Resource utilization and survival among Medicare patients with advanced liver disease

The prevalence of advanced liver disease and its complications may be on the rise within the Medicare population. The study aim was trend assessment for prevalence, mortality and resource utilization of patients with advanced liver disease.

A retrospective, cross-sectional design was used to analyze a national sample of non-institutionalized Medicare in/outpatients from 2005 to 2009. Cases were ascertained by International Classification of Diseases, 9th Edition. Outcomes were overall mortality (within 1 year) and resource utilization [hospital length of stay (LOS/days) and institutional costs to Medicare]. Multivariate analyses were used to estimate the odds ratios for mortality predictors; linear regression was used for resource utilization predictors.

A total of 21,913 beneficiaries with advanced liver disease were identified in the Medicare inpatient and outpatient administrative data sets from 2005 to 2009. Over 70 % of the beneficiaries with advanced liver disease died during study time period with 17 % dying while hospitalized. Predictors of mortality were: admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and increasing Charlson Comorbidity Index. Predictors for increased LOS and cost were: ICU admission and having a thoracentesis procedure (both indicators of the levels of illness).

Advanced liver disease and its related complication are increasing in the Medicare population and are associated with very high mortality. Further study is warranted to understand the drivers of the increased prevalence of advanced liver disease for earlier identification and treatment.