Unplanned admissions for patients with myeloma in the UK: Low frequency but high costs

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Oncology
• Health Economics

Background:

• Multiple myeloma (MM) is linked to high healthcare resource use and rising hospital admission rates.
• Understanding hospital utilization patterns is crucial for managing MM patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize hospital use among patients with multiple myeloma (MM) within the English National Health Service (NHS).

Main Methods:

• Analysis of aggregate, routinely collected data on all NHS-funded hospital admissions for MM patients.
• Data sourced from English Hospital Episodes Statistics for admissions between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2018.

Main Results:

• Over four years, 754,345 MM admissions were recorded (mean 188,586/year).
• Elective admissions constituted 90% of total admissions, while unplanned admissions were 10%.
• Annual costs averaged £46 million for elective and £56 million for unplanned admissions, with unplanned admissions showing higher cost increases (9.0% vs. 1.5%).

Conclusions:

• Multiple myeloma (MM) significantly contributes to hospital admissions and NHS expenditures.
• While elective admissions are more frequent, unplanned admissions represent a greater cost burden and are increasing.
• The rising trend in unplanned admissions necessitates targeted strategies for MM patient management and resource allocation.