Acute admissions to a community hospital: a descriptive cost study

Øystein Lappegard, Terje P. Hagen () and Per Hjortdahl
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Øystein Lappegard: Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Postal: Department of Hallingdal sjukestugu, Medical Clinic of Ringerike General Hospital, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Norway
Terje P. Hagen: Department of Health Management and Health Economics, Postal: HERO / Department of Health Management and Health Economics, P.O. Box 1089 Blindern, NO-0317 Oslo, Norway, http://www.med.uio.no/helsam/personer/vit/terjeph/
Per Hjortdahl: Department of General Practice, Postal: Department of General Practice, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo., Norway

No 2016:9, HERO Online Working Paper Series from University of Oslo, Health Economics Research Programme

Abstract: Introduction: In several countries, health-care providers are searching for alternatives to hospitalization. In recent years, a practice has been established in Hallingdal, a rural region in Norway, in which patients with certain acute somatic illnesses are admitted to Hallingdal Sjukestugu (HSS), a community hospital 150 km from the nearest general hospital, Ringerike Sykehus (RS). A randomized, controlled study was carried out to compare health consequences, patient-perceived quality and health-care costs between patients acutely admitted to HSS and to RS. This paper discusses the topic of health-care costs. Methods: Patients intended for acute admission to HSS, as an alternative to hospitalization, were included in the study. Eligible patients were randomized to two groups; admitted to HSS (n = 33), and admitted to RS (n = 27). Costs were compared between the two groups at discharge and for the 12-month follow-up. Results: The cost of the inpatient stay at HSS was significantly lower than the cost at RS, which is explained by lower transport costs (p

Keywords: health economy; rural health care systems; patient admission; emergency health-care services; general practitioners; community hospitals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H42 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 18 pages
Date: 2016-12-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-ias
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