Terminal patients in Belgian nursing homes: a cost analysis

Steven Simoens (), Betty Kutten, Emmanuel Keirse, Paul Berghe, Claire Beguin, Marianne Desmedt, Myriam Deveugele, Christian Léonard, Dominique Paulus and Johan Menten

The European Journal of Health Economics, 2013, vol. 14, issue 3, 407-413

Abstract: Policy makers and health care payers are concerned about the costs of treating terminal patients. This study was done to measure the costs of treating terminal patients during the final month of life in a sample of Belgian nursing homes from the health care payer perspective. Also, this study compares the costs of palliative care with those of usual care. This multicenter, retrospective cohort study enrolled terminal patients from a representative sample of nursing homes. Health care costs included fixed nursing home costs, medical fees, pharmacy charges, other charges, and eventual hospitalization costs. Data sources consisted of accountancy and invoice data. The analysis calculated costs per patient during the final month of life at 2007/2008 prices. Nineteen nursing homes participated in the study, generating a total of 181 patients. Total mean nursing home costs amounted to 3,243 € per patient during the final month of life. Total mean nursing home costs per patient of 3,822 € for patients receiving usual care were higher than costs of 2,456 € for patients receiving palliative care (p = 0.068). Higher costs of usual care were driven by higher hospitalization costs (p > 0.001). This study suggests that palliative care models in nursing homes need to be supported because such care models appear to be less expensive than usual care and because such care models are likely to better reflect the needs of terminal patients. Copyright Springer-Verlag 2013

Keywords: Costs, Terminal patients, Palliative care, Nursing homes, Belgium, I10—Health: general, I18—Health: Government policy; Regulation; Public health, (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:eujhec:v:14:y:2013:i:3:p:407-413

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DOI: 10.1007/s10198-012-0384-9

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