title: Reducing health care costs for dementia patients: estimating savings from a caregiver support program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Estimating cost savings based on limited health care events within a short time span for a dementia care program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on health care utilization of persons with dementia (PWDs) and caregivers were gathered in the Dementia Care Services Program in North Dakota from January 2010 to January 2012. Data were aggregated into 3-month intervals and compared to 3 months before program intervention. Paired and cross-time models were used to estimate cost savings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Health care cost savings for PWDs were estimated at US$143,118 to US$180,102 during the first 3 months after intervention, then decreased over time. Only the first 9 months could be used in the paired model due to small N and low power.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For programs with short time spans and limited health care events, a cross-time model can be used to estimate cost savings while producing results similar to paired models.
authors.affiliation: Center for Rural Health, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA. marilyn.klug@med.und.edu
authors.forename: Marilyn G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Klug
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muus
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Volkov
authors.forename: Gwen Wagstrom
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Halaas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000552:Ambulances / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003704:Dementia / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015277:Hotlines / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009658:North Dakota; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000191:economics*; D012944:Social Support