Impact of a general practitioner-led integrated model of care on the cost of potentially preventable diabetes-related hospitalisations
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Claire Jackson; Maria Donald; Samantha A. Hollingworth; Bharat Phani Vaikuntam; Jianzhen Zhang; Anthony W. Russell
- Source
- Primary Care Diabetes. 11:344-347
- Subject
- Outpatient Clinics, Hospital
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
030209 endocrinology & metabolism
Primary care
Secondary Care
law.invention
03 medical and health sciences
Patient Admission
0302 clinical medicine
Randomized controlled trial
Ambulatory care
Cost Savings
General Practitioners
law
Multidisciplinary approach
Diabetes mellitus
Health care
Diabetes Mellitus
Internal Medicine
medicine
Humans
Outpatient clinic
Prospective Studies
030212 general & internal medicine
Hospital Costs
Physician's Role
Referral and Consultation
Nutrition and Dietetics
Primary Health Care
Delivery of Health Care, Integrated
business.industry
medicine.disease
Cost savings
Models, Economic
Queensland
Medical emergency
Family Practice
business
- Language
- ISSN
- 1751-9918
Aim To estimate potential savings for Australia’s health care system through the implementation of an innovative Beacon model of care for patients with complex diabetes. Methods A prospective controlled trial was conducted comparing a multidisciplinary, community-based, integrated primary-secondary care diabetes service with usual care at a hospital diabetes outpatient clinic. We extracted patient hospitalisation data from the Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection and used Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Groups to assign costs to potentially preventable hospitalisations for diabetes. Results 327 patients with complex diabetes referred by their general practitioner for specialist outpatient care were included in the analysis. The integrated model of care had potential for national cost savings of $132.5 million per year. Conclusions The differences in hospitalisations attributable to better integrated primary/secondary care can yield large cost savings. Models such as the Beacon are highly relevant to current national health care reform initiatives to improve the continuity and efficiency of care for those with complex chronic disease in primary care.