Evaluating the Economic Impact of Palliative and End-of-Life Care Interventions on Intensive Care Unit Utilization and Costs from the Hospital and Healthcare System Perspective.

Purpose of report: Understanding the impact of palliative care interventions on intensive care unit (ICU) costs and utilization is critical for demonstrating the value of palliative care. Performing these economic assessments, however, can be challenging. The purpose of this special report is to highlight and discuss important considerations when assessing ICU utilization and costs from the hospital perspective, with the goal of providing recommendations on methods to consider for future analyses.

FINDINGS: ICU length of stay (LOS) and associated costs of care are common and important outcome measures, but must be analyzed properly to yield valid conclusions. There is significant variation in costs by day of stay in the ICU with only modest differences between an ICU day at the end of a stay and the first day on the acute care floor; this variation must be appropriately accounted for analytically. Furthermore, reporting direct variable costs, in addition to total ICU costs, is needed to understand short-term and long-term impact of a reduction in LOS. Importantly, incentives for the hospital to realize savings vary depending on reimbursement policies.

SUMMARY: ICU utilization and costs are common outcomes in studies evaluating palliative care interventions. Accurate estimation and interpretation are key to understanding the economic implications of palliative care interventions.