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Comparative cost-analysis of two different chronic care facilities for end-stage renal disease patients
S V Jassal1, J E Brissenden, A Raisbeck
1Wellesley Hospital, Toronto, Canada. vjassal@liverpool.ac.uk
Objective:
To investigate the cost and quality of life associated with the first specialized chronic care facility for disabled dialysis patients.
Design:
A case controlled study in dialysis patients admitted to a specialized chronic dialysis unit (RCDU).
Setting:
The study compares the cost of care in a specialized chronic care facility with that of a tertiary hospital.
Patients:
All dialysis patients with severe chronic disability, resident in Greater Toronto, who were unable to be discharged into the community and who were admitted to the RCDU in the first year of the program.
Interventions:
Chronic care and rehabilitation services in a specialized dialysis unit.
Outcome Measures:
Costs are expressed as $Cdn per patient year. Quality of life scores were measured using SIP and SF-36 questionnaires.
Results:
The data show a saving of $37,022 Cdn over the 618 day study period with care in the RCDU compared with that of a tertiary hospital. Quality of life measures show no difference in scores.
Conclusions:
We conclude that this preliminary report confirms a cost benefit of a specialized chronic care dialysis unit.