PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Britt Borregaard
AU  - Jacob Eifer Møller
AU  - Jordi Sanchez Dahl
AU  - Lars Peter Schødt Riber
AU  - Selina Kikkenborg Berg
AU  - Ola Ekholm
AU  - Marc Gjern Weiss
AU  - Emilie Karense Lykking
AU  - Kirstine Lærum Sibilitz
AU  - Jan Sørensen
TI  - Early follow-up after open heart valve surgery reduces healthcare costs: a propensity matched study
AID  - 10.1136/openhrt-2019-001122
DP  - 2019 Nov 01
TA  - Open Heart
PG  - e001122
VI  - 6
IP  - 2
4099  - http://openheart.bmj.com/content/6/2/e001122.short
4100  - http://openheart.bmj.com/content/6/2/e001122.full
SO  - Open Heart2019 Nov 01; 6
AB  - Objectives The objective was to assess differences in healthcare costs within 180 days after discharge from open heart valve surgery in an intervention group receiving early, individualised and intensified follow-up compared with a historical control group.Methods A cost-minimisation analysis comparing costs from a consecutive prospective cohort compared with a propensity matched cohort. Costs related to the intervention, hospital (outpatient visits and readmissions) and general practitioners (all contacts) were included. Data were obtained from electronic patient records and registry data. A logistic propensity model was used to identify the historical control group. Main results are presented as mean differences and 95% CIs based on bootstrapping.Results After matching, the analysis included 300 patients from the intervention group and 580 controls. The mean intervention cost was €171 (SD 79) per patient. After 180 days, the mean healthcare costs were €1284 (SD 2567) for the intervention group and €2077 (SD 4773) for the controls. The cost of the intervention group was €793 (p<0.001) less per patient. The cost differences were explained mainly by fewer readmissions, fewer overall emergency visits and fewer contacts to the general practitioner during out-of-hours in the intervention group.Conclusions The intervention consisting of early, individualised and intensified follow-up after open heart valve surgery significantly reduced the healthcare costs within 180 days after discharge.