Using a Claims-Based Frailty Index to Investigate Frailty, Survival, and Healthcare Expenditures among Older Adults Hospitalized for COVID-19 at an Academic Medical Center.
T Keeney, M Flom, J Ding, M Sy, K Leung, D H Kim, J Orav, C Vogeli, C S Ritchie
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引用次数: 1
Abstract
Background: Frailty is associated with mortality in older adults hospitalized with COVID-19, yet few studies have quantified healthcare utilization and spending following COVID-19 hospitalization.
Objective: To evaluate whether survival and follow-up healthcare utilization and expenditures varied as a function of claims-based frailty status for older adults hospitalized with COVID-19.
Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Participants: 136 patients aged 65 and older enrolled in an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) risk contract at an academic medical center and hospitalized for COVID-19 between March 11, 2020 - June 3, 2020.
Measurements: We linked a COVID-19 Registry with administrative claims data to quantify a frailty index and its relationship to mortality, healthcare utilization, and expenditures over 6 months following hospital discharge. Kaplan Meier curves and Cox Proportional Hazards models were used to evaluate survival by frailty. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare utilization. A generalized linear model with a gamma distribution was used to evaluate differences in monthly Medicare expenditures.
Results: Much of the cohort was classified as moderate to severely frail (65.4%), 24.3% mildly frail, and 10.3% robust or pre-frail. Overall, 27.2% (n=37) of the cohort died (n=26 during hospitalization, n=11 after discharge) and survival did not significantly differ by frailty. Among survivors, inpatient hospitalizations during the 6-month follow-up period varied significantly by frailty (p=0.02). Mean cost over follow-up was $856.37 for the mild and $4914.16 for the moderate to severe frailty group, and monthly expenditures increased with higher frailty classification (p <.001).
Conclusions: In this cohort, claims-based frailty was not significantly associated with survival but was associated with follow-up hospitalizations and Medicare expenditures.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Frailty & Aging is a peer-reviewed international journal aimed at presenting articles that are related to research in the area of aging and age-related (sub)clinical conditions. In particular, the journal publishes high-quality papers describing and discussing social, biological, and clinical features underlying the onset and development of frailty in older persons. The Journal of Frailty & Aging is composed by five different sections: - Biology of frailty and aging In this section, the journal presents reports from preclinical studies and experiences focused at identifying, describing, and understanding the subclinical pathophysiological mechanisms at the basis of frailty and aging. - Physical frailty and age-related body composition modifications Studies exploring the physical and functional components of frailty are contained in this section. Moreover, since body composition plays a major role in determining physical frailty and, at the same time, represents the most evident feature of the aging process, special attention is given to studies focused on sarcopenia and obesity at older age. - Neurosciences of frailty and aging The section presents results from studies exploring the cognitive and neurological aspects of frailty and age-related conditions. In particular, papers on neurodegenerative conditions of advanced age are welcomed. - Frailty and aging in clinical practice and public health This journal’s section is devoted at presenting studies on clinical issues of frailty and age-related conditions. This multidisciplinary section particularly welcomes reports from clinicians coming from different backgrounds and specialties dealing with the heterogeneous clinical manifestations of advanced age. Moreover, this part of the journal also contains reports on frailty- and age-related social and public health issues. - Clinical trials and therapeutics This final section contains all the manuscripts presenting data on (pharmacological and non-pharmacological) interventions aimed at preventing, delaying, or treating frailty and age-related conditions.The Journal of Frailty & Aging is a quarterly publication of original papers, review articles, case reports, controversies, letters to the Editor, and book reviews. Manuscripts will be evaluated by the editorial staff and, if suitable, by expert reviewers assigned by the editors. The journal particularly welcomes papers by researchers from different backgrounds and specialities who may want to share their views and experiences on the common themes of frailty and aging.The abstracting and indexing of the Journal of Frailty & Aging is covered by MEDLINE (approval by the National Library of Medicine in February 2016).