Describing the characteristics and healthcare use of high-cost acute care users at the end of life: a pan-Canadian population-based study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A minority of individuals use a large portion of health system resources, incurring considerable costs, especially in acute-care hospitals where a significant proportion of deaths occur. We sought to describe and contrast the characteristics, acute-care use and cost in the last year of life among high users and non-high users who died in hospitals across Canada.

Methods

We conducted a population-based retrospective-cohort study of Canadian adults aged ≥18 who died in hospitals across Canada between fiscal years 2011/12-2014/15. High users were defined as patients within the top 10% of highest cumulative acute-care costs in each fiscal year. Patients were categorized as: persistent high users (high-cost in death year and year prior), non-persistent high users (high

SUBMITTER: Qureshi D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7603700 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature