Additional Cost Because of Pneumonia in Nursing Home Residents: Results From the Incidence of Pneumonia and Related Consequences in Nursing Home Resident Study

Objectives

Pneumonia is a frequent condition in older people. Our aim was to examine the total healthcare cost related to pneumonia in nursing home (NH) residents over a 1-year follow-up period.

Design

This was a prospective, longitudinal, observational, and multicenter study that was a part of the Incidence of Pneumonia and related Consequences in Nursing Home Resident study.

Setting

Thirteen NHs located in Languedoc Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées regions in France were included.

Participants

Resident in NH, older than 60 years and had a group iso-resource score ranging from 2 to 5.

Measurements

Pneumonia events were characterized according to the Observatoire du Risque Infectieux en Geriatrie criteria. Direct medical and nonmedical costs were assessed from the French health insurance perspective. Healthcare resources was retrospectively gathered from the French Social Health Insurance database and valued using the tariffs reimbursed by the French health insurance. Sociodemographic variables, clinical factors, vaccinations, cognition, depression, functional status, frailty index, as well as group iso-resource score were also recorded.

Results

Among the 800 patients initially included in the Incidence of Pneumonia and Related Consequences in Nursing Home Resident study, 345 which were listed in the database of the French Social Health Insurance were included in this economic study. Among them, 64 (18%) experienced at least 1 episode of pneumonia during the 1-year follow-up period. Mean annual total additional cost for a patient who experienced at least 1 episode of pneumonia during the 1 year follow-up period is 2813€. On average, total annual costs increased by 60% to 93% when a patient experienced at least 1 episode of pneumonia.

Conclusions

NH-acquired pneumonia has a great impact on total cost of care for NH residents. Our results suggest the potential economic savings that could be achieved if pneumonia could be prevented in NHs.