A 6-year comparative economic evaluation of healthcare costs and mortality rates of Dutch patients from conventional and CAM GPs.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To compare healthcare costs and mortality rates of Dutch patients with a conventional (CON) general practitioner (GP) and patients with a GP who has additionally completed training in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Design

Comparative economic evaluation.

Setting

Database from the Dutch insurance company Agis.

Participants

1,521,773 patients (98.8%) from a CON practice and 18,862 patients (1.2%) from a CAM practice.

Main outcome measures

Annual information on five types of healthcare costs for the years 2006-2011: care by GP, hospital care, pharmaceutical care, paramedic care and care covered by supplementary insurance. Healthcare costs in the last year of life. Mortality rates.

Results

The mean annual compulsory and suppl

SUBMITTER: Baars EW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4156802 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature