Journal Article

DKFZ-2018-00305

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Frailty and healthcare costs-longitudinal results of a prospective cohort study.

Hajek, A. ; Bock, J.-O. ; Saum, K.-U.DKFZ* ; Matschinger, H. ; Brenner, H.DKFZ* ; Holleczek, B.DKFZ* ; Haefeli, W. E. ; Heider, D. ; König, H.-H.

2018
Oxford Univ. Press Oxford

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1093/ageing/afx157

Abstract: to investigate how frailty and frailty symptoms affect healthcare costs in older age longitudinally.data were gathered from a prospective cohort study in Saarland, Germany (two waves with 3-year interval, n = 1,636 aged 57-84 years at baseline). Frailty was assessed by the five Fried frailty criteria. Frailty was defined as having at least three criteria, the presence of 1-2 criteria as pre-frail. Healthcare costs were quantified based on self-reported healthcare use in the sectors of inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, professional nursing care and informal care as well as the provision of pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and dental prostheses.while the onset of pre-frailty did not increase (log) total healthcare costs after adjusting for potential confounders including comorbidity, progression from non-frailty to frailty was associated with an increase in total healthcare costs (for example, costs increased by ~54 and 101% if 3 and 4 or 5 symptoms were present, respectively). This association of frailty onset with increased healthcare costs was in particular observed in the inpatient sector and for informal nursing care. Among the frailty symptoms, the onset of exhaustion was associated with an increase in total healthcare costs, whereas changes in slowness, weakness, weight loss and low-physical activity were not significantly associated with an increase in total healthcare costs.our data stress the economic relevance of frailty in late life. Postponing or reducing frailty might be fruitful in order to reduce healthcare costs.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Klinische Epidemiologie und Alternsforschung (C070)
2. Präventive Onkologie (G110)

Research Program(s):

1. 313 - Cancer risk factors and prevention (POF3-313) (POF3-313)

Appears in the scientific report 2018

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Database coverage:
; Allianz-Lizenz / DFG ; BIOSIS Previews ; Current Contents - Clinical Medicine ; Ebsco Academic Search ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; Nationallizenz ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Thomson Reuters Master Journal List ; Web of Science Core Collection

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