Mortality and cost of radiation therapy for oesophageal cancer according to hospital accreditation level: a nationwide population‐based study |
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| Authors: | S.‐H. Liu PhD J.‐N. Wu PhD J.‐D. Day PhD C.‐H. Muo MSc F.‐C. Sung PhD C.‐H Kao MD J.‐A. Liang MD |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Health Care and Social Work, Yu Da University of Science and Technology, Miaoli, Taiwan;2. Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan;3. Department of Administration Affairs, E‐DA Hospital, I‐Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;4. Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;5. Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan;6. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan;7. Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan;8. Department of Radiation Oncology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan |
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| Abstract: | ![]()
This study examined and analysed the relationship between the cost‐effectiveness and outcome of radiotherapy for oesophageal cancer among hospitals with varying accreditation levels. We selected 428 oesophageal cancer patients from medical and non‐medical centres using the National Health Insurance Research Database, which is maintained by the Taiwanese National Health Research Institutes, and compared their medical expenditure and the outcome of their radiotherapy treatment. In this study cohort of patients with oesophageal cancer, 278 patients were treated in medical centres (mean age: 60.1 years) and 150 patients were treated in non‐medical centres (mean age: 62.0 years, P = 0.16). The medical centre group exhibited significantly lower medical expenses, mortality and risk of death compared with the non‐medical centre group (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.38, 95% confidence interval = 1.11–1.71). Our study determined that radiotherapy for oesophageal cancer costs significantly less, and medical centres had lower mortality rates than non‐medical centres. These findings could provide professional organisations and healthcare policy makers with essential information for allocation of resources. |
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| Keywords: | cost‐effectiveness radiotherapy oesophageal cancer hospital accreditation levels mortality |
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