[The special attention to re-admitted patients can be effective. Cost-benefit analysis of a new health care model].
BACKGROUND
Patients with chronic conditions are commonly readmitted to hospital. A study was designed to improve their medical care. The cost/benefit analysis is presented to evaluate its efficiency.


METHODS
Patients attended at the Internal Medicine Department in a hospital area who were readmitted three or more times in a year were included in the study. In a prospective study, patients were attended by means of a specific consultation with upon request care or through telephone care, with the possibility of elective admission. A comparison was made of costs of the new care program with costs of their usual care, and it was correlated with attending results.


RESULTS
Patients were followed for 32 months with a 45% decrease in admissions, 50% in visits to the Emergency Department, and 26% in the hospital stay days. The new program involves monthly savings over 5 million pesetas for the attended population.


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed health care program decreases the attending needs in these patients and costs derived from hospital care. An efficient alternative is shown.
Gamboa Antiñolo
F
F
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital El Tomillar, Area Hospitalaria de Valme, Dos Hermanas, Sevilla, Spain. minfga@valme.sas.junta-andalucia.es
Gómez Camacho
E
E
de Villar Conde
E
E
Vega Sánchez
J
J
López Alonso
R
R
Polo
J
J
D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain