Primary care in supplementary health: assessment of costs in the care of older adult patients with heart diseases

Atención primaria en salud complementaria: evaluación de costos en el cuidado de ancianos con enfermedades del corazón

ABSTRACT

Objectives:

to identify whether implementing a supplementary Primary Health Care (PHC) system makes it possible to reduce care costs for older adults with heart diseases.

Methods:

a retrospective cohort of 223 patients with heart disease aged ≥ 60 years. Data were obtained from medical records and cost databases, assessed for a period of one year before and after PHC implementation. The results were expressed as mean absolute frequencies for number of hospitalizations and as average annual expenses expressed in dollars (US$) in relation to cost data.

Results:

there was a reduction in hospitalization expenses after implementing supplementary PHC (p=0.01) and a decrease in the frequency of hospitalizations for the entire sample (p=0.006). There was a reduction in the frequency of consultations at the Emergency Room among frail older adults (p=0.011).

Conclusions:

there was a reduction in hospitalization costs and frequency of visits to the Emergency Room after supplementary PHC.

Descriptors:
Aged; Cardiovascular Diseases; Costs and Cost Analysis; Primary Health Care; Learning Health System