementary strategies and sustained investment will be required to ensure the impact and benefit is sustained over the long term.