Healthcare cost burden of acute chest pain presentations.
acute coronary syndrome
costs and cost analysis
emergency ambulance systems
non-trauma
Journal
Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
ISSN: 1472-0213
Titre abrégé: Emerg Med J
Pays: England
ID NLM: 100963089
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Jun 2023
Jun 2023
Historique:
received:
20
06
2022
accepted:
19
02
2023
medline:
25
5
2023
pubmed:
15
3
2023
entrez:
14
3
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
This study aimed to estimate the direct healthcare cost burden of acute chest pain attendances presenting to ambulance in Victoria, Australia, and to identify key cost drivers especially among low-risk patients. State-wide population-based cohort study of consecutive adult patients attended by ambulance for acute chest pain with individual linkage to emergency and hospital admission data in Victoria, Australia (1 January 2015-30 June 2019). Direct healthcare costs, adjusted for inflation to 2020-2021 ($A), were estimated for each component of care using a casemix funding method. From 241 627 ambulance attendances for chest pain during the study period, mean chest pain episode cost was $6284, and total annual costs were estimated at $337.4 million ($68 per capita per annum). Total annual costs increased across the period ($310.5 million in 2015 vs $384.5 million in 2019), while mean episode costs remained stable. Cardiovascular conditions (25% of presentations) were the most expensive (mean $11 523, total annual $148.7 million), while a non-specific pain diagnosis (49% of presentations) was the least expensive (mean $3836, total annual $93.4 million). Patients classified as being at low risk of myocardial infarction, mortality or hospital admission (Early Chest pain Admission, Myocardial infarction, and Mortality (ECAMM) score) represented 31%-57% of the cohort, with total annual costs estimated at $60.6 million-$135.4 million, depending on the score cut-off used. Total annual costs for acute chest pain presentations are increasing, and a significant proportion of the cost burden relates to low-risk patients and non-specific pain. These data highlight the need to improve the cost-efficiency of chest pain care pathways.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to estimate the direct healthcare cost burden of acute chest pain attendances presenting to ambulance in Victoria, Australia, and to identify key cost drivers especially among low-risk patients.
METHODS
METHODS
State-wide population-based cohort study of consecutive adult patients attended by ambulance for acute chest pain with individual linkage to emergency and hospital admission data in Victoria, Australia (1 January 2015-30 June 2019). Direct healthcare costs, adjusted for inflation to 2020-2021 ($A), were estimated for each component of care using a casemix funding method.
RESULTS
RESULTS
From 241 627 ambulance attendances for chest pain during the study period, mean chest pain episode cost was $6284, and total annual costs were estimated at $337.4 million ($68 per capita per annum). Total annual costs increased across the period ($310.5 million in 2015 vs $384.5 million in 2019), while mean episode costs remained stable. Cardiovascular conditions (25% of presentations) were the most expensive (mean $11 523, total annual $148.7 million), while a non-specific pain diagnosis (49% of presentations) was the least expensive (mean $3836, total annual $93.4 million). Patients classified as being at low risk of myocardial infarction, mortality or hospital admission (Early Chest pain Admission, Myocardial infarction, and Mortality (ECAMM) score) represented 31%-57% of the cohort, with total annual costs estimated at $60.6 million-$135.4 million, depending on the score cut-off used.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
Total annual costs for acute chest pain presentations are increasing, and a significant proportion of the cost burden relates to low-risk patients and non-specific pain. These data highlight the need to improve the cost-efficiency of chest pain care pathways.
Identifiants
pubmed: 36918268
pii: emermed-2022-212674
doi: 10.1136/emermed-2022-212674
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
437-443Informations de copyright
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Competing interests: None declared.