Costs of Care for Family Caregivers and Care Recipients in Palliative Care
Author Information
Author(s): Kaufman Brystana, Huang Ro, Holland Diane, Vanderboom Catherine, Mandrekar Jay, Gustavson Allison, Griffin Joan
Primary Institution: Duke University School of Medicine
Hypothesis
Does a Transitional Palliative Care intervention reduce healthcare use and out-of-pocket costs for family caregivers and their care recipients?
Conclusion
The study found that palliative care interventions can reduce hospital stays for seriously ill patients, but caregivers still face high financial costs.
Supporting Evidence
- The study included 282 family caregiver-care recipient dyads.
- Transitional Palliative Care reduced hospital nights for care recipients.
- Total out-of-pocket spending was not significantly different between groups.
Takeaway
This study shows that helping family caregivers can keep patients out of the hospital, but it can still be expensive for the caregivers.
Methodology
The study used data from a trial comparing a Transitional Palliative Care intervention to a control condition, collecting data on healthcare use and costs through monthly calls.
Limitations
The study may not generalize to all caregiver and care recipient populations as it was limited to specific states.
Participant Demographics
The study included family caregivers and care recipients across 3 US states.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI = 0.56 – 0.99
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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