TY  - JOUR
TI  - Evaluation of the Direct Cost in Patients with Dementia Hospitalized for Pneumonia
AB  - Objective: Pneumonia is an indisputable cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly patients especially if they have dementia. We aimed to compare the cost of pneumonia for hospitalized patients with and without dementia and to investigate the factors affecting the direct cost of hospitalization. Material and Methods: The study group consisted of 58 dementia patients hospitalized for pneumonia compared with a matched cohort of 54 patients without dementia. The data were collected from the hospital record system between May 2017 and June 2019. Demographic features, comorbidities, characteristics of pneumonia and factors contributing to the total cost of hospitalization were analysed retrospectively. Results: The total mean cost of all patients for hospitalization of pneumonia was 653.1±1,059.9 American Dollars. The mean cost in the dementia group is 976.14±1,433.83 and 339.01±180.81 American Dollars for the control group per episode (p=0.001). The mean length of stay is 10.24±6.97 days and 7.24±2.89 days in the dementia and control groups, respectively (p<0.05). The number of consultations, pharmacy costs, examination costs and the total costs of patients with dementia were significantly higher than those without dementia and independent of the parameters associated with the characteristics of pneumonia. Conclusion: This study shows that pneumonia in elderly patients with dementia produces a burdensome financial cost which is lower in a matched population of patients without dementia. Advances in elderly care, precautions for pneumonia and assessment of aspiration risk in dementia patients might be rational solutions for decreasing the cost of pneumonia.
AU  - Yılmaz Kara, Bilge
AU  - ÖZYURT, SONGÜL
AU  - OZCELIK, Neslihan
DO  - 10.5336/healthsci.2020-77094
PY  - 2021
JO  - Türkiye Klinikleri Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi
VL  - 6
IS  - 3
SN  - 2536-4391
SP  - 531
EP  - 537
DB  - TRDizin
UR  - http://search/yayin/detay/491237
ER  -