Abstract：
OBJECTIVE: Frailty is common in older people and is associated with increased use of healthcare services and ongoing use of multiple medications. This study provides insights into the healthcare cost structure of a frail group of older adults in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Furthermore, we investigated the relationship between participants\' anticholinergic and sedative medication burden and their total healthcare costs to explore the viability of deprescribing interventions within this cohort.
METHODS: Healthcare cost analysis was conducted using data collected during a randomized controlled trial within a frail, older cohort. The collected information included participant demographics, medications used, frailty, cost of service use of aged residential care and outpatient hospital services, hospital admissions, and dispensed medications.
RESULTS: Data from 338 study participants recruited between 25 September 2018 and 30 October 2020 with a mean age of 80 years were analyzed. The total cost of healthcare per participant ranged from New Zealand $15 (US dollar $10) to New Zealand $270 681 (US dollar $175 943) over 6 months postrecruitment into the study. Four individuals accounted for 26% of this cohort\'s total healthcare cost. We found frailty to be associated with increased healthcare costs, whereas the drug burden was only associated with increased pharmaceutical costs, not overall healthcare costs.
CONCLUSIONS: With no relationship found between a patient\'s anticholinergic and sedative medication burden and their total healthcare costs, more research is required to understand how and where to unlock healthcare cost savings within frail, older populations.
METHODS: Healthcare cost analysis was conducted using data collected during a randomized controlled trial within a frail, older cohort. The collected information included participant demographics, medications used, frailty, cost of service use of aged residential care and outpatient hospital services, hospital admissions, and dispensed medications.
RESULTS: Data from 338 study participants recruited between 25 September 2018 and 30 October 2020 with a mean age of 80 years were analyzed. The total cost of healthcare per participant ranged from New Zealand $15 (US dollar $10) to New Zealand $270 681 (US dollar $175 943) over 6 months postrecruitment into the study. Four individuals accounted for 26% of this cohort\'s total healthcare cost. We found frailty to be associated with increased healthcare costs, whereas the drug burden was only associated with increased pharmaceutical costs, not overall healthcare costs.
CONCLUSIONS: With no relationship found between a patient\'s anticholinergic and sedative medication burden and their total healthcare costs, more research is required to understand how and where to unlock healthcare cost savings within frail, older populations.
摘要：
目的：虚弱在老年人中很常见，并且与医疗保健服务的使用增加和多种药物的持续使用有关。这项研究提供了对奥特罗阿一群脆弱的老年人的医疗保健成本结构的见解，新西兰。此外，我们调查了参与者抗胆碱能药物和镇静剂药物负担与其总医疗费用之间的关系,以探讨该队列中取消处方干预措施的可行性.
方法：医疗成本分析使用在一项随机对照试验中收集的数据进行，较老的队列。收集的信息包括参与者的人口统计，使用的药物，脆弱,老年住宿护理和门诊医院服务的服务使用成本，入院,和分配药物。
结果：分析了2018年9月25日至2020年10月30日招募的338名研究参与者的数据，这些参与者的平均年龄为80岁。在招募后的6个月内，每位参与者的医疗总费用从新西兰$15（10美元）到新西兰$270681（175943美元）不等。四人占该队列医疗总费用的26%。我们发现虚弱与医疗费用的增加有关，而药物负担仅与药物成本的增加有关，不是整体医疗费用。
结论：没有发现患者的抗胆碱能和镇静药物负担与其总医疗费用之间的关系，需要更多的研究来了解如何以及在哪里在脆弱的范围内释放医疗保健成本节约，老年人群。
方法：医疗成本分析使用在一项随机对照试验中收集的数据进行，较老的队列。收集的信息包括参与者的人口统计，使用的药物，脆弱,老年住宿护理和门诊医院服务的服务使用成本，入院,和分配药物。
结果：分析了2018年9月25日至2020年10月30日招募的338名研究参与者的数据，这些参与者的平均年龄为80岁。在招募后的6个月内，每位参与者的医疗总费用从新西兰$15（10美元）到新西兰$270681（175943美元）不等。四人占该队列医疗总费用的26%。我们发现虚弱与医疗费用的增加有关，而药物负担仅与药物成本的增加有关，不是整体医疗费用。
结论：没有发现患者的抗胆碱能和镇静药物负担与其总医疗费用之间的关系，需要更多的研究来了解如何以及在哪里在脆弱的范围内释放医疗保健成本节约，老年人群。
