Changes in acute hospital costs after employing clinical facilitators to improve stroke care in Victoria, Australia

Costs of acute hospitalisation for stroke and transient ischaemic attack in Australia

BACKGROUND

Stroke is a high-cost condition. Detailed patient-level assessments of the costs of care received and outcomes achieved provide useful information for organisation and optimisation of the health system.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the costs of hospital care for stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and investigate factors associated with costs.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study using data from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (AuSCR) collected between 2009 and 2013 linked to hospital administrative data and clinical costing data in Queensland. Clinical costing data include standardised assignment of costs from hospitals that contribute to the National Hospital Costing programme. Patient-level costs for each hospital admission were described according to the demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics of patients. Multivariable median regression with clustering by hospital was used to determine factors associated with greater costs.

RESULTS

Among 22 hospitals, clinical costing data were available for 3909 of 5522 patient admissions in the AuSCR (71%). Compared to those without clinical costing data, patients with clinical costing data were more often aged <65 years (30% with cost data vs 24% without cost data, p < 0.001) and male (56% with cost data vs 49% without cost data, p < 0.001). Median cost of an acute episode was $7945 (interquartile range $4176 to $14970) and the median length of stay was 5 days (interquartile range 2 to 10 days). The most expensive cost buckets were related to medical (n = 3897, median cost $1577), nursing (n = 3908, median cost $2478) and critical care (n = 434, median cost $3064). Factors associated with greater total costs were a diagnosis of intracerebral haemorrhage, greater socioeconomic position, in-hospital stroke and prior history of stroke.

CONCLUSION

Medical and nursing costs were incurred by most patients admitted with stroke or TIA, and were relatively more expensive on average than other cost buckets such as imaging and allied health.

IMPLICATIONS

Scaling this data linkage to national data collections may provide valuable insights into activity-based funding at public hospitals. Regular report of these costs should be encouraged to optimise economic evaluations.

The Cost of Uncontrolled Blood Pressure in Australian General Practice: A Modelling Study Using Electronic Health Records (MedicineInsight)

BACKGROUND

Hypertension is the most common condition seen in Australian general practice. Despite hypertension being amenable to lifestyle modifications and pharmacological treatment, only around half of these patients have controlled blood pressure levels (< 140/90 mmHg), placing them at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to estimate the health and acute hospitalisation costs of uncontrolled hypertension among patients attending general practice.

METHODS

We used population data and electronic health records from 634,000 patients aged 45-74 years who regularly attended an Australian general practice between 2016 and 2018 (MedicineInsight database). An existing worksheet-based costing model was adapted to calculate the potential cost savings for acute hospitalisation of primary cardiovascular disease events by reducing the risk of a cardiovascular event over the next 5 years through improved systolic blood pressure control. The model estimated the number of expected cardiovascular disease events and associated acute hospital costs under current levels of systolic blood pressure and compared this estimate with the expected number of cardiovascular disease events and costs under different levels of systolic blood pressure control.

RESULTS

The model estimated that across all Australians aged 45-74 years who visit their general practitioner (n = 8.67 million), 261,858 cardiovascular disease events can be expected over the next 5 years at current systolic blood pressure levels (mean 137.8 mmHg, standard deviation = 12.3 mmHg), with a cost of AUD$1813 million (in 2019-20). By reducing the systolic blood pressure of all patients with a systolic blood pressure greater than 139 mmHg to 139 mmHg, 25,845 cardiovascular disease events could be avoided with an associated reduction in acute hospital costs of AUD$179 million. If systolic blood pressure is lowered further to 129 mmHg for all those with systolic blood pressure greater than 129 mmHg, 56,169 cardiovascular disease events could be avoided with potential cost savings of AUD$389 million. Sensitivity analyses indicate that potential cost savings range from AUD$46 million to AUD$1406 million and AUD$117 million to AUD$2009 million for the two scenarios, respectively. Cost savings by practice range from AUD$16,479 for small practices to AUD$82,493 for large practices.

CONCLUSIONS

The aggregate cost effects of poor blood pressure control in primary care are high, but cost implications at the individual practice level are modest. The potential cost savings improve the potential to design cost-effective interventions, but such interventions may be best targeted at a population level rather than at individual practices.

Evaluating remote facilitation intensity for multi-national translation of nurse-initiated stroke protocols (QASC Australasia): a protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Facilitated implementation of nurse-initiated protocols to manage fever, hyperglycaemia (sugar) and swallowing difficulties (FeSS Protocols) in 19 Australian stroke units resulted in reduced death and dependency for stroke patients. However, a significant gap remains in translating this evidence-based care bundle protocol into standard practice in Australia and New Zealand. Facilitation is a key component for increasing implementation. However, its contribution to evidence translation initiatives requires further investigation. We aim to evaluate two levels of intensity of external remote facilitation as part of a multifaceted intervention to improve FeSS Protocol uptake and quality of care for patients with stroke in Australian and New Zealand acute care hospitals.

METHODS

A three-arm cluster randomised controlled trial with a process evaluation and economic evaluation. Australian and New Zealand hospitals with a stroke unit or service will be recruited and randomised in blocks of five to one of the three study arms-high- or low-intensity external remote facilitation or a no facilitation control group-in a 2:2:1 ratio. The multicomponent implementation strategy will incorporate implementation science frameworks (Theoretical Domains Framework, Capability, Opportunity, Motivation - Behaviour Model and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research) and include an online education package, audit and feedback reports, local clinical champions, barrier and enabler assessments, action plans, reminders and external remote facilitation. The primary outcome is implementation effectiveness using a composite measure comprising six monitoring and treatment elements of the FeSS Protocols. Secondary outcome measures are as follows: composite outcome of adherence to each of the combined monitoring and treatment elements for (i) fever (n=5); (ii) hyperglycaemia (n=6); and (iii) swallowing protocols (n=7); adherence to the individual elements that make up each of these protocols; comparison for composite outcomes between (i) metropolitan and rural/remote hospitals; and (ii) stroke units and stroke services. A process evaluation will examine contextual factors influencing intervention uptake. An economic evaluation will describe cost differences relative to each intervention and study outcomes.

DISCUSSION

We will generate new evidence on the most effective facilitation intensity to support implementation of nurse-initiated stroke protocols nationwide, reducing geographical barriers for those in rural and remote areas.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ACTRN12622000028707. Registered 14 January, 2022.

Cost-effectiveness of the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine program

ObjectiveStroke telemedicine improves the provision of reperfusion therapies in regional hospitals, yet evidence of its cost-effectiveness using patient-level data is lacking. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained from stroke telemedicine.MethodsAs part of the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine (VST) program, stroke telemedicine provided to 16 hospitals in regional Victoria was evaluated using a historical-control design. Patient-level costs from a societal perspective (2018 Australian dollars (A$)) and QALYs up to 12 months after stroke were estimated using data from medical records, surveys at 3 months and 12 months after stroke and multiple imputation. Multivariable regression models and bootstrapping were used to estimate differences between periods.ResultsCosts and health outcomes were estimated from 1024 confirmed strokes suffered by patients arriving at hospital within 4.5 h of stroke onset (median age 76 years, 55% male, 83% ischaemic stroke; 423 from the control period). Total costs to 12 months post stroke were estimated to be A$82 449 per person for the control period and A$82 259 in the intervention period (P = 0.986). QALYs at 12 months were estimated to be 0.43 per person for the control period and 0.5 per person in the intervention period (P = 0.02). Following 1000 iterations of bootstrapping, in comparison to the control period, the VST intervention was more effective and cost saving in 50.6% of iterations and cost-effective (A$0 and A$50 000 per QALY gained) in 10.4% of iterations.ConclusionThe VST program was likely to be cost saving or cost-effective. Our findings provide confidence in supporting wider implementation of telemedicine for acute stroke care in Australia.

Determinants of time-to-disposition in patients who underwent CT for pulmonary embolism: a retrospective study

Background

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common life-threatening medical emergency that needs prompt diagnosis and management. Providing urgent care is a key determinant of quality in the emergency department (ED) and time-based targets have been implemented to reduce length of stay and overcrowding. The study aimed to determine factors that are associated with having a time-to-disposition of less than 4 h in patients with suspected PE who underwent computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CT-PA) to confirm the diagnosis.

Methods

After obtaining approval from the ethics committee, we conducted a retrospective observational study by examining CT-PA scans that was performed to rule out PE in all adult patients presenting at the ED between January 2018 and December 2019. Demographic information and clinical information, as well as arrival and disposition times were collected from electronic health records. Multivariable regression analysis was used to identify the independent factors associated with meeting the 4-h target in the ED.

Results

In total, the study involved 232 patients (76 men and 156 women). The median length of stay in the ED was 5.2 h and the 4-h target was achieved in 37% of patients. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that a positive CT-PA scan for PE was independently associated with meeting the four-hour target in the ED (odds ratio [OR]: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.1–4.8). Furthermore, Hemoptysis was the only clinical symptom that served as an independent factor associated with meeting the 4-h target in the ED (OR: 10.4; 95% CI: 1.2–90.8).

Conclusion

Despite the lower number of staff and higher volume of patients on weekends, patients who presented on weekends had shorter stays and were more likely to meet the 4-h target. Careful clinical assessment, prior to requesting a CT-PA scan, is crucial, since negative CT-PA scans may be associated with failure to meet the 4-h target.