Outpatient geriatric evaluation and management: is there an investment effect?
The effectiveness and efficiency of outpatient geriatric evaluation and management (GEM) was compared to usual outpatient primary care (UPC). Although GEM had no overall impact on health care utilization or cost of care for the entire study period, significant reductions were found during the sixteen- to twenty-four-month study period, suggesting a possible investment effect. In the first eight months of the study, GEM patients incurred 34.8% more in health care costs than UPC patients, but in the final eight months of the study the cost of care for UPC patients exceeded that for GEM patients by 37.8%.
Toseland
R W
RW
Ringel Institute of Gerontology, School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, State University of New York 12222, USA.
O'Donnell
J C
JC
Engelhardt
J B
JB
Richie
J
J
Jue
D
D
Banks
S M
SM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011320:Primary Health Care; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014728:Veterans