Hospitalization and Health Care Costs Due to Congestive Heart Failure in the Elderly

Abstract

The objective of this study is to describe the occurrence of readmissions due to congestive heart failure (CHF) in an elderly population and to give insight into the costs associated with readmissions. Two hundred and seven patients ages 65-84, hospitalized due to CHF, were included in the analysis. Seventy-six patients (37%) were readmitted due to CHF within 1 year including 32 (16 %) readmitted within 30 days. The patients with early readmissions had a significantly shorter index hospitalization compared to those not readmitted. The total cost for hospitalization due to CHF was 7,739,488 SEK (8 SEK to $1US). Readmissions accounted for 41% of this amount. We conclude that readmissions are common in patients with CHF and that the frequencyof early readmissions for CHF may be related to the duration of prior hospitalization. Early discharge may lead to increased health care expenditure due to a high frequency of readmissions.