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149860 - Hospitalisation costs of primary liver cancer in Australia, evidence from a data linkage study.pdf (448.9 kB)

Hospitalisation costs of primary liver cancer in Australia: evidence from a data-linkage study

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Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the public hospital costs associated with Primary Liver Cancer (PLC) in the first and second years following the cancer diagnosis.

Methods: This study linked administrative datasets of patients diagnosed with PLC in Victoria, Australia from 01/2008 to 12/2015. The health system perspective was adopted to estimate the direct healthcare costs associated with PLC, based on inpatient and emergency costs. Costs were estimated for the first 12 month and 12 to 24 months after the PLC diagnosis and expressed in 2017 Australian dollars. The cost estimated was then extrapolated nationally. The linear mixed model with a Box-Cox transformation of the costs was used to explore the relationship between costs and patients’ sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Results:For the first 12 months, the total and annual per-patient cost was $211.4 million and $63,664, respectively. Regarding the cost extrapolation to Australia, the total cost was $137 million for the first 12 months after notification and $42.6 million for the period from 12 to 24 months. Higher costs per episode of care were mostly associated with older age, Hepatocellular Carcinoma type of PLC, metropolitan hospitals, and Asian birth region.

Conclusion:This study showed the public hospital admission and emergency costs associated with PLC and the substantial economic burden this cancer has placed on the Australian Health System.

History

Publication title

Australian Health Review

Volume

46

Issue

4

Pagination

463-470

ISSN

0156-5788

Department/School

Menzies Institute for Medical Research

Publisher

C S I R O Publishing

Place of publication

Australia

Rights statement

© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of AHHA.

Repository Status

  • Open

Socio-economic Objectives

Inpatient hospital care