Cost-Effectiveness of a Care Transitions Program in a Multimorbid Older Adult Cohort

Gregory J. Hanson, Bijan J. Borah, James P. Moriarty, Jeanine E. Ransom, James M. Naessens, Paul Y. Takahashi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Facing penalties for preventable 30-day hospital readmissions, many provider groups have implemented programs to remedy this problem, but the cost efficacy and value of such programs are not well delineated. The objective was to compare total cost of care over 30 days of individuals enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Care Transitions (MCCT) program and individuals not enrolled. Design: Retrospective cohort study using secondary data analysis of a previously published cohort study. Setting: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Participants: MCCT participants (n = 363) and individuals in a propensity-matched referent cohort (n = 365). Intervention: MCCT program enrollment. Measurements: The primary outcome was total cost of care over 30 days after hospital discharge. A 2-part modeling strategy was used to analyze 30-day costs: whether individuals had non-zero costs during the 30 days after discharge and a generalized linear model for individuals who incurred costs. Potential heterogeneous effects of the MCCT program were examined according to decile of 30-day costs using quantile regression. Results: Mean age was 83 in both groups. Adjusted mean 30-day cost after hospitalization was $3,363 (95% confidence interval (CI) = $2,512−4,213) in the MCCT group and $4,161 (95% CI = $3,096−5,226) in the control group (P =.25). Cost savings of $2,744 (P =.008) at the eighth decile and $3,388 (P =.20) at the ninth decile were demonstrated. Thus, the only statistically significant differences were in the post hoc subgroup analysis in the highest-cost subgroups. Conclusion: We did not find a difference in overall mean costs between the MCCT group and the control group, although intervention participants in the upper deciles of costs appeared to experience lower costs than controls. A larger study cohort might better determine the value of the intervention.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)297-301
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of the American Geriatrics Society
Volume66
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2018

Keywords

  • care transitions
  • costs
  • readmissions

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geriatrics and Gerontology

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