Profile of hospitalised elderly patients in Belgium—Analysis of factors affecting hospital costs

Abstract

The objectives of this research are (i) to describe the medicoadministrative profiles of inpatients aged 65 and over and (ii) to determine the main hospitalisation-related diseases in order (iii) to assess and identify predictors influencing hospital costs and lengths of stay thanks to data collected in hospital administrative databases. Methods: The study is based on 45,469 hospital stays of inpatients aged 65 and over, with data collected among ten Belgian general hospitals in 2014. We conduct a linear regression in order to isolate factors influencing hospital costs and length of stay. Results: The mean length of stay (SD) for older patients (65+) is 11 days (18.17) and the mean hospitalisation cost (SD) €6706 (9422). The main predictor of hospital costs is the length of stay. A linear regression (n = 41,348, R 2 = 0.4520) reveals that predictors of a longer LOS for hospitalised older patients are: to be a male, to come from another hospital, to be sent to hospital by a general practitioner, to be admitted through the emergency department, to undergo a surgical procedure, to suffer from a major or extreme SOI or run a major or extreme mortality risk, to have a high score on the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), to stay in an ICU, to belong to older age categories (85+), and to be institutionalised after discharge. Conclusion: Advanced age is by itself only a weak predictor of hospital cost, but it is a good predictor of a longer hospital stay.

Retrospective study on the health and economic burden of hospitalized patients due to pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal infections in Belgium settings

“…The Severity of Illness (minor-moderate-major-extreme) associated with the diagnosis refers to the extent of physiological decompensation or functional loss of the organ system. The risk of mortality (minormoderate-major-extreme) associated with the diagnosis refers to the likelihood of dying [1].…”

“…Pneumococcal infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality, causing hospital admission and high health care costs in frail patients such as elderly population [1]. Making an accurate estimate of pneumococcal infection burden is a difficult exercise as epidemiological data vary according to the reviewed series and applied methodological criteria.…”

Infections and hospital bed-days among aging adults: A five-year retrospective study in a Belgian general hospital

“…This may result in a limited focus on infections in aging adults ( 15 , 16 ). However, these diseases in this group are serious and need improved disease management ( 17 , 18 ). Elderly patients are at high risk for healthcare-associated (HA) or nosocomial infections due to the age-related decline in the immune system, along with co-morbid conditions that often complicate infections and diminish the ability to treat them effectively.…”