Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32671494›Full record

Observational studyInternational journal of public health2020

Regional differences in healthcare costs at the end of life: an observational study using Swiss insurance claims data.

Caroline Bähler, Roland Rapold, Andri Signorell, Oliver Reich, Radoslaw Panczak, Eva Blozik

Abstract readComparative StudyObservational Study
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In one paragraph

Observational study in International journal of public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Costs for Statutorily Insured Dental Services in Older Germans 2012-2017.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Caroline BählerDepartment of Health Sciences, Helsana Insurance Group, Zurich, Switzerland. caroline.baehler-baumgartner@helsana.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4650-1463
Roland RapoldDepartment of Health Sciences, Helsana Insurance Group, Zurich, Switzerland.
Andri SignorellDepartment of Health Sciences, Helsana Insurance Group, Zurich, Switzerland.
Oliver ReichDepartment of Health Sciences, Helsana Insurance Group, Zurich, Switzerland.
Radoslaw PanczakQueensland Centre for Population Research, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Eva BlozikDepartment of Health Sciences, Helsana Insurance Group, Zurich, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesWe evaluated healthcare cost differences at the end of life (EOL) between language regions in Switzerland, accounting for a comprehensive set of variables, including treatment intensity.

methodsWe evaluated 9716 elderly who died in 2014 and were insured at Helsana Group, with data on final cause of death provided by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office. EOL healthcare costs and utilization, ≥ 1 ICU admission and 10 life-sustaining interventions (cardiac catheterization, cardiac assistance device implantation, pulmonary artery wedge monitoring, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, gastrostomy, blood transfusion, dialysis, mechanical ventilation, intravenous antibiotics, cancer chemotherapies) reimbursed by compulsory insurance were examined.

resultsTaking into consideration numerous variables, relative cost differences decreased from 1.27 (95% CI 1.19-1.34) to 1.06 (CI 1.02-1.11) between the French- and German-speaking regions, and from 1.12 (CI 1.03-1.22) to 1.08 (CI 1.02-1.14) between the Italian- and German-speaking regions, but standardized costs still differed. Contrary to individual factors, density of home-care nurses, treatment intensity, and length of inpatient stay explain a substantial part of these differences.

conclusionsBoth supply factors and health-service provision at the EOL vary between Swiss language regions and explain a substantial proportion of cost differences.

Indexed as

GeographyAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHealth Care CostsHumansInsurance Claim ReviewMaleSwitzerlandTerminal CareCause of deathClaims dataEnd-of-life careHealth care costsIntensity of treatmentRegional variation

Identifiers

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.